Today was by far one of my favorite days thus far on my trip. Unfortunately, Lea and I got food poisoning from Del Taco the night before and I got over it pretty quickly, but she got a hotel room to take care of herself and get some rest. So Stephen and I set out for a vortex/meditation center to meditate and hike with his German Shepard, Mongol. I had my swim suit on underneath my outfit because we were also planning on going to natural rock formation slipping slides. So I wore a skirt and loose tee shirt, so today was my first time hiking in a skirt. Which is surprisingly liberating. We ended up hiking for 3 hours and I'm not really sure how many miles because a lot of the hike didn't have designated paths, you just traverse and climb up boulders in random spots and sort of make your own trails. The view from where we hiked was so breath taking and met a lot of cool people on the trail. Afterwards we ended up going to the slides, but didn't want to pay the $30 and wait in the insanely long line to get in so we parked on the side of the road and went blazing trails in the woods and snuck in. It was a really rewarding feeling to make it and I had such a blast going down stream. When we were leaving and heading back to his truck I found a ton of wild sage growing on the trail and I made my own sage bundles. It made me feel like a little white witch and earthy princess.
Now I'm currently sitting in a hotel room, full of pizza, surrounded by good people, and a good puppy. I wouldn't change a single thing about my life currently. I can't even express how centered and fufilled I have been today.
Edit:
Stephen left us this morning with Mongo to go their separate ways and it's really quite a sad feeling, I knew that Lea and I would meet people along our journey, but the saddest part about detaching is knowing that you will never see them again in the same light. You will never be as carefree with them as you were while traveling. Even if you see these people again in the future it will always be a little bit different.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Friday, June 10, 2016
Day 4: Grand Canyon
Well from where I left you lastnight I was going to enjoy a fire and I must say I had some of the best laughs of my life. Our camping neighbor actually ended up being the coolest person we could have camped next to and since we were both going towards Sedona we decided to camp together again. We went our separate ways for the day- we ended up going to the Grand Canyon and since he had gone the day before he went up to Sedona. Lea and I had the best day at the canyon, we had a picnic for lunch ( of course.) Lea is a little afraid of heights so I went down on my own on to an old mining trail and met a park ranger and hiked back up with him and we chatted about all the things I should do in Sedona. After Lea and I left we took the east exit out of the park on the desert drive and it was so beautiful, you could really see where the Colorado river had come through to form the canyon. We decided to back track a little bit and go through a drive through wild life reserve. It had bears, wolves, bison, and mountain goats. They just roamed around free like some mountain animal version of Jurassic park, it was amazing, a bear even came up to our car. After that we came straight for Sedona because Stephen had reserved us an awesome camp site. I am currently sitting inside my tent with Lea now and it is downpouring on us. It's kind of relaxing and tranquil even though I feel like I'm deep in the Amazon. Well, more to come tomorrow y'all.
Thursday, June 9, 2016
Day 2&3: NM & AZ
Well yesterday I was too tired to blog, therefore I HAVE to fill you in on all the fun we had in two days tonight. After waking up at 6 AM we set out from TX to the midpoint cafe which was a super quaint little joint. There were two men inside that were taking the route on their motorcycles and then an older couple that were from Texas taking the route. The owners were from Tennessee so obviously the breakfast tasted de looks and home cooked, plus the cafe gave off a super 50s vibe with all of the memorabilia and license plates from decades ago lining the walls. After we left midpoint we set out for Santa Rosa, NM. I was super excited for our next stop, which was the blue hole (a 61 degree hole in the ground full of crystal clear water giving off a blue hue.) The hole is 81 feet deep and you can see all the way to the bottom. We got there around 11, so we were one of the first people there, but being 92 degrees out it quickly became more busy. The water was a little too cold for me to actually call it enjoyable, but it was totally refreshing. We had planned to be in Albuquerque, NM around dinner time to eat at the Route 66 diner and meet up with my friend Steveo since we was also in Albequerque so we had a few hours to kill. Lea and I decided to go to state lake national park and it was the best spur of the decision ever. We went in with no expectations and the drive in was so beautiful! We made it to the lake and we were the only ones there so we sat on the bank on some flat rocks and just talked for hours about all of the more important and intilectual things in life. When it was finally go to the diner we were starving and both got milkshakes and burgers. After leaving Albequerque we moved onto Gallup, NM to stay at the el rancho hotel. It was breathtakingly stunning, the inside was very rustic and southwestern, but the outside was flashy with neon signs everywhere. El rancho was actually a temporary home to many movie stars in the past, now it is just a famous Route 66 lodging stop.
