07/27/2010 – 07/28/2010 – Lassen Volcanic National Park and Death Valley National Park

Before our trip began, neither one of us had even heard of Lassen Volcanic National Park.  It’s one of the lesser known parks in Northern, Central California.  As we were trying to figure out how we were going to get back down south to some of the other parks we wanted to visit, we spotted [...]

07/26/2010 – 07/27/2010 – Redwood National Park

Editor’s Note:  This is a continuing series of posts, in an attempt to record the experiences and details of a Great West Tour:2010 traveled by Kelli and me.  Redwood National Park is a little bit different than any of the other National Parks that I’ve visited in that the park is jointly managed by the [...]

07/25/2010 – Up the Coast

Having taken in a couple of days of the sleeping in hotels or our friends’ apartment, it was time to head back out on the open road.  Up next, we planned to drive up the coast on Highway 1, stopping whenever we saw something interesting, and eventually making it to the Redwood forests of Northern [...]

07/23/2010 – Toward San Francisco (the Scenic Route)

We definitely felt much refreshed after being able to take proper showers and sleep in an actual bed.  With spending a week in tents and the outdoors, we were ready for a little bit of city life as a break.  So, we planned to meet up with our friends Katie and Gabe.  They’re friends of [...]

07/22/2010 – Down in the Valley

Having completed our goals of reaching the top of both Clouds Rest and Half Dome, and a little too intimidated to hike back to the Tenaya Lake trail head (mostly uphill from where we were at the Little Yosemite campground), we decided that the best course of action was to continue southwest and head to [...]

07/21/2010 – A Full Day in the Wilderness

Everyone who goes backpacking in the wilderness of Yosemite National Park is required to carry a bear canister.  If you do not have one, they will rent you one for about $5 dollars (if I can remember correctly).  You must place everything which has a smell associated with it in the can at night, and [...]

07/20/2010 – Heading Out to Clouds Rest, and Beyond

It took us alot longer than we anticipated to actually embark on our three day backpacking adventure.  The previous day we spent romping around Tuolomne Meadows without a care for preparing the next day.  We figured, we’d throw out things in our packs and head out.  We hoped to be on the trail no later [...]

The Final Push To California

If this isn’t the final stretch then I don’t know what is… Today is Tuesday and we leave on Friday.  We both work full time, neither one getting home before 4:30, so we have just three afternoons (including today’s) to get things ready.  If I think about it too much, I start to panic. We’ve [...]

Can We Go To California?

“It ain’t kin we? It’s will we…  As far as ‘kin’.  We can’t do nothin’, not go to California or nothin’; but as far as ‘will’, why, we’ll do what we will.” ~ The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck The time for doubt is over, we are going to California! There are just ten days [...]