Gatnos' 2020 TRD Off-Road Premium Build & Adventure Thread "Carolina"

Thank you, SoundWarrior

 

I like your setup Justin!
Have a safe trip! Share some with us if time allows!

 

Thank you and thank you! I hope to.

 

Tomorrow is the big day. Spent a good amount of my day today prepping the vehicle for my trip. I spent 4 to 5 hours doing a full interior and exterior detail, then proceeded to pack up camp.




My setup was simple and oriented around accessibility. I also didn't invest in much high-end camping equipment, it's more of a "budget" camp. Most of it was old entry-camping gear from my days as a Boy Scout (I guess technically this is my first camping since becoming an Eagle Scout almost 5 years ago) and other items I had leftover from college.



I used some plastic storage bins for cooking and personal gear. Behind that is a Lion Energy 500W battery which will be plugged into the vehicle's outlet. Off the battery I'm running an Iceco JP42 (plasti-molded) refrigerator cooler, the portable AC unit at night, and lights to charge. The lights are both LUCI, and the multicolored string lights are tied up in the attic net. My dry food bin is underneath the battery, the cooler is behind those items, and a water dispenser is tucked between the folded back seats and the cooler. My sleeping arrangements consist of a (leaking) Big Agnes inflated air mattress underneath two yoga mats, held together by a fitted sheet, and topped with a Coleman sleeping bag. In the vehicle, I also have a Eureka SPRK+ camping stove, a folding camping chair, and WeatherTech sunshades full window kit, to provide darkness and privacy in all windows.

Packing so light will hopefully mean the vehicle won't be so heavy, and I won't be burning fuel as quickly as I would be with a heavier load. It also will hopefully mean I will be able to find everything. I hope I'm not forgetting anything!

Tomorrow, I head down to the Gulf through Atlanta and Montgomery, before driving along the coast through Pensacola and Mobile before stopping outside of Gulfport, Mississippi for the night. From there, I head further west through New Orleans and am visiting family in Austin, Texas. By day four, I get to visit the first national park of the journey: Big Bend.

I hope I am able to periodically upload images on here just to have a nice record of the experience. In the meantime, I hope you all stay safe and enjoy the summertime.

 

Be safe and enjoy your trip. Seems like you have it all planned out and are well equipped.

 

As it turns out, I did not have the time nor the internet access to post updates along the trip. I got home about a week and a half ago, and after having some time to clean, unpack and recollect, I will quickly share my experience across the next few posts.

The trip was a downright success. For 30 days, I lived in my 4Runner, traveling 14,818 miles across 20 states. While visiting national parks was not necessarily the focus of the journey, I did get to visit 21 of them. Not only did I get to see some of America's most beautiful landscapes, in regions of the country I had both seen and not seen before, but I also got to meet a plethora of great people from all over. I learned many lessons, about my gear, about the different cultures, histories, and ways of life I encountered, but most of all, as intended, about myself. Despite the fun, I was grateful to come home, exhausted, dirty and a little beat up from living a nonstop adventure for one month.

I got to see many other Tacomas and 4Runners that had been heavily customized or built for overlanding - the majority of which were clustered around Southern California, northwest Washington, and the greater Denver area. I only saw a total of six lunar rock TRD Pro 4Runners; however, I saw more of these than any of the other TRD Pro colored 4Runners. Several Toyota owners returned my enthusiastic thumbs-up directed ad their admirable builds, which was always appreciated. I know I probably even encountered several members of this forum along the way as well.

Some of you will be interested in the observations I made about the 4Runner after spending so much time driving it. I averaged approximately 19.3 MPG across the entire journey, which included mostly two and four lane highways, but also includes trails, interstates, and a considerable amount of city driving. This was surprising, considering my vehicle was loaded down and the 4Runner EPA is only 18 MPG combined, but I am not one to drive with a lead foot. Also, being equipped with KDSS was excellent for the countless winding mountain roads, and I was once again grateful to have this upgrade. I did realize the biggest drawback to having KDSS is that many others do not have it, so even though I was able to take tight turns a little faster, I still had to slow down behind others who were more cautious. There were also a few times were my TSS pre-collision assist acted a little funny, issuing alerts to brake when there was nothing in front of me. Otherwise, the driving experience was great, the loud hum of the TRD Pro exhaust did not get on my nerves, and having CarPlay was an invaluable convenience for navigation and multimedia.

I left early the morning of June 18 and followed scenic Appalachian country backroads from my home near Asheville all the way to Atlanta. I had planned to follow I-85 through Montgomery to the Gulf Coast, since I had never seen it before, and I really wanted to check out New Orleans. However, there was a tropical storm developing offshore, and my time there would have been spent in a monsoon. I opted to take I-20 straight west into Alabama, checking out Birmingham and Vicksburg, Mississippi, where I watched an incredible sunset.


Sunset over the Mississippi River - Vicksburg, MS

I finished the first day by stealth camping amongst semi-trucks just over the Louisiana state line at the I-20 westbound welcome center. I continued along the interstate to Shreveport, where I was glad to exit and head southwest through the eastern Texas countryside, eventually into Houston. I was glad to get out of my car and go for a walk along Buffalo Bayou Park, although it was over 100 degrees there. I spent the night in the tiny town square of Fayetteville, near LaGrange, to the northwest of Houston. The following morning, I got to have brunch with some family in Austin, which was nice, but I regret not getting to spend Father's Day with my Dad :/. They did show me around the city, and out of all the major cities I had been to, it proved to be amongst the most charming. From there, I headed down to San Antonio, just to get a glimpse of the Alamo. For those who have not seen it - the warnings I received were true, it is NOT anything special, surrounded by a shopping mall in an area slam packed with tourists. Luckily, I stopped at the San Antonio Missions National Historic Site, which was an incredible place and redeemed the overall experience in the city.


