From Coast to Coast and Back Again

After 40 days and 40 nights on the road, Kt and I arrived back in WPB late last night. Our reunion in DC was definitely bitter sweet as it meant I was leaving my family behind, I would get to see one of my best friends, but only for a few short hours, and our journey was coming to an end.

My time in Winchester was exactly what I needed: relaxing and comforting. I was able to spend some wonderful QT with my parents, Nana and extended family. There were outdoor concerts to jam, family reunions to attend, trails to hike and errands and car maintenance to get done.

Skyline Drive with my dad

After enjoying the small town of Winchester for a few days, I was starting to feel slightly out of place outside a National Park so my parents and I made a short trek to Shenandoah National Park for Skyline Drive and a short hike. Shenandoah is a beautiful park and so different than many of the others I'd seen. The mountains are thickly wooded and often foggy and provide a panoramic view of the valley my parents live in. We decided to hike up to Mary's Rock after being directed by a ranger to this "easy" hike. Though it was relatively short, easy would not be my description of it. The trail was rocky, steep and narrow through bear country (you can imagine my joy at the prospect of being attacked yet again) and met up with the Appalachian Trail about half way to the summit. My 57 year old parents completely amazed me as they charged the mountain leaving me to follow them in awe up the path. What can I say? My parents never cease to surprise me.

Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley

From the top

The 'rents after our hike

Meanwhile, Kt was in Philly with old friends for a mini-reunion and then traveled to New York where she conquered Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, Coney Island and trapezing. Yes, trapezing.

The District

After our week apart, we met in DC's Union Station to spend a few hours on the mall before meeting the fabulous Tara. We walked around the Washington Monument past the WWII monument and reflection pool to the Lincoln Memorial just in time to beat the approaching storm. Even after everything we'd seen, these landmarks still managed to impress us, not only with their magnitude, but also their historical significance. We returned to our car via the Vietnam Wall and after glimpsing the White House continued to Tara's (which was brick).

On the Mall

Lincoln Memorial

Vietnam Wall

I'm afraid this may be the closest I'll over get to Obama...

It was wonderful to see Tara, and not just because we watched the premiere of the second season of Jersey Shore with her. Unfortunately, our time there was short and early the next morning we were back on the road, this time headed south towards Florida.

The long straight shot down 95 was a drive I was definitely dreading, but it actually was one of my favorites as we reflected on our time apart, and the impressions our trip has left on us. After a brief stop at South of the Border, we spiced the remainder of our drive up with some pretty pimp glasses and mind blowing caraoke.

Why not?

We've seen the real ones, now onto the rest

New sunglasses for the ride home

(we're laughing because we couldn't get closer to each other with these monstrosities on)

Kt wailing NKOTB in a little caraoke

After 15 hours driving, we rolled into home sweet home where we were greeted by some of our favorite people (and cats).

There is still so much to be felt, thought and said in regards to this endless summer of sorts. At least that's what I hope it will become. Not just a crazy drive we did one time, but an inspiration to suck the marrow out of life, a reminder to value how beautiful our country is and a lens to shade our perspectives of the future. I could wax on for awhile, so for now I'll stop to instead digest quietly.

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

-Mary Oliver

Welcome to Oregon!

We just crossed the border from Cali to Oregon and I am ready for this new state. We were in California over a week, the longest of our stays.

After San Francisco we continued to Napa with a short stop in Berkeley. We drove through campus via multiple bike paths (oops, again) and then continued to our Petaluma KOA. Napa did not disappoint as the sun shone (still cool) and rolling hills covered with vineyards greeted us. The median overflowed with flowering bushes and our KOA came equipped with a petting zoo that housed miniature ponies. We visited two vineyards, and Chandon was my favorite. We drove beside the vineyard, and then walked over a wooden bridge through the park to get to the tasting room. Kt joined the wine club which meant we received two free champagne tastings (sparkling wine since we aren't in France) and a massive discount. Let's just say the champagne was not too shabby and we left with our fair share.

