United States : In the middle of nowhere... Yuma

Everytime I said to someone I was going to Yuma they all told me: "What, Yuma? There is nothing there". Well I don't really agree. I've seen really nice National Parks and Reserves as well as sunrises and sunsets and beautiful night with clear skies. I had never seen so many stars in the sky.

One of the first site I could visit was the Imperial Sand Dunes (http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/recreation/ohvs/isdra.html). It's really impressive to drive in the dessert and all of the sudden you just see sand everywhere. It's just like the sea is right behind the dunes.

Since I arrived I had seen two mountains north of Yuma. I had told myself I had to find where it was. After a quick search on the internet I finially found it was on the way to Picacho State Recreation Area (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=641). You need a 4X4 to get there as it is a dirt road but it's really worth it. You just drive around mountainous landscapes. I've choosen that spot for my first stars shooting and despite some light pollution the spot turned up really good.

The next day, I drove to the second mountain we see from Yuma, Castel Dome. At the foot of the mountain you can visit an old mine town (http://www.castledomemuseum.com/). This interesting museum put you back in the years 1800 and gives you a taste of what the life would be in a miner village.

As days were flying by I always said I wanted to see a sunrise and I tried to find the best spot for this time of the year. After a small search on the internet I came up with the idea of going to the Telegraph Pass right outside of the city near the town of Fortuna Foothills.We had to park along highway I-8 and walk by foot to the summit. The hike was quite steap but it was worth it. I could just admire the sunrise sitting on a bench. I was also surprised to run into so many people when going back down.

This was already the end of my trip. I must say that I never got bored and if you like outdoor activities Yuma is certainly a place to be. Especially during winter where you get about 70°F everyday with a clear blue sky.

United States : Visit of San Diego

California... yeah! The first things that come to my mind when I hear this word is sun, beaches and surf. Well, even though it was in the middle of January I still got to enjoy my stay in San Diego.

I only had one day so I had to find what to do. I first started with Coronado. I enjoyed the view of San Diego's skyline and decided to take the ferry to Convention Center which was about 5$ (http://www.flagshipsd.com/coronado-ferry). This took me directly to the historic heart of San Diego : the Gaslamp Quarter which is nowadays well-known for it's night life. As it was only 01.00PM I decided to keep walking along the water and passed by the Seaport village. This small village with its narrow streets has mostly shops and restaurants.
I kept on walking and arrived at the USS Midway Museum. This old aircraft carrier is really worth the stop as you can imagine what would be the life inside of the giant of the seas. On the deck you can see all kind of planes and choppers.

Afterwards I probably made one of my worst decision. I decided to walk to mission beach as it didn't seem to far on the city map I received at the tourist office near the USS Midway. Well, about 1,5 hour later I finally got to Ocean Beach and afterwards to Mission beach. Even though I regretted my decision I was rewarded by a beautiful sunset. These two beached were exactly what I had in mind for the West coast : beaches, surfers and piers. My day ended there where I went to eat and drink at the Sandbar Sportsbar & Grill (http://www.sandbarsportsgrill.com/) where we had a good meal with a view on the Mission Beach Roller-coaster.

I had booked at the Padre Trail Inn Old Town. It was all I needed for one night, the room and bathroom were alright. However, I was a little disapointed by the continental breakfast which wasn't as big and diversified as it seemed on the website.

The next morning I went to La Jolla neighborhood a little noth of the city. It's probably my favorite place. Of course it's also one of the most expansive neighborhood of the State. Well I've known worst landscapes... Near the high cliffs we could spot some seals resting next to the paddlers.

This was the last stop of my San Diego citytrip. I really enjoyed visiting this sunny and friendly city and hope to be back soon to visit the Old Town.