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SoCal

By Ellie Pritts

August 27^th, 2017

Los Angeles

I officially moved to L.A. in late February of this year, and the first thing I did was make a list of every place in southern California I needed to see. I've made some progress on this ever growing list, here are just a few of my favorite spots so far.

Point Dume

Many of these photos were taken at Point Dume in Malibu, where I really could spend an entire day just watching people surf. It looked like there were actually at least two beaches in this area, the one I was at was much more secluded. I followed a path to a rickety flight of stairs down to the beach, where mostly surfers seemed to be hanging out.

Stahl House

I had an opportunity to visit the iconic Stahl House, which I can't recommend enough. It's a photographer's (and architecture lovers') dream! The views are breathtaking. We were there for sunset, which was beyond beautiful.

Also pictured: Topanga State Park and the abandoned oil town turned hiking spot, Mentryville.

San Diego

Recently I finally had the chance to make a weekend road trip to San Diego. The number one thing I wanted to see there was Point Loma, a tide pool area with a "secret sea cave". Sadly, the cave was closed. So I guess I just have to come back again!

I also visited the San Diego Zoo, which was basically koala heaven for me.

Mexico

With the border just 30 minutes away, it was hard not to impulsively go to Mexico. So, we did! It was my first time crossing a border on foot, which was a really interesting experience. Borders suddenly seemed so arbitrary.

Tijuana

Just across the border was Tijuana. I'd never been before, and honestly I wasn't sure what to expect. It's a city with a troubled past. But I really enjoyed walking around and just taking it all in. The area I was in was pretty flooded with tourists, but I did manage to walk around more residential areas as well. It seemed so crazy to me that you can be born on this side of the border, and your life could be so dramatically different than another person born less than a mile away. I also thought a lot about Trump's fabled wall, it all seemed that much crazier of a concept actually being at the border and just on the other side.

more to come!

I've tackled most of the destinations on my list that are closest to L.A proper. This fall I plan on exploring Joshua Tree, Slab City and Sequoia National Park. Of course, I am always taking suggestions for new places to explore so please reach out if you have ideas!

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