From Chandon we headed North to Crescent City where we spent the next two nights. We arrived with just enough daylight left to set up our tent and bundle up before dinner and bed. Our campsite was surrounded by Redwoods and the most wooded of our sites yet. Of course, there were also massive bear warnings as one had been recently spotted. I almost slept with my bear whistle, but I was a little concerned about strangulation from the string. Instead, I slept with 2 pairs of pants, socks, 2 shirts, a hooded sweatshirt and a scarf, then wrapped myself in a blanket before crawling into my thermal sleeping bag. Thankfully, the sun came out the next morning and after a quick breakfast at The Good Harvest and gathering a few provisions we headed excitedly off to hike the Boy Scout Trail. Except, it was closed for maintenance. We opted instead for the Hiouchi Trail and hiked to Stout Memorial Grove alongside the Jedidiah Smith River. It was a beautiful hike to the biggest trees I've ever seen, complete with ferny undergrowth, speckled sunlight, and gurgling creeks. Once back at camp, we conjured some massive flames to stay warm and roasted 'mallows with our hot chocolate, before layering up for the night.

We headed out early this morning, northward to Portland then Seattle where we will stay with my good friend Nicole. I'm very excited to see both!

Almost as soon as we passed the border the temperature went from 51 to 74. The sun is shining, and I'm only wearing one shirt....

Oregon, I think we'll get along fine.

Pictures will be posted soon with a better connection.

The White Automobile

San Francisco.

Two weeks ago today we were still on our way northwest than south towards NOLA. Today we are as far west as we go. San Francisco is a beautiful city, but the cold windy weather and the lack of sun have dampened my spirits a bit. It seemed weird to be wearing hooded sweat shirts (over 3 layers), scarves and gloves on the 4th of July. Perhaps it's our nonstop schedule that has really affected me today. Of course I'm still thrilled to be doing this and excited of all that waits ahead for us, but the wailing of the wind outside our 6th floor hotel room is a little off putting.

Yesterday we went to City Lights Bookstore where I was quite satisfied to finally be. We also took a boat ride under the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz.

We planned to watch fireworks from the top floor restaurant in our hotel, but after an hour and half wait and being somehow bumped down the list by two groups, we bailed. Instead we headed to the nearest corner store, grabbed some Fat Tire and sat on the side of a street where our view of the fireworks was this:

Today we rode a cable car to the Haight and walked approximately 49 blocks to Haight-Ashbury. We shopped, stopped at a local pub and walked through Golden Gate and Alamo Parks before heading back to our hotel via taxi.

While in City Lights, I sat reading one of Allen Ginsberg's poems that seemed especially fitting (minus the undertones) for this trip, called The Green Automobile. In it Ginsberg writes:

We'd pilgrimage to the highest mount

of our earlier Rocky Mountain visions

laughing in each other's arms,

delight surpassing the highest Rockies...

Tomorrow we head to Napa via Berkeley, where the temperature will hopefully hit 70.

As Kt Sees it, Too

Biking to Hermit's Rest

Toto, we are not in the Grand Canyon anymore. I know I've been camping when I wake up and feel almost out of place in a bed between four walls. It's wonderful to know we're going to continue on this journey and I can't even imagine what adventures are still ahead, but as the GC was our longest stay thus far, I feel like a big piece of this trip (for me) will always be there. Then again, considering I tripped down Kaibab Trail and skinned my knees, I guess I really did leave a piece of me there.

See the dust on my knees? They bled first, and now are purple. Sweet.

Being on this trip with Kt has definitely been one of the most fun parts. Though we are seeing beautiful things that would be beautiful regardless of the circumstances, it's nice to be with someone who seems to appreciate them as much as you do. Kt's love for history and time is especially interesting as we see things that are significant to our past, society, and country. She also seems to be much better at communicating her feelings, while for the purposes of this blog, I'm trying to stick to events. Last night as we tried to cozy up our Safari Motor Inn room (and by cozy up I mean facebooked, blogged, and took advantage of indoor plumbing and electric sockets) Kt wrote this:

Joshua Tree, Safari Motor Inn, Room 106

I’m having trouble putting the past 10 days into words. It really can’t be done. I’ll do my best to catalogue our journey, but I know it won’t even be half as inspiring as the things we’ve seen and done these last few days.

During Kt's awesome 14 hour drive from NM to AZ.

What we’ve seen so far:

New Orleans, the bayou (that’s what I’m telling myself it was), Houston, San Antonio (the Alamo and Riverwalk… I dug ‘em), numerous desert mountains (some rocky, some foresty, some sandy, all scary), Carlsbad Caverns, multiple national parks and forests, Route 66, the Grand Canyon (and it is), Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott (10/10), California state line, the road into Joshua Tree, and one SWEET $40/night motel!

See what I mean? It’s a little much just reading the list myself… it’s even more difficult to express what it’s actually like! So, for now, I’ll just highlight some of my favorites.

