Travel is the one thing you buy and makes you richer. If only buying a watch could give you extra time... Unfortunately you have to make time for such time. That is what we did by exploring California, and bringing a set of watches with us in search of these places that make you enjoy the moment and forget everything else.

From city to desert, from ocean to lake, from high mountains to below sea-level points, California has a lot to offer and all is easily within reach. We managed to see all this and even fit a little Nevada detour for a quick gamble in Vegas on our 12 day-long road trip.

From LA to LA, our route included stops in Palm Springs, Las Vegas, Yosemite and San Francisco.

Here are the top 10 things we did along the way:

1. Sinking into desert land and leaving the busy city of LA behind
2. Acting like everything around us was normal in Vegas
3. Visiting Mars and the Moon on the same day (though it really was Death Valley)
4. Enjoying the most scenic drive up the smooth Highway 395
5. As a result, driving 3 to 5 hours a day and feeling none of it
6. Bathing in hot natural springs with a view on snowy mountain tops
7. Witnessing the gold rush era in the mining-turned-ghost town of Bodie
8. Seeing the most pine trees in our lives while crossing Sanislaus Forest
9. Realizing Alcatraz was much more than America’s most famous prison
10. Fine-dining with our faces up against the ocean in Big Sur

We believe there is so much more to see and enjoy and the trip can really be planned according to what you really like doing. Here are a few helpful resources to plan it your way:

• http://www.visitcalifornia.com/
• https://www.nps.gov/state/ca/index.htm
• http://www.lostintheusa.fr/ (in French)

Finally, we are happy to share some shots with our wrist companions ;)