Kelly Olson Creative

Here at Loras we have a J-Term which is essentially a semester long course crammed into three weeks of January. You are required to take two J-Terms throughout your time at Loras, and although I already completed my two, I decided to take a third this year. The class I chose was a business capstone that was required anyway, but this one had a perk: a trip to San Francisco for ten days.

Our first few days in California were set aside to get situated and do some exploring before the work week started. Our first destination was the 17 mile scenic drive in Pebble Beach. The drive was outlined in 17 stops each with their own special views of cliffs and forests and coastal beauty. The final stop on the drive is the famous lone cypress tree that has been standing on the ledge for over 200 years. The tree has survived hurricane strength winds as well various tropical storms. Now supported by a few ropes for extra security, the lone cypress is an iconic symbol of Pebble Beach. This tree is actually the logo for Pebble Beach golf course as well which is where we headed after the drive.

The Pebble Beach club house area was absolutely beautiful. I felt like royalty walking around there. We weren’t able to see much of the course, but we were able to make our way out to the 18th green for a picture. Talk about a view! 

Our next day we were off to Napa Valley- the land of wine. We visited two wineries; one that specialized in flat wines and the other in sparkling wine. I am not the biggest wine enthusiast, but these wineries may have changed that. The wine was so smooth and unlike anything I have had before. The staff at both places were excited to help us and willing to let us taste anything we wanted…which we did. Aside from the wine, the views were like no other. Tucked away in the rolling hills, they had a special relaxing feel which was perfect for sitting on the balcony and enjoying a glass of wine.

The next day was spent at Muir Woods as well as a quick peek at the golden gate bridge. Muir woods is national monument in Mill Valley, CA. The hikes are filled with beautiful scenery and massive redwood trees that are up to 1000 years old, how amazing is that!? To grab this amazing view of the bridge we headed to Battery Spencer viewpoint which was an old military point that protected the bridge during WWII. Because of this view the pictures came out like post cards.

Since then we have listened to three speakers and will be visiting six others by the end of the week. These speakers are leaders and founders of companies in the bay area and are very successful businessmen. This opportunity has been amazing and along with doing some exploring, I have been learning a lot as well. I look forward to the rest of the week and the other connections I make out here in San Francisco.

-D