The ever-changing skyline of Austin, TX

I was grateful to get away from both interstate travel and major cities as I headed directly west along US-90. After awhile, the dry grasslands gave way to arid desert across rolling hills as I approached the town of Del Rio, right on the Mexican border. At last, I felt as though I had truly reached the "west." The stretch of highway 90 west of Del Rio remains one of my favorite drives of all time. The remote route running parallel to the Rio Grande at first was unimpressive, with only the occasional vista of a rocky canyon or a dusty mountain range. But as I approached the town of Sanderson, the only noteworthy developed area on the several hundred mile drive, massive dark red rock formations flanked either side of the road. I got to experience yet another incredible sunset before stopping for the night at the Marfa Mystery Lights viewing area in between the towns of Marfa and Alpine, TX. And yes, for those who are familiar with the mystery lights, they were visible for awhile that night before a dust storm moved in.


Lake Amistad near Del Rio, TX


US-90 near Sanderson, TX

I awoke before sunrise the next morning and headed into Big Bend National Park, my first of the trip. I got to explore the breathtaking Chisos Basin and hike in the Santa Elena Canyon, where I even got to cross the shallow Rio Grande and step into Mexico. I also got to have some mild 4x4 action as I opted to take the unpaved Old Maverick road out of the park. To the north, a very scenic stretch of TX-118 from Alpine to Fort Davis brought me to another overlooked gem, the Fort Davis National Historic Site. The scenery didn't continue for very long, as I continued further north through the desert to the industrial town area around Pecos, eventually reaching Carlsbad, New Mexico. After gathering supplies for the next few days, I continued camped in the mountains surrounding the city.


First National Park of the trip - Big Bend NP


Chisos Mountains from the bottom of the basin - Big Bend NP


Homer Wilson Ranch - Big Bend NP


Santa Elena Canyon, in the Rio Grande, Mexico on the left and the United States on the right - Big Bend NP


Officers' quarters - Fort Davis, TX


In the mountains near Carlsbad, NM

I will continue with the next part of my narrative in the next few days. I hope you all enjoy my recount even a portion as much as I enjoyed the experience.

 

Excellent travelog gatnos. Thanks for sharing! I am envious of your travels. I am a native Texan, so that part of the journey does interest me a lot. So glad you had a safe and enjoyable trip. Hope to see you around!

 

Nice write up. Glad to hear your prior 4Runner kept you safe. Keep on adventuring and enjoying life.

 

Thank you! Texas really captured my heart, I can definitely see why you and others want to live out there. I know there is so much more to see though, and I look forward to returning to explore more of that endless landscape.

Thank you for the kind words. The 4R has proved to be a great choice time and time again, in a variety of ways. There are many more adventures to be had with it!

 

Time to continue.

The following day was jam-packed with national parks. I awoke early the next morning and entered Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Reservations were required to embark on the self-guided tour of the caverns due to the pandemic, and I had made sure to tour at the earliest time possible. I opted to hike into the caverns through the natural entrance rather than take the elevator down. The caverns were filled with incredible rock formations, and the temperature was around 50 degrees at the bottom. The trail wound around Big Room, which was the centerpiece of the cavern network and housed many of its most significant rock formations. It was dark to the point it was hard to see where I was doing for much of the time, but ambient lights provided excellent views of the incredible underground sights. After an elevator ride back to the top, I embarked on the unpaved scenic loop road, which wound along the rim of and then descended into Walnut Canyon.


Big Room in the caverns - Carlsbad Caverns NP

I proceeded to Guadalupe Mountain National Park, directly adjacent to Carlsbad Caverns but on the Texas side of the TX/NM border. There wasn’t much to do at the park besides hike, and by late morning, the temperatures already exceeded 100 degrees. I decided to hike anyway, exploring the Smith Spring, a delightful example of a true desert oasis. The water from the spring allowed tall trees and flowers to grow in an otherwise unforgiving hot, dry and rocky desert landscape. From there, I continued southeast further into the tip of western Texas until I reached El Paso.


Approaching Smith Spring (center of photo, at base of mountains) - Guadalupe Mountains NP

A ways to the north, back in New Mexico, I went to White Sands National Park, arriving just before sunset When I had left for my trip, I had not even heard of it, since it had only made the transition from national monument to national park two years prior - in fact, the onsite signage still had it titled as a national monument. It was a small park, just miles from the White Sands Missile Facility. The park was populated by tall dunes of soft, white sand, that appeared from nowhere when driving in from the rocky, orange-red sand surrounding it. Many people were sledding down the face of the dunes. I did a number of short hikes there, enjoying views of dunes and surrounding mountains while rays of the sun poked through the clouds of a distant, brewing thunderstorm. As it got dark, I continued westward to what ended up being amongst my favorite sites of the trip, at the base of the Organ Mountains, east of Las Cruces.


Distant storms forming - White Sands NP


Organ Mountains campsite - Las Cruces, NM

The following day, I drove to the northwest into the Gila National Forest. Another unplanned detour, I had learned of the Gila Cliff Dwellings while I was in El Paso, and decided it was not something worth skipping. The high desert pine forest was incredibly beautiful and reminded me of the forests surrounding the south rim of the Grand Canyon. I had the cliff dwellings to myself, aside from numerous firefighters preparing to contain a possible forest fire, and talked at length with a park ranger who was stationed amongst them about their history.


Gila Cliff Dwellings - Gila NF

That evening, I came into Tucson. I briefly checked out the Mission San Xavier del Bac, a truly incredible building that was unfortunately scaffolded for repairs, before heading into the eastern side of Saguaro National Park, east of Tucson. It was just before sunset, and there were thunderstorms in the area, which worked in junction to illuminate the landscape and cloudscape in brilliant gold light, as well as producing several distinct rainbows as I drove around the Rincon Mountain area. As the sun descended, I headed high into the Santa Catalina Mountains at the edge of the city, finding a campsite overlooking the entire city as the dying light of dusk was replaced by the brightness emitted by the full moon.


