Back in Boston

The trip is officially over as I am back in Boston. For the first time in years, I managed to fall asleep on the plane and catch a few zzz's before switching flights in Chicago.

San Francisco!

Made it to San Francisco early yesterday afternoon!!! Camped out near Half Moon Bay and hung out with an old friend.


Heading back home to Boston tonight.

Sonoma, CA

I've lost track of what day it is today. I'm currently in Sonoma County, headed toward Sonoma and then San Francisco.

Yesterday, drove up the US Pacific Highway (aka Highway 1) along the Western Coast toward Napa. What a beautiful drive that was! Along the way, saw a few elephant seals. They're noisy as hell, but adorable!

Almost ran out of gas so I stoppped at one of the only gas stations along the route. They charged me $4 per gallon! It was a total rip-off, but what can you do? My options were limited - pay for the gas or run out of gas along the way. Naturally, I opted for the former.

On my way up the coast, there were quite a few campsites. I had camped in one of the state parks the night before, but I sort of regretted that decision because the next morning, I noticed more campsites further up North that had better views of the Pacific Ocean. I would've liked to have camped in one of the forests along the coast, but I'll reserve that for my next road trip.

Spent the past day in Napa, CA visiting the different wineries and such. Too bad I had to do this part alone. If I had a designated driver, I could've at least enjoyed a few glasses of wine. ;)

Well, I can't believe my trip is almost over. With only 2 more days to go, I would've liked to soak up the last few rays of sun here in Northern California, but alas, today's weather forecast calls for clouds and showers. :(

Maybe I'll have better luck with the weather in Boston.

Anyway, this will probably be my last post before I head back to Boston. I just want to thank those of you who kept up with my blog during the past 2 weeks. Your enthusiasm and support have been an unbelievable source of help that I could not have done without.

See you all when I get back!!

Jen

3 days in Utah

3 days. 4 National Parks - Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, and Zion. First night in Utah, camped out near the Colorado River. It was probably the most memorable night thus far. With the Colorado River in front view and the night sky above me, I think I got the best night of sleep on that river than anywhere else I've camped.

Late yesterday afternoon at about 6PM I drove into California. I had planned on spending the night in Hava Su, AZ, but on a whim decided to hit up Death Valley instead. That probably wasn't the smartest idea. The reason being, the drive into the park was an additional hundred miles, and the afternoon temperature was close to 100 degrees. I felt like a potato being slowly cooked inside an oven.

Then there was a pass that required day headlights. I still haven't figure that part out. Why does the state law require cars to turn on their headlights in broad day light? That's something I'll have to google when I get a chance.

The drive to the park felt pretty eerie. There weren't any other cars for miles on end. To make matters worse, I wasn't sure if the park would be open by the time I got to the entrance. With only about an hour of sunlight left, I had to make a decision: drive back to town, or continue onwards. There were many points where I told myself to turn back and head towards town, but each time, I told myself to push on forward.

Anyway, glad I did. Turns out the park itself remains open 24-7. The campsite wasn't much, but at least I had a place to spend the night :\

I'm currently blogging in a library somewhere in Palm Springs, CA, and am about to head to Joshua Tree - the last National Park on my list for this trip.

Utah!

Blogging in The Peace Tree Juice Cafe. Filling up on food before I head to Arches National Park.

Day 4-5

I think I'm slowly losing track of time. It's difficult for me to remember what day today is. I guess not having constant access to the internet, tv, and at times, cellphone reception will do that to you. At times, it can be unnerving, knowing that no one can reach me, and vice-versa, but not having to answer to anyone is sort of liberating. :)

Let's see....what did I do 2 days ago. Oh yes! I drove from Santa Fe to Taos, New Mexico. The route my GPS mapped out for me took through the beautiful mountains on NM-68. I sped through the mountain valleys, alongside the Rio Grande. I tried taking pictures during my rest stops, but none of the photos I took that day can do justice to the scenery. The endless expanse of desert mountains framed against a clear blue sky reminded me of a picturesque scene out of a postcard.

Once I got to Taos, spent the day wondering around the small art galleries, jewelry and pottery shops before heading up to the Pueblos - one of the oldest inhabited civilizations in the Western Hemisphere. (It might have been the oldest, I'd have to double check)


Situated at the base of the mountain, the town is composed of rows and rows of clay buildings that keep the inhabitants warm during the winter and cool during the summer. Much of the way of life has been kept intact. In other words, even though countless generations have lived in this area, not much has changed, particularly in the way they carry out their daily lives. Many of the inhabitants are fine jewelry/pottery makers, and rely on the tourists and local shops to sell their goods.

The people of the Pueblos were nice and friendly. Very hospitable. They treated the tourists with the utmost kindness and respect. I wondered if these people ever got annoyed with the constant flood of tourists who visited them all year round. How would I feel if I had to deal with tourists constantly walking into my backyard everyday?



