CA Love
We ended up spending about three weeks in California, sticking mainly to the coast with a couple detours. We saw some new things, revisited some of our favorite places, and visited with many friends along the way.
Our first stop was the Redwoods. We had camped up in the Redwoods previously and knew it was a place we wanted to return to. We floated around the State and National Parks for a few days in total and it was such a contrast to the BC Redwoods we had come from a few weeks prior.
Lost Coast was another big highlight during our time in CA. It is a mostly natural and undeveloped stretch of coastline about 5 hours north of San Francisco. The beaches are pristine, covered in driftwood and wildlife- so many seals! There are a couple homes along the coast that have been there for generations before the land became a protected area by the state. There are remains of an old lighthouse that was used from 1911-1951 to guide ships carrying supplies to the surrounding towns, but eventually became too costly to maintain. There is a popular hike that stretches from Mattole Campground to Shelter Cove called The Lost Coast Trail. It is a total of 26 miles and follows the beach the entire way. The first time I stepped foot on it was for a 3 night backpacking trip in 2014 and was ultimately what got me into camping and backpacking. It was the most wild thing I'd ever done and I loved it. I loved being completely off the grid. I loved how foreign it felt to be following a paper map to determine where we should camp for the night, where the impassable points were at high tide, and for that matter, tracking tides and even getting stuck in a few parts and having to wait it out. The ocean had this power over our group and there was no beating it. If you couldn't pass, you waited. It made me feel small- what I love so much about being outdoors and seeing grandiose landscapes. I felt like I could relinquish control. Because I had to. Anyway.... I could go on and on about how special this trail is. So I'll spare you. We ended up spending a night just up the road from Mattole campground where 2 cars passed us the entire 24 hours we were there! And we rounded out our 2015 hike on Lost Coast, where we did the Southern part, by hiking the Northern section down to the lighthouse and back. Unfortunately, all permits for entry were sold out and we weren't able to backpack the entire 26 miles. But that's OK, just being on it for the day was perfect.
A few days later, we found what we thought was a secret spot to camp/park overnight with a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge just North of San Francisco. The first night we were there, we were the only camper. However, the second night there were about 6 others and we all got kicked out. Turns out it was illegal to park there... oh well! The police officer that asked us to leave (at 10PM when we were just about to fall asleep) was extremely nice and even pointed us to a place we could park overnight for free- Target. Wasn't ideal, but when it's 10PM and there aren't many other options, it was fine for the night. This was honestly the first time in over 3 months that something like that has happened to us, and I'm sure it won't be the last.
As we crossed into San Francisco it was hard not to get nostalgic about our old life and even day dream about our future. We took a page out of the Nagoogieboop's book and had ourselves a Zillowcation, looking at what could be similar to our future home. We spent some time doing some of our favorite things: walking from our old neighborhood through Golden Gate Park to Ocean Beach and back, ordering a few drinks at our favorite bar- Zam Zam, and splurging at our favorite neighborhood burrito joint. Throughout the week or so we were there, we saw the city in a new light. It was strange because it felt like home but also felt like we didn't belong there anymore. Our old neighborhood was already transforming- a laundromat closed down and was being renovated to be retail space. When you live in a place that's constantly changing you see it as it's happening. It seems slow and deliberate. But in the short 6 months we'd been gone, it felt abrupt. It's strange to think what it will be like when we get back in a year or so. Some other SF highlights included spending time with friends and splurging on a hotel for our first wedding anniversary. It felt right to be celebrating this milestone in the city we met, lived, and were married. Miles enjoyed it quite a bit too :)
We headed East for a quick detour from the coast to Lake Tahoe where we did an overnight backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness. The weather was CHILLY. It was snowing/raining on us on our way up and the 12 mile rt hike thoroughly kicked my butt, but somehow Miles kept up just fine. By the time we got to the lake to camp for the night, however, the weather cleared up and was absolutely beautiful. It stayed beautiful through the rest of the next day on our hike out and all the way to In-N-Out where we rewarded ourselves for the challenge we had just put our bodies through. I can't even count how many times I thought about those Animal Style fries as I was getting pelted with snow with a 50lb pack on my back hiking straight up the mountain. Ultimate motivation.
