California – Tim & Kaitlyn

October 18, 2023March 4, 2024

Joshua Tree National Park, CA to St. George, UT

On our way out of San Diego early Monday morning, we made a stop at the Palomar Observatory. It was a long, winding road up to the top of Palomar Mountain and the views were a treat. Housed at the Palomar Observatory is the Hale telescope, which at one point was the largest telescope in the world! We enjoyed our visit and had the whole place to ourselves on an early, quiet Monday morning.

*Palomar Observatory on top of Palomar Mountain, CA*

We got back on the road and continued heading northeastward toward Joshua Tree National Park, passing through Palm Springs. A seemingly endless desert landscape consumed our view as we reached Twentynine Palms and the north entrance to Joshua Tree by mid-afternoon.

*Endless desert views and lots of wind turbines*

The landscape of Joshua Tree National Park is fascinating. The whole park is really a huge transition zone from where the Mojave desert collides with the Colorado desert. We stopped and explored the Cholla cactus garden and many other viewpoints on our way to Indian Cove Campground. As dusk set in, we set up camp and made chicken quesadillas for dinner. After a really hot day (temperatures reached 100F at one point!) it was quickly cooling off and the first stars were visible. Our cozy tent and the cool desert air made it easy to fall asleep.

*Setting sun in Joshua Tree National Park*

The next morning, we made coffee and went for a walk around the campground. We noticed several vans of military personnel arriving at various places in the campground to begin their morning training regimen, including rock climbing and bouldering across the challenging terrain. It was already getting hot when we made our way back to pack up camp.

*Good morning from camp in Joshua Tree National Park*

*Desert hare in Joshua Tree National Park*

We exited the park and returned to the road. Today’s drive took us north through Las Vegas, a stark contrast to much of the vast desert landscapes we had grown accustomed to. We clipped the far northwestern corner of Arizona and were in awe of the incredible canyon views as the highway wove back and forth and up and down through several canyon passes.

*Sign created by Jack Pierson in Twentynine Palms, CA*

*Driving through more canyons from Arizona into Utah*

Our destination for the night was Oak Grove Campground just outside of St. George, UT. As we climbed higher in elevation, we could see the expanse of St. George unfolding below. This time of year has really been a treat with amazing foliage views, and Utah was no exception!

Vibrant yellow leaves stood out against the clear blue sky as we approached the campground. We found a spot and started a fire to take off the light chill in the air. Tomorrow we plan to drive through Zion National Park and make our way to Bryce Canyon National Park where we’ll stay for a few nights. Excited to continue our western U.S. National Park tour!

October 15, 2023February 17, 2024

Yosemite National Park & San Diego

It’s nearing the end of our second week on the road, and we have a routine down now! After waking up to amazing dawn light, we made coffee and breakfast and broke down camp. We stopped to gas up and resupply in Sacramento and enjoyed the California sunshine as we headed toward Yosemite.

As we neared the park, it became obvious that there was a wildfire. Turns out that staff were conducting controlled burns in the park. We didn’t get the classic picturesque views of Yosemite Valley, but rather a unique smoke-tinged view instead!

*Smoke-filled views of Yosemite Valley due to controlled burns in the park*

*Smoky views due to a controlled burn in Yosemite National Park*

*Beautiful winding roads through Yosemite National Park*

As we were suspecting, first-come first-served campsites in the park were completely full. We ended up finding a better and more remote site at Lone Sequoia Campground south of the park. We have really been enjoying the free US Forest Service campgrounds! Sometimes they can be remote and hard to get to but there really are some gems for adventurous souls willing to travel off the beaten path. Some campsites we booked in advance, but for the majority of this trip we’ve been finding them as we go with the app iOverlander. It’s a great worldwide resource that lists crowd-sourced campsite information!

*Sunset view on the way to USFS Lone Sequoia campground*

After winding down a narrow dirt road, we arrived to the campground just after sunset. Several other campers had already set up their sites for the weekend and were enjoying a campfire when we pulled in to join the party.

*Coffee time at* *Lone Sequoia Campground, CA*

The next morning, we made breakfast and packed up camp. Today was the day of the annular solar eclipse! As we hustled to get the car packed, we intermittently checked on the status of the eclipse with our solar glasses.

*The annular solar eclipse was starting!*

By 9:30AM, we left the campground and found an open viewing spot on the side of the road. Since we were in southern CA, we didn’t have the “ring of fire” effect, as it was only a partial view for our location, but still very cool to witness the sun become a sliver as the moon passed through!

*Crescent shadows during the annular solar eclipse on October 14*

As we were enjoying the event, another couple pulled over and parked behind us on the side of the road. They looked curious, and as I walked toward them, they rolled down the window and asked what we were looking at. I explained that there was an annular solar eclipse happening and offered my glasses so they could take a look. “Wow!!! That’s amazing!!” the driver exclaimed. “Look at that!” he said as he passed the glasses over to his passenger. She was equally as impressed. Even though our interaction only lasted a few minutes, I really enjoyed that moment on the side of the road. It’s so fun sharing in the excitement with others as they observe cool science things!

We got back on the road and continued making our way to San Diego. By the time we arrived at Ethan and Hannah’s place, the sun was quickly sinking toward the horizon. We felt so lucky to end our second week on the road spending time with friends in a new place! Ethan and Hannah were so gracious and warmly welcomed us into their home and showed us around all their favorite spots in town.

*Delicious Baja-style tacos and ceviche at Oscar’s*

We had such a great time exploring a new city and sampling some of the best Baja-style tacos, ceviche, and beer from the many San Diego breweries! It was great to have a couple days to rest. Cheers to great friends and new adventures!

October 14, 2023February 4, 2024

Redwood National & State Park

It was so nice to have a break from the rain! We woke up to a beautiful morning at Boice Cope campground and had breakfast. After getting packed up, we set out for another day on the road.

We took our time meandering to Redwood, mostly because the views along the remaining Oregon coast and across the state line into California were amazing! The shallow marine layer made it even more scenic. We stopped so many times to take in the scenery.

*Battle Rock Wayside Park in Port Orford, OR*

I have heard many people rave about the size of these Redwood trees and I was so excited to finally have the chance to see one for myself. Big thanks to Michelle who pointed us in the right direction and suggested we take Howland Hill Road- it’s not to be missed!

We continued driving south along the coast and stopped for a walk on the beach in Trinidad, CA – another great spot with beautiful views (thanks again Michelle!)

After a few more hours, we arrived at the Middle Creek Campground in Upper Lake, CA within the Mendocino National Forest. The campground is known for its extensive Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trails and it was surprisingly busy for a Thursday night with several groups riding around on dirt bikes, side by sides, and other ATVs.

The sun set quickly and soon lots of stars appeared. I’ve been trying diligently to take photos of the night sky with the iPhone’s “night mode”. Sometimes they come out ok!

After a long day on the road, it was easy to fall asleep. Tomorrow we’ll have a shorter day of driving with stops in Sacramento and Yosemite. It’s looking like we’re still on track to get to San Diego to visit our friends Ethan and Hannah for the weekend!