AAI have always been a fairly independent and adventurous person, so no one was surprised when I chose a college on the opposite end of the country from my home state of California. However, a few months ago I decided to take it a step further, and with my parents' blessing, I carefully mapped out a cross-country journey from Los Gatos, CA to Lexington, VA. Just me, my yellow VW Bug, Lulu, and four books on tape for fifteen days. Now that I'm a week in, I can admit that I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.
Day 1
Because leaving on this road trip meant leaving not only on this crazy adventure but leaving home for good, I was honest-to-God screaming in my car as I pulled away from my house. My Mom is an angel, and I decided only an idiot would leave her. And if I was such an idiot, why was I even bothering to go to college in the first place? To make matters worse, I realized after about 20 minutes that I forgot to pack hiking shoes. To avoid another excruciating goodbye, I opted to swing by the Nike outlet and buy a new pair of shoes. I ended up getting them for quite a bargain, so at least that helped my mood.
Thank goodness Yosemite was my first stop; that was maybe the only national park in the country that could have changed my mental state so completely. Because Yosemite isn't just gorgeous; it's spectacular. I teared up with joy and gratitude only to tear up with anger at the thought of how it took me so long to visit, then teared-up again when I watched the sun set over the towering rocks and thick forests. It was an emotional day.
Day 2
If possible, Day 2 was more difficult. I took the above picture of Mono Lake just before I left the dry state of California for its even drier neighbor. There's nothing like leaving one of the nation's most beautiful state parks only to find yourself surrounded by endless hours of monotonous sand and rock, aka the lovely state of Nevada. I called my Mom after crying in the middle of a Subway (not one of my finer moments), but she, angel that she is, convinced me to continue forward and cut the day short, spending the night in Las Vegas. To occupy the rest of my time I saw "Jason Bourne" in theaters for the second time in a six-day time frame. Matt Damon never ceases to disappoint.
Day 3
Ah, Nevada. Just when I start to truly hate you, you turn around and... try to murder me. You see, after my breather in Vegas I drove the half hour or so to Valley of Fire State Park, aptly named when you consider its sizzling temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit that sunny Monday morning. I enjoyed seeing the red rocks and beautifully preserved petroglyphs, and took this picture in high spirits. On my way back to my car, however, I began feeling dizzy and lightheaded, and the feeling grew exponentially until I stumbled over to a group of French tourists, whispered a plea of help, and crumpled onto the floor. When I awoke, my head sat on my backpack and my legs were propped up on the rock beside me, and a dozen French faces peered into mine. A couple of French teenagers giggled from a distance. Mondays suck.
Once I left Nevada in my review mirror, however, my day improved. I spent the rest of the day at Sandy Hollow State Park in southwestern Utah, which is basically a gigantic natural swimming pool plopped into the middle of the desert. The cool water felt amazing, plus I met a cute British baby wearing a big sunhat that made me forget entirely about that silly thing called heat stroke.
Day 4
Most people wouldn't attempt a dangerous hike like Angel's Landing (six experienced hikers dead in the park's history) the day after collapsing from heat, but I was feeling either very brave or very stupid, so I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. and took the bus to Zion National Park's most famous hike the morning of Day 4. The first half of Angel's Landing is a fairly normal (if steep) hike, but the second half is completed by making your way across rocks thousands of feet high with cliffs on either side. Despite using the chain attached to help with balance, I was about 75 percent sure that I would pass out again and it would be goodbye, cruel world. But somehow I stumbled my way to the top, and the view from the top tasted like victory.
To wrap up this successful day, I swung by Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, the country's largest animal sanctuary and home to some of the world's biggest animal lovers. I almost stole a kitten to have as a companion for my trip, but there were far too many volunteers meandering around for us to escape unseen.
Day 5
I was actually disappointed to leave the quaint little town of Kanab the morning of Day 5, but Page, Arizona proved to be full of its share of treasures (and tourists; English-speakers were greatly outnumbered in this tiny, random town). I went on my first and only scheduled tour of my road trip in order to see Antelope Canyon (above). Despite the huge crowds, the tour was completely worth it; it was like walking through a tiny Grand Canyon.
Afterwards, I stopped by Horseshoe Bend and took approximately a million pictures because it was phenomenally gorgeous. If you haven't seen a picture before, look it up right now. Horseshoe Bend should be on every American's bucket list.
Day 6
As if waking up for Zion wasn't bad enough, I set my alarm for 4:50 a.m. the morning of Day 6 in order to get to the Grand Canyon in time for sunrise. When I got to the park, I was simultaneously creeped out and delighted to find I was the only one at the park. Only later in the day did I realize that was because the Grand Canyon is located in a part of Arizona that does not observe Daylight Savings, so I'd actually arrived an hour before sunrise, meaning I'd woken up at the ungodly hour of 3:50 in the morning. In the end, it proved alright, though, because how many people can say they've spent time alone with the Grand Canyon?
On my way out of Arizona I stopped by Monument Valley, hoping to recreate the iconic scene from "Forrest Gump" when Forrest, after running back and forth across the country, stops, declares he's "kinda tired," and heads home. After hours of searching for the right spot I gave up and began driving to my hotel, only to find that my directions had taken me to the correct street! After being catcalled once and nearly run over twice, I finally managed to get the picture.
Day 7
Day 7 sent me into a tailspin; it felt like my road trip had only just started. To lighten the mood, I drove to Four Corners, where Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado meet. I had been wanting to go there for as long as I could remember, and after browsing the surrounding Navajo shops and spending a slightly embarrassing amount of money on dreamcatchers, I finally got to be in four places at once. It made me feel strangely powerful.
After Four Corners I headed to Mesa Verde State Park. After snapping a few pictures on the way, I packed up to head out on a hike, but could not for the life of me find my phone. I spent the next hour unpacking my car and every box inside (sorry, Mom) until a sweet couple from Denver helped me calm down and told me to retrace my steps. So I sped back through the park and finally found my phone lying on the side of the road where I had taken a picture earlier, and not ten seconds after I picked it up, it started to rain. I was overwhelmingly relieved, but the police officer who pulled up behind me didn't see it the same way. In the end, I managed to cry myself out of a ticket as I explained that most of my trip's pictures were on my phone. "Pictures can be replaced," lectured the ranger, to which I could only stare. How many cross-country road trips do you think I'm going on?, I wanted to ask. But, instead I nodded along and drove off with a flood of thank-you's.
As for next week? I guess we'll see.
If you want to see more pictures, check out my road trip account on Instagram @roadtripgeek
