After experiencing much of what STATE 19: AZ had to offer from the Grand Canyon National Park in the north all the way down to Saguaro National Park in Tucson in the south, we were primed and ready for California.

Our first stop was a three-hour drive to Joshua Tree National Park. We entered from the southeast entrance and had to drive all the way through the part to make it to our campsite just on the other side of western edge.

Since it was the weekday, the park wasn’t busy making it pretty easy to find parking spots along the roadside to pull-off for some quick pit stops. As much as we wanted to climb around nature’s jungle gym of rocks, we also wanted to make it to the campsite early enough to set-up and get settled.

What makes Joshua Tree so unique is that it’s where two deserts meet — because if one desert isn’t enough, two is even better: the Colorado and Mojave deserts. Not to mention, the Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) themselves.

But first, the rock formations were a giant adult playground, and we had a ball.

We had time for one more hike before the day ended, so we continued deeper into the park to the Cottonwood Spring trail where we came across an abandoned mine, a Buddha rock, and two rocks that looked like animals doing it. See for yourself.

After a full day of hiking, we woke up a bit sore, but nonetheless, with blue skies surrounded by Joshua trees. We loaded up Noal and the hammock and were inching our way westward towards southern Cal.

But we didn’t make it far.

A mere 45 minutes away is Palm Springs, the land of perfectly-manicured mid-century modern homes.

Being no strangers or too proud to driving around neighborhoods, we soaked up the details and views on what basically became an unofficial self-guided tour thanks to websites like this, this, and this.

If you have a little extra spending money, we’ve heard there are some incredibly-informative architecture tours, but just driving around with a few highlighted addresses will do you well.

Our first of three projects in Cali was in San Diego, which we were happy to find a cliffside office for an afternoon with the sounds of crashing waves below and soaring pelicans at eye-level.

If you were to ask Kendra about her favorite part of San Diego, without hesitation, she’d say it was the seals and sea lions. It was a good time of year to see them beached in the bays of La Jolla at Shell Beach and the Children’s Pool cove.

When Kendra looked up “Things to Do in San Diego,” a visit to the University of California San Diego made it pretty high on our list. I didn’t quite know why other than that she said the architecture would be worth it. And it was.

This Brutalist beast of a beautiful building was named after and dedicated to Dr. Seuss. Why? Because Audrey Geisel donated $2.3 million dollars worth of original works of art of her late husband, Theodor Seuss Geisel. Years later, she’d contribute $20 million to the Library, which was renamed as the Geisel Library. Its architect was William Pereira and it was originally constructed by 1970 with renovations in 1993. It was a marvel that looked like a docked spaceship.

If you look closely in the distance in some of the photos below, you’ll see a little blue cottage that appears to be dangling from the corner edge of a seven-story building. That’s “Fallen Star,” an art installation by Do Ho Suh. Even though it’s not related to the Library, there’s a certain Dr. Seuss like twist that is fitting.

After a fairly short stint in San Diego, we headed north to Los Angeles to get ready for our second state project. Our first stop was to Hyperslow, an urban oasis comprised of a peaceful yoga studio, natural light filled café, and a mindful coworking environment where all vibes are welcome.

My cousin Emily and her fiance Asher opened the studio/cafe a few years ago, and this was our first opportunity to see and experience it in person. In addition to everything amazing she does, she also makes a killer latte. Thanks, Em!

They also recommended a nearby gas station that carves off the best al pastor street tacos. So good.

Abbot Kinney Boulevard is one of my favorite streets to browse, shop, and eat. It can be pretty damn hipster-y, but there are some great gems up and down the street. I used to travel here for trend and market research when I was a shoe designer, but it’s even more fun with you get to experience for yourself, on behalf of [HAS HEART], and with Kendra.

Obviously LA is the center of so much, especially fashion. An added benefit of this tour has been being able to catch-up with old friends, friends of friends and former co-workers while also making so many new connections. Being able to visit different headquarters, offices, and event spaces has become an incredible learning experience.

Being able to get personal tours from friends and new connections has been a front row seat. One of my favorites was in Ventura, CA - about an hour north of LA, where Patagonia was started out of an old tin shed. Now, the company employees over 1,000 people housed in multiple buildings behind its original garage stall, but its ethos and social responsibility is stronger than ever, making it become known as The Activist Company, as I’m sure you’ve heard about ever Black Friday.

Their brand and company are amazing. Being able to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the creative offices from my friend Nick was priceless, and I even got to get a glimpse of Yvon himself.

Another company and brand I have always admired is of no surprise: Nike. It has a multi-layered special place in my heart, which I could share another day. But this time around, we were in LA during Air Max Day which has become an international “holiday” of most sneakerheads to celebrate the infamous “air bag” that made its visible debut in the Air Max 90 designed by Tinker Hatfield.

