Camping Across America

So much has been going on and I've had close to zero time to do anything, including blog.  Skipping right to the end, I'm currently in San Diego, but the story of how we ended up here is worth the read.

After we left Hawaii in September, Courtney and I went home to New Jersey to prepare for our next adventure, a cross-country camping trip!  We knew we wanted to see more of the US and since we were headed out to San Diego, we figured why not (and it saved me $1700 from having to ship my car).  As fall was starting to ascend it seemed like the ideal weather to see a good chunk of the National Parks, so we used Roadtrippers.com to plan out all of our stops.  It was perfect for finding ideas of where to go and seeing other peoples ratings on different attractions.  Here is what our final plan looked like:

As you may or may not be able to see, it starts from NJ, crosses through the northern states, goes into Canada for a bit, then zigzags down the whole west coast.  The national parks that were on our list to hit up were, in order,

Cuyahoga Valley N.P. - Ohio

Badlands N.P. - South Dakota

Glacier N.P. - Montana

Banff N.P. - Alberta, Canada

Olympic N.P. - Washington

Crater Lake N.P. - Oregon

Redwoods N.P. - California

Yosemite N.P. - California

and many other obligatory stops in between like Mount Rushmore, Vancouver, Seattle, Cannon Beach, Lake Tahoe, and Big Sur.  One thing you should really know about me and Courtney is that we change our minds and plans very quickly (short attention spans) so of course we unfortunately didn't get to go everywhere we wanted to, but we did see a great chunk of our homeland that we never would've gotten to see any other way.

After seeing a documentary, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, Courtney thought it would be a good idea to juice across America, to help us cleanse from Hawaii, and start us off on a healthy foot.  I'll be writing another post soon on packing for a trip like this and what specific stuff we bought to maximize efficiency.

The whole trip altogether took us about 2 and a half to 3 weeks, so I won't try and fit it all in one blog post.  Instead what I'm gonna do this week is recreate the trip and give you the highlights with plenty of photos for your visual pleasure.  I would've done it along the way but the National Parks Service doesn't have "put wifi in all the trees" on the top of their to-do list.  I'll forgive them.

So stay tuned this week to hear and see what our trip was like!

PS-Happy Halloween!

The Road to Hana

The Road to Hana is probably the most well known attraction on Maui.  It has become famous for its winding roads and sweeping coastal vistas as you drive along the mountains towards the eastern side of the island.  Naturally we had to give it a go, which we couldn't do without a rental car, so we forked up the dough and got a nice little piece of shit for the week.  We started the trek from our little town and headed east around 11am, making plenty of stops along the way.

 

Our first stop was on the side of the road to check out a field, but we ended up coming across a pasture with a bunch of rainbow eucalyptus trees.  The painterly color comes from the bark breaking off at different times during their growth, and they range in all sorts of colors but we mostly noticed the red and green hues.

 Our next stop was a 3 mile trail head, but we just wanted a quick glimpse of nature so we didn't stay too long.  The path was a bit overgrown and very lush; it had that look like it wanted to eat us.  Of course my curiosity was peaked, but we still had a long way to go to get to Hana and we both decided it would be best if we saved our energy.

A few more miles down the road we came to a spot overrun with onlookers and wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  It was a bridge overlooking a small stream that lead to a dainty waterfall, though Court's eye caught a view of a much larger falls in the back, which is what made us take to the trail.  We climbed for a while through a thicket of trees and brush, passed by two smaller waterfalls and finally found a view of the largest one, but for me that wasn't good enough.  I felt the call of Pocohontas inside me and took to the stream.  I forced Courtney to climb over rocks and through the current so I could swim around in the pool below the raging water.  Court convinced me not to actually go under the waterfall because the enormous force would have probably killed me, but I had such a peaceful moment with myself floating in the water.

After a while we hiked back to one of the smaller waterfalls where a few people were jumping in, and it only took us a second to whip off our clothes and leap off the edge.  When that was done we out back on our dirty and soaking wet clothes, and got back in the car to realize we were dead tired, and that I had lost my polarizing filter on my camera :( .  Spending all of our energy here was well worth it, but it also meant sacrificing our sanity for the next few hours.

