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Day 51: The other side of the country
Location: Santa Clarita, CA
Miles Driven: ~370
Total Miles: 12,626
Despite the 90 degree heat, I woke up fairly comfortable in the car and had a good night of rest. Hit the road before 7AM and made my way southwest towards San Diego, first destination of the West Coast. I had never been to southern California before, and the landscape was pretty interesting.
The swing in temperature from inland as I got more towards the coast was pretty dramatic. By the time I was on the outskirts of San Diego, the temperature had dropped to 70 degrees. I made my way towards the downtown area, then west towards the beaches. And the trip’s first views of the Pacific Ocean….
Hmm, looks probably a bit more dismal than the Pacific Ocean we all think about in our heads. It was a cloudy day near the water, and a bit chilly. I didn’t need a jacket, but the water was freezing. Don’t know how people were swimming/surfing.
I walked along the beach for a while, and made my way to that long pier.
a view from the pier
At the end of the pier
Well, it wasn’t the bluest Pacific I had seen years ago off the coast of North, but still pretty cool to be out on this side of the U.S. Strange to think it wasn’t that long ago I was on the shores of the East Coast.
So I made my way back to the car and decided to push north towards the Los Angeles area. It wasn’t a bad drive – less than 3 hours, I think – and I headed towards Manhattan Beach. There, my well-traveled friend John (and former host in Georgia), recommended I hit up an Italian restaurant called Mama D’s and order their chicken penne with pink sauce. He described this dish eloquently to me – “if you put it on your forehead, your tongue will beat its brains out.”
A great dish. Thanks John
After that filling meal, I headed towards the beach area to hang out. Now if San Diego was slightly cooler than inland California, Manhattan Beach was downright chilly. I could’ve used a jacket. But the sun was out, fortunately.
Manhattan Beach
After hanging out for a bit, I left the beach, got back in the car, and made my way north to Santa Clarita where a friend was staying.
Taylor and me
Taylor just moved out here from Georgia for work, and was set up with temporary living at a hotel. Taylor made me feel right at home and said I could take advantage of the place as long as I wanted. Great to laugh again with a good friend. He may have attended Georgia Tech, but he’s an all right dude. Thanks buddy.
On Tuesday I’ll make my way further north towards the San Francisco area, and drive up famous Highway 1 along the coast. Every time I read an article about “Best drives in the U.S.”, the CA Coast is always mentioned. Can’t wait.
joe
Day 50: Arrival in CA
Location: near Dunn, CA
Miles Driven: 276
Total Miles: 12,256
Woke up around 8 in the morning on Sunday and took a drive near the Red Rock Canyon conservation area, just a few minutes drive from Jim and Elyse’s place. They told me Red Rock Canyon was something not to be missed while visiting Las Vegas. So I drove the 13-mile scenic loop around the park, and it was pretty amazing.
Great views. They should make this place a national/state park
I spent the remainder of the morning restocking on some supplies for the next several weeks, as well as getting my car back in clean order. Thanks so much to Elyse for preparing a lot of food, snacks, and supplies to take with me. I will be well fed for the next several days thanks to her.
By mid-afternoon I was packed, re-stocked with supplies, as well as some music and audiobooks thanks to Jim and Elyse. By the way, Sting has a great new album out called “Symphonicities” (play on The Police song Synchronicity) that takes some of his old classics and he’s accompanied with an orchestra. Very good.
Me, Elyse, and Jim (and Simon the cat)
Thanks so much to my generous hosts in Las Vegas. I had such a great stay.
I didn’t have any specific destination in mind for the day. My rough plan was to work my way to San Diego by Monday, so I didn’t have to hustle anywhere. I know I wanted to see Death Valley National Park again (the picture on the top right of this blog is from there). So I headed into the park via an entrance I hadn’t come in before, and also left via a route I hadn’t seen. It’s hot like an oven, but Death Valley is one of my favorite national parks. Take a look at the temperature from my car gauge:
That usually runs a few degrees hotter than it really is, so it was really only about 118 degrees or so
One of my first stops was Zabriske Point, which my National Park book recommends as a stop. Some great views here.
From there, I made my way towards Badwater, the lowest point in North America (282 feet below sea level).
Moon above Badwater
Badwater Basin
I began to make my way south to exit the park and link up, eventually, with I-15.
Looking back towards Badwater
So long, Death Valley
The timing worked out well for me. I left Death Valley just as the sun was going down and the first quarter moon lit the path south.
Found a rest stop outside of Dunn, CA, and made that my home for the night. Pacific Coast on Monday!
joe
Day 49: Viva Las Vegas
Slept in a little bit on Saturday, lounged about a bit, and then Jim took me to a great breakfast buffet at nearby Red Rocks Casino. The food was so fresh and delicious, it was a shame I could only finish one plate of the entree-type items.
Soooo good
Near the Red Rocks Casino front door
After breakfast, I made it a priority to be lazy. I stayed at the air-conditioned house all day and just relaxed. Thanks to my my hosts, Jim and Elyse, for letting me just bum around the house. This was my second time in Las Vegas, so I had no big desire to do much sightseeing, and I was happy to just sit around.
