Joshua Tree National Park (Part II)

We took a bit of a detour from Joshua Tree National Park on Monday and drove two hours to the The Mojave National Preserve. The Mojave National Preserve is one of the largest national preserves within the continental United States and covers 1.6 million acres! It is home to sand dunes, petrified lava and the largest Joshua Tree forest in the world.

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Joshua Tree National Park (Part I)

About a month ago, Alex and I flew to California to explore Joshua Tree National Park. During the 1930’s, Minerva Hoyt, a desert lover and community activist, recognized the human threats to the ecosystem of the area and persuaded President Franklin D. Roosevelt to proclaim Joshua Tree a National Monument in 1936. It was renamed in 1994 to Joshua Tree National Park and protects over 790,000 acres - mostly wilderness - where the Mojave and Colorado Deserts converge.

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Saying Goodbye

Well, its official. Our time in San Francisco ends tomorrow as we fly to New York to start this next journey. It is a very bittersweet time for Alex and I as we are excited about this new adventure but sad to leave the Bay Area. In the last five months, we have grown to really love this city once again. We’ve tried to make the most of our time here, but we both agree it still feels too short! I will miss being close to my brother and sister-in-law. It has been really special getting to spend more time with the both of them. San Francisco doesn’t have the best reputation for its weather, but the last few months have been just beautiful (aside from some major smoke and rain a couple weeks ago!). It’s easy to romanticize the city now that we are leaving (I’ve complained about the hills since Day 1 and haven’t stopped - they truly are a beast of their own!), but even still San Francisco sure has stolen my heart!

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Yosemite National Park

A few weeks back, Alex and I were making a list of things we want to do before leaving San Francisco (for those of you that don’t know, SURPRISE! We are moving to New York in December!!). One road trip Alex really wanted to fit in was visiting Yosemite National Park. We had this conversation on a Tuesday and by Saturday afternoon, we were on our way!! The planning felt a bit rushed (I tend to like to take my time with doing research), but we really wanted to visit before it got too cold and snowy. My parents visited Yosemite in September and were helpful in giving us recommendations as well.

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Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival

I love fall! I love everything apple cider, pumpkin and when the leaves change color. To celebrate my favorite season, Alex and I took advantage of the Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival. This festival has been around since 1971 and has grown significantly since that time. The town of Half Moon Bay is absolutely charming and they really go all out for this once-a-year event. There are tons of craft booths, food stalls, and different stages set up with live music and entertainment. Everything is set up along Main Street and goes for several blocks.

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Big Sur State Park & Carmel-by-the-Sea

Last week Alex and I took a trip a few hours south to visit Big Sur State Park. We drove Highway One down pretty much the entire way and did not regret the extra time it added to our road trip. Hwy 1 runs along most of the the Pacific Coastline and was one of the most beautiful drives we’ve done. We had the most perfect weather and made multiple stops along the way.

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