So...it is the holidays (or so that is what the calendar and people who live in reality have been telling us). Reflecting back, it was weird being on the road for all the 'Tis the Season' stuff but not in a bad way. Talk of things from flying back east for a short time to finding a place to volunteer for a few days were tossed around, but most were vetoed due to cost or lack of planning ahead. So we just kinda skipped all the seasonal build-up/drama and then boom, all of a sudden it is Christmas. We didn't even get much of a holly jolly feeling from anyone we were around (mostly because we have become slightly antisocial in our wandering ways, living out of a car and all) and the first holiday greeting we got from someone was the day before Christmas Eve when we stopped at a grocery store and stocked up on what would become our holiday feast. Yes, there was that longing to be home for the holidays, cringing at the thought that my family wouldn't have anyone to actually wrap their presents nicely, and wondering what your loved ones were up to at that very moment... But we filled the void with junk food. No, seriously, that feast I mentioned turned into a meal of all delicious crap like Doritos for Karl, Hostess Cupcakes for Stacy, and cookie dough and icing right out of the plastic containers (don't judge us/you know you are jealous).
Christmas Eve was spent parked up in a BLM site called Sawtooth Canyon (which also happened to be a decent climbing spot in the area called New Jack City) eating cookie dough by the spoonfuls while I attempted to continue to catch up with photo work since the computer fiasco and Karl ran around the rocks, climbing things. Quiet, cold, productive, and memorable to say the least. Karl's Uncle Rick lives close by and when we mentioned way back when that we would be in California for a while, we got an invite to the Rick and Jassy's annual Christmas Party Gathering. So just say Christmas Day was the opposite of quiet or cold... It was loud with laughter, great conversations, and shouting about football and heartwarming with how welcomed and loved everyone made us feel. Oh, and the food was amazing.
Even though Rick & Jassy are family we haven't seen them in years and I never met any of Jassy's side of the family before, everyone accepted us with open arms and stern demands to stay longer! Getting to be apart of someone's joy on a holiday is what it is all about and the joy was contagious there. Huge THANK YOU to Rick & Jassy & clan for a wonderful Christmas, a real bed to sleep in after all the holiday drinks, and the post-christmas waffles to wake up to! Way to check off the 'time with family' box for the holidays!
Speaking of the holidays, our next stop would be to superficially glamorous Tinseltown. Over the years we have kind of adopted some of Karl's brother's friends as our own and one of them, Pranav, lives smack dab in the heart of Hollywood. Sounds like an awesome place to spend New Years Eve too, right? That was our thought when Pranav invited us to stay at his place, so the arduous task of wasting the days we had until NYE...
What to do???
Hollywood Walk of Fame - check
This is as close as I will probably get to Ellen, but I'll take what I can get.
Witness memorials to fallen stars - check
Famous Theater stops - check
Compare our muscles to those hanging out at Venice Beach - check
Explore some tar pits - check
Which are actually not tar but asphalt (FYI)
Which are actually not tar but asphalt (FYI)
Stroll the historic Farmers Market and have milkshakes - check
Have Karl do more work to my computer - check
See the Sign - check
We "hiked" up to and around the famous large letters on the hillside and were super entertained by the company we had. These trails seem to be a congested combination of tourist destination seekers (people hoping to see famous people), networking nexus hopefuls (people waiting to be discovered and become famous), or annoyed locals just wanting to exercise/walk their dogs. Every person seemed to be critically eying up the fellow trail goers, yet never making eye contact or uttering a word of greeting. Karl & I both found this observation entertaining and capitalized on the opportunity to be overly friendly, taking turns to make a point to say "Hi" or something kind to every group or person we met from there on out while sometimes skipping down the hill in between. It was awesome. Seriously, the people watching is fun either way, but to witness complete strangers' whole personas change in seconds... a stoic mask switching to a genuine smile (sometimes with a confused expression in between). We are weird like that, but it was the best part of the day (Oh, and Karl entertained people with back flips, as usual).
