Few hours

     Yesterday I woke up and checked out a lighthouse and a natural sea wall. Deciding to hike a "mountain" I climbed Mt. Acadia to conquer the park. A park ranger I talked with had suggested the climb. Only .6 miles to the peak. Boy it was steep. Signage claimed it was a moderate hike and I disagree sith that. Strenous is more like it. Toughest short hike Ive ever done, haha.

    After catching the video at the visitor center and driving the park loop road I left Acadia. Then drove through Maine and entered the White Mountain National Forest around the NH,ME border. Found a primitive site and called it a day.

     Only a few more hours until I finish all the places I wanted to hit. Just the Green mountain national forest and I'm done.

     I almost drove up to the peak of Mt Washington but I couldn't do it. I believe Anthony hiked it. One of these days I will as well. I won't spoil it for my future self.

     This area is the highlight of the east coast, I reckon. Reminds me of out west.

*bows*

     The Maine part of the trip is wrapping up, hehe. I grabbed the Acadia park map and was Mainely filled with all sorts of emotions, hehe. The last national park of the trip. I will be exploring a couple national forests on the way back, but it's not the same. A calming sense of acomplishment with a dab of sadness rolled through the veins.

     The air is calm as the skies are blue. The surrounding area is bliss. There couldnt have been a better last park to lay eyes upon.

      The usual hike, visitor center video, and exploration of the lands will occur tomorrow. Arriving a little later at the park didn't allow for any of that today. To respect the NPS and conclude the adventure I stayed within the park and bought a campsite for the evening.

     Sitting here listening to the neighbors campfire crackle and pop I revisit the last time I was in Maine. As my trip failed last time around its only appropriate to feel a sense of relief that I made it this time. Maybe third time is the charm for Anthony and I (South America tour coming up?).

     The small bridges stretching across the ponds. The forested hills surrounded by the ocean. These views along with the hundreds of others over the past couple of months speak for themselves. Happy centennial, everyone.

P.S. my companion is back. I longed for the feeling. Who? Well, no one. What? Well, the check engine light of course. Hello darkness my old friend...

Off

     Yesterday was just an off day. Nothing seemed to work out after I left the beach. A 4 hour drive turned into 7 hours due to traffic. Clutch...first....brake....clutch....gas...gear...shift...*repeat for two hours*.

     When I finally arrived at pachug state forest, CT I couldn't find the map I downloaded from the night before showing a "lean to" near by, which is basically an overnight shelter in the woods. I looked for about a halfhour on slow service. I said screw it Ill just hike a few miles.

     When I got back to the car I figured I would just find a place to camp for the night and attempted to do so. Headed back out into the woods about a mile and found a cool spot. Set everything up, cooked, and then laid in the hammock as the darkness was setting. I couldn't find my phone...and believed I left it on top of the car (bad habit, lost the gas cap that way, haha. Almost lost sunglasses (Tony can vouch for that one)).

     Maybe it was the lack of sleep or maybe I was dehydrated but I just had a gut feeling that something wasn't right. I caved into the idea and headed back go my car to find my phone in the dark.

     Found the phone laying on top of the car and it was around 10pm. Glad I went back. After being at the car for a few minutes a couple groups of younger adults showed up and were drinking at the boat ramp. About 20 feet from where I was. Guess the plan to crash in the cI looked for a new spot to head too. MA,RI and CT have no national forests or parks. The closest is a "historic park" which isn't the same.

     I started driving North into the night. Another naturally protected land was nearby, but I couldnt find any areas to pull off into. Another dead end. About an hour later and I came to I 95. A small gas station was open and I ended up falling in and out of sleep for a few hours of rest total. I'd have to suck it up for another day and try to find a state forest or park instead of a nationally protected lands.

     At about 8am I arrived at Harold Parker State Forest, MA. I read a display, took a short hike, and then took a much needed nap.

     Going to keep heading North and try for Acadia National Park in ME. CT,MA, and RI have the most state parks/forests of any states from what it seems. Also people of MA like to use the shoulder on the highway as another lane (at least near construction zones) interestingly.

Resume

     After laying around for a couple of weeks and putting a few applications in I decided it was time to continue the trip. Only the Northeast is left to be conquered.

     The Subaru is PA legal without a check engine light, I almost miss it. The car needed a new catalytic converter. Everything else looked good.

     Yesterday, I started to fill up the car with all the essentials and some goodies. Today I finished packing up the car and left for the NJ beach.

     This last section of the trip should be about a week in length (estimated). Unless I make a run for the Canadian border. All their law enforcement have are horses, right? Joking aside its nice to get back out on the road.

No Hands!

     Dinner and a movie. Skip the movie, who needs it. Tom showed me around the town. We went out and to a local place called the Industry public house. Who can deny a burger and beer? Certainly not I. The place was cool and had an extremely comfortable feel about it. I felt at ease, home almost. Maybe due to my gracious host. I got the "Blast Pig Burgher" which is described as "candied jalapeno/candied bacon/caramelized onion/fried zucchini/garlic aioli." Lubricated with a stout and of course Lagunitas, which I still can't pronounce properly. I guess I just need to order more to practice the pronunciation, right?

     I laid around throughout the time I was there and Tom was at work. The most I did was going to the library to fill out some applications to send in.

     We had also went to a hookah bar, KiKu sushi restaurant, Mad Mex, and a pizza joint. Good grub, yay.

  On Saturday we went to Ohiopyle State Park in southern PA and biked around on the Great Allegheny Passage trail. A trail that leads all the way into MD. The park was packed, with the main attraction seeming to be white water rafting. A cool place to attend overall. We took a swim in the cold water of the river. After getting out the muscles were tense from the chill.

     Early Sunday I left the humble abode to head to my own.  

Pause

      I came back home yesterday for a break between the long days for a little while. Time not yet determined, haha. After saying hello to the family I took a shower and napped all day. No feeling like sleeping in your own bed. It's hot here, what gives.

     I plan on finishing out the NE of the states sooner than later.

