A couple of months ago, I noticed that the request off sheet at work was filling up fast, and in a panic, I took the remaining 5 days available in June. I was aware that it was only going to be about 10 days after Brian and I got back from Europe, but I couldn't risk an entire summer month slipping by without some sort of outdoor adventure. I wasn't sure what it was going to be yet, I just kept an eye out for weather patterns and cheap flights. As soon as we got home, I spotted a good deal up to Sacramento from Flagstaff and jumped at the opportunity.
Last spring, I road tripped all over northern California - sleeping in the back of a Toyota Rav4 for 6 nights and had the time of my life. I love northern California...it is such a perfect mix of ocean, mountains, hustle and bustle (minus Sacramento - I could do with never going there again), and seclusion. I felt like I had unfinished business with Yosemite from last time, so I knew that I needed to go back there for sure, and Lake Tahoe is always a good time.
I opted to fly out of Flagstaff for convenience and free parking, so I drove up after a day at the creek and hopped on the most nauseating flight I've ever been on. There was a thunderstorm brewing over Sedona and our teeny tiny plane wasn't having it. We landed about 30 minutes later in Phoenix and sat waiting for our delayed flight for over an hour. I made it to Sacramento at about 11:30, waiting for the rental shuttle until 11:50 and managed to grab my rental car just before midnight (a good thing since the counter closed at 12). This time, I got a Hyundai Santa Fe and was not impressed. There are a lot of little things that make a big difference when you're spending that much time in a car. Things like having the cigarette lighter adapter stay on even when the battery is off is a big deal when your phone is dead and you need to sleep. I would lock myself in the car at night but occasionally needed to unlock it with the key fob so I could pee and every time, all of the lights would turn on and it would sound a little jingle when I opened the door - not ideal when your trying to be conspicuous in the woods. I also had no way of opening the back hatch from inside the car so I'd have to crawl out through a door and walk around to open it. The Rav4 was a bit more comfortable in all of those aspects. Random, I know, but you notice these things. I was offered an upgrade to a 4Runner and desperately wanted to take it, but I opted for awesome gas mileage and a cheaper SUV...and have really wanted to buy a 4Runner, so I knew that living in one for 5 days would almost certainly seal the deal and I'd end up with a car payment that would make it virtually impossible for me to ever go anywhere again.
I immediately hit the road toward Yosemite, figuring that I'd be able to cover way more ground at 12:30 in the morning without traffic than if I hit the sack and drove it in the morning. Plus, last time I was in Yosemite, it was so packed that I couldn't even enjoy it, so if I got an early start, there wouldn't be as many people.
I made it about 2 hours before my eyes started crossing and I needed to get some rest. About 3 hours later, a rainstorm woke me up and I layed in the car listening and smelling and enjoying every moment until I decided to get up and get going again. I stopped for hot chocolate at a gas station just outside of the park and made it to Bridal Veil Falls just as it was getting light. The river and falls were unbelievable after all of the snow they got this last winter...it was epic. The roads were empty and I saw a bunch of dear and the parking lots were virtually vacant so I was able to do all of the little hikes that I couldn't make it to the year before.
Unfortunately, the mosquitoes zeroed in on me as pretty much the only person up and at em at that hour, and I got eaten alive. The general store in the park didn't open until 8, so I had to wait until then to get some bug spray. Apparently, that's also the time that everybody in the park gets out and about and the massive tour buses arrive, so the roads got crowded and parking spaces became few and far between. It was pouring rain and I was soaked, so mid afternoon, I'd had enough.
I'd read about Glacier Point and decided to check it out on my way out of town(for some reason, I thought that going in a rainstorm was a good idea). It's about 16 miles in and it certainly was a long 16 miles. It's a very windy road with a lot of people on it, so to arrive at the scenic overlook and see this was a bit of a letdown :(
The coolest part was that you could hear the waterfalls raging and feel the vibration but it was all misty out and really kind of magical.
Feeling a little restless, I made a split second decision to hit the coast for the sunset and found myself in Monterey - one of my favorites. I drove up the coast to Santa Cruz and sat in a field of wildflowers overlooking the Pacific with my Safeway Greek Salad and a Jamba Juice. It was a good decision :)
I woke up at the butt crack of dawn and walked down to Emerald Bay, another spot that I'd seen on Pinterest and wanted to check out without crowds. It was so beautiful down there and there wasn't anyone around...the water was so clear and still, but so high (5 feet higher than normal) so the glorious boulder beaches were underwater at the time. The Rubicon Trail also went through the area, so I set off to see what it had to offer.
It began warming up fast and people were starting to pop up here and there, so I spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach, soaking up the rays with my toes in the sand.
Then, I drove to Tahoe City and had burgers at my favorite place in the world right on the Truckee river. I explored the area for a bit and then drove back to my little parking spot for nice stroll and another rough night.
Saturday morning, I went out for breakfast and back to the beach to get rid of the tan line that I'd somehow acquired the day before. I rented a kayak and explored a little bit and then drove to Heavenly Resort for dinner and some Saturday nightlife. I decided to get a motel for the night so I could shower before my flight, and passed out early.
Sunday, I drove back to Sacramento only to find out that my flight got delayed by an hour but my rental car still had to be back by 12. I finally landed in Phoenix and had another 2 1/2 hour delay before I could get to Flagstaff...needless to say, the "convenience" of flying into Flagstaff didn't really pay off. It was nice just having a 45 minute drive home from there though.
So now, it's a month of work with a few 3 day weekends...one of which I'm hoping to go to Telluride and another that we are kayaking the Grand Canyon. Then it's off to Havasupai. We'll see. It's been a very busy month, so I may take it easy and enjoy Sedona for a while before I do anything else big. I've concluded that I really don't like flying, so I probably won't be doing it again until Brian and I go to Kauai in September. Until next time...