After a somewhat low-keyed 2020, I did a big road-trip this summer with some of my friends who love the outdoors and travel like I do. It was a great trip. There were some flaws, but that’s to be expected with group travel. Even when I travel alone I don’t have perfect trips. That’s one of the first lessons where experiences are concerned and one of the earliest concepts taught in hospitality and tourism – one’s experiences are impacted by other people: friends and family in your travel group; strangers on the plane, train, bus, boat; other diners in the restaurant; other hikers on the trail; other campers; other viewers at the scenic lookout; and all the people who facilitate these experiences, who deliver services.

Whoever is in your group will also impact your travel experience before you even set off: where you go; when you go; how you travel; how long you stay; where you stay (lodging options); which attractions you visit; what activities you select; the base costs for the trip; and so on. Negotiation and compromise are important. Depending on your people, the entire experience could be a nightmare or it could be a great trip. With this tribe, it’s been the latter so far.

This road-trip was my third monthly group trip, following Zion in May and Sequoia & Kings in June. It was also the longest. During the trip I realized that I was approaching burnout and since I impact the experience of others in the same way that they influence mine, decided I’d plan more solo experiences for the following months (you may read about those in future posts). I never want to be the person who moves the pendulum towards the nightmare side of the experience 😁.

Now to the good stuff. From the Santa Clarita Valley to Northern California, then Oregon, back to NorCal, and home: 8 days, 7 nights, 2 states, 3 national parks, 1 national natural landmark, 2 state parks, a crater covered by a lake, many mountains, waterfalls, around 2,000 miles as a passenger in a car, 15 miles or so hiking, 3.75 miles running on a treadmill, a range of lodging experiences, various dining experiences (a really special one was in the yard of a plant nursery), too much icecream, new silver rings 😍, apricot and pepper jelly, magnets, passport stamps, communing with nature, great conversations, in-car live performances (Anita and more), lots of laughter, not nearly enough wine 😢, some questionable road signs 😒, breathtaking views, great photos, thousands of photos, many poses from my models … I could go on. Phew! After that roadtrip I needed a vacation so I could recover from my vacation 🤣. I would do this trip again. I will travel with this group again 🤗.

I relived the trip while I was selecting the photos to follow 😍.

Sundial Bridge, Redding

While in Lassen, we visited Loomis Museum where an historic seismograph still works, stopped to see Lassen Peak, hiked Bumpass’ Hell, then stopped at Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center. Beautiful views all along the drive. #lassen

Loomis Museum

Lassen Peak, Lake Helen and Bumpass Hell

Kohm Yah-mah-nee Visitor Center

McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial Falls State Park #BurneyFalls

Crater Lake National Park

At 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake in southern Oregon, is the deepest lake in the US and only 8 other lakes world wide are deeper. It is also one of the “most pristine on earth” (NPS). The lake formed in a caldera (a volcanic basin) that was created when Mount Mazama collapsed after an eruption. Its formation took place over 7,700 years ago. Sites featured are: Watchman Overlook Trail, Cleetwood Cove Trail, Vidae Falls, Plaikni Falls, and Phantom Ship.

Watchman Overlook Trail

Cleetwood Cove Trail

Vidae Falls, Plaikni Falls, Phantom Ship

Hyatt Lake, Ashland

Lake Shasta Caverns National Natural Landmark

Lake Shasta’s water level has dropped significantly because of drought. So much so that additional trails had to be made from the area around the visitor center to the water’s edge and across the lake, between the water’s edge and the existing road.

#naturegottaloveit

Next up … We Trippin’ Through the Redwoods