Before setting up camp, I decided to make a trip back towards Santa Fe to visit the Chimayo Shrine. I had learned about this place in my Art History class. The Santuario de Chimayo is known mainly for its miraculous healing powers. Hundreds and thousands of people make pilgrimage trips to this site on an annual basis to pray for themselves or ailing loved ones. In the corner room of the church is a small pit filled with dirt. This dirt supposedly has strong healing powers, which is why countless tourists, and even the locals, will take a handful with them hoping that the dirt will work its miraculous powers. I'm not much of a believer in miracles, but since I was here, I decided to pay a visit.

That following night, set up camp in Petaca near the Rio Grande. The campsite was fairly empty save for the camp host and one other RV van. The distant thundering worried me, but once I got the tent set up, I stopped worrying - I have enough faith in REI's quality. And unsurprisngly enough, the tent kept me dry and fairly warm during the night.

One thing that I'll never forget from my first night camping out in the Southwest was the exquisite night sky. Because of the time difference, I woke up at around 4am, near dawn. Still groggy from sleep, I decided to take a short walk to wake myself up. It was dark and cold, as the sun wouldn't be out for another half hour or so, but the light from the stars was enough to illuminate the dark path along the campsite. Lining the pitch black sky were the stars that shone crystal clear, and bright as the lights in NYC. The view was so captivating, I probably stood there out in the cold for a good 40 minutes. :]

By 5am, I was back in my car, and speeding along the highway towards Colorado. Again, the drive from New Mexico to Colorado was nothing short of amazing. No surprise there. At around 10:30AM, I drove past a sign that read 'Welcome to Colorful Colorado.' On my way out of the car at one of the rest stops, I dropped my camera and broke it. Crap. That camera still had a few more years to it. :(

Stopped at the nearest Wal Mart and got a new camera. Oh well. Shelled out $150. :( Definitely not a highlight from the trip.

By 2PM, made it to Mesa Verde National Park. Took a tour of the Cliff Palaces, drove around, before setting up camp at the base of the mountain. I think I'm getting used to life in the outdoors.

Heading out to Moab, Utah today. Hopefully, I'll have internet access to blog some more. Until then, take care everyone!

Day 3-4

Memphis, TN - Everything I thought it'd be and more. Looks like a thriving area that would have a great night life. Too bad I was only there during the day. I stopped in Memphis to get lunch and ended up ordering a catfish burger. (*Note to self- The South really isn't vegetarian-friendly at all. In Nashville, the only viable thing that I could eat was a grilled cheese sandwich).


After lunch, I continued on I-40 West, across the bridge, and passed into Arkansas. The drive wasn't as exciting as I would've liked it to be. The roads were bumpy and full of potholes, and there wasn't much to look at in terms of scenery. Just miles and miles of flat dust fields.

At around 4PM, I drove over the border into Oklahoma. By the time I go to El Reno, OK, I think I drove close to 14 hours. Thought I'd be exhausted, but I couldn't get myself off the steering wheel. I almost had to force myself off the road or else I probably would've driven through the night. Stopped in a motel 8 on the side of the highway. Sh*tty room, but what would I expect? I swear, I could hear the people upstairs. I woke up a few times during the night to the sound of footsteps. For a moment, I thought someone was in my room...only to realize that the sound was coming from upstairs.

Anyway, this morning, I had a slight detour; headed back to Oklahoma City, or to the airport to be exact to get my car serviced. Last night, the 'maintenance required' light showed up on the dashboard, which almost threw me into a panic mode. But, I've driven the poor car over 1,500 miles so it's no surprise.

The repair/maintenance service took 1 hour. I was back on the road by 8:40AM. The rest of Oklahoma passed by fairly quickly. Hit the border of Texas ab about 10 AM. Drove through much of the state before stopping in a Mexican restaurant that served authentic Mexican food. I didn't recognize half the items on the menu - no burritos or tacos. Instead, the waitress recommended that I get the 'Chiles Rellenos" - a giant jalapeno pepper stuffed with cheese and covered in eggs. It was different from any Mexican dish I've had so far, but it was delicious.

Before I knew it, I was back on the road. By 3PM, I had crossed into New Mexico. After driving close to 8 hours straight, I was ready to collapse. But I still had a good hour's drive ahead of me before I got to Santa Fe. The drive from the border of Texas to Santa Fe was beautiful, particularly after I merged onto I-25 where for miles and miles it was just me and the road - no other cars could be seen.

At around 5PM, I drove into downtown Santa Fe where I immediately found parking before marching straight into the Santa Fe Plaza to grab dinner.

The original Santa Fe is a beautiful, quaint pueblo town with strong Mexican influences. The narrow streets are lined with buildings made of clay and small stores specializing in Indian art and pottery. The town is totally walkable as I covered more or less two-thirds of the town in m y half-awake, zombie induced state.

The time is close to 9PM - I'll probably explore a little more of the area tomorrow morning before I head out to my next Pit Stop: Taos, New Mexico.

Stay tuned :)