I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…but this is pretty close. We arrive at Joshua tree and all the campgrounds are full (of course) because its spring break time. We decide to do a drive through the park to get a scope of the place. I can no longer stand being couped up in the van so we park by Split Rock and head out for a run. We connect various trails together, skull rock, face rock, discovery trail and even made our own trail. (got lost)
In God’s CountryWith or Without You
BLM land camping is normally pretty good but we read reviews of camping in Joshua Tree BLM and it was pretty mixed. When heading out on bumpy dirt roads we found many people in all sorts of campers, tents, RVs, etc.. were spread across a large field. Securing a level place to park, we set out our chairs, had a nice dinner and watched the sunset over the San Gorgonio Mountain range.
In the early morning we head to Natural sister’s cafe for organic coffee and juice. No bathrooms on BLM so that too. Back into Joshua Tree Park and have breakfast in the van. Head out for a long run on Stubbe Springs Loop.
Lots of good single track, some sandy parts, and becoming immersed into the desert . Big eared jack rabbits hopped very fast off the trail ahead of us. Flowers of various shapes, sizes, and colors dot the path. Cactus varieties also cling close so you have to be careful when running. They are super sharp. Wide open views of Mt. Jacinto and Mt. San Gorgonio.
down in the valley at left is where Coachella happens
We both got pretty hot by the end of the run. Lunch break in van at Keys View. One more overnight on BLM land and Paul is able to get some work done. 4G on the hot spot, whoo hoo. I choose to stream a movie instead.
March happened to be spring break for many students and all the camp grounds on the coast looked booked on-line. We decided to drive Pacific Coast 1 anyway and see what we could find. This was my first time to Big Sur and the surrounding areas. I was floored by the beauty and now know why this drive is so magnificent. We asked at Plaskett Creek Camp ground if we could stay a night. They were full but let us share a group site with another friendly surfer man (John). We sat outside the van and enjoyed the ocean sounds. In the morning we ran along the muddy coastline, some in pastures.
spot the van at Plaskett Creek SP
Sunshine, sea air, trail running, and even mud..ahhhhh happy place. The national forest lets people camp for free right up the hill from where we stayed. Tricky road but we know now for next time. Crazy views.
Elephant seals sunning on the beach. I didn’t know what they were at first.
They had some official viewing areas but Paul and I drove to a beach spot where kite boarders were surfing. I walked down the road a ways to a small bridge and looked over. To my surprise there were all these elephant seals looking up at me. They found a perfect place to hide and swim in creek water. They made fun noises while playing. I ran back to tell Paul and show him my discovery. We watched for a bit and then left them to their privacy. Cool find.
San Simeon Camp Ground was set back from the beach. Our daily run included scenic overlooks, rest-stop benches and interpretive panels with information on wildlife and habitat. San Simeon Natural Preserve consists of vast wetlands, riparian areas, and several undisturbed native plant communities including unique mima mound topography. The Preserve is also the wintering site for monarch butterfly populations. Very pleasant indeed. The beach is vast but it was windy and I couldn’t even find a place to nestle in and enjoy a book. Lots of driftwood everywhere too.
Cambria is a pleasant shopping stop. We buy bread and have taco lunch from a food truck. We make our way inland on 166 and find parking in National forest land. ( one dirt road was way too scary for me and treacherous) There is plenty of bug life but also extreme quiet. Peaceful night sleep.
Morning rest stop in a small town New Cayuma. Head back to the ocean over a pass on 33. Stop and eat lunch out of van to take in the sights a bit longer.
Back at the beach we camp at El Capitan SB, Nice ocean views but a rocky beach. I walk a mile north and find one with sand to relax and read. Only a short dip here as the water is so cold. Wake early and enjoy a sunrise run with bunnies, wild flowers, and hugging the ocean. The bike path was closed because of erosion but you can manage a run and it connects with Refugio SB. This is a nice spot directly on the beach with sand. Would be my choice next time.
Gaviota SB is rustic but has charm. Nice sand beach, showers, train bridge, and many interesting rock formations.
