Goblin Valley

Sometimes you just get a bee up your ass and you have to do something.  That's what this trip was.  It was an ultimately failed adventure, but oh well.

I've decided I enjoy photography a lot, and would like to get into astrophotography.  After checking the dark map, I learned that Goblin Valley is the closest location to where I live and happens to be one of the darkest skies in the country.  The current camera I have has the potential to take the pictures I want, but I'm not positive they will actually look any good.  Since I'll be going to Iceland and Europe here soon, along with a lot of other planned overnight trips in dark places - I wanted to test my camera.  
I checked the weather for Goblin Valley, and it was clear skies until 3am.  It was already 2pm and it's a near 4hr drive, so I quick grabbed everything I needed and jumped in my car.  Once I got there, I made it in time for sunset and found the location I wanted to shoot the sky from.  Then, I waited.  And by 8pm, the clouds had come in.  So much for clear skies.  I turned around and headed back.  
I'll try to get the night photos another day.  But for now - there are these:

These are my travel foods... Sweet Tarts - so good

Close up of some of the rock

 Sunset

Map My Drive

Route 66- Sunrise to Sunset

21hrs of driving....  Sometimes, I wonder how sane I actually am. haha

The weekend began driving to Vegas on Friday, Feb 3rd, where I decided to audition for The Voice TV show.  I stayed with my friend and his family for a couple of days - which was a blast!  Great food, great company, and hilarious children. Plus a sweet little husky as well.
The auditions went all day Saturday - so I got in line around 11am, even though my time wasn't until 3pm.  Glad I did too! There were already a good 50-75 people in line when I got there, and hundreds after me within just an hour.  The audition itself was nothing to write home about - no one in my group moved on.  Which is really to be expected, I know how these things go.  But overall it was a blast!  Met lots of people, made new friends, and had a great experience to check off my bucket list.  I had auditioned for American Idol back in their second season, and that was a wildly different experience - but both were awesome!
It's interesting how confidence works.  Less worrying about what they think of you, and just knowing you're still good when you aren't what they are looking for.  You come, you show, you go. Simple and easy.  Fewer expectations make for happier memories and moments.

Ready for auditions!

The line at the conference center

Didn't get to keep the wristbands

After auditions, I headed back, and broke out the laptop to start planning my drive.  My friends in San Francisco asked if I wanted to come back out and dog sit again.  Since I was in Vegas, it made it easy to just pop over... but then, I realized, I hadn't done any driving south.  I had considered going back through Death Valley, but I'd just been there - and Joshua Tree National Park was just as close.  So, I picked a hike in Joshua Tree that I wanted to do, and made that my goal.  Then, as I looked at the map - I realized I was only a few hours away from Mexico.... hahaha  So, I stayed up and really started planning my trip. 

It began at 4am.  Brutal, as I am definitely not a morning person.  within 30 minutes, I was on the road.  My route took me through the Mojave desert, where a couple of hours into my drive the sun came up and showed it off in a way I doubt I will ever see again.  The entire drive to that point I'd only seen one other car, and I didn't see another car again until I made it down to Route 66.  So watching the sun come up - I knew I could stop on the road and just enjoy it.  

The silence was absolutely deafening.  I laughed at it, as I'm finding I do.  Those moments you usually share with someone... the exciting ones, the sad ones, the beautiful ones... those are the ones where I just smile and start laughing.  Because I'm doing it. I'm living my life for me, and getting out without reservation and with blind excitement. Alone. And I start to wonder how sane I am. haha

Sunrise just beginning to crest in the Mojave Desert

The long road.  Completely desolate and silent

Sun rising over an iconic route

I can confirm - it's where you get your kicks.

After getting through the Mojave Desert, and a brief jaunt along Route 66, I turned off towards Twenty Nine Palms and Joshua Tree National Park.  $25 later, and I was watching rock formations that seemed to defy what I knew about rocks.  It's no wonder we have turned these places into preserved national parks.  They are too beautiful to be destroyed by civilization.

I didn't have much time because my drive was going to take all day, so I made the best use of what I had and stopped at Skull Rock.  I did a short hike across the road, got some pictures, and went on my way.  I'm definitely going to go back and stay a weekend or something.  There were so many things I wanted to see!

Skull Rock (obviously)

Skull Rock.... funny how our eyes want to create faces out of shapes so badly

Cactus everywhere - really had to stay on the trail

After Joshua Tree, it was on to Tijuana, Mexico!  The 3 hour drive wasn't overly exciting until I got closer to the border.  The windmills were never ending, and the fog that was rolling in was so thick I could barely see road signs!  I got off the highway to use the bathroom and get gas before heading into Mexico - just because I didn't want to find myself stranded...needing to pee... alone... in Tijuana... in a clearly marked car from Utah.  I had just read the travel warnings, and Tijuana has had a major uptick in American carjackings and kidnappings. Mostly in the evenings, but still.  I wasn't going to take my chances.