Although Nike’s headquarters are in Beaverton, which we would work at for our STATE 22: Oregon project, they have an LA office and host some of the best events in the country. Thanks to my best friend Joe, whose wife Tatiana previously worked for Nike LA before moving to different positions within the company, I got to know their good friend Tiana many years ago at Joe and Tot’s wedding. Tiana got our names on the list and into the coveted Air Max Day event, where we enjoyed ourselves surrounded by sneakers and LA culture.

Believe it or not, but this was the first time Kendra has been to California. At least that she can remember. She was actually born here. Literally, this was the house that newborn baby Kendra came to the day after she was born until she was three years old and they moved to Michigan.

I think she was really hoping to “feel” something when she saw the house, but apparently memories don’t exactly work like that. Nonetheless, she was able to send pictures back to her parents and show them the brick light post and walkway were still in good shape that her dad made around thirty years ago.

The first several days we stayed in San Dimas, about 30 miles east of LA, and then a night an hour north at Agua Dulce Winery (via Harvest Host) until we were able to settle into the RV park of our dreams.

Somehow, Kendra got lucky and found an open site at the Malibu Beach RV Park, which is where Ken and Barbie would have stayed in they were RVers. It’s situated on the cliffs on Malibu just off the Pacific Coast Highway 1, which could be a memorable vacation on its own.

The weather was beautiful and you could even hear the crashing waves below when things were quiet enough at night. We loved it. Noel, on the other hand, had the scare of her little cat life. The rear window of our Airstream was backed right against the retaining wall cliff with bushes and plants inches away from the window. When afternoon we walked in the trailer and noticed her on the bed shivering, shaky, and jumpy. We investigated further and was we got closer to the rear window we caught a glimpse of a large snake slithering through the bushes just a few feet away from us with nothing but a screen in between. Then, we saw its rattle. It was a BIG rattlesnake.

For days, Noel was not herself. It was as if she had seen a ghost and remained spoked. It was heartbreaking but also sort of funny at the same time. We’re just thankful it didn’t get in the trailer because there’s been a couple times when the screen pops open.

The beach and ocean was just across Highway 1, which meant we were one level of Frogger away from enjoying the Malibu beachfront. We really couldn’t swim, let alone surf, but it was still amazing to be able to walk the beaches and get my feet wet for the first time on the tour since STATE 01: Vermont.

Kendra’s mom sent us the gift of new hiking shoes. We knew we’d be needing something for the upcoming National Parks, but it wasn’t an easy online buying decision. We’re not hardcore hikers, more like fair-weather hikers, but we still needed good support, protection, and versatility. One difficulty for us in shopping online is where to ship them to? It worked out nicely that we could ship them to my cousin Emily’s house in LA, so they were already there waiting for us.

I wanted a sneaker-like boot, and the best I could find at the time were a pair of Under Armour Speedfit boots while Kendra wanted a bit more support and opted for the more rugged Altra Lone Peak Mids.

Our first test drive was nearby Solstice Canyon one hazy-sunny weekday afternoon. Beyond the beautiful shrub-filled hills of the Santa Monica Mountains, this hike was interesting because once you reach the waterfall, you also reach the remains of what was once the Roberts Ranch House. Built in 1952 and designed by architect Paul Revere Williams, the first black member of the American Institute of Architects, all that is left is a life-size blueprint of the home, anchored by the brick fireplaces and concrete floors. Aware that the area was prone to wildfires, they set out to build it with fire resistant materials and an elaborate fire protection system, but that was still no match for Mother Nature in a 1982 wildfire.

Ironically (and unfortunately), a few months after we were here, the Woolsey Fire swept through much of the area and charred these hills, destroyed countless homes, and even burnt down Hollywide filming sites, including the Paramount Ranch set from the HBO show Westworld.

If you want an architectural taste of ancient Greece and Rome, then visit The Getty Villa. It is essentially a recreation of an ancient Roman country house embedded with 7,000 years of art and antiquities with more marble and mosaic details to marvel at all day long.

In case you’d prefer the Malibu beaches instead, there seemed to be plenty of options if you’re willing to drive up and down Highway-1 until you find a beach that suits you. That’s exactly what we did one evening to catch the sunset on our last day in Malibu and Los Angeles.

After finishing our second of three California state projects for [HAS HEART], we worked continued north along Highway 1, at least as far as we could. Due to large mudslides, much of the Pacific Coast Highway was closed south of Big Sur, causing us to have to drive around, over, and down to get to our campsite.

Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park was worth the drive. We were able to camp amongst giant redwood trees, making our Airstream look like a vintage tin toy. This was one of our all-time favorite campsites, and you can see why…

Having watched Season 1 (and now also Season 2) of Big Little Lies, we couldn’t help but constantly play and replay that song. You know, the one that goes, “Ahhhh, ahhh, oohhhh, ahh ahhh ahhh…” Turns out, it’s actually a song by Michael Kiwanuka and is called “Cold Little Heart.”

There’s not much more to be said about Big Sur, other than it repeatedly gets mentioned as one of our favorite stops in all the country. And probably always will be.

We heard and saw a lot of suggestions to visit the Big Sur Bakery, which didn’t take much convincing for us to try iced coffee and their fresh baked goods. Well worth it and a place that must be a local favorite and one that people come back to each time they visit Big Sur.

We thought we should visit Monterey, but to be honest, we spent most of the time beached at the beach. We didn’t make it to the aquarium, to Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, Pebble Beach, or even the official Big Little Lies tour — which is yes, a thing. Instead, Kendra wanted to collect pink-tinted rocks wrapped in a fleece sleeping bag-like blanket. To each their own!

We don’t have anything against Monterey, but we came to see Big Sur. So we did, more and more and more. As much as we could.

…And this is why. It’s like a different country.

But like all good things, they do have to come to an end. If only we had a “Pause” button on this tour. But thankfully, the sadness we feel when we leave a place quickly dissipates as the excitement builds for our next adventure.

We weren’t even done with California, yet. This is only Part I — we couldn’t fit everything in just one post. You’ve gotta keep going and click on to see what comes next in STATE 20: California, Part II.

Because there were over 1,600 edited images from our journey throughout California (and that’s after rounds editing them down), it had to be broken up into two part blog posts — view Part I.

With three [HAS HEART] projects in Cali, we did a lot zig-zagging up and over nearly the entire state. We didn’t know how likely it’d be if we’d ever be able to get to many of these places again, so we made every effort to drive the extra miles to make the most of our time in The Golden State.

Big Sur was incredible. But giant, and I mean GIANT, trees are even more mind-boggling than we imagined they would be — and older, like over 3,000 years old. We made it to camp on a rainy afternoon and found a site at Potwisha Campground. We had enough daylight left to drive up the mountainside to the Giant Forest, first pulling-off to witness the snowstorm thousands of feet above that we were about to drive through to get there, which looked more intimidating than it actually was — thankfully.

Our first stop was a short hike to view the star tree, General Sherman, the world's largest tree. Yes, the largest in THE WORLD. Mind-blowing. It’s no wonder Sequoia was the second national park to be federally protected in 1890. It was created to protect the giant sequoia trees from logging, making it the first national park formed to protect a living organism: Sequoiadendron giganteum.

The next morning the weather couldn’t be any more different. The snow and clouds cleared to sun and blue skies. There were still traces of snow, especially in the shadows, but it we had our new hiking shoes and were ready for it.

The skies were clear and we could see for miles, making the hike up Moro Rock well worth climbing 350 stairs to get a 360-degree view of some of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Pictures just don’t do these gentle giants justice.

After a very quick stay in Sequoia, we continued heading north. Our next stop: Yosemite National Park.

We had two route options, or so we thought. Unfortunately, the route around the park was closed due to recent forest fires and flooding, forcing us to drive through Yosemite to get to our campsite on the other side at Yosemite Lakes RV Resort. What started as rain quickly became snow the higher and higher we climbed.

With knuckles whiter than the snow itself, it was a race against Mother Nature. Then I felt the worst feeling you’d ever want to feel, pulling your life behind you: the road was becoming so slippery that our Airstream started pulling us back down the mountain. Although it only slid back down a few feet, it felt like we were dangling from the mountainside. Just like that, we were stuck in the middle of the road halfway up a mountainside.

Without flares or emergency cones, we set out anything and everything we could to ensure we wouldn’t get hit by cars going up or down. As the snow got heavier and heavier, we became more and more invisible. Finally, after about 20-30 minutes, a park ranger drove up and checked on us, ensuring we were safe and protected. It turned out there was a car accident ahead, and they were closing the highway. They said to wait it out inside the trailer with the heat on, and they’d send a tow truck and chain gang as soon as we could. About another 30-45 minutes, we got an assisting tow up the hill to a pull-out area, and about $500 later, we got chains put on two truck tires and two trailer tires.

Even with chains, the final 20+ miles to our campsite wasn’t a cakewalk. But of course, the next day the sun was out and the melting snow made for a beautiful backdrop for our first day in Yosemite. With dry roads, it was a much more enjoyable drive into Yosemite Valley.

We were welcomed into the valley by none other than El Capitan, the 3,000 foot high granite wall recently climbed without ropes by Alex Honnold, as evidenced in the breathtaking documentary Free Solo.

