After our semi-lazy day, we knew we had a lot of catching up to do. Not only did we plan to stuff a snorkeling and hiking trip into one day, but we also had breakfast plans with the family before heading out.

On our way to breakfast with our amazing hosts. Super thanks to @TricksterX1 and @dianwei57 for hooking us up! #travel #california

— Alexis Chateau PR (@AlexisChateauPR) July 6, 2017

I was starting to get a little anxious about whether or not we could get it all done. But somehow, we pulled it off. For this post, we’ll talk about the first half of our adventure: hiking at Annies Canyon.

We're trying to stuff hiking and snorkeling into one day after our lazy day yesterday. #travelgoals #california (cc @TricksterX1 @dianwei57) pic.twitter.com/l9sCLwHSXB

— Alexis Chateau PR (@AlexisChateauPR) July 6, 2017

A Sure Thing

My drive to go out west was first kindled by a tourist I met in Jamaica. We met in early 2015, before I moved. Texan-born, he had nonetheless been raised in California, and spent quite a bit of his adult life in Oregon.

He talked a lot about living out west, and about the hiking trails, the mountains… After one too many late night talks peppered with pictures of rainbow hills and desert canyons, I decided I had to see it for myself.

So when I finally got the chance to plan my trip, the very first thing I looked up wasn’t beaches. It was hiking trails!

From the start, Annies Canyon caught my eye and was the first on the list. When I showed pictures to Ericson and Tristan, they agreed: we couldn’t skip out on a trail like that.

Are We Lost?

But when we arrived, Annies Canyon didn’t start out the way we imagined. We had expected to walk right into Grand-Canyon-esque trails. Instead, we had an easy walk on sandy, mostly flat land.

The most dangerous thing we came across was this little bridge. After a while, doubt crept in. After all, you’re talking about the same people who got lost looking for water in Red Rock Canyon. The same people who almost fell off Lone Mountain, after taking one wrong turn.

It didn’t help that Annies Canyon was people-less. This was despite the fact that the head of the trail was in a residential neighbourhood. Since we had no better idea than to keep walking, on we went.

Finally, we ran into a couple about our age, heading in the opposite direction. They assured us that the trail we were looking for was straight ahead.

“You’re gonna see a sign that says moderate or strenuous,” the girl advised us. “Take strenuous!”

She didn’t have to tell us twice!

We Made it!

It felt like forever that we kept on walking, looking for more reassurance that we were on the right path. And soon enough, we found it! After that, the terrain completely changed.

We were no longer walking along easily on flat land. We were making our way through crevices in the rocks.

The further up we went, the more narrow it got. And the more narrow it got, the more warnings signs cropped up.

The only downside to the canyon is that it was really short compared to the rest of our trek – and short overall compared to the trails we had tried before.

Ericson was right… I totally need a selfie stick so I can look ahead, and not on the camera screen while hiking – haha.

Just as we were really starting to enjoy ourselves, we could see the top. And the only way up? Well…

At the Top

We couldn’t believe we had made it up so quickly, and boy was the view totally worth the climb. It took us about 15 minutes, and really isn’t as difficult as it looks.

There were some places you had to hook a toe and do a bit of climbing, since the ground was too narrow for walking, but that was only a few feet off the ground, and I never felt as if I was in any danger of falling.

I’m a little claustrophobic, and didn’t feel bothered by the closeness of the walls either. With open skies like this overhead, it would be really hard to. No, I think I was feeling more sassy than anything else.

Prepped for the Beach

As you can see, I was already prepped and ready for the beach. After all, when you plan two trips in one day, it’s a smart woman who dresses for both of them, right?

But we didn’t rush off to the beach, just yet. We enjoyed the view, chatted, laughed, filmed a video that I’ve yet to edit…

… and then we headed back down.

Annie’s Canyon was my trail of the year – if not the best one ever. I’ve never been on a trail like that before, and now I can’t wait to see what the canyons in Utah have to offer.

Annies Canyon was amazing! #travel #hiking pic.twitter.com/xmTq7qGdyb

— Alexis Chateau PR (@AlexisChateauPR) July 6, 2017

After our hike, we headed straight for La Jolla. But… (you already know what I’m about to say, don’t you?) that’s a story for another day. Same time next week!

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Have you ever gone hiking on a trail like Annies Canyon before? Any other adventure trips that took you outside your usual comfort zone – but you loved it? I can’t wait wait to hear about it in the comments below!

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My trip to California was sponsored by Alexis Chateau PR and booked by our in-house travel agents. Is there a country or city you’ve always dreamed of seeing with your own eyes? Then stop dreaming, and start traveling.

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