Parks Get Political

The amazing Frisico hosted us well, and with our stomachs full and our dancing shoes heavily worn, it was time for the next great adventure--the Sierras. Well, kind of. After driving three hours from San Francisco over to Yosemite, we were informed of the government shutdown, which resulted in closures of the national parks. Thus, we had to do what any outraged citizens and park enthusiasts would--break in! It was quite eerie driving through a park, which sees almost 4 million annual visitors, in such desolation. Nevertheless, we got our photos before everyone got evacuated in strange Armageddon-like fashion. 

Since Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks were supposed to be a two-week backpacking excursion, we had to come up with a backup plan. And somehow hippie hot springs in the wilderness made it to the list, which we later found out did not favor modesty (a euphemism for fully nude).

But back to the coast we went. First, a weekend in Santa Cruz. We lucked with some budget friendly events in town, including gallery hopping with complimentary wine and a fall harvest festival with a ton of free food samples. Yum! But the most memorable Santa Cruz treasure, aside from the majestic beaches and radical roller coaster, the Tacos Moreno burrito--an overstuffed mammoth full of crispy succulent carnitas, all the fixins', warmed up on the griddle. Incredible. And absolutely in the top 3 bites of Roadtrip USA!

As we cruised further south, a trip to the Salinas Valley and the home of John Steinbeck was an absolute must. And it turns out Steinbeck took a very similar route in his Travels with Charlie!

The posh Monterey was just a quick drive through, where again the reverberations of Steinbeck remain. Then, the only toll road we've had to pay for through the ultra swanky 17-miles of Pebble Beach. Beautiful? Definitely. A $10 toll? C'mon, Pebble Beach residents--you're already rich!

However, just miles south, lies one of America's most beautiful landscapes and Kerouac's inspiration. I mean the Big Sur of course, where the winding road guides you along the coast to admire marine wildlife and eroded rock formations protruding from the endless Pacific. 

We were lucky enough to do a 50-mile backpacking trek in the Ventana Wilderness, regardless of the park closures. The solitude and ridge line nature-scapes were indescribable. But running out of water, hiking 14 miles in the dessert sun while gaining 3,600ft of elevation and the destination (which we thought was a town) being a shut down campsite with no water, CAN be described--ahhhhhh! Nevertheless, survival instincts kicked in and we survived! But that's a whole other story.

Coming up next? The West Coast conclusion!