Why Did I Not Know California is a Desert?

So on August 21, David and me, and his parents, and brother Ben, and sisters Kathryn and Kelli all piled in to their family van to drive to California for the wedding of their oldest brother, Daniel. Honestly the drive wasn't bad. Especially when I layed down on the floor of the van for a few hours on the way home. Besides, nothing can compare to the family vacations to Utah with ten people shoved into an eight seater van for 26 hours. The trip was a lot of fun, and amazingly enough it was my very first trip to California! The beach was gorgeous - I must say Galveston is a complete dump compared to California beaches - but then again I already knew what a dump Galveston is. I will say, though, that I was shocked at how not green California was. To be quite frank, I thought L.A. was kind of ugly. It was all so brown and desert looking. I guess I have a skewed image of L.A. from watching The Hills. In those pictures, the Hollywood hills and everything look so pretty and green and nice. California in August - not the most impressive thing. I will say though again that the beach was amazing and the weather was WONDERFUL! So here are my pictures from the short weekend:

David riding a bike in Newport

You can't see it very well, but the house with all the cars parked in front was the beach house that David's Aunt Tiff and her three boys were staying at. It was SO cute!

My first time at a "real" beach as David would say.

David being brave and swimming through the waves. Notice there will be no pictures of me in a wave. First, the water was FREEZING! Ridiculously cold. Second, the waves were huge! I would have been smashed into the sand by them. I did stand knee high in one, and it STILL knocked me down!

Me and David again. I have no idea why he is wearing seaweed around his neck. But then again I don't know his motives for most things.

Me asleep on the beach. One of the BEST naps I have had in a long time.

David, Me, and Will playing wiffle ball. I actually hit the ball in this picture. Sadly, this was probably my seventh or so swing at the ball.
David pitching the ball to his cousin Will. Will and I were on a team together against David and Will's brother Coulson until Will and I lost in which Will informed me that it was actually a game of girls versus boys so really I was the only one to lose.

Driving to the beach. See the pretty blue ocean. So oceans really are blue and not brown like Galveston. Nor do they have trash and who knows what swimming around you.
Me and David in the van somewhere between L.A. and Vegas.