Actually hang out with Pranav and utilize a kitchen and shower - check and check
And thanks to Pranav's friends for hosting a party and accepting strangers like us off the street, we even got to ring in 2017 in style - check
Usually after the holidays and start of a new year people worry about losing the christmas cookie weight and new resolutions... I say bring on the cookie dough and as for resolutions, I've had the same one this whole time and a tick on the clock will not change it: Be in the moment and bring on the adventures! I know 2016 will live in infamy for many people, but it was epic for me and I will not let the negative climate of everyone else's newsfeed change that. I honestly believe, I was exactly where I was supposed to be this whole time and I intend to continue that trend into 2017.
With that said, I will admit being in a fancy city for more than a drive through was making me anxious, I was ready to get back to our wandering way. Plus, Karl was getting too cozy with the easy living and kept wanting to tackle more "upgrade" projects on my computer (ugh). He always needs some project if you leave him idle too long. Is it weird that while we treasure the comforts of hot showers, access to a kitchen, and free WI-FI a lot that we still long to escape back into Ele and return to our "homeless" ways?
Side note about our "homeless" ways... I would just like to take a moment to shout out how much REI Garage Sales help out our budget especially since we are really beating the crap out of everything that we own. While in the area, we intended to just stop by the Northridge REI to say 'HI' to a fellow Anderson Award winner, Jimmy. Well, go figure, it is a REI National Garage Sale Day and we can't help but shop... Good thing we did because we scored big time! Not to brag but we left the store with the following:
LaSportiva Boulder X approach shoes for Karl (reason for return was worn once, too warm); Smartwool top for Stacy (reason for garage sale tag was that the security sensor put a small hole in the seam, never worn); Threads 4 Thought Yoga pants for Stacy (reason for garage sale tag was that it was a clearance item from 'The Garage' a.k.a. they probably didn't want to count it in upcoming inventory); and a Leatherman Rev (reason for return was wanted a knife instead, never used). As much as I miss my REI employee status, I admit I still enjoy being on "the other side" and enjoying the member benefits!
With new gear in tow our next stop was one Karl has been anticipating for a long while: Joshua Tree. Multiple times on this trip Karl would reference the fact that we were going to head down to warm southern California to visit Joshua Tree and camp out and climb like crazy. That is the problem though with having expectations, you can be let down. And for the very first time on this trip, I have to say a National Park kinda let me down.
Even now, I am struggling with how to put my typical Stacy-positive spin on our time in the park but it all feels kinda forced. The worst part is that I feel even worse about my not so happy outlook because I knew how much Karl was looking forward to this place. Don't get me wrong, I did have fun (like a roller coaster ride, there were ups and downs). I would certainly go back to Joshua Tree one day. And, I would never discourage anyone else from visiting. But, it just didn't tickle my fancy this time.
The usual excitement of entering another park was already tainted due to the fact that we forgot that January 2nd many people still had the day off as a holiday and the line to even get into the park was a mile long. No big deal, we've dealt with crowded places and parks before and have met some awesome people that way... But honestly, as a group of outdoorsy people, rock climbers are kinda the biggest jerks. (No offense to my climbing friends, but at this park I seriously considered not wanted to call myself a climber anymore). So we have a packed park, especially at any recommended climbing routes with climber who were way beyond my level of skill, which made me feel very insecure about my abilities. It might just be me, but I struggled with the fact that cacti were everywhere including the approach hikes to routes and known a bed of pinchy things waiting under you if you fell while climbing... this freaked me out a bit! Plus, it was crazy windy, like watching tumbleweeds and dust devil storms kind of windy (not the best conditions for exposed climbing routes). Speaking of weather conditions it was also cold, like really cold and I am not a happy cold weather climber to begin with. Add in the fact that the granite at Joshua Tree just tears you apart (especially when your fingers are numb and you can't feel some of sharpest edges). Just say the negativity can of worms was cracked.
Enough of me being a party pooper... There were some awesome highlights of Joshua too.
First, this place is like a massive granite playground for anyone and everyone to scramble, boulder, and climb around on. Not even taking into account the actual climbing routes, the mounds of cracked and crumbled earth looked like a giant put rocks into formations just because it looked cool. Seeing Karl scamper around like a mountain goat (especially with his new approach shoes) was making me giddy (as well as jealous of his freaky abilities and neat new shoes).
