#59: Valley Girls

When my friend Amanda expressed interest in visiting me on the road, choosing a time and place for us to meet was somewhat of a crapshoot. She booked the flight months beforehand, so I had to guess a little where I’d be when she planned to come. I knew I’d be “around” Arizona, and I knew the agenda included Death Valley National Park, so we decided flying into Las Vegas would work (Vegas is about two hours east of Death Valley). Scooping her in Vegas, and where we’d travel together, was factored into my route planning.

I booked a site at Sam’s Town KOA (Kampgrounds of America) in Las Vegas for the night of Amanda’s arrival. Here, I’d empty/fill tanks and stock up on groceries (and wine). It was strange to go to Vegas and “camp.” The only other times I’ve gone to Vegas was for work trips or bachelorette parties.

I quickly introduced Amanda to the RV life. We began the next day with a campground shower. I also demonstrated how I dump the black tank, fill the fresh water tank, and pack up the Airstream when it’s time to drive. I have to say, she picked it up pretty quickly.

We had five full days together. We planned to hit up Death Valley National Park, Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada, and the Hoover Dam.

I want to add: I had no expectations for Death Valley. I felt a little badly about Amanda joining me for this particular park because I didn’t think it was one of the “good” ones. I would soon be proven wrong.

Day #1: Las Vegas & Death Valley

First on the docket was a trip to Trader Joe’s for groceries. After driving for two hours, we arrived at Death Valley mid-day, and although we didn’t have any plans for where to camp, I was confident we’d find a place inside the park. After scoping out a few options, we decided on the first-come, first-serve Texas Springs Campground near the Furnace Creek Visitor Center.

By the time we set up, made some necessary phone calls, and laid out a plan for the next few days, it was time to crack open the wine and whip out the cheese and crackers. We took a quick walk up a hill around our campground to catch the sunset.

Day #2: Death Valley

Per Amanda’s request (and given she is an early bird), we got up the next morning for the sunrise at Zabriskie Point. We weren’t the only ones with this idea, but that didn’t take away from the daybreak beauty. THIS is why the song, America the Beautiful, talks about purple mountains…

Next, we drove to Badwater Basin, North America's lowest elevation at 282 feet below sea level. This area is home to the salt flats, an iconic part of Death Valley National Park. It was still early morning when we went; the sun was still behind valley walls, which explains the photos' dark shadows.

On the way back to the campground, we stopped to drive down the one-way loop called Artists Drive. Here, we found Artists Palette, rainbow-colored rock formations that represent, well, artists palettes.

We chose an afternoon hike on which Addie could join us. This hike, Titus Canyon Narrows, is along a 4x4 road, but the ranger informed us that it is scenic, unique, and flexible in that we could go as far as we wanted and turn around. We passed many Jeeps (or I should say, they passed us) - the entire road is 27 miles and connects to one of the major park roads. 

Amanda and I hadn’t hiked together since we summited Mount Kilimanjaro in December 2018. We were long overdue. Also, to add, Amanda and I have been friends since childhood. Born only one month apart, we grew up as neighbors in Connecticut. Over the years, we have remained close friends and both grew to love taking on challenges - especially in the active/outdoor arena. She pushed me to run a few marathons!

And I pushed her to sample the nomad life. hehe.

After about three miles out, we turned back for a total of six miles. We then drove up to Dante’s View, which provides a panoramic view of the valley below.

A much-needed snack awaited us back at the campsite, so we headed “home.” This is where I asked Amanda to stand on a bucket. That’s right. I needed her to help me record a video of me, and I wanted it to be taken at eye-level. We needed a little “boost” for her.

Do you know how many uses a bucket has when you’re on the road? So many. Here are a few:

1. Step stool (example above)

2. Seat

3. Vessel to transport water or other items

4. Trash can

5. Washing bin

I digress.

Day #3: Death Valley to Valley of Fire

The next day we left Death Valley for Valley of Fire, but not before we squeezed in one more hike. We wanted to see the Red Cathedral. We were up and at it before Addie’s desired wake-up time, so she happily slept in the Airstream while we hiked.

Valley of Fire was about a three-hour drive from Death Valley. We made a few pitstops through small towns before arriving at Valley of Fire State Park. We drove through the park to the other side to find a pretty solid dispersed camping area. Amanda was getting a pretty good snapshot of my accommodations on the road: an RV park, a park campground, and a dispersed campground.

