Hi Friends.
Thanks for keeping up with us as we go along our journey. Over the last month, we traveled throughout southern New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
New Mexico
When we got to New Mexico, we weren’t sure fully what our plan was going to be. We originally thought we wanted to go through New Mexico and over to Utah. Upon realizing there’s snow still on the ground, we decided to stick to the lower regions. Off Southern California we go. Hopefully, we will get to northern New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah on our way back east.
When we got to New Mexico, our main focus was wanting to do some dispersed camping. It had been a while since we’ve done so, and we really enjoy whenever we get the opportunity. We found an awesome campsite with cell service in the Gila National Forest. It worked out even better that we were able to hike on the continental divide trail while out there. After a few days of hiking, camping, and exploring the trails – we made our way to Mesilla, NM – a small town outside of Las Cruces.
Mesilla is a beautiful town with a rich history, including some that involved Billy the Kid. We stopped here specifically for dinner as we were recommended a delicious Mexican restaurant in town. The restaurant was near the downtown area – which surrounds a green square featuring a gazebo. At the top of the square, a Catholic church was finishing up a mass. They had speakers facing outside, so you can listen and participate in the mass while being in the square. It was the first time we ever really saw something like that. The city is super walkable with a bunch of independent small businesses and restaurants around. The weather was also absolutely beautiful for late February.
Arizona
When we left New Mexico, we made our way to Saguaro National Park in Arizona. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect with this national park. As we always do – we look for the reason why it’s so special. The Saguaros are huge. While you can see them in a lot of places around Arizona, it seemed the biggest collection of them were in the National Park. It really was beautiful to see and truly felt like the southwest you picture in your head. There was a beautiful overlook as well.
We made our way up to Phoenix to visit with one of my aunts and uncles for dinner. It was a lot of fun getting to catch up with them and talk van life. They have actually experienced van life at one point themselves. After meeting up with them, we started to make our way west to California.
We want to explore more of Arizona in the future, as this was just a quick trip on the way to California.
California
When we reached California, we first made our way to Joshua Tree National Park. We got there first thing in the morning and watched the sun go up in the park. We love getting to places bright and early – it allows us to almost have the place to ourselves. I’ve heard mixed things about Joshua Tree, but we both really enjoyed it, especially keys view.
After Joshua Tree, we made our way briefly to Big Bear. It’s a beautiful little mountain town, before heading down to Los Angeles. We didn’t consider the fact that Big Bear would still be cold and snowy, so it was a short visit. The views on the drive down from Big Bear was absolutely stunning. We got out as several times along the way to take photos.
Once we got to the Los Angeles area, we first went to Long Beach. We visited with a friend – ordered sushi, explored a farmers market and several small businesses, and let our dogs play and get acquainted with each other. We also went up to the observatory to see the whole city below us and hiked up to the Hollywood sign.
The highlight of Los Angeles though for me was the WB Studio tour. So, if you know anything about me, you’d know that I’m a huge fan of Gilmore Girls. I watch the series every year (it’s my comfort show) and I’ve been on the look out for the equivalent of Stars Hollow in each state. It was such a treat to finally go to the actual Stars Hollow. We saw the exteriors of Lorelai & Rory’s house, Sookie’s House, Luke’s Diner, and the Gazebo. Of course, there were also many, many other shows and movies filmed on the lot. We saw a few houses featured in Pretty Little Liars, the exterior of Merlotte’s from True Blood, and the Central Perk set & fountain from Friends to name a few.
After Los Angeles, we made our way down to the San Diego area. First, we met up with another aunt and uncle of mine for a few days. It was great getting to catch up with them and we are looking forward to seeing them again, along with my cousin, in a few weeks up in San Francisco. Next, we made our way to the San Diego Zoo, Legoland, and Ballast Point Brewing Company. The zoo was a lot of fun, but absolutely packed because it was a beautiful day. At Legoland, we wanted to walk around and see all of the Lego sculptures. It was also fun building a lego version of the van and seeing all of the different sets available for sale. Travis was really into legos as a kid, and I’m sure it’s going to be a big part of our household as we have kids.
We have since made our way back up the coast of California and are planning on spending some time in Solvang and Lompoc over the weekend.
Let’s Discuss! Comment Below:
Have you ever been to Legoland or the San Diego Zoo?
Do you prefer L.A. or San Diego?
What’s something you’ve always wanted to do in Southern California?
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