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From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1

Gepubliseer: 30.07.2017

From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1
From the Pacific to the Atlantic Coast - Part 1


August 30, 2012 - Departure

On this Thursday, Tobi and I embarked on our first major trip together without the MS Deutschland.

The plane went directly from DUS to LAX and after a 12-hour flight plus another 3 hours waiting in line for passport control, we finally set foot on American soil. From the airport, we went exhausted towards the motel. After a snack at 'Jack in the box' across the street, we had lost the battle against fatigue and fell deeply asleep by 8 pm.


August 31 + September 1, 2012 - The Dream Factory

When I woke up in the morning and the clock showed 4, I realized the mistake I had made and hoped to never make it again in the future.

To avoid jet lag, it is important to adjust to the local time as quickly as possible. And if you have to drink 2 liters of coffee to stay awake until at least 11pm without dying, then you drink 2 liters of coffee.

After a typical American motel breakfast, we first headed back to the airport to pick up our home for the next 5 weeks in Inglewood at Escape Campervans.


After safely parking 'Moby' at the motel parking lot, we spent the first 2 days in the city of angels as tourists. Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and Santa Monica Pier. Apart from Santa Monica Pier, we weren't really impressed by Los Angeles. The beautiful sunset that we witnessed there is still unforgettable and was worth the trip.



September 2, 2012 - heading to Hwy 1


We started early in the morning. After completing our big shopping trip, we wanted to get closer to the city's most famous landmark before leaving. So we drove through various neighborhoods before arriving at a parking lot from which we could walk further towards the HOLLYWOOD Sign.
Despite the heat, it was still a good decision to drive and walk up there because besides the Sign, you also have a wonderful view of L.A.



After a short break at the van, we said 'Bye, bye Hollywood Hills' and our journey took us out of the city. Unfortunately, not directly to Highway 1 as we had hoped, but first into rush hour traffic (which in L.A. feels like it lasts 24 hours), so we arrived in Pismo Beach in the dark.
The sound of the ocean lulled us to sleep.

September 3, 2012 - the Pacific Coast Highway

Almost everyone who has ever searched for 'most beautiful roads in the world' on Google will eventually come across the Pacific Coast Highway, also known as Highway No. 1, which stretches along the entire coastline of California.

This highlight was definitely something we couldn't miss on our route.

We continued north along the cliffs.

Past the Elephant Seal Colony in Piedras Blancas, where you should make a stop, we continued towards Monterey.

An unforgettable day. The natural spectacle that is offered to you here on the coast is amazing.



You should definitely bring a sweater. It can get quite windy here, as they say in the north: 'a little bit breezy'.




In search of a campground, we finally found one after dark and after driving through what looked like a witch forest.


September 4 + 5, 2012 - Giant Sequoias and Golden Gate

In the morning, we were greeted with a sight that we will never forget in our lives. With the sunrise, we became aware of where we had actually ended up the previous evening. And there we stood. In the midst of the giant redwoods. Birdsong and the scent of the forest completed this unique morning, and we enjoyed our breakfast under the giant trees.


We would have liked to stay a bit longer, but we had to keep going. Our next destination was no less impressive:

SAN FRANCISCO

Since wild camping is mostly prohibited in the USA, we found a legal campsite every day.


In San Francisco, we stayed at the Candlestick RV Park. It was overpriced, but it offered a convenient shuttle bus to downtown.

The liveliness of this city is irresistibly attractive, despite the mostly bad weather, and it is a huge pleasure to explore it.




Chinatown in San Francisco is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia, with over 100,000 residents.






There's really no one tip for this city, just go with the flow. There's something to discover and admire on every corner. Put on your shoes and explore.


September 6, 2012 - into the wilderness


One highlight followed another, and we headed towards the Sierra Nevada.

The magnificent natural scenery of Yosemite N.P. with its Half Dome and El Capitan left us breathless and made us want to start hiking right away. On this afternoon, our only task was shopping and gathering information for the next day at the Visitor Center.

The Yosemite N.P. is home to brown bears. The Visitor Center demonstrates in a video the power these animals possess and the fact that they are capable of breaking open car doors to reach potential food. Because of this, there are bear boxes available at the campground, where you have to store all your food, as well as strongly scented lotions and shower gels, to avoid any unwanted encounters with bears.


I had a very restless night. Every movement from Tobi woke me up because I thought a bear was messing with our van. But it may also have been the excessive amount of marshmallows that we devoured by the campfire.


September 7, 2012 - El Capitan and Half Dome

Today was hiking day. We packed our backpack for the day trip and set off. We walked various small trails to get a better sense of what nature had to offer here.


The Bridalveil Fall Trail and the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail were among them. The most beautiful views can be found at the Valley View on the Merced River and of course at the spectacular Tunnel View.


Unfortunately, we found that we had not chosen the best time for our trip here. The Yosemite Fall was only trickling down. The dry summer had almost evaporated everything, and there was not much left of the waterfall.


Spring is the best time to experience Yosemite National Park. The melting snow creates breathtaking waterfalls and everything is in bloom.


Nevertheless, we were still impressed and sad that we had to move on the next day. If we had had another day, we would have liked to attempt the ascent of Half Dome. This 24 km hike, which takes you up to about 1500 meters in altitude and takes about 12 hours depending on your condition, will have to wait until another time.