Late in the night I drove down towards the Strip and walked around for a bit. I forgot about the atmosphere out there, even in the 100+ degree heat.
Fountain show by the Bellagio
I thought about maybe catching a show or something, but there was nothing that struck my interest enough outside of the “Tournament of Kings” at the Excalibur Hotel (just like Medieval Times), but that would be more fun with another person.
Made it back home before late, and relaxed a bit before crashing. That was it for my day, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend it.
joe
Day 48: Remember this hike?
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Miles Driven: 329
Total Miles: 11,980
For the past several weeks, I’ve been lucky to have zero car trouble. I have a AAA membership, but as I told Kelly at Big Bend, I have never used it in the five years I’ve had it (at least for a car of my own). Well, Friday morning I put that membership to good use.
It was my own fault. I have a system for when I go to sleep in my car – crack windows, recline the seat, then turn off the ignition. I must’ve been too tired, because I managed to shut off the engine, but not turn the key all the way. So when I woke up near 6AM, I saw the red lights on the dash were on and immediately thought, “Uh oh, how long have I been asleep?” Sure enough, it was too long, as I could not power my windows back up, nor could I start the car. Drained the battery.
I was annoyed at myself, but grateful at the same time for a relatively minor issue. Fortunately, I had slept at a combination privately-ownes/public rest stop, so there was a 24-hour Chevron right there. I stopped in and asked the two gentlemen working if one of them wouldn’t mind giving me a jump. One of the guys said he used to do that all the time, but that Chevron is next door to a mechanic, and he said management doesn’t want him helping people with auto issues because that’s business taken away from the mechanic. Somewhat of a moot point, considering I can’t give the mechanic any business at 6AM when he’s not open until 9AM. And then the original clerk, referring to the other clerk, says “I was told not to do it, but maybe he wasn’t.” His response: “Well yea, but I heard it now.” So they weren’t going to risk getting in trouble, and I respected that. I figured maybe I could grab a passerby.
It took me a few minutes sitting in my car to remember that I had a AAA membership. With no cell phone service, the clerks kindly loaned me their phone and I got word that someone could be there in 45 minutes. Win.
Killed some time playing on the computer, and before I knew it, this man Rick showed up with his truck. Within two minutes my car was up and running again. I thanked Rick and the guys working at the station, and by 8AM I was on my way.
My plan was to avoid any super long-distance driving today, as I covered about 1,200 miles in the past two days. In Cedar City, Utah, I made a stop at a local coffeehouse (I recommend “The Grind Coffeehouse” to anyone in the area), covered breakfast and lunch, and took advantage of the free WiFi.
By early afternoon I was back on the road, making my south towards Zion National Park. I first stopped at the Kolob Canyons entrance to the park, which is a 5-mile loop that takes you inside the Northwest portion of the park. I had never seen this part of the park before, and it was pretty impressive.
This section of the park offered a couple trails for hiking, but I wanted to get down to the other area of the park before it got too late. In about 45 minutes, I was near the Visitor Center and a lot of memory of this place came back from five years ago.
Hopped on the free shuttle to get a ride towards the trailhead for the Angels Landing hiking route, most likely the coolest hike I had ever been on before. Like last time, I noticed all the warnings about the 5-mile route being strenuous, “don’t hike here if you are afraid of heights,” etc. And now this time I knew what I was in for, and I was even more excited about it.
The trail goes 1200 feet up to that peak
The trail winds up and up
- The path winds up more, this time steeper
- Stay near the chains, or you’re going off the cliff
I made a video from one of the areas near the chains (don’t worry, I was in a safe spot) so you could get a better sense of the place:
Chains taking you higher
Another video:
View of Zion Canyon close to the top
It wasn’t long after this point where I reached the top of Angels Landing. The view was even better than I remembered. I was breathing heavier this time around, but man, if there’s anything worth exerting yourself for, it’s this:
One of the most amazing views available on this planet
So before I hopped on the park shuttle, I changed my shirt. I had remembered the yellow shirt I wore on this hike five years ago, and sure enough that shirt I included in this trip’s luggage (in addition to my hiking boots). So when I was at the top of Angels Landing, I vaugely remembered where I had the picture taken five years ago (almost to the day), and worked to set up the same shot. So here’s me at the top of Angels Landing in 2005 and in 2010:
What differences can you spot between the two pictures?
Earlier in the hike up, I had met another person doing the hike on their own. I since continued past her after she stopped for a water break, but she found me at the top not long after I got there. Turns out this girl, Marta, is a doctoral student from Spain who was on her own roadtrip exploring the western U.S. Pretty impressive, especially being her first time to the country. I had mentioned to her that I was blown away by the number of foreign visitors to this place (particularly Eastern Europeans). I’m glad that so many people from outside the U.S. come see places like this as opposed to just the big cities, but it’s also somewhat discouraging there aren’t more Americans here to enjoy this place in their backyard. Maybe it was just my timing, but I felt like I was in the minority at this park. In any case, what a testament to the beauty of this place when travelers from all over the world come to Zion and climb the Angels Landing trail.