The duration of the car ride was us two being loopy as ever and me speeding down the curvy roads to just get there.  "Are we there yet? Are we there now? Are we there yet?"  I almost drove us off a cliff.  But these wonderful views just kept me going.  When we finally got to Hana, we stopped at the Hana Bay Beach but we were too tired to do anything but whine.  We drove around a little, spotted a Thai food place, found out it was closed, got sad, drove back.

All in all, that road is kinda annoying and if you get stuck behind someone slow, you're screwed, but the beautiful views do make up for that dizzy feeling though.

Lahaina, the friendly town of West Maui.

 The other day we decided to get out of Pa'ia and venture west across the island to Lahaina.  We've pretty much done most of the things there are to do here in our little town so we thought it would be nice to see other parts of Maui, especially when you hear it's one of the nicest areas.  Thankfully, I was able to navigate us through the bus system and to our destination.

Lahaina is a town set right on the water, with tons of art galleries (my haven), souvenir shops, and small restaurants along the main strip.  Once we got there Courtney immediately sniffed out Cheeseburger in Paradise, the setting for our lunch.  Great food and a warm staff, just what we like.

 

Many of the places we went into here have a very friendly and accommodating staff, no doubt they're great salespeople, but it gives the whole town a warm and welcoming vibe.  I also found my love for Peter Lik, one of the greatest landscape photographers today, after we strolled around his gallery.  Such incredible pieces of work, I only wish I could afford one.  Although, I did end up buying a hammock!  The guy was so sweet I couldn't resist.

There are a few places to check out the history behind Lahaina, and if your nerdy side is calling it's an interesting activity, but sadly it's just not my cup of tea.

 

There's plenty of space to relax with some gelato and watch boats dock at the park.  Find some space under a tree, spread out, and just listen to the water bob against the rock wall.

All-in-all Lahaina was a wonderful way to spend our day and I highly recommend it for anyone visiting the island.

Pa'ia, Maui

Pa'ia, Maui isn't one of those tourist-ridden destination towns in Hawaii, it's charm lies in the eclectic shops and local restaurants quietly placed next to an almost untouched beach.  Foot is the popular mode of transportation here, but no worries there's no rush here.

 

 

This old plantation town currently features popular cuisine such as the Pa'ia Fish Market, Flatbread Company, Mama's Fish House, Cafe Des Amis, and Anthony's Coffee Co., among many others.  Thankfully, most places have a happy hour from 3-6pm.

 

Palm trees (or as Courtney calls them, Palmers) are in no short supply, and they truly lend to the island feel.  The sun pretty much never stops shining either.

 

There are plenty of sandy spots to relax, and if you take a look around you'll probably find an uninhabited area.

 

This place isn't a bad one to spend a little time.  Sweet views, gnarly food, and enough booze to keep me going for a while, should be a good stay.

Cliff Jumping in SoCal

 

Before we headed out to Maui, I was able to spend a few days in San Diego with Courtney.  I truly love this city.  She lives in Pacific Beach, which is possibly the best place for young people I've ever been to.  Ride your beach cruiser down to the water along the beach and you'll come across a nice handful of lax bars and restaurants.

Courtney had heard about a spot called Tar Creek a few hours away where we could go cliff jumping, and was apparently the best place to do so in Southern California.  We though it would be a great way to spend the day; take a road trip, go hiking and finish off the day by cooling down in the pools of a mountain.  Sounds like a sweet day right? Well our actual experience was quite different. 

 

It took us about 4 hours to get to the town of Fillmore, then another 20 minutes to drive up the mountainside to a small parking lot.  There are no signs anywhere to direct you where to go, so we started on a trail hoping it would be the right choice.  We looked up Tar Creek on the internet and from the reviews we read it was only about a half mile walk to get to the pools, which we figured would only take maybe 10 minutes, piece of cake.  After about a mile and a half I start to question whether we're on the right path at all.  It is blazing hot, and I'm starting to chafe.  At one point we come to a pass with 3 different paths and we have no idea where to go or if we're even in the right area for that matter, so we decide to turn around.