Now for today, since we finally got to sleep in I was very well rested and had a pop tart then hit the road with Lea. Our first stop of the day was the petrified wood forest, but on the way there we had a pit stop in Indian City at a rock shop. There was the cutest old Native American man working and so I got a TON of minerals to add to my collection, but my favorite was the chunk of amethyst that I got. 😍 When we finally got to the petrified forest we had stopped to get subway for a picnic in the park and the view was absolutely break taking while we ate. Lea saw her first scorpion and I had a spiritual experience sitting on top on a giant piece of petrified wood. After we left we headed out for the meteor crater in Flagstaff, AZ. It was quite a site. At about 2.5 miles wide and 700 feet deep when you're looking at it you can't comprehend how huge it actually is. There are 6 foot statues at the bottom of the crater that you cannot see with the naked eye, by when you look at them through a telescope they are clearly there. It's pretty mind blowing. after leaving the meteor crater we headed out to the Grand Canyon and that is currently where we are now. We just finished setting up camp and we are camping next to a traveling nurse and his German shepherd named Mongo, he was kind enough to invite us over to his fire so I think I'm going to go join them now. Check back back with you tomorrow!
Now for today, since we finally got to sleep in I was very well rested and had a pop tart then hit the road with Lea. Our first stop of the day was the petrified wood forest, but on the way there we had a pit stop in Indian City at a rock shop. There was the cutest old Native American man working and so I got a TON of minerals to add to my collection, but my favorite was the chunk of amethyst that I got. 😍 When we finally got to the petrified forest we had stopped to get subway for a picnic in the park and the view was absolutely break taking while we ate. Lea saw her first scorpion and I had a spiritual experience sitting on top on a giant piece of petrified wood. After we left we headed out for the meteor crater in Flagstaff, AZ. It was quite a site. At about 2.5 miles wide and 700 feet deep when you're looking at it you can't comprehend how huge it actually is. There are 6 foot statues at the bottom of the crater that you cannot see with the naked eye, by when you look at them through a telescope they are clearly there. It's pretty mind blowing. after leaving the meteor crater we headed out to the Grand Canyon and that is currently where we are now. We just finished setting up camp and we are camping next to a traveling nurse and his German shepherd named Mongo, he was kind enough to invite us over to his fire so I think I'm going to go join them now. Check back back with you tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
Day one: All nighter/ TX
Since this is my first entry about my route 66 journey I would like to introduce you to myself and my friend Lea who is my partner in crime along the way. I recently graduated mortuary school and after two years of not having a single day off from work, school, and my life in general I decided to take a month sabbical and journey out west. My hopes in doing this is to find somewhere I could potentially move and settle down, and also to fill my lifelong dream of traveling across the country down route 66, through the desert in the mountains, to the ocean and experience it all with no expectations. Lea is my ride or die, hence the title of the blog. She recently graduated from pharmacy school and before starting her life into adulthood we decided to rent a Dodge Challenger and live care free.
