The journey began the way most of my journeys tend to begin, with me looking at a map and asking myself, "Hmm, where can I go"? Factoring in things like time, weather, activities, distance, I eventually decided to blaze a trail from the inner bits of Utah, all the way out to coastal California. Moab to San Diego, about 800 miles as the crow drives. Or is it flies? Whatever! Of course I stopped here and there to explore off the official route!
At the time of writing, a number of large Utah wildfires were continuing to burn, only partially contained. This made for some last minute route modifications and unexpected weather. As a matter of fact, a lovely sunny afternoon in Cedar City, Utah was host to a "pop up thunderstorm" which seemed to come on in a matter of about 5 minutes. I was taking a little break at a restaurant when suddenly the power went out! The patrons and staff were all a bit shook up, especially when the power did not immediately return. We had to revert to analog payment methods (cash, writing down credit card numbers to charge later) and the place ended up closing down early. Other than that, it was pretty smooth sailing! Oh, and the road to my intended disbursed camping location was washed out so I slept in my car in a parking lot, under the watchful eye of a sign that read "No overnight camping."
I continued on towards Capitol Reef National Park, but not before a stop to visit my favorite forest of clones...Pando! When I say "favorite," I really mean the only one I know of. Located in Fishlake National Forest, near Fish Lake itself, the Pando Aspen Clone is a biological curiosity that doesn't really look like much more than an aspen forest until you do a little research and learn that each tree is a clone of a single tree, connected by a common root system.
Let me just say that Utah is a beautiful state. The concentration of both national and state parks is unreal, and even just driving around you really appreciate the gorgeous vistas and diversity of landscapes here. Such is the reason I chose Moab as my anchoring point for this portion of the trip. I did end up grabbing a proper motel for a couple nights in order to dedicate the time needed to explore the parks. With Capitol Reef about an hour away, Canyonlands about 45 mins, and Arches a mere stone's throw, it made perfect sense as a home base. I really can't recommended any of one of the parks over the other; they each have their own flavor and charm. If I were forced to verbalize a few observations though, I would say that Capitol Reef and Canyonlands are more expansive, with some views in Canyonlands rivaling even the Grandest of Canyons. Arches felt more condensed and the focus was on unique rock formations and the eponymous arches. Delicate Arch (the one on the Utah license plate) and Landscape Arch were personal favorites of mine, as well as the Park Avenue hike.
If you're into the history of the early Americas, this is also a great location for viewing petroglyphs. I found three separate locations with readily accessible petroglyphs to admire: The Delicate Arch Trailhead, Utah Highway 279 Rock Art Site (Potash Road), and Sego Canyon Rock Art Site.
A spontaneous route modification rewarded me with some great experiences after leaving Moab. I was able to visit Goblin Valley State Park which has been on my list forever! For those who don't know, the "goblins" are thousands of hoodoos are clustered together in a low-lying valley, somewhat resembling an army assembling and preparing for battle (ala Lord of the Rings)? One of the really cool things is that you can walk down among them and see all the unique shapes and sizes of the hoodoos! Also, I had no clue what a hoodoo was until moving out to the southwest.
Perhaps one of the biggest treats of this reroute was the unexpectedly gorgeous drive down Utah Route 12 through Grand Staircase-Escalante. Especially cool (and maybe a little scary) was the drive through the Hogback which is a narrow stretch of highway that is fairly high up, but offers sweeping views of the lower-lying canyons on both sides. I don't really like to advocate particular brands or businesses, but there is a notable coffee shop off Route 12, situated right in the mountains. The views are...unreal!
And now for the "water" portion of the journey, Well, soon enough anyway. Coming back down through Utah and across Nevada, there is scarcely any water to be found. Of course Las Vegas is part of this route, but maybe that's a story for another day! There is plenty of desert to pass through Nevada and into California. Don't sleep on this part of the I-15 though! There's plenty of interesting things to experience. The Mohave desert itself has some really interesting features such as lava tubes, Joshua Trees, and massive sand dunes. I didn't explore these on this journey, mostly because it's the middle of summer and that could be hazardous! I did however take in a few roadside stops that providing an entertaining break from the drive. The Liberty Sculpture Park and Peggy Sue's 50s Diner are both near the Yermo CA exit and worth a stop. Liberty Sculpture Park is NOT what I was expecting after having driven by it 100s of times on various trips. Each sculpture has a story, but the overarching narrative is that of seeking freedom from an oppressive government. Very good stuff! Peggy Sue's was also very refreshing to see. Sure, it's touristy, but it's also a fully operational 50s diner smack in the middle of a desert with some pretty decent food and plenty of cool stuff on the walls to appreciate. Also, there are dinosaurs in the little park out back. I'm serious.
After quite a lot of dry desert, I was very ready to see the sea. The temperature difference is wild too. In the span of about an hour of driving, I saw my car's temperature display go from a sweaty 114 degrees to a comfy 80 when I reached the coast. And that ocean breeze feels gooooood! Upon arrival in Long Beach CA, I stashed my dusty car and hopped aboard a cruise ship! It was my first cruise ever so I wanted to start small, just a lil 4 day excursion. Ports of call were at Catalina Island off the coast of California and Ensenada Mexico, a charming coastal town. Catalina felt pretty touristy, but it didn't stop me from renting a bike and exploring as much of the island as possible. The town is very photogenic, with houses clustered amongst the hills and a harbor full of cute little ships. Not to mention the dramatic ocean views and cliffs!
Ensenada was a delight too. I took an excursion out to see La Bufadora (dubbed in English as the "blowhole"). About 45 mins from the port, it's one of the main attractions of the area, aside from the numerous vineyards of the Baja wine country. One of few marine geysers in the world, it was particularly active the day I visited so it was excited to see it doing its thing.
Upon completion of the cruise, it was on to San Diego. Also, it was San Diego Comic Con weekend sooooo, I had to see what that was about! It lived up to its reputation in terms of excitement (and crowds!) Parking was tricky, and there were lines for everything, but it was cool to be a part of the action. I didn't attend the actual convention but there were plenty of events in the periphery of the convention to keep people entertained. San Diego itself is gorgeous and has way more to offer than I can capture here.
And so, having spanned three unique states (and even a brief stop in another country) my Journey of Fire and Water has come to an end. It's never really the end though, just a short breath between journeys. Life itself is a journey - Of Water, Earth, Fire, Wind, Friendship, Wonder, Discovery. You get the idea.
Until the next!