Flickr

     Not sure if you all were able to see new pictures as I went along or not? When I clicked on the link it only showed 162 pictures available. Well have I got a surprise for you. A lot more pictures. I updated the link so all YOU have to do is click on "ROAD TRIPPIN'" and the browser should open a new window for you to take a peek! Looks like I have to update the link every so often.

A State of Independence

     Made it to PA earlier today and am staying with a friend near Pittsburgh. Going to hangout for a few days and relax for the most part.

     

     Yesterday I had went to Wayne National Forest in Ohio. I planned on hiking a trail, but when I arrived at the trail-head it was overgrown. The office for the rangers showed me how to get up there. Luckily, on the map they had GPS coordinates of the area, because I got turned around. No signs anywhere! After a few moments of stepping out of the car the sneezing came, watering eyes, and shortly after an itchy throat. I miss the dry desert of the West already. At camp the day before I cut my foot by stepping on the tent stake. I decided not to hike the trail and continued to drive through the forest.

    

     Later in the day I ended up at the New River Gorge National River and checked out the visitor center. The area was gorgeous. Looking from the viewpoint near the visitor center you can see a long arch bridge, which starts and ends in what appears to be the trees.

     

     I plugged manual spot into the GPS which turned out to be an adventure. The spot I chose, which was supposed to be near the primitive camping sight. I just pressed on the map of the GPS that looked to be about where the site was. I ..was..wrong. I ended up on a 4-5 mile rock road that was not taken care of. Bottoming out the Subaru on loose rocks as well as dirt. I get to about .5 miles away from the destination and approach a "Private Area" sign with rope blocking the way. I had to turn around and go back through the zone. Listening to the plastic skid plate on the bottom being pounded evoked some emotional words out of me like "#(*#&$ and even $*#@(*&$*) I know, to harsh to even read. Relieved after making it out I decided to head towards the camping area again with a more precise method ....zooming in.

     As I'm driving along US 60 I notice a dog running alongside the highway. So, round two begins. The last dog I tried to help ran into the woods. This one bolted across the highway to where I had been standing. I just said "Hey, come here!". She was a cutie. A sheriff drove by and I waved him down. Said he would get me some help. While waiting I notified ODL (Obsessive-Dog-Lover) which is my Mom. She had posts on facebook, contacted dog rescue individuals, and had people searching within an hour. But when I ask about dinner I am chastised (kidding of course). Without doing any work myself I found the owner. He drove by and saw her. Crisis adverted. I almost had a new dog. All this lasted about two hours. Oh, by the way the Sheriff that stopped to help never returned. He said he was going to call a few different places to help me out.

     Once arriving I was greeted by a few friendly guys. One was attempting to get the fire going at a site before I even walked up to it. He couldn't get it going, but I did for a little while. I showed him the basics of how I do it.

     

     I talked with a couple of them for a while and headed to bed.  When getting up they had offered some eggs and bacon. John, the gentleman I showed how to get a fire going had started one by my methods to cook breakfast. They grow up so fast. They were a cool group of guys who were going whitewater rafting later on.

     

     A couple of days ago I had hiked the Leatherman Loop trail in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The area is in the northern section of the forest in the Cumberland county area, if I remember correctly. The trail was around 4 miles long and harder than I anticipated, cool though.

     

     I ate, grabbed a bath, and camped out at a primitive site. The other camper had an RV and had the generator thumping all night. So much for falling asleep to the sound of creek water flowing.

    

School is out

   An odd scenario that I am becoming all too familiar with is urban car sleeping. I still become uneasy when picking a spot but it matters less and less each time. I pulled into a spot last night after searching for a dispersed campsite. It was midnight and I was driving parallel to the river. The sites i found were taken, from what i could see,  short of walking up to them. Possibly scaring those attempting to sleep.

     I woke up to the sound of a car door close as the sound of footsteps becoming faint. I sat up and had vehicles surrounding me,  but I slept through it.

     I shoved a couple granola bars into the pit of despair I call my stomach. The growls roar and can't fill it unless I cook two meals.

     I quickly checked out the river. The usual passage of turning the GPS on, waiting for the signal, and plugging in the destination commenced. It's almost comforting once I begin.

     Six hours later and I arrive at a closed visitor center at the Picture Cliffs National Lakeshore, MI. A terribly boring drive. Wisconsin is as flat as Minnesota. No fun roads have been encountered for the last few days.

     I got to the area and decided to find a campsite. Six hours is enough for the day. Finished reading "The Short Drop" by Matthew Fitzsimmons. Meh, a three star rating could be used. The reading of Hunter S. never dissapoint though. Laying here about to sleep as the sun hasn't even set.

     I'd say I'm homesick,  but I don't know if I really am. I miss everyone, but its a normal feeling. I miss nothing of the location. The longing to ride the moto and hug Sage however are not. Hah, the bachelor life is tough...right.

     I touched, for the first time, a great lake. The water cool. The sight cool. The air cool. Skipping rocks at Lake Superior can be checked off.

Fast food, ehh

     Past few days have been quickly paced. An iissue arose with the car. Got that solved but it put me a day behind. I was in Bismark ND. I caved and bought a hotel room. First lodging expense of the trip!

      I checked out the state library and the heritage center. Both very cool places to check out.

     I checked out Theodore Roosevelt National Park and made the all night drive to get close to the next one.

     Slept in a parking lot, then later in a picnic area of a national forest. Im exhausted.

     Today I was at the Voyagures National Park in Minnesota. I couldnt get to the peninsula because I didnt have a canoe or boat. I did hike along a trail totalling 2.9 miles. The mosquitoes are back. I havent had issues in weeks! Ahh.

     Heading into Wisconsin for the night and to check out a National Scenic River tomorrow.

     The days are long but fast.

Day of sights

     I covered three different protected lands by the NPS today. A long day indeed: Devils Tower, Mount Rushmore, and The Badlands.

     What a cool day. Devils tower is flat out cool. The native americans have issue with those who climb it. As it is a part of their past and held sacred to its meaningful history. Of course we dont give a shit and continue to defy them. So odd that they have a prarie dog area near the tower. Those buggers were everywhere. Goofy looking little things.