Marta and me
The trip back down wasn’t as bad as I expected. It probably helped having someone to chat with along the way. It was good timing, by the time we hit the bottom there were some strong winds that picked up sand and dust into your eyes.
Sun going down on Zion Canyon
Took the shuttle back to my car, and around 8PM I was back on the road. I was originally thinking I’d drive just a little bit southwest towards Nevada then find a place to crash for the night. In Las Vegas, I had family friends Jim and Elyse offering a place to stay, but didn’t think I’d get there til Saturday. But I talked to Jim on the phone, and he said the drive towards Las Vegas from the east is pretty cool, as you come over the mountains and then get to see the bright lights of the city down below. That was enough to convince me, so I drove the easy 130 miles or so and made it Las Vegas before it was too late.
Las Vegas ahead
I’m glad Jim recommended that drive, because it was one of the coolest moments I’ve ever experienced driving at night. There was a lightning storm off in the distance (the kind you see in the desert where the lightning goes horizontally across the sky), and then seeing the expanse of Las Vegas coming down the mountain.
Jim and Elyse kindly offered their place to me as long as I need it, so I’ll stay here through the weekend. Not a lot on the agenda. It’s good to just be in an air-conditioned home relaxing once again. The simple pleasures of a nice bathroom and a bed to sleep in…can’t take those for granted. And thanks, Jim and Elyse, for the banana/chocolate chip bread. Sooooo good. Guess you’ve been talking to my Mom.
joe
Day 47: John Wayne had the right idea
Location: Cove Fort, UT
Miles driven: 711
Total Miles: 11,644
I woke up especially early (3AM-ish) in order to get to Monument Valley not long after the sunrise. It was a fast three-hours drive, and I was not disappointed when I arrived on the outskirts of Monument Valley, a place where John Wayne filmed many of his westerns.
It was only a few miles down the road from here to Monument Valley Tribal Park. See, Monument Valley is on land owned by the Navajo, and they independently maintain the area, run a visitor center, and manage tours. It was only $5 admission. Hell, they could’ve charged $50 and I still would’ve paid it. Here’s why:
Absolutely unreal. When I started putting this trip idea together over a year ago, Monument Valley was one of the first places I listed down. I had only see pictures and video second-hand. What a mind-blowing sight. It was close to 95 degrees out, but I had no problem just sitting on the stone wall admiring this view.
The visitor center was pretty impressive. There were a lot of displays about the history of the Navajo in the region, their participation in WWII, and of the people who currently occupy the land. The Navajo here, on the whole, are impoverished, so it was good to know my admission money (and subsequent cafe/gift shop money) was going toward to the community here.
I looked into taking a horse ride tour, but it would’ve been about $60 for just a half hour, so I decided I’d do some hiking on my own. There was a three-mile hike that took you around one of the buttes, and I enjoyed taking my time wandering through this part of the desert.
Starting out on the Wildcat Trail
Multi-colored lizard
great views on the hike
This image looks manipulated, but it's just a trick of perception
Finished the hike
After the hike, I took some time to relax, grabbed a bite from the cafe, and then made my way north towards Hwy 261.
Saying goodbye to Monument Valley
Next, I climbed up the “Moki Dugway” which, through a series of switchbacks, elevates you above the surrounding valley and gives you some great views.
See that plateau? I got to the top of that with my car
View from the top
Continued in a northern direction towards Moab, Utah, which sits right next to Arches National Park, where I planned to do a little more hiking before the day was out.
I arrived in Moab in the early afternoon, but I was thinking I’d hike later in the evening when the sun is going down and it might be a little cooler. So I did some driving around the area.
Great views along Hwy 128
amazing country
Made my way to the park a little after 8PM, and headed towards the Delicate Arch area.
Balanced Rock
Made it to the Delicate Arch parking area, and I was caught off-guard by the number of cars there. Even the spots in the overflow lot were taken. Seems everyone was doing the Delicate Arch hike so they could see it as the sun went down. I was a little dismayed by the crowds, but still content, as I had the opportunity to do the hike back in 2005. Here’s a picture from then:
Delicate Arch
So instead of doing the crowded hike to Delicate Arch, I chose to go to the Delicate Arch Overlook to get a view of the arch that I had never seen.
Unfortunately, in neither of those images can you gain a sense of appreciation for how big the arch is. Since 2005, whenever I showed my pictures of Delicate Arch to others, I chided myself for not getting a shot of somebody next to it to give a sense of perspective. Looks like I managed to fail to provide any perspective again…but trust me, Delicate Arch is huge (52′ tall, to be exact).
I left the park before it was too dark, and made my way west on I-70. I drove farther than I initially intended, and then found a rest stop near Cove Fort, UT, and crashed for the night. My schedule continues to be pretty loose. I’m thinking I’ll keep the driving to a minimum tomorrow, maybe hit up Zion National Park, and then head west to Nevada, eventually.
joe
Trip route – Summer 2010
Joe's Roadtrip 
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