San Francisco.

This city, albeit outrageously expensive, was full of life. The buildings were bright, the streets were steep and crooked, the people were friendly, and the whole city was bursting with energy. The day we arrived, Shannon and I went to the Beat Museum down the road from our hostel. Incidentally, the beat poets Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac are my idols. They featured our area of the city, North Beach, and I can understand their affinity for San Francisco. The place is magical. Anyways, while we were touring the museum, we were commissioned to help the owners move some things around and clean some display boxes. As a fan of the beats, I could think of no higher honor. Afterwards we were paid with $50 worth of beatnik posters, and we were satisfied customers. The next few days were a kaleidoscopic blur of late night jaunts on rooftops, bike rides through fishing towns, mint mojito iced coffee, hippie adventures, sea side clam chowder, treks through redwood forests, and card games with an aussie, a dane, a southern belle, and a  hostel worker. I loved every minute.

Biked across the golden gate bridge.

John Muir woods. My phone couldn't do it justice.

Haight-Ashbury aka hippie central

For our trip to Haight-Asbury I made a wildflower crown.

The ferry ride back from Sausalito.

Tea and fresh fruit for every breakfast :)

Random wall art in the Mission district.

The delicious mint mojito coffee. 

Me and my bud Jack Kerouac.

North Beach--home to the beatniks.

Cleaning displays at the beat museum.

Enjoying the famous clam chowder down at Fisherman's Wharf.

My mantra this leg: "Be in love with your life. Every minute of it." -Jack Kerouac

Yosemite.

It is difficult, and nearly impossible, to describe the majesty and beauty of wilderness, let alone the deep personal experience that each individual has while they are in nature. As a pantheist, I have a deep passionate love for nature that is deeply personal. Being a native Utahn, I have been blessed with the greatest scenery on earth, and I thought that I need not venture outside of its perimeters to find anything that compares. However, I was wrong. Another beautiful thing about nature and wilderness is that each place has its own energy. Yosemite's towering granite mountains and giant sequoia's were unbelievable, and I felt a connection to the environment in a much different way than I had anywhere else. Not to mention the fact that the sequoia's emitted the most intoxicating scent. If I had to attribute a description to it I would describe it as deep, moist, sweet pine with floral notes. I wish that I could bottle it up and make a perfume out of it. We spent five nights in Yosemite, mostly cheating the system and staying at the backpackers camp, and two nights in the wilderness sites. At the wilderness camps there were communal fires, and much like a moth to a flame, these fires drew in some of the most eclectic, interesting people that I have ever met. Our first night we were greeted by a group of older gentlemen who offered us as many kosher, all-beef franks that we could eat. We engaged in hearty conversation as the group began to grow until there were over twenty people around the fire. I took a step back and soaked up the energy of all the different conversations that were going on around me. Twenty-something year old long-distance backpackers were conversing with seventy years old seasoned backpackers while priests were talking to bartenders. It was an overwhelming experience. I could feel other's energy transferring as they opened themselves up to the people around them. The souls were intermingling and reforming from each new conversation and experience, incorporating others people's influence, ideas, and experiences into their own schema. It is remarkable to see someone's face light up when they encounter an idea that sticks with them. You know at that moment they changed a little inside, and it is deeply moving to witness. We were all in the wilderness, doing what we love most and sharing our experience, and our lives, with others. It was a beautiful thing. The next day Shannon and I summited the world-renowned half dome. It was grueling, but the views were unlike any I have experienced before. We met our good pal Stan, who is 70+ years old, as well as a couple of our other fireside friends. After our hike we made our way back to the fire and met another round of beautiful people as well as our older friends. To commemorate our new-found friendship we had the people around the fire write in our travel journals. Here are some of their sentiments: "I never worry about the younger generation when I meet wonderful people like you two. Follow your dreams and make the most of your youth." -Stan. "Experience as much as you can with friends that allow you to be yourself." -Scott (the bartender). Aside from the stunning scenery, the people were the greatest part of my Yosemite experience.

Vernal falls.

The giant sequoia's

On the top of half dome!

Looking down on the valley floor.

Climbing the death defying cables.

The dome.

After our grueling hike we took a refreshing dip in the Merced River. It was freezing.

My mantra for this leg: "May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds." -Edward Abbey (one of the greatest human's to have ever existed.)

Leg One: Lake Tahoe

My wandering spirit finally prompted me to get out of Ogden and hit the open road. My heart has always been tethered to the pines and the mountains, so there was no better destination than the Pacific Northwest. Not only is the PNW full of hippies (my favorite breed of human) it is full of vibrant life and infinite outdoor adventures. Adhering to my favorite quotes as my road trip manta's, Shannon and I hit the road bright and early on the first of June with a heightened sense of euphoria. There is nothing quite like embarking on a journey, designed solely for self-discovery, knowing that you are guaranteed to have life changing experiences, meet  interesting and beautiful souls, and set foot to places that you have never been before. It is incredibly moving. I am merely week into my journey, yet I feel as though I have experienced debilitating pitfalls, pure elation, and everything in between. It is so beautiful to feel everything so deeply.

Our first destination was Lake Tahoe. We opted to drive the entire 9+ hours to Lake Tahoe in one day. This proved to be painless, due to the fact that we enjoyed the fascinating book Under the Banner of Heaven, as well as this song, which helped the hours pass quickly. Thanks to the website freecamsites.net we were able to find a stellar site amongst the Sierra Nevada mountains. The next morning we drove into the town of South Lake Tahoe and hit the beach for some kayaking. The scenery was beyond stunning. Not only did we enjoy the spoils of white sand beaches and crystalline blue waters, we were also rewarded with panoramic views of craggy snow capped mountains and towering pines. We took a few refreshing dips in the alpine lake and made our way back to the beach to lie on the warm sand. Finally, when we were warm enough, we headed to a local eatery called Sprouts that served delicious, wholesome, healthy food. I ordered potato leek soup and a fresh peach smoothie, and it was divine. I was in heaven. After doing some research, we hit the road again and headed to the highly acclaimed Sand Harbor. We decided to stick it to the man and refused to pay the $12 fee, so we opted to hike into the cove instead. We scrambled over huge granite boulders, which proved to be exhausting, but the views were awe-inspiring. After a full day of adventure we made our way back to camp and dwindled the night away by the campfire.

Here is my favorite quote that I think perfectly describes the first leg and of my Great Pacific Adventure as well as the wanderlust that compelled me to hit the open road:

"She always had that look about her,

that look of otherness, of

eyes that see too far, and thoughts

that wander off the edge of the world."