     Mount Rushmore was cool. I didn't have a lot of interest prior to arriving, but the history of how it was built was cool to learn about. They had a walkway of all the state flags. Ive been wanting to get a PA flag for years. Watched the movie as well as checked out the exhibits and found out how much work goes into maintaining the formation.

     The Badlands is an awesome area. They had some cool fosils in the visitor center that had been found at the park. Cool short hikes. I hiked the "Notch" trail which was a mile loop. It had a narrow pass, ladder, and scenic viewpoint. I hiked another trail but I didint write down the name. That was short but cool. Its right off of I-90 and should not be skipped if youre in the area.

     Ive grown fond of the smaller parks. The big ones have too much tourism that really kills it for me. Im here for the nature not to look at stores surrounding it with a mall like feeling, I digress.

      Tonight I pulled off to a lake recreation area. Its too dark and I looked for like 20 minutes for a camp site but couldnt find one. Just going to sleep in an open area, seems good enough. No one around for miles. Pretty sure a coyote passed infront of me while driving up. Larger than a fox, but just as quick.

     I need a shower badly.

Devils Tower

     For half the trip one thought that keeps reoccuring are the names of certain areas. Specifically the use of the word "devil" or "hell". Ive seen "Devils Backbone"; " Devils Tower"; " Hells Gultch"; "Devils camp", as some examples. However I have not see anything related to the opposite faction, if you will, nothing called "Angels Halo"; " Gods Hand" for names of peaks or trails. I wonder why that is? Ive seen "enchanted" but nothing relating to the heavens. Interestingly enough it may be that because of translations, although the trail names would be excluded from that. Native American translations refer to nature more or less iw what I'm getting at.

     Anyway, I hiked the "Red River Beds" trail that was of moderate difficulty according to NPS. A 2.8 mile trail. Cool trail. They have a section of Prarie dogs popping out everywhere! No bears here, woo!

     Time to head to Mount Rushmore!

Geysers

     Only after a few miles of entering the Yellowstone NP did I see cool wildlife. A few bison laying close to the road. A ton of cars were pulled over and people just blocking access...pfft tourists *cough*.

     Another 15 minutes passed and I came upon another group of them this time I got out and snapped a few pictures.

     Just driving around not having looked at the park map yet and I saw a sign "Old Faithful". Yep. I just found my goal for thr day. I stopped along the way at painted fountains area. Lots of cool geysers and other types of geothermal anomalies.

     After checking out old faithful I just decided to drive around to see where that would take me. I wouldn't be hiking because of the off and on rain with a lower temperature and higher elevation. Too many ways for something to go wrong.

     I came out of the main Lake attraction and saw a youngman with a cardboard sign. So, I gave him a lift. I got out, greeted, and moved all my stuff in the backseat over. I had too many things in the front.

     A cool guy. He apparently worked in Yellowstone and we seemed to bond over the next 15-20 minutes. Had a lot in common. He told me of a story or two, about the area, and a little background of himself. We parted ways and I drove towards the East entrance..to exit. I had checked out a couple of visitor centers within the park. Not really much else that spoke to me. I'm here to wander and hike.

     The east entrance was distinctly different from the west entrance. Large mountains spanning at least 9k in elevation created a twisty road, my favorite. The temperature dropped even more as the car struggled to climb.

     When exiting the park I had decided to head towards the next destination. Having plans a few days in advance makes me want to get to the next area. I'm not sure if it's excitement or anxiety that pushes me on. Ive become a road stallion.

     The Bighorn National Forest had a cool section of roaf I enjoyed playing with the gears on. After about 5 hours of driving I felt no fatigue. I took a break anyway to get my mind off the striped lines.

Odometer Noooo

     I accidently reset the odometer. Damnit. Damnit...damnit.

     I slept without issue last night as my plan worked, mwhahah. Rose early and was the first one on the trail. After seeing about five NPS posters warning of bears I became nervous. One sign said "never hike alone". Thanks sign, thats reassuring.   Grocery list item added, bear mace.

     Anyway I hiked up the "trail of cedars" and continued onto the "Avalance Lake" trail. About a 5 mile hike in total. Elevation gain 500 feet. Not a hard hike but it did reward. The lake was phenomenal. Truly breathtaking.

     I met Bret, a gentleman out on his own adventure. We talked for quite a while and even exhanged numbers. Was keen to show me some cool spots around his living area back in Oregon. The westerners really love the outdoors. I may have to join them.

    I stopped at a picnic site in the park and ate lunch, yum. As you may of guessed lots of roads closed here due to snow.  I'm upbeat and in the mood to take on some roads. Yellowstone here I come.

Glacier

     Arrived at the Glacier National Park in Montana . I destroyed a sandwich and some granola bars. I didnt expect the trip to take as long as it did. Anyway, its already after 2pm. Wait...no 3pm. I passed a time zone!

     This park deserves an all day exploration. A few hour sample won't cut it. 

      They have quick wifi at this visitor center, which is cool. I'llbe able to upload some pictures.

     The thought of finding a place to camp early on because it is Saturday came to mind. Hopping back into the car to backtrack 30 minutes to a National Park site was a learning experience.

     As I turned off the highway to the National forest access road the signage made me uneasy. It read something like "Bear food storage required". Not good, not good at all. This is the real deal. Not pansy timid black bears. This sign was, in my opinion, a path to keeping it real; forest edition.

     I drove around contemplating whether or not to risk it. I only found a couple of campsites while driving along the rocky path. I decided to backout. When the decision was made the tight space to turn the car was a challenge. Almost over the edge of about a 20 foot drop. Mmm, burned clutch smell with a hint of "holy shit". 

     Why bail? mainly because I have a small bear container meant for backpacking. I hear those grizzlies can smell a food wrapper from a distance. Me bundled up in my mummy bag may be the best treat the lucky bear finds; the taste of human. Sprinkle some salt on myself before going to sleep to satisfy the bear. I'm not a gun maniac, but a mounted 12 gauge on the roof would bring a peaceful mind, 'Merica.

