This badge represents independent contributors who have met NewsBreak's standards for quality, along with adhering to policies, requirements, and editorial guidelines.

newsbreak_contributor

This badge represents contributors who have consistently met NewsBreak's standards for quality, along with adhering to all policies, requirements, and editorial guidelines.

certified_community_voice

Richie And Vanessa

Long Beach, CA

Lakewood, CA

Ok Friends fans, this one is for you! You may have heard about the Friends Experience in NYC which is a permanent installation but now we west coasters have a pop-up version of it! The experience is located in Lakewood, CA, and features props and remakes of some of the most popular sets, including Monica's kitchen, Joey and Chandler's apartment and, of course, Central Perk! There's a gift shop as well so you can load up on Friends goodies. We hope you enjoy this quick tour and let us know in the comments what your favorite episode of Friends is!

Be sure to check out the photos we took on this trip here:
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/richieandvanessatravel">https://www.instagram.com/richieandvanessatravel</a>/

Also be sure to check out our website here:
<a href="https://richieandvanessatrvl.wixsite.com/travel">https://richieandvanessatrvl.wixsite.com/travel</a>

From Central Perk to Long Beach: The Ultimate Friends Fan Experience!

Montana State

Fontana, CA

We’ve got a need, a NEED FOR SPEED! Come join us as we take an adrenaline-filled ride at the NASCAR Racing Experience at the Autoclub Speedway in Fontana. This was an incredibly fun way to celebrate Richie’s birthday and we both highly recommend it! Both the experience and the people we great! And lucky for us, we got to do the last experience before demo & reconstruction of the speedway started. Autoclub Speedway is getting a course update and will not hold races for the next couple of years! We hope y’all enjoyed coming along for the ride!

The Last Ride Around Auto Club Speedway Before Destruction | Nascar Racing Experience Fontana, CA

Our last day at Sequoia NP... We were so happy to be able to explore more of Sequoia NP on this day and to be able to see it with a blanket of snow covering much of the area! In this video we'll take you to the Big Trees Trail which is a super easy, super accessible walk that takes you through dozens of Giant Sequoia trees. It was the perfect way to end our stay! Thanks for coming along with us!

Crazy Weather Changes | Walking The Big Trees Trail | Final Day At Sequoia National Park

Its officially day 3 of Sequoia National Park! On this day, we were forced to take it easy as the previous day's storm was still hanging around a bit. Thankfully we were still able to get out and enjoy a hike. This is a hike that we did not find on any of the park guides or maps. Its a hidden gem that leads to a beautiful bridge. Just as we reach the bridge, the storm decided to come down on us! It was a blast! We really hope you enjoy coming along!

We Found A Hidden Trail In Sequoia National Park | Hike To A Bridge In The Middle Of Nowhere

Welcome to day 2 of Sequoia National Park! Today we will visit the largest tree on earth, General Sherman. He isn't the widest tree... he isn't the tallest tree... but he is the largest tree by volume. The area where General Sherman is located features lots of walking trails, so after visiting him we walk along The Congress Trail to see more Giant Sequoia and be one with nature. We will also take you to Hospital Rock to see some cool petroglyphs and to catch a closer glimpse of the Kaweah River which we have been seeing all along the drive on the General's Highway.  We hope you enjoy coming along with us!

The largest tree on Earth! | Exploring more of Sequoia National Park

California State

Welcome to our newest adventure, SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK! We've wanted to visit Sequoia NP for some time now and were actually planning on visiting last year but the devastating fire that swept through forced us to cancel our plans. Thankfully, this year we were able to make it happen! Join us on our first day, which was jam packed due to a winter storm that was on its way to us and threatened to close roads for the next couple of days. On this first day we drive through the scenic General's Highway, stop at Tunnel Rock, climb Moro Rock and explore some of the areas with Giant Sequoias, some of the largest trees on planet earth!

