There and Back Again a Hobbits Tale Tshirt
After ending my cross land route trip a couple weeks ago, I have finally decided to write about it. This may or may not be because I keep telling everyone that I'll share with them my Peace Corps blog, and I figured I should actually write something in information technology prior to sharing. What better mode to prepare for Peace Corps than doing a XC road trip to feel all America has to offer!
Lucky for me, ane of my best friends (here to referred to as Jen Breeze) agreed to join me on my road trip. I picked Jen upwardly in my 2005 Toyota Camry (fifty-fifty with 150,000+ miles, it still doesn't have a name) in her current city of Pittsburgh. I went to Jen's final grad school class for the year so nosotros hung around some local Pburgh spots with her pals.
After Pittsburgh, we headed upwardly towards Chicago to stay with Tara – shout out to Tara for showing u.s. Green Street Smoked Meats, a cool and hip bbq spot. Nosotros really got a kicking out of the giant tub full of beers.
Other notable moments in Chi-town included some delish deep dish pizza and convincing Jen to downsize her tent to a lighter version.
We woke up early the side by side morning time for a jaunt of a drive to Badlands, South Dakota. Past jaunt, I really mean extremely long xiii hour drive. With all the signs promising free iced water and 5 cent coffee at Wall Drug (my favorite was YOLO Wall Drug), the drive wasn't too bad.
We caught the very end of the sunset in Badlands before heading to pitch our tent at Sage Creek Campground. I highly recommend this campground to anyone and everyone. It's gratis AKA costless and there are bison that wander nigh your tent.
Mail service Badlands (and Wall Drug), we went to meet Mountain Rushmore and Devils Tower before heading to Large Sky, MT to stay with Helena and her super cute husky of a puppy, Timber. Seriously, encounter below for how cute this canis familiaris is.
While staying in MT, nosotros spent time in Yellowstone and went to these crawly hot springs near Bozeman. Imagine numerous dissimilar pools for different temperatures and then throw in a stage for some live music. Oh and apparently it was THE PLACE to go for high schoolers and so that was an experience. As for Yellowstone, I personally think nosotros are Yellowstone champions since we but waited similar 10 minutes to see Sometime True-blue.
Afterward our time in Montana, we headed down to Jackson, WY to exist chauffeured around by Sarah. Upon our immediate arrival, Sarah took united states to get slooshies. We spent the rest of our fourth dimension brunching, gazing at the Tetons, brunching, exploring, brunching, and grilling out. The off season had simply begun at Jackson, only the kicking packers were still thriving in their natural habitat – climbing mountains and shredding down.
Next up on the road was Bend, OR (post-obit our nighttime camping out at a random trailhead with this RV/food truck). Curve lived upward to it'south hyped of being extremely cute and friendly. I guess 300+ days of sun a year makes everyone in this place super happy. After our breakfast at Chow, nosotros went for a run past the Deschutes River and then brewery hopped the rest of the day. Special mention goes out to Crux Fermentation Project for their 5 star beer and Mcmenamins for their soak pool that made us retrieve we were in a Roman bath.
We stayed in a state park just s of Curve so we could get a caput showtime on our drive the side by side mean solar day. At the state park, Jen institute a fortune cookie fortune in our tent. I'm holding on to the belief that information technology was from her Chinese dinner the week before. Or a State Park ghost. The post-obit mean solar day, we stopped at Crater Lake on our way to my favorite place in America (henceforth referred to as Yosemite).
In Crater Lake, we are pretty sure we saw the nigh snowfall in our life (and Jen is from Rochester!). Seriously, the snow had been plowed to at least as tall as a one story house. Upon our entrance to California, nosotros immediately found an In Due north Out. California was very special to us for another reason: it was the first time we hit traffic. Imagine driving from the Due east Coast to the Westward Coast and not hitting any traffic! Miracles do happen.
Our time in Yosemite consisted of hiking to the peak of Yosemite falls, coming together UVA professors (one of them a RPCV!), chatting with Camp 4 residents, and ringing in my quarter century birthday.
Subsequently a grand ol time in Yosemite, nosotros fabricated our mode to the declension to reconnect with our favorite Army member, Jordan. Hashemite kingdom of jordan took us for a drive down 17 mile bulldoze which is plain the prettiest drive in America (just watch the opening for Large Little Lies and yous'll get the thought). Sadly, Jen flew dorsum to the real world the following morning.