     Time to work on my resume. Under the skills section I can hopefully add "hiding in plain sight". All my schooling ( and..other experiences of course ) has granted me limited sight into what an officer/ranger looks for. That diploma finally paying its worth, maybe.

     Highway driving is taking its toll. At 10,000 miles in I grow bored of pavement. A testament to the enourmous ammount of work that went in to creating the US road system.

I-5 interstate champion

     I had a great time with the family. We went out to eat, explored, and chilled.

      A couple days of getting rest did wonders. I explored the beach, Cabrillo National Monument, USS Midway , In and Out (haha), and various other areas.

      Seeing the family was needed. Watching the kids play and having a sleeping buddy (Burt) helped take the fatigue away.

      It's always sad leaving, but I had to be there for me to be sad, so It's a good thing!

     I made the decision to grind out miles. I ended up driving from San Diego to the Plumas National Forest near Orobillo, CA. An estimated 600 mile day. The trip up was 90% dull, 10% fun. The Plumas area was gorgeous. I didn't bother setting up camp due to arriving at the campsite around 9pm. I slept at the featherfall trailhead. The town of Orobillo seemed like a cool place to walk around.

     The next day I headed to the Lassen Volcanic National Park. The ride up was a few hours, but hanging out in the park was short. A lot of the park roads were closed due to snow. Something I should have predicted. I checked out the visitor center and tried my luck by driving another 1hr45min to the Northern entrance, which had roughly 10 miles of road before it was closed. I didnt even bother going back into the park. I couldnt hike any trails and getting any decent pictures seemed out of reach.

     I drove into Oregon and reached the campsite, which was closed. The campsite was up a large mountain not too far from the Oregon/California border. I just ended crashing in the car outside the locked gates. I had driven roughly 1000 miles in two days and wasnt looking for another place.

     Woke early as usual and turned on the GPS. The GPS is acting funny lately. Just a few more weeks buddy. You can make it!

     Crater Lake National Park, if you can guess, has the same problem with closed roads due to snow. Only 8 miles of roads within the park were opened. Although they had a section of road opened for bicyclists, hikers, and dog walkers. Not my cup of tea. The one view I had from the lake is cool. Apparently this was once a volcano 7700 years ago. It erupted and collapsed. With the annual snowfall of 44 feet, in the area, the melt eventually filled the basin. A deep blue color contrast with the snow laying upon the rocks is a sight to see.

     The book I have does not list anymore national protected lands within Oregon (book does not include forests).

     I stayed in a National Forest last night in Oregon. I shouldve written it down because I completely forget the name of it. Anyway I woke up at 2am to my cooking pot being tampered with. I scared away whatever creature was causing the issue but the bugger kept coming back. I ended up just leaving the area at 3am because I couldnt fall back to sleep.

     Mt. Rainer National Park, WA. Cool as hell. The mountain can be seen from miles way. Miles upon miles. Sitting at a little over 14k feet the structure towers over everything in the area. I hiked the crater falls trail about 3-4 miles total. Checked out the visitor center and am headed towards Montanna.

     I couldnt pump my own gas in Oregon. Didnt know that wasnt a self serve state, haha. Washington and Oregon are beautiful states. I forget to stop driving to take pictures. I have so few of the areas.

Pacific Coast

     Well, I've made it to the Golden State. Yesterday I rose from slumber in the Hotel Subaru from a "mooo". A few cows standing within 50ft of the car decided it was a good time to talk amongst themselves. I threw a couple "moo's" back their way to show my dissatisfaction of their language. No need for that that early on.

   I stayed in the Mojave Natural Preserve, CA. A primitive site with a trail right next too it. The previous night I walked along the "Rim Loop Trail" and it was cool. A section had loop rings to use for climbing up a small section of rocks.

     Once leaving the preserve I went to Joshua Tree National Park, CA. A cool place that wasn't cool. It was hot. I checked out the exhibits and decided on a place to explore.  The "Mastadon Peak Loop Trail" an easy enough 3 mile trail that led up to a peak. The problem was dealing with the 90+ degree heat. The last week or so I had come from waking up in the frost or snow to now hiking in the heat.

   "Why would anyone preserve this wasteland of heat?" Is what I asked myself. Many others must've said the same thing. However, the area is living. Such an abundance of creatures and plants that have adapted to the area. We could learn a thing or two from how the animals conserve resources.

     After my hike I decided to head on uo to San Diego to visit Uncle Mike and family. A few days of relaxing on the beach should be refreshing.

     

" COWS NEXT 15 MILES"

      The West has some peculiar singnage. As well as " Caution steep, curves, next 85 miles"

     Another cold morning to wake up in. Id rather wake in the cold than the hot though. Pulled off the road to catch some Z's in the Dixie National Forest.

   Today I  checked out the Bryce National Park as well as Zion national park. Bryce had some good hiking trails and scenic viewpoints, but I just wasn't in the mood to hike. I checked out the vistas. The exhibits were closed, which bothered me quite a bit. How am I going to know what to look for while exploring when I have no idea what to look for?

     I got down to Zion East entrance and the park was packed. The 14 mile trekk to the visitor center took well over an hour. The sites from the car were good enough for me at this point. The mood fell worse as I got to the visitor center and a sign reads "park in Springvale" ..really? I have to walk a couple of miles just to check out the visitor center? Oh they have a shuttle..that I have to wait for with all the traffic.

     So, I resupplied from the grocery store. Then went and ate at a local diner. After eating I promtly left the area to venture somewhere less crowded.

    I had planned to spend the entire day there. At the moment I am just trying to make plans for the next few days.

     Highway 12 was a great route. I fear routes like those will become scarce in the next couple of weeks of the journey. I don't want a repeat of the last road trip. Day upon day of traveling on flat roads with nothing but corn and barns (on the way back from CA).

Natural Bridge Monument

April 30, 2016.

     Waking up to a car completely frosted over only pleases me due to my decision to sleep in the car. I found a camp site right off the road in the San Juan National Forest, CO. Bringing the 20 degree sleeping bag was a great decision. I've used it enough times to justify lugging it around.