Visiting Sequoia National Park | Jam packed adventure on day 1

Palm Springs, CA

Come with us on our last stop from our Joshua Tree trip to Palm Springs. Unfortunately everything we planned on doing here turned out to be closed, so we decided to go around and eat at a few local places that were recommended to us. The Heyday is by far the best burger we have ever tasted

A Taste Of Palm Springs | One Of The Best Hamburgers We Have ever Had!!

Our last adventure at Joshua Tree NP was definitely one to remember! Have you heard of the Hall of Horrors? It’s a hidden slot canyon in a rocky area of Joshua Tree NP. We’re not sure where it got it’s name from but we assume it’s from the fact that the slot canyon is difficult to find, narrow, and has a large boulder at the top that looks ready to crash down at any moment! Half the fun in finding this place is, well, finding it! It’s completely unmarked! We try to give some clues as to where it’s at without completely giving it away. We want this great spot to remain a fun mystery to solve!

Venturing Into The Hall Of Horrors | Took Us Forever To Find | Joshua Tree National Park

Hawaii State

Joshua Tree, CA

Day 2 of our trip to Joshua Tree.
On this day we started by watching the sunrise at the Cholla Cactus Garden. It’s one of the most recommended spots for sunrise and we can see why!
We then moved on to Pioneertown. Pioneertown started out as a filming location for old western movies. Eventually those lost their popularity and the town was abandoned. More and more people are starting to call it home though!
Lastly, the most beautiful hike we have ever done! It literally got me choked up y’all! It’s the Hidden Valley Trail and it’s the perfect place for a sunset hike. It’s absolute magic!

Joshua Tree | 3 Amazing Destinations In One Day | Sunrise At Cholla Cactus Garden And More

On the next leg of our road trip we will be exploring the beautiful and incredibly underrated Joshua Tree NP. To be honest, we both went into this part of the trip with average expectations and boy were we surprised! The park was not only not crowded but it was so clean and sooo beautiful! The Joshua Trees cover every inch of the park, making for an incredibly unique landscape. Additionally, there are AMAZING rock formations everywhere! They make for beautiful photos and a ton of fun. Turns out, the park is popular with rock climbers! So on this first day in JTNP, join us as we hike to Barker Damn and enjoy a beautiful sunset at Skull Rock. Thanks for watching.

Joshua Tree National Park | Short Hike To Barker Dam And Sunset At Skull Rock

Port Hueneme, CA

In this episode we will be bringing you along on a recent whale watching tour we took with Island Packers. As you may have guessed from our thumbnail, we didn’t get to see any whales, which we were super sad about, but we still got to enjoy some amazing views and SO MANY DOLPHINS! Hope you enjoy coming along!

Hundreds Of Dolphins | Channel Islands Whale Watching Tour

Tennessee State

Hi friends! We are back with a different kind of video today. A food review! We recently got a Dave’s Hot Chicken in our area and learned that they have a cult following , so we decided to give them a go. Is it worth the hype? Watch to find out!

Dave's Hot Chicken | Is It Worth The Hype?

Honolulu, HI

It’s the last Hawaii episode, we are so sad! But it’s a good one! Today we take you to the unbelievably beautiful, Kualoa Ranch. Kualoa Ranch is a nature preserve in Oahu, Hawaii, which is famous for all the movies that have been filmed there. A few movies you may have heard of that were filmed here include Jurassic World, 50 First Dates and Godzilla. The ranch offers many different activities that allow you to explore the preserve. We opted for the 2 hour Raptor tour and would 100% recommend it!

Kualoa Ranch Raptor Tour | Filming location of 79 movies and T.V. Shows!

Alabama State

On this episode of R&V we visit Waimea Valley. Waimea Valley has a gorgeous and massive botanic garden that leads up to a waterfall. Along the way you get to see native plants, birds, and bits of history about Hawaiian culture. It’s definitely worth a visit! Plan on spending at least a couple of hours here. There are restrooms, vending machines and a small restaurant on site.

