To immerse oneself in unfamiliar surroundings is the most effective way to broaden one’s horizons and to be able to understand other’s opinions and points of views. This is why I love to travel and why my family’s road trip to California was the most meaningful vacation of my life.
Our first major stop was in Kansas City, Missouri. There, we stayed with one of my father’s college friends and his daughters. Upon our arrival to Kansas City, I went running in a local park southwest of the city. This is something that I enjoy doing because I feel like it allows a person to taste the “flavor” of a new city. That night, we ate the city’s famous barbecue from a local restaurant named Stack’s. It was extremely good, and I would suggest anyone that visits the city to eat there. Our next major stop was Denver, Colorado. Although I had been to Denver before, this time it was special, as I got to stay in a hotel close to the downtown area. During our stay in Denver, we went to the public zoo, which I would recommend to anyone staying in the area, and I again got to experience a city through a run. Denver is a very nice city, and I would highly recommend walking around the downtown area, as it is very different from that of any other city that I have ever been to.
The last major city that my family and I stayed in was San Francisco, California. San Francisco was another city that I had been to, but was one that I wanted to explore more thoroughly, so I was extremely excited to go back. Although the Golden Gate Bridge is the most obvious local attraction to visit, and don’t get me wrong, it is really cool, I enjoyed visiting other attractions in and around the city much more. One of these attractions was a Redwood forest called Armstrong Redwood Forest. Redwood trees are the tallest in the world, and they truly make you feel like an ant as you walk through the infinitely tall forest that seems to absorb sunlight, making everything around you dark as you walk through the forest. It is truly an awe-inspiring adventure that is well worth the short drive outside the city. Another amazing landmark that is near San Francisco that everyone should visit is Stanford University.
Although Stanford is well known for its atmosphere and beauty that both seem to permeate from the campus, one cannot experience it strictly through pictures. Walking around the campus of this great university is an experience that can only be described as breath-taking. One more of the amazing sites around San Francisco is Yosemite National Park. It is absolutely majestic. That is the only way to describe it. Although I have seen the Grand Canyon, and have been to Los Angeles and New York City, the sheer vastness of this park is utterly incredible. On top of that, this park exhibits pure nature at its finest. Yosemite is the most incredible display of natural beauty that I have ever seen and is something that one can simply not miss when in the area. The last major place that my family stayed was in Sedona, Arizona. I have never seen so many shades of red in my life. While here, I hiked with my father up to the top of a mountain, and I would advise hiking here to anyone and everyone who has the opportunity. Throughout this trip my family and I stayed in the amazing Wyndham Resorts.
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