Instead of risking our lives to climb a rock wall, we opted to keep our feet on solid ground and walk the valley beneath Half Dome, where Kendra just had to touch all the moss she could reach.

And then there was the iconic Tunnel View of Yosemite Valley with all the main features in one frame: from left to right, El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridalveil Falls.

Fortunately for us, recent rains and melted snow from the Winter meant flowing waterfalls. It was good that we were layered up in sweatshirts and our Alpha Industries jackets, though, because that mist was COLD.

We decided to spend our final morning hiking around Hetch Hetchy, the glacial valley turned into a reservoir water system that supplies the San Francisco bay area 167 miles downstream.

We then had to begin working our way towards San Francisco for our third and final state project. But before we made it to the big city, we were able to find a bit more peace and quiet at Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, just outside of Napa Valley.

Fans of a nice glass of wine, we were even bigger fans of wine country. Rolling hills covered in trees and grape vines, what else could you ask for?

Cheaper wine-tasting costs would be our answer. We were unpleasantly surprised by how much it cost to taste wines at some of these wineries, and that’s only if you had a reservation to even get into some of them. As an outsider, that’s the annoyance of the wine industry. It can be a bit elitist and snobbery.

Always on a budget, we split a tasting and called it that, enjoying our boxed wine back at our campsite in the comfort of our trailer and sweats.

We only spent two nights in wine country before heading toward the Bay Area. We had an event with AIGA San Francisco that we needed to get to. What better place to prepare our presentation than from a hammock at Samuel P. Taylor State Park with a local Benny Gold x Four Barrel Coffee roast?

As busy and go-go-go as our lifestyle is, having these moments to ourselves is what we cherish most.

Cue the theme song from Full House because we visited all the San Francisco sights we could, starting with the Golden Gate Bridge, The Painted Ladies, and one of the graphic designers that I’ve looked up to for nearly a decade, Benny Gold, who recently decided to close down his brand because it simply became larger than himself and more than he wanted it to become — which I respect and am glad I had the opportunity to visit before he made the announcement.

Driving these hills is no joke. I’m just glad we didn’t have our Airstream in tow behind us because that would have been a nervous nightmare. Can you imagine trying to drive that eight hairpin turns down Lombard Street, the “most crooked street in the world”?! That would have been impossible. Literally, impossible.

One of the countries I want to visit is Japan. Although without any near-future plans to make it there, the Japanese Tea Garden is probably one of the best stand-ins in the US; it’s also the oldest. It dates back to 1894, when it was planted for the upcoming World’s Fair by John McLaren and Japanese landscape architect Makoto Hagiwara.

From 1895-1942, Hagiwara and his family resided, cared for, and further developed the Japanese Tea Garden. Then Pearl Harbor happened, and World War II was famously declared in President Roosevelt’s Infamy Speech. Makoto and his family were forced from their home and taken to concentration camps with over 120,00+ Japanese Americans.

Much of the garden was destroyed, sculptures vanished, and many plants succumbed to lack of care. It took years for the garden to come back into bloom, and in 1953, a 9,000-pound Japanese offering called the Lantern of Peace was added as a symbol to ease the tensions associated with the past — if only it were that easy.

San Francisco is also well known for its incredible Chinatown, the oldest in the country (established in 1848). It is home to the largest population of Chinese residents living outside of China. Having been to China numerous times to visit footwear factories and suppliers, it felt like I was transported back there, but this time with enough English-translated signs to know where we were going.

Even if you know where you are, it’s still good to be at the right place at the right time. While walking up the streets, we smelled it. We didn’t know what it was yet, but we both were drawn to it like moths to a flame. We followed the smell and discovered it was egg custard tarts from within the Golden Gate Bakery. It’s so well known for its egg custard tarts and is sold out of them or even closed that it has its own fan-managed Facebook page and website to help save people from the potential disappointment of not getting their tart-on.

Our last stop was by no means the least. I think the Redwoods is Kendra’s favorite place in the United States. It’s not only home to the tallest trees on Earth but also along the northern Californian coast. Sequoia has the largest trees in terms of girth, but Redwoods are their taller cousins.

The beauty of the Redwoods is not just the trees but the lush, tropical vegetation that fills its forest floors. It’s so dense that a valley full of ferns scale the cliff walls guiding a river out to the ocean. It’s fittingly called Fern Valley, and Kendra was in heaven.

I just wish my shoes were waterproof. Bring waterproof shoes.

We thought the Sequoias were tall, but the Redwoods were even taller. The weather was perfectly cool yet comfortable, and you didn’t have to worry about running into bears, which brought us peace of mind knowing we wouldn’t die by a bear.