The big annual swap occurs today, where we trade the desert for the Pacific Coast Highway (with some inland visits).
Since January 17, when Clarence limped into Big Bend National Park with the first signs of an oil leak, we have been to White Sands National Park; Farmington, New Mexico; Petrified Forest National Park; Grand Canyon National Park; Monument Valley Tribal Park; Moab, Utah; Kanab, Utah; Tucson, Arizona; Joshua Tree National Park; and Red Rock Canyon here outside of Las Vegas. We've increased our endurance during the past eight weeks and logged miles in some utterly iconic locations.
After today's dawn hike, we're off to the lush life. And by lush, I mean the verdant trees and hillsides of Morro Bay and the Mid-Coast.
It always feels like a restart whenever we make the switch.
I glimpse it in Samwise and Emily's faces as we traverse California and get within twenty miles of the Pacific Ocean. Their noses begin to twitch and sniff at the air through Clarence’s open windows. Em…
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Tom Ryan, Author to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.