Travel Scrapbooking: California

California is a very large and diverse state. California travel can include theme parks, city visits, beaches, winery tours, hiking in Yosemite, skiing, shopping as well as countless other activities. Since California vacations can be so diverse, there is no simple formula to scrap your California travels. However, here are some ideas to get you started.

Many of the layouts here are from my family vacation in Southern California. I decided to make a mini-album about the trip which is why the layouts may seem small and simple. All of the ideas here can be used for either a mini-album or regular-sized scrapbook pages.

Water Fun

Southern California is famous for sun, sand, and surfing.  Whether you ride the waves or look at them, don't forget to include your beach photos on your California layouts. Consider bringing a waterproof or disposable camera to the beach so your expensive camera is not harmed by sea or sand. Don't forget to include the name or location of the beach somewhere on the layout.

Of course, sometimes you can have just as much fun in the hotel pool. If your hotel has a great pool, don't forget to take a few photos and include them in your scrapbooking as well.

Theme Parks and Zoos

There are many famous theme parks in California and your trip might include at least one of them. My children's favorite is LEGOLAND , which provides plenty of photo opportunities that can be scrapped using primary colors. There are many wonderful LEGO-themed scrapbooking products  that you can use for your LEGOLAND layouts, or you can simply "borrow" some of the flat LEGOs and adhere them with a glue dot like I did. (Don't forget to ask permission from the LEGO's owner.)

California is also home to famous zoos including the San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park. Don't forget to scrap the most memorable moments of your visit, even if it's the souvenirs you purchased while you were there.

There are plenty of other theme parks in California including Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and SeaWorld. Whether your theme park visit is the focus of your trip, or a single-day excursion, remember to capture the fun of the theme park on your layouts.

Cities

There are some great cities in California:

• San Francisco with its wonderful hills (don't forget to photograph Lombard Street)
• Los Angeles, home to the stars and world-class shopping
• San Diego with its charming Old Town and military sites

All of these cities are home to great restaurants as well. Don't forget to photograph and scrap your dining experiences.

Layout Titles

Often for travel scrapbooking, it is appropriate to use the name of the place as the title of the layout. However, if you are looking for something a little more musical, there are many California-based song titles that will work as layout titles:

• I Left My Heart in San Francisco
• California Dreamin'
• Hotel California
• California Girls
• It Never Rains in Southern California
• Hooray for Hollywood
• Los Angelenos
• The Little Old Lady from Pasadena
• San Franciscan Nights
• Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

Looking for more inspiration? Here are some great California layouts from the Scrapjazz gallery:

• California Dreaming and California to me is by Just a Girl
• Domaine Chandon Vineyard by Marilou64 (there are several other winery layouts in her gallery that are worth looking at)
• California Adventure by N7zuq
• Disney California Adventure by Scrapperlicious

Enjoy your vacation in sunny California and don't forget to share your layouts here at Scrapjazz.com