Day 6 - Ridgecrest, CA

For the past week we have enjoyed our time spent in Southern California and got to see many things. We spent a lot of time in the Jacuzzi and at the REI stores in Huntington Beach and Santa Monica. We went to Shaw's Cove and got to see downtown L.A. and even had the opportunity to see the Griffith Observatory.

After a grueling day of packing, we finally got on the road by about 5pm and decided to head towards Death Valley NP, skipping Joshua Tree for the time being. We took California Highway 395 through the desert at night, a drive that I definitely recommend for anyone heading up in this direction. The road was like a roller coaster. We spent about four hours on the road and checked into a hotel in Ridgecrest, CA, a city of about 27,000 people that is near a facility where they test weapons. This particular location puts us in range of snagging one of the camping sites in Death Valley and will allow us to spend the entire day in the park hiking and setting up camp.

We will be out of cell phone and wifi reception for at least the next day, so expect an update after that.

Day 1: Hanging in Long Beach

So it's been a while since we've posted anything, but we are finally officially at the starting point of our journey. After an emotionally exhausting Senior Week and Commencement, we are ready to begin our journey. We landed late yesterday evening at Long Beach Airport and had In -N - Out Burger. We then slept for many hours.

Today, we woke up and went to the repair shop to pick up the car and went to pick up some gear at the REI in Huntington Beach. We found 3 sleeping bags that are rated to 35 degrees and picked up a canvas bag to strap to the top of the car so we can carry more gear than the car can hold by itself. After this, we went back to Long Beach for a great dinner and then went in the Jacuzzi. All in all a good day. We are looking at a Friday or Saturday departure date for our first stop, Joshua Tree National Park.

That's all for now.