Before we get started with this
story, let me put this out there: pictures represent moments, not a lifestyle.
I try to make an awesome and memorable time out of every of trip, whether it be
going home or moving out. In this case, I had to move across the country so of
course it’s going to be grand!
Moving to California didn’t feel
minimal at all. Not just because they are +3000 miles of road between the two
coasts, but because so many people, who we now have forgotten besides Jed,
Jethro, Elly May, and Granny, have passed the same long dusty miles to a better
life full of growth and gold, even if it meant losing their life. That’s
exactly what I was thinking about while looking out the window at the
uninhabited lifeless piece of land they call Kansas. But isn’t it crazy to
think that people, just like me, have been migrating west for over a hundred
years, besides the fact that I’m in the car for a few days with AC while they
were on chariots getting killed by prairie Indians? I think so and that’s why
this trip meant so much more.
Every stop on this trip
represents a chapter in this little story and if you’re up for it, tag along on
what we called The Rendez Vous.
Chapter 1: Jacksonville
Home away from home. Even though
it was only a 3 hour drive North of Melbourne, we had to make a stop for a few
days to revisit our old stomping grounds, indulge in some friendship time, and
give the old St. Johns a good last wave before we headed out. I personally
think it was a must for Emily to comeback there and put a final closure after a
graduating a few months before. I was lucky to come back many times for two
years after I graduated, but she had had to pack her bags and leave the day
after graduation. It just felt right, and recognizing that comfort is what is
so appealing to that city.
Chapter 2: Memphis
This was our first test as
nomads. We were to drive around 10 hours to Tennessee and be able to enjoy what
it had to offer for 36 hours at most. This stop is truly what made me take the
northern route instead of the south. When our friend Erik told us he was moving
there, I had a responsibility to commit to that friendship. It does get
difficult with time to keep tight bonds like you did in college or in high
school. I think that I have done a pretty nice job with that in the past years.
That drive was neither long or short, but definitely set a standard for the
rest of the trip. After arriving and getting acclimatized with the group they
call “Road Warriors” for Pike, we headed out to Beale Street and consumed all
of its magic. The only thing you need to know from that night is that this
sentenced was pronounced: “Ladies and gentlemen, this here is Dr. Herman Green!
He’s been playing on Beale Street since 1945, he played with Miles Davis, John
Coltrane, and backed up for Marilyn Monroe…” And there he was, this old little
black man, sitting on his stool at 86 with his feet hanging going back and
forth like a little kid, holding his saxophone in one hand and toasting the
crowd with a glass of vodka in the other.
The next day, we tried and
explore the city by eating The Arcade Restaurant, which is famous for feeding a
few well-known souls such as Elvis Presley sat in the back booth and being in
over a half a dozen movies. With some food, we pressed on the day in a tiny
coffee shop up the street. This is where my relaxed self became a little
anxious as we realized that every stop we were about to make from now on wasn’t
going to any longer than a night’s sleep. First fail, no more camping available
at the Grand Canyon. Second fail, where do we camp in Colorado? Third fail,
cutting out our Omaha stop from our route, which meant leaving early, very
early for Colorado the next day. A migraine then set in, not only a
metaphorical one, but a real one as well in Emily’s skull. The only way we
could actually make good time to Denver is if we left at 4 a.m. from the
apartment for one of the longest journeys of my life, a 17-hour drive through
Arkansas, Mississippi, and Kansas. We slept three hours and made a quick stop
on Beale Street for a quick picture, which included quiet streets, bright
lights, and scavenging got-any-extra-change-hungry men.
Chapter 3: Denver
This section is what is called
“Go through hell, before getting into Heaven”. You know it’s long when both drivers switch spots 4-5 times.
From the time I crossed the Mississippi River into Arkansas, the sky poured on
me like it was a judgment time and the deluge was coming. 3 straight hours of
hard rain, which I thought Florida could use, was part of a storm that had only
destruction on its agenda, mostly for Louisiana. From then on, countless miles
of what I deemed to be nothing through the mid-west passed by. No joke I think
I dealt with it better than Emily did due to the fact that I’ll sit there and
erg for an hour watching the same numbers over and over on a 5-inch screen. We
knew that we wouldn’t find an open campsite at 10 p.m. so we got lucky and
stayed with a family friend.
The next morning, we drove a
simple hour and a half up the mountains to a place called Heaton Bay
Campground. With barely anyone there, we searched for the best spot available.
That spot wasn’t technically an “allowed” camping site, but we made it work and
wow, what a view we had. With no words, this picture says it all.
That was the very first time we
camped together. After days on the road, we finally got to sit down by the fire
and enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever seen. In those moments,
you feel so content that nothing else matters, that you could stay here and be
happy. I believe that feeling is what fulfills you as a traveler. That day and
those feelings will be engraved in my memory for the rest of my life. Funny
thing is while we were finishing packing up, this older man came out of nowhere
and was rowing on some of the best water I’ve seen in a while. Had me excited
about getting back to practice mode. Our next drive was an easy slalom drive
through the Rockies and by rivers. The size of anything and everything is
unimaginable as well the brightness of some colors. Straight up creative work
by the Maker.
