Making Memories in California

Is anyone as excited as me concerning the prospect of being able to plan holidays again from this month? As we await May 17th and all being well, my mind has turned to where I would go again from all the places I have travelled over the years.

I found myself thinking about a road trip I took with my friend when we were just 21 years old. She was living in Amsterdam and I was working at Gatwick Airport. The summer was passing and both of us were yearning for a holiday, so we decided to take ourselves off to California for 3 weeks and have a little adventure.

We did not really plan where or how we would travel but we knew we wanted to visit the places we had seen on TV and dreamed about; Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and lots of other towns that we had heard about.

At 21 we were a little naïve but had no fear, so we arrived at Los Angeles Airport, hired a Camaro sportscar, and headed towards Anaheim which is where Disneyland California and other theme parks are found. The weather was perfect, blue sky and sunny days and we truly were loving being “California Girls”. We visited the beaches at Huntington hanging out with the surfers, Venice Beach watching the body builders and skateboarders as well as Santa Monica to watch the sunsets. Of course, we spent time in Hollywood and Beverly Hills too. It truly did feel “cool” to be there.

Next we headed north up Highway 1, which is a long rugged coastal road, winding through Santa Monica, Malibu, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Carmel by the Sea and more. We stayed in small motels and ate at local restaurants, visiting the famous landmarks along the way ending in San Francisco. It really is easy to leave your heart there! We had fun visiting Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz, The Golden Gate Bridge, meeting locals who in those days were fascinated by us. I cannot remember how many times we heard “Oh, I just love your accent, are you Australian?” It made us laugh out loud every time!

Our days were running out, so we took the faster route Interstate 5 back down to LA and on towards San Diego. We visited the famous Zoo, Sea World, Tijuana, La Jolla and then back to LA, to the beaches of Laguna, Newport, and a visit to Orange County.

It was a whirlwind trip but one that saw us make memories that truly have lasted all these years and we still laugh about our Californian Summer Adventure.

Do get in touch if I can help you plan a road trip in California or any of the other famous destinations in North America.