There's Snow in Part 5

California.

That's all I should have to say, but I'm going to continue anyway.  

We drove up the PCH (pacific coast highway) for a good portion of our trip, and most of it looked like this on one side:

...and this on the other:

Oh, and we saw elephant seals:

We ended up in Monterey Bay for a while, where we went to the aquarium and then found an otter themed shop, where I found both of these two things:

Yes, I got the t-shirt....I couldn't not get it.

So then we continued up, stopped somewhere near San Luis Obispo, and then made our way up to San Francisco, where I got an awesome new leather jacket AND I got to dance.  Yay dancing!  I ran into someone I met at Lindy Focus too, so that was cool.  There are some amazing dancers there.  

We went to The Legion of Honor museum in SF, where we looked at a lot of portraits of people and biblical scenes, a Van Gogh and some Monet's, and the Rodin statues, which I have to admit were pretty cool (but the Monet's were still my favorite).

After that, we were going to go to Telegraph Hill, but for some reason the GPS couldn't find it, so we just drove around and found a place that does horseback riding. Now, I have always loved horses and have always wanted one.  I think it's in my blood, since my mother had a horse when she was my age she absolutely adored, and I'm pretty naturally decent at riding horses.  So we went on these trails down a cliff on the beach on horses.  Mine was named Ginger..which I thought was appropriate, given what I am (a ginger, duh). They let me canter a little bit on the beach, but since I was the only one besides the wranglers who could *really* handle a horse without freaking out, they didn't let me go fast for very long.  I was sad...so was Ginger.  But seriously, the other people on this ride freaked out if the horse started walking too fast or if it turned a little bit.  One girl screamed, another started freaking out, and the rest kept a tight reign on their horses. Meanwhile, Ginger bucked and kicked at a horse behind her and tried to throw me off and then took off galloping and I'm just like "-_- no *reign*" without freaking out, and the other people were just like "O_O is she okay?! How is she not freaking out?!" Poor horses. Also, they were Western saddles, so there's no way I could have purposefully gone into a gallop without getting a pommel in my stomach.  I hate Western saddles.  

(It was windy)

We were staying by Fisherman's Wharf, so we went down there to do a little bit of shopping and look at the big boats:

I definitely said "Hehe, I'm on a pirate ship!!" I wasn't actually (it's an old carrier boat) but it looked like one. 

It was awesome.

So then we were on our way up to Seattle after all the awesomeness of SF.  We drove through some regular pine-covered mountains when all of a sudden we turn a corner and BAM:

Mt. Shasta became the first real, snow-covered mountain I have ever seen.  I thought it was pretty awesome.

So then we went and saw some lava beds:

Then, my favorite part.  We went to Crater Lake, which is gorgeous:

But that's not my favorite part.  On the way too and from Crater Lake, there was snow.  All over the place.  I kid you not:

I played in it a little bit, and threw some snowballs at my dad:

.....in flip flops.  Not my smartest decision ever.  Snow is cold.

So then the next day we *finally* made it to Seattle, which is really cool.  Not really any pictures yet, but tomorrow I'm hoping there will be some awesome ones.  I got to meet my dads grandmother, aunt and cousin at the Cheesecake Factory up here. Awesome family. A little bit quirky, but that's what makes me fit in....even if I am the youngest by 8-ish years....

Tomorrow: kayaking to go orca watching!! 

-Panda:)