Lately I'd been experiencing Europe-withdrawals.  I missed it like crazy.  Much as I love my sweet-home U.S.A... I was thoroughly disappointed with its wide roads and cookie-cutter neighborhoods and lack of diversity.
...that is, until I visited San Francisco.  Here I discovered Victorian apartments clustered together in wide assortments of color, grand cathedrals and Chinatowns bustling with foreign tongue.   Little Italy teased the appetite with delicious aromas, and a cute boardwalk brushed the glittering Pacific where the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz were closely visible.

clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl

We walked till we dropped and ended up lying down on the grass in front of the cathedral.

It was a journey of over 5000 miles.  My mom said that she created a travel bucket list-- before I left for college, she wanted me to visit the East Coast, West Coast, Europe and South America. 
I've decided that if I had to live in any major U.S. city it would hands down be San Diego. Between the sparkling ocean, the coastal architecture and the chillaxed people, I found myself once again in love with the beautiful Pacific state and so enthused by a grand opening for our last family trip.
  For the first day we met up with some of our church friends and laid on the beach before enjoying Mexican food and a drive around the dazzling city.  Everything is so expensive, but the price of living must be so worth it when you get a view like that every day!  Our first hotel was only bordered by land on side-- the rest overviewed the boat-speckled harbor.
On day 3 we happened to be in Newport the same time as Dallin's dad's family, so we met up for a few hours. 
We boogie boarded for a little while, but then Dallin and I took a barefoot walk towards the pier.  We were gone longer than we realized-- enthralled in conversation, splashing icy water and crumbling sand on each other while we lay on the sun-soaked beach-- and when we finally returned, my sisters were freaking out.  "Dad got stung by a stingray!"  In a terrible stroke of bad luck, my dad had been in the water less than five minutes to help Eric surf on Cooper's board before he stepped on something squishy and felt a stab in his Achilles tendon.   
My dad has fallen off a CLIFF and he said this is a 10 out of 10, the most excruciating experience of his life  The venom surged through his foot and pain shot through his leg.  He was forced to soak it in almost-boiling-hot water for three hours, first at a kind native's home and then at the urgent care, where he ended up in a wheelchair after collapsing.  Almost a month later, he is still limping occasionally but progressing daily.
Next stop, LA!  The glamored up place everyone from everywhere knows about, I found it actually a bit overwhelming!  I enjoyed driving through the palm-shaded avenues Hollywood and pointing out the expensive designs of celebrity homes, but I have to admit the kids were more excited by the koi and turtles in the fountain by the Beverly Hills Hotel.


  Although the ride was longer, we chose the scenic route of the PCH and boy did we never regret it.  We hopped from seaside small town to cliff-dwelling forest to rolling hills, the variety of California never falling short of eye candy.  In Santa Barbara, we walked along the giant pier and somehow managed to lose Rachel and Dad, who'd both left their cell phones in the camera bag. 


A lifetime of never seeing any sand dollars was immediately made of for by the hundreds found on the beach right next to our first camping spot in the popup trailer.
 In Santa Cruz we joined up with my mom's best friend from high school / my namesake , Catherine, and her family.  We went "s'moring" {as my family once thought it was called} while camping in the woods, and then we spent the next day paddle boarding to the seals {they all barked and dived in the water when we got close} and screaming on the rides at Boardwalk.

 Seriously though I want to live in Cali at least once so that when people ask me if I'm a CA girl {as they have before} I can just say yes.