Exploring the remains and ruins of old mills, dams, and ranches in order to see the history of how people tried to survive and tame the desert landscape is always educational and great for photos.
Great recommendations from a friend (Thanks Aspinall) to explore a hidden gem called "The Chasm of DOOM" (In my head, I say the name with a very ominous booming deep voice). Seriously though, if something went wrong in the tight spaces of the rock maze, it would be a 127 Hours remake. Still great fun though!
Amazing desert foliage and crazy cacti as far as the eye could see. My favorite was the Cholla Cactus, especially when the "bones" of the plant were exposed on dying parts of the plant. Nature makes such memorizing patterns.
And, of course photography opportunities of those crazy looking "trees" that the park is named for.
The biggest highlight was Karl. He gets a gold star for putting up with my shitty attitude at times and somehow still making sure to push me to new heights (literally) and make me smile, despite the negative can of worms.
Leaving Joshua Tree behind we headed south to San Diego.
With that said, I will admit being in a fancy city for more than a drive through was making me anxious, I was ready to get back to our wandering way. Plus, Karl was getting too cozy with the easy living and kept wanting to tackle more "upgrade" projects on my computer (ugh). He always needs some project if you leave him idle too long. Is it weird that while we treasure the comforts of hot showers, access to a kitchen, and free WI-FI a lot that we still long to escape back into Ele and return to our "homeless" ways?
Side note about our "homeless" ways... I would just like to take a moment to shout out how much REI Garage Sales help out our budget especially since we are really beating the crap out of everything that we own. While in the area, we intended to just stop by the Northridge REI to say 'HI' to a fellow Anderson Award winner, Jimmy. Well, go figure, it is a REI National Garage Sale Day and we can't help but shop... Good thing we did because we scored big time! Not to brag but we left the store with the following:
LaSportiva Boulder X approach shoes for Karl (reason for return was worn once, too warm); Smartwool top for Stacy (reason for garage sale tag was that the security sensor put a small hole in the seam, never worn); Threads 4 Thought Yoga pants for Stacy (reason for garage sale tag was that it was a clearance item from 'The Garage' a.k.a. they probably didn't want to count it in upcoming inventory); and a Leatherman Rev (reason for return was wanted a knife instead, never used). As much as I miss my REI employee status, I admit I still enjoy being on "the other side" and enjoying the member benefits!
With new gear in tow our next stop was one Karl has been anticipating for a long while: Joshua Tree. Multiple times on this trip Karl would reference the fact that we were going to head down to warm southern California to visit Joshua Tree and camp out and climb like crazy. That is the problem though with having expectations, you can be let down. And for the very first time on this trip, I have to say a National Park kinda let me down.
Even now, I am struggling with how to put my typical Stacy-positive spin on our time in the park but it all feels kinda forced. The worst part is that I feel even worse about my not so happy outlook because I knew how much Karl was looking forward to this place. Don't get me wrong, I did have fun (like a roller coaster ride, there were ups and downs). I would certainly go back to Joshua Tree one day. And, I would never discourage anyone else from visiting. But, it just didn't tickle my fancy this time.
The usual excitement of entering another park was already tainted due to the fact that we forgot that January 2nd many people still had the day off as a holiday and the line to even get into the park was a mile long. No big deal, we've dealt with crowded places and parks before and have met some awesome people that way... But honestly, as a group of outdoorsy people, rock climbers are kinda the biggest jerks. (No offense to my climbing friends, but at this park I seriously considered not wanted to call myself a climber anymore). So we have a packed park, especially at any recommended climbing routes with climber who were way beyond my level of skill, which made me feel very insecure about my abilities. It might just be me, but I struggled with the fact that cacti were everywhere including the approach hikes to routes and known a bed of pinchy things waiting under you if you fell while climbing... this freaked me out a bit! Plus, it was crazy windy, like watching tumbleweeds and dust devil storms kind of windy (not the best conditions for exposed climbing routes). Speaking of weather conditions it was also cold, like really cold and I am not a happy cold weather climber to begin with. Add in the fact that the granite at Joshua Tree just tears you apart (especially when your fingers are numb and you can't feel some of sharpest edges). Just say the negativity can of worms was cracked.