September 8, 2012 - Hot, hotter, Death Valley

The difference in landscape that we experienced on this day could hardly have been greater, even though the distance was relatively short at 270 miles.

In the morning, we still enjoyed the lush green of the Sierra Nevada, which gradually turned into gray, and later into brown and red.


The switchbacks led us into Death Valley. And the Valley of Death left no doubt for a minute that it did not undeservedly receive its name.

It was hot. So hot that outside the car, it felt like a hot blow dryer was being held in front of our faces.

46 degrees Celsius are definitely not to be underestimated, and the warning signs to turn off the car's air conditioning due to overheating of the vehicle made us sweat even more.



When we reached Badwater Basin (the lowest point in the USA, 85.5 meters below sea level), even the mild breeze of the blow dryer had disappeared, and the air was still. The heat made me feel quite uncomfortable, although Tobi had less trouble with it.


He even walked a bit through the area. I, on the other hand, felt like I was fighting off heat stroke in that moment.


I was very grateful when the glittering lights of Las Vegas appeared on the horizon.

We had booked a hotel in Vegas because we didn't feel like camping in the desert, and hotel prices during the week are very affordable. Since we had planned to spend the night in Death Valley, but practically it was impossible, we arrived in Las Vegas a day earlier, on a Saturday.

After a drive along the Strip, where we couldn't stop marveling, we went straight to our hotel. The Stratosphere.

Fortunately, it wasn't a problem to check in a night earlier. Even though we paid twice as much for Saturday night as for the next two nights combined.

The hotel may not be the grandest in the city, but it's also not one of the worst. It was perfectly adequate for us.


The joy of an air-conditioned room, a real bed, and a quiet shower was enormous, and we fell asleep blissfully.

Fortunately, we never had any problems getting into parking garages or going through a drive-thru with our van. This was a major advantage compared to a large RV.

September 9 + 10, 2012 - VEGAS, Baby!

If you haven't experienced this city yourself, you're missing out. What an exaggerated glittering world. It's incredible what humans have built in the middle of the Nevada desert.


We were particularly fascinated by the hotels. Where else can you travel from Paris to New York and then to ancient Rome within half an hour?

The details that have been put into the design of each hotel are unimaginable if you haven't seen it yourself.


So we spent our 2 days in Sin City admiring the hotels. We walked up the Strip on the first day and down the Strip on the second day. A detour to Downtown Las Vegas, where the Golden Nugget and the Fremont Street are located, was a must.


The water show in front of the Bellagio and the pirate show in front of the Treasure Island were also on the must-see list.



And so we marveled at the city for 2 days.

We didn't attend a show on this trip, but it wouldn't be our last time in Vegas.


September 11, 2012 - Arrival at the Grand Canyon

Still a somber day, and we didn't arrive at the Grand Canyon until the afternoon. So we decided to use the laundry room at the campground. While we were waiting for our laundry, the TV showed images of September 11, 2001 over and over again. The American TV program showed different images than those we saw on German television. The close-ups of people jumping from the towers of the World Trade Center and the ash covering NYC affected us deeply, and there was a subdued mood. The weather also reflected this mood, as it was raining continuously. Accompanied by the drumming rain, we went to bed early.

September 12, 2012 - Grand Canyon / Bright Angel Trail

The alarm clock rang this morning before sunrise. But the prevailing cold did not allow any tiredness. More and more people gathered at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to admire the unique sunrise.

And what can we say? Getting up early was really worth it. The colors of nature that are offered here will be unforgettable.



Photos cannot capture the beauty of the Grand Canyon as the personal sight of it does. The seemingly infinite vastness leaves even the most well-traveled person speechless for a moment.

We were also speechless, so we went back to the campground to try to warm up.


With the sun came the warmth, and we set off for the start of the Bright Angel Trail.

The Bright Angel Trail has various stages, and depending on your time and condition, you can choose the best stage for yourself.
However, you should never forget that you have to go down into the canyon first and then climb back up the same way, which takes much more time and effort than the descent.


We set our sights on the Indian Garden for the day and hiked down the switchbacks.
Even more impressive than the view over the Grand Canyon was the view from below of these gigantic rock walls. It's a moment that makes you realize how small you are in this world and its history.


We continued walking as the heat of the midday sun increased. We passed bighorn sheep and squirrels. One breathtaking view followed another.
If you don't feel like hiking or don't have the condition for it, you can also take advantage of the services of mules and go on a 'ride' through the canyon on them.



As the day went on, more and more dark clouds gathered, and when we barely found shelter from the rain just before reaching 3 Mile Resthouse and the rain clouds slowly turned into thunderstorm clouds, we decided not to continue down into the canyon. When the rain stopped, we started the climb back up and enjoyed the uniqueness of this scenery.
The day ended with a no less spectacular sunset.





September 13, 2012 - Monument Valley

We continued northwest and crossed the border into Utah. Monument Valley welcomed us in its warm red color, as it always does.
The road led us through the bizarre mesas, which became world-famous through various film shootings.
The entire Monument Valley somehow seems to be surrounded by a mystical aura, and it makes you feel like you're in a Wild West movie :-)
There are various tours offered through Monument Valley, but we decided against them and were perfectly happy with the views we got.




Follow along in the second part of our road trip through the states. See what else we experienced until NYC.


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