I’m so proud of us! We managed to keep going with our one second every day videos the whole time we were on the road (Andrew found a reminder service, SO HANDY).
As much as the photos are cool, and re-reading our blog posts is similar to having a diary, this is just another way to see the absolute highlights of every day.
So, here we have it: LA to Vancouver, our holiday before we begin living at a holiday destination 😉 #sorrynotsorry
After 16 days through the states, I’m pretty much an expert now. Ha! No, I don’t think I could ever be, but the experience of driving the coast has opened my eyes to some ridiculous, funny, stupid and different observations of this country.
Rant over. This country, like all others has positives and negatives. I loved the trip, and wouldn’t have done it any differently at all. I just find these little differences fascinating, and thought you might too!
Big American love,
Hanbel.
x
Back when we started planning this trip, Andrew suggested getting off the beaten track and heading in land for a few days. He figured we would probably have had enough of big cities, and want to see some of the countryside and quieter towns.
I LOVE THIS BOY.
The last few days have been so cruisey and full of the most amazing sights, that these photos absolutely will not do justice.
We started off with a VERY long drive to Lake Tahoe (we got an hour or so in before realising the road was closed off, and had to turn around and go another way). It also pissed down with rain the afternoon and evening we were there.
Despite this, it was one of the most beautiful drives either one of us has done, we had no idea there would still be so much snow on top of the mountains!
Plus, the next morning, it looked like this:
We didn’t have enough time to properly explore, we would have loved a few days here but had to keep moving.
Another five hour drive (I’m getting way better on the roads by the way, just not in cities – may have almost hit a parked car yesterday…) brought us to Klamath Falls, in Oregon. The quickest route took us just over the border into Nevada, before crossing back into California, which meant that we did three states in one day!
We hit the hay, preparing to wake up early and get going. I’d read about a lake in South Oregon that was highly recommended and was dying to check it out. It added an extra hour to our drive, and the park cost US$15 to enter, but I would pay it again and again for this view:
Quick facts and then I’ll shut up, I promise. Crater Lake is actually a basin of an erupted volcano, the deepest lake in the US and is the cleanest and clearest large body of water in the world.
And it’s so pretty!
I’m quickly falling in love with this state. It’s so much greener and more beautiful than California, the drive into Portland was breathtaking.
They also have some pretty tasty food, and beer is half the price. Winning!
Hanbel.
x
For those of you who might not know, Andrew and I decided to hire a car in LA and drive it down to San Diego, and then all the way up to Seattle.
We have our mountain bikes with us, and this seemed like the most logical and cheapest way to transport them to Whistler. Once we hit Seattle, we’ll take a bus to Vancouver and then another to Whistler (to avoid extravagant costs for taking a car over the border).
“Jessicar Rabbit”
So, now you’re informed, I can start my rambles about how awesome road trips are. I just LOVE them. Benefits include:
Back to our trip. We left our tacos and friends in San Diego, and started heading north. We vowed not to drive more than four to five hours each day, mainly for our sanity and to prevent a murder-suicide situation. Which brought us to Pismo Beach; a sleepy little beach town which was an absolute gem!
Wandering along the pier before dinner, we stopped to watch some surfers catching waves (it was freezing and I definitely thought they were crazy). As we turned to walk away I overheard someone say “Oh, are you going to take photos of the whales?”. Yep, there were mother flippin’ whales hanging around the beach. It was the perfect night with my perfect human.
The next day we hopped on highway 1, taking crazy turns through mountain ranges and cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. If you ever get the chance to take this drive, please do. It’s breathtaking, and scary, and unbelievable.
Elephant Seal Beach
Salmon Falls
I wish we’d had time to stop and take in more of the highlights, but we did as many as time would allow. Our final pitstop was Santa Cruz, to check out the original store and the sweet little town. I’d spend another day there in a heartbeat.
We hit San Francisco later that night and were completely overwhelmed with people, traffic and one way streets. I think we adjusted to the quieter towns a little too well 😉
Toodles for now, hope you’re all as well and happy as we are.
Hanbel
x
So, this is officially my life from now on;
and apart from the limited outfit choices, I kinda like it. There’s nothing like being back on the road, in the air, on a bus travelling somewhere new, and this is bringing back some gooooood travelling memories.
Our flights were smooth and non eventful, we managed a few hours sleep and plenty of movies. For an added bonus, making our way out of LAX took around half an hour, and I’m pretty sure Mia Wasikowska was on our flight. #celebspotting
A HUGE thank you to my girls for the care package they put together for me. The slippers, hydrating mist and lip balm saved me during that 12 hour flight.
Now, we’re chilling in cali. But literally chilling, because it’s way colder than I thought and I keep forgetting to take a jacket with me. We hit up Venice beach and Santa Monica on day one; eating tacos and riding bikes through the beach, trying to stay awake as long as possible and beat the jet lag.
I’m digging the states, and Venice is so chilled out, but otherwise LA is not my cuppa tea. I’m trying not to judge too harshly, but I really have no interest in going back. Having said that; the city has one saving grace…
DISNEYLAND!
The happiest place in the world that requires no explanation.
We spent the whole day running around like 5 year olds, the next morning soaking up the last of the LA sunshine and after packing up our hire car (Jessicar Rabbit) we were on the road; San Diego bound.
Stay tuned for more southern cali adventures.
Hanbel.
x
The World of Hanbel 