     I was too cold and my body too creaky to start up the stove to warm up breakfast. Drinking water to suppress the hunger for another halfhour was my choice.
    
     After the car warmed up I left to visit the much anticipated Mesa Verde National Park. Nothing beats a long road day like a short one. The park was only 20 minutes away.

     The usual checking out the visitor center, grabbing a brochure, and chatting with a couple rangers commenced. I traveled to the musem on the opposite side of the park. Wfter checking the exhibits out for a while I then headed for a 6 mile loop in which you could get out and check out the vistas/sites. The area, history, and scenery lived up to the hype.

     After only few hours I had finished what I wanted to check out from the park. I grabbed a brunch PB &Nutella sandwhich. Pointing my finger towards the Natural Bridges National Monument I decided to take a drive. Only a few hours away and leaving Colorado I entered Utah.

     Last time I was here I was in awe from the large monolith natural walls that surrounded the nearby highway. I checked out Moab and was happy about it. This time I would be checking out a few more places, since Utah is abundant with naturally protected areas.

     Once I arrived and checked out the visitor cente I was kind of let down. They had onlu three bridges and it would take maybe an hour to check them all out by vista. The mood changed when I checked out the first bridge. They had a trail that went to the river. Only .6 mi down? That should not take me the suggested time of 1.5hrs as the sign states.

     It took an hour, haha. The trail was steep and it made looking up at the bridge from the bottom that much more satisfying. The view was cool, but Ill admit I enjoyed the hike more. The trail was maintained, but had pipes sticking out of rocks to help guide your way down some sections. Pipes and..my favorite...ladders. The ladders were neat. I couldnt get over using a wooden ladder as a part of a hike (get it..wordplay..). The way back up was exhausting and I had to take a few breathers.

     After that display of fun I checked out the other two bridges. This time I didnt downplay trails and decided to just check out the viewpoints. If it wasn't as late in the day I would have done one more trail.

     A short road day indeed. My destination to camp was right next door I found out. At the National Forest adjacent to the Natural Monument area. I drove down a muddy road snd found a site. These western states make it easy to find a gorgeous and free way to camp. The sun is making its way to set, but the large rock mountain will be blocking the rays out much sooner than the horizon. The site is muddy, but if thats the only problem of the day I am ok with it.

May 1st 2016

     Today I drove from the Natural Bridges Natural Monument area to the Capitol Reef National Park. The park was cool, but the weather is still bad. Dealing with rain and snow off and on with possibilities of thunderstorms for a few days.

     The park was cool, but the drive along highway 95 was awe inspiring. After a while along 95 I forgot a had a soundtrack for the moment. I pulled over to the side of the road and put "Scale the Summit - Carving Desert Canyons" album in. The drive was nothing like the last time I was in Utah.

     At an overlook I walked up to read the information on a board. The person in front of me near the cliffs edge turned around and asked "Amazing, isnt it?". I relplied "Not sure if that word describes it". He laughed and said, " Yeah, I dont think any word can describe it" to which I agreed. Unreal is the closest term in my vocabulary that best describes it.

     I'm sitting in a visitor center uploading a bunch of pictures. I will probably hangout here until they are all up, which will be a while. Hangin out listening to the gentlmen that works here tell his experiences of the area to all of the visitors coming in. Which is cool as well.

Durango, Co

    (April 29) I had went to the dunes yesterday, but decided not to back country camp due to the incliment weather. I decided to just hop in the car and drive west towards the next destination. Hoping that I would come across a campground. It is colorado after all. An hour or two later I did come across the Rio Grande National Forest.

     I found a primitive campground just a few miles from where I was (just outside South Fork). The site was cool and the weather there was also not the best with a few inches of snowfall predicted. Still better than the thunderstorm possibility.

      I started getting ready after a long sleep and found myself moving slowly due to soreness. Then I decided to make a day of visiting Durango, CO. Do some wash, grab groceries, and explore. I'm sitting in a laundry mat that claims to have wifi but doesn't, erm. At least I have decent cell service and can post a couple of blog entries.

     The drive this morning was hazardous. Climbing and decending mountains with snow, lack of visibility, and steep grades led to an exciting morning. As usual the car handled the conditions well. The drive was along highway 160 and the views were fantastic.

    I plan on camping close by and just have to find a site. Then tomorrow I'll head to Mesa. A back woods shower is due.

Bandelier

     I arrived at the Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico (April 27). Earlier in the day I drove through Sante Fe. I picked up a new rim and all new tires. AWD does have a downfall afterall. Afterwards I asked the gentleman who put the tires on of a good local place for some grub. I went to the suggested place El Parasol. I picked up a few tacos and boy he wasnt kidding. They were great.

     After goofing off around the city for a while I went up to the park. Unfortunately, I did not charge my phone and only have a short video of my camp. I got a permit and back country camped. I hiked up to the Frijoled Rim and stayed along it for a few miles. I found some broken clay pottery with designs near my camp. I took them to a ranger and he said I shouldnt have left them. I mean I crushed a few of the pieces because they blended into the rock/gravel in the area. I just wanted to preserve them, but I get the point.

    I startled a fellow hiker as I came around a bend. We talked for a little. He was from the good ol' Hawaii and had been hiking all day. He said he hadn't seen anyone all day (8hrs or so). Oddly, there were tons of people down at the visitor center. I guess everyone is just kinda passing through like I normally do.

    I recommend gooling pictures from the area.

     I woke up, made some oatmeal, and headed back to the car earlier this morning (April 28). Decided to head out to CO. The drive was only a few hours to the Dunes!

     The Great Sand Dunes National Park is cool. I checked out the visitor center, as usual, but this time watched one of the 20 min videos. I wanted to back country camp like last night but the weather called for possible thunderstorms, 70% of snow, and upper 20's in temperature. Not the ideal conditions for a good time. That and the South didnt prepare me for this with all of their flat trails.