It gets windy here and dusty too so being in a van was a plus. Paul and I did an epic run to a sulfer hot spring. It was harder than we expected, and longer, but we both agreed it was worth the challenge.
Lake Piru is off the beach but worth mentioning. The camp is set in a 100 year old Olive Grove. Very quiet at the beginning of April but is probably hopping in the summer. The green trees, blossoms, deer and crazy big horn cows make it even more interesting.
Leaving Reno and heading over the Donner pass speckled white with snow, we can feel the pull of the warm California weather. Finding our way through Nevada City and Grass Valley we stop in a town called Dobbins. Here we chat, drink tea with John DeMarco and play with his dog Snoop. John is an old friend of Ron’s from high school. He is an artist, writer, and musician. Ron admired John and I believe with so much in common they would still have been friends today.
The drive on 20 to Clearlake was full of flowers and green hills. Too bad that the State Park was closed because of flooding. We pressed on to Cloverdale in the dark on super windy 175 W. I don’t recommend this route at night. I was pretty scared. Late dinner at La Hacienda with a needed margarita and park overnight on a nearby quiet street. Next morning going through Sonoma wine country, you can see the large amount of rain has flooded many fields. The Russian River also overflowed(the worst flooding in over 20 years) and many people lost property. Very sad to see that.
We made it to the Pacific Ocean! Breakfast in the van at Sonoma Coast SB then a good run in the rain at Point Reyes National Seashore. We were the only runners out there.
We made it to the Pacific Ocean! Breakfast in the van at Sonoma Coast SB then a good run in the rain at Point Reyes National Seashore. We were the only runners out there.
Paul wanted to attend an audio software conference at Stanford. We spent some time outside the van in Palo Alto. (the van has a much better bed than the airbnb) We met interesting people, had many conversations, and I caught up on laundry. I enjoyed running during the day. A highlight was Wunderlich County Park filled with redwood trees, deer and steep trails.
The Nature preserve by google plex was close enough to run. I went there a few times and enjoyed the birds, waterways, and watching people stream into work. The art museums at Stanford, Cantor and Anderson collections, are worth a visit. They are not only full of a wide variety of art but they are free. My favorites were Elizabeth Murray, Josiah Mc Elheny “Island Universe”, Rodin and Richard Serra sculptures, and Do Ho Suh (crazy wallpaper).
Paul and I ate most dinners out in Palo Alto and shared one evening catching up with some of his friends Juan, Sarah, and Raj.
Alameda, what a lovely place. Who knew? My niece Lucy and wife Ari live on this sweet island and Paul and I found it charming in many ways. The homes look mostly Victorian but there is also a mix of new and old. Blue Dot cafe is the perfect place for a filling breakfast sandwich and coffee. The public transportation seems very easy so I took the bus to San Francisco for the day. There Lucy gave me a blue ribbon tour of Slack the company she works for.
I was super impressed with the design layout and how each floor of Slack was trying to emulate a different level of the Pacific Crest Trail. Think dirt, rock, desert, water, wood, snow etc… I am not sure how many floors I was on but it was an unforgettable journey. Plus you get treats on any floor, coffee, tea, cookies and more. It was nice to see Lucy enjoying her work and also to see how people responded so positively to her. My sister Carrie, George and Milo and friend Ella happened to be in San Fran at the same time. We got together for an enjoyable day where we walked around, saw the 16th street mosaic steps and had an evening family dinner back in Alameda. Plus Ice cream at Tuckers!
After our breathtaking experience at Lone Pine campground, Paul and I drove 395 North to Reno. Now there are many pretty scenic roads out there but we found ourselves ooohing and aaahing most of the way. Mountains caress you from both sides and can be distracting at times. Making your way north you are suddenly surrounded by white, glistening snow. Sunglasses were needed for this part of the journey.
We stopped briefly mid route to enjoy the reflections on Mono Lake. The season had not yet started so it was very quiet and the road had barely any traffic.
