Where do I even begin, this trip has been so amazing that there are hundreds of things I could be sharing with you! We spent the last 4 weeks in California and Hawaii, travelling, exploring and meeting our friends and family. This blogpost is all about the two weeks in northern California and later on there will be a post about Hawaii as well.

Every time we go back to see Josh’s family in Santa Cruz, CA, I realize how much I love the US and their people. I know, if you're American and you’re reading this you might see all the imperfections and problems your country is facing right now, but don’t forget how many amazing things you have in your culture! I love how spontaneous, excited, open, and encouraging you are and being part of this makes me feel alive!

All that to say, we spent a lot of time meeting friends and family in Santa Cruz and area, and with them we went on a couple really amazing trips which I will be showing here. If you are looking for a guide for Santa Cruz, you can read that here.

On our first trip we went up to San Francisco with one of our friends. He drove us to Battery Spencer, an old army artillery battery on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. This was our first time over there and it is undoubtedly my favorite spot to see the bridge, as you also get a view of the city. I recommend going to the bridge later in the day, definitely after noon, since the classic San Francisco fog tends to stay by the bridge for quite a while.

After taking in the stunning views we drove to Japantown and visited a big mall with tons of Japanese food, art, and shops. To round the day off we enjoyed a drink at the world famous tiki bar, Smuggler’s Cove.

Because the day was such a great success we went up to the city again, the following day. This time we were accompanied by our niece and nephew and Josh’s parents. After eating lunch at the oldest restaurant in California, Tadich Grill, we went on to see Chinatown. There is definitely no shortage of unique things you can see and experience there! From colorful lanterns, clothes, and knives to rare gemstones and dried fish for Chinese medicine, you can find everything there. I also loved the Chinese Fortune Cookie factory where you can watch the cookies being made the old fashioned way.

Josh’s family also owns a cabin up at Donner Lake, CA (near Tahoe) and I finally got to see it in summer! Truckee, the nearby town, is 1773 m above sea level (5’817ft) and there can be a huuuge amount of snow in the winter. In summer it is warm enough to swim in the lake and enjoy the outdoors. We did a good amount of swimming, sun bathing, and even went on a kayak trip across the lake and up the river.

I loved spending some time in Truckee, an old pioneer town, and exploring the local shops and restaurants. The town is small but very well taken care of and the shops are nicely decorated. Spending an hour or two there had us feel like we were back with the pioneers!

From the cabin at Donner Lake it only takes one hour to get to the farm Josh’s parents bought recently. They are currently remodelling it, so naturally we stopped by to see how it looked. I loved the country side and how the neighbours are helping each other out and how everyone was gardening.

Aside from the great trips we took, the time at Josh’s parent’s home in Santa Cruz stood out to me as well. There is so much love for people there which continuously draws others in. All the times we played Bananagrams on the deck, ate amazing BBQ food out there, or just spent time together will be one of the things I miss the most!

Northern California Trip – City & Nature