A Weekend Adventure in California

This past weekend, one of my bestest friends flew out to visit me in California from her home in Utah! Katie and I were friends/roommates together at college, and even though we've both gone different directions since we both graduated, we still keep up with each other as much as we can. Katie booked this fun weekend getaway from the cold a couple months ago, and I got to planning the best weekend around my hometown I could think of! Scroll through to see some of the fun adventures we went on while she was here :) 

I do plan awesome itineraries for my friends when they come to visit me *hint hint*

Our first stop was Stanford University, a favorite place of mine :) It was fun to give Katie a glimpse into the life of a college student in California, with the beautiful architecture of the buildings and stunning cathedral on campus. I think she liked it a little bit ;)

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The next day we got up bright and early and took off to San Francisco for a day-trip in my favorite city. I've been to San Francisco countless times in my life, but it was so fun to see it through a new set of eyes and be a tour guide for the day for Katie. :)

The sea lions at Pier 39 is one of my go-to stops when I'm in the city, but they sure do smell!

  

Ahh another favorite stop :) If you're ever at Ghirardelli Square, be sure to try the Salted Caramel Banana Chocolate milkshake. You won't regret that choice.

Our next stop was Muir Woods National Monument! I had only been here once before with my family a couple of years ago, but I knew we needed to hit up this beautiful place while Katie was here. This forest is too good to be true. I'll let the photos from this adventure speak for themselves :)

Katie and I are both yoga fanatics, so of course we had to show off our moves on this perfect little bridge ;)

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This really is my happy place.

The road out of Muir Woods is winding and steep, but it has some of the best views of the valley that you can imagine. We drove back up that road right when Golden Hour hit, so I had to pull over to the side of the road and capture a few photos here.

And of course, what's San Francisco without the Golden Gate Bridge? :)

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That evening we met up for sushi with my girl Ashley! She and I have known each other for a couple years now through photography, and it was so good to see her and catch up with her again that night over dinner. She's going to art school in San Francisco and has the coolest apartment in the city. You might recognize her from this post a few months back :)
Anyways, Ashley's like, my favorite person ever. You'll never meet a cooler chick in your life, trust me.

The next day was Sunday, and Katie and I spent that day relaxing our tired legs from the day before in San Francisco. I showed her around my home town, Old Folsom, and some of my favorite streets in the area. I live in a pretty awesome place, I have to admit :)
Monday morning dawned bright and early, and we started it with breakfast at my favorite place in Auburn, "Awful Annies"! Then Katie and I drove up the road into Tahoe National Forest!

We stopped at a little river on our way to Tahoe City and snagged a few pictures of the snowy landscape.

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We got into Tahoe City and found it surprisingly empty. The snow season has been pretty bad since we're going through a drought in California, so there's not as many tourists through the area as there normally would be. We walked into some clothing shops and board shops and cafes, and we met this little guy named...*you guessed it*, Yoda. Perfect.

On the walk back to the car, I noticed this chilly landscape scene of Lake Tahoe, and I had to get some photos here. I was really tempted to walk out on that ice, let me tell you. Katie reminded me that it probably wouldn't be a good idea though, so I listened. Good girl.

On the drive home through Tahoe, I frantically pulled over on the side of a busy highway not once, but twice, to get photos of the stunning forest views. I couldn't resist. I'm so grateful to have a friend who puts up with my incessant need to get the perfect photo. Yeesh.

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This weekend was just what Katie and I needed! It offered Katie a nickel tour of what life is like in California, and it helped me to look at my hometown from a new perspective. I love planning trips like these for people who come to visit me, and give them a fun weekend they'll not soon forget! I can't wait for my other friends who will be visiting me soon! Eep!