day 15

A whole heckin’ day in the Grand Tetons

Today my plan was to go see Jenny Lake, which is the largest lake in the park and a 7-mile hike around. After waking up I moseyed over to the kitchen area to wake up a bit and the two women who had greeted me upon my arrival waved me over. Their names were Nikki, a therapist who also teaches new counselors, and Victoria, a retired gynecologist who moved to the states from Austria as a teenager… basically the coolest women in Wyoming. They were best friends and were visiting for their 5th-ish time from Iowa. Nikki had me dying laughing describing getting a pap smear as, “you move down to the end of the table, they stick a folding chair in there, crank it open, then use a toilet brush to scrape out your insides, and have the audacity to be like ‘just a little pressure!’” We were cackling all morning long. To top it off they made me coffee and some of their homemade oatmeal. The oatmeal had finely chopped up figs, cherries, and ginger, ground flax seeds and chia. It was clearly made with love and I appreciated it so much. I felt so taken care of and it was a beautiful way to start the day.

I headed over to Jenny Lake, and did my heckin thing! The first third of the hike (while on the same side of the mountains) was a bit dull, but the rest made up for it.

At one point I saw a large bird flying around and stopped to watch. It was an osprey carrying a big ‘ol fish. I heard some loud bird calls and looked to my right and saw a baby osprey sitting in a nest atop a large dead tree. I was so distracted I didn’t even realize I was blocking the path until people came up to me and had to say excuse me.

The lake was absolutely stunning. The left photo is where I wanted to swim, but there was no inlet. The right photo is where I ended up swimming. I had to climb down a bit to get to the shore and I fell a little bit on the way down but totally worth it. On my climb back up I ran into a group of people who were stunned that I had gone in the water. They asked me to take their photo and told me that they had all been in a live musical in Jackson Hole 50 years before and were visiting for a reunion. They were all so sweet to me, proud of me, and just excited as hell to be there.

That hike really took it out of me. I went back to the ranch, took a really hot shower (amazing), enjoyed some tea and dinner, and read a bunch in the library. While I was eating I chatted with a man who had biked from Jackson Hole up to Montana and back as well as a man and his daughter Caroline(!). They were from one of the Carolinas. They were traveling with his best friend and his best friend’s son showing his daughter the magic of backpacking. The man looked so much like Samual Herring from Future Islands I was so sure they were related… but they weren’t.

I set a goal of going to bed at nine, but failed miserably. I crawled into bed around 8:20. The rest of my cabin mates came in and out and I overheard that some of them had just spent 4 weeks hiking 500 miles across Colorado. What a world.

day 14

Evanston to Grand Teton National Park

Woke up feeling grateful for my night in Evanston - the Prairie Inn Motel was very cute, and gave me space to get myself organized, laundered, and ready for a couple days of being in the Grand Tetons. The people working and staying there who I encountered were all very kind and smiley and welcoming. In the morning I snapped some pics of the Inn and went next door to Jody’s Diner for some coffee and a $6.34 breakfast sandwich with ham and american cheese. I love these cheap meals because I can swing giving a big tip! My server was sweet as sugar and I shared my table with a military vet named Jeb who had to be in his 80s. He was eating a short stack of pancakes covered in blueberries and whipped cream and was enjoying the hell out of it.

Only had to drive three hours today - listened to my book, Casper Allen (on recommendation from people I met in Silver City) and a lot of Weyes Blood.

Driving through Wyoming was lots of farms, hay, and cows. As I got closer to the park, I passed through a few small towns that had some great signs!

And then suddenly, there they were! I gasped.

I couldn’t check into the Climber’s Ranch until 4pm so I thankfully had some time to explore. I went straight to the visitors center and asked the ranger at the desk, “Which lakes in the park am I allowed to swim in?'“ And she smiled and replied ALL OF THEM!

