Days 36 and 37: Historical Magic Eye

For our second day in Detroit I got a pretty late start, but managed to leave enough time to check out Greenfield Village before it closed. After a short drive across the city I arrived at the Henry Ford Museum complex where I entered the village. It's meant to be a replica of a turn of the century town and houses historically significant buildings that were literally moved from their original locations to be made available for viewing in the "living museum." Model T's sputtered around the narrow streets alongside horse-drawn carriages as villagers dressed in period clothing passed me on the sidewalk.

I walked by a working farm where men were baling hay on my way through the streets before I arrived at Orville and Wilbur Wright's cycle shop. More striking than the diminutive size of the shop was how little bike parts have changed in nearly a century. All of the parts in the display cases and lining the walls looked like they could just have easily replaced something on my bike right now. It was a stark contrast to how much aircraft have changed from the replica of the Wright brothers' first plane design that sat in the back room of the shop.

Next was the part of the village that I was most excited about. I'm more of a Tesla fan, so I didn't quite agree with the village staff's constant assertions that Edison was the greatest electrical engineer of his time, but nonetheless he was an incredible inventor and I was looking forward to seeing his workspace. In that respect, Greenfield Village didn't disappoint, holding the entire Menlo Park complex where Edison did much of his most important work. With hundreds of jars and contraptions filling shelves that lined every inch of wall space and heavy machinery in every corner, all run by belts driven from a colossal steam engine in the back room, the work space looked like something a mad scientist would envy. Just being in the space was a cool experience, but also revealed the problem with the premise of the village. In Edison's workshop I felt a kind of fragile closeness to the history, like a Magic Eye where if you squint and concentrate hard enough an image begins to emerge, but the smallest things like an overweight tourist creaking the floorboards or the overenthusiastic grinning of the village staff broke the illusion in an instant. I suppose that's something inherent in any museum, but the distractions became especially apparent at Greenfield Village. In any case, it was definitely a worthwhile experience, although for the price I think I may have enjoyed the Henry Ford museum more. I'll just have to check that out on my next visit to Detroit.

When I returned to the house I sat around outside with my grandparents for a while as we waited for Geries to return from his adventures. Once he got back, we headed out for some dinner at Outback before retiring for the night to get some sleep before heading out for our long drive the next day. We got up pretty early and set out on our way to Boston.

The drive to Boston was pretty uneventful aside from some ridiculous tolls along the way through Ohio and New York, and a bit of uncertainty as to where we were staying at our destination. We hadn't gotten any responses from couchsurfing by the time we were on the road, and it didn't seem like there were any forthcoming. Thankfully Robyn, a friend we met in San Francisco while we were all couchsurfing with Lance, hooked us up with a friend of a friend who could let us stay with her in Boston. All of this got arranged while we were on the road, and we ended up being all set by the time we got in town. It was late when we arrived, so after a brief introduction we took out spots on the couches and promptly fell asleep.

Days 34 and 35: Family matters

Our second day in West Olive/Grand Haven was very relaxed. I woke up at the crack of noon and sat around the house for the better part of the day until my grandparents came home. It was great to see my grandfather out of the hospital bed, especially since he seemed so ill suited for it. Even though he had broken free, he was still tired from the hospital staff's constant poking and prodding the night before. Nonetheless we got the chance to talk for a while and catch up for a few hours and over a nice dinner we had at the house.

Not long after dinner the sun was starting to get lower in the sky. So Geries and I made a trip to the beach to catch the sunset. It had rained earlier, so we lowered our expectations, but it turned out to be just as spectacular as the view from the previous night. This night there was a small tuft of cloud in the distant west that slightly obscured the sun until moments before it touched the horizon. The backlight from the sun rimmed the blue-grey clouds in a rich gold, and the wisps of cloud on the horizon feathered the edges of the glowing orb as it steadily sunk beneath the waves.

Next we took a quick trip to downtown Grand Haven to experience some of the nightlife. We found a group of people crowded onto some bleachers facing the channel, so we decided to join them for a little while to see what was going on. As it turned out we had arrived just in time for the famous Grand Haven musical fountain show. Unfortunately the grandeur of the show was a little spoiled by the Bellagio fountain show in Vegas, but it was a nice diversion anyway. Tired from doing nothing all day, Geries and I just stopped long enough to get some ice cream before heading back to get to bed and prepare for our early start the next day.

I woke up around 6am to get ready and have some breakfast before heading to Detroit. The drive from Grand Haven wasn't a long one, but we had to get there around noon to catch my grandparents before leaving to go to my cousin Lauren's high school graduation party. I was fortunate in the timing of our trip (and delays) since we arrived right on the day of the party and I got to see almost all of my cousins from my mom's side for the first time in many years.

We spent the rest of the day hanging around with my uncles Gary and George and my cousins Matthew, Nick, Lauren, and Mike eating tons of food (including some special Romanian sausage links) and playing cornhole. Living so far away makes it difficult to see my family, so I enjoyed the opportunity to kick back with my cousins, uncles, and grandparents for a day.

Day 33: Sunset at dinner

Since we were staying south of downtown, we got one final glimpse of Chicago on our way out of the city toward my grandparents' house near Grand Haven, Michigan. Thankfully it waited to rain until we were leaving, and none of the dreary drizzling of this particular morning affected our previous days' activities. We made a mercifully short drive around the lake and through Indiana into Michigan before finally arriving at West Olive, where my grandmother, Connie, came out of the house to greet us.

My grandfather, Richard, was in the hospital at the time after having some heart troubles a few days prior, so once we had unpacked, relaxed, and talked with my grandmother for a bit, we headed over to the hospital to visit my grandfather. He looked remarkably well in spite of the incident and eager to get out of the hospital. We spent a while talking and catching up, which was very welcome since it had been over ten years since I had last seen my grandparents in person. Eventually we left to let Grandfather rest and to get some dinner along with a quick tour of Grand Haven.

The city of Grand Haven is extremely small, and mostly consists of shops and restaurants along the channel that flows from Lake Michigan to a smaller lake further inland. As we made our rounds the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, and we had an excellent view of it right above the channel from Snug Harbor restaurant where we had dinner. I had a heaping plate of delicious seafood nachos that I tried my best to finish, but couldn't quite make it.

Once we were finished with dinner we made a quick drive out to the pier to catch the incredible sunset over Lake Michigan. Geries and I walked out to the end of the pier where we could more clearly see the horizon. A soft orange streak across the sky faded into a rich purple just where the lake met the sky, reflecting back the muted, but gorgeous, colors of the setting sun. Even after the other places we had watched the sun set, it was hard to beat the brilliant display which smoothly transformed as the sun sunk deeper below the horizon.

Weary from our travels, and helped along by our full stomachs, Geries and I rested for a little while when we got back before finally getting to sleep.

Day 32: Mozart on the lawn

Our second full day in Chicago started pretty late. Geries and I split up since I needed to get my bike worked on before I could head out. Michael, one of the guys living in the place we were staying at graciously helped me take care of my shifter issues, and I managed to head into town by about midday. I probably went a little too fast down the Lakefront Trail, because by the time I reached the city I was drenched in sweat. I walked down Michigan Avenue for a bit before resting in the shade of the old water tower to cool off. It just so happened that they were filming a Marshall's commercial there, so I watched that for a while as I caught my breath and dried off.

Next I just rode around the city for a while. Fascinated with the buildings, I stopped often to look around and take some videos before moving on. Eventually I made my way to a McDonald's (a favorite on the trip because of the free wifi) to sit down and do some writing. Unfortunately I had trouble connecting to the wifi, but the milkshake was worth it, and I got a chance to at least type up some things so I'd be ready once I could get connected to the internet.

