Our Adventure Book

After recovering from our week-long adventure, here is the last blog post to round out our trip to California.

Las Vegas, Nevada 

Vegas was a whirlwind to say the least. We didn’t really take a whole lot of photos since we were pretty much hustling and bustling the entire time we were there. There were three major things I took away from visiting Vegas:

1. Gambling is pointless. All you do is push a button and lose your money. I hated it.
2. Casino hotels are impossible navigate through. ~it’s a trap~
3. Being able to publicly drink on the strip is actually a brilliant idea and waaaay cheaper.

For dinner we ate at the hotel buffet, which is a TON of food. Here is our first plate:

After dinner, we got all dolled up and attended a concert for one of Alan’s favorite artists. I know all the songs by secondhand listening. I got so used to hearing Alan rap those songs that it was weird to listen to the real artist. Enjoy this video of Alan acting like it was homecoming circa 2010.

Grand Canyon 

We didn’t get to spend a ton of time here, but this is the perfect place to go off the grid as we didn’t have cell service at all. In fact, there were pay phones everywhere.

While we were looking at the Grand Canyon I thought, “how incredible it must have been to be Lewis and Clark, or whoever discovered the Grand Canyon, to see this massive rock creation”. It went on for miles until you couldn’t see anymore.

I’ll definitely be finding my way back here. Probably when it’s a bit warmer outside.

Final Thoughts 

1. California is really, really sunny. Almost too sunny.
2. 17 hour road trips aren’t as bad as I expected them to be.
3. Businesses in other states beside Texas are super stingy about you using their bathroom.
4. Arizona wins for best scenery (shout out to Flagstaff, my favorite city in Arizona).
5. It’s really nice to not have to pay for parking everywhere you go in Texas.
6. I reached 10,000 steps not once, but twice while on this trip. *snaps for Shelby*

This was a nice break to get away from it all, and I thought I was ready to go back to reality today but at 7:00 am this morning I quickly realized I wasn’t.

Alan and I don’t have any other travel plans in the near future, but I will be traveling to Disneyworld in February for my birthday so check back then for more travel updates from yours truly.

At this point, we’re about half way done with our trip.

1. Food is expensive. Pack your own. 

We decided to go grocery shopping before we left Texas to alleviate how much money we spent on food since food costs (and gas) goes up as you head west. 

Included in our stash was: fruit, bread, peanut butter, case of water, Mawmaw’s homemade snacks, and Christmas candy. 

I ended up taking some of the jelly packets from the hotel we stayed at the first night to make PB&Js. 

2. Be prepared to be in the car for a long time

When you don’t have wifi the best way to do this is to download podcasts and music before you depart. If you’re real smart, you can utilize the new download feature on Netflix. Bring a book while you’re at it too. 

Bonus: here we are at the Caverns in Carlsbad. We’ll post our GoPro videos later. 

3. When visiting San Diego, make sure you know the difference between the naval base and the museum. 

The first day in California we decided that going to San Diego would be a good idea… how wrong we would be. 

Alan got his Mexican candy 

After a delicious mexican dinner in Old Town, we thought it would be cool to see the naval base. We found it, however, it wasn’t the museum for visitors it was the actual military base. 

The real embarrassing part is that we accidentally tried to get in not once, but twice because we couldn’t find the highway after the first time. So I’m pretty sure I’m on the Navy’s watch list or something. 

Disclaimer: I blame Alan for this one because he was navigating. 

4. Driving in the Hollywood Hills will increase your car resale value

Being able to say that your car can handle those curvy hills should impress just about anyone. Also, how they get those houses to stay on the mountain is beyond me but definitely a sight to see. 

5. Know a local who can show you the cheap parking spots in Santa Monica

During our time in Los Angeles, we stayed with Alan’s friend, Armel. He was able to show us this super hidden parking spot by the pier that was only 2 dollars instead of other lots that were closer to 20. 

People on the pier can ride bikes better than they can drive, which isn’t saying a whole lot.

Us and Armel driving around with the top down 

6. Malibu is more than Ken and Barbie

Before I visited, my idea of Malibu was like the show Laguna Hills (FYI this is a completely different place in California) that is filled with Starbucks and Kim Kardashian. 

In reality, Malibu sits on this giant hill that overlooks the ocean and the mountains. It’s heavily wooded so it doesn’t even feel like your in the city anymore. 

Hands down, this was my favorite part of the city.

7. Invest in a good pair of sunglasses 

They aren’t joking when they say “sunny” California. I’ve never seen the sun be so bright before. 

8. It’s not as cold as we thought it would be 

Starting in Carlsbad, New Mexico to L.A. it never got as cold we expected. We have definitely learned that we could have packed a lot less clothes. 

9. Know where you are going 

This cannot be true enough for traveling around California. This morning we went to play disc golf in Echo Park by Dodger Stadium and we couldn’t find the first hole so we had to climb up a giant hill. 

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On the first throw, Alan managed to lose a disc. We should have known then that this wasn’t going to go well. 

10. You’re not you when you’re hungry

Traveling in a new place can sometimes be a stressful thing, so patience is essential. Patience seems to be the first thing to go when you’re hungry so we found that as long as we are fed we’ll have happy travels. 

For all my foodie friends, here is where we have eaten: 

Day 1: 

• Breakfast: Square One Dining (LA)

• Dinner: Casa de Reyes (San Diego) 

Day 2: 

• Brunch: The Griddle (LA) – splitting  dishes is recommended 

• Dinner: Granville (Glendale) – we were too hungry to take pics 
• Dessert: Piehole (Glendale) 

Day 3: 

• Lunch: Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles 

I want to begin by saying that in no way do I claim to be a professional travel blogger or photographer so everything that will be posted here is for us to record our memories or keep our friends/families updated on what we do (hi mom) since I’m terrible at posting stuff on social media. 

In 2016 Alan and I have completed several weekend road trips within the state of Texas.

1. Houston: to visit one of our friends
2. San Antonio: to celebrate an elopement
3. Austin: to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday (aka America’s Birthday) 

In addition to our little road trips, Alan has been to Costa Rica for a “study abroad” trip where all he really did was bask in the tropical sun (and humidity). Back in May, he started the summer by visiting his friend, Armel in sunny California which is the inspiration for the ultimate road trip we are about to embark on.

This Christmas I asked Alan not to buy gifts for me because what I really want-spending time together-can’t be wrapped and placed under a tree. 

Instead we decided to go on the mother of all road trips. In the next 10 days, we’ll go from Dallas to New Mexico to Arizona to California and back.  

The first stop from College Station going to Dallas is in Corsicana to grab a fruit cake and some cookies from the Collin Street Bakery. Yum! 

Stay tuned for what comes next.
-S