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Travel Tips: Labor Day Weekend in Southern California

Travel Tips: Labor Day Weekend in Southern California

Our last visit to Southern California was on Fourth of July weekend where we stayed at a Torrance, CA Airbnb and spent most of our time at beaches (and looking for parking at beaches). Needless to say, visiting during America’s rowdiest weekend was a bit overwhelming. We hoped to explore Orange County, but failed to find parking at both Huntington and Newport Beach after much circling, and only succeeded at 7pm when we arrived at Laguna Beach. Our SoCal visit this time around was a bit less hectic to say the least.

Travel Story: A Day and a Half in Lake Tahoe

Travel Story: A Day and a Half in Lake Tahoe

According to my Roger, I am “hard to surprise” because I’m always so busy. And so I was more than happy when he told me Saturday morning that he’d booked a night in Lake Tahoe. After parting ways with a friend from home that afternoon, we set off from Berkeley to Tahoe City, which took about 3 hours. We checked into the quaint Tahoe City Inn, which he had gotten last minute at $180/night. Being the bustling summer destination that it is, this was the most affordable he could find on a Saturday night. Our room was spacious and we were pleased that they have continental breakfast from 8am-10am.

Napa: 12 Wineries in One Day

Napa: 12 Wineries in One Day

After relocating from Vancouver, BC to California in August 2014, I was thrilled to hear my parents planned their first weekend trip to visit me. We only had 2.5 days together so I planned a weekend where they could see as much as possible (without the San Francisco touristy destinations, which they’ve already done).

After hiking and sightseeing around the Point Reyes National Seashore and Marin Headlands on the Saturday, we ventured bright and early to Napa the next morning. And when I say bright, that is no exaggeration – the temperature that day rose to over 40 degrees Celsius (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit). We couldn’t wait to hop into each winery for the strong winds of air conditioning.

A Weekend in Yosemite National Park

A Weekend in Yosemite National Park

I’m reading my last post on my stay in Yosemite and I can’t believe I forgot to mention our flooded tent situated on one of the park’s campgrounds. It was October 2014 and one of the last weather-allowable weekends to camp and explore the national park. We had no idea there would be a downpour on our first night’s stay so we foolishly opted not to put the rain cover on our tent. When my boyfriend and I got back to our campsite that night, we discovered about a foot of water in our tent had drenched our pillows, mat, and blankets. We slept in our friend’s SUV that night, barely sleeping a wink.