Munduk
Amanda, one of my besties who lived in Bali, said Munduk was one of her favorite places on the island. It is a cute oasis in the mountains in the northern-central part of Bali. There is not much to do in this area but if you embrace that, enjoy the waterfalls, and the scenery, it will too become one of your favorite hidden gems of Bali. There are not many tourists in this area so it was a different experience to feel like you were a part of the town.
Tips for your Next Trip to Bali
This page showcases tips and tricks that I found were most helpful when touring Bali in Indonesia.
Berkeley & Oakland
The east side of the San Francisco Bay area has 2 smaller cities, Berkeley and Oakland, that are worth a blog posting on here. Luckily I had one friend in each of these places to show me the best spots for visitors and locals alike.
Best Winery/Vineyard
Over the 3 months that I lived in central California, I visited 16 vineyards in wine country, which included the regions of Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Healdsburg, Paso Robles, and Santa Cruz County. The amount of vineyards in central California is absurd… How did I get down to 16? My research started by looking at blogs and well-known magazines which showcased “top vineyards in the nation,” and by asking patients and friends who have visited the area.
Best Breakfast Burrito
The best breakfast burrito (BBB) was what I strived to find during my time in Santa Cruz. There are many people here who would stand strong behind their favorite breakfast burrito place. So, I made an effort to truly find the best! Many places have breakfast burritos, but I decided where I went based on word of mouth and my own research. I have learned from eating lots of breakfast burritos here that my taste of this type of food favors a combination of vegetables, eggs, and some type of meat to add more to the palate. Also, the SAUCE has to be full of flavor. Here are my top 2!
Monterey Bay Aquarium
When I told my friends and family from Maryland that I was going to be in central California for one of my placements, almost all of them said “you have to go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium!” I have to say, it really is a must-see place - I got goosebumps a few times! All in all, it took me about two hours to go through the Aquarium at a fairly quick-pace solo, and I could’ve easily spent another hour if time permitted.
San Francisco
The only attractions that I knew about in San Francisco before moving to central California were the Painted Ladies and the Golden Gate Bridge. Turns out it is one of the most beautiful large cities in the U.S., if not the world. Many large cities are on the water due to easier ways of transport, but San Fran is built on a hilly peninsula which offers many great vantage points.
San Fran reminded me of a smaller version of New York City with its pockets of neighborhoods in a large city culture, island adventures with beautiful boat rides (Alcatraz Island vs NYC’s Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty), and picturesque bridges. I got my recommendations here from my patients and one of my childhood friends who currently lives there.
Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park is one of the newest national parks instated to the U.S. in 2013. This park created many “wow” moments.
Santa Cruz
The minute I walked into Santa Cruz, the best words I could think of to describe this small surfing town were “chill beach vibes.” The more I got to know this artistically-inclined place, the more special it became with its environmentally-conscious atmosphere, good-hearted outdoorsy and adventurous people who are very aware of the world as well as their immediate surroundings, the strikingly-beautiful cliffs on the beach views, the environment, and its love for surfing.
Napa Valley
Having lived on the east coast for the majority of my life, the two places in central California I had heard of were the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the wineries in Napa Valley. Little did I know the history of Napa, which I learned from the sommeliers at many of my weekend wine tastings during my time living in Santa Cruz, and also from the movie “Bottle Shock.” This movie features Alan Rickman and Chris Pines and how the Judgment of Paris in 1972 put Napa on the map.
Redwoods’ Avenue of the Giants
Redwoods are the tallest trees in the WORLD. It makes sense that many movies have been filmed here, including Star Wars’ Episode VI, A New Hope. In this movie, the redwoods were depicted as the Forest Moon of Endor. Along the 101 there is an exit you can take that is a 31-mile route called the Avenue of the Giants.
Crater Lake National Park
The deepest lake in the United States is nestled in a volcano due to its eruption more than 7000 years ago in southern Oregon called Crater Lake. It is hard to imagine the magnitude of how large this lake and volcano is until you see that there is another smaller volcano in the middle of the lake. We had many breathtaking moments at this national park during our road trip from Washington to California.
Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon is an up-and-coming small town with a fun main street, along the Deschutes River. It is also in close proximity to several famous outdoor adventuring spots: Crater Lake National Park (2 hours away), about 30 minutes from Mt. Bachelor ski resort, and 30 minutes from hiking trails at the Three Sisters, which are mountains a part of the Cascade Range. I came here for my second long-distance road trip with my friend Mander. To us, Bend felt like a quaint town on a river, for an easy weekend escape from Portland.
Oregon Coast
At the end of July, I visited the northern part of the Oregon coast with my friends from Washington. We had a blast running around the beaches and finding hidden gems! It is important to find out when low tide is so you can spot the aquatic life on the rocks!
Olympia
Olympia, the capital of Washington state, is a small city on the Puget Sound with backdrop views of the Olympic National Park mountains. This town is filled with coffee shops, bakeries, and scenic water views! It is about 1-2 hours away from Olympic and Mt. Rainier National Parks, which made it a great location to work as a traveling hand therapist.
Vancouver, B.C.
I was about a 4-hour drive from mainland Canada when living in Washington. With one of my high school friends living there, I had to go visit! It was a gorgeous city on the water with snow-capped mountains right in front of you. As this is still in the region of Washington’s Pacific Northwest, it is a very rainy city from October through June. Raincoats are a must during that time. July - September it is sunny with perfect temperatures.
Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
The Mt. St. Helens eruption on May 18, 1980 was apparently a sight to see. Many of my patients were alive for it and they still can remember the “eruption mist” that clouded the sky for a few weeks. When visiting, my patients highly recommended going to the Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mt. St. Helens to watch the video at the visitors center; it really brings it all to life and along with it, meaning to the scene in front of you.