Day #4: Valley of Fire State Park

We had an incredible day in this state park. The best part was that Addie could go with us wherever we went. We saw beautifully colorful rocks, witnessed a herd of bighorn sheep, and hiked a cumulative seven miles. These photos do no justice to what we experienced.

Day #5: Hoover Dam

Valley of Fire State Park is only about an hour from Hoover Dam, which is also in the direction back to Las Vegas. Neither of us had been and figured this was as good a time as any.

We (well, Amanda) found a walking path along the Historic Railroad Trail and we “hiked” to the dam. This trail is the former railroad that brought supplies and equipment to and from the dam as it was under construction.

Side note: I can’t express enough how helpful it is to have a navigator and someone to help with researching things to do and visit. I could drive and Amanda could google things, so we planned a lot in the car - which made things a lot easier.

The dam is massive. However, it’s still just a dam. Because of COVID, some areas and tours were closed, but we were content just walking around and taking a look from above. I was glad to visit the infamous Hoover Dam, but I think I enjoyed the historic railroad trail more.

Amanda’s visit was coming to a close. We headed back to Sam’s Town KOA in Vegas to culminate the trip. I know Amanda enjoyed her five days of RV living, but I’m sure she was ready to return to her life in Chicago.

It was back to the two of us: Addie and me. I dropped Amanda at the airport and hit the road, once again feeling right at home behind the wheel.

Special thanks to Amanda for joining me on the road and doing so COVID-safe!

#32: Lassen Volcanic National Park

When I think of “Northern California,” I mostly think of the San Francisco Bay area. At least I used to. I guess that’s correct, but there is so much more to California north of the Bay area. And I made sure to explore it.

The drive from Truckee to Lassen Volcanic National Park is about three hours. Because I didn’t leave Truckee until the afternoon, I decided to break up the drive by stopping at Hallsted Campground in the Plumas National Forest. Here, I met Joe and Steve. Joe was the camp host, and Steve was camping there for a few nights. I got to chatting with them in the morning, and they helped me a little bit with my trailer. Steve introduced me to using a drill to lower the stabilizers on the Basecamp (which is so much easier than using the manual tool), and Joe provided comic relief. It’s just so fun - and helpful - to meet people on the road.

Steve on the left, and Joe on the right.

After a campground shower, I said good-bye to my new friends and hit the road for Lassen Volcanic. The drive was beautiful.

I snagged a two-night reservation at Manzanita Lake Campground - and thank God I did. It was crowded. With COVID, more people were out camping, not to mention July is peak season. After locating our campsite, Addie and I drove some of the park and stopped by the visitor center to figure out our plan to explore.

The following day, our first stop was to the Devastated Area, damaged by the last eruption of Lassen Peak in 1915. This interpretive trail showcased the hurt caused and featured different types of rock formations as a result. I nerded out a bit here.

We continued our drive, passing Summit Lake (beautiful alpine lake), with an area called Sulphur Works as our destination. This is where things began to heat up, literally. They say that if you’ve been to Yellowstone, these particular hydrothermal natural wonders are not too impressive, but I beg to differ. I was very impressed and found myself just staring at them until Addie barked at me out of boredom. It’s tough to capture the experience in photos - you will have to check it out for yourself!

Driving to Sulphur Works, I noted a few shorter hikes that I wanted to take. After lunch, I headed back out. Addie was okay in the trailer as the temperature wasn’t too high. A trail called Bumpass Hell was the first on my list.

This 2.6-mile moderate hike is named after Kendall Bumpass (pronounced “Bump-iss,” but I like to say “Bump-ass” - hehe). Upon arriving at this area, he fell into a thin boiling crust and severely burned his leg. The hydrothermal area on this hike is the largest in the area; therefore, I didn’t want to miss it. As you can see in the photos, an extensive boardwalk allows visitors to get an up-close view of the boiling mud pots and steaming pools - without getting dangerously close.

I explored one more area of the park and made my way to a lake called Cold Boiling Lake. I expected something much more impactful than what I found, but the hike was still beautiful.

The following morning I enjoyed coffee with some campsite neighbors - two older female friends who occasionally meet up at parks. One of the women was 75-years old and regularly traveled solo in her 1980’s VW Westfalia. I was amazed. Life on the road is challenging, and doing it single at 75-years old is (as I can imagine) is likely even more so. Props to her! She was so inspiring.