I took my map to the car, quickly identified 3 lakes with doable hikes around them and set a goal to swim in all of them before I left. First on the list was Taggart Lake! The hike was 3.8 miles with a perfect inlet to the lake and a perfect view about 1/3 of the way through. I was feeling hesitant to get in the water since no one else was - it feels so weird to get in while all these people are hanging out looking at the view! There was a family of three adult brothers and their parents next to me and they were thinking about going in so I went for it and they followed suit! It wasn’t too cold at all and we were all better for it. They thanked me for inspiring them to do it when I left :)

Extremely grateful that I found the Grand Tetons Climbing Ranch to stay at during my time in the park. The ranch is 10 cabins with bunk beds, a large covered area for cooking, really nice bathrooms with showers (such a plus), a kitchen packed with tools for cooking, and a library full of climbing books and comfy chairs which I absolutely adored.

While I was checking in, two women who were also staying there welcomed me with huge smiles and were so excited to hear that I was there for the first time - they assured me that I was going to love it. I set up my bed, took a shower, went on a tiny walk, made myself some tea and dinner, and retired to the library. In between reading my book (Assassin’s Quest by Robin Hobb) I ended up chatting with 4 twenty-somethings who were all on a roadtrip together before heading back to college in Florida. They played Rummy and listened to jazz while sipping on some Moonshine they bought in Montana. They offered me a sip which I accepted :)

day 13

Moab to Evanston

Today was about preparing for what is to come aka errands and getting my butt closer to the Grand Tetons. I caught some of the sunrise, retrieved my tent out of the bathroom, got it all cleaned up and packed up, made myself some coffee and breakfast, and did a bit of a re-org of the car. Wingate campground is the nicest campground I have ever stayed at. Every site had an overhang to help keep things out of the sun, the camp host had a sweet german sheperd that carried a mini pendleton blanket roll in his mouth at all times, and there were these sick yurts. I wish I had booked one, but they were pricey. Might just have to if I ever come back.

Like I said - lots to do today. The bulk of the drive was getting to Salt Lake City to get those errands done. Big Future Islands day music-wise! Also finished up My Brilliant Friend and moved on to Slow Horses (weeee!)

Driving out of Moab I saw a cluster of large objects in the sky - a group of skydivers. Watching them spin around and float to the ground was pretty magical.

My big goal in Salt Lake City was to find a different sleeping pad situation. I had been using three thin ones like flat lil pancakes and my back was not loving it. I got to REI, and grabbed something that would work better for me. After that I booked it over to FedEx to ship the three sleeping pads, some books, and a bunch of crochet-related things back home. Getting that box packed was pretty hilarious, I must have seemed like a totally off the rails bag lady bringing in more and more stuff to pack the box.

When I left I double checked that I had gotten my license back from the guy and it was not with me. He and I spent the next 20 minutes looking for it, and before I started tearing the car apart I asked if we could just look in the store one more time. He happened to pick up the little bound book of barcodes he used to complete my purchase and my license fell out of it. Such a stressful moment! The rest of the drive was great, pulled into the Prairie Inn with time to get all my stuff out of the car and do some laundry.

For some reason I hadn’t used the sunroof until today, and man did it make the drive all the more sweet.

day 12

A whole heckin’ day in Moab

Today I got to go to Arches! Arches requires a timed entry reservation which I made months ago for 8am so had to get up p early to get there on time. I pulled into the visitors center, picked out some short hikes - taking into consideration that it would be about 90 degrees by the time I left - and was on my way. The views were breathtaking and I just felt really good being out there, dare I say the desert suits me.

After hiking around for a few hours, I needed a rest. I went back to my campsite, made myself a PB and banana sammy (yum), listened to my audio book, took a nap in my camping chair, and waited for the heat to chill out a bit.