On the way back we miraculously pass a group of young guys who knew exactly where to go and told us to follow them.  They said it wasn't too much farther from where we turned around so we figured we came all this way we better go.  If only we knew what was really in store.  The path took us down in the valley and straight into the depths of hell.  We climbed and jumped down rocks the whole way, which pounded our knees and backs the whole way, did I mention I had a 20 pound backpack with a tripod on?

After another 45 minutes we finally reached the first pool inhabited by water snakes, turtles, and surrounded by 20'-25' rocks.  Courtney took the first jump while I set up my tripod to snap a few pictures, then I soon followed.  A quick exhilaration followed by a full body shiver.  We both jumped a few more times before we packed up and followed the guys to the second pool that they said was just another 5 minutes away. Lies.  It was at least another 15 minutes of sliding over sharp rocks down the canyon to get there.  When we arrived there we were greeted by a 100'-120' drop down into a miniscule pool below, and though I love a great thrill more than the next person, that was a death sentence.

 The guys tried to convince us to carry on to the 3rd pool but we wouldn't be swayed this time.  We turned around and headed back for the car.  The trek back up this mountain was one of the most grueling tasks I think we both have ever been faced with.  First we ran out of water, and with the sun still beating down strong at our backs it wasn't long until we became severely dehydrated.  The next 2 hours was scaling boulders, trying to avoid worse chafing, and getting out of satan's ass crack before the sun set.  At one point we lost the trail, and almost lost our will to live with it.  I thought that was the end for me.  By some will of God or just pure survival mode we both made it out of that forsaken crevasse and floored it to the closest gas station to chug 4 Gatorade bottles.

I rue the day I walked into the mountain trail.

We arrived in Maui very late last night and crawled into our new apartment, threw on the AC and climbed into bed.  We're on the northshore in a small town called Paia; it's adorable with plenty of little shops and restaurants to keep us entertained for a while.  But more on that later.

Goodbyes are the Hardest Part

Today is the day.  I leave for San Diego tonight to meet up with my sister (Courtney).  I haven't seen her in months and all I can think about is how much fun we're gonna have these next year or so.  This last week has been nothing but goodbyes to all of my closest friends and lord knows I'm terrible at them.  It never gets easier.

I'm sacrificing a well-paying job, a comfortable home, and everyone I know to go off and chase my dreams of becoming a travel photographer.  It's going to be a long road to navigate, but I've got my best friend at my side to try and keep me sane.  I anticipate lots of tears, frustration, and doubt ahead for me, and since I don't have a back up plan I need to find a way for this to work for a few years or more.

Let's see what happens.

Step One

Picking up your life and moving across the country or the globe is not an easy decision, for most.  About a month ago my younger sister sent me a text asking me to move to Hawaii.  I debated the idea for a minute or two, playing over any possible reason why not to, then realized I have nothing holding me back.  That night we started the apartment hunt.

My current life is anchored here in New Jersey, and I have a glamorous job waiting tables at a little riverside restaurant.  I live with my mom, but not for much longer.  She is moving out of our house of 14 years for a smaller house a few blocks from the beach, after a family tragedy turned our 5 to 4.  I am a recent college grad with a dream of traveling the world, while taking photos and helping people along the way.  I haven't yet figured out how to make that a lifestyle just yet without starving and still being able to to pay my crushing student loans.

There seems to be nothing left worth staying for here, and I don't recognize this place as my own anymore.  However pessimistic that sounds, I'm looking to the future with optimism.  I'm packing up all of my worldly possessions, saying goodbye to friends, and heading out to San Diego to meet up with my sister, then we are headed to Maui!

Everything has been moving so fast lately, but I'm ready for my new life to start.  I'm scared and nervous but I'm ready to jump right in.

Step one, complete.