Tahoe was beautiful, but we were eager to get back to the coast to continue our journey down to Big Sur. There is something so magical about the Big Sur coast and it's somewhere we used to spend a lot of free weekends when we lived in SF. The big highlight of our time there was The Esalen Institute. We'd never been before and had always wanted to go. The grounds of this retreat and educational center are built into the cliffside of the Big Sur Coast. Its spacious property consists of lodging, communal spaces, workshop centers for things like yoga, massage, and meditation, and baths fed by sulfur springs. A stay at Esalen or even for a 75 minute massage can be pricy, especially when you don't have a job. However, they also offer public bathing hours for a fee of $35/person- a tad more affordable :) The bathing hours are from 1AM-3AM in their indoor/outdoor space that consists of showers and hot spring fed baths- most of which are under the stars. Clothing is optional and most are nude. Esalen opens up their online reservations for that night/next morning at 9am PST and they typically sell out the 30 spots within 20 minutes. So on the morning we were heading down the coast, we snagged 2 spots right at 9AM. We went on a hike once we got to Big Sur, ate dinner, and then took a "nap" in the Esalen parking lot along Hwy 1 until 12:30AM when we were greeted by a staff member. We walked about 5-10 minutes down to the baths where we spent the next two hours in such a surreal and peaceful setting. We stripped naked (as most everyone did), and Zach hustled over to snag a private claw foot tub. There were several large baths that fit about 6 people each and 4 claw foot tubs- so we got lucky having a private space to share. We were able to fill and drain the tub to reach the perfect temperature for us. We lied curled up soaking in the sulfur spring water under the stars and above the crashing waves. It couldn't have been a more perfect night/morning.
I had never driven Hwy 1 all the way to LA before, so we did just that. We stopped at some places along the way; to see the elephant seals and at a couple beaches noticing the water getting warmer the further South we went. We ended up in Culver City to stay with some friends and had a wonderful time. Our pup played with their pup, Tato (like Potato). We played Oculus, watched movies, and they took us out to Korean BBQ in K-Town. WOW. I've not explored Korean food that much and after our night out, I really had to question why? It's SO good!
After LA we started heading East- a quick detour to Phoenix, AZ, to see my family! We've made the drive from SF to PHX many times to visit and each time we made Joshua Tree our half way point to break up the drive. We did the same thing this time. We had every intention of spending a full day filming, driving through, maybe hiking around a bit. But we were EXHAUSTED from the previous few weeks. To the point that as we started driving through the park I looked at Zach and asked, "Would it be lame if I just wanted to take a nap this afternoon?" So we did just that. We found a pull out in the park, pulled our curtains shut and napped. Strange I know, but when you're traveling full time for as long as we are, some times you just need a break to rest and luckily our bedroom was with us :) Plus we've been to Joshua Tree a handful of times at this point so I felt a little less guilty for taking a snooze. When we woke up it was nearly dusk and absolutely beautiful. There is something about the desert at that time of the day. Just before the sun goes down, less harsh than the mid afternoon, the lighting makes the colors appear to have stark contrast from the brown and greens from earlier in the day. And the sunsets.... just wow. I grew up in the desert and never fully appreciated it. It wasn't until I left that I find myself looking forward to returning and soaking it all in.
Another reason we headed to Phoenix, AZ, was to prepare for our trip down to Latin America. Once we enter Mexico, we plan to be gone about an entire year as we make our way South... provided the money doesn't run out :) And we have so much to do!! I'll be writing an entire post about all we did to get ready to enter Mexico. Stay tuned!
 |
| Hwy 1, Sonoma Coast, CA, USA |
 |
| Hwy 1, Sonoma Coast, CA, USA |
Our first stop was the Redwoods. We had camped up in the Redwoods previously and knew it was a place we wanted to return to. We floated around the State and National Parks for a few days in total and it was such a contrast to the BC Redwoods we had come from a few weeks prior.