In addition to being constantly floored by the astounding beauty that makes up our country, I was a little surprised at how much I am into the wildlife! Emily, not so much, but for me seeing a wild animal is like the most potent natural drug! The first one I spotted was on the long drive from Carlsbad to the Grand Canyon. During about hour 13.5 (for some reason I decided to drive the entire 14 hour stretch) I spotted an enormous elk literally 3 feet off the winding mountain road! It was also pitch black as it was 10:30pm. My reaction was the biggest gasp I’ve ever gasped followed by 6 straight minutes of “I can’t BELIEVE I just saw that!” and “OH MY GOSH!” My adrenaline was going so fast I thought I should pull over. Luckily Emily saw the next one (an even bigger one!) with me and was able to share in the experience.

At the Grand Canyon campsite I saw another elk (thanks to our friendly campsite neighbors pointing the way) in the woods and as if that wasn’t enough the Lord blessed us with an amazing opportunity of seeing two of them crossing the road not 15 feet from us during our drive to view the canyon at sunset! Naturally I took 152 pictures (2 of which aren’t blurry). The natural sites (Carlsbad, the Grand Canyon, etc.) are beyond words (at least for me) so I’ll leave that description to Emily’s blog and the pictures I’ll (one day) post. (I promise I’ll post more pictures, but it might not be until the trip is over… there are so many!

One of many ravens. This picture makes it look far smaller than in reality.

The other animal “encounter” that floored me was last night, our final night in the Grand Canyon. As Emily and I sat talking in our tent, layering on clothes for the chill of the mountain evening, we heard something that I have only heard in movies. COYOTES! There had to be at least 5 or 6 of them and they were probably only 100 yards away! They started off howling and then a series of barks accompanied the howls. It lasted all of 30 seconds, but it may as well have been 30 minutes. It was very Stand By Me! It was also eerie, amazing, beautiful, terrifying, thrilling, shocking, exciting, and glorious! I felt like God sent us a little treat for out last night in northern Arizona. I truly cannot describe in words (or any other medium) what that experience meant to me. Something about the animals out here just make me come alive! I called for mountain lions and bobcats the ENTIRE time we were there but, alas, I saw none. Next time.

Taking a break to eat while biking.

We’ve been told that if seeing wild animals is what I dig then I’d love Yellowstone, so naturally we’ll be staying 2 nights there instead of the previously planned 1. I’m looking forward to seeing some bison! Also, I’ll be scouring the earth for moose, more elk, and of course bears (black and grizzly). Please note that while I may come packed with a little extra crazy, I have no intention of approaching any of these amazing creatures if I’m so lucky to see them! Well, probably not.

Tomorrow we leave for San Diego and a stint of our trip along the coast of California in which we’ll take a short hiatus from camping. The transfer from making coffee on a propane stove to ordering it in Starbucks will probably be a nice break. As Emily so eloquently noted, it’ll be nice to wake up and relieve ourselves in a bathroom 10 feet away rather than hiking up a sandy mountain road with only a lantern to guide our chilly path. If only we could hear the coyotes again it’d make this night perfect.

GC sunset.

Guest Blogger: Kt

We left NOLA around 11:30 after grabbing another cafe au lait and headed towards I 10W. Our plan was to stop in Baton Rouge for lunch but it quickly changed and instead we headed for the riverfront where Kt promptly summed up Baton Rouge with one word: snore. As I continue driving west, Kt reflected on our trip thus far. Here are Kt's words:

My mind is full and seems to be leaking words. What do I expect to experience in the coming weeks? I’m not quite sure. I look forward to not knowing. Up next: Houston. Then, it’s off San Antonio to see the Alamo which will be followed by Carlsbad, New Mexico to see some of the most famed caverns in the world. Flagstaff, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon will be next… Day 3 and it seems like we’ve been gone a month and a day at the same time. It still doesn’t seem real. Light rain threatens our view of Louisiana’s heartland. It’s bare anyway.

More than anything I can’t wait to see the desert. I appreciate it’s wonder better than I did a few years back, but I know my knowledge of it will be nothing compared to what I’ll see with my own eyes in a few days. I’m overflowing with anticipation. Will it be what I expect? I have a feeling it’ll be infinitely more. It makes me smile with the excitement of a child taking his first trip to Disney World. Except I’ll see more sand and less creepy adults dressed like treasured cartoon characters.