After I was thoroughly cooled off and had finished with my computer I headed back to Millenium Park, my favorite place in the city so far. Watching the people crowding around the Bean was an entertaining way to kill some time until the concert on the lawn began. The Chicago Symphony does regular concerts in Millenium Park's beautiful outdoor concert hall, and I was lucky enough to be around to catch one of them. I plopped down on the lush grass that formed the seating area for the venue, and had a relaxing time listening to some Mozart played by an incredibly accomplished orchestra for a couple hours before meeting back up with Geries to grab some dinner.

Since we were both very hungry by the time we met up, and we didn't feel like hunting down another place to eat, we decided to visit the downtown branch of Portillo's where I got another great Italian beef sandwich as well as an excellent Chicago chili dog. Once we were full we made another trip to the Hancock Tower to get some more night shots of the city from above.

When we finished at the tower we had a pretty thrilling bike ride back to the car. Along the way I was going pretty fast when a guy decided to cut me off in his car. I managed to brake in time (making a pretty spectacular skidding stop), but couldn't express my displeasure before the car had zoomed off in the distance. Thankfully we made it back to the car with no casualties, and headed over to Alice's place near the University of Chicago to spend our final night in the city since we had only originally planned to stay with our other host for two nights.

Day 31: Beating the system

Our first full day in Chicago began with more of the sweltering heat from the previous day. After a welcome shower we headed over to the bike shop where I got the tube earlier. This time I just let them install the tube at the shop, and after a short wait I was ready to go. We biked down a few blocks to the edge of Lake Michigan and caught the Lakefront Trail which leads around the shore all the way to downtown Chicago. Lake Michigan is so large that it's impossible to see the opposite shore, making it seem more like an ocean than a lake. As we made our way down the bike trail beaches popped up along the shore. It was quite a unique experience being on a beach with nothing but water to one side and the towering skyline of a sprawling metropolis to the other.

When we entered the city proper we found ourselves on Michigan Avenue which provided an incredible first impression of the downtown area. My neck hurt from craning it upward to take in the diverse collection of skyscrapers as we walked down the bustling street. Even in the summer heat there were throngs of people jockeying for position on the sidewalk. Before long we arrived at the river running through the heart of the city. It was an impressive sight with the soaring buildings standing just feet from the picturesque waterway.

By this time we were starting to get hungry for lunch, so after making a few calls to locals to guide us, we made our way to Xoco's to grab something to eat. The restaurant was a modern, crowded little space where we got some excellent Mexican sandwiches to tide us over until dinner. Once we were finished eating we explored the city a little more and found ourselves in Millenium Park, the home of the famous Bean. The park houses dozens of public sculptures, but by far the most famous is the giant mirrored bean that glimmered in the sunlight as we arrived. Curved in such a way that reveals an incredible mirrored view of the cityscape around it, the bean also has a fun-house mirror room area underneath that projected dizzying reflections of the dozens of people that were milling about in its shadow.

We didn't have much time to linger at the Bean, however, since we had to meet Mark, a friend of Geries's, at Linden in a short while. Thinking it would be a pretty quick ride, we hopped on the iconic L Train to make our way over. As it turns out, Linden is one of the furthest stops on the rail line and it took us nearly an hour to get there. Thankfully our friend was still around, and after locking our bikes up in some of the coolest bike racks we've seen, he took us for a short tour of the North Shore area on our way to get some dinner. Mark took us to Portillo's, a Chicago staple and excellent Italian beef restaurant. The sandwich was as delicious as it was messy (we had ours dipped, so the bread fell apart as soon as we touched it), and after we had our fill we headed back to the train station to meet another friend downtown.

Alice, a friend from high school, met us at a small tea shop a short ride from the train station, and we set off to do some sight-seeing in the city. We walked around a little while, catching up, until we came to the Hancock Tower where we hoped to go to the top to get a bird's eye view of the city. Much like the Space Needle, there was a pretty hefty charge just to go up the elevator to the 94th floor. Thankfully, though, there was no minimum charge at the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor. The beer was pretty overpriced, but it was still cheaper than going to the observation deck, so it was easier to think of it as getting a discounted elevator ride complete with a free drink. It was a surprisingly clear day, and the view from the top was spectacular. We could see the whole city laid out before us, and for miles over the lake. The sun had gone down by the time we finished our drinks, and we got to see the city come alive with thousands of shimmering lights blanketing the ground for miles.

When we finally left we were hungry again, so we took a trip to Lou Malnati's to partake in another Chicago staple: deep dish pizza. The pizza was great, and we had a good time catching up with Alice, who we hadn't seen since high school, but eventually it was time to go, so we packed up and headed out for the Lakefront Trail to get back to our place in Uptown. I had a little bike trouble along the way which made shifting impossible, so I was stuck in the highest gear for the rest of the trip, but we didn't stop much so it ended up not being too much of a handicap. However it meant that I would have to get some more help before I could go riding again the next day. Since we were tired when we got back I put it off for the morning, and we went straight to bed when we arrived at the hotel.

Days 29 and 30: Attack of the floating heads

While not the longest we've had, the drive from Yellowstone to Mount Rushmore was easily the most brutal. It ended up taking about twelve hours, but it seemed like far longer. The scenery was beautiful for a little while, with vast plains stretching into the distance to meet the huge sky dotted with puffs of white cloud. However, the road was so flat and straight, and the countryside so similar that it seemed as if we weren't moving at all throughout the time we were driving through eastern Montana and South Dakota. Eventually we the landscape was broken up by small rocky hills that steadily grew into grey spires stabbing the endless blue sky. As we wound our way through the Black Hills we came to the road leading to Mount Rushmore, and climbed a winding path through the mountains. A small town had sprouted up due to the monument and was filled with nothing but garish signs, hotels, and restaurants. Thankfully the town faded out of view before we were able to see Mount Rushmore.

When we finally crested the hill we were blinded by the sun sitting low in the sky, but could barely make out the outline of the massive sculpture we had come to see. We wound our way up the road a little more to the parking lot where we finally caught a good look at Mount Rushmore. It was still difficult to see with the sun just above the presidents' heads, but it was still an incredible sight. Once we parked we walked up to the viewing area and visitor's center. At the end of a walkway of smooth stone is the Grand View Terrace with its unobstructed view of the incredible monument. Hundreds of feet above the ground Washing, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln look out from their stony home on the side of Mount Rushmore. There's a strange sense of life in the sculptures that is a testament to Borglum's work, and makes the monument that much more impressive.

We didn't look for long at first, since the sun still made it difficult to see, and we wanted to see the sculptor's studio before it closed, so we rushed down the stairs to the small wooden building where Borglum prepared his masterpiece. The studio was a relatively small space with a large model of what was originally supposed to be the finished monument complete with bodies supporting the presidents' heads. In another corner stood a mockup of the hall of records that was partially built into the mountain behind the sculptures. Once we were done poking around the studio, I headed to the visitor's center to see some of the exhibits and wait for the sun to fall behind the mountain.

Once we had a clear view of Mount Rushmore we took some pictures and sat around admiring the larger-than-life work of art until the lighting program started in the amphitheater underneath the terrace. A ranger presented some history before the stage was given over to a short film about the construction of the monument and the importance of the figures that it depicts. The film was cheesy patriotism at its finest, and in any other setting might have seemed like stomach-churning propaganda, but in the shadow of Mount Rushmore I couldn't help but buy into it and feel a swelling sense of pride.

After the presentation we made our way back to the car to get on the road again. We originally intended to stay the night in the area, but realizing that we had another long ride ahead of us we made the poor decision to drive through the night so we could get to Chicago before it got too late the following day. I didn't end up driving very much at night, so I did get some restless sleep before I took my shifts the next day. Despite the discomfort, we did make it to Chicago by around four. After braving the many tolls on I-90, uncharacteristic heat, and a vicious wind we finally made it to our host's place in Uptown.