After coffee, Addie and I were on the road again to Mount Shasta.

#27: Back to the Coast (& Channel Islands National Park)

I didn’t take the most efficient route through California, as there was some backtracking. However, this often happens when: A) You are meeting people in specific places at specific times, and B) When people you meet along the way recommend new places to check out. The above is just another example of how a detailed, rigid plan only takes you so far (for me on this trip and for all of us in life!).

From Lone Pine, I headed down south on 395 to then head west to the coast. My next destination was Ventura. From there, I would take day trips to Ojai and Santa Barbara.

I booked a “cushy” RV park in Ventura called Waypoint. It was the only place to stay near the city – and it was right downtown somewhat along the water. The coolest part about it was that they only allowed vintage trailers and Airstreams. I fit right in. Plus, they had heavenly showers.

Ventura

Ventura is a California surfer, hippie town with a little grit to it. It reminded me a bit of Santa Cruz. After having a nice, long, hot shower, Addie and I walked around the downtown area, popping into shops. VERY dog-friendly city, which I love.

The following day I quickly hit up the local Saturday morning farmers market. Dogs were not allowed, but a nice gentleman at the entrance offered to watch Addie while I scoped it out.

Shortly afterward, I met up with a friend, Katie, from business school who lives in Ventura. After business school, she took a job at Patagonia, headquartered there. We took the dogs for a hike/walk in a nearby park and caught up after lost time. After Katie gave me some “organic” avocados and oranges from trees in her backyard, Addie and I hit the road to visit Ojai and Santa Barbara.

Little sidebar: Since COVID began, the national parks closed to visitors. At this time (mid-June), I was continually checking to see which parks were opening up and when. Channel Islands National Park (off the coast of the Ventura area) was closed every time I checked because visitors take a ferry to get to the islands. I had come to terms with the fact that I would not visit the Channel Islands. BUT (big "but" here), while hiking with Katie, she mentioned that her friends were going to the Channel Islands that weekend. It was then I learned that it was open!

I quickly arranged for another night at Waypoint and snagged a ferry reservation for the next morning. This change of plans pushed my timeline back one day, but it worked out for the best (more to come on why).

Okay, back to Ojai…

I had heard lovely things about Ojai – and that there was not much to do there, but I still wanted to see it for myself.

Ojai is beautiful. It’s a small town set in a valley and a little desert-y. The little downtown hosts galleries, new-age boutiques, and cafes, and the surrounding areas are home to ranches and nature trails. It’s a very spiritual place where many escape to find peace, wellness, and sanctuary. You can immediately tell by the vibe there - very Zen.

Because Ojai was a stop en route to Santa Barbara, I grabbed a coffee in a coffee shop and perused the town just a bit. I hit up a famous bookstore called Bart’s Books, but they didn’t let dogs inside. Boo.

I went to Santa Barbara and took it all in. Addie and I walked around a ton – on the main drag and then by the water. I have been to Santa Barbara a few times in the past, but I love it so much that I wanted to say hello. Honestly, not much to highlight from this particular visit.

Channel Islands National Park

The next morning I had an 8 am ferry to Anacapa Island via a company called Island Packers. Channel Islands National Park consists of five different islands. Anacapa is the smallest island and arguably the most picturesque. It's almost like the "classic" of the Channel Islands, so I chose to visit it.

What I didn't realize when choosing that particular island was that it is one of the most massive nesting places for the Western Gull. And at the time I visited, it was nesting SEASON. Gulls were EVERYWHERE. To the point where I had to flail my arms around with every step, so they didn't attack me. I walked over multiple dead gulls - including chicks. It's nature, so I love it, but I was ready to go when the time came.

Anacapa is also home to the largest brown pelican rookery in the United States. These guys congregated into one area of the island, and it was undeniable where they were. It didn't smell nice where they lived…

It was beautiful, though. I had a clear day, and the views were incredible. I also saw sea lions. After a short boat ride back to the harbor, and a 15-minute drive, I was in Ventura again. Katie and I walked the boardwalk with the dogs and wrapped up my weekend with some shrimp tacos on the pier.

Are you wondering where Addie was when I went to Anacapa Island? Katie helped me out with that. She and her dog sitter split the time and watched Addie for me. It was a treat to have someone I knew and trusted to stay with her while I explored a place she couldn’t go with me. Thanks, Katie!