 |
| Hollowed out Redwood in Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. A tad bigger than B.C. Redwoods in Canada. |
 |
| B.C. Redwoods for comparison. |
 |
| Taking a quick break out of the van. Miles was happy :) |
 |
| And then he promptly lied down for a rest in the middle of the road. |
 |
| Happy pup :) |
 |
| Our resident photographer snapping pics. |
 |
| Fran and the Giants |
 |
| Beautiful drive through Humboldt Redwood State Park. |
Lost Coast was another big highlight during our time in CA. It is a mostly natural and undeveloped stretch of coastline about 5 hours north of San Francisco. The beaches are pristine, covered in driftwood and wildlife- so many seals! There are a couple homes along the coast that have been there for generations before the land became a protected area by the state. There are remains of an old lighthouse that was used from 1911-1951 to guide ships carrying supplies to the surrounding towns, but eventually became too costly to maintain. There is a popular hike that stretches from Mattole Campground to Shelter Cove called The Lost Coast Trail. It is a total of 26 miles and follows the beach the entire way. The first time I stepped foot on it was for a 3 night backpacking trip in 2014 and was ultimately what got me into camping and backpacking. It was the most wild thing I'd ever done and I loved it. I loved being completely off the grid. I loved how foreign it felt to be following a paper map to determine where we should camp for the night, where the impassable points were at high tide, and for that matter, tracking tides and even getting stuck in a few parts and having to wait it out. The ocean had this power over our group and there was no beating it. If you couldn't pass, you waited. It made me feel small- what I love so much about being outdoors and seeing grandiose landscapes. I felt like I could relinquish control. Because I had to. Anyway.... I could go on and on about how special this trail is. So I'll spare you. We ended up spending a night just up the road from Mattole campground where 2 cars passed us the entire 24 hours we were there! And we rounded out our 2015 hike on Lost Coast, where we did the Southern part, by hiking the Northern section down to the lighthouse and back. Unfortunately, all permits for entry were sold out and we weren't able to backpack the entire 26 miles. But that's OK, just being on it for the day was perfect.
 |
| Not a bad backyard for the night :) |
 |
| Cape Mendocino, CA, USA |
 |
| Miles and me going to check out the water on Lost Coast Trail. |
 |
| Lost Coast Trail, King Range National National Conservation Area, CA, USA |
 |
| Lost Coast Trail |
 |
| View from our lunch break- so many seals! |
 |
| Climbed up to Punta Gorda Lighthouse for a better view, still checking out the seals :) |
A few days later, we found what we thought was a secret spot to camp/park overnight with a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge just North of San Francisco. The first night we were there, we were the only camper. However, the second night there were about 6 others and we all got kicked out. Turns out it was illegal to park there... oh well! The police officer that asked us to leave (at 10PM when we were just about to fall asleep) was extremely nice and even pointed us to a place we could park overnight for free- Target. Wasn't ideal, but when it's 10PM and there aren't many other options, it was fine for the night. This was honestly the first time in over 3 months that something like that has happened to us, and I'm sure it won't be the last.
As we crossed into San Francisco it was hard not to get nostalgic about our old life and even day dream about our future. We took a page out of the Nagoogieboop's book and had ourselves a Zillowcation, looking at what could be similar to our future home. We spent some time doing some of our favorite things: walking from our old neighborhood through Golden Gate Park to Ocean Beach and back, ordering a few drinks at our favorite bar- Zam Zam, and splurging at our favorite neighborhood burrito joint. Throughout the week or so we were there, we saw the city in a new light. It was strange because it felt like home but also felt like we didn't belong there anymore. Our old neighborhood was already transforming- a laundromat closed down and was being renovated to be retail space. When you live in a place that's constantly changing you see it as it's happening. It seems slow and deliberate. But in the short 6 months we'd been gone, it felt abrupt. It's strange to think what it will be like when we get back in a year or so. Some other SF highlights included spending time with friends and splurging on a hotel for our first wedding anniversary. It felt right to be celebrating this milestone in the city we met, lived, and were married. Miles enjoyed it quite a bit too :)
 |
| Feeling giddy as we set out through Golden Gate Park. |
 |
| Our favorite meadow: Hellman Hollow |
 |
| Taking a rest at the beach :) |
 |
| OB selfie. |
 |
| Friday night ritual: Zam Zam |
 |
| Kingdom of Dumplings! Not pictured: the good friends we shared this meal with. Thanks Hoan, Katrina, Shiv, and Preeti for yet another epic game night. |
 |
| Tu Lan fix with my favorites! |
 |
| Sam, Fran and I! <3 youuuuu. |
 |
| Leo and his best friend! He's saying "smell me, Miles!" |
 |
| Miles passed out on this king size bed- he's clearly enjoying all the space! |
We headed East for a quick detour from the coast to Lake Tahoe where we did an overnight backpacking trip in Desolation Wilderness. The weather was CHILLY. It was snowing/raining on us on our way up and the 12 mile rt hike thoroughly kicked my butt, but somehow Miles kept up just fine. By the time we got to the lake to camp for the night, however, the weather cleared up and was absolutely beautiful. It stayed beautiful through the rest of the next day on our hike out and all the way to In-N-Out where we rewarded ourselves for the challenge we had just put our bodies through. I can't even count how many times I thought about those Animal Style fries as I was getting pelted with snow with a 50lb pack on my back hiking straight up the mountain. Ultimate motivation.