Enough of me being a party pooper... There were some awesome highlights of Joshua too.
First, this place is like a massive granite playground for anyone and everyone to scramble, boulder, and climb around on. Not even taking into account the actual climbing routes, the mounds of cracked and crumbled earth looked like a giant put rocks into formations just because it looked cool. Seeing Karl scamper around like a mountain goat (especially with his new approach shoes) was making me giddy (as well as jealous of his freaky abilities and neat new shoes).
There was a rock that looked like an elephant called elephant rock (go figure)... and anything good to do with elephants is fine by me.
Great recommendations from a friend (Thanks Aspinall) to explore a hidden gem called "The Chasm of DOOM" (In my head, I say the name with a very ominous booming deep voice). Seriously though, if something went wrong in the tight spaces of the rock maze, it would be a 127 Hours remake. Still great fun though!
Amazing desert foliage and crazy cacti as far as the eye could see. My favorite was the Cholla Cactus, especially when the "bones" of the plant were exposed on dying parts of the plant. Nature makes such memorizing patterns.
And, of course photography opportunities of those crazy looking "trees" that the park is named for.
The biggest highlight was Karl. He gets a gold star for putting up with my shitty attitude at times and somehow still making sure to push me to new heights (literally) and make me smile, despite the negative can of worms.
Leaving Joshua Tree behind we headed south to San Diego.
After being chilled on climbing walls for a few days, I could say we ducked down there for warmer temperatures but in reality it was for something even better... Visiting Katie K! Since the start of this trip Katie K has been supportive of us, hell since the start of my REI career Katie K has been supportive of me! I was determined to see her on this trip, and steal her away from inventory prep for a bit to hang out with us. We got animal loving,
beach strolling,
and fantastic company. Not too shabby for a quick visit.
beach strolling,
and fantastic company. Not too shabby for a quick visit.
Before Katie could recruit me to count power foods for REI's inventory, we hit the road again. But, we couldn't finish our trek through California without a few curiosity spot stops. On our way, we took Katie's recommendation and stopped in a tiny touristy town for pies to go (an apple and strawberry rhubarb). Pie for dinner, it's a hard life.
Yet consuming an entire pie wasn't the weird part. Where we ate it was...
A beautiful beach, wouldn't you say? It is, until you zoom out, or rather look down...
Welcome to the Salton Sea, a shallow, saline, endorheic rift lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault. I won't explain the whole scientific reasoning behind a beach made up of dead salty fish bones and barnacles, just believe it is a creepy experience. Google it sometime and read about its dynamic (mostly man influenced) history.
Strange as it was there, we spent the night parked out on the lonely desolate beach. Our only neighbor (other than all the dead fish) was a toothless man living out of a broken down RV stuck in the sand preaching the word of the Old Testament and putting bible verse business cards all over Ele's windshield while we slept... Once again, not creepy at all. He came to talk to us in person before we booked it out of there in the morning, and he was just a nice guy with strong views about faith (like that we were all going to hell).
Continuing the trend of bizarre things to conclude our California experience, we also drove through Slab City to check it out. The "last free place" attracts exactly the types you think it would, but we still had to drive through and see what 12 square city blocks of dirtbaggers / hippies / fanatics / homeless / snowbirds looks like.
We also got to glimpse Salvation Mountain on the drive (our preachy beach neighbor would have approved).
And capped the whole uncanny California finale with a stop at the once resort area of Bombay Beach (also along the Salton Sea) and had a breakfast PBR at the only open establishment, The Ski Inn, because that was the only thing available. It was marvelous. What a way to end our time in CA... Cheers! Stay weird, California.
<3 S
We also got to glimpse Salvation Mountain on the drive (our preachy beach neighbor would have approved).
And capped the whole uncanny California finale with a stop at the once resort area of Bombay Beach (also along the Salton Sea) and had a breakfast PBR at the only open establishment, The Ski Inn, because that was the only thing available. It was marvelous. What a way to end our time in CA... Cheers! Stay weird, California.
<3 S
