JOSHUA TREE:

What's up with the Park Family and nature parks?

We just really enjoy traveling OK.

No, really. My dad can literally drive for 8+ hours straight without dying--given that we have a bathroom break somewhere in between. Because of my dad's wanderlust, my family has been blessed with the opportunity to say we've been to many locations across the nation. I think the travel bug actually bit me when my parents decided to take a teeny, tiny 2 month old me to Las Vegas. From that day on, I've been here, there, and everywhere(ish) and I only hope that I am able to continue my dad's influence on me forever until I die..(to visit all 7 continents is actually on my bucket list, given that I am physically able to travel to Antarctica and the Arctic).

After Christmas Day, my entire family took a visit to Joshua Tree National Park to enjoy a small speck of God's creation. This desert area is filled with an array of Joshua trees, or yucca brevifolia, whose roots reach deep into the ground and allow the plant to live for hundreds of years even in the dry, rain-less weather. There are also rock formations that one can climb about--there were even some climbers bravely attempting to free climb the giant boulders.

A trip to this place is definitely worth it especially if getting fit is on one's New Year's resolution list! The fresh desert air is a plus when hiking and this park offers plenty of benches for a meal break. Use this to help plan a trip and to know more about the history of the place.

Thanks for reading & see ya'll in the new year,

Rachel

PALM SPRINGS:

Celebrating a very Merry Christmas away from home 

and at a warm, inviting Palm Springs..

While most folks spent their Christmas unwrapping presents in the morning and sharing a feast at dinner time, my family decided to head on over to a much warmer and sunny Palm Springs. The weather was perfect, not your average Christmas winter chill, but a record-breaking 80+ degrees that called for some dips in the pool.

My baby cousins were definitely the highlight of this trip, with their adorable smiles and baby chatter that is sometimes too unintelligible to understand. It's amazing how fast those little girls grow! Trying to take the right picture of them was not a hard task since they lit up and made cheesy, cute faces for the lens.

I'm so thankful for my family and this year's Christmas was another amazing experience celebrating Jesus' birth. For those who celebrate the holiday, I hope you had a blessed time as well!

Look out for my next blog post concerning what I did the day following--coming soon!

Enjoying the SoCal winter,

Rachel

VALLEY OF FIRE:

Visiting the Valley of Fire on a not-so-fiery winter day...

The "White Domes"

Can you spot the elephant?

With Christmas just around the corner, my family decided to take a short trip to Nevada to visit the "Valley of Fire." Despite the name, the state park was a good 63 degrees--warm enough to wear only a light sweater and scarf.

This hidden gem in Nevada was absolutely breathtaking and my camera really could not do its natural beauty justice. The sandstone formations were a combination of vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. This payed off very well actually in my photos: the contrast between the bright rocks and the clear, blue sky made for a photogenic nature shot.

Each area of the park contained special features such as the "White Domes," "Elephant Rock" and much more. We couldn't get to all of the locations, but just by roaming around random places outside of the hiking trails, we were able to get a fun and memorable experience that I believe would not have been obtained had we rushed ourselves trying to take pictures of every tourist spot.

It was a blast climbing up and down the rocks, seeing how far up we could go and just take in God's awesome creation. The immense size of the valley itself was overwhelming and I only wish I had an accurate picture of how ginormous some rock formations were compared to our tiny human sizes. If you would like to know more about this park, click here for a historical background and here to plan a trip for you and your family and friends.

Hope you've had a great break!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

OUTFIT:
-Hat--Urban Outfitters
-Sweater--Forever21
-Scarf--Grandma
-Jeans--Cheap Monday
-Boots--Dr. Martens 1460

Excited for tomorrow,

Rachel Park

SAN FRANCISCO GETAWAY

So this 4th of July, in honor of my country, my family decided to brave through 8+ hours of driving to head north into... SAN FRANCISCO.

This was my 4th time there, but my 1st time as an "adult" (I'm finally 18), and as a person who's grown to truly enjoy the environment and aesthetics of such a cultural and visually-stimulating city. I never actually realized how much art and character San Francisco held until my recent trip...
The city landscape as well was just breathtaking and a lot of the buildings and homes reminded me of downtown LA and New York. It almost felt like a New York away from New York at times. Usually, my family goes to Las Vegas every year, but to be quite honest, I was never into the cigarette-infested casinos or the "kids close your eyes" moments...although the food never has failed me. But that's beside the point. I told my parents that we should instead, go to San Francisco every year-- we would just have to deal with the slightly longer drive up. On our way back home, we traveled along Highway 1 aka the most awesome coastal scenic drive ever. The only cost was slight motion sickness from the constant turns, but hey, it was worth it. We also stopped by Hearst Castle, but unfortunately could not get a tour as all the tickets had been sold out, so we drove along some more to Pismo Beach. This beach is especially known for it's wide shores and you can literally walk in 10 feet in on low tide without drowning.

Anyway, trust me when I say this: San Francisco is definitely one of the top places you should visit before you are no longer physically capable of traveling. My love for this city has grown so much in just 3 days there and I cannot wait for the day to go back again. Perhaps even live in? Who knows. For now, let's enjoy some photos I took on my iphone. (Sorry, can't afford a decent camera yet..)

Love,

Rachel

I'm moving in here (I wish)

The famous winding road on Lombard St.

A clock tower near Fisherman's Warf

A couple lovely pastel-colored homes

Chinatown

The Golden Gate Bridge

Another shot of the bridge with an extra "prop"

Pier 39

  

Fireworks on the pei

Pismo Beach Part 1

Pismo Beach Part 2

*Pose*

Trying to be hipster...

Elephant seals on our way back home

I was going to jump, but didn't want to risk tripping  and tumbling down this EXTREMELY steep hill

TO CHINA AND BACK

It's been a long, long time since I've posted on my blogspot. In those weeks in which I've been too... lazy (for a lack of better words), I have been more focused on school work and college commitments. Just for those of you wondering: I committed to University of California, San Diego! I am so glad to be a part of the Triton family and my parents could not have been happier. I'm so thankful to God and to all those who have helped me along the way that I am now going to attend one of the top schools in the nation.

Anyway, this past spring break, I went on a well-coveted trip with my EF tour group to CHINA! More specifically, I stayed in the great capital, Beijing. This trip, as cliche as it may sound, opened so many culturally doors for me and taught me to be thankful for all the blessings that I have here in sunny California. Seriously, I have never been more thankful for sitting toilets than after this trip to Asia. I also accomplished so many events on my bucket list like climbing the Great Wall and seeing pandas in their homeland.

Here is a short photo diary of my travels; hope it will encourage you to save up and consider traveling to this amazing country!

Still a bit jetlagged,

Rachel

Landing in Beijing

Our hotel rooms (quite lovely actually)

Can't leave China w/o seeing some panda bears..

Delicious steamed dumplings and 1000 year old eggs

Jumping in front of the Olympic Center

Tiananmen Square

Fingerlickin' pulled-pork sandwich and spicy noodle soup

The breath-taking view of the Great Wall

Capturing the entire Forbidden Palace

Buddha is everywhere in China...

Women dressed in bright traditional clothing outside Buddha's temple

Watching the famous Chinese acrobats do their thing..

Adorable little boy contemplating life aboard a small ferry

April showers bring May flowers; in this case: cherry blossoms

Bustling night market selling anything edible