Northern California: Road Trip 2016

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

Vineyards in Napa Valley

Walking in Arcata

Arcata Used Tires and Wheels did a superb job patching the tire on my parents car, offering great advice, fast work, and very, very affordable.

After finding a nail in the tire and low air pressure, my parents have the tire patched at Arcata Used Tires and Wheels

My parents bought a bottle of wine from St. Clements Winery. They graciously sold us a bottle 30 minutes after closing time.

Golden hills in Calistoga, CA

Some delicious seafood at the Fisherman's Restaurant in Crescent City, CA

Laid eyes on the redwoods of Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park for the first time. Unfortunately, only caught a glimpse from the road. Further exploration will have to wait for another time.

View towards Alcatraz

I showed my parents one of my favorite groves in Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Free Spirit unloads some fish in Crescent City

My parents and I made good time through Northern California. We were able to spend an afternoon in Napa Valley, a short time in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, and an evening in Arcata and Crescent City. We stopped in Arcata where I had a storage unit filled with my belongings, packed up a 5x8 U-Haul trailer, patched a rear tire that picked up a nail, and said goodbye to a few Arcata friends I made while living there last year. It felt great to be back, bittersweet to say goodbye. Part of me didn't want to linger too long, as it would increase the pain of having to say goodbye to one of my favorite places I've ever lived! Maybe sometime in the future I will be able to spend quality time with the redwoods again, maybe not. Still very grateful for my time in those forests...

Big Sur: Road Trip 2016

One of the southernmost, naturally occurring redwood groves

My parents and I made our way up the California Coast and I saw Big Sur for the first time. As fantastic as the ocean was, the highlight for me was seeing the southernmost, naturally occurring redwood groves in Big Sur. I've heard a lot about them, but this was the first time I was able to see them in person, which created another memorable experience in what I call the "redwood journey." The trees basically grow only in the canyons between the mountains where they receive just enough moisture to survive...

Southern California: Road Trip 2016

Point Loma

It felt great to be back in California again. My parents and I took the I-8 from Yuma to San Diego. It was the first time I had seen the far south eastern portion of California. It was the first time I had been back to southern California since 2011. The first thing that I noticed was the effect of the drought. The vegetation in and around San Diego did not look as vibrant as I remembered, the same was true of the mountains and hills around LA. Weather along the coast was fantastic...

Southwest: Road Trip 2016

Rest area and lava rocks

My parents and I left central Texas on the 6th of July and that's when the scenery really began. The West is the best! Of course, due to the circumstances, we drove through the southwest way too fast, but that's how it goes sometimes. We were left to gaze out the car windows and look at the mountains and land formations and wonder about their formation and composition. We did manage to spend a few hours in Saguaro National Park on an extremely hot day. I would love to spend a few years in the southwest some day, and really get a good look around...

The South: Road Trip 2016

Old music store in Tennessee

Variegated Giant Reed Grass growing along a Tennessee river

Fantastic Giant Bald Cypress in Texas

Fourth of July fireworks

We spent the Fourth of July with my sister's family in Texas and visited my other sister and her husband the next day. We didn't stop too often driving down to Texas, but I managed to take a few photos. Texas seems to really be exploding economically these days. The entire eastern half seems to be undergoing a major facelift, new roads, overpasses, stores, and houses everywhere...

Blue Ridge Parkway: Road Trip 2016

Indigo Bunting

Rhododendron in full bloom in late June

While hiking the Appalachian Trail last summer, I had a hunch I might be returning to Maryland post trail from California. When I said goodbye to California before hiking the Appalachian Trail, I left all of my belongings in a storage unit out there. I thought that if I did that, it would force me to return post trail. Although my head and heart wanted to return to California, my head and heart felt a stronger pull to be closer to family in Maryland. While hiking the AT, I had several plans to get my belongings and return to Maryland. None of my plans came to fruition. What actually happened was not something I ever considered a possibility. A road trip with my parents! A couple months ago, my mom suggested she wanted to clear house and drop a trailer's worth of belongings to my two sisters who now live in Texas. After that, we could head out to California and get my stuff and then return home. A three week road trip! I think my mom, dad, and I all had a little trepidation with the plan, but it all worked out wonderfully. It was a real treat to travel with my parents as an adult.

The next few posts will simply be photos from some of the more scenic spots where we stopped along the way. The temptation was there to do more sightseeing, but it would have taken a lifetime to really see everything. We really just skimmed the surface everywhere we went, but time was limited. Here are some photos from our first scenic spot: The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. Sometimes all it takes is a few minutes to stamp a place into the memory banks...