Life without Jen consisted of Jordan and I hiking what we could of Large Sur (the majority was closed due to mud slides), going to Signal Lobos land park (I'd give information technology 5 stars on yelp with all the tide pools and coves to explore), Jordan'southward Regular army friends convincing us to join a bonfire on the beach, and exploring Monterey. We as well kayaked with sea lions, otters, and whales!
In one case it was time to for the weekend to end and Jordan to go back to her regular army duties/serving the state, I headed upwardly to San Francisco to hang out with Paul and Courtney. We celebrated Courtney and my altogether (May the fourth be with united states) by lots of sushi, pho, burritos, and drinking good beer. When I wasn't scouring the Dropbox food buffet, I spent my time hearing attempted escape stories at Alcatraz.
Unfortunately, I could not spend forever in SF with the all-time hosts always (seriously Paul left a waffle maker and batter out for me one day). Vegas/Jerry's flight was calling my name. After I spent fourth dimension getting groceries, driving the strip, and driving in circles trying to find Jerry, we chosen it a nighttime since we had an early morn drive ahead of us to the Yard Canyon. After hearing then many positive things most Havasupai Falls, we were pumped to see it for ourselves. Here is a list of things we thought of "for adjacent time."
- Sleep in the machine the dark before so you can hike at first lite. It gets hot in the Grand Canyon. Real hot
- Bring floaties for the waterfall pools
- Bring a hammock (and straps *cough Jerry *cough). Information technology's lighter to behave than a tent (assuming you don't want to pay for a pack mule), and all the absurd kids have hammocks at the falls
- Stay for numerous nights! At least 2 nights. There'south so much to explore and so much chilling to be experienced
- I'g sure I'm forgetting things
All things considered, Havasupai was amazing and I couldn't believe a place like this exists in the One thousand Canyon. I didn't realize how hard it was to reserve a spot here until after we stayed (we got lucky), but I definitely recommend putting in the effort to go. Fifty-fifty if you don't want to hike the 12 miles in, you tin take a helicopter in!
After Havasupai, we tried to book it to Antelope Canyon only for the sun to set simply as we got to Horseshoe Bend (before Antelope). We chosen information technology a nighttime and camped at a campground on a lake where I died and came back to life later on some intense dehydration…y'all would've idea I had learned the importance of water past at present. The following mean solar day nosotros headed on to Zion hoping to camp in the park. Of course, all the campgrounds were total so we decided to spend the day in the park and camp outside on our way to Salt Lake City.
Zion was like a smaller Yosemite, only red, and more desert like. Afterward some deliberation and going back and forth on the Zion bus, we decided to hike the famous Angels Landing. This hike features a chain and a very narrow path. Despite my fear of heights, I enjoyed the difficulty of the hike and of course the view from the meridian. Jerry decided that I'm not actually scared of heights, I'm simply aware of how high up things are… I'grand undecided.
Afterwards Zion, we headed up to Bryce Canyon and Provo to take dinner with friends of friends (it is a small earth after all) and play Settlers of Catan. Sadly the following morning Jerry flew out of the Common salt Lake Urban center airport and left me to get my oil changed in Salt Lake. This was the nearly responsible I felt all trip. With some fresh oil in my motorcar, I made my fashion to Moab to set upward my tent at the only hostel there. I met some river guides who live in a tent here all summer, since housing in Moab is very difficult to come up by during the superlative summer season. As well I reconnected with commencement year hall mate Margaret (become Hoos!).
During my time in Moab I also hiked around Arches National Park, but to exist rained out by some crazy desert rain. Although my time in Moab was curt, I can say information technology's a very cool outdoorsy town!
Side by side up, I drove the overpasses to Denver to hang out with loftier school buddy Devon and quondam work friend Sam (cheers to Sam for letting me stay)! I visited Bedrock, hiked the flatirons, and went rock climbing with Sam. Despite the crazy weather everyday at approximately 5pm, I'1000 a big Denver fan. My mom met me in Denver to drive the final stretch home.
We headed out on a snowy May twenty-four hours and collection through some crazy rain in Kansas and St. Louis where we stopped for the night. After this we made our way to Nashville to eat the best BBQ of my life. Nosotros spent our time in Nashville at some honky tonks and the Grand Ole Opry. The following day after Nashville, nosotros booked information technology abode to Virginia Beach!
The weeks flew by and at present I detect myself about to offset Peace Corps staging in Philadelphia. Thanks to my parents for spending time with me before I left! I'm excited for what is to come, and I honestly have no thought what to expect. So stick with me if you desire to see how I embarrass myself in Madagascar while hopefully making a positive touch in my community!
Source: https://caitlingonemada.wordpress.com/2017/06/11/there-and-back-again-not-a-hobbits-tale/
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