Although it wasn't clear from the couchsurfing profile, we ended up staying in an old hotel that had been converted into what can only be described as a Christian commune. The people were very friendly, and we got our own room that is presumably reserved for couchsurfers. We didn't end up doing much exploring that night, although I did get a new innertube to replace my bicycle's flat tire and promptly broke it while trying to install the thing. By that time the shop was closed, so I had to wait until the next day to get it taken care of. Once we were finished wrestling with the broken innertube we just relaxed for the rest of the night and got to bed early to rest up for our day in the city.

Day 28: Smarter than the average bear

I woke up in the morning to a scene quite different from the previous night with light streaming into the tent heating the small space until it was almost unbearable. Once Geries was up I began getting ready for my trip through the park. Geries decided that he just wanted to rest for the day, so I would be exploring on my own. I set out shortly after and made a quick trip to the Mammoth Springs Inn where I spent the best $3.38 of my life on a shower after not having had one for a few days while we were camping.

Feeling rejuvenated, I began to drive to Norris Geyser Basin, home of Steamboat, the largest geyser in the world. Unfortunately while I was there there was no major eruption, but the chances were pretty slim since the last one was seven years ago. As if in a meek attempt to appease the hopeful crowds, Steamboat let off some smaller eruptions hurling steaming water about ten feet into the air every five minutes or so. It managed to keep me entertained while I was there for about an hour catching up on blog posts. Once I was finished and it was clear that I wasn't going to catch a Steamboat eruption, I followed the creaking boardwalk through the rest of Norris Basin. Without too many other park visitors around it was kind of eerie walking through the scarred landscape with its cracked and barren soil hosting only a few crippled trees that sprouted between steaming pools of stinking water. I was thankful for the boardwalk since just feet from the path I spotted several holes punched through the rocky crust that seemed to extend deeper than I could imagine. The path was littered with hot spring and geysers, but one of the most interesting was Porkchop Geyser, which exploded in 1989, flinging rocks and debris at eight park visitors (thankfully missing all of them). A ring of jagged rocks rimming a small blue pool are the only remnants of the explosion.

Once I finished the short hike through Norris, I went to check out some of Yellowstone's other diverse landscapes. I soon found myself at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, a glacier-carved gash that stretches for miles and houses the roaring Yellowstone River. I took a quick stop at the brink of the Upper Falls where the Yellowstone River dumps thousands of gallons of frothing water into the base of the canyon below. The speed and might of the river produced a deafening roar that echoed against the surrounding cliffs.

Next I made my way to the south rim of the canyon to visit Artist Point. I took a short hike along the rim of the canyon to get there. Narrow and broken, the path wound along the rim, occasionally brushing the edge long enough to get a view of the falls behind and induce a sense of dizzying vertigo. I soon reached Artist Point, which is a small outcrop of rock that juts into the canyon, offering a view down its length, revealing the falls in the distance and showcasing the beauty of the rift's sheer walls. While the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is tiny compared to its big brother in Arizona, its multicolored striated walls are just as striking, with vibrant oranges and sunny yellows contrasting nicely with the green trees clinging to its rocky shoulders.

Intending to turn away from the rim and head back to the car along the rest of the loop I was following, I started down a trail past Artist Point. The maps were a little misleading, however, and since I was unsure if I had chosen the right path, I doubled back and followed my original trail back to the car. Once back at the car I headed to Yellowstone Lake, which I don't remember seeing on the previous trip. I chose a hike out to Storm Point along the edge of the massive lake. From my view along the path, the only land visible was Stevenson Island and the towering mountains many miles in the distance. As I walked through a dense forest that skirted the lake shore I was reminded of the trail description that mentioned that the trail was usually closed in early summer due to bear activity. Every creaking pine or gust of wind became the signal of an approaching bear, and I found myself walking faster until I finally broke out of the forest and made a short climb to the tip of Storm Point. By this time the sun was low in the sky, and the panoramic view of the vast lake was completed by the streaks of sunlight reflecting off the wind fueled waves crashing against the shore.

I enjoyed the view for a while, gathering the courage needed to trek back through the supposedly bear-infested woods when a couple of hikers showed up speaking in thick Russian accents. I introduced myself to Alex and Isaac, and after we all got some pictures at the point, I hiked back with them. We had a nice talk, and the walk back seemed much short, and less fraught with anxiety. We soon reached our cars and parted ways, but it was nice to meet the two boisterous Russians.

From the lake I began the long drive back to Mammoth along what I thought was the same path I had taken out there. However, soon I saw snow drifts along the side of the road where I could have sworn there weren't any before. It eventually became clear to me that I made a wrong turn, but thankfully the road I chose also led back to the campsite, so what could have been a long delay turned into an opportunity to see some more of the park. Along the drive through the Tower area I couldn't help but stop at almost all of the pullouts I saw so I could get pictures of the sunbathed meadows and towering peaks that I passed. Wildlife encounters slowed my progress a bit, but it was nothing compared to the previous day.

When I finally arrived back at the campsite, Geries was there with three newcomers, Leslie, Martha, and Michael, who he had met that day on his travels in the campground. It was cool to have some people to hang out with as we had our dinner, and we ended up talking well into the night as Geries showed Michael how to do star photography. We eventually said goodnight to our new friends and got to bed so we could wake up early for the drive to Mount Rushmore in the morning.

Days 26 and 27: Bison backup

Since our drive was supposed to take all day, we got an early start so we would get to Yellowstone before it got too late. Yellowstone is the first place on our trip that I've actually been to before, and since I had such a great time on the first trip I was extremely excited to be headed back.

Our drive to the park was pretty uneventful, but the changes in landscape where very drastic. We started in the fog-covered mountains of Washington, driving along winding roads hanging off the ragged edges of evergreen-spotted cliffs. However, less than an hour later we began our descent on the eastern slope, and soon found ourselves in hilly desert not unlike in southern California east of the Rockies. The landscape transformation was accompanied by an equally marked change in temperature as it became blisteringly hot in the car for the next few hours.

Eventually we made it through the hilly desert plains and entered Idaho where the mountain roads began again and continued through Montana. Montana had some particularly striking countryside because along the road it was almost uninhabited. We passed some lonely houses occasionally, but for the most part we were surrounded by beautiful, unbroken hills and mountains with an expansive blue sky sparsely interrupted by streaky white clouds. Even though we were tired after about twelve hours of driving, it was still an enjoyable trip.

We finally reached Yellowstone in the dark, but unlike Yosemite we had a plan, and we soon found a place to set up camp and spend the night. The camp was built and we were asleep within an hour, which definitely beat driving around the park for hours only to sleep in the car.

I woke up in the morning bitterly cold and with a full bladder. It was all I could to to slide out of my slightly warm sleeping bag into the nearly freezing temperatures to relieve myself. I tried to get back to sleep after, but the damage was done, so I put on my frozen shoes and walked around a bit to try to shake the chill. I noticed a trail that I hadn't seen the night before and followed it to a fog-blanketed stream where I watched the sun rise through a thick shroud of mist until Geries woke up.

We got some breakfast in the town of West Yellowstone and headed back to our tent to break camp and go into the park. To make sure there was still a space when we were ready to get some sleep, we made our way to Mammoth Springs where we hoped to camp for our next two nights in the park. We drove through the winding roads of the park with columns of steam issuing from pools and vents at dozens of points along the road, giving the park the look of a recently abandoned battlefield with smoking craters. The illusion was completed in Mammoth hot springs which could have passed for a post apocalyptic wasteland with barren, acid-eaten rock supporting some stunted and dying tries. Travertine terraces bled rancid sulphur water and crystal clear pools rimmed in orange-stained rock sputtered and hissed steam as a constant reminder that this is a land in turmoil. After we finished our hike around the springs and had some lunch, we finished up our campsite and made our way up to the North entrance.

