As vacation time approaches, people spend a lot of money to get away from California, while many people from all over the world come here. With this in mind, I decided that instead of going away this year, I would explore the activities and places available in California. My challenge was set. I climbed as high as 11,499 feet and dove as deep as 100 feet. I endured 102 degrees in temperature in the desert and 52 degrees at the Pacific Ocean. And I did it all in one day.

Sipping my soy latte, my day started at 6 a.m. as I left Los Angeles with my boyfriend, whom I convinced to join me for this adventure. The sun was already up, and, to my surprise, the freeway was quite busy. About an hour later I started to see the white windmills spinning tirelessly in the desert as the temperature warmed up. By 8.30 a.m., we were at Palm Springs at the foot of the Aerial Tramway station at 2,643 feet, ready to start our experience in the wilderness. While I looked around, my eyes met Vic Heise and Cliff Torrance, fellow hikers. After $21 and 15 minute ride on the Aerial Tramway we arrived at the 8,516 feet mark.

We hiked for about an hour, talking with our newly made friends Vic and Cliff, who were there to train themselves for the Sierras. We learned more about the mountains during this time than I could have ever learned in my geology class. They showed us how to spot the Ponderosa Pine Tree which smells just like vanilla up-close. We learned that if you came to the hike unprepared (like us), you could eat the skunk cabbage that grows all over the forest. After an hour and a half hike, we admitted that we came like city people, without food and with one small bottle of water. So we turned around and headed back to the Aerial Tramway station looking for something to eat.

At 1 p.m. we descended back to the desert and headed to the ocean. On our way, we stopped at Cabazon, the place where Tears for Fears recorded their song, "Everybody wants to rule the world" with the giant dinosaurs. After a heat wave of 102 degrees in the desert, we welcomed the relatively cooler air (85 degrees) when we reached the 110 freeway.

We arrived at San Pedro Harbor and boarded our boat, the Sea Bass at 3 p.m. We continued our adventure with a one hour boat-ride to Catalina Island. Here, we jumped into the water at Indian Rocks, and dove trough the amazing kelp forest. By the time we reached 100 ft, the temperature cooled down to 52 degrees. Many people think that because California lies at the same equatorial latitude as Florida does, its waters are similarly warm. The truth could not be further from it due to the currents that are coming down from Alaska.

The nutrients rich water however, assure unique and beautiful underwater environment. The kelp forest is something that makes California diving extra special. There is no other place in the World, where one can see anything like it. We encountered seals, bat rays, lobsters, moray eels and horn-sharks during our dive. California diving is one of a kind. It is no surprise that people come here from all over the world.  

By 7.30 p.m. I was on my way home driving trough downtown Los Angeles. I saw the highs and lows of California, and I truly enjoyed it. It took one day, 50 degree temperature change, an elevation change of 11,599 feet and about 100 bucks to see why others want to come to California for vacation. Los Angeles County has way more to offer to locals and travelers than Hollywood bars, the Venice Beach side-walk or Malibu clubs. Southern California has a climate that not too many places have in the World, making hiking and diving year-around activities for the enthusiasts.