California Road Trip 🚐

I would actually describe this adventure as one of my biggest challenges on this trip. At the same time, it was also one of the most beautiful! It wasn't my first road trip in a van, but it was my first solo trip. I enjoyed my last road trip through Iceland so much that it was clear to me from the beginning that I wanted to do a van trip on this journey as well. I've fulfilled this dream now in Northern California.

First, I took a bus and train overnight from Oregon back to San Francisco. I picked up my car/minivan there and started my journey. First, I made a big grocery shopping to survive in the wilderness of California's national parks for the next few days. And then it really started. I was bursting with joy and excitement. It was now 8 days of just me and my car, going wherever we wanted. Of course, there was no exact plan, as usual. This road trip was so spontaneous that there was no time left for it. With music blasting in my ears, I drove across California, because my first destination was Yosemite National Park. Before I looked for a place to sleep for the night, I stopped by a small river to take a shower and cool off. Perfectly timed with the sunset, I found my sleeping spot. I made myself some food and sat in my camping chair for a long time, just watching the sunset and how the stars took over the sky. However, the night wasn't long because I wanted to see the sunrise in the national park the next morning. So I set off at 4:45 and had an incredible sunrise with breakfast. Then I drove through the national park and of course visited the famous Half Moon Mountain. Since you are only allowed to climb it with permission, I decided to take another hike with a view of it. I also had a breathtaking view of most of the national park. In the afternoon, I headed north. I spent the night in a mountain spot next to a small river. I actually wanted to continue north in the morning, but unfortunately, a bike race ruined my plans. The whole road was closed until later in the afternoon, so I couldn't go any further. So I went for a hike there and just walked until I eventually stood on a summit. Then I had my daily shower in the nearby river! In the evening, I continued on my way. My destination was Lake Tahoe. Back in civilization, I filled up with gas and found a place to sleep for the night. As always, I found a nice spot right next to a river. The next day, I went for a hike to a peak with a beautiful view of Lake Tahoe, apparently in the middle of a ski resort. It was new to me that you can ski in California. Then I found a nice spot to cool off in the river and cooked my lunch there. In the evening, I continued towards the next national park. Lassen Volcanic National Park is also supposed to be my northernmost stop for this trip. I set off early in the morning, because I wanted to do my hike before it got too hot. A few hours later, I stood at an elevation of 3200m in California on Lassen Peak. Since there are quite a few lakes in this national park, I picked one and spent the afternoon there. Later, I finally headed towards the sea. Unfortunately, I only saw the sea from above that evening because I found a sleeping spot that was only suitable for 4x4 cars. I managed to get almost all the way up, but going down wasn't an option anymore. However, I started early the next day because I wanted to have breakfast by the sea. I did just that and spent the morning at and in the Pacific. Then I continued to a nice little coastal town, Fort Bragg. On the way there and afterwards, I could have stopped every 5 minutes because the view was simply breathtaking. For the night, I found a sleeping spot right on the cliffs with a beautiful view of the sunset. Since the sky was also completely clear, I stayed up for a long time and looked at the stars with the sound of the ocean in the background. The next day was quite foggy when I woke up. But as soon as I drove a little higher, I had a sunrise with a view of a sea of fog over the ocean. But as soon as I drove back down, the fog caught up with me again. I stopped at one or two beaches to see if I could go surfing, but unfortunately, the waves ruined that plan for me that day. But that's okay, so I spent some more time at the beach before driving back inland and spending my day at a lake and river in the sunshine. For my last night, I found a nice spot with a view of the sunset over the hills of Sacramento. In the morning, I woke up exactly at sunrise and watched it as well. Then it was already time for me to head back to San Francisco, stopping to clean up my car before returning it. In the evening, it was time to say goodbye to my car. I grabbed dinner and then took the bus to LA overnight.

This road trip took a lot more courage than expected, but it was also so much better than expected. The idea of my own van has been on my mind for a long time, but now it's more than just an idea, and I can't wait to make this dream come true as soon as possible. Road trip life is just indescribably beautiful, simple, and flexible! 🫶🏼🚐