Our slight detour north brought us to the North entrance of the park where the Roosevelt Arch stands. I have a great picture in front of the arch from my previous trip to Yellowstone, so I wanted to grab another for comparison. Being there reminded me of the great time I had in the park on my previous visit and got me even more excited to revisit some of my favorite places and explore some new ones. After having a bit of trouble getting a picture at the busy arch, we finally made our way to Grand Prismatic Spring.

When we got there we first walked around the boardwalks rimming the spring and smaller pools that flank it. A constant blanket of steam came from the surface in rolling waves, partially obscuring the kaleidoscope of brilliant colors that lend the spring its name. Unsatisfied with the ground level view we moved a short way up the road to the Fairy Falls trail which crosses in front of th ehills that overlook the spring. Before long we found a well worn offshoot trail that led up the steep, dusty hillside littered with deadfall from a fire years ago. Scrambling up the hillside was difficult, but well worth the effort as we were rewarded with a great view of the entire Grand Prismatic Spring. It had even warmed up a bit, so the steam cloud relented and we could more clearly see the magnificent pool. After a slightly more treacherous climb down, we made our way back to the car to drive to Old Faithful and the Upper Geyser Basin.

We waited with a crowd of a couple hundred people as Old Faithful was scheduled to erupt. The geyser teased the crowd with occasional belches of steam and water before finally exploding with full force, launching a column of superheated water almost a hundred feet high. The earth rumbled and groaned as the water issued forth for about a minute before finally settling down, causing the audience to disperse with equal abruptness. After Old Faithful, Geries and I took a walk along the boardwalk through the geyser basin. Tendrils of steam dyed orange by the setting sun rolled off the edge of the plateau and into the air above the swiftly flowing river below. We caught another eruption from the Lion Geyser Group from a distance, but otherwise just enjoyed the walk through the beautiful crystal-clear pools and steam-spouting geyser mouths.

After the short hike, we were starting to get pretty hungry, so we headed back to the campsite to get some dinner before the sun went down. Unfortunately the park's bison had other plans. Not a mile out from Old Faithful the road was blocked by a herd of bison trying to cross. We waited for about thirty minutes before the lumbering beasts decided which side of the road they wanted to be on and finally started moving again, thinking we were in the clear. We made it a short way down the road before we were stopped yet again by a line of cars that we couldn't see the end of. Afraid to open the windows for the mosquitoes swarming outside, we say int the car, slowly building up heat as we waited nearly an hour and a half with only an occasional ranger car speeding by in the opposite lane as an indication that we might ever move. Finally when we were on the brink of giving up and turning around to take the ninety mile alternate route we rolled up to the bison congested area. Dozens of bison littered the road and shoulder, standing there with nary a flinch as we wove through to the clearing on the other side of the wall of unmoving buffalo flesh. Just as we thought we were free, a bison turned into our lane, narrowly missing the car. By then the sun had nearly set and was completely down when we reached the campsite, so we ate a quick dinner and went to sleep almost immediately after.

Day 25: The center of the universe

Kevin woke us up next morning offering a trip to get some bagels and coffee, which Geries declined to get some more sleep, but I accepted since I was getting hungry. Johnny, Kevin, Braxton (Kevin's son) and I piled into the car to head out for some breakfast. We picked up some bagels at a local supermarket and then arrived at one of the strangest coffee shops I've seen. A woman's silhouette graced the sign for Espresso Gone Crazy, which was basically a small shack with a drive-through window. It ended up being like a Hooters for coffee, although I had hot chocolate instead. All in all not a bad way to start the day.

When we got back Sara was up, so the group of us sat around eating our breakfast and watching Netflix until Geries woke up. After he had been fed and gotten ready to go we hopped in the car and made our way back into town to meet up with Dexter, a hallmate from our freshman year at Tech, and his friend Julia. We picked them up and drove downtown to park before going to check out Pike Place Market, which is somewhat similar to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. The market lies inside buildings near the waterfront and inside noisy vendors peddle everything from massive Copper River salmon and local kitsch to spicy chili pepper jelly. Everywhere we turned was a bustle of activity with a slowly moving crowd creeping along from stall to stall to inspect the endless assortment of items for sale. As we arrived under the famous market sign we came upon one of the many fresh fish dealers where we caught a little show as the workers tossed thirty pound fish to each other to be packaged for customers. 

Once we had enough of the crowd we stopped over briefly at the first Starbucks to snap some pictures and say that we had been there. Next we visited an infamous installation at the market: The Gum Wall. Down an alleyway I would have avoided at night there stands a wall that houses dried gum from literally thousands of mouths. The multicolored wall runs twenty or thirty feet long and gum surprisingly reaches about ten feet high, complete with little gumsicles hanging from the windowsills.

After we were done at Pike Place and its monument to saliva we somehow still had an appetite, so at the suggestion of Julia we made our way to Japonessa to get some sushi. Geries and I tried the Super Bad Boy Roll for obvious reasons, and spent lunch catching up with Dexter, who we haven't seen for a couple years, and getting to know Julia. It was really nice to get a chance to hang out with a friend we haven't seen in a while and make a new friend at the same time.

Our next stop was the Seattle Public Library which more than anything was quite a cool building. It is covered in glass and diagonally criss-crossing supports that match the strange angles of its outline. The building starts with a sloping base that goes up like a pyramid until it darts outward again and finally ends some eleven stories up. We had some fun exploring the multicolored rooms and checking out the view from the top before heading out for Fremont.

Fremont, the self-proclaimed center of the universe, reminded me of Little Five Points from Atlanta with its quirky shops, people, and street art. It's hard to consider a place normal when it is most well known for the giant troll that lies under the Fremont Bridge and a massive bronze statue of Lenin. After visiting the famous troll we walked around for a bit and saw some interesting things, including a sign that pointed the way to the Fremont Troll, Rapunzel, and a noogie (on top of your head) as well as a homeless man that seemed to be jumping an invisible jump rope. Eventually we wandered our way over to a gelato shop that stands in the shadow of the massive statue of Lenin. Inside (the gelato shop, not the statue) I got some mint chocolate gelato and even sampled the spicy Aztec chocolate flavor, which was surprisingly good.

By this time it was time for our friends to head out, so we dropped them off and headed back to Sara and Kevn's house. No one was home when we got there, so we just relaxed for a while and had some dinner until Sara, Kevin, Johnny, and Braxton returned with even more couchsurfers. We spent the rest of the night hanging out with our hosts and the newcomers before heading to bed to get some sleep for the long drive to Yellowstone that was ahead of us the following day.

Day 24: I'm on a boat

Olalla, a rural area across the bay from Seattle, and where we were staying for the next two nights, was only about a two and a half hour drive from Portland, so even though we took our time getting up and getting ready we made it there in the early afternoon. When we arrived, our hosts weren't around, but we met a pretty large group of couchsurfers holding down the fort. We took some time to get acquainted and have some lunch before they headed off on th enext leg of their journey, leaving me, Geries, and Johnny, a couchsurfer from Germany that just arrived in America the previous night. Since we were eager to check out Seattle, we invited Johnny along and made our way into the city.

We plugged a Seattle address into the GPS and went on our merry way assuming that it would take us around the bay. However, soon we found ourselves driving straight toward the water and by the time we realized we were in line to take the ferry it was too late. The ferry ride ended up being worth the price, though, since it was a pretty fun and scenic ride across the Puget Sound. We got a great look at the city from a distance, including the iconic Space Needle.

