norcal

We started off Friday morning by driving through central California, continuing along the Pacific Coast Highway. During this leg of the trip, there were the most breathtaking views for miles and miles. Dramatic cliffs dropped right into the bright blue waters below, and the narrow twisty road dipped back and forth creating a rollercoaster effect that was both thrilling and sickening after several hours.

We stayed the night camping at Mt. Madonna State Park. I woke up Saturday morning to Guy looking at me with a distressed expression, letting me know that we had a flat tire. Luckily for me, I was with someone who had a lot of experience changing tires, so not only was it a swift fix, but we also got the tire patched for mere $20. What turned out to be a much bigger deal was the stench growing significantly stronger within the van. The previous day a few gallons of water had seeped onto the van floor, and while we gave our best attempts at vacuuming and airing out the vehicle, the smell continued to grow. Although Guy can tend to be a bit…hmm…particular (maybe more like obsessive) about cleaning, I was very appreciative that he was adamant about getting everything aired out and sprayed down with some industrial Febreeze. A few days later, “that smell” was completely gone. Either that, or we just acclimated to it. You can let us know when we get back.

With the van all better again, we headed towards San Francisco. We had time to do a little exploring that evening, so went to the Haight neighborhood, known as a hippy haven in the 60’s. Although it is has a bit more of a grungy feel to the place, there is still a bohemian vibe. The greasy look made it a bit difficult to determine who was homeless and who just liked to sport the “rolled out of bed” look. That night we looked at some shops, tried on a some clothes, and ate at a Thai restaurant for dinner.

Sunday was spent with the entire day devoted to the sights of San Francisco. We went to Chinatown, which holds the world’s largest Chinese population second to China itself (and North America’s oldest). Though there were plenty of tourists here, I still felt like we stuck out in a huge way as the minority. It was fun to look at all the food markets with interesting unidentifiable treats, the red and gold Chinese lanterns dotting the sky, and charming little shops - such as this little hole in the wall where they made fortune cookies by hand and gave out samples of the “bad” ones. I decided to try some bubble tea, which I was surprisingly disappointed by, which I sipped on while we walked towards Fisherman’s Wharf. Its funny how distinct the neighborhoods in San Francisco are…as we walked from Chinatown to the Italian neighborhood of North Beach, I was shocked by how abruptly I was cut off from one world and dove head on into a completely different one.

At Fisherman’s Wharf we wondered over to Pier 39, saw Alcatrez from a distance, watched the ships sail by and seals sunning themselves on the dock. We stopped for lunch at a great Italian/seafood restaurant with an unbeatable view of all the previously mentioned items. Since I am such a huge chocolate lover, we walked over to Ghiradelli square, where they have a huge gift shop and café, but sadly, I wasn’t feeling well and decided not to partake. Finally we walked to Lombard Street, the most windy, steep street you could ever imagine. Luckily, we approached it from the top, because walking up that steep of an incline just does not appeal to me. All in all, I thought San Francisco was a beautiful city, with lots of things to see and do. However, I am just too lazy of a person to ever imagine living there, as it feels like a bit of a fun house, since there are virtually no level streets in the entire city!

On Monday we took another go at San Fran, heading to Golden Gate Park. Unfortunately, when we got there it was raining…hard. I was determined to see (or smell, rather) the Fragrance Garden - a garden designed for the visually impaired. I thought the concept was so neat where all the plants/flowers were included for either their strong scents or appealing textures, so those who cannot visually enjoy the flowers would be able to enjoy the garden with their other senses. Since the rain would not let up, we headed to the conservatory which was closed for the day. Just as we were about to give up, the sun came out and we went to the Japanese Tea Garden which was well worth it. After strolling through the very serene place, we sat and enjoyed some tea and snacks. Before meeting Guy’s peace corp friend Alex for dinner in Berkely, we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and stopped for a few photos. Alex suggested a great pizza place for dinner and graciously let us stay at her house for the night.

The next morning we headed out for a three+ hour drive to Yosemite National Park. Yosemite, not unlike the Grand Canyon, is a bit difficult to describe, because it is so incredible. The word that comes to mind for me is “majestic.” The huge valleys, powerful waterfalls and magnificent granite cliffs were all stunning. Though we were only there for an afternoon, it was well worth the time. The following day was spent driving and looking for a campsite. The highlight of the day was definitely trying out our camp showers from Guy’s sister and her boyfriend. Guy had an elaborate set up involving the van, the hanging shower, a tree, and a large tarp. Although we had attempted to warm up the frigid water gathered from a nearby stream, it just didn’t happen. Cold shower it was! The whole process was very comical, and I’m sure we’ll try it again someday.

Our final day in California was spent at the Redwood National Forest. While we entered the forest together, we decided to have some much needed “alone time” and enjoy our hikes separately through the forest. Its amazing seeing the size of those trees in person! I only encountered one other person on my hike and was impressed by the absolute silence I experienced when I stopped to listen. I came across a quote from Lady Bird Johnson, whom this grove was dedicated to “One of my most unforgettable memories of the past year is walking through the Redwoods…seeing the light filtering through the trees so far above, feeling the majesty and silence of that forest…all our problems seemed to fall into perspective and I think every one of us walked out more serene and happier.“ I couldn’t have explained it better.

While I was incredibly sad to be leaving the state of California, I have to admit, the insanely curvy mountain roads we were on for hours before leaving the state made the process a bit easier for me. That, and I look forward to what lies ahead.