San Fran and Sequoia National Park

We started our drive to California on Thanksgiving day, and ate a lonely interstate meal at a franchise next to the motel for supper. We were hungry and missing our families that night, but the next morning San Fransisco rose out of the ocean like Atlantis, beckoning us and glittering cheerfully on the water.

As we stepped out of the car, the air somehow seemed lighter- and my mind felt more clear. Not to mention the warm sunny weather was a stark difference from Oregon! My good friend Theresa, whom I met while studying abroad in Spain, was a wonderful host. She greeted us with homemade soup, took us for a hike to the top of Mt. Davidson, and then around to all the best dive bars in her neighborhood for our first night in town.

View of downtown San Fransisco from Mt. Davidson

Breakfast Club

Sunset at Golden Gate Park

The morning after our arrival, Reilly and I explored the city while Theresa worked in the lab. We hopped on an electric bus next to Theresa's apartment and started off towards Haight Street, an old hippie cultural center- regretfully transforming into a tourist trap. We visited the famed Amoeba Records, bought a bunch of delicious sandwich ingredients at an organic market, then walked to Golden Gate Park to have a picnic (I love how "exotic" fruits here are local! Fresh pomegranates are the best). We used the same $2.25 ticket to use the public transit all day, everywhere in the city.

The next day Theresa accompanied us to the best spots we had not covered yet, we weaved through Chinatown, perused the City Lights bookstore, climbed a tower with a view of both bridges, strolled across the wharf (sampled free Ghirardelli chocolate!) and with weary feet took a long bus ride home.

Chinatown dried fishes

The legendary City Lights Bookstore

It was painful to leave such a charming city and the company of good friends, but after a long goodbye we set out for our next unknown destination. Our Adventure Atlas led us to a campsite down a long drive off of Highway 1, tucked into some mountains. The morning after was gorgeous, driving along the coast, with an endless view of the ocean. We stopped several times to hike down to the water, put our feet in the sand, hunt for sand dollars, and even got to see some wildlife!

 

That night we found a campsite at Morro Strand State Beach, and found out that sleeping on beaches can be very windy and that sand can come through tent screens very easily- but it was worth it for the view.

Mountainside Campsite

Elephant seals

At breakfast we decided to leave the coast and backtrack a bit so that we could visit Sequoia National Park. We drove right through the central valley with clementine orchards as far as the eye can see, farm stands advertising almonds, pistachios, and olives for sale, and signs that read "Is it a waste of water to grow FOOD?!" We arrived at the park with enough daylight to visit a few giant sequoias and capture a glorious sunset of the valley cradled between mountain ranges.

Driving back to the campsite, we saw a baby black bear run across the road! It was the first live bear I have seen in the wild. That night, I made sure to pack away all of our food into the lockers provided, and read the safety material the ranger gave us (for future notice, scare black bears away with loud noises and make yourself look big). We had a cozy campfire, drank tea, and read our books quietly while keeping one eye on the fox circling the campsite.

 

Can you find Reilly?

Central Valley Sunset

Mule deer

Morning hike

Sequoia National Park was one of my favorite places to visit, it was wild and expansive- the ancient trees and human history of the place had energy and made me feel peaceful and alive. There are definitely more opportunities to explore in this wilderness, and I hope that I can return soon. Maybe for an extended backpacking trip! Some day... For now, it's back to farming.