My campground was at Dead Horse Point state park, so I took the rest of the day to explore. A bunch of big ‘ol rain clouds and thunder came up quick so the next few hours ended up being a whirlwind of walking around and taking in the views, driving back to the visitors center to check the weather, and rushing back to my campsite to find my poor tent knocked over and partially in a puddle. I was able to get everything taken down and hung up in the bathroom in between bouts of rain. Made myself some dehydrated dinner (buffalo style mac n cheese - not bad!), set up my bed in the car, caught a beautiful sunset and fell asleep listening to my book.

Caught some stars through the sunroof. Very pleased to say I am getting more comfortable sleeping outside by myself :)

day 11

Ridgeway to Moab

Orvis hot springs is clothing optional so they don’t allow any kind of photo taking but it was a real sanctuary. There were many hot spring pools of varying temperatures some of which had small cold waterfalls to cool off. They also had an indoor pool with wall to wall murals. The grounds in between were soft grass and lots of flowers with some bench swings and adirondak chairs. Really wish we had a spot like this in the bay.

After having some breakfast, I headed to the nearest town Ouray for a coffee and a walk about. Very sweet little town enveloped by mountains.

Took about four hours to get to Moab - listened to more of my book, War on Drugs, Adrienne Lenker, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and more Handsome podcast to get me through yet more rain.

Sick of saying this but the drive was beautiful!

Pulled into Moab in torrential downpour. Had to drive through some flash flooding on the roads, but no biggie with the Sub. Sat in the car at the visitors center where there was wifi (view from my car below), made some phone calls, figured out my plan for tomorrow, went through some photos. Then set up my tent, went for an evening walk, and called it a night.

day 10

Santa Fe to Ridgewaay

A very big driving day! Ran some errands in the morning - had to get those coffee filters - and got an insanely delicious breakfast burrito from the El Chile Toreado truck (a recommendation from Jamie and Peabe, thank you Jamie and Peabe).

Did about 8 hours of driving so listened to a lot of My Brilliant Friend, the Handsome podcast (especially helpful during the massive amounts of rain I encountered), and The War on Drugs’ Lost in a Dream on repeat.

Drove about an hour and decided to stop at Abiquiu Lake for a dip. It sounds like Georgia O’Keefe lived in the area at some point and was very inspired by the surrounding mountains (same). The swim was short but refreshing and I got to hang out with a little dog named Maisie.

Driving out of New Mexico from Abiquiu Lake was colorful in a way I had heard of but did not expect. Making my way into Colorado was a transition from desert to forest.

The real stunner was the Million Dollar Highway, from Durango to Ouray (aka Little Switzerland). It was one of the most beautiful drives I’ve been on. Photos do not do it justice, the mountains were colossal.

The Million Dollar Highway took me right to Orvis Hot Springs where I camped overnight. I spent some time chatting with a couple from Denver who had a lot of great stories of their travels: hitchhiking, train hopping, and crashing on couches. They were super excited for me to be on my trip and were very encouraging. I did many rotations between hot pools, sauna, and the cold plunge. and headed to bed.

day 9

Second full day in Santa Fe

Had some breakfast burrito leftovers at home and realized that I have a friend who lives in Santa Fe! He invited me over for dinner and recommended I make an appointment to shop at Santa Fe Vintage that day. Santa Fe vintage is an incredible collection of true vintage clothing, blankets, and prints. I didn’t end up buying anything, but what a special shopping experience.

Spent the rest of my day walking around and seeing what there was to see.

After wandering around, I had the pleasure of joining Peabe, his wife, daughter, and daughter’s friend for dinner at their home. We had martinis and not one but TWO kinds of pasta. It was so great to catch up and listen to stories of what they’ve been up to in the 5 years since I saw them last. It felt as if no time had passed. I left feeling grateful for their time, cooking, and friendship.

day 8

First full day of two in Santa Fe

Headed over to Counter Culture for coffee, a breakfast burrito and some reading. One of the recommendations I was most interested in from the hotel concierge was Ojo Santa Fe hot springs spa so I gave them a call and made an appointment for a massage and day pass. Once I got that figured out I went to buy tickets to the Meow Wolf museum and realized they were closed on Tuesdays so I would have to do Ojo and the museum in the same day - oops. Ojo was beautiful! I had one of the best massages I’ve ever had, used the hottest steam room I’ve ever been in (couldn’t stay in there for more than 2 minutes), dipped in one of the pools, read and took a lil nap, and walked through some of the trails behind the property.