     I climbed up and around the dunes for a couple of hours. Exhausting would be the word to describe it. Absolutely stunning would be the phrase. I took a great panoramic shot as well as a couple of videos this time around. I just have to find some wifi to post them. The dunes look so out of place at this high of an elevation with a large mountain range backdrop. Strange to say the least.

     When coming up to the dunes you could see people the size of a bug nesr the tops. I started my way up and quickly found it would be a feat to get as high as they are. Traversing the sand was more difficult than I had thought. I got to the top of one of the dunes and was feeling the pressure of the height. My hands were numb, my face was cold, and the sand hurt. The wind would throw the sand I would guess 25-35mph gusts, ouch. As I was on my way down I saw a lightning strike within a couple of miles and made it my duty to get back to the car.

    A cool place to visit but it's either for hardcore 4x4 vechicles with camping, or for the day to just summit a dune. Nothing else really to do. They have a couple of easy hikes, but they are extremely short. The map makes it look like the average person only sees like 15% of the area to the 4x4 driver can get to the other 85% (if they hike too).

Urban Primitive Site

     One of the tires was fixed a couple of days ago and I went on my way. I didn't want to wait around any longer. The company that helped me with the tire was absolutely awesome. Turns out they dont fix tires/rims, but they were generous enough to drive me around to places that would. A few hours later I had a new tire and a fixed rim. The even put the tire back on. They didn't charge me a dime. A shout out to Sean from Pittstop (auto technician) in Shawnee. A good review coming their way soon enough.

     I drove to the Black Kettle National Grasslands near the Texas border. A lake wss present and had a few locals out fishing on it. I put the hammock up and had a good nights rest.

     Yesterday (26th) I drove to Lake Meredith Recreation Area, TX. I planned on camping out but the wonderlust got the best of me. A really cool place, almost like a mini grand canyon. The scenery was stellar as well as the local who helped me find my way around. I stayed to eat lunch and dinner as well as to wait out a storm passing through. I went to hike the devils canyon trail, but the native told me not to hike it if it was overgrown because of rattlesnakes. It was overgrown so I heeded his advice. I did hear things rattling when I walked along it for a 1/10 of a mile, but I'm not sure if that was just my mind exaggerating the situation.

     After hanging out for 4-5 hours I started the journey into New Mexico. I rid make it and was feeling sleepy while driving so I ended up using an urban campsite, a rest stop. No one bothered me and I slept well. Except the temperature, when waking up it was in the low 40's, brrr.

     Going into a city later and plan on getting my other rim fixed and a new tire slapped on it. The mechanics said to get all new tires because it will mess with the AWD system, I may just do that.

A Wild Book Appears!

     I slept while sitting next to someone I've known for only a few minutes. Exhausted from the previous day I notified AAA to come tow me to a larger town. I did this to have more resources to fix the car as well as having something to do during the day instead of letting it go to waste.

     The drive was a couple of hours but I only remember a few minutes of it. After unloading the car I backed it into a spot. Much more inconspicuous compared with the previous spot.

     I called home and spoke with my Mom for a bit because I had a solid 24hrs to burn. I decided going to a local food joint for breakfast wouldn't hurt the bank, so I did just that. Sunny Side Up it was called and the accents around this part are not as pronounced. The bus boy was wearing cowboy boots while working. I guess they don't believe in non slip shoes at that place.

     Anyway I checked out the locak park that had a vetran memorial. I walked around the city and most of the shops were closed up. Luckily the public library opened at one, so I could at least burn a couple of hours there. It's been a while. Sn interesting note is that when the doors opened the place was flooded with homeless individials scrambling for a computer. The new standard of living, right?

     I read a new book and got about 50 pages in before the build up led to spmething undesired. Time for the next one. Also, why was I never aware of National Geographic magazine collections? Where have I been. They have large volumes dating back to 1920.

     After reading for a bit longer I am going to part ways with the library and venture to a cinema. Hopefully that will be opened and I can catch a movie.

     I started reading "Caffeinated how our daily habit helps, hurts, snd hooks us" by Megan Carpenter. It has a hook introduction and it seems worth to check out if you're interested in reading an anthropological/journalism type of book.

     What to what to do.

Two for the Money

April 23, 2016

     With the good comes the bad. Long day of driving, roughly 8hrs of driving and about 1 hr for breaks (~300 miles). I am within 2 miles of a campsite and nail a huge pot hole. I slow the car down and can hear air pouring out of the rear passenger tire.

     I take out the spare and replace.  I refilled the spare with air before leaving home, and was happy to see it still retained enough air. No harm no foul lets keep driving on.

     All is well..well no. I drive 20ft or so away and notice something else. The front tire is losing air. I am within several miles to the nearest town, so thats good. On goes the hazard lights and the slow drive to a shop begins, but this is a small town. All the auto tire repair shops are closed and won't open until Monday. Literally all of them within a half hour radius.

     The front tire did go flat as well, so I'm not going anywhere. Glad I got here before it went completely flat.

     The one rim has pretty good damage to it and the other seems ok, but I cant tell for sure unless I prop the car back up. I do have time on my hands at this point.

     The town has one motel, hah feels like home. That pothole was massive and I'm hoping no damage to the suspension took place.

     Isn't this the scenario to start a new life in a town? Seems like the perfect way to do so. This town doesn't seem to have a homless person....oh, I can change that, squatters beware. Wait I just saw a scraggly dog...this is my turf now.
    
     I've never had a flat before, but two at the same time?

Update: Its 3am on Sunday here and I woke up to three Sheriffs asking me to get out of the car. Guess I wasn't hiding in plain sight. They were cool about it and left me on my way while offering some advice. I mean, the car is stuck. It's a weekend.  I'll call AAA in a couple hours and see if they know something I don't.

Buffalo National River

     The previous post didn't seem to work for whatever reason. Tech problems are hard to solve when you need to find wifi, hah.

     I drove from Natchez Parkway to the Buffalo River, Arkansas. About 45 minutes from the site the scenery changed from flatlands to mountain. The roads became fast, twisty, as well as the drivers. An absolute blast. The road that led to the primitive camp site was steep and rock/dirt. The subaru handled it well.

