Road Trip 2009..."I'm just sayin..."

The beginning of our third road trip started after work and after packing when we hit the road around 9:30 PM. We drove until we couldn't see anymore and stopped around 3:30 AM to sleep. We pulled off the road somewhere in the middle of nowhere Nevada and slept in Lucy, my car. This is Jenny and I about to crash.

The drive from Jackson to Lake Tahoe is roughly 12 hours so by getting an early start the day before we were able to get to Tahoe and have a majority of the day to check things out. Below is a picture of me with the beautiful Lake Tahoe in the background. This is when we had just drove over the Mt. Rose pass and saw Lake Tahoe for the first time.

A few facts about Lake Tahoe...

Lake Tahoe up close and personal. I would absolutely love to go back here in the summer. I can only imagine how much fun it would be. We only spent time on the northern rim...but I think I like it the most because it is scattered with these small towns that are super cute.

Gar Woods...a wonderful little restaurant right on the water with a very funny and interesting menu. The restaurant has been here for over 20 years. We made it just in time for their happy hour and set on the deck and looked over the great beauty of the lake.

The restaurant has a pier where you can just dock your boat and go enjoy some good food and beverages but this is their fare warning before you drink and boat...ha!

It was the off season around Tahoe so all of the campgrounds were closed. We found this campground that seemed far enough off the road to where we could just sleep in the car and not get caught...boy were we wrong. As Jenny and I are brushing our teeth and getting ready for sleep, 2 cars with super bright lights come barreling down the road and ask us what the heck two girls are doing there and "what are you smoking?" We tried to explain to the officer that we were heading to San Fran and just pulling off the road for a minute to rest (just a lil white lie) and that we weren't smoking anything. I was brushing my teeth and the officer thought I was smoking something else...ha!

So, after Tahoe we headed to San Fran where we crashed with a friend from Jackson, Taylor. This is Jenny and I on top of Taylor's roof looking over the city. A great spot for sure!

Another shot on top of the roof right before sunset.

Sunset in San Fran and a great shot of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Jenny, Taylor, and I on top of his friends roof watching the sun set.

Another great shot of the sun set.

Nothing would be complete with out an impromptu Wycleff Jean concert...VIP style!

Full House...the 7 sisters...look familiar.

Heading out of town and decided to stop for a couple pictures in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Heading north along the coast, it was recommended to visit Point Reyes and the light house. Well needless to say, the dense fog prevented us from seeing the actual light house and the fog created a very creepy setting. In the picture below, you can see the stairs (which were closed) that supposedly led to the white house. We could hear the fog horns and the waves crashing but couldn't see either.

Jenny and I taking in the views...wait...we couldn't see 20 feet in front of us...ha.

A little history and information for you...

A random bus stop photo along the way...

The wine tasting began around 10 AM at Cellar 8. The picture below is just outside of Cellar 8...let the tasting begin :)

Geyser Peak...the 2nd winery.

My favorite, Clos du Bois, was our 3rd and final winery we visited in Sonoma Valley...it was fabulous! I thoroughly enjoyed all of the fun wines we got to taste. I could have spent days doing this...but it was time to move on.
My purchase from Clos du Bois.

The vineyard

After 3 different tastings...it was time for a break and some coffee :)

After heading a little bit further up the coast, we decided to camp at Russian Gulch Campground just off the beach.

Hanging out by the water just before sunset.

So apparently, this is a banana slug...very common in this region and HUGE! It took me awhile to get use to seeing these guys everywhere.

Continuing the drive north. The coast was gorgeous!

Our 2nd campsite. We decided on this one after entering the Red Woods NP. It was a brief hike in and just above the ocean. We were the only ones here...it was great! So peaceful and quiet.

Fern Canyon with our friend Jeff who was passing through the Red Woods as well. Fern Canyon was a really magnificent place. Steep, vertical walls covered in lush ferns.

Our 3rd campsite...right on the beach. If you look closely, you can see our tent. One of my favorite spots ever! A bit windy and chilly but beautiful!

Our friend Jeff actually found this campsite. He played guitar for us...so fun!

Sunset :)

I needed gas, and this was the closest gas station. WOW!

The key for the bathroom was attached to the toilet brush...yuck! Guess they don't have to worry about anyone running of with THAT key!

The "drive thru" tree. There are two other trees to drive through but we missed them. This was quite funny because we were pretty sure it was in someones back yard. But of course, I still had to drive through and get a pic :)

This was a great view point to watch baby and momma whales migrating. We were so lucky to actually get to see them!

This is the beginning of the Red Woods where the trees really started getting bigger! The trees are bigger and more beautiful and magical than I could have ever imagined. These pictures do no justice to the beauty these massive giants hold. Enjoy :)

This is the root system of one of the fallen red wood trees.

Our campsite in the northern region of the Red Woods NP.

After leaving the Red Woods, we headed toward Crater Lake. Still quite cold here but the lake is really beautiful and massive. The lake's only water source is rain and snow...no streams or other water features feed into this lake. It was once a volcano that collapsed and then filled up with water. It is known as one of the cleanest lakes in the U.S...and the biggest and deepest too.

So that is the end of the pictures. I know that was a lot to take in but there were a ton of pictures taken and a ton of great memories experienced that I wanted to share. I hope you enjoyed! This road trip was really fantastic and fun and adventurous! I am so thankful for the opportunity to travel and see all of these great spots. I am also so thankful to have a travel buddie like Jenny who has made each of our road trips (this was the 3rd) so spontaneous and awesome! I hope everyone is well! Love you and miss you bunches :) XOXO