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.