Chapter 4: Salt Lake City
Finally a little taste of regular
life. I’m not joking when I say we did not see one Mormon. The both of us
hadn’t visited this city previously so it was exciting and neat to discover it
together. We had planned to stay one night with our friends who had just moved
there after graduating from college. It is amazing what a shower can make you
feel after a few days in the wilderness. We didn’t have to plan anything, just
had to follow. They took us to one of the last final summer concerts the city
had been putting up during the last few months. Uber, food trucks, beer,
hipsters, etc; it was a nice dose of reality. It’s nice to take a break on a
trip like ours: sleeping in AC, having a shower, not sleeping in fire-embedded
clothes…
After saying goodbye and thank
you to them, we needed breakfast. One, to eat, and two, to plan. Where the hell
were we heading next? There was no way we’d make it in time to the Grand
Canyon, even for first come first serve campgrounds. So, Zion it was.
Chapter 5: Zion National Park
Utah is a beautiful place, but
most of it looks the same. At the bottom the mountain, we picked up a few
things to eat, a s’mores starter pack, and some gas. We paid our way in the
park and took an immediate right to the campground we had planned on staying
at. “Sorry guys, it’s all full! Here’s a list of other sites.” A little tired,
we made a u-turn and put it in park while calling the closest site. “Yup, I got
3 left!” And we peeled out of there. This, this is what you really call
“glamping”: bathrooms, showers, and wifi. The rest of our day was dedicated to
lying in the river right by our tent, a few pictures, talking to Linda (a very
nice lady), eating dinner with a mountain façade being blasted by a red sunset,
spoiling ourselves with s’mores, and watching episode 3 of Stranger Things.
Perfect night? Maybe.
With the hopes of getting to Los
Angeles on time the next day, we woke up before the sun, made instant coffee
with a dirty egg crusted cast iron pan, packed up and headed out on a trail.
This trail consisted on climbing higher and higher to three different emerald
natural pools. The fresh morning air made the hike so enjoyable with the
sunrise. By the time it was 10 a.m., we were back on the road, this time toward
Los Angeles. The start of our problems…
Chapter 6: Los Angeles
Happy as we could be, the drive
to L.A. was exciting as we were going to finally stay in one place for 3 days
straight. I was editing pictures while Emily was catching up with her sister on
the phone, when all of a sudden she looked at me and pointed at the temperature
gauge. The needle was completely off the Hot/Cold grid and pointing straight
down; we were about to drive through Las Vegas. Now if you haven’t been out
there yet, let me put it into context: it’s in the middle of the desert. We
took the first exit, called people who could help us out, stopped at a repair
shop only to be told by the owner that it didn’t matter and that it would cost
us $65 just to diagnose it. We took our chances and left, bought some cold
water and food, and headed out into the desert windows cracked and no AC. Some
of the most miserable hours of my life it was. Emily kept falling asleep from
the heat as I kept sweating more and more into my seat. Adding that to the
unforgivable L.A. traffic, we ultimately made it to my sister’s house in
Hermosa Beach where her and her fiancé welcomed us with open arms… which we
begged to not give due to our repulsive bodies. There are no true words that
can describe two days worth of camping scum as well as +4 house of soaking
sweat, slowly peeling off your skin as the soapy water engulfs your entire
body. Definitely a test, definitely passed it.
The next three days were some of
the best moments I’ve had lately, constantly laughing drinking eating, and
discovering what these beaches had to offer. It was such a relief and quality
time spent, but we had to move on with the final leg of our trip.
Chapter 7: Yosemite
With a 5 a.m. depart time, we
gave ourselves enough time to drive to Yosemite and make a few neat stops on
the way. The long drive kept getting better and better as we closed in on the
Sierra Nevada. Our last suggested stop before heading into the mountains was
Convict Lake, right outside of Mammoth.
That scene was unbelievable and perfect
for pictures. After a few minutes of soaking in its majesty, we headed back to
the car where I inserted my key into the ignition, hot and fresh out the
kitchen…sorry. And twisted my wrist to no sound of the engine nor electricity.
After a few attempts, someone came to give us a hand, but it was no use, the
car just wouldn’t start. Luckily, there was no service. We finally had to walk
down to a lodge for one or two bars to call AAA. Not in a million years would I
have believed the tow truck made it in less that 30 minutes, but he did, and he
looked at me and said “I’ll get that thing working” which ended up not being a
lie. He escorted us to Mammoth where I had to wait to replace my $142 battery
(+labor) for two hours. I was pretty bummed out at that moment because I had
exceeded my funds for the trip, I was tired, and hadn’t had any problems until
the last few days. But my dad, like always, made me see the positive in this
situation: “Not a bad place to break down, huh? Smell the roses.” Once
everything was settled, we drove into the park and dear Lord, what an amazing
painting. We still didn’t know if we were going to find an open spot at the
campground we had planned on staying, but we were ready to drive home if
needed. With high risks came high rewards, which included a sweet tent spot
calling our name.
Chapter 8: Driving home
The morning of our last day, it
was cold, like 45 degrees cold, but we packed our bags, went on a walk and had
a fulfilling breakfast at the main lodge before heading out. It’s funny how
much energy the sun brings to your body when you’ve been freezing. Right after
we left, we made a tiny stop for a picture on the road, which concluded Emily’s
trip series, and allowed us to finish off the last leg of our journey. Well, we
made another stop 15 minutes down the road, where high risks didn’t bring high
rewards. I had left my Canon 10-18mm lens on the back of the car… Nowhere to be
found, we had to press on and we said goodbye to the forest where some of my
expensive equipment was spending the rest of its days.
For the most part, almost every
part of this trip went according to plan, even when the plan was changed. We
did have a few issues, but the experience we gained from this 12 day car voyage
was worth way more than our losses. And I definitely believe that Emily was the
best traveling buddy. This sort of trip puts a lot of stress on friends and
even more on a couple so I consider myself extremely lucky.
I hope you enjoyed this
description as much as we enjoyed the journey.
Much love.