Went to my late afternoon time slot at Meow Wolf - an indoor maze of rooms of floor-to-ceiling art installations.

Went home for a lil chill and change before heading to Horno for dinner. I had tuna tartare with a black pepper risotto cake and warm anchovy butter that was truly one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. I also had a simple mesclun salad with watermelon radishes, a meatball with their grilled house made focaccia, and an blueberry crostata for dessert. Sitting at the bar made for great conversation with the bartenders as well as the person sitting next to me. After dinner, I headed back to Ojo for a quick dip in the hot tub before they closed.

day 7

Silver City to Santa Fe

Had a long drive ahead of me so grabbed a yummy iced honey cinnamon latte and veggie pastie from Tranquil Buzz and headed out. On the drive I finished listening to The Nightingale, started a re-read of My Brilliant Friend, and lots and lots of music.

Drove a bit out of the way to make a stop at White Sands National Park. Driving in, it looked like it had snowed in the middle of the desert. The sun was really intense, and the sand surprisingly crunchy until you walked out on the dunes.

Continued driving up to Santa Fe with beautiful surroundings - no surprise there.

I arrived in Santa Fe and went straight to my AirBnb (which was cute and spacious and very comfortable). Ate my leftover pizza and headed over to the El Rey to see Victoria Bailey, the country singer I met at Zócalo on Silver City who happened to be heading to Santa Fe the same night. The El Rey was a beautiful hotel with endless Santa Fe Style.
I asked the concierge at the hotel for recommendations around town. She was actually the general manager covering a desk shift for someone and she gave me a great little itinerary to inspire my next couple of days.

After Victoria’s set, I went to find her and say hello. I ended up talking to her, her boyfriend, and their two friends who live in Taos for quite a bit. They gave me some recs for my short time in Colorado, and they had a very sweet dog named Taco.

day 6

Bisbee to Silver City

Had a short driving day ahead of me so took my heckin’ time this morning getting breakfast. The Shady Dell has a diner onsite. They’re only open weekends so I am really glad I caught them. This breakfast sandwich was SOMETHING ELSE Y’ALL.
Bacon! Gruyere that was crispy! Eggs seasoned with chives! Chipotle aioli! And some crispy ass home fries. Sheesh.

The Shady Dell, aside from being a diner and trailer hotel, was a great collection of vintage vehicles and other treasures (surrounded by a cemetery on two sides!). Snapped some pics before I hit the road.

It took about 3 hours to drive from Bisbee to Silver City. I know I keep snapping 1000 photos of the road, but I can’t help it! It’s so beautiful, and I love watching the terrain change as I move across states.

Checked into a lil cabin at the KOA, and headed over to Whiskey Creek Zócalo. My friend David’s longtime friend Rafael (with the help of many friends) opened this bar/restaurant/venue last year. When David found out about my trip he said I had to stop by, and he was not wrong. I had a delicious wood-fired pizza with pepperoni and green hatch chilis, watched a California country singer named Victoria Bailey perform, and hung out with Rafael and his friends. There was a very clear sense of community there and I was welcomed with open arms. A special night at a special place - really hope to make it back someday.

day 5

A whole heckin’ day in Bisbee

Falling asleep last night was a bit of a tall order - I stayed in a very cute trailer at the Shady Dell and there was a full downpour thunderstorm right above me for about an hour. Sleeping in a tin can can really amplify the sound of a storm and the whole place was shaking! It was a little scary there for a bit but once it chilled out I went straight to sleep.