     As I stepped out of the car I was greeted by two gentleman, Keith snd Jimmy. A few minutes later they dully befriended me offering me a beer and asking if I would like to go fishing. I said I'd go along, but no fishing (not my thing). I followed them down the beach onto a rock channel in the river. The views were great and the guys were cool.

     When I came back to the site after exploring Jimmy asked if I wanted cheese. I turn around to see them grilling burgers and reply "you bet". After hanging out for a while I decided to wash in the river.

     I took a short hike a couple hours later and the trail was cool from what I saw of it. Trail was called the BRT, which im assuming is the Buffalo River Trail. When I got back to camp I had another beer with the guys and finally went to sleep after a long day.

     Today (April 23) I said goodbye to the guys, left the site, and headed towards Chickasaw National Recreation Area in OK. I'm sitting just inside the border of Oklahoma taking a needed break. Crackers and cheese and a good stretch. My allergies have been bothering me the last couple of days.

   

Timelapse of the parkway

https://youtu.be/z-HQ5WhWoHo

Arkansas

     Today, April 22, I am headed to the Buffalo National River in Arkansas. I purchased a National parks camping guide yesterday and am happy I did. I would have never found out about many of the places listed using google maps searching for spots.

     Mississippi is just as lush as Alabama. Both states have a red/orange tint to some of their dirt, which is cool. Among the Mississipi grass is a red flower or weed that makes the views distinct.

    The Natchez parkway was neat and I completed about 70 miles of it. I stayed at Jeff Busby camping area. Went on a short 1-2 mile hike up "Little Mountain". The camping was free. So far I have not paid for lodging, which is a goal for the trip. I met a man from Australia on his way back with his wife from Mexico (4 week trip). I also met Ian, the camp host, and he was a cool guy to talk to. He gave me some information and what else to look out for among the parkway.

Couldn't resist

     The plan for the day(thursday April 21) was to head into Mississippi and check out the Holly Springs National Forest. That plan changed a short while before arriving. I passed a brown sign stating, " Natchez Trace Parkway", so I took a peek.

     A couple hours later and I am sitting on a wooden picnic table at a campsite along side the parkway. It's a stretch of 444 miles from Nashville, TN to southern Mississippi. I entered the parkway at approximately 265 miles.  I started to head North but I decided going South was a better idea since I would be backtracking.

Vroom

     Yesterday Tony and I drove along the west coast of Florida along a highway scenic route of the gulf of Mexico. We passed through beach town after beach town for hours.

     After driving for about eight hours we were somewhat close to Jackson, AL. We pulled into a park "Old Lock One". The sign stated it was one of two locks left in the area. It was renovated in the early 2000's. They had lantern holders near their picnic tables.

     I walked along a dirt road that had a fence blocking the way to a vehicle. The area had a house with a padlock. The sign I read earlier said that they had a camp host. I'm assuming this is where the host would stay. They had a whiteboard with a rough drawing of paths. This is where we were supposed to be camping.

     Unfortunately Anthony received bad news and had to cut the trip short, family emergency. We drove for the next four hours or so until reaching Atlanta, GA to catch a plane back home.

     We said our goodbyes and I headed back west to find a place to crash. I drove for a couple of hours and found a rough road in the Talladega National Forest at 2:30am. I decided to take it and it put the Subaru through its paces. The road was meant for SUV's but I wasnt on it for long.

     After getting a few hours sleep I woke up today and decided to keep heading west. I'm sitting at a Mississippi visitor center, which is one of the best I've come across.

     Alabama has great nature scenes to it. Not at all what I was expecting. It's lush with green surrounding you at all times. The US highways were fun to drive with hills and turns. I must admit I'm impressed.

     Lets see what Mississipi is all about. We're going to keep this trip going as long as I can. I hope to see Anthony back soon.

13hr day

      We camped in the Everglades. We drove.. a lot yesterday. 8am to 9pm we drove from the Everglades to the Apalachicola National Forest area. Along the way we stopped at the Big Cypress area. We watched a few alligators swimming and lounging within 10 -20ft.

     We almost got stuck in an area but the AWD proved to be useful. Now we know for sure it works. Being on an unnamed dirt road getting stuck wouldve put a damper on the night.

     We looked around for a campsite for way too long. We ended up being on the wrong side of the river. Being exhausted from the long haul we just hid in the state forest area.

     The area isn't crawling with mosquitoes though. I made breakfast with only having to kill a couple this morning.

     Currently we're using an open wifi spot and making plans for the day. Most likely heading in to Alabama to find a site.

    

Key West

     Went down to key west last night. Our camping spot fell through and we had to improvise.  Tony ended up camping as I used the Motel Subaru. Nice accommodations, good view, and even a moonroof to look at the sky...

     We woke and headed to the beach for a couple hours. Key west is gorgeous. If you say things like, "I like beaches" then you're in luck, hah. The water was clear and the surf was light.

     The drive was very cool and the towns were nice. A few state parks were on the route but we decided to pass them up. I read that there is a ferry that will take you to an island. If you bring a canoe you can camp at a primitive site around that island, for a fee of course (+$200). Paying that much to sleel on the ground is...too much.

     After hanging out in Key West last night as well as a few hours today we left. Went to the Everglade National Park which was right next door. Cool area, but not what either of us was expecting. We were going to camp but figured out the hard way this is mosquitoe territory. Have bug spray? Sure. It helps for about 5 minutes. Want to wear long clothing to deter? Its 80+ degrees. We went for a short couple mile hike and cut it short after a few minutes.

Miami

Welcome to Miami. I slept in the car last night and tony camped out. We got t to the wildlife management area at 11:30pm and didn't make it in time before the gates locked.  We stayed close by camping out next door where we shouldn't really have, hah.

Tony drove this morning getting us to the Miami Beach by 11am. We lounged around for a few hours in the sand and went for a dip.  The water was warm.  The sun was around and we were trying not to fry our  winter PA skin. It feels hot,  but its  80 degrees. I'm melting. Water?

We drove through downtown Miami. It was pretty neat. Saw a few cruise ships at port. Felt like rolling vice style and buying some neon for the Subaru.

