California

A few years ago my family and I vacationed on the west coast in California. My cousin was getting married in Pasadena, California, which is right next to the Pacific Ocean, and my whole family was going to be there. My little sister and I were in the wedding and we were both very excited, since we had never been to California.

After taking a five hour flight to California, I stepped off of the plane and was greeted by the warm sun at the outside California airport. As we hopped into the rental car and sped down the highway with the windows down, a warm salty breeze blew in my face. We arrived at our hotel and were greeted by multiple family members that were also staying at the hotel. Between the wedding and all of the activities in California, my family and I were never bored.

The first part of our week long vacation in California consisted of lunches with my family, doing last minute wedding details, parties, and the wedding. We spent a lot of time with family and close friends during this part of the vacation. It was fun to spend time with a lot of my cousins and we were able to catch up with everyone. The wedding took place in the late afternoon of a warm and sunny August day. It was outside in a little garden, which was right down the road to the beach. There were different colored flowers everywhere, green vines along a stone backdrop, and a little stone pond with various colored fish. After the wedding we went inside this little two-story white building that was right behind the garden. It was the perfect place to get married. After the wedding most of my family members went home, but my parents, sister, and I spent a few extra days.

Our first day trip was to the California beaches after everyone went home. I had never been in the Pacific Ocean and the water was a little cold, but it felt refreshing in the hot sun. The waves were rough and the beach was crowded, but it was an enjoyable day. It was hot and sunny that day, as it had been all week, and it was nice to sit on the warm sand and stare out at the ocean. That day we also went shopping in all of the shops that were right down the street from the ocean. There were all different kinds of stores that lined the streets including clothing stores, restaurants, shoe stores, and many other kinds of stores.


One of the beaches we got to visit while we were in California was the famous Manhattan Beach, which is seen in many movies and TV shows. We did not go swimming in the ocean, but we did get to walk down the pier that goes out over the ocean. The wind was blowing and it got a little cold, but the view from the pier was amazing. There were a lot of people on the pier, some were walking while others were fishing. At the end of the board walk there was a little aquarium that I vaguely remember. It was small, but it had a lot of different kinds of fish and other sea life that lives in the Pacific Ocean.

Another day we took a day trip to Disneyland, which is one of the many theme parks in California. It was just like going to Disney World in Florida when my sister and I were really little, but this time we could go on a lot more rides. We got there early in the morning and left late into the night so that we had plenty of time to go on rides. One of the other places that I have heard is great, but I did not get to go there, is the San Diego Zoo. It is one of the largest zoos and is home to a huge variety of animals. This zoo is also the home of the giant panda, which is not at many zoos. Other theme parks that are popular for families to visit when they go to California include Lego Land, Sea Word, and various water parks. California has a lot of places to go and keep all types of families entertained.

When it was time to go home, I was sad to leave after an amazing vacation. Between the remarkable wedding and all of the incredible day trips my family took, it turned out to be a wonderful vacation. Spending time with my whole family at the beginning of the vacation made the vacation more memorable and fun. I never get to spend time with my whole family at once and it was nice to spend part of my vacation with them. While in California, I also got to visit a lot of new places that I had never been before and with so much variety, there are still places that I wish to someday visit. Every time I vacation with my whole family, I find myself having a much more memorable and exciting time. When taking vacations, make sure that you pick somewhere that is new and exciting. Then make sure that you spend it with family and friends, it makes the vacation unforgettable and you get to spend time with them.

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