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One Journey Through
A World of Stories
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
- Joseph Campbell
It All Began...
Detroit
...in my home state, Northern Virginia. Not a bad place, but few rocks to climb and the local nature spots can be quickly exhausted by anyone with an appetite for adventure.
Day 1...
...ended after a drive through dreery suburbs of Pittsburgh and into the unimpressive Cayuga National Park. But hey, we had an excellent time feeling out the road and trying out our camp cookware.
From Cleveland we headed to Detroit. There we found a post-industrial city with a growing hipster population and resurgence of little coffee shops with character and craft brewing. We also spent some serious time checking out the Heidelberg Project - a social justice/art exhibit.
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That night we slept in our van, parked outside of a new friend's suburban home.
Flint
While in Michigan, we decided to stay with a nice couple for the night. They showed us a town with a post-industrial feel not unlike Detroit, but with far less people and far less hope. The water crisis remains a struggle of survival for many of the people we drove by and walked past there in Flint. I honestly don't know where to start in order to help these poor souls. I believe that far more water crises are to come, and if this is the way that we as a country handle such things, I fear for all of our futures.
Chicago
In Chicago we spent the day wandering the waterfront and that night stayed with friend of a friend. What a host Stuart was! Taking us out on the town for an "authentic" taste of Chicago. Two bars and one underground standup-comedy show later and we found ourselves in an Uber heading back to Stu's place, resting our voices from the spirited karaoke.
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I would recommend Chicago to a friend. Beautiful waterfront, many fine parks, fit looking young people, it felt safe where I was, etc.
Minneapolis
I liked this place even more than Chicago! Maybe it was because I stayed with a friend from New Zealand, we went climbing, cooked fine meals, and generally lived it up a little bit. I would definitely recommend to a friend.
South Dakota
For the first time in the trip, our natural surroundings really started to take our breath away. SD is barren and flat, but the sense of scale that such a place gives is powerful.
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...Dakota is flat UNTIL you hit the Badlands: a more strange and alien landscape I have rarely seen.
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Wyoming
We spent a lovely night in the solitude and natural splendor of the Black Hills of WY. Would DEFINITELY recommend.
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The next morning, we headed to Devil's Tower, and spent the day climbing it. It was Morgan's first multi-pitch, so it could have gone either way, but thanks to her determination, the climb went smoothly, even while challenging us both.
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Again and again, I realize how much I love this vertical dance. I know we will do more in the coming days, weeks, months.
Colorado
While based in Fort Collins for a week, we managed to visit Estes Park, the Horsetooth Reservoir, Poudre Canyon, CSU, Oldtown, and more. The people I met throughout were a friendly and active/outdoorsy variety. The wilderness was spectacular and the community vibe was welcoming.
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Would DEFINITELY recommend
Denver
Like most of CO, Denver has a chill, outdoorsy feel, although Denver starts to feel pretty business-like in places. A pokemon Go player affirmed my understanding that the place is gentrifying fast...get your house now!
Colorado Springs
In the Springs we stayed with the engaged couple Anna and Logan, two of Morgan's friends out of Quincy, IL! Interesting to be with too people just beginning the rest of their life together!!
They showed us some true midwest hospitality, aswell as some of the local fishing, swimming, and climbing spots. It's much cheaper to live in the Springs rather than Boulder or Denver, and it is a town nestled right against the mountains. I would recommend to a friend!
So. West CO
After staying with some friends in Colorado Springs we headed west through Breckenridge, Vail, Gunnison, and then down through Ouray and Telluride, ending in Ophir.
Breck and Vail are some amazing spots, but they felt pretty darn commercial : ( Ouray and Telluride were less commercial and still excellent little mountain towns.
GO TO TELLURIDE
After a week in the west, we headed back to CO Springs one last time. There we met up with some old friends of Morgan's and hiked up "The Incline" in Manitou Springs. A challenging few thousand feet up, but it is worth it!
The Incline
Hiccup, then NorWes
Morgan and I split ways. We decided that together we had to constantly compromise our daily activities for each other's different interests, so we decided we would get more out of the trip apart! For a short time I found myself stranded in a small town in CO, but then I found and bought a minivan!
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Armed with my own wheels, I hit the dusty trail over into Utah! Salt Lake City is SWEET
Grand Tets and Yellow Stones
Grand Tetons. Unbelievable.
Yellow Stone...alien.
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I have been on a speed hiking/trail running kick, so here I hiked up to Static Peak (8miles, 4500 feet up) in 2.5 hours.
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I am coming to realize challenging myself physically is something I have to do daily, for my own sanity!
Glacier to Vancouver
Glacier is an UNBELIEVABLE park. You drive a winding road right up the mountainside...and often with a hoard of other tourists : /
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Canada is awesome. Like a less commercial Colorado, there are little nestled mountain towns around every corner. The people are kind. Grand was a great spot. Vancouver was a little too much for me to handle : )
Climbing Mount Rainier
Breathtaking: the way that the mountain rears up from the forest when driving anywhere in the vicinity. Magic: the snows providing world class sledding year round.
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I LOVED THIS PLACE
EVERYONE SHOULD GO THERE
AND BE IN AWE
Wash, OR, to Cali
Oregon is one of the best kept secrets in the country. When you think "West Coast", often Oregon doesn't even come to mind, and the people of OR seem to like it that way. Cheap living, deserted beaches, and volcanic geology make Oregon definitely worth a stop. Bend is a pretty sweet up-and-coming town as well!
Then the go pro died and I hightailed it through the South back to VA to register my minivan!
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