One of the first posts I wrote for WayWorded was a reminiscence on my winter/spring 2007 roadtrip through the West, running from Colorado ski mountains, through Arches NP, over to Las Vegas, and then down past the Grand Canyon to Tuscon and home to Texas on I-10.
It's time for a take 2...only now it'll be all the way to the Pacific coast. A family wedding in San Francisco is providing the perfect excuse, and I'm building on the experience of my Interstate-less Eastern roadtrip to get there. State highways and rural roads from Austin to SF.
And I won't be done after the wedding, either. In late July, I plan to shoot north, through redwood country, up into Oregon, and possibly as far as Seattle and Vancouver before turning around and cutting home through ID, WY, and CO.
Some things I'm particularly psyched about:
* National park camping/hiking in Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Yosemite. Maybe not all of those, but at least two.
* Driving American desolation, specifically central Nevada and eastern Oregon. Want to see what's there.
* Redwoods. I've been fixated on northern California's coastal rainforests since reading The Wild Trees. Now I get to explore in person.
* Meeting folks on the way. I put out a call for Matador members on my route to hit me up with their local travel secrets. Can't wait to map the Matador nation.
5 comments:
Bon voyage!
very awesome itinerary! When I was a young my parents would randomly drive up to the Redwoods and pull over the highway when we saw the river close to and we'd all jump in! It was cold but fun! And I would definitely recommend checking out Monument Valley! My family is from one of the towns not too far from there and its definitely something not to miss! And if you happen to drive thru Page, AZ I recommend to cliff jump at "the chains" and order a "rainbow" at RD's Drive Thru! Have Fun!
see if you can detour down Hwy 90 to Marfa, Tx. you can check the mysteries of the Marfa Lights and the unbelievable sunsets in Big Bend National Park. Just as beautiful as the Grand Canyon at sunrise! Happy Travels!
@Audrey: Just drove Monument Valley today. Gorgeous! And I'm actually in Page right now! Will have to look for "the chains."
@virgie: I've been lucky enough to camp/hike in Big Bend several times, but unfortunately not on this trip. :(
Thanks for your comments, both.
Wow how random! Page=Happy Place! Dont forget the sunscreen for the chains! = )
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