This is part two of Traveling the Roads Less Traveled. Part one can be found here.
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… continued from Traveling the Roads Less Traveled Part 1
I had some doubts initially when JV proposed the long camping trip because we would travel the roads less traveled by bypassing interstate highways whenever possible and I would drive home alone after the end of the trip. I was eventually convinced by his enormous Dutch windsurfer adventurous spirits and motivated by his optimism and courage. Finally we set off westward for the West Coast from Kansas in our rental Mazda sedan with camping gears, the ever reliable AAA maps and a shoestring budget.
Facts:
Time zones covered: Central, Mountain and Pacific
Foods: Grilled meats, baked beans and other canned foods, breads, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (great for hiking lunch!), Subway subs and burgers.
Activities: Hiking the least travelled trails, driving along the least taken old highways, taking photos (JV is a photography enthusiast), and chatting and joking about everything under the sun.
Highlights:
Frequent long distance calls: It’s an era without cellphone or Twitter on smart phone. JS, my roommate reminded me to call home every other day just to make sure I was doing well on the road. This was the warmest reminder I have ever had from a friend. My AT&T and Sprint calling cards came handy for long distance calls from pay phones.
Traveling the roads less traveled: We hiked the least taken marked trails and drove along the least travelled roads and highways. We surprised some tourists who were at a viewpoint in Rocky Mountain National Park when we emerged from the trail below. We made many wrong turns but we had seen more than any other tourists who only stopped at viewpoints or upon spotting some elks or any wildlife crossing the roads. We joked a lot when we made wrong turns.
Rural towns: Small towns are jewels of our trip. We experienced warmth of friendly rural folks when we stopped for gas and bathroom or asking for directions. The most memorable stop was in Nederland (Dutch for the Netherlands), Colorado. As Dutch, JV told me this is a must visit place. But there’s not any windmill in sight! We stopped for a brief visit and bought some supplies before traversing along the picturesque mountain roads into Rocky Mountain National Park.
Campgrounds: We learned that not all campgrounds are created equal. Some came with good bathroom facilities and mostly featured only basic toilets. And most campgrounds were full during summer months. Hot showers were luxury. I complained to JV a lot initially about lack of proper shower facilities and he just smiled and asked to be patient. We dipped into icy lakes or cool streams most the of the time. I remember I had THE hot shower of my lifetime at a private campground near Grand Junction after spending the day hiking in the canyon. Eventually I learned to live without proper shower for a day or two.
Alpine Flower Above the Tree Line in Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park: It’s my first experience of driving at high elevations, camping in pine fragrance-filled forests and hiking along marked trails (wandering off the trails would damage the precious slow-growing vegetation) in alpine tundra zone. It’s an amazingly refreshing experience with crisp air and scenic views everywhere. Also, we crossed Continental Divide somewhere in this area.
Grand Canyon National Park: Going up the winding dusty tracks was more exhausting than going down to the bottom of canyon. But it’s worth every single step we took. The views were breathtaking!
Zion National Park: We needed ‘escort’ to drive through the one-lane (converted from two lanes during peak travel season) Zion Mount Carmel Tunnel. Completed in 1930, the 1.1 mile tunnel itself is a marvelous work of engineering. The ‘escort’ is a baton that driver need to relay from one end to another to ensure safe passage.
Elevation - Sea Level (Death Valley National Park)
Valley View, Yosemite National Park
Bear Warning in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park: Yosemite is giant sequoia and (smart) bears territory where each campsite is equip with a bear-proof locker for foods storage. We arrived late the in evening after crossing Death Valley National Park. It’s Fourth of July and most campgrounds were packed with campers. We pitched our camp at a campsite located by a stream. It’s not an ideal spot but we were just glad to settle down for dinner after a long drive during the day. While we were having our dinner of BBQ steak (it’s Independence Day and almost the end of our trip!), JV, who was sitting facing the stream, told me to keep quiet and turn off our flashlights. He later told me he saw a mother bear and her cub walked along the stream. Our neighbors’ dogs kept barking for a while. It’s a scary night!
Jacuzzi in Palo Alto: It’s the end of the camping trip. We stayed at JV’s friend’s house where we enjoyed jacuzzi while gazing at Californian starry sky. It’s a treat after staying in tent for a while!
San Francisco: It’s a gloomy and foggy morning when we crossed the Bay Bridge with classical music by Dvorak playing in the background. Later we had our last meal on the trip together in China Town before JV and I parted company. JV would later take a flight back to Amsterdam while I continued my trip northward to Yuba City to visit Carol, my roommate’s grandmother.
Yuba City: I was just glad to leave San Francisco for its heavy traffics. It’s a blissful but lonely drive along the scenic rolling valleys of northern California. Nectarine, peach and olive trees were some alien plants before the trip but I had seen them all in Carol’s garden. Carol picked some fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables for me to bring home after the visit.
Interstate 40 East, Arizona–New Mexico Line
The Long Drive Home: I drove southward to West Hollywood with the intention to meet Brando, my friend who was studying movie production there but I failed to contact him. I had his phone wrongly recorded in my phone book! I had no choice but to start my long California-Kansas drive home along the southern routes of Interstate 40 and US Route 54. Remember the landscapes featured in Coyote and Road Runner cartoons? There are miles after miles of arid lands, deserts and canyons dotted with majestic mesas, shrubs and cactus along the I-40 in Arizona and New Mexico. Accompanied by local country and Tejano music stations, I started my pleasant drives at dawn and stopped whenever I liked at dusk. I stopped by some towns previously served by nostalgic US Route 66 and scenic points along the way. By the time I saw the familiar farmlands along US-54, I knew I was almost home in the Midwest!
Looking back, I have learned so much on this trip. It’s not only about the physical miles covered or scenic parks visited, it’s part of my spiritual growth as well. Traveling the roads less travelled had enable us to see more and experience the unexpected when we explore the unknown frontiers. Learning from JS and JV, I can proudly conclude that cross-cultural friendships need mutual respect, trust and tolerance.
I’m glad JV suggested the trip and encouraged me to take the roads less traveled that summer. Our summer trip sums up this blog’s essence: determination, exploration, acquisition, faith, hope and love. Both JV and I have since traveled the roads less traveled in our lives in different continents but we still talked about ‘our trip’ whenever we meet every few years.
JF’s Inspirations:
My buddy, JV’s adventurous spirits, optimisms and courage.
Photo credits:
- Front Range and I-70 from Genesee Park by dherrera_96
- Alpine Flower Above the Tree Line in Rocky Mountain National Park by WxMom
- Elevation: Sea Level by benclark
- Valley View, Yosemite National Park by John Lemieux
- Bear Warning in Yosemite National Park by ground.zero
- Mesas Along Interstate 40 East, Arizona–New Mexico Line by Nicholas_T
Filed under: Courage, Friendship, Travel , Acquisition, Adventurous Spirit, Courage, Determination, Exploration, Faith, Friend, Hope, Love, Optimism, Respect, Tolerance, Travel, Trust
Nice!