My family and I have always gone on family trips every summer for as long as I can remember. The four of us, my mom, dad, brother (Nacho), and I would pack up our bags and go to a new place to discover this world together. Now I am 24 and my brother is 28 and we are still taking our annual family trips together. There is just something about traveling with the family…you play games in the car that you used to play as little kids, tell childhood stories of each other, and get to spend quality time without the stress from reality. I thank my parents and feel so blessed for allowing us to continue our tradition…except now we have my fiancé and my brother's girlfriend. :) The family is growing, and I couldn't be happier about it!

Because Chester is off in Texas from a 3 month training course for the Airforce, we decided to stick close to Texas and head to California. He was allowed 2 days off plus the weekend because of 4th of July, so he met us in Big Sur, California towards the end of the trip. Hey, 4 days is better than nothing! I was just happy to see him and spend some time with him. We flew into Los Angeles, California and drove to Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Carmel, Monterey, Napa Valley and then off to San Francisco. With endless hours of driving, the 6 of us had a lot of good laughs and stories to share!

I decided to ditch my heavy DSLR and bring my new Fuji x100 on this trip. The photos below are from the Fuji and my iPhone.

With our crazy amount of luggage and packed car, we were ready to start our journey!

Of course, I had to bring Moco and Luna (stuffed animal version) with me on the trip. How could I leave them behind?

First off, Santa Monica! I was so surprised on the amount of fog this beach had… Regardless, it had some amazing chances to take photos.

You know you are a true photographer when you are on vacation and you see this beautiful backdrop for an engagement shoot or family session. It was like a tease the whole trip.

We had to stop to see the Hollywood sign before heading to Santa Barbara.

Hello Santa Barbara! Loved spending 4 relaxed nights here. Got to bike to downtown Santa Barbara, visit the local artists at an art show, play croquet, enjoy the nice gorgeous weather with the soft breeze, and get some good sleep…zzzz….

The crew minus Chester :)

On our way to one of the wineries, we came across to some ostriches. We found OSTRICH LAND!

On our way to Big Sur, we got to stop by the road to capture the gorgeous landscapes that California has to offer. I also had a chance to pause, be still, and give thanks for this beautiful journey.