So... What next?

09/01/2010

We could have taken the main highway to get to San Francisco, but we decided to follow the scenic route instead. The 101 is the coastal highway and everyone keeps raving about it, so it was our turn to see what it’s all about.

It is indeed quite an amazing drive. Lots of turns through lots of alternating scenery, but we started to wonder whether this is the right time of year for this kind of trip...



It was cold and rainy and windy and sticky and grey and blergh.... And the beaches under the dark grey sky were far from impressive or tempting.



We saw a number of picturesque little towns, but the weather was not what one would call ideal. We were convinced that this route would be much more appreciated during the sunny summer months.

After having spent our first night in a motel along the way, the following morning we reached our next intended destination, the Redwoods national forrest. The Redwoods are big, tall trees and there is a big forrest full of them right on the coast, near the Oregon/California state line.

As soon as we reached them and laid eyes on them, our jaws dropped!



Never in my life had I seen before such tall, wide trees.



We’re talking taller than probably most buildings in Greece! As we were driving through the path, we were constantly surrounded by these enormous trees. We could barely see the sky through them.



This scenery went on for about seven miles, before we got out of the heart of the forrest and drove along a beautiful river. There were very few houses built around it and we spotted a couple of fishermen with their tiny boats, roaming the river.



This was by far the most spectacular natural asset I have seen during my whole trip in the US.

After going through the forrest, we drove down to Chico, where we made a stop at my friend D.’s to spend the night. A fun filled evening was to be had, with great people and yummy food, before we’d set off straight to San Francisco the following morning.

And here we are now, in San Francisco, the last official stop of my journey. J. is taking a flight back to New York and I am ready to see what this city has to offer.

M.

28/08/2009

3000 kilometers from Austin to Chico and they passed in no time. It was Charlie's first big test and he passed with flying colors.

It was a very long route, but incredibly comfortable and I ended up doing the whole thing in less than 48 hours. Charlie coped without a problem even with endless hours of non-stop driving and my seat is the most comfortable I have ever sat on.

The whole ride was really interesting, mainly due to the fact that it was so different than any other I have traveled on so far. Hundreds of kilometers through the deserts, where every now and then a gas station would show up along with a restaurant and a couple of hotels for the truckers and travelers like myself.






Took a few friends from Texas for a ride.

I crossed Texas, passed through New Mexico, saw Arizona from east to west and finally California from south to north. At some point in the middle of nowhere in Arizona, I stopped on the side of the road and got out of the car to take some photos. Two minutes later, I turned around and saw a police car stopped right behind my car and the cop approaching me.

- Good afternoon. You taking photos?
- Yes.
- Ok. Well, I'm gonna ask you to get back in your car and drive off, because we are looking for someone and he is somewhere around here right now.

He didn't need to say it twice. I was already driving away with Charlie, thinking "Daaaaamn!"



Sunday morning I made it to D.'s place in Chico, a couchsurfing friend with whom I never had the chance to meet in person. In fact, I even had the chance to meet B., another couchsurfer I know the same way, with whom we have the same sense of humor and for three days we did not stop laughing and throwing sarcasm all over the place.
The three days that followed till we left for Burning Man, I didn't see much of Chico, as we had so much to do and be fully ready for two weeks in the middle of the desert. Needless to say, we were not short on laughters, wines, food and chats.








Preparing and protecting cameras for the burn.

And the grand day of departure towards Burning Man had finally arrived.



It's about 500 kilometers away, so we split the ride in two, spending a night in Reno, a casino filled city in the heart of Nevada.
28th of august and in a few hours I will be in Black Rock City, in Burning Man, the primary force that dragged me all the way to the USA. My excitement is undescribable! :D

M.