Dramatic weather - Saguaro NP


High above the city - Tucson, AZ

I awoke well before sunrise to explore the much larger and noteworthy western side of Saguaro National Park, the Tucson Mountain Area, to the west of the city. At that hour, I had the park entirely to myself, and enjoyed the company of numerous rabbits and birds as they searched for morning meals while I hiked amongst the striking saguaro cacti. I was particularly enthused by the ancient petroglyphs at Signal Hill.


Signal Hill petroglyphs - Saguaro NP

From there, I passed through Phoenix, where I resupplied, and then began my long trek to the northwest toward Lake Havasu. The drive along the lake, on the Arizona/California border, was striking, as the color of the bright blue water contrasted with the layers of red and white sediment on the surrounding mountains and canyons. This was another unplanned detour, as I had originally intended to head toward Sedona and Flagstaff, but I was glad to have headed in this direction, as I had never seen anything like it before. To the north, I got on Historic Route 66, and passed through the old mining town of Oatman, where wild donkeys roamed the streets and even entered shops and restaurants at will. The stretch of 66 to the northeast of Oatman was particularly treacherous, with many hairpin turns without guardrails, but the 4Runner handled it like a champ. At Kingman, I hopped on US-93, and followed it to the Hoover Dam. It was my first time there, and I was not particularly impressed, although I was a bit disturbed by the significantly low water level of Lake Mead. Afterwards, I continued northwest to Las Vegas, drove up the strip and past Fremont Street, and spent the night at Lee Canyon in the Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest.


Shores of Lake Havasu - Lake Havasu City, AZ


Hoover Dam; note the normal water line at the lake behind the dam, where the white rock meets the red - Boulder City, NV


More dramatic weather over the Vegas skyline - Las Vegas, NV

The next day, I drove the very long stretch of US-95 roughly parallel to the Nevada/California border all the way to Carson City. I explored the city, as well as Reno, and a few historic mining towns in between the two, before finally crossing into California. I passed through Truckee and at last reached King City, at the north shore of Lake Tahoe - an area I had wanted to see for a long time. I drove counterclockwise along the west shore of the lake, stopping at Emerald Bay State Park. The scenery there was so unbelievably incredible, I felt it was easily at the caliber of a national park, if it had a bit better infrastructure and accessibility. I spent the night on the riverbank of the West Walker River, in between the river and US-395, the Eastern Sierras Scenic Byway, just north of Yosemite National Park.


Emerald Bay State Park - Lake Tahoe, CA


Camping in the Eastern Sierras - Coleville, CA

More to come soon.

 

What an incredible journey you are on Justin. Thanks for continuing to take the time to share it with us. I'm envious!

 

Thank you, I am glad there is someone out there who enjoys following along

 

Time for another part of the journey.

Another early morning to beat Yosemite crowds followed. I was surprised by the crisp 40 degree weather that morning. Reservations were once again required due to the pandemic, but I, along with many others, entered the park before rangers had manned the entrance stations, so the reservation system was pointless. I had been to Yosemite before, spending most of the time in the valley, so I was focused on areas I had not seen before on this trip. I hiked in the Tuolumne Meadows, enjoying the company of nobody except for chipmunks and deer looking for morning meals, as I walked alongside creeks of clear, glassy water and grassy meadows surrounded by white granite peaks.


Tuolumne Meadows - Yosemite NP

I descended into Yosemite Valley briefly to visit Yosemite Falls, since, as the tallest falls in North America, they are just too incredible to skip. I stopped at Tunnell View on the way back up, and then hiked a 9-mile loop that brought me to Roosevelt Point, Glacier Point, and even the peak of Sentinel Dome. I was spoiled with unparalleled views of Yosemite’s most iconic geographic landforms, such as El Capitan, Half Dome, and the various falls.


Yosemite Falls - NP


View west of Yosemite Valley and El Capitan from near the summit of Sentinel Dome - Yosemite NP


View east of Half Dome and Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point - Yosemite NP

After passing through Fresno, I spent the night in the Sequoia National Forest, right in between the nearby Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, at a campsite I discovered on accident. The following morning, I headed into Kings Canyon, stopping first at Grant Grove, a cluster of giant sequoia trees. These were the first sequoia trees I had ever seen, and I was awestruck at their size. Over 2,000 years old, 200 feet tall and 70 feet wide, the Grant Tree was the largest in the grove, and the third largest tree in the world. The trunks of fallen trees were larger than city busses. Here, I saw a baby brown bear amongst the giant trees, but did not stick around since I did not see its mother.


Over Kings Canyon and Lake Hume - Kings Canyon NP

Despite the mild morning temperatures along the top of the canyon, it was well over 100 degrees at the bottom. The vegetation became much more scarce and desert-like in contrast to the lush sequoia forests, despite the crystal clear waters of the Kings River running through. There was still plenty of life, and I visited Cedar Grove, Zumwalt Meadows and Roaring River Falls before heading back up and out. I passed by Lake Hume and then followed the Generals Highway into Sequoia National Park.


Junction View, of Kings Canyon - Kings Canyon NP

I stopped first to see the General Sherman tree, a giant sequoia that holds the title for being the largest tree in the world by volume. It was mind-bogglingly massive; I could not see the entire tree all at once, no matter where I was standing or how far I tiled back my head. Tired of batting crowds, I hiked through the Giant Grove and eventually to the top of Moro Rock, where I could see the orchards of the distant Central Valley to one side and some of the tallest peaks of the Sierra Nevada’s on the other. After departing the park, I descended back into the valley to get fuel and supplies before heading back into the mountains to camp.


Sierra Nevada mountains from Moro Rock - Sequoia NP


Grove of giant sequoia trees - Sequoia NP

I was now ahead of schedule, so I enjoyed a more relaxed day. I passed through Bakersfield and then Lake Isabella as I ventured east across the southern end of the mountains, into the Mojave Desert. At about midday, I entered the town of Lone Pine, known for being the home of the Alabama Hills. I checked out the Museum of Western Film History there, since the hills were home to many films of the western genre. I found a fantastic campsite in the Alabama Hills early on, although I had the area entirely to myself, not seeing anyone else for the entire time I was there. I hiked amongst the huge stacks of rock and watched a rather unique sunset - it was one of the most surreal nights of my life.


Alabama Hills campsite, facing Mount Whitney - Lone Pine, CA


Sunset over the Sierras - Lone Pine, CA

The next morning, on the way to Death Valley, I encountered my first major setback. My Rhino Rack platform legs must have come loose on the Alabama Hills roads, because a little ways from Lone Pine, the entire platform flew off my roof while I was going about 70mph. It was a rural two-lane road, so nobody was around. Pieces of the rack were scattered along the road, and I spent the next few hours collecting all the parts and heading back into town to get help disassembling the rack to the point where it could fit in my car. Rather than screws, it was held together by fasteners that required drilling to break. The guys at the Napa Auto Parts store on Main Street in Lone Pine were able to help me out. The rack was stored underneath my bed and gear in the back of the 4Runner. I was able to retrieve all the parts to it except for one leg, which meant I could not have put it back on, and the way the parts had been scattered led me to conclude one leg must have been lost first, allowing its adjacent leg to fall off, taking the cross bar with it, followed by both legs of the other cross bar and the rest of the platform along with it.


Roof rack mishap - near Lone Pine, CA

I made it to Death Valley National Park by midday, where it was about 120 degrees. I got a view of the entire valley from Dante’s View, then saw Artist’s Palette, a rock formation with pink, yellow and even turquoise-colored stone as a result of chemical reactions from ancient volcanic eruptions. I stopped at Badwater Basin, the lowest elevation in North America at -282 feet, before heading further south and stopping for the night in the Mojave National Preserve.


Artists' Palette - Death Valley NP

The next day I passed through the Route 66 town of Amboy, and saw the iconic Roy’s Cafe. I explored Joshua Tree National Park, seeing the Hidden Valley, Hall of Horrors, and Skull Rock. I also stopped at the Cholla Cactus Garden, at the transition zone between the Mojave and Colorado Deserts. On the way out, I saw the Cottonwood Spring, another desert oasis, before heading to the south and west toward the coast. I passed through Indio and drove along the coast of the Salton Sea before passing through Anza-Borrego State Park, then through the very scenic towns of Julian and Ramona to the northeast of San Diego. I followed the interstate to Chula Vista, and drove along the perimeter of San Diego Bay through Imperial Beach and then walked around Coronado. I drove through San Diego and went to La Jolla, then followed US-101 through the coastal towns of Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Oceanside, before stopping at an I-5 southbound rest area for the night. At last, I had reached the Pacific Ocean.


Roy's Cafe - Amboy, CA


Remnants of Route 66 - Amboy, CA


Hidden Valley - Joshua Tree NP


Skull Rock - Joshua Tree NP


Cholla Cactus - Joshua Tree NP


Harbor seals enjoying the La Jolla coastline - San Diego, CA

More coming soon.

 

Great pics and descriptions!! Sorry about your mishap. That would bum me out.

 

It did bum me out, and I'm still bummed to be driving without the platform. That thing cost way too much to be sitting in pieces in my apartment.

However, if it weren't for those guys at Napa, I would have to have turned east and headed straight home. I almost did. The platform was too big to lay flat in the 4Runner, so I would not have been able to continue using my vehicle as my bed. I tried getting help at the hardware store and the mechanic in Lone Pine before going to the Napa people, who saved the day.

Fortunately, Rhino Rack has good customer service, and they are helping me replace some of the parts that were destroyed when the rack came off. It'll cost a bit more and take a few weeks to get it all back together, but at least it isn't an entirely lost cause.

 

Continuing now...

The following morning, I passed through the town of San Clemente before getting on the first mile of the Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point. I followed it through Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach before diverging in Long Beach to stay along the coast. I checked out the Queen Mary and saw many cargo ships and semi trucks backed up in the queue to enter the Port of Los Angeles. I was charmed by the San Pedro area, nestled between the port and Palos Verdes, and then drove along the Palos Verdes coast, home to some of the most beautiful views and houses in the area. All of the area’s interstates were gridlocked starting at about 8 in the morning, so I stayed off of them all day. I continued along the coast through Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach, which had been some of my favorite Southern California towns the last time I was in the area.

After passing through Marina Del Rey and Santa Monica, I headed into Hollywood, where I got In-n-Out for the first time - it was delicious. I walked along Hollywood Boulevard where I watched someone piss on the sidewalk right in front of me. Nice. I checked out a few other LA icons - the Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Sign, Capitol Records, and Echo Park Lake, before driving through downtown Los Angeles. I loved the murals and historic Art Deco scenic clashing with the massive glass skyscrapers, but was a little troubled by the sheer size of the skid row community there. Afterwards, I checked into my AirBnB - the only one of the trip - in the University Hills in between downtown and Pasadena. I booked one here to be able to do laundry and to have a safe place to stay in a city without a reputation of being the safest.


No smog in LA? Echo Park Lake - Los Angeles, CA

I picked up one of my best friends from middle and high school, who lives in West Hollywood and attends UCLA. Her and I went to the Santa Monica Pier to watch the sunset, then got some especially delicious fried chicken and found an overlook on Mulholland and talked for a few hours while enjoying the city lights. I headed back to where I was staying at around 2 in the morning, enjoying driving fast and having the highway to myself.


Pacific Park on the pier - Santa Monica, CA

The next day, I slept in, then went to the beach in Malibu. In Ventura, some guy almost backed into me and then got out of his car and threatened to attack me as if I had some anything at all. Nice. I bummed around Santa Barbara, checking out some of the shops and spots there. I went to the Santa Maria area to get more supplies, then found a great campsite in the Los Padres National Forest just east of the city.


