One Year Ago: War & Peace

What's happening: One year ago I had the incredible opportunity to spend a week with my aunt, uncle, and cousins out in northern California playing tourist. I started writing this blog soon after the trip ended, and as I enjoyed myself so much, I have decided to write about my trip experiences in blog form.

One year ago today...'twas the third day in a row that my uncle and I made that two-hour commute from Sacramento to the Bay Area. By this point, it was old hat! But I must admit, that both my uncle and I looked at each other when we left at 7:30am and were like, "We're so glad that this is the last day we're doing this!" Three consecutive all-day trips from Sac to SF definitely took their toll! But the tiredness definitely did not diminish our enthusiasm for another exciting day playing tourist together :D

The main destination of the day was the USS Hornet Sea, Air, and Space Museum. I was excited to visit not only because it was an aircraft carrier, but also because it was the ship that recovered Apollo 11!! It was very interesting to walk around, see the planes, and hear from docents how everything worked - both with regards to the machinery and also with regards to what life was like. I especially enjoyed going up to the island! We also got to see the helicopter that picked up Gemini IV (McDivitt & White), and the Mobile Quarantine Facility for Apollo 14. After spending several hours on board, my uncle and I disembarked and drove north to Martinez. This is where the famed naturalist John Muir lived, and his home is now a national park. Another stamp, another video, another awesome experience!!! Really, really enjoyed touring his home and imagining what his life was like. An especial highlight was seeing his writing desk!!

After that, my uncle and I called it a day...and when we walked in the door that night, my aunt commented that for the first time, I actually looked tired! True! Anyways, following are some of my favorite pictures from the day. I hope you enjoy!