New Orleans was magnificent. My favorite part was seeing the Mississippi. I think of it’s significance in time and in my life. It makes me feel small in a good way. My first impression was one of amazement. ”THAT is a river.” I dipped my toes in it. What else will my feet touch along this journey? The sands of the Painted Desert, the Pacific Ocean, the fallen leaves of the redwood forests…

Welcome to Texas!

We just crossed the state border and the rain has graduated to a watery blizzard. I’ve never been to Texas, have I? Childhood memories of a family trip to Oklahoma play hide-and-seek with my recollection. Either way, we just passed a livestock weigh station. Yep, we’re in Texas. See you in a couple hours, Uncle John!

In just a few weeks we’ll be home and this journey will be over. But in a way it’ll just be starting. My memories and reflections of this trip will last my whole life. Pictures I can only take in my mind are what I’ll hold dearest. Talks with old and new friends, strangers from our stops and with my own thoughts will serve as my tour guide along this path that I’ll likely only travel once. And that’ll be enough for me.

Really doing it....

We set out this morning right on schedule and ready to get into NOLA around 7 pm. Then a tire blew. In Port St. Lucie. It was.....classic.

After AAA showed up, we made it to a Walmart where we replaced our tire, added 3 hours to our arrival time, and befriended our 10 year old mechanic. Finally, off we went.

We crossed four state lines today as we went from Florida to Alabama, Mississippi and then Louisiana. Though we got in later than we had hoped, we still made it safely to NOLA where we checked into our historic hotel that is currently undergoing renovations. The jury is still out, but I think we'll be quite comfortable. A quick late night meal and N'Awlins Golden Ale, a few conversations with some locals and we are ready to call it day one.

We are really doing it.

Thank you so much for your all thoughts, prayers, and good wishes. We are ready to experience it all. I am repeatedly reminded of e.e. cummings' poem, somewhere i have never traveled gladly and beyond; we are somewhere we have never traveled and we will continue gladly beyond.

I'm having some trouble uploading pictures tonight, so I will try again in the morning.

Another List!?

Only 1.5 days left in The New American Center for Living (our house), before we set off on our great adventure. Our goal is to have the car packed tomorrow night so we can just head out in the morning early Monday. That means today we want to:

1. Set up the tent (remember that procrastination I was talking about? Guess I didn't entirely quick the habit yet)

2. Clean out the fridge

3. Clean the house

4. Begin packing (this means I may add something else to my list, and Kt will probably be done)

5. Sort through and organize our pile

6. Grocery list/shopping

7. Laundry

I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

Last night Kt and I met up with some girls for a wonderfully fun night (thanks again Jules!) and while we have plenty left to do, enjoying a quiet cup of coffee feels pretty good right now.

So I was Thinking....

This seems to be the way most conversations at my house are beginning these days. Either Kt or I walk in the house after school, or from running errands and greet with each other with, "so I was thinking about our trip and....". Our musings have ranged from new places to stop, things to see, easier routes of travel, or "genius" ideas for saving money. My best of these plans so far has been to visit colleges and universities along the way hoping to get free meal tickets (I still maintain it's a fabulous idea).

UC Berkeley's Campanille and Reflecting Pool by Memorial Glade and Doe Library, AND my future alma mater.

Credit: Bonnie Azab Powell

Though we anticipate many changes and are prepared to be flexible, we have semi-finalized our map! As you can see through Kt's handy-work, the pink flags = camping, green flags= hotelling/friending, and yellow flags = stopping. Orange is used for our beginning point and final destination (creepy). It feels good to have a tangible form of all our planning in plain view as we discuss the upcoming the weeks.

Please ignore the radiant glow that is emitted from the glory of our map.

My school's graduation was last night and as I sat watching my students proudly display their tasseled mortarboards, I was filled with pride for their accomplishments and reminded of the overwhelming feelings of freedom and fear that encompassed me when I walked across that stage. Though I'm quite removed from that scary and exhilarating place of transitioning between childhood and semi-adulthood, I felt myself identifying with those excited and apprehensive seniors. We are both about to experience the world around us affecting it, as it continues to shape, mold and affect us. That's one mind blowing, living-the-imagined-life thought. I only wish Pomp and Circumstance would play as we drove into each city. Maybe I can arrange that...

It's a big country out there. I can't wait to see it.

My high school's graduation was far less exciting and grandiose than this, but this just seems to exude so much excitement I had to use it. Not sure who these people are...I'll give photo cred to: senileramblings.blogspot.com