 |
| Middle Velma Lake, Tahoe, CA, USA |
 |
| Resting after a brutal 6 miles in the snow! |
 |
| Zach and Miles |
 |
| Miles was such a trooper on this hike! He handled the two days and twelve miles with no problem! |
 |
| Miles getting some love after a quick water break. |
 |
| Me and Miles, Middle Velma, Desolation Wilderness |
 |
| In-n-Out <3 Much deserved |
Tahoe was beautiful, but we were eager to get back to the coast to continue our journey down to Big Sur. There is something so magical about the Big Sur coast and it's somewhere we used to spend a lot of free weekends when we lived in SF. The big highlight of our time there was The Esalen Institute. We'd never been before and had always wanted to go. The grounds of this retreat and educational center are built into the cliffside of the Big Sur Coast. Its spacious property consists of lodging, communal spaces, workshop centers for things like yoga, massage, and meditation, and baths fed by sulfur springs. A stay at Esalen or even for a 75 minute massage can be pricy, especially when you don't have a job. However, they also offer public bathing hours for a fee of $35/person- a tad more affordable :) The bathing hours are from 1AM-3AM in their indoor/outdoor space that consists of showers and hot spring fed baths- most of which are under the stars. Clothing is optional and most are nude. Esalen opens up their online reservations for that night/next morning at 9am PST and they typically sell out the 30 spots within 20 minutes. So on the morning we were heading down the coast, we snagged 2 spots right at 9AM. We went on a hike once we got to Big Sur, ate dinner, and then took a "nap" in the Esalen parking lot along Hwy 1 until 12:30AM when we were greeted by a staff member. We walked about 5-10 minutes down to the baths where we spent the next two hours in such a surreal and peaceful setting. We stripped naked (as most everyone did), and Zach hustled over to snag a private claw foot tub. There were several large baths that fit about 6 people each and 4 claw foot tubs- so we got lucky having a private space to share. We were able to fill and drain the tub to reach the perfect temperature for us. We lied curled up soaking in the sulfur spring water under the stars and above the crashing waves. It couldn't have been a more perfect night/morning.
 |
| Some pics from Hwy 1 just approaching Big Sur. |
 |
| Playing around with some night photography! |
 |
| Photo of Esalen Night Baths tucked into the cliffside. (Disclaimer: not my pic!) |
I had never driven Hwy 1 all the way to LA before, so we did just that. We stopped at some places along the way; to see the elephant seals and at a couple beaches noticing the water getting warmer the further South we went. We ended up in Culver City to stay with some friends and had a wonderful time. Our pup played with their pup, Tato (like Potato). We played Oculus, watched movies, and they took us out to Korean BBQ in K-Town. WOW. I've not explored Korean food that much and after our night out, I really had to question why? It's SO good!
 |
| Leo Carillo State Park, CA, USA |
 |
| KBBQ with our gracious hosts! Jon & Eunice |
After LA we started heading East- a quick detour to Phoenix, AZ, to see my family! We've made the drive from SF to PHX many times to visit and each time we made Joshua Tree our half way point to break up the drive. We did the same thing this time. We had every intention of spending a full day filming, driving through, maybe hiking around a bit. But we were EXHAUSTED from the previous few weeks. To the point that as we started driving through the park I looked at Zach and asked, "Would it be lame if I just wanted to take a nap this afternoon?" So we did just that. We found a pull out in the park, pulled our curtains shut and napped. Strange I know, but when you're traveling full time for as long as we are, some times you just need a break to rest and luckily our bedroom was with us :) Plus we've been to Joshua Tree a handful of times at this point so I felt a little less guilty for taking a snooze. When we woke up it was nearly dusk and absolutely beautiful. There is something about the desert at that time of the day. Just before the sun goes down, less harsh than the mid afternoon, the lighting makes the colors appear to have stark contrast from the brown and greens from earlier in the day. And the sunsets.... just wow. I grew up in the desert and never fully appreciated it. It wasn't until I left that I find myself looking forward to returning and soaking it all in.
Another reason we headed to Phoenix, AZ, was to prepare for our trip down to Latin America. Once we enter Mexico, we plan to be gone about an entire year as we make our way South... provided the money doesn't run out :) And we have so much to do!! I'll be writing an entire post about all we did to get ready to enter Mexico. Stay tuned!
Another great write-up and fantastic photos! Looking forward to hearing about the prep for Mexico, and then of course updates from south of the border! Congrats on really living your life!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! Same to you :)
Delete