Swimming In Waimea Falls Oahu, Hawaii | Plus A Beautiful Botanical Garden Walk On The Way To The Top

In this episode we take you to the stunning Kaneohe Sandbar. The Kaneohe Sandbar is the largest Sandbar in the WORLD and is still growing!! It’s really a sight to see! Being able to stand on a gorgeous beach in the middle of the ocean is an amazing experience! There aren’t many tour companies offering trips to the sandbar yet, we only found 2! It’s mostly locals and military personnel that have access to it at the moment, but we doubt it’ll stay that way for long! We booked our trip with Captain Bob’s Picnic Sail. 

Kaneohe Sandbar | Hawaii's Up And Coming Tourist Hot Spot!

Looking for an easy hike with rewarding views in Oahu? Well, look no further, we’ve got you covered!

The Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail 

2.5 miles total (1.25 miles each way), fully paved the entire way.

Located about 30 minutes from Waikiki

The trail offers amazing views of the ocean, mountains, and of course, the Makapu’u Lighthouse which was built in 1909. You cannot access the lighthouse, however.

The trail offers little to no shade so pack on the sunscreen!

While the hike is not difficult for us, there is some  incline. Consider that if traveling with someone who is older or has significant health issues.

Bring water and a camera 

Parking: there’s a small lot as well as street (highway) parking

No restrooms

Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail | Screen Saver Views Everywhere You Look! Oahu,  Hawaii

The prettiest beach we got to visit while in Oahu was definitely Lanikai Beach. It is a golden sand, turquoise water beach that makes you feel world’s away! We enjoyed taking a dip in the water which was a perfect temperature! Lanikai Beach is located in a residential area which means parking can be difficult but it’s worth the try! After spending a few hours in the water we headed to a local restaurant to have what would turn out to be our best meal this whole trip! Stick around to the end of the video to see what that was!

Oahu's Prettiest Beach | Lanikai Beach, Hawaii

Paradise, CA

This week, join us as we explore a local small business and hidden gem (literally!) in Canoga Park, CA. Rock Paradise is a local shop featuring all things new age! They’ve got home décor, jewelry, books, and my personal favorite… CRYSTALS! Whether you believe in healing crystals or not, there’s one thing we all can agree on, they’re stunning to look at! And if you’re not local, no worries, they’ve got an online shop.

We hope you enjoy!


Rock Paradise Instagram:
<a href="https://instagram.com/rockparadisethestore?utm_medium=copy_link">https://instagram.com/rockparadisethestore?utm_medium=copy_link</a>


Be sure to check out the photos we took on this trip here:
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/richieandvanessatravel">https://www.instagram.com/richieandvanessatravel</a>/

One Of The Largest Crystal Collections In The World | Visiting Rock Paradise In Canoga Park, CA

Los Angeles, CA

Santa Barbara, CA

We did a scavenger hunt! I recently discovered a company called Let’s Roam that does scavenger hunts all over the US and in some European countries as well so when we had no idea what to do over the weekend, we decided to try them out. It was a great experience and very affordable. We got to see a side of Santa Barbara that we hadn’t seen before. We learned a ton about the city, it’s history, and we got to appreciate some truly stunning architecture. We hope you enjoy and maybe try it out in your own city! If you do, make sure to tag us on Instagram so we can see your adventure!

Exploring Historic Santa Barbara | A New Look At A Old Favorite, Scavenger Hunt Style.

Los Angeles County, CA

Who would have thought there was such a beautiful hiking trail only 5 minutes down the street from me in Los Angeles County. This gem was so close that when I pull in to park my car I can see it. The trail is off the 118 freeway on the Topanga Canyon exit and then go south on Lassen street and just follow Lassen street down to the end. The trail we took was fairly easy, there are other trails that go further up the mountain that we plan to try when the flowers are really blooming in the area. We hope you enjoy this video.