The ferry dropped us off in West Seattle, and from there it was just a short drive to downtown where we parked and set off toward the waterfront to find a place to eat. We eventually settled on Ivar's Seafood Bar where we got some classic Seattle fish and chips. Through dropping-stained windows we watched as brave souls fed fries to the pier's large and very vocal seagull population. Hungry birds swooped down as if from nowhere and plucked fries right out of the unsuspecting feeders' hands. Once we had our fill of food and entertainment we took a walk up the waterfront to the Olympic Sculpture Garden where we were greeted by an inexplicably naked father-son duo cast in bronze at the center of a fountain. We took a nice walk through the rest of the park and saw some interesting sculptures, including a tree that we almost mistook for the real thing despite its chrome exterior (it was very inconspicuously placed).

Next we walked over to the Space Needle, which is surrounded by the Pacific Science Center. Although we didn't get to go inside the Science Center, they also had a wide array of public sculpture for us to enjoy on our walk to the flying-saucer-like tower. Just outside the Space Needle was an exhibit of sculptures that looked like an explosion of jellyfish was magically turned into glass. The monstrous glass sculptures seemed familiar, and as we later learned they were actually made by the same artist that did the hanging sculptures in the management building at Georgia Tech.

Eventually we stood under the Space Needle looking up its sloped exterior to the flying saucer perched atop that we were just too cheap to go up to. A short elevator ride with about ten minutes on the observation deck cost almost twenty dollars, and even more ridiculous was the thirty-five dollars per person that you had to spend at the restaurant to be let up. We still enjoyed the view from the bottom, though, and afterward we made our way back to the car. This time we made sure to have the GPS avoid the ferry, and we had a toll-free ride back to the house.

Once we arrived, Kevin, one of our hosts, was there to greet us (his wife Sara was asleep) and we spent some time talking and getting to know him while we shared beers in the hot tub. It was a nice relaxing way to end a pretty good day. After we dried off we took our spots in the camper parked just outside the house and got some rest to prepare for our next day in the city.

Day 23: Like being at home

It's funny how you can stay somewhere long enough that it begins to feel like a second home, even when you haven't really been there that long. Things just become familiar and safe and you have a hard time leaving a place like that for something unknown. After spending nearly a week in Portland when we had only spent three nights at most in other places, this strange little corner of northern Oregon had become very familiar indeed. However, that didn't mean that there wasn't anything new to explore in the city.

Our morning was spent with Geries calling mechanics about the car while I took my bike into a shop to fix a couple of issues that Bob and I couldn't handle on our own. Before long Geries decided that the car would make it, and that we wouldn't bother getting it taken care of in Portland. I guess we'll see how it plays out. Seattle is only about a four hour drive, so it's as good a test as any to see if the car can handle the rest of the trip without risking getting stranded in the middle of nowhere.

After spending the rest of the morning into late afternoon lazing around, we decided to go back into the city one last time. Geries dropped me off near Forest Park where I caught a very nice little trail that led up the hill to Pittock Mansion, a famous house and one of the first in Portland which was previously owned by the founder of the popular newspaper the Oregonian. A winding beaten dirt path carried me through the thick forest just on the edge of the city proper and eventually spat me out at the top of a tall hill where the formidable Pittock Mansion stood. I walked around to the back of the house and was greeted with a spectacular view of Portland with the incredible Mount Hood looming in the background.. It was a fun space to kill a few minutes in, just looking down on the city and finding the places I had visited earlier.

While at the viewpoint from Pittock Mansion I noticed from my phone that Andy, a recently graduated friend from Tech, lives in Portland. I wish I had known earlier so we could have connected sooner, but in any case we got in touch and I headed back down the trail to my bike. I rode into the city and met Andy for a great dinner at Blue Moon. The hamburger I ordered was top notch and I had a great time catching up with Andy. This reminds me to be more thorough in checking through my friends to see if any live in the areas we're visiting. I would hate to miss a chance to hang out and catch up even if for just a little while.

Dusk was gathering as we parted ways, and I rode my bike over to a MAX station to head to the house. Before long I was back, and had the good fortune to catch Bob before he made it to bed. I couldn't have asked for better hosts, and it was good to say thank you and goodbye before he left for San Francisco in the morning (much earlier than we planned on getting up to head to Seattle). Portland was a fantastic experience, but soon we'll finally be on the road again to begin the second half of our trip as we make our way toward Seattle.

Days 21 and 22: Saab stories

On Saturday we rose bright and early to prepare for our bike ride with Bob and some of his friends. There was quite a chill in the air as we headed out, but the sky was clear, signalling that we would have a brisk but enjoyable ride ahead of us. We met up in a small park and Bob introduced us to Roy, Josh, and Doug, who we had met before at the Chrome store opening. We chatted a little until it was clear that no one else was going to show up, then saddled up and rode out.

The route first took us through some industrial parks on the edge of the city before we cut in a bit to make it onto the Steel Bridge to cross the Willamette near the Navy ships. From there we followed a bike trail that runs alongside the river, passing through quite a few rowing clubs along the way. We moved along at quite a clip and soon I felt a cold sweat despite the nip in the air. At our pace it wasn't long before we reached another bridge and made our way back across the Willamette to follow a similar trail on the other side. As we passed by some apartment buildings, the riverbank jutted out into the water, revealing a great view down the length of the river and plenty of Portland's unique bridges.

Finally we came near the end of our ride and were going to stop at Breken's Kitchen to grab something to eat. They looked open and busy, bu when we tried to go in it turned out they were filming something in the coffee shop. Unfortunately they weren't interested in hiring any more extras, so we took our leave and went to Grand Central, a bakery turned coffee shop that was more than adequate.

We sat around some delicious egg biscuits and muffins and talked for a while before leaving to get back to the car. It was a great group of guys to hang out with, and I wish we could have had more time to shoot the breeze. Everyone had some great stories to tell, and both the ride and the breakfast stop flew by too fast.

Once we got back to the car we hopped in and made our way back to the house to shower and pack so we could leave for Seattle. On the way there, however, the check engine light on the Saab came on, so we stopped at the house just long enough to drop off the bikes and me, and Geries took it to an auto store to get it checked. We learned that some of the cylinders were misfiring and that a couple of the spark plugs had some oil on them. While the car still ran, it had lost some power, so we got it to a mechanic to have it checked out more thoroughly. Since it was Saturday the pickings were pretty slim, but we found a place to do a diagnostic. They told us that there were a couple of leaking gaskets and we left with that information, planning to extend our stay and see what our options were to get it fixed on Monday when all the mechanics open back up.

In the meantime we still had more of Portland to see, so we rode our bikes to the MAX train station to take us into town. We rode around for a while and took in the city by night. The riverside was especially impressive with all the ships and lights up for the Rose Festival. Eventually we made our way back to the train and headed for Bob and Christy's house for another night.

The next morning there wasn't much we could do for the car since it was still the weekend, so we slept in and I spent the day relaxing at the house while Geries went back into the city. It was nice to take a day to unwind after travelling around the country at such a breakneck pace. But even though I didn't see more of the city, I had a great time working on my bike with Bob and had an excellent dinner and conversation with our hosts, making the day far from a waste. Although not exciting, it was one of the best days of the trip so far. I got to bed fairly early hoping to get up early as well and get the car taken care of so we could leave by Tuesday morning for Seattle.

Day 20: Rain on our parade

Like the day before the sky was overcast when we woke up, which bode ill for the Rose Festival Parade that was scheduled for the afternoon. However, instead of raining immediately and clearing up like the previous day, it waited until we were out and about to being pouring rain. This made our first stop all the more necessary, since we were going to a Columbia store where I could get a jacket to see me through Portland's volatile weather. Sunshine lit our way out of the store, almost making it seem unneeded for me to wear the jacket I just got, but I knew better and kept it on. Sure enough, not long after we got back in the car the sun was obscured by ever darker clouds and the rain began again with renewed gusto.