I planned my route, knew exactly where I was going and prepared.  I was going to eat at a restaurant near the border on a main market street, where I knew my 5'10 frame wouldn't stick out as much as it was a touristy area.  I also knew I wouldn't have the data I needed for my GPS to reroute me if I got off track.  So - I stuck to my GPS.  That is, until my GPS took me on a road that was under construction and being barricaded on one side by some broken up concrete walls, and two beat down trucks, and a few men watching the line of cars squeeze by them.   I thought "well, good job Megan... you've been in Mexico all of 5 minutes, and you've already got yourself in a mess."  I was stuck with this line of cars, and all of a sudden a homeless man came running out at my car yelling and telling me to turn around.  That didn't help my nerves.  This was probably the first time I wished I had someone with me.

Because the road was under construction, it took me off my pre-determined path.  I didn't know where I was any longer.  I had a vague idea of where I needed to go and the direction... so I headed that way.  Luckily, I found the restaurant, but there was nowhere to park.  In my planning, I had found a nearby hotel, but again - I didn't know where I was any longer, and the hotel I thought I was going to park at was definitely not the hotel I thought I was going to park at.  So I kept driving.  Up and down a couple of streets, avoiding the window washers and peddlers constantly approaching me, and looked for a safe place to park.  Again - single American female, in a clearly marked sports car from Utah, packed with a months worth of luggage in the back.... I didn't want to just park and start walking.  So I had to be very conscious of where I was.

As I made turn after turn, I accidentally found myself back on the road to the USA.  I took it as a sign...and just kept going.  So, my adventure to Mexico was brief and entertaining.  I spent more time at the border trying to come back in than I did actually in Mexico haha.  Then the gate security laughed at me. I laughed at me.  It was a good time.

If I'd had someone with me, it probably wouldn't have been as nerve-wracking, because they could have looked at a map, or kept an eye out for parking while I drove... but being alone and not being able to pull over because of people approaching me every time I stopped...just wasn't smart anymore.  I knew if I had been able to get out of my car and on the main street I had planned, I'd have been fine - but my comfort level being as clearly tagged as I was ended my adventurous streak.  I didn't even get pictures. Oh well.

On to San Diego - where I actually got lunch, because at this point I was super hungry.  Found a nice place on the water in Seaport Village.  Had great food, walked the shops, and watched a fire eating performance.  I felt like it was a place I could definitely enjoy for longer stretches of time.  I'd only been there once before when going on a cruise - so I think I'll do it again, but plan to stay a couple of days.

Seaport Village

After lunch, I decided to take the Pacific Coast Highway.  I'd taken that road previously for my Christmas and New Years drive up North, so I felt I had to take the road while I was down South as well.  It took me through Laguna Beach, Sunset Beach, and Long Beach.  

Laguna Beach

I stopped for coffee in Laguna Beach, and checked my timing.  The clouds were rolling in, and I wanted to make it to Santa Monica Pier at sunset - so unfortunately, I had to get back on the freeway to make up time.  But, I made it with enough time to get to the beach. Unfortunately it was completely overcast, but it was still fun to get to the end of the Route 66 at sunset, when I had seen the sun rising on the same road.... with some major detours in between.

Sunset- Santa Monica Pier... end of Route 66

Looking back on Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Pier

With the sun gone for the day, and 5 hours left in my drive, I walked back to my car and took the main freeway to continue my drive to San Francisco.  I think, next time, I'll spend a couple of days and take the coastal highway all the way up.  From San Diego to Seattle... the entire Pacific Coast Highway. There, I said it. It's on the bucket list now!

Map My Drive: 

The First of the Firsts

My first Solo trip was actually the day after Christmas.  2016.  And worth posting as my first post, because it was the reason this blog even became an idea.

I'm currently in California, where I've been since December 9th, where I'll be until January 7th when I head home to Salt Lake City, Utah.  A month away from everything and everyone I know.  A true first.
I left Utah and headed to Sacramento on the 9th, where I met up with a friend and drove to Death Valley to camp for a week. That was definitely a first time vacation location, but it wasn't a solo trip, so I'm not going to start my blog there - despite how awesome it is (I highly recommend the Salinas Hot Springs!)

Hot Springs in Death Valley

While in Death Valley, I found out my work booked me on a flight to Boston the day after we planned on coming back. So that was a surprise! Unfortunately I wasn't the one who booked the trip, so I couldn't add time to see anything, but I did get a great wing tip sunset on my way there!

