After the really exciting day yesterday, I feel a bit more okay about going home. Of course I’m still not too excited about it, but I’m realising that I had a wonderful vacation with awesome adventures. This trip has definitely surpassed all expectations and just looking back it makes me very thankful. From visiting the Warner Bros studios to hiking in the national parks to visiting family in Montana and friends in California. It’s been all amazing. And it’s not over yet.
I’m slowly heading back to San Diego from where I’ll fly back to The Netherlands, but I’m not sure if I want to arrive there today yet. I’ll drive west to California and see what comes my way.
The drive is long, about eight hours and the landscape is mostly desert. I have two fun stops though. The first one is in a small town called Oatman, which is an old miners town that’s now turned into a touristic place. There are old building, donkeys are walking in the street and there is an old mine museum. The town is fun to see, but there is a strong and cold wind out here, so I don’t stay there too long. The second stop is on the North side of Los Angeles when I see a large familiar store called Bass Pro Outdoor World. I went to this store years ago in Denver and remember how exciting that was. Bass Pro Outdoor World is one of the most beautifully designed stores I’ve ever been. It’s a huge lodge with an indoor waterfall, lot’s of fake animals, but also a big aquarium with fishes. My favorite part is the shooting gallery on the first floor. I play a few games, but don’t stay too long, because I want to reach a hotel by the ocean before sunset. It’s getting dark soon though and I stop in a beachtown called San Clemente. I find a hotel, but unfortunately it’s not at the beach and also not so nice. I’m tired though and decide to stay here for the night. Being back in California doesn’t excite me too much this time, because it means that the end of the vacation is near. I remind myself not to be sad that it’s over, but to be thankful for all that it was and is.