Rather than get completely soaked, we walked our bikes into the city instead of riding them, and went to grab some lunch at one of the food trucks, a unique Portland installation. The food trucks line a few of the streets near the city center offering everything from gourmet soups to Korean burritos. We chose to visit Remy's Stewed Intentions whose owner we had met the other night on our walk through the city with Bob. Charlie, a small clown bust (the reason we stopped to say hello the previous night), greeted us as we ordered some delicious pork adoba from Remy.

Once we had eaten our fill, we headed back to the Chrome store where we browsed around and chatted up some of the employees before finally breaking down and getting bags for ourselves. The bag is remarkably well designed, and works perfectly for riding, which is what made it especially tempting for use on our trip. When we finally left the shop, Geries and I split up for a bit and I went exploring.

It had finally stopped raining, so I got on my bike and rode down to the river where several Navy ships were moored for the Rose Festival. I wasn't very sure of where I was going, but I soon crossed the Willamette River without meaning to. It was fun riding across one of the many bridges that Portland is known for. Since Portland is pretty much cut in half by the Willamette, there are many bridges that span it, all with their own unique style. I eventually found another bridge to make it back to my original side of the river, and got a great view of the ships on my way over. It was an impressive sight, seeing those incredible machines sitting docile on the river. As I passed the fenced perimeter, though, I saw that they were heavily guarded by stocky men in fatigues sporting large assault rifles and holding back a massive German shepherd.

Geries and I met back up at the square with the great amphitheater and went on to check out some more of Portland's little parks. We stopped at one with a giant chess set on the ground and watched some of the park-goers play a game before we finally packed up and headed back to the house for dinner.

We had an excellent dinner with Bob and Christy and spent a good while talking until it was time for us to leave to make it to our movies. Geries chose Men in Black III while I went to see Prometheus. In spit of Ridley Scott's claims to the contrary, Prometheus is absolutely a prequel to the Alien movies, or at least it is set in the same universe and takes place prior to Alien. I'm still not sure how I feel about the movie, but from a technical standpoint it was extremely well executed. The performances were great, the atmosphere was suitably desolate and foreboding, and the effects were spectacular, but I was still slightly confused by the end of it all. I think that I just need to see it again at some point. Overall it was an enjoyable experience, despite my slight misgivings. The movies took us late into the night, and when we were done we came home and immediately went to bed to prepare for a bike ride in the morning and heading to Seattle after.

Day 19: Good donuts come in pink boxes

Rain greeted us for our first full day in Portland, and only the second rainy day so far on our trip. After taking our time getting ready we packed up and headed downtown. We stopped first at AAA to get some maps to help out and even got some discount movie tickets to use while we were in town.

Parking was a bit difficult, but no worse than some of the other places we've been to. Eventually we found a spot and hopped on our bikes (by this time the rain had stopped) and started exploring. The first Portland icon we visited was Powell's Books, which is an impressive monument to the dying business of brick-and-mortar bookstores. Powell's takes up an entire city block and then some, filled with literally miles of bookshelves holding thousands of new and used books sometimes including interesting and rare old editions. I could have spent hours getting lost in the massive maze of books and checking out the dozens of handpicked reading lists provided by the staff. There were even a few walls that had been signed by visiting authors. However, once our bags were full, and our wallets lighter, we finally broke free and played with some of the interesting street art (a giant pendulum) before moving on to grab some lunch.

For lunch we stopped at Breken's Kitchen which was on the outskirts of the Pearl District. Breken's is mostly known for coffee, but we had some great lasagna instead. We didn't have much time after lunch before our parking ran out, so we rushed back to pick up the car and make one last stop before leaving the city for a while.

On our way out we dropped by Voodoo Doughnut, a place that nicely sums up the sort of counter-culture vibe that Portland exudes. "Keep Portland weird" is painted in giant block letters on one of the buildings opposite Voodoo, and the cramped donut shop seemed purpose-built to meet that challenge. garish colors adorned the walls while decidedly "alternative" workers brought out tray after tray of bizarre donut creations that one could preview in their rotating glass display cases on the counter. I ordered the No-Name, a donut with chocolate frosting, Rice Krispies, and peanut butter, along with some signature voodoo dolls, donuts shaped like little people with a pretzel-stick pin inserted in their chests and complete with agonized icing faces.

When we were done at the donut shop, we headed back to the house to meet Bob to attend the grand opening of Portland's Chrome store. Chrome, which was started by Bob's friend Steve, is known for its messenger bags made for cyclists, so when we arrived there was quite a display of bicycles outside the shop. Not everyone there was a cyclist, though, or even knew what the store was for. It seemed like there was an equal number of die hard fans compared to hungry passerby trying to get their hands on free tacos and beer.

It was fun for a bit, but we only stuck around long enough to grab a beer and say hello to Steve before setting off to get some dinner. On the way through the city Bob showed us some of his favorite spots in Portland. We walked along the streets with an almost random assortment and arrangement of trees that made it seem as if Portland was just a bunch of buildings that magically sprouted up in a forest. Eventually we reached a small square where we played around in a very special amphitheater. When standing in a certain point in the amphitheater your voice is amplified, but only to yourself. It was a very strange and cool experience.

Not long after we made it to Hot Lips Pizza, where we had some excellent food, beer, and company. We spent a while there just eating and chatting before finally heading back to the house to rest up for our next day in Portland.

Day 18: On the road again

The drive from San Francisco to Portland was a tiring one. Not only was it about 12 hours on the road, but it was also hard to leave a place where I had such a great time and met so many interesting people. Nonetheless we made our way north of San Francisco where the bay turned into rolling hills of golden grass which in turn transformed into the foothills of great mountains when we finally entered Oregon.

Oregon was actually a fun state to drive through because it had this feeling of untamed wilderness that was very striking. Sparse settlements occasionally dotted the undulating landscape-- just enough that we were reminded that people did actually live in this place so close to the pristine wild. Even when we did pass through major population centers they were hidden by a thick screen of trees and sharp hills.

At last, when it was nearly dark, we reached Portland. The sky was stained a glowing orange that wonderfully illuminated the distinctive evergreens, so different from the ubiquitous palm trees found in California. We reached our destination just as darkness fell at the house of Bob and Christy.

We were immediately greeted by Goose, the lovable black lab of the household, and welcomed inside by Christy just as Bob arrived. We had an excellent dinner and discussed some of the next day's possible activities, getting some great suggestions from our hosts. Also before going to bed, Bob, who has an extensive knowledge of bicycles, helped fix some nagging issues with my bike that in just a short amount of time dramatically improved its performance.

Day 17: The San Francisco Bike-athon

The morning broke with no fog to speak of, but being wary of the deceptive weather I decided to go with jeans for the day, which turned out to be a solid choice. We left at about 10am on our bike tour of the city and didn't return until 6pm. Our first stop was at the Golden Gate park, which was very close to Lance's house. It was a nice park to ride through, though we didn't really stop to enjoy it very much. We made our way through the park until we reached the street that would take us to The Presidio, which is a national park that provides access to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Our tour through the Presidio gave us our first taste of how hilly San Francisco is. By car it's easy to underestimate how steep some of the hills are, but when you travel by bike, even some of the lesser hills can be agonizing. After a particularly grueling climb we made it to the top of the Presidio which offered a stunning view of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as the part of the city that juts out into the bay. More than just being an incredible feat of engineering, the Golden Gate Bridge is a spectacular work of art. It's signature red expanse just completes the image of San Francisco in my head.

Once we had our fill of the view from the Presidio, we took the much easier ride down the hill to come directly to the Golden Gate Bridge where we got to ride our bikes all the way across the San Francisco Bay. It's incredible how deceptive the length of the bridge is. We made it to the south tower in what seemed like a short amount of time, but it felt like it took quite a long time to get to where the main cable almost touches the bridge, marking the center. It was also much higher above the water than it seemed. As we were stopped at the south tower to take pictures of the bridge and the bay, including Alcatraz in the distance, I watched a man drop a banana peel off the side, and it took a good 20 seconds for it to reach the swirling waters below.