Los Padres National Forest - near Santa Maria, CA

On my way to Pinnacles National Park the next day, I passed through San Luis Obispo, which was immensely charming. When I got to the park, at around 10am, I was told all of its parking areas were already full. I parked in overflow parking near the visitor center and hiked 3 miles just to reach the park’s main trail network. It was well worth it. Hiking though Bear Gulch, I was surrounded by crazy rock formations, stones of all shades of red and white. I ducked under rocks, climbed up stone stairs, and passed through caves before being rewarded with views of the reservoir there. I climbed higher to the High Peaks area, with more views of the stone monoliths. The trail followed along the ridge line, and then dipped back down. By the time I reached my car again, I had hiked 12 miles, and I was exhausted.


Bear Gulch - Pinnacles NP


Bear Gulch Reservoir - Pinnacles NP

On my way back out to the coast, I checked out a few of the towns I had passed on my way to Pinnacles, including Paso Robles and Atascadero. The sea fog was dense along the coast at Morro Bay, but just a few miles up the road in Cayucos, there was perfect blue skies. Further north, the fog returned, and my drive north on the PCH was cloudy and heavily trafficked. I was disappointed in the fact my night near the coast was going to be so foggy.



An immortalized bad day for some fishermen - Cayucos, CA

Eventually, I turned off near Big Sur onto a steep, winding dirt road to my campsite for the night. As I climbed, I passed through the fog layer, and was greeted by clear blue skies beyond once again. The ridge where I camped was very populated, with every spot taken other than the one at the very front I settled with. Rightfully so, even the ocean could not be seen under the fog, it was an unbelievably beautiful site, one of the best of the entire trip. I got to know the people camping around me, and one couple, Nick and Jordan, from Santa Barbara, even made me dinner and let me settle with them. He had a beautiful quicksand Tacoma, decked out with a bed rack and a rooftop tent. Then, came the main event - the sunset. I had gotten their early enough to enjoy the entire thing, as the early evening sun hung low in the sky, then enveloped into an orange fireball and descended beneath the horizon, leaving behind fiery color in the sky, framed by the cool blue night. Before the light had even completely left, the distinct streak of the Milky Way and millions of stars were visible above. It was a great night. Although I had not had the best opinion of Southern California, my days there were filled with overall nice people, decent weather and incredible scenery. It was a good enough time to change my opinion of the region and look forward to exploring it a bit more.


In the heavens - Big Sur, CA


Unbelievable night in an unbelievable place - Big Sur, CA

The sea fog had remained overnight and hung around as I continued up the coast through Carmel and Monterrey to Santa Cruz. It was the Fourth of July, so there was to be a bit more traffic than normal, which warranted a 5am wakeup call. I went into San Jose to check out some of the Silicon Valley sights, including the Google headquarters in Mountain View and the Apple headquarters in Cupertino. I also went to Palo Alto to see the Stanford University campus. By mid-morning, I was in San Francisco, heading first to the Twin Peaks to get a view of the city, then driving through to get quick looks at some of the landmarks, including Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, the Painted Ladies and the Ferry Building before sitting in standstill traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge. I had already seen the other Bay Area landmarks on my last visit to the city a few years prior, including Lombard Street, Haigh-Ashbury, Coit Tower, Fisherman’s Wharf and Alcatraz, so I avoided the areas this time because everything was quite crowded due to the holiday.


The Painted Ladies; anyone watch Full House? - San Francisco, CA

I parked at the vista point and rest area at the northern end of the bridge for the rest of the afternoon. I was going to spend the night there, as it was a popular place mentioned online and the view of the fireworks along the waterfront would be fantastic from there. The rest of the day was spent hiking around the Golden Gate Recreation Area, from the Marin Headlands across the bridge to the Presidio and down to Fort Point. It never got above 50 degrees that day. As afternoon transitioned to evening, thick, low-altitude fog rolled in, and by 9pm, when the firework shows started, all that could be seen or heard were faint glows and distant pops. It was very cold, so I went to bed. By 11pm however, I was awoken by loud noises outside, and arose to found the area was packed full of partying teenagers, drinking, smashing bottles and doing burnouts in the parking lot. I had talked to several Californians and even some San Francisco police officers who had told me that crime in the Bay Area was getting very bad, with people breaking into cars while occupants were inside, even in front of law enforcement. I was taking no chances: I packed up and left. I took full advantage of my ability to stealth camp by sleeping in the parking lot of a Sausalito apartment complex.


Gate of gold - San Francisco, CA

The next day was spent driving up the coast again. I passed through the Muir Woods before reaching highway 1 near Point Reyes. Along the way north, I stopped at the Sea Ranch Chapel, the Point Arena Lighthouse, as well as the Glass Beach in Fort Bragg. From there, the coast became heavily populated with the great coastal redwood trees. I slept on a remote stretch of black sand beach a little ways from Fortuna that night.

Sea Ranch Chapel - Sea Ranch, CA


Point Arena Lighthouse - Point Arena, CA


Hidden black sand beach - Ferndale, CA

I got my car serviced in Eureka the next morning, and explored some of Redwood National Park in addition to the surrounding state parks. There were some wild elk near the highway - truly massive and beautiful creatures. I turned away from the coast and followed remote dirt roads, eventually coming to some smaller two-lane state highways following along the Trinity River through the mountains. There were some wildfires north of Redding, so by the time I passed through the city, there was a bit of smoke in the air. Further east, the smoke tapered off, and I enjoyed clear skies as I spent the evening doing some hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park.


Wild elk near Redwood National Park - Orick, CA


Quiet evening amongst the volcanoes - Lassen Volcanic NP

I camped right outside the park so I could return the following morning and enjoy more of it. I hiked to Bumpass Hell, a hydrothermal area releasing sulphur gasses from deep in the Earth’s crust, as well as Kings Creek Falls. I hope to return one day to hike to the top of Lassen Peak. From there, I headed northeast into Oregon, first through Klamath Falls, then on toward Crater Lake.


Bumpass Hell - Lassen Volcanic NP

I hope some of you are still enjoying this. I know it's running long, but I just don't really know how to make it more concise. And besides, it's my adventure thread so why should I need to feel as though it needs to be concise?

 

Still enjoying Justin! Feel like I'm on vacation. My wife, son and I, lived in SoCal for 5 years, but never explored all of those places.
The pics are great, along with your excellent commentary!

