San Diego!

In SD, I stayed at the apartment of one of my oldest friends, Nicole Kofman. She was actually out of town at the time, but I hung out with her partner and contentedly spent a lot of time by myself (lounging in her pajamas — on this trip I brought one outfit for hiking and wore one "city" outfit on the plane). After sleeping on the ground and on a couch, Nicole's guest bed felt incredibly comfortable, and her *guest bathroom* incredibly luxurious. I even got to do laundry! Which I especially appreciated because my city/airplane clothes were particularly grimy after not one but two hikes up LA's steep hills to Griffith Observatory.

After a slow morning drinking fresh coffee, I drove to a beachside cafe and sat at an outdoor table to eat brunch, journal, and people-watch. I walked along the beach before settling down to read in the sand for awhile. 

Eventually I found a longer beach on which to go running, and very happily showered afterwards back at the apartment. Later I found a delicious dinner at a tiny taco shack near a different beach.

 

I then went on yet another beach stroll, savoring the gorgeous sunset (we don't have beach sunsets on the East Coast!).

My flight home was early the following morning. What a spectacular trip! 

City of Angels

On my last night camping, I rather stupidly chose to stay on top of a hill, imagining a scenario like the morning before where I was able to watch the sunrise while eating breakfast and packing up. However, the hilltop I chose on my final night left me exposed to a strong, battering wind that persisted all night long. My tent basically collapsed around me, and a broken pole ripped through the tent itself and the rain fly (which I'd erected for warmth). I chose to burrow deep inside my sleeping back and try to ignore the chaos around me until about 5:30 a.m., when I finally gave up on seeing the sunrisem— realizing it was too windy for my camp stove to heat up breakfast, anyway.

I hiked back to my car in the pre-dawn semi-darkness and then started driving toward Los Angeles, searching Google Maps for "pancakes" en route. I (very happily) chose a little diner called Carolyn's Cafe in Redlands, CA. Their signature item is a very moist coffee cake doused in butter, which I chose as my side for my egg and potato plate (in place of a pancake, after all). 

I got to LA around 11am, showered at my friend Austin's apartment, and then headed to the Getty art museum for a couple of pleasant hours (though I did feel a bit overwhelmed by all the people). That afternoon/evening, Austin and I hiked up to Griffith Observatory and back, then did a delicious Thai dinner with Austin's gf at the time, and my friend Mo. 

view from the Getty

The next morning, I got coffee/breakfast with Mo and then the two of us hiked back up to the Observatory. My calves were very tight — I took more daily steps in LA (30k-36k!) than on any other day on my entire hiking trip! 

touristing with Mo

Later that morning, I headed downtown: checked out the public library, Grand Central Market, Japangeles, City Hall, Olvera Street (where I somewhat unwittingly ordered a cheese enchilada plate and a margarita that together cost $46. womp). 

pretty tiles!

street food in Japangeles

Then I walked to a contemporary art museum downtown that happily was free, then I took the train back to Austin's. I caught the sunset solo at Barnsdall Park and then drove south to San Diego, arriving there around 8:30 p.m. Just one more post in this long saga!

Joshua Tree, Part II

The morning of Jan. 1, 2020, I woke up warm and cozy in my tent (I think the first night of the trip that I felt warm the entire time). I woke to the sound of an owl gently hooting and the sight of a spectacular sunrise. I made a delicious pot of oatmeal and drank darjeeling tea while watching the sunrise and packing up my tent. Then I hiked back to my car and drove the 15 minutes to the town of Joshua Tree, where I bought gas and fancy coffee before driving back into the park.

Then I drove the entire length of the park from north to south, stopping all along the way for 1-3 mile hikes / nature trails along the way. Pros: I learned some plant names and facts! Cons: Crowded, and I was sick with a sore throat, runny nose, and cough (well before covid became known to the average American). 

not my tent, but this is where I was supposed to camp that night - glad I found a warmer option!

Ok, other pros: obviously beautiful. I really enjoyed how the snow accentuated the rocks and plants. 

My last hike of the day was to Lost Palms Oasis. I hiked to the oasis and then most of the way back, camping about two miles from the trailhead so that I could get an early start on the road the next morning. 

see the palms in the center of the panorama?

cool, right???

On the "back" of my out-and-back, I witnessed possibly the most spectacular sunset I've ever seen.

This is from the next morning. Wildlife spotting!

Joshua Tree, Part I

Upon leaving Mojave Preserve, I drove southeast to Joshua Tree National Park. After getting advice, a postcard, and two stickers from the Oasis Palms Visitor Center, I drove to Indian Cove Road, parked at the backcountry registration board, and then hiked just over two miles on a slightly uphill trail until I reached a flat-ish spot on a crest overlooking the valley I'd just left behind. 

It was New Year's Eve. I wrote in my journal that night: "I'm so content right now. (This is) one thousand times better than getting drunk and staying up for midnight!" I remember reading in my tent until about 10 p.m., and then happily going to sleep. 

 

When I saw this, I thought to myself, "What a fantastic title: 'Apostle of the Cacti.'"

View from my NYE campsite

very content.

sunset sky

My favorite informational sign in JT.

Mojave Day Two

 On my first morning in Mojave National Preserve, I got up early to watch the sunrise from the top of the sand dune. It was very cold and windy, and there was no sunrise to speak of. 

I did see some neat animal tracks, though:

I then drove to an area called Hole-In-The-Wall, and did a super fun six-mile loop plus a trail called Rings Loop:

found some petroglyphs!

I was very afraid of this bull and went wayyy in the bushes around him so that he wouldn't charge me 😳

How many different desert plants can you identify in this one photo??

The wind forms these holes!

I went down those metal rungs on the right side of that dark area at the bottom of this photo!

~self timer fun~

on towards Joshua Tree!

Mojave National Preserve: Day One

I ended up spending only two days in Death Valley because all the high-elevation hikes were snowed out. They were jam-packed days with many miles of hiking each day (about 20 miles total I think), but I ended up feeling grateful for my extra day in Nevada because Red Rock Canyon was so gorgeous and my hiking options in Death Valley were more limited than I originally expected.

After my second full day in Death Valley, I drove in the (pitch-black) darkness to an area called Tepoca in the Mojave Desert. There, I stayed at a campground I'd found online before my trip, called Tecopa Hot Springs Campground and Pools. Rather than the simple shower I'd normally get at a campground, I instead got to soak in a hot spring pool. 

The pools were separated for men and women, and no clothing (including bathing suits) was allowed. The women's section had two pools, a concrete one that was a bit cooler and a pebble-bottom one that was warmer. The concrete one was enclosed, but the one with pebbles was open-air. I loved soaking in that hot spring water under the bright desert stars — easily a top highlight of the trip. 

I swam in the pools both the night I arrived and early the next morning, reveling in the ability to wash off all the dirt and grime of my preceding four days without a shower. 

I left Tecopa just before sunrise on Dec. 30, next driving to Mojave National Preserve. I had planned to stay that night at Joshua Tree, but I received an email after leaving Death Valley informing me that my booked campsite was under 8" of snow and accessible only by a 4x4. So I adjusted plans once again, and once again it was for the better.

Mojave is gorgeous. I first hiked Teutonia Peak, taking my time and savoring the solitude (and the self-timer on my new iPhone ☺). 

Next, I drove around the park a little while, just exploring, before deciding to pitch my tent at the base of the giant Kelso Dunes. I climbed the tallest dune for sunset.

soft smiles for sunset

random person but I liked the shot