Yesterday was her first day on the road, and after he picked up our challenger, which we have been calling baby, we drove for 16 hours straight. We werent particularly interested in the Midwest, and as we were driving through we realized we were justified in our decision. After all of the giant crosses and cum and go gas stations I was ready to be out of Oklahoma more than college. When we finally got to the Panhandle of Texas around 6 AM we pulled in to the most perfect 1950s, side of the road motel off of Route 66. We're both fans of supernatural and all we could think pulling in was -- we are totally Sam and Dean right now. Before we got there we decided to drink an energy drink around 4 AM. I was totally slaphappy, and we would just feed off of each other's energy and laugh back-and-forth for literally no reason. It was one of the most childlike moments I've had in a long time. Unfortunately, on the drive up there was a lot of roadkill, we probably saw about seven or eight deer on the side of the road and several other animals. Anyways, I said to Lea at one point when we were in a dense area " I hope we don't hit a deer. " and as soon as I said that a giant owl swooped down in front of our car as we were going around 80 mph and she hit the brakes saying " I can't kill Hedwig dude, that's like 10 years bad luck. " which is absolutely correct. We ended up listening to a bunch of old 90s jams and I was pleasantly surprised at how many of the lyrics I remembered. I'm really sorry if none of you follow me on Snapchat. You missed out.
After waking up this morning around 2 PM I felt sound enough to go out into the world and explore, since we are only about a half-mile away from the historical Conoco station we decide to walk down the highway. When we got there the lady working was so precious, she had southern hospitality down to a T. She handed us a map from our current location she had southern hospitality down to a T. She handed us a map from our current location to the end of the route to the end of Texas and offered us free coffee and tea in the old diner area. So I made myself a cup of tea and sat with Lea so I made myself a cup of tea and sat with Lea and had the best conversation, we were the only people in the building and it was nice to just absorb all of the 1950s vibes. there was original route 66 memorabilia all around us, there was even an original menu on display. The tower station was actually an old service station and diner that inspired the Disney movie Cars. The original tow truck The original tow truck, "Mater" was sitting in the front.
It's been a really awesome and relaxing first day, especially after walking down the highway with no cars coming just enjoying Lea's company and watching the sunset. I can't wait for all of tomorrow's many adventures and sharing them with all of you.
Yesterday was her first day on the road, and after he picked up our challenger, which we have been calling baby, we drove for 16 hours straight. We werent particularly interested in the Midwest, and as we were driving through we realized we were justified in our decision. After all of the giant crosses and cum and go gas stations I was ready to be out of Oklahoma more than college. When we finally got to the Panhandle of Texas around 6 AM we pulled in to the most perfect 1950s, side of the road motel off of Route 66. We're both fans of supernatural and all we could think pulling in was -- we are totally Sam and Dean right now. Before we got there we decided to drink an energy drink around 4 AM. I was totally slaphappy, and we would just feed off of each other's energy and laugh back-and-forth for literally no reason. It was one of the most childlike moments I've had in a long time. Unfortunately, on the drive up there was a lot of roadkill, we probably saw about seven or eight deer on the side of the road and several other animals. Anyways, I said to Lea at one point when we were in a dense area " I hope we don't hit a deer. " and as soon as I said that a giant owl swooped down in front of our car as we were going around 80 mph and she hit the brakes saying " I can't kill Hedwig dude, that's like 10 years bad luck. " which is absolutely correct. We ended up listening to a bunch of old 90s jams and I was pleasantly surprised at how many of the lyrics I remembered. I'm really sorry if none of you follow me on Snapchat. You missed out.
After waking up this morning around 2 PM I felt sound enough to go out into the world and explore, since we are only about a half-mile away from the historical Conoco station we decide to walk down the highway. When we got there the lady working was so precious, she had southern hospitality down to a T. She handed us a map from our current location she had southern hospitality down to a T. She handed us a map from our current location to the end of the route to the end of Texas and offered us free coffee and tea in the old diner area. So I made myself a cup of tea and sat with Lea so I made myself a cup of tea and sat with Lea and had the best conversation, we were the only people in the building and it was nice to just absorb all of the 1950s vibes. there was original route 66 memorabilia all around us, there was even an original menu on display. The tower station was actually an old service station and diner that inspired the Disney movie Cars. The original tow truck The original tow truck, "Mater" was sitting in the front.
It's been a really awesome and relaxing first day, especially after walking down the highway with no cars coming just enjoying Lea's company and watching the sunset. I can't wait for all of tomorrow's many adventures and sharing them with all of you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)