After eating some breakfast, I decided to attempt the Bisbee 1000, a 5-mile walk around the town. The town is built into the mountains, so there are 1000 steps along the route. I got about half way through it and it was getting close to 90 degrees so I called it. Had a goal of staying out past sunset so had to save my energy!

Drove through Lowell, which according to google is “a populated place situated in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. It was incorporated into Bisbee in the early 1900s” on my way home. It’s a very quaint little strip with lots of old cars and a few small businesses.

Had a very relaxing rest of my day listening to The Nightingale, crocheting like a maniac, and having a bit of a nap. Took myself out for a yummy pizza at Screaming Banshee, and went to the Bisbee Social Club for a cocktail before heading home.

day 4

Yucca to Bisbee

I knew it would be a big driving day, so did what I could to have a relaxing morning while still making it on the road before 9. Woke up to a cloudy morning which made my morning walk feel very different from my evening one. Made some breakfast, took a nice shower (the showers on the property were 10/10) and hit the road.

Listened to a lot of my audiobook today, but also two episodes of Normal Gossip, the newest season of which I had saved to listen to for this trip (thank you past me for doing this).
The dirt roads heading out came with some spectacular views. I listened to Jessica Pratt’s album Here in the Pitch for that. It felt so right I listened to it twice.

Spent the rest of the day driving Southeast across the majority of the state and into Bisbee - a real cutie of a town. Got a fried chicken sandwich at Bisbee’s Table. Sat at the bar and had some funny conversation with the bar tender and her friend who is currently fighting with her cheating ex over who gets their paddle board.

day 3

Newberry Springs to Yucca

Woke up, had some yogurt, went for a desert walk, and jumped in the pool before heading out

Drove out of California and into Arizona. Listened to Bruce Springsteen, Nilüfer Yanya, more book, more TAL

Took a longer route so that I could drive on as much of Route 66 as possible. Stopped at Ludlow Cafe for a bite, played tag with some trains, pulled over at a giant crater, paid $8.50 a gallon for gas (yooooo) and generally got cooked by the sun.

Drove about 24 miles of dirt roads with insane views to my hipcamp in Yucca. It was out there, lemme tell ya. It was well over 100 degrees when I arrived, so I set up my camp chair in the shade of my car and read for an hour or so. Once it cooled off a bit I went for a walk around the property, then made myself a little dinner and enjoyed the sunset before heading to bed.

I was pretty nervous to sleep out there! The owners were on the property but not super near, I was the only guest, and it was so hot I needed to keep the front of the tent open. I kept waking up and having trouble falling asleep until I woke up a little after midnight and saw that the stars had come out. I took a stab at photographing them with my camera, realized that it was completely silent outside because there was nothing to be afraid of and slept like a heckin’ baby till the sun came up.

day 2

Morro Bay to Newberry Springs

Woke up early, made myself some yogurt and fruit and realized I forgot coffee filters. Packed up the car and headed back down to the waterfront for a jog. Glad I didn’t make coffee because I got to stop at Scout Coffee for a perfect iced latte and goat cheese scallion scone.

Drove about 5 hours to Newberry Springs, where it was a cool 103 degrees.
Listened to more of my audiobook, a good episode of This American Life [835 : Children of Dave] and a bunch of music

Officially made it into the desert!

Stopped at Roadhouse Restaurant at Kramer Junction and had straight up the BEST grilled cheese with avo since the Missouri Lounge closed. It cost $13 with an iced tea and tax. The server was so sweet and thought my lunch looked so good she ordered the same thing.

THE grilled cheese with avo

Arrived at my airbnb - a guesthouse at a property owned by a very cool artist, and jumped in the heckin’ pool.

day 1

El Cerrito to Morro Bay

Listened to The Nightingale audio book and Charli XCX on repeat

Arrived around 5pm to a beautifully foggy evening. Got my car organized for sleeping and headed into town. Took myself on a long walk by the water, got some fish tacos at Tognazzini’s Dockside Restaurant, and moseyed back to my campsite to snooze.