Just north of Huntington Beach in Orange County in Southern California is Bolsa Chica nature preserve, which is wetlands that hosts loads of different species of birds - including my favorite bird, the pelican. I spotted both brown and white pelicans too.
Right on Venice Beach in Los Angeles was a pretty hopping skater scene with some impressive skateboarding.
In Venice Beach in Los Angeles is the famous "Muscle Beach" with a work-out gym right on the beach. Compared to Miami, which has such a vibrant work-out scene right on South Beach, I found Muscle Beach to be a bit drab and disappointing.
Dana Point in Orange County in Southern California is well known for its dolphin and whale watching. The whales are actually guaranteed on whale watching tours. In November, we saw a very photogenic humpback whale.
Costa Rica has beautiful flowers and trees in the rainforest that sometimes you see frogs sleeping on the back of the leaves, blending right in.
One of my favorite animals is a beaver, and this is the first time I've seen a beaver in the wild walking on land. I've seen them swimming before (in Huntley Meadows and in Alaska), but never walking through the grass, so close to the boardwalk. And of course... my camera died shortly after the beaver came towards me. Womp womp.