I promised my Aunt Carol we would stop for a visit this trip. The sisters at the Carmel of Reno are some of the friendliest people we have met. They made Paul and I feel so welcome and included us in daily meals and conversation. I especially enjoyed spending time with my Aunt Carol who is a creative, beautiful soul.
We toured the grounds, art studios and card making facilities. We also went into downtown Reno to stroll on the river walk. We were very impressed with the city and its artsy feel. One major highlight was a run on the steamboat ditch trail with spectacular views of the city below.
Paul has had an intimate experience with Death Valley in the past cycling 200 miles in the desert for fun. This would be my first trip to the place he spoke so fondly of and I was a bit nervous that it would not hold up to all the admiration.
We arrived at Furnace Creek on a windy Tuesday and I actually sat outside the van reading for the first time in a long while. The stars looked amazing but the wind decided to pick up and shook the van all night long.
The next day we decided to run Dante’s View towards Mt. Perry. It was a bit chilly but the scenery was spectacular. 5400′ above the Badwater basin and an incredible single track (sometimes precarious) trail out and back.
sometimes you just want to go for a jog in the woods …
By Thursday the wind had died down and we rode our bikes to Badwater Basin. On the way back we took the long way on Artist’s Drive to view the colorful patterns in the rocks. Artist’s Palette was really a treat and I was so perplexed that there was blue, purple and pink in the rocks. When we arrived back at the van we could have dinner outside, so lovely.
Paul enjoyed some more cycling while I explored Mosaic Canyon. Hot run up to canyon but worth seeing the rocks mosaiced into the canyon walls. Stovepipe Wells camping area had a pool and shower we could use that was handy. We both also ran all of the Fall Canyon trail and part of Titus Canyon road that was closed to vehicles because of flooding.
Paul wanted to cycle the one exit from Death Valley he hasn’t completed. He rode from Stovepipe Wells to Panamint Springs. I was a bit worried after driving ahead in the van and kept looking through binoculars to see if he was coming. It was definitely challenging but he had an enjoyable (possibly epic) ride.
Tuttle Creek outside of Lone Pine was our next camping experience. It couldn’t have knocked our socks off any more than it did. Wow! You are on the base of the Whitney Portal and have views of Owen’s lake ( a dry salt lake) in the basin. The next morning I ran part of the famous Movie Road in Alabama Hills. Over 400 movies were filmed in this area including Gunga Din, Rawhide, Gladiator, Django Unchained, Ironman, Tremors and many more.
Springtime in Death Valley is certainly a treat and well worth visiting and exploring.
After our amazing time at the grand canyon we headed to Flagstaff to visit with friends Shari and Paul. They made a big move from the east coast to a property in Flagstaff near the National forest. Their home is warm and cozy so we skipped sleeping in the van for a few days. I was a bit jealous of all the amazing running opportunities they have right outside their door.
Shari and Paul also love to hike so they took us to Sedona to get a closer look at the red rocks. There are a multitude of trails in the area and I believe you can’t go wrong in choosing. Everywhere we looked was full of gorgeousness. We enjoyed tasty woodfired pizza at Pisa Lisa. Just warm enough to sit outside.
You can’t drive over the Hoover Dam without getting a closer look. It is a spectacular construction that took 5 years to build and many lives lost (96). You are allowed to drive over it after your vehicle goes through a security checkpoint.
Vegas! Sin City and the home of Most Reverend Bishop Pepe, cousin Joe. We didn’t give Joe enough notice so we just took in Monday night mass and said a quick hello. Nice dinner at Hedary’s Mediterranean and then to walk around old town, Fremont Street. Cool art happenings, weird outdoor/indoor mall space where people fly over your head zip lining. Light show on the dome ceiling, music, drinking etc…all a bit overwhelming.
We parked the van on 9th street and it was very quiet overnight. In the morning we had a delicious breakfast, almost too large, at Publicus. Very nice ambiance. Seems like a popular meet up space where people gather, drink coffee and enjoy fantastic food.
