WARNING! This is a picture-overload post!
We recently took a trip to the west coast to visit Ian's birthplace and drive up HWY 1 to northern California. We started in San Diego and drove up through Laguna and Newport Beach, where Ian was born and stayed a few days in Los Angeles. While in Laguna we stopped by the gazebo where Ian's parents got married nearly 27 years ago and ate dinner at a restaurant called Las Brisas where they had their reception. The restaurant overlooked the Laguna beaches and it was an amazing place to begin our trip.
In Los Angeles, we took a half day to stroll through Pasadena, where we visited the Father of the Bride house. After that, we went to the Griffith Observatory to check out the Hollywood sign and all of LA. After that, we walked down Hollywood Boulevard, Rodeo Drive, and visited Beverly Hills. The best part of the day though was shopping and eating ice cream at a local farmers market that night a few blocks from where we were staying.
Our friends Jimmy and Jen met up with us on our last day in Los Angeles. We picked them up and made our way to Venice Beach and walked along the boardwalk. That night we drove up some back roads of Hollywood and experienced all the twinkling lights overlooking the city and some pretty swanky houses. It was one of my favorite parts of LA.
Then we started our trek up HWY 1.
Our first stop was Malibu, which was one of the most incredible places and beaches. We looked everywhere for Robert Downing Jr., but had no luck... Then we drove up through Big Sur, which was just like a movie, as the sun was setting. I think we pulled off every mile to take pictures and stare at the ocean.
We stayed the night in Monterey Bay and woke up super early to see the sun rise over Bixby Bridge. After that, we drove up a short way to San Francisco in time for the afternoon tour of Alcatraz.
Once we were settled in San Francisco, we visited a beautiful overlook near the Golden Gate Bridge and visited some touristy spots like Lombard Street, the Painted Ladies, and the Bay Area.
We spent one day strolling through Sausalito and then made our way to Muir Woods.
On the last day we drove through Napa Valley and had a picnic overlooking the vineyards.
It was the trip of a lifetime.
As Ernest Hemingway says "Never go on trips with anyone you do not love."
