Worry-Free Southern California

During the summer, my family and I went on vacation to San Diego, California to visit my cousins, aunts, and uncles. Driving on the Interstate in my aunt's Mustang convertible, San Diego is just what I imagined it would be. As I was riding in the Mustang with the wind in my hair, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and passing by many beautiful Palm Trees, I had no worries. All of my stress and worries were left behind in Iowa. Since I live in a small town in Iowa, being in San Diego felt like a dream. We went to downtown San Diego, where everyone seemed nice and friendly. The San Diego Skyline was luminous at night. San Diego is the most beautiful place I have ever been to.

â–º  QUARTER FINALIST 2012 TEEN TRAVEL WRITING SCHOLARSHIP

My favorite beach in Southern California is San Clemente Beach where the blue ocean waves rush to shore crashing into the shoreline of soft sand. I sat with my aunt, reading a magazine on a beach chair, running my feet through the soft sand, and watching toddlers run in an out of the ocean and building a sand castle. After relaxing on the beach chair, my aunt and I walked along the shore line letting the ocean waters rush over our feet. In the ocean the water felt cool against my skin after sitting in the hot sun. The dock stretched out into the ocean in front of us with a restaurant, souvenir shop, and people fishing. In the evening, I drank a Shirley Temple on the dock over the Pacific Ocean watching the sun set while the surfers caught the waves, without a worry in my mind.

The next day we went to La Jolla beach. At La Jolla Beach, there are large rocks near the shoreline of the ocean, where some people put their towels and beach chairs and look out into the beautiful Pacific Ocean stretched out in front of them. The waves of the ocean crash against the rocks near the shoreline. While we walked along the shoreline, the waves would come up to my waist pulling me into the ocean. I would come out of the ocean with my curly hair soaked with water and some seaweed on my legs. Further out in the ocean were scuba divers, sail boats that looked like pirate ships, and kayaks. The beaches in Southern California are where some of my best memories took place.

My family and I also took a trip to Catalina Island, which is an island off the coast of California. Being on an island surrounded by the ocean made me feel like I was in a different country. We sat at a restaurant beside the Pacific Ocean having coffee and scones. In the morning, we took a bus tour of the island, learning about Catalina Island's culture and history. The mountains on the island were covered by a light marine layer. We saw the beautiful scenery that was used in movies, tourists zip-lining over the island, and we saw the Wrigley mansion where the inventor of "Wrigley Gum" lived. Now the mansion is a hotel for tourists to stay at. After the tour, we sat at a restaurant right beside the ocean. I drank an ice-cold Diet Coke letting the ocean breeze run through my hair. Again, all of my worries and stress were miles away from where I was.

Southern California will always be my home away from home, away from all my worries and stress. I will never forget the way I felt when I was in Southern California.