Since there wasn't much to see on the north side of the bridge but the bridge itself, we made our way back across to continue our tour of the city. On our way to Fisherman's Wharf from the bridge we took Lombard Street, which is absurd in about every way a street can be. We didn't even bother biking up the comically steep hill, passing cars that looked as if they were on the verge of tipping over and toppling down the street. Once we reached the top we made it to "the crookedest street in the world" which followed a path that might have been drawn by a polygraph down an only slightly less steep decline than the other side of the hill.

After our ordeal with the hills of San Francisco, we arrived at Fisherman's Wharf, which as we were warned was bustling with tourists. Being tourists ourselves, it didn't bother us much, and it was a pretty novel experience with the cool ocean breeze, and the countless street performers crowding the streets. At Lance's suggestion, we tried out Boudin's Bakery for lunch, where we got the traditional clam chowder in a sourdough breadbowl. It was the perfect lunch for the day: both delicious and filling, since it basically amounted to a whole loaf of bread with some excellent clam chowder added in. Next we took a brief trip to Pier 39, which is basically just a mall on one of the piers in the bay, and then hopped on our bikes again to explore more of the city.

On our way out of Fisherman's Wharf we passed through Chinatown and North Beach again, but stopped to savor it this time as we went to Z Cioccolato, another suggestion of Lance's, where we got some amazing saltwater taffy to bring back for our host (and ourselves). Next we made a brief stop back at the Union Square area to pick up some photo prints before heading out to the Mission district centered around the old Delores Mission, one of the oldest buildings in the city if not the oldest, dating from the 1700's. While in Mission, we stopped at Bi-Rite Creamery where I got some of their famous salted caramel ice cream.

Finally, on the last leg of our city wide biking marathon, we passed through Castro, the gay district, and went almost up to Twin Peaks, the tallest point in San Francisco. We made it up about half the slope before we decided it would probably be a better idea just to head back, which we did. We arrived at Lance's just as he completed his afternoon run, and hung out for a little bit before Lance made us dinner again. This time we had salmon, burgers, baked potatoes, and brussel sprouts, which were all excellent.

It's going to be tough to say goodbye to San Francisco since it was such a vibrant and fun place to be, and because our host showed us an excellent time, but tomorrow we'll be headed off to Portland and hopefully another great time.

Day 16: At the Thirsty Bear

Our first full day in San Francisco began with quite a bit of fog. Not realizing what that meant in terms of the temperature, I dressed in my usual shorts and short sleeved t-shirt. It stayed relatively overcast, windy, and pretty chilly for the rest of the day, but since I couldn't bring myself to spend money on a jacket while we were out, I just braved the weather in my inappropriate attire.

We started the day relatively late, but we made it downtown around 11am to start checking out Market Street before having lunch with our host, Lance. In the downtown area, Market Street is absolutely bustling with people at all times. People duck in and out of the dozens of shops that line the street while cars and bikes jockey for position among the many streetcars hooked into the spiderwebbed ceiling of cables that hangs above every street in the city. Geries and I walked around for a while looking at shops until lunch time when we met up with Lance and his friend Michael.

After navigating the streets considerably faster than we had without our guides, we made it to Thirsty Bear, a restaurant and organic microbrewery right in downtown San Francisco. We all ordered the beer and burger combo, which included one of the brewery's beers on tap, and a lamb and pork burger with hard boiled egg and arugula. The burger was delicious, and the beer was also very good. I tried the Valencia wheat, which was good on its own, but I probably should have asked for an orange peel to go with it.

Once we were fed, we went back to the car to try to visit an art store so Geries could get a stamp and sealing wax. Navigating Market Street by car proved to be a nightmare. At every intersection it seemed like it was impossible to turn left, making it quite an ordeal just to get to the other side of the street to go the opposite direction. We eventually found the only way to switch directions was just to go all the way to the end of the Union Square area and turn around then come all the way back.

We did find the art store, and after we got what we came for, we made it back to Lance's to rest before heading out to a birthday party for Michael, who we had lunch with earlier. The party was very low key, and we got to meet a ton of cool people who told us, among other things, all about the things we should do and see in San Francisco. Before the night was out we also got to meet Robin and Jeff, two couchsurfers from New York that had just come in that night to stay with Lance. We had a great time just hanging out and talking with Robin, Jeff, Lance, and all the others at the party. With our new list of places to go, we were ready to get to bed and rest up for our next day in San Francisco.

Day 15: Toll woes

We woke up bright and early to break camp and leave Yosemite on our way to San Francisco. Thankfully our food hadn't been raided by bears the night before, although who knows if they came by anyway? Our campsite was positioned pretty well in the park for us to make a speedy getaway north to San Francisco, so we made good time, and soon the rock walls and trees of the canyon became the rolling grassy hills of Northern California. Before long the city of Oakland sprang up before us, and the San Francisco Bay Bridge loomed in the distance. We had a bit of a nasty shock when we got up to the base of the bridge and were faced with a five dollar toll to cross. After begrudgingly paying the toll, we took the bridge right into the city, getting an excellent view of the bay, Alcatraz, and the San Francisco cityscape.

Our first stop was at a barbecue for one of the fathers at the church Lance, our San Francisco host, attends. We met up with Lance and another couchsurfer, Aaron, who had stayed with Lance earlier, but was leaving that day. After hanging around and meeting with some of Lance's friends at the barbecue, another couchsurfer staying with Lance-- Leo, from Germany-- made his way over, and we all headed back to Lance's place.

Geries and I were road-weary and dirty from the drive and camping, so the first thing we did was take showers and relax for a bit while Lance left to go pick up a friend from the airport. We talked with Leo, and watched some Breaking Bad for the first time until Lance got back a few hours later. Once Lance arrived he made us a delicious dinner of salmon, rice, and zucchini, and told us about some of his work, which included being on set in the miniature photography unit for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

After dinner we had a little bit of trouble with a malfunctioning washing machine that kept us up a little longer than expected, but we eventually got to bed to get some rest for our first full day in San Francisco.

Day 14: Up the winding stair

We woke up with the sun, with knots in our backs, and with some suspicious stares from the older couple that was packing their car in the spot next to ours. Cool air greeted us as we stepped out of the car to stretch our legs and begin our first real day in Yosemite.

First on our agenda was to set up our living arrangements for the night, so we took a trip down to Yosemite Valley to check out the visitor center. Our ride through Yosemite was considerably improved with a splash of sunlight. Once we emerged from the trees and reached the edge of the canyon wall, the views were incredible. Massive walls of glacier-carved granite erupt at nearly a right angle from the ground forming a meandering valley thousands of feet below. On our way to the valley we passed Inspiration Point, where the size and beauty of the park became immediately apparent.

Eventually we made our way to the valley floor where we got a glimpse of Yosemite Falls, only one of many falls in the park. Not long later we made it to Yosemite Village where we were directed to a campsite that had some vacancies. A seemingly short distance on the map turned out to be a nearly 30 minute drive to Tamarack Flats where we made our camp. The drive was just as scenic, but offered views of the meadows on the other side of the mountains before diving back into the forest and to our campsite. It was a great feeling to set up camp after having slept in the car the night before. Carving out a space to call home, even if just for one night, brought quite a bit of relief, and left us free to enjoy the park.

