Browsing Tag

California

Amériques, Destinations, United States

Why We Had a Terrible Day at Yosemite

We passed the night in Berkeley before heading to Yosemite National Park and we had to drive 3 hours and a half to go there. And we all know that being up at 5am announce either a very wonderful day… or a terrible, horrible one. A day that begins at 5am cannot just be average. So after inhaling our McBreakfast (Yes, we ate it so fast that I think it was pretty much inhaling), we drive our rental car to Yosemite. We were not sure that it was a good idea. The initial road trip was to just go from San Francisco to Los Angeles by Highway 1, like normal people do. But we wanted to see it all, ALL California! Which we didn’t anyway. The Plan 1. Three hours and a half drive from Berkeley to Yosemite. 2. Half the hike to Glacier Point (there’s a bus so you can be lazy and do just half of this 8 hours trek). 3. Take an amazing dinner outside the park talking about how in good shape we are. 4.  Relax in our room in Mariposa. We failed all those 4 steps. First, I don’t know why I still trust the time given by […]

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Sunset in Los Angles - Photo from Unsplash
Amériques, Destinations, United States

Los Angeles is Disney World on Crack

Let’s hope I won’t be pursued by Disney for this title… To be honest, I hated Los Angeles at first sight. It’s like a trash Disney World wanting you to get addicted to entertainment by pushing lights and sounds in your veins. I wanted to go back home, and this NEVER happens when I’m travelling. Now, more than a month after my return, I think I get something about this town and I even think it had taught me something about self-love and creativity. I think I might even like it (sort of). About feeling inappropriate Los Angeles is chaos. It’s like there is no rule. When we drove through Beverly Hills, I sat in the car in my very ordinary cheap clothes feeling totally inappropriate in the crowd of well-dressed fancy people. Between a golden chrome Lamborghini and a skinny model with a Chanel purse that worth 120 000US$, I felt like it was not my place to be. I mean…120KUS$! What do you put into it? The last baby panda endangered wearing a diamond collar? When we walked on Hollywood Blvd, people were so out-of-the-box that I still felt inappropriate for being so straight. They dressed how they wanted, behaved how they wanted, […]

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Best Road Trip Songs for a Road Trip in California
Amériques, Destinations, United States

Best Road Trip Songs to Drive Down Pacific Highway

No road trip would be perfect without carefully selected songs. With summer coming, I think a lot about my road trip in California and thought it would be a good start in your planning to give you ideas of the best songs to put on your playlist to drive down Pacific Highway. I looked in my personal favorites, checked out the playlist shared on Pinterest, asked my DJ friends and searched in my parents libraries to give you the best of the best! Daylight by Matt & Kim Beverly Hills by Weezer Road Trippin’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers San Francisco by The Mowgli’s Big Sur by The Thrills Another Travellin’ Song by Bright Eyes California Waiting by Kings of Leon West Coast by Coconut Records California Love by 2Pac feat. Dr.Dre Alive by New Ivory California by Phantom Planet Haha Love Will Travel by The Sonics The Only Place by Best Coast L.A. Woman by The Doors Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers California Gurls by Katy Perry Road to Nowhere by Talking Heads The Distance by Cake California Girls by The Beach Boys Green Onions by Booker T & the M G’s The Way by Fastball Life is […]

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California_sunset
Blog, Thoughts

Best moments of 2014

It is almost mandatory to make a year recap when approaching January 1st. There are so many moments I cherish from 2014 that it is hard to choose. Let’s take a look at the kick-ass moments of this year! Taking the metro in Lisbon This one may seem totally insignificant for all of you, but one thing I never told before on this blog is that I’m agoraphobic, and taking the metro is a big thing for me. Before taking it in Lisbon this year, it has been 3 years since I used it! It’s weird when you think that I live in Montreal, where there’s a good metro system. Arriving in Lisbon, I took a deep breath, and I decided that it was about time. That’s what travels are made for. 2014 has been a year of fear beating! *This is actually a train in Porto… but same idea / same smile. Eating blueberries in Montreal I met my friend from Rio de Janeiro for the first time last summer in Montreal. We were sitting in a Café when the waiter brought blueberries with my cup of coffee. It was the first time Igor ate it, and he was fascinated by the […]

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Jelly Fish in Monterey Aquarium, California
Amériques, Destinations, United States

Monterey Bay Aquarium – Please Don’t Flash the Octopus

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is paradise on Earth. You can see AND you can touch. Isn’t it amazing for a museum? And there’s something very important you need to know about me: I LOVE FISH! We were coming from a very bad day at Yosemite and the thought of just calmly meditating looking at fish was really appealing to me. I’m a diver (a very occasional one), but doesn’t it look cool to say it? Hey hi! I’m a diver. I have my card. Blink. Anyway…The thing is that the most important rule when you dive (except to keep breathing) is to never touch anything ever. And I’m a ”toucher”(This sounds creepy. I’m sorry). I like to touch (Nope… doesn’t sound better). In the Monterey Aquarium, they have special pools where you can touch some crabs, sea cucumbers, bat rays, and other weird creatures I had never seen before. Things you need to know: this place is HUGE. It took me 3 hours to visit all the different sections. And I wasn’t meditating this long in front of each aquarium. Also, even if the visit is long, please bring your kids there! Seriously, they have thought of everything: quests, games, costumes, color everywhere. […]

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Alcatraz Cells
Amériques, Destinations, United States

Photo Essay: Alcatraz prison

Alcatraz is a hard place to describe with words so I’ll let images explain it by themselves. I am not a big fan of prison, but I couldn’t miss this part of American history, and it’s a good place to take amazing pictures. You break the rules, you go to prison. You break the prison rules, you go to Alcatraz Prison. It looks like Alcatraz has got me licked” – Al Capone, Inmate #85 Alcatraz was never no good for nobody”. – AZ 1576 Frank Weatherman. Last prisoner to leave Alcatraz Practical Info Cost You can visit Alcatraz with a Day Ticket for around 45US$ or a Night Ticket for around 52US$.The tickets all include the ferry to reach the island (and come back), and an audio guide. You have approximately 2h30-3h00 to visit the island and the prison, which is more than enough. I you plan on visiting the popuIar attractions in San Francisco, including Alcatraz, you should take a look at CityPASS. It’s a bundle including all the major activities, and since it’s a package, you can save around 40%. I highly recommend to book as soon as possible. And when I say “in advance”, I mean MONTHS before you […]

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Packing list for California in Autumn
Amériques, Destinations, United States

What to Pack for California in Autumn

I’m more in a storytelling mood recently, but since you guys always ask me what to pack for different destinations and because my packing list for Iceland in summer has been pinned more than 500 times on Pinterest, I decided to write down this packing list for California in autumn. Planning your trip? Take a look at my 10 days road trip in California, between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Clothes California, especially San Francisco, is the layers’ kingdom. Hot during the day and chill at night, temperature forces you to think wisely about the way you dress. It’s also a state where the “dress to impress” seems the norm, so you may want to bring more stylish outfits than a backpacker usually do. (Unless you’re in the same tribe than me and you just don’t care Ahah!) While I was comfortable all-day in San Francisco wearing pants, it was too hot for Los Angeles. So even if it’s autumn, pack both pants and shorts. Long sleeves and one coat are also essential to go out at night. If you don’t want to carry a coat all day long, a scarf can be a good option to keep you warm. This being said, it’s still […]

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