The steep cliffs, thundering waves, powerful wind, and blinding sun created a view that felt like a scene from a different country. And yet, we were in California, exploring Highway 1. I've always wanted to see a coast bordered by cliffs and massive rocks scattered on the shoreline. This was the highlight to our trip. If you don't read this full post, you're going to want to scroll to the bottom to see the drone footage of the California landscape. Most amazing footage Jon has taken!

We were hired as event photographers in San Fransisco, so you bet we made a trip out of it! Our plan was to explore SF, go to Yosemite, and then hit the coast. Since we encountered some major flight delays, our time to explore SF was cut short. The night we arrived, we did manage to hire a Lyft driver to take us to the bridge.

The Golden Gate Bridge is magnificent! Mostly windy and cold, but still beautiful. We had about 20 minutes there before the sun set.

After the event was finished, we were SO READY to get out of the city and to explore nature! The weather had been gloomy and yucky, so we were in search for greenery and sunlight! It takes about 3.5 hours to drive to Yosemite National Park from San Fransisco, though we stopped on the way to visit some friends! It was so refreshing to spend some time with fellow Christians. And we can't forget to mention In-N-Out Burger. It was my first time there, and it didn't disappoint!

Once we arrived to Yosemite, we were surprised at how many people there were. The snow and ice were melting in the mountains, so it was quite wet (as well as misty/rainy). The views are awe inspiring, and it would've been fun to spend more time there to hike.

After driving around for a while (missing turns, and driving in many circles), we finally decided to leave Yosemite and begin our journey to the coast. Hotels in the area were far away, expensive, or full. We prefer to explore and adventure in areas that are less populated, so the tour buses and big groups of people turned us off. We also were SO EAGER to see the coast, so off we went!

We also went to see the redwoods at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, and it was so cool to see their size! We adventured here after the coast, BUUUUUTTTT we wanted to save the best photos for last. :)

And here are our favorite photos from our trip! We spent most of our time just driving up and down Highway 1 as far as we could go (mudslides shut part of the highway off). We went to Carmel by the Sea, Big Sur, and Monterrey.

Next time, we'll be sure to pack a tripod. For our self-portraits, we just stuck the camera on a bush with self-timer. Not very stable, and definitely not ideal! But we did get some fun photos together that are now framed in our bedroom. :) Also note, the wind is crazy strong in these areas. Ladies, just forget about the hair!

And now for the DRONE FOOTAGE!!!!

DJI Mavic Pro - music by Alan Gogoll

That concludes our first California trip together! We'd love to go back to the coast, hike Yosemite, and see some of the southern parts of CA. We did find some fun places to eat while traveling (mainly hitting up every Costco we could find), but we just kept this post to the photos and adventures since our food photos were with our phones. :)