I knew America was big. A sideways glance at a map can show it’s one of the largest countries in the world. I never expected this to be a small journey, but there’s one lesson I’ve picked up that has put a lot of things into perspective for me: When it comes to traveling, there’s a big difference between traveling for pleasure and traveling for business.

I’d chosen the Travelodge in the city center of Sacramento for two nights. One night was meant to celebrate St. Patrick's Day with my friend, Megan. The other was to see the capitol building and meet up with my friend Morgan to take our dogs on a walk.

Imagine a valley tucked inside of the mountains that stretches as far as your eyes can see. Inside that valley, everywhere you look, thin trails of water stream down rocky cliffsides. As your eyes wander across those rocks, they find a dome that’s cut in half, facing one of the largest rock walls on the planet. Welcome to Yosemite Valley

It’s no secret that California has had a rough time the last few years.Between the drought, the fires, and the fact that everyone in the world wans to be here, I’ll admit, I started looking at California with jaded eyes.As someone who grew up just outside of the perfection that is Yosemite, I always had an appreciation for nature.

Santa Cruz lays at the tip of the Monterey Bay, hidden inside of the Santa Cruz Redwood Mountains. Known for its beachy-meets-mountain feel, tourists come here for a mixture of both relaxation and adrenaline.

Eager to continue on with our sense of mystery, Josh and I headed out to the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot.

There, our perception of the natural changed forever.

Most people associate San Francisco with the vast array of skyscrapers and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Tucked into the hills just north of the city center, however, lies a forest better known as Muir Woods. Located inside of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, visitors travel from all corners of the globe to catch glimpses of the redwoods harbored in its depths.