Once we pitched our tent and secured our food against bears, we trekked back to Yosemite Valley to talk to some rangers and plan the day's activities. Originally I had hoped to hike to the top of Half-Dome, a huge granite formation that towers over 8400 feet above the valley floor, but unfortunately we got a little too late of a start for me to attempt the twelve hour hike before sunset. Instead we opted to take a quick bike ride over to the Lower Yosemite Falls, which were absolutely packed with people-- probably due to its easy access from the main roads. It was an impressive sight, but slightly spoiled by the crowds, so we took another bike ride a couple miles down the road to the trailhead that would lead us to the top of Vernal Fall.

The hike was very relaxing, and even though there were still quite a few people, it was nothing compared to the hectic crowd surrounding Lower Yosemite Falls. Paved paths lead the way up most of the trail on the northern side of the river formed by the waterfall until we crossed the river and were faced with packed dirt and stone. From the bridge across the river we caught a glimpse of our end goal: a towering waterfall several hundred feet above. The final leg of the hike was the most impressive and strenuous, as it was essentially a stairway carved into the rock. To make things more exciting, it was merely feet from a sheer drop into the raging river below, and carved so steeply it may have been more akin to a ladder than a stair.

As the stair wound its way along the riverside we grew nearer and nearer to Vernal Fall. Before the stair dipped into the rock face and away from the river for a bit we were taken right next to the top of the falls where a fine mist formed spectacular rainbows and made the undulating staircase slightly more treacherous. When we reached the top we were rewarded with an incredibly clear view of the cliffs behind us, and the deafening waterfall pouring countless gallons of water into the valley below.

Once we were rested we made our way back down the almost comically steep stairs, and biked back to Yosemite Village and where we were parked. On our drive back to the campsite we took a stop along the side of the road to watch the sunset from the edge of the canyon. The setting sun tinted the cool grey granite a warm orange and plunged the trees in the valley into a dark green shadow.

By the time we made it to the campsite, it was almost completely dark. Since we were exhausted from the hike, we just stayed up long enough to build a fire and roast some hot dogs before turning in for the night.

Day 13: General Sherman's last stand (of trees)

After getting a very restful night of sleep at our motel, Geries and I headed out for Sequoia National Park to see some of the largest and oldest trees in the world. The start of the trip was a bit of a nightmare, since the air conditioning was acting up, and the temperatures grew in excess of 100 degrees. Eventually we stopped at a Walmart to get some refrigerant, and that cleared the problem up, but just a little while earlier we were literally cooking in the car.

Once back on the road we followed the highway alongside the Rocky Mountains for a ways, then took a turn that delved deep into the mountains. After navigating ever more convoluted roads we finally made it in to the park. Since we just planned to drive through on our way to Yosemite, we decided just to visit General Sherman in the Giant's Grove before making good our escape.

The roads of the park wound along the side of the mountains with nothing but incredibly stubborn trees clinging to bare rock on one side, and a precipitous drop to the other. It's an incredible sensation almost like flying being only feet from nothing but a several hundred foot drop to the valley floor below. However, it didn't take long for the view on the other side of the car to eclipse the feeling of flight, because we soon came upon the namesake trees of the park. Colossal barely begins to describe the sequoias that occasionally dotted the side of the road in sparse groves. The car could easily have driven through the base of their trunks, and their gnarled branches dwarfed even the normal sized trees that surrounded the giants.

Almost an hour into our drive through the surprisingly expansive park, we came to the Giant's Grove, where General Sherman, the largest tree in the world, resides. Although a few trees in the world may be wider or taller, General Sherman is the most massive, holding the largest volume of wood of any other, and still growing. To stand next to the tree is to feel like an ant only barely able to see its skyward extent. As if the incredible size of the trees wasn't enough, even more awe-inspiring is their age. General Sherman is 2,200 years old, and not even the oldest of the sequoias. To be around a living thing that has lived longer than a large portion of civilized humanity is humbling to say the least.

We wandered through the garden of impossible trees for a little while before heading back to the car to make our way to Yosemite. Before we made it too far out of the park, however, we stumbled upon a grizzly bear crossing the road. We stopped to check it out (from the safety of the running car) as it went about its business without offering us a second glance. By then the sun had nearly set, and we were unfortunately faced with another night drive.

In general I hate night driving because it offers little in the way of views, and especially if I'm traveling through a place I've never seen I inevitably feel as if I've missed something noteworthy. Nonetheless we left the dark forest behind us to dip out of the mountains for a spell before winding our way back up into them as we neared Yosemite.

Not having learned our lesson from the camping situation in the Grand Canyon, we neglected to solidify our campsite before embarking. To our credit, though, all of the reserved sites were filled before we checked them, and the documentation we found was vague on the status of first-come first-served camping. Regardless of who was at fault, we ended up driving around Yosemite, this time knowing we were missing out on spectacular views since the moon was bright enough to unsatisfactorily sample them for us. A few hours, and dozens of miles later, we found a parking spot in an inconspicuous location and-- you guessed it!-- slept in the car. 

Day 12: Beverly Hills is where I wanna be

This morning we said goodbye to Jim and the Chinese ladies on our way out to explore Los Angeles. Our first stop was to see the Hollywood sign. After a short drive the from the little suburb town of Alhambra where we stayed the previous night we were in Hollywood, with its iconic palm tree-lined streets and view of the mountains in the distance. As with everywhere else in LA, there was a dense layer of smog that obstructed distant views, but we were close enough to make out the sign a couple miles before we got there. We took some narrow winding roads that seemed to switch back endlessly through neighborhoods filled with expensive homes before we finally made it to a dead end with some gates that prevented us from getting any closer. Thankfully, a break in the trees revealed an excellent view of the sign, so we took our pictures and headed on to Hollywood Boulevard and the walk of fame.

Parking was a nightmare in Hollywood, and all of the Los Angeles really, but we finally managed to find a spot that would give us two hours to explore Hollywood Boulevard. We spent most of the time with our eyes glued to the ground, trying to spot the Walk of Fame stars that belong to some of our favorite celebrities, only diverting our gaze long enough to gape at Grauman's Chinese Theater, and Kodak Theater where they hold the Oscars. It was extremely crowded, but it was a fun experience walking around in a place I've seen so many times but have never been to.

At times it was pretty hectic with all sorts of street performers and costumed panhandlers fighting each other to impede our progress, but in spite of it all we managed to walk most of the street and find all the stars we were looking for (it took a particularly long time for me to find Scarlett Johansson's star, but it made it all the more satisfying when I did). Once we had our fill of the movie tourist crowd, we made a trip to Santa Monica beach, which no doubt had its share of tourists, but was large enough that we didn't feel suffocated by the densely packed crowd.

Santa Monica was beautiful, especially later in the day with nearly setting sun streaming shafts of orange light through the palm trees dotting the beach. It was here that we both got our first sight of the Pacific Ocean which stretched away in three directions as far as we could see. After taking a bike ride along the beach-side path I went out to dip my feet in the water and watch the waves roll in.

Next I came back to play around on what essentially amounted to a huge area of jungle gyms for adults. There were balance beams and pullup bars, swings, climbing ropes, and dozens of rings where people swung from ring to ring like something out of the circus.

Once the sun had set and our parking time had run out, we drove just a little south down to Venice Beach to get some dinner. Since it was dark, it wasn't quite as lively as I would have hoped, but it definitely was a stark contrast to Santa Monica. Venice is like the Little Five Points of beaches-- a place where all the hipsters and hobos go to hang out-- which gave it an interesting flavor that set it apart from the other areas we had seen so far.

We got some dinner at Mao's Kitchen right along the beachside highway, and had some more excellent Chinese food before heading out. Unfortunately the host that we originally had for tonight bailed on us at the last minute, leaving us too short of notice to call for Jim's aid again. So for the first time, we ended up paying for lodging at a Motel 6 along the highway to our next destination. The damage wasn't bad, and we each got our own beds, so everything turned out a little better than expected considering the situation we were in.