 

I'm glad you're still enjoying. The best parts are yet to come.

I know if you had still been living in Southern California this past summer, and we had met, you would have been among those who helped reshape my opinion of the region for the better.

 

I am very much enjoying your posts about your travels. I'm envious because I don't get these kind of vacations, but at the same time I am thrilled with your posts.

 

I'm glad to hear it. My parents were very supportive of my trip simply because a time will come when I will no longer be able to travel like this. Taking advantage of the opportunities I have to do it - already have three more trips of a similar caliber in the works.

 

Time for more?

From Klamath Falls, I travelled to Crater Lake National Park. I got there late in the day, so it was hot and crowded, but the place was so beautiful and there was plenty of park to share. The water was the bluest blue I had ever seen. I hiked to the peak of the Watchman at the rim of the lake, drove the circumference of the lake, and hiked to Plaikni Falls. My visit to the park was cut short, however, because there were two fires nearby, one to the east and one to the west of the park. Smoke from the one to the west poured into the crater just a few hours after I arrived, and the smoke became so dense that the lake was no longer visible after awhile. I headed further north to Bend, then spent the night in a sno-park parking lot with a view of Mount Bachelor in the Deschutes National Forest.


Crater Lake; note the smoke clouds in the distance - Crater Lake NP

The next day, I headed out to the coast again, passing through Eugene on my way to Florence. The weather was a bit more clear on the Oregon Coast Highway than it had been along the California coast, however, the traffic was much worse. I explored the very scenic resort towns of Yachats and Newport before turning back inland near Lincoln City. It took me several hours to get through Portland and across the Columbia River into Washington. I resupplied in the Vancouver, Washington area, then headed north up the 5 a ways before heading further east on the White Pass Scenic Highway toward Mount Rainier. This was another very beautiful drive, with views of the Cascade Mountains, including Rainier and St. Helens. Eventually, the road took me deep into the mountains, and I camped in between the road and the Nisqually River, on the boundary of the national park, and with a view of Rainier.


Gwynn Knoll/Bobs Creek - Yachats, OR


Morning at the campsite near Rainier - Ashford, WA

Early the next morning, I headed into Mount Rainier National Park. I parked at the Paradise area to hike the very well-known Skyline Trail. The wildflowers were in full bloom, and there was lots of snow on the ground. This was truly the most beautiful like I have ever done, the views of the Cascade Mountains, all of the bright colors, and the massive glaciers on the face of Rainier all created an unbelievable scene. At Panorama Point, Mount Adams, Mount Hood, and Mount St. Helens could be seen all together over the horizon. At the base of the trail were the Myrtle Falls. I also checked out Ruby Falls before driving through Stevens Canyon to the Grove of Giants. A stroll through the woods brought me to a boardwalk through an ancient grove of massive Douglas fir and coastal redcedar trees, a very cool spot that proved how diverse the Mount Rainier area was. However, tired of battling crowds, I decided to leave, not before sitting in road work traffic for almost an hour. I hope to return some day to explore the north end of the park and climb to the summit of Rainier.


Summertime wildflowers amidst a glacier; Mt Adams left of center, Mt St Helens at rightmost edge - Mount Rainier NP


Ruby Falls - Mount Rainier NP

The rest of the day was spent heading north and then back at west. I checked out some of the areas at the southern end of Puget Sound, including Tacoma and Olympia, before heading into the rainforests on the western side of the Olympic Peninsula. I spent the night in a remote campsite just outside the national park, deep in the Olympic National Forest. I was well ahead of schedule again, and spent some time planning on how to best spend my time at Olympic National Park.


Planning, mapping & journaling at camp - Quinault, WA

I spent the next morning along the coast, first checking out Lake Quinault, Kalaloch and Ruby Beach, then heading to the Hoh Rainforest. I waited in line to enter the rainforest, again, for over an hour, but it was worth it. The wet climate on the western side of the peninsula was idea for supporting life, allowing for lush rainforests to form - the Hoh Rainforest is the crown jewel of this phenomenon. Every inch of the ground, the trees, the rocks were covered in vegetation. Ferns, mosses, trees, flowers and grasses were everywhere, green filled the eyes anywhere you looked. It even rivaled the lushness of where I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains; which is in itself a rare microecosystem ideal for supporting a plethora of life. After spending weeks in mostly desertlike environments, the plethora of life at Hoh was very welcome. I hiked through the Hall of Mosses and to the Hoh River before heading back out. I passed through Forks and then back out to the coast at Ozette.


Hall of Mosses - Olympic NP

I hiked through more rainforest out to the beach at Sand Point. The treeline dropped off to reveal expansive rocky coastline and calm waters. The beach itself was covered in drift logs and garbage, which I found almost as fascinating as I did upsetting. Much of the stuff had obviously come from Japan, and included buoys, car tires, bottles and even an entire boat. The most interesting thing I came across was a beached juvenile humpback whale, it had been there for about a month. I walked along the beach for about three more miles before coming to Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the continental United States. I watched the sunset there, the last sunset in the country, as I had watched the first sunset in the country atop Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park the previous summer. I may have even been the last person in the continental US to see the sun that day.


Sand Point on the Washington Coast - Olympic NP


Cape Alava, the last sunset - Olympic NP

The three mile hike back through the forest, alone, at night was pretty terrifying. Besides a few bats flying at me, it was uneventful, and I ended up just sleeping in the parking lot of the Ozette hiking area. The next morning, I explored Crescent Lake and went to Hurricane Ridge, on the north end of the Olympic Peninsula. The lush rainforests of the west were replaced by arid subalpine forests at high altitudes. Lots of wildlife was at Hurricane Ridge, from a family of deer with several fawns to an adult black bear. I enjoyed spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains off one side, and across the Strait of Juan de Luca to Vancouver Island and the city of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada.


Well-adjusted deer hanging out in the parking lot with us - Olympic NP


Olympic Mountains - Olympic NP

After briefly checking out Port Angeles, I went to the city of Bremerton on the eastern side of the peninsula and took a ferry across the Puget Sound to Seattle. The ferry was a cool experience, my first time on an actual ferry, at least one larger than a barge holding a dozen cars for a five minute ride across a river. In Seattle, I spent an hour in Pike Place Market, then drove downtown past the Columbia Center and the Space Needle. On my way further north, I went through the cities of Bellevue, Kirkland and Everett, before heading back into the Cascade Mountains near Sedro-Woolley, and camping at Baker Lake.


Cargo liner carrying Mount Rainier - Seattle, WA


On the ferry - Seattle, WA

At North Cascades National Park, I was informed a fire at the eastern edge of the park had the road shut down there. Since I would have to do more more driving than I anticipated, and since the air in the park was already pretty smoky, I decided to cut my visit short. I hiked to Thunder Knob to get views of the turquoise waters of Lake Diablo, then went through the Trail of Cedars in the village of Newhalem.


Diablo Lake - North Cascades NP

I headed back out west the way I came a ways, then south and east on US-2, through the Cascades and back into the desert beyond. I had not realized the eastern halves of Washington and Oregon were desert prior to my travels, but geographically, it made sense. I resupplied in Wenatchee then camped on the shore of the manmade Banks Lake near the Coulee Dam. The next day I finished my stretch across the state to Spokane, and then into Idaho.

One more part to follow.

 

You are a very good photographer! All of your pics could be postcards.
Still enjoying the travelogue very much!

 

I appreciate that. I took about 2,900 photos but pulled out the best 50 or so for the thread, haha.

 

Alright, now for the final stretch.

From Spokane, I went to Coeur d’Alene, climbed to the top of Tubbs Hill and once again resupplied. Smoke from fires near the Canadian border hung low and thick here, and remained in the air for the entirety of the rest of my trip until just before I was back east of the Mississippi. I headed north to Sandpoint and then Bonners Ferry before getting back on US-2 to continue east through the Kootenai National Forest in western Montana. I stopped for the night south of Kalispell, at the base of Blacktail Mountain, overlooking Flathead Lake.


Camping over Flathead Lake - Kalispell, MT

I arose around 5 the following morning and made my way to Glacier National Park. This park also required reservations to drive on Going-to-the-Sun Road, the main route across. Despite arriving at 6:30am, on a Wednesday, the parking area at Logan Pass was already full. I ended up parking on a shoulder about a mile down the road, and had to hike along the road to make it to the trailheads. I hiked along the Highline Trail for about 4 miles, turning around at the Haystack Butte ridge. The views were immaculate despite the smoke. I was constantly having to step to the side of the trail to let oncoming hikers pass, almost every 100 feet along the trail. Back at the Logan Pass center, I hiked to the Hidden Lake overlook, where I got to see lots of mountain goats, marmots, and some bighorn sheep. At the lake, a family of brown bear were feeding, although they could only be seen from the overlook with binoculars, and the trail beyond the overlook was closed as a result.


Morning at Glacier - Glacier NP


Views from the Highline Trail - Glacier NP


Highline Trail cliffside portion facing Haystack Butte - Glacier NP


The locals are unbothered by the yearlong snow - Glacier NP


Hidden Lake - Glacier NP

Another 12 mile hike and battling crowds all morning once again left me exhausted and ready to leave. It took over an hour and a half in traffic to make the 30 mile drive back out of the park. I spent the rest of the day exploring the Montana countryside, going through Missoula, Helena and Butte before stopping just east of the city at Homestake Pass.


Montana State Capitol - Helena, MT

Now on the last few days of the trip, I spent a lot of time on the road. Some of the last major stops of the trip were in the northwest corner of Wyoming, and I made my way in that direction, once again, very early in the morning. I passed through some very picturesque towns, including Virginia City and Ennis in Montana, and even had to stop for a cattle drive. Unfortunately, the smoke was very thick here as well, since there was a fire near the Montana/Idaho border at the junction of Wyoming.

I got to Yellowstone National Park at 7:30 in the morning, and even though it was Thursday, it was very crowded, and I waited in line awhile just to get into the park. I visited several geysers and springs, most notably Old Faithful and the Grand Prismatic Spring areas. Theme park-sized parking lots were completely full of cars. I did, however, seeing a wild bison graze in some fields along the road.


Firehole River near Black Pearl Geyser - Yellowstone NP


Prismatic Springs - Yellowstone NP


Bison butt - Yellowstone NP

I continued south along the Grand Loop and made my way into Grand Teton National Park, which, by midday, was even smokier and more crowded than Yellowstone. I did pretty much nothing there, since all parking areas were full, there was traffic, and the scenery was relatively hazy. I went to the town of Jackson, also packed, before heading back north through the park. I stopped at the T.A. Moulton barn at Missionary Row before leaving, and saw more wild bison on my way out.


Teton peaks - Grand Teton NP


T.A. Moulton Barn - Grand Teton NP

At this point, I was becoming really ready to come back home. The days of repeatedly waking up with the sunrise and going to sleep after sunset was getting old, especially when the sunrises and sunsets were always changing as I crossed timezones and longitudes so rapidly. I wasn’t sleeping because my air mattress had a leak and would deflate within a few hours, so only a yoga mat separated me from the roof rack I was sleeping on top of. Furthermore, I was getting stressed about the wear and tear on my vehicle, and how much everything was costing me. On top of it all, everything I wanted to do was very crowded and no matter how much effort I put in, I could not avoid it. Not to mention the smoke. To be clear, Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton were to be of much higher priority on my next road trip, so I did not feel as though I was at a major loss with my frustrating experiences at these places. Exhausted and frustrated, I was 2,000 miles from home and had three more days on the road.

Of course, the fates gave me something to harden my resolve and make the most of the rest of my time in the west. The stretch of US-26 from Grand Teton to Riverton was one of the most beautiful drives I have ever done. The dramatic stone cliffs and rock formations in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, followed by canyons of red and white sand layers, and then by rolling hills of grasslands allowed me to relax and enjoy what I had set out to do - see new things and figure myself out.

That day, I drove almost all the way east across Wyoming, checking out the city of Casper before heading south and camping next to a reservoir in the town of Wheatland. The next day, I went to Laramie and Cheyenne before continuing south into Colorado. Avoiding the interstate, I went through Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, and then Boulder. I had planned to head into Estes Park and go to Rocky Mountain National Park, but the reservation system there was on an hourly system, and I was about 5 hours ahead of my reservation time and was not willing to wait around, since it was a stop on my next trip, and it was smoky out anyway. After checking out some Denver landmarks, I continued on to Colorado Springs. I made the decision to take US-50 across Kansas as opposed to I-70, since it only added an hour to the drive and gave me an opportunity to see more of the country - this was a great decision. From Pueblo, I made my way east, first through eastern Colorado and then into western Kansas, once again surprised by the desertlike environment. There wasn’t much going on there, of course, since the region is mostly agricultural, but I loved it, having the road to myself, the wide open landscapes and the old towns forgotten to all except locals. East of Dodge City became more green, and the sky became dark, so I stopped at a fishing lake in Greensburg, KS for the night.


Green Mountain and South Boulder Peaks - Boulder, CO

I headed into Wichita first thing the next morning to get my car serviced again. The route to the southeast brought me through large wind farms until I reached Tulsa. Still avoiding interstates, I passed through Muskogee and into Arkansas near Fort Smith. A few hours on small country roads through the Ouchita National Forest later (and getting pulled over for speeding, going 9mph over the limit, and being let off with a warning), I arrived at Hot Springs, the last real stop on the trip. I walked around Hot Springs National Park, in the middle of the town, down the Grand Promenade and checked out the historic Bathhouse Row before it got dark out. I continued on my beeline east and briefly explored Little Rock. I decided to make an aggressive push to get much farther than I had planned. Now my third day in a row spending over 12 hours in the row, I was eager to sleep in my bed again.


Central High School, a national historic site - Little Rock, AK

I made it to Memphis at around midnight. I set up for the night in a parking lot in front of the Bass Pro Pyramid on the water, underneath closed the I-40 ramps. Before going to sleep, I rented an e-scooter and zoomed along the Mississippi riverfront for a little while. It was the final night of the trip and I wanted to have some fun. The next morning I checked out some Memphis landmarks including Dreamland and the Lorraine Motel and then really made the final push home. Again, I made the smart decision to take US-72 through the very northern edges of Mississippi and Alabama rather than spending the entire day traversing across Tennessee on I-40. I saw some old Southern industrial towns including Corinth in Mississippi and Florence and Huntsville in Alabama before crossing into Tennessee once again near Chattanooga, one of my favorite cities. Finally, I found myself in North Carolina again, entering at the very western tip of the state in the Nantahala National Forest, and drove amidst the rafting busses along the Ocoee River. Thunderstorms ravaged the area as I approached Asheville, but I was grateful to be in a place where it rained instead of burned, and I returned to my apartment by late afternoon.


Final morning of the trip - Memphis, TN

The days following my return home were spent cleaning and easing back into a normal routine. The feeling of wanting to be home wore off quickly, and I missed the euphoria of being on the road. The empty, let down feeling of having completed something so grand and incredible was only cured by staying busy and going back to work full time. Having some time to contextualize the experience as a whole, I can say it is the greatest thing I have ever done.

Now, I am beginning to save up for and plan my next trip - to the Midwest and the Rocky Mountains. The general route has been made, now I am looking for things to fill the itinerary. I know many people on the forum are from Colorado or make trips to the Rockies; any and all recommendations are welcome. Thank you all for following along and making sure I didn't write this out for nothing. Stay tuned for more improvements to the rig and future (smaller) adventures.


Final map of actual route taken

P.S. If anyone is traveling to some of these places and wants to know more about some of my campsites, I would be happy to share privately. I avoid posting them there because many of the sites will benefit from not being public knowledge, as I have witnessed first hand the blatant disregard some people have for the nature which they have the privilege of exploring.

 

Thank you for sharing your VERY incredible journey Justin. As said before, I'm envious of such an experience, but probably a little old to embark on such a quest. That is why I really do appreciate your thread!...Well done!!!

 

Wow. WOW! Just read your whole trip report in one sitting. Can't figure out which is most captivating - your itinerary, your narrative, or your images. What an amazing experience. Can't wait to see the movie!

I know many of us on this forum are envious of your experience. For sure something I would have loved to do in my younger days had I had the courage and circumstances that would have allowed it (translation: had I had the wisdom of hindsight to make it a priority). Thank you for sharing the trip. Incredible. I hope you discovered all that you had set out to discover, and more.

For next summer's itinerary try to include the Million Dollar Highway in CO from Silverton to Ouray. I've not travelled it but it looks amazing and I think your KDSS will love it.

Peace and blessings, Gatnos!

 

Thank you. I hope you still can find some opportunities to take trips, there are so many things worth exploring around here, as I'm sure you know. Hope to see you at a local meetup sometime!

I appreciate it, SoundWarrior. Just the posts on this thread took a lot of work, so the video might still be further down the road. I'm glad you enjoyed the read.

Million Dollar Highway is on the itinerary as per your recommendation. Thanks!

 

Alright, back to vehicle improvements.

Some exciting ones today: blind spot mirrors. Paid more for the genuine Toyota parts rather than some stickers, and wasn't disappointed, they look OEM.





Also, my new license plate finally came in. Only took the kind folks at the Florida DMV two attempts and six months to come through, but it was worth the wait. It's something I had wanted to get since I was in high school and it turned out exactly as I had hoped. Pretty much the only reason I'm maintaining my residency in Florida...

 

Very cool!

 

Thanks!

Glad you liked it. Big Bend was amazing, hopefully in the fall the weather will be a little more mild too. I hope you get to hike the Santa Elena Canyon!