It's been two weeks since the end of the road trip through the USA and I must say, there is a lot I want to say… But before I get to reflect on this whole experience, I still have hundreds of photos to share with you...
In the last article, I had left you in the bay of Monterey, in California. We'll keep going up the coast with Capitola, Santa Cruz and San Francisco, before heading to Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Jackson, Grand Teton NP, Yellowstone and then back to BC, Canada.
En route?!
Capitola & Santa Cruz
If you followed our journey so far, you've read how much I enjoyed going up the coast in California. The ocean air and the slow pace we decided to have there were so enjoyable. On our way to Santa Cruz, we stopped in the busy town of Capitola, known for its colourful little houses.
Santa Cruz left me perplexed. If the city centre wasn't of any excitement, its pier was full of entertainment. It was like being in one of those movies where theme parks are built on an old wooden warf, right by the ocean. As we missed out on the 4th of July celebrations (nothing was happening in the area) we decided to go for a rollercoaster ride. I was so excited to share that ride with Mily as we used to go to theme parks every year as kids. A good trip down memory lane and definitely one of the most fun of the trip. We left the pier with shaky feeling and the endless euphoria that the adrenaline can bring.
A good reminder that doing something fun and reconnecting with our childhood favorite activities always bring us bursts of joy and happiness.
San Francisco
After another stop at the garage, (yes, I was still hypocondriaque for Speedy D at that point of the trip) we joined San Francisco for two days of wander through the city. Driving in American cities has definitely thrown me out of my comfort zone and I must say that, now that I am back in Canada, I felt very overwhelmed, all the time.
San Francisco really surprised me for its diversity. We were staying 20 minutes out of the city centre but still, I was feeling like in a small town right by the ocean. The endless hills reminded me of my life in the Kootenays; the skyscrapers were as tall and impressive as the ones I watched all of my life in the movies; the famous old school tramways were overloaded of tourists; the Chinese district took us on a quick journey to Asia and the incredible colours of the artistic district brought us back to the 70's.
A San Francisco experience wouldn't be the same without time spent by the notorious red bridge. I need to say it's very strange to see for real what we've watched in TV shows and movies most of our lives. If nature is always more impressive in real life than on a picture or a video, I would say it's the opposite feeling in me when I face the American cities. I thought I'd be more impressed by those buildings and places. Good news though is that, Human beings won't ever equal what nature can create. I won't ever get that feeling of awe in front of something human built. And that is completely fine. I guess.
Yosemite
Yosemite has such a huge reputation that I didn't know what to expect from this National Park. I've heard of it SO MANY times. As a climber, and a big fan of climbing movies and documentary, Yosemite has been on my list for so long.
Unfortunately, no climbing for me as Mily isn't into the sport. But we still got to wander around and hike through different places. I think what I remember the most from this park are the crazy waterfalls everywhere. They were very very very impressive. The mist trail, where we got completely wet, was also a good highlight. One thing to know about Yosemite is that it can be very crowded... The further you get, the less people but you still have to deal with the crowds at the start of each hikes.
Lake Tahoe
When we arrived in Lake Tahoe, I felt like I was back in Canada. The landscapes felt like home to me, though the town and the culture didn't. We spent some time on the beach and by the lake where we probably had one of our most painful, yet powerful, moment with Mily. Living together in such a small space for two months, knowing how much we could mirror each other and trigger each other brought a lot of self-doubts and fears. What had to be shared ended up being shared and to me, this moment was one of the biggest steps in our growth together.
Jackson
After an endless drive through the Nevada desert and the Idaho state, we reached Montana and the town of Jackson. Now this town, was THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE to me. I really felt at home there, maybe was it the green mountains surrounding us, the touristic vibe or the cowboy culture, something felt more authentic. Or at least, a fake authenticity. And at that point of the trip, I needed this.
We spent some time wandering through the touristic shops enjoying the west american vibe this town had to offer. At first, we really wanted to go watch a rodeo show, just to experience this "crazy American life". But, considering the fact the pricing was starting at 70 USD, we decided to go for a free live music night, full of bluegrass, rock & country live music.
Emilie got to experience the "real dancing" there with a charming old man. Locals and tourists joined each other on the dance floor and most of them looked like professional dancers. Cowboy hats and cowboy boots were moving in every direction. The couple dance moves I was watching were letting me in awe. Everyone seemed to know how to dance and folklore rhythms seemed so natural to them... For a minute, I wish I knew how to dance!
Grand Teton
Grand Teton NP was next on the list of the National Parks to visit in the West.
The name always made me smile, but I think you have to be creative to really see a "teton" shape in one of those peaks. I guess those French (& Canadians) pioneers just confirmed the cliché of French people always talking about sex, even in the 19th century and even in the mountains!
We explored the main lake and adventured ourselves to Phelps Lake where bugs made our life way harder. There were a lot of trails closed due to bear activities. We actually had a small encounter with a mama and her cubs, which made Emilie sooo happy. We also got lucky to watch a mama Moose with her baby having a bath.
It wasn't my favorite park even though those peaks are quite impressive from far, I much more enjoyed the wide green and open valley that surrounds it.
Yellowstone
Oh Yellowstone...
This park was ABSOLUTELY magical.
I can't believe we kept it for the end but I'm so happy we did. Such a highlight in this trip.
First, it was a big moment of nostalgia for me as the smell of the sulfur and the landscapes were bringing me straight back to 2018, traveling in New Zealand with Cachou. It felt so familiar to me even though I had never been here in my life.
The geysers are not my favorite part. I just feel like I'm watching the same kind of fountains than the ones in front of prestigious hotels. High expectations out here ^^.
But the hot pools, the crazy colours everywhere, the lunar landscapes, that's what makes my imagination and my heart go "wow".
We spent two days in this giant park and I felt like I was halfway in an end-of-the-world movie and halfway in a fantastic movie. Those pools are like doorways to another world, maybe the Upside Down & Hawkins from Stranger Things do exist after all… (:
Canada - Nelson
At this point of the trip, all I wanted to do was to bring Mily back to Canada and show her the place I called home for the last 3 years. That part of the trip was very special to me even though as I was getting more and more excited about coming home, Mily was getting more and more hit by waves of Nostalgia and homesickness. It was difficult navigating those two opposite emotions but it all made sense, she still had to do 8 more days here after all.
When we passed the boarder, I felt so relieved, submerged by a sense of safety I hadn't had in weeks. On our way back to Nelson, I heard that my friends were camping in Crawford Bay, where we decided to stop to spend some time with them. It felt so good for me to be with friends and to introduce them to my heart sister. Plus, I was soooo happy being surrounded by the Kootenay lake and those mountains I'm so familiar with.
We enjoyed Mily's last week doing the "touristic tour" of the area, going hiking, paddle boarding, spending time in Nelson and with friends. Simple pleasures...
I don't know if Mily felt it, but as soon as we crossed the border I wasn't stuck in fight or flight mode but I could finally relax. Crazy to think that I spent 1.5 months in the USA never feeling safe... But that's something I'll write about in a "conclusion" post about this American road trip.
In the meanwhile, I hope you are all having a good summer and I'll come back very soon to share one last article about this whole journey.
Lots of love.
Co
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