Stopping into a target and getting some groceries.

Make sure to keep checking out the link on the right of this page. You may have to copy and paste into the URL.

Dragon

Stopped in and ate at a place called The Chromatic Dragon. We got some gamer named food, The Malfegor ( from a popular card game), and played a little Mario Kart after we ate. It was a a cool place to check out if you're into that sort of thing.

Thinking about heading South for the night, but not too sure. Hmm.

Tybee beach, GA

     Checking out the beach in Northern Georgia. It's cloudy and very windy. We lasted about 20 minutes on the sand. We went hiking earlier through the Francis Forest we stayed in yesterday for a couple hours and decided to head South.

     We will be meeting up with Tonys friend, Kay, in Savanah, GA this evening.

The trail we hiked in the forest had burned sections which led to scorched panoramas. I put together a short time lapse of walking through a section of the trail. The scenery went from green to black repeatedly.

Update: we went out on the town and tried a local burger place, which was delicious. We had also went out to an irish type oub which was cool as well. I may have had too many drinks and quietly sang the zephyr song karaoke style. Tony had sung a few songs as well, it was a good time. Savanah city has an open bottle drinking law where you can drink in public near certain areas, which is weird to see in action.

Woodbury WMA

    We drove into the Woodbury wildlife management area, SC, at around 11pm. It was pitch black. Started off getting of a paved road and onto a dirt one. Less than 30 seconds and we come upon a cemetery.  To top it off the past half hour had been driving through thick fog.

      It seemed sketchy at best. After a half hour driving along a dirt road we found a board listing some information about the area. Except why we were there...to camp and hike. We ended up just pulling off of one of the dirt side roads and setting up camp.

     So far today we headed down to the Francis Marion ranger station just a couple hours away from Woodbury WMA. Got some information.

We bought some food..and well a six pack because hey...why not?

     We arrived at the Elmwood campsite within Francis Marion forest. Time to use the grill.

Trouble commenting?

It was brought to my attention that a few followers are having trouble commenting. You have to make a Google account. If you do not wish to do so you are more than welcome to call or text me. Head over to google.com and look around the top right of the website. There should be a "sign in" or similar function, click that. There should be a way to create an account around there. Just follow the prompts as they appear.

SC?

     After sleeping on the beach we woke up and started packing up to move on to the next location. We're still in the mood to push South for better weather. Today its in the 70's which is much better than the upper teens just a few days ago.

     Thinking of heading down into South Carolina. Currently Tony is out getting supplies while I sit at the local McD's to use their wifi. It's raining down here and the both of us aren't in the mood to hike.

     Last night we swam in the river and cooked on the open fire. Still have yet to use the portable grill we brought along. The small hiking stoves are just too convenient.

Heres a short video of it about to become a one person adventure...
https://youtu.be/R_PUVH9Mxt4

     Update: well we just finished checking out Fort Macon along with the beach area and nature trail.

Croatan National Forest

The day started off better than the last. Waking up in the 30's instead of the teens was nice.

     We drove out of Shenandoah and looked for another spot to explore. After looking for a few minutes we decided to try out the Croatan National Forest.

     After about 6 hours of driving we finally found a spot...

While looking for the area we kinda got a little lost in the game lands. I will be able to post a video of that when I can use wifi.

Teens

We slid into our tents last night after quickly downing our dinners. It was too cold to sit around. From the few minutes we had the sky looked gorgeous. Little light pollution is a good thing.

Used the new tent for the first time and it ended up working well. Its definitely not meant for cold weather, maybe 35+ with a good sleeping bag. We set up camp with a little sun at 27 degrees. We woke up with the temperature in the upper teens. I thought it was warmer down south?

Plans for the day are to cruise the skyline and check out some local happenings in the park.

Shenandoah

Made our way up to Shenandoah national park today. We entered through the most northern point and started to drive on Skyline Drive.

Just a few miles in and we were left with this view (see picuture below). Now we are looking for a cool camp site.

The bad news is we already have a check engine light come on. What luck.

DC

This time around we will be off to hike/road trip throughout the US. A 2003 Subaru Forester with 179k miles will be our vessel. 

The past couple of weeks have been spent getting everything in order. A part of yesterday was spent frantically running around pulling everything together.

What a better way to start off a national trip than to visit Arlington, VA. We drove down to visit a few of Tonys family members. Grabbed some local food,  had a few drinks, and hungout.

Plans? We have none.

When?  Now with no end date in sight.

Set your clocks. Spring is here.

     I have been messing around with the layout of the page. So, it will look different from the last time you were here.

     I have been hitting the gym and working on my knee for the past month or so, with good results. Cardio is improving as well as my knee. I can hike, slowly, on it for a few hours with no problems. Riding a stationary bicycle is absolutely boring.

    Well, I am excited to announce there will be an adventure starting within the next couple of weeks. We have no specific plans and are just going to throw everything together and leave. Further information leading up to departure will be hidden until that day, whichever it may be.

    I am still on the fence about splurging on a camera. My phone (Samsung Galaxy s4) camera still impresses me with its ability, but it doesn’t compare to a decent camera. However, I am no photographer. The newer generation smart phones may even be at that point of being a true all in one device. Also, the blog seems to compress the photos to a smaller size, which is worse quality. I have been looking into a resolution (pun intended). On the right hand side of the blog a header "Picture Albums" is present. This links to a flickr account.

     At the moment the Flickr site allows me to edit photos, upload full resolution photographs, and massive storage of 1TB, and is a simplistic layout. The benefits allow me to be able to upload higher quality photos, and make it easier for me to edit those photos. Unfortunately Flickr has ads that show up while clicking through the photos. There are ways to get around the ads. If you sign up and make an account you can download any photo to do with whatever you choose. I believe I can break the albums up into a few different groups with different tastes. Why? frankly so you have a little bit more freedom in which you want to look at. Plus, humans love categorizing things, right?


     Click on the link on the right hand side of the blog and test it out. I can upload a video of how to access basic functions of the blog and the Flickr site if requested.