Sunset on the way to Boston

But since nothing of note happened, and work trips happen often, I can't start there either.
Boston was a whirlwind of two days driving, sleeping, meetings, and back to the airport where I flew back to Sacramento.  Then, hopped in my car the next day to drive down to another friend in Sunnyvale, where I would be helping with dog-sitting jobs over the next few weeks.  What better way to make money and go on vacation at the same time?!  All the dog sitting jobs are over-nighters, so there is no hotel cost.... and spending time with dogs? Yes please! It's been an interesting few weeks sleeping in multiple places all over California- for free. And to sweeten the pot even more...since I work remotely, I don't have to take PTO either! Just take my laptop and MiFi hotspot everywhere with me, and I'm good to go! Dog sitting is certainly an easy side-job.

I digress.... so, the same friend from Sacramento suggested I take a drive up to Point Reyes. After spending Christmas day sick in bed with a cold, I couldn't miss out on taking the drive the day after Christmas when I had no work to distract me. So, I jumped in my car and got on the highway. Drove through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge, where I took one slight, and sporadic, detour through Sausalito to see the sail boats.  Didn't get a great picture, though it was a nice little town I could tell I wouldn't mind spending a little more time exploring.  But, I had an agenda and I knew I needed time.

Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge

Hopped onto the Pacific Highway 1, and started my awe-inspiring coastal drive North. I'm positive my car was designed for that stretch of road!  (I'm in a little Honda CRZ sport hybrid)

First stop was Muir Woods.  Beautiful!!  Again, I didn't get a great picture - but found a couple of little trails I decided to walk along for a short bit to take in the scenery.
Next Stop - Muir Beach.  There was a decent amount of people there, so I didn't stay too long - but long enough to appreciate how beautiful the beach and view is.

Muir Beach

I kept going up the highway, and took another small detour to see the Point Reyes Shipwreck in Inverness. (Another amazing little town I'd love to visit again with more time).  There was an elderly man taking pictures... and as I walked up, he was scraping all the mud off his boots. He was kind to let me know it was sticky mud if I get too close.  Being my shoes weren't exactly great for mud, I kept my distance.  But boy did I want to touch that ship. Even though it's not incredibly old, it's the exact type of history I love... beaten up and dragged over rocks... where it stands resolutely. A ghost of the past.

Inverness - Point Reyes Shipwreck

Back on the road, I finally made it to Point Reyes, where I decided to continue on to the lighthouse.  Go figure, being not only a Monday (one of the few days it's open to the public), but it was also the day after Christmas...there were a TON of people.  I had to park just over a mile away, and walk along the road before starting the hike to the top of the stairs, and THEN hike down to the lighthouse.  I say stairs and you think "oh, a nice little hippity hop". No. These were 308 stairs of death.
I have horrible knees, and just walking up the 8 stairs in my house causes them to creak and groan... and my brother says it sounds like wet sand grinding in my joint.... and he's not wrong.  It feels like it too.  But anyway - stairs and knees don't mix.  So, I did it anyway!  And I'm so glad I did!  The hike down was obviously simple enough, but the site was spectacular! Unfortunately the wait to get into the lighthouse was a bit longer than I had time for, so I settled for some outside pictures, and started the daunting and terrible hike back up the stairs to the top... before walking another mile + to my car.  I can't begin to tell you how proud I was of myself!  For those of you who don't know me - before I was single, I would have made an excuse and not gone.... out of fear of embarrassment or rejection because I couldn't keep up, or fear of my legs going out from the pain (yes, it happens).  Feeling like I wasn't worthy.  But I rocked those stairs, and I made that climb... and I didn't even use the 'breakout' spots to stop along the way.  So yes - I'm proud.

Stairway of Death... I mean.. the path to the Point Reyes Lighthouse

Point Reyes Lighthouse

I checked the clock when I got to my car, and I was right on time! It was just before 4pm, and my goal was to make it to Stinson Beach for sunset.  I made it just in time to scarf down an expensive hotdog from the lifeguard tower - and sit and watch.  It definitely did not disappoint.
Sitting there on the beach, alone, with the sun going down.... at first I started to think I wanted to be sharing this experience with someone.  There were moments on the drive where I had caught myself laughing - and even crying... and only having myself to share the moment with.  Which was fine.  It's something I've never done, and therefore don't know how to even react.  So I enjoyed it. And by the time I had made the entire drive, and was sitting on that beach... I had a sense of freedom and joy I've never known. The intense thoughts in my head calmed down as I watched the waves breaking on the shore, and the spray making misty rainbows in the setting sun.
For the first time in my life, I was truly and utterly alone.... and I was happy.

Stinson Beach Sunset

My next trip will be on New Years Day.  In the meantime - I'll enjoy the warmth I've got left in California before heading back to the freezing temps in Utah!!

Always,
Megan

Pool side

Map My Trip: