Acadia National Park - Maine

After staying the night at a small town truck stop, I cruised to Portland, Maine to have a reset day and prepare for camping in Acadia National Park. When I was originally talking about this trip, I kept saying one of my goals was to make it all the way to the North Eastern tip of the country and visit Acadia. When I was walking around Portland, I truly felt myself living and accomplishing my dreams. Portland was a very cool city. Walking in the parks reminded me of walking around the river in Eugene. We walked along the water and enjoyed our people watching of the locals, then it was time to get back in the car and continue toward Acadia. 

We spent another night at a truck stop, which was the first one I’ve seen that had electric hook-ups on a ton of spots in the parking lot. The next day I let myself sleep in and slowly made my way to the gym before finding a lake to swim in for the day. Conveniently there was one 20 minutes from the Walmart I was planning to sleep at that night, so Dobby and I packed a lunch and drove to Branch Lake in Ellsworth. The bugs were biting and the water was cold, but the view was worth it! After the cold plunge, I made my way to the Walmart parking lot where I would post up to work for the night. Going to Walmarts do make me nervous because I don’t want to get woken up by the 3am knock by police, but there were plenty of other campers in the lot and no “no overnight” signs, so I was set! The next morning it was finally time to make our way into Acadia National Park! 

There is limited camping around the park, so I reserved a campsite in the park at Blackwoods Campground at the south-east end of the park. Since being on the road, I think my trailer backing skills have gotten pretty good if I do say so myself. When I pulled up to the site it looked slightly challenging to squeeze into, but I relied on my skill set, my handy backup camera, moving picnic benches out of the way, and we made it work! Another set of great hammock trees for me to hang on were right outside my front door. Walmart parking lot nights are so worth this. 

For our first day in the park, I got our camp set up, then Dobby and I ventured on the trail from our campsite to the ocean view. Seeing the trees go all the way to the cliff side and dropping off hundreds of feet into the white water waves was breathtaking. After exploring camp, I packed a bag for the beach and Dobby and I drove down to Sand Beach to jump in the Atlantic for the first time. Well, a nice walk in the water actually, because when my feet touched that water it felt like the icey waters of rivers in Oregon with the gusts of wind from the coast, so my full jump will wait a little longer. I spent the night dancing and grilling my life away as the sun set. I love myself. 

I woke up to rain hitting the metal outside the trailer and thought I may need to change my hiking plans for the day. I had originally wanted to do a trail that encompassed multiple viewpoints, but a particular part of the hike called the Beehive Trail was warned as being extremely difficult in wet conditions. I saw that the weather predicted rain stopping in the afternoon, so I took my time in the morning with my breakfast and coffee, hoping some sunshine would burn the clouds. Negative on clouds leaving for sunshine, but the rain was turning into fog/mist, and it was my last full day in the park, so I decided to send it and do the whole trail!

Wow. It was an adrenaline rush for sure. The trail had brass bars on the side of the granite rock to have something to climb on, but oh boy were those rungs slippery. As I was making my way up the mountain, I was reminding myself that our national parks have been defunded, which means rescue teams are limited, which means no one is saving my ass but me, which means I can’t get scared and better finish this hike because I was bold enough to start! My pep talk worked as well as a fellow hiker passing me in the opposite direction telling me that I was past the scariest part. The views were incredible! I assume. I could hear the ocean, but that fog was reminding me of Karl The Fog (iykyk) and wouldn’t just give me a break. Regardless of my visibility, I was proud of still pushing myself to do the hike, even if it wasn’t the smartest decision. The final night at the campsite I spent cuddled up to a movie in bed with Dobby as the rain continued to pour down on the trees surrounding us. 

I woke up to clearer skies, which made me excited because I was hoping to spend the day biking around the carriage roads throughout the park. I had to check out of my campsite in the morning, so I packed everything up and drove to the visitor center to get my lunch packed and bike set up. The carriage roads were originally built in the park using a donation from Rockefeller because he wanted to have a way to go around the park without having to share the roads with cars. Insanely cool roads, but the markers for the trails were impossible for me to understand. I took multiple wrong turns, but Dobby was loving his extra breeze from sitting in my backpack and going up and down the hills. My legs were workin hard and the views were worth it. Acadia is definitely high on my list of favorite parks. 

It was time to start making my way down the East Coast with a few pit stops on my way to Salem, Massachusetts!

DropBox link for pictures: Acadia NP

Green Mountain National Forest and Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Site - Vermont

To say I was disappointed when I arrived to the Vermont border and was not greeted with a hug from Bernie Sanders would be an understatement. However, I know his oligarchy fightin' ass has a great excuse for why he wasn’t. 

I have been very excited to see the Northeast and experience the wilderness of New England. I have been reading a book called The Golden Spruce, which in it has mentions of the logging industry in the Northeast. It made me crave seeing what’s left of these forests even more. As I started driving toward the next campsite in the Green Mountain National Forest, I was imagining the size the trees taken hundreds of years ago would be. I think they were comparable to the trees of Northern California at one point. Today they are little skinny trunks, but I could see them making their comeback. I had originally found a dispersed spot on an app I use, but when I arrived all the areas were occupied, so I had to look a little bit more and find another place to try. An hour later, Dobby and I found a great place tucked in the woods. Even better, no service. 

Devices, they have such a grip! Sometimes my body and mind need it to be taken so I am left with no option to choose the ease and mindlessness. Make my mind work and think, see what happens. 

Well, what happened was a lot of reading and crafting. I let myself just exist. I didn’t care what I did with my days or what time it was, I just was. I was sitting in pure happiness because I was sitting in a judgement-free state of being. I had instances of debating what I could do to be “productive” and then I would make myself go outside and just listen for a second to the trees and birds, then continue to just be. 

Productivity is

breathing

seeing

listening

being. 

As I was driving around originally searching for a place to camp, I noticed that I was coincidentally near multiple entrances onto the Appalachian Trail so I wanted to check it out! I started on a trailhead of the AT toward Stratton Mountain. As I have been camping in the Green Mountains, the bugs have come out to play. When I was approaching the trailhead, I noticed a fellow hiker who seemed to be on the trek of completing the AT, given all his gear he had. I saw the mesh covering draping his whole head, and was made a little uneasy by how many bugs I was about to encounter. I tried as hard as I could to complete the trail, but those gnats and mosquitoes won that round. After completing about ⅔ of the hike, I turned around with Dobby and quickly returned to the car while swatting gnats away with my hat like a mad man. I didn’t realize the privilege I had living in the climate of the West Coast. 

Once I returned to camp, it was time to plan the next adventure in Vermont. I noticed on my National Parks app that there was a historical site called the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. When I arrived, the park visitor centers were closed, but Billings Farm was open, so I decided to check it out. The worker let me slide in free admission since it was going to be closing within a couple of hours, which was clutch! I was able to see a tour of the dairy farm and met a few calves, which was educational but difficult as someone who isn’t a big fan of the dairy industry. It was interesting to see a small historical farm continuing the business it has been doing for a couple hundred years though. 

After seeing the farm and checking out the museum, Dobby and I took one more walk before finding a place to sleep for the night as I moved on towards Maine. 

DropBox link for pictures: Green Mountain NF

Niagara Falls State Park - New York

So I guess Niagara Falls is in New York, which was convenient as fuck! I did mention previously, my geography is a little iffy, which is slightly worrying since I am navigating my way through a country I have not ventured much into. Anyway, it made it easy for me to find where I wanted to stop! I was searching around on my maps on my phone and saw how close Niagara Falls was to the route I was planning to take to Acadia, making it just as enticing. 

I found a campground called Four Mile Creek which was on Lake Ontario, only 20 minutes from the Falls. Since the weather wasn’t great, and it was the middle of the week, I was hoping rolling up without a reservation wouldn’t be too big an issue. As the women at the front desk were debating which spot would give me the best views, I was just trying to hold back my smile about how cool it was to hear their accents in person and not in a movie. After they hooked me up big time with a solid spot, I took Dobby on a walk to enjoy the breeze by the water before my shift at work began. I don’t think the random views I have for work will ever become old. I love it. 

The next day, I planned to check out Niagara Falls on the Maid of the Mist boat. This has been one of my dreams since watching Pam and Jim’s wedding from the Office, and I made it my reality. Despite the weather being pretty gloomy and raining on and off, I embraced my PNW attitude and went for the tour. The souvenir poncho doesn’t do shit, but hey, it’s part of the experience, so I put it on and heard it whipping rapidly against my face as the boat drove closer to the roaring water. As our boat was approaching the falls, the Canadians were returning to their dock on their side of the border. It took all of my will to not rip my blue poncho off and jump into the water to swim toward the red poncho-filled boat of Canadians. One day, but it’s not today. I loved going on the tour and I could imagine on a sunny day how mesmerizing it would look with the mist. I took my jumping picture by the Falls and headed back home for a good swing in the hammock with my book. 

Thank you, Niagara Falls, for being such a wonderful unexpected stop on my journey. I want to return, and I will. For now, continuing on toward Maine with a stop in Vermont next! 

DropBox Link for Niagara Falls: Niagara Falls State Park

Indiana Sand Dunes National Park (plus some) - Colorado, Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana

A trend in this experience has been my angst about going farther and farther from the West Coast. I love Colorado, and I will definitely make my way back. I will just be waiting for it to get a little less muddy. I was planning to make my last stop in Colorado as I made my way towards the East. At this point, I was constantly checking the weather around the country, because storms were beginning around the Midwest and South. I knew my next stop from Colorado was to Indiana Sand Dunes, but after that stop I was conflicted. 

Leaving the mountains of the Great Sand Dunes was hard, and the more into eastern Colorado I got, the more the drive began to look how I assumed my drives through Nebraska and Iowa would look. We were able to find a place to stop at Prewitt Reservoir in Akron, Colorado en route to Indiana. I stopped for a few nights to wait for the high winds to pass by. I found the home to dozens of birds who would chatter from sun up to sun down. It was also the perfect place for Dobby and I to practice going on some off-leash runs, which he is getting so good at! I’m so grateful he’s here with me. 

After some sleepless nights from the wind shaking my home, it was time to leave the borders of Colorado. I desperately wanted to make it to Chicago in a couple of days because the Cubs would be leaving their home stretch of games soon, and it has been a dream of mine to watch a game at Wrigley Field. I stopped in Nebraska after a long day of driving along flat grassy roads. I was able to find a Planet Fitness and a truck stop close by to spend the night.

In the middle of the night, I woke up to hear Dobby making some weird sounds when he was breathing. He tends to get allergies each season, but this sounded and looked so different in the moment. After trying different remedies that had worked for him in the past, he started to have shallow breathes that sent me into a panic. I looked up the closest emergency vet, and it was… an hour away. As I was holding Dobby in my lap and telling him as calmly as I could that he was fine and this was all going to be nothing, I sat and imagined so many people in rural parts of the country (similar to where I was) who were having to experience this with their human child. It was gut-wrenching and a reminder of the healthcare system in this country. Fellow humans needing to drive hours to access doctors in an emergency is our reality. 

We arrived as quickly as I could, and they took a look at Dobby. He was able to get a shot of steroids and some allergy medications to take home, but luckily it was not anything serious. He just likes to be a little dramatic and keep me on my toes. 

After seeing tornadoes on the weather tracker making their way closer to my location, I got ready to continue on toward Illinois. I breezed through Iowa in the day and stopped about 2 hours outside of Chicago at another truck stop for the night. The next morning, Dobby and I watched some Cubs fans pour out of a luxury van at the truck stop loading up on some snacks. It made me feel so close to the city! We made our way to a dog park first to let Dobby run around, then headed to the hotel I reserved for the night. I’ve noticed that cities are difficult to stay in unless I know someone that has a place I can park, so to make life a little easier for me, I decided a hotel for a night would be a nice treat so I can explore the city without any anxiety. These are instances I can imagine having a van rather than a trailer would be nice because of the discreetness, but I wouldn’t trade The Tank for the world. I was able to get checked in early and got Dobby cuddled up to some Friends on the hotel TV and a comfy bed while I checked out what Chi Town is all about. 

When I’m parked somewhere for a single night I like to keep Tommy and The Tank hitched so the morning is easier and faster to leave. Because they were parked at the hotel, I decided I would use good ol’ public transportation to get around the city. The moment I started riding the train, I could feel the energy people talk about when they’re in Chicago. It’s a vibe. It reminded me of Oakland, and I was smiling ear to ear with the comfort. I was only spending one day walking around, so I hit the major tourist spots around Millennium Park while hitting the blunt. After a slice by the water, I headed back to Dobby.

First thing in the morning I needed to get my hotel waffles, which have been my favorite thing about staying at a hotel since I was a kid. After I was fueled up, it was time to drive to Indiana to the Indiana Sand Dunes! It was only about an hour away from Chicago, so the drive was nice and easy.  Like I was saying before, finding dispersed camping has been more difficult the farther east I go, so I decided to book a campsite at the national park campgrounds for a few nights and wow was I happy. It was so beautiful and had a ton of room! I almost wish I could’ve held a little party with how much space it had. I set up camp as quickly as I could, but then it was time for me to BACK to Chicago so I could finally make it to a Cubs game! I didn’t care if it was going to be over 3 hours of driving for a baseball game, it would be worth it. And it was! Wrigley field, you are something special. I felt the history on the steps and in that ivy-lined wall. After the Cubs got the W, and the crowd started singing, I got chills and teary-eyed at the love we all have for the game regardless of where we come from. 

Luckily, when I woke up the next morning, the rain was holding off. That meant Dobby and I could take a bike ride to the dunes and enjoy the beach. One of the biggest perks to camping at a national park campground is that you’re already in the park, no need to drive in from a dispersed spot! When Dobby and I started running down the sand dunes toward the water, I was shocked at the strength this LAKE had. As I was staring at the waves, I couldn’t believe it’s called Lake Michigan and not the Atlantic Ocean. To Dobby, sand is sand and water is water. He didn’t care, he was going to sprint around while his tongue hung out no matter what, and I joined him. We ran, played, ate lunch, and listened to the water. That night, I made a fire for the first time in a while (the rain and wind had been too gnarly to let me enjoy the flames) and enjoyed the smell of the wood burning. 

Midwest, you were pretty dope and extremely friendly. I found more than I anticipated and I am grateful for it all. 

After worrying about the storms going on throughout Kentucky and Tennessee, I decided to wait for the Great Smokey Mountains and make my way toward Acadia in Maine instead! I guess that means the next stop will be New York? Let’s see…

DropBox Link for Pictures: Prewitt Reservoir and Illinois and Indiana

Great Sand Dunes National Park - Colorado

On the way to the Great Sand Dunes, I wanted to make a pitstop at Pagosa Springs to cut the drive into two days. I am forever grateful I made that stop. For anyone who has not gone into this magical place, the woods here are otherworldly. Since being on the road I do appreciate and love where I am from and my roots. The redwood and Eucalyptus trees that surrounded me are beautiful. I am also appreciating the variety in the terrains I am encountering. Although the trees surrounding me in Pagosa Springs weren’t towering over me like the Redwoodf Forest, it still took my breathe away just in a different type of magical way. 

Pagosa Springs was my second match with mud, and Tommy and the Tank did a slithery ride to our campsite. It is still fun seeing just all the things Tommy and I can do. When I settled in for the night I was slightly nervous with how much water was around from the recent rain. It was just a pit stop though, so one night would be fine. I had recently been frustrated with myself and how much I had been using my phone and relying on communication. It was perfect timing for having these thoughts on the drive to camp because when I settled in and reached for my phone, I had no service and chuckled to myself. It was a nice night spent in solitude. Feet in the mud type of good! 

The next day it was time to head out to the RV park I reserved so I could get the weekly routine done laundry, shower, groceries, and work. I do get slightly bummed how often I am staying in these camp sites, but I really don’t want to use wifi from a Nazi. I started to research some options of wifi hotspots so I can at least be slightly in solitude even though I wouldn’t be “off grid”. As I was having these contemplations in my head, I started to notice how wet it was around my truck tires from rain that happened over night. I was starting to get a little nervous for if I would make to out of the mud with the trailer, since the way in was already a little sketchy. I knew though coming in, Tommy wasn’t even close to his max so deep down I knew we would be good. We were able to get out first try and it was so fucking fun. If Dobby wasn’t sitting as my passenger and my home wasn’t attached to the truck I would’ve gone for a wild drive. We made it to camp at Base Camp in Alamosa just a little ways from Great Sand Dunes. It was a beautiful view of the snow capped mountains surrounding me for the night. 

After the night of cozy amenities, Dobby and I took off just down the road to a dispersed spot pretty close to the baee of Mt. Blanca. I think that has been my favorite view from my window so far on this trip. As I was putting together the fire pit, I thought I had cut my toe on a rock from the instant burn that happened and the red dot that appeared when I looked down. Oh no, this is just a red ant biting the fuck out of my toe right now. After pulling the little fucker off I was walking around in pain trying to remember the purpose for ants in this ecosystem. I got to camp pretty early in the day  so was hoping I could rent a sand board and check out the small dunes in the park. Unfortunately I noticed some rain was coming in. I decided to just relax, embrace the views for the day and a book.

For my day in the national park, I wanted to hike the High Dune, which is one of the tallest dunes in the park but is not the highest. I was excited to see what the dunes actually looked like and was shocked at how much sand could be here since I was surrounded by so many rocky mountains. As I was getting closer to the park, I could see the sand slowly rise up. It is quite a site. The hike itself was tough but rewarding and fun. When I got to the top of High Dune, I could see the tallest dune in the park, Star Dune, and I needed to just keep going to get to the top of that. I ate my sandwich filled with sand at the top of the highest dune in the country. That was dope. I loved the park and and camp, but it was time to part ways for now. 

Our next stop for National Parks will be the Indiana Sand Dunes, but maybe we’ll make a few pit stops on the way… 

DropBox Link for Great Sand Dunes: Great Sand Dunes NP

Mesa Verde National Park - Colorado

I have been really looking forward to going to this park. Within the boundaries of the National Park they have found over 600 pueblos that still exist in cave dwellings from around 1100. It was worth the trek through the snowy San Juan Mountains to get to the campsite. It was one with beautiful sunsets out my window. 

The first day I spent hiking the petroglyph trail in the park and saw the dwellings from a distance. I hadn’t been that cold on a hike in a while, but I brought the layers back out of the winter box for the day. All I could imagine the entire time was walking these slippery rocks with a deer on my back, hoping I didn’t fall over or loose the next three meals. Humans were astonishingly fearless to me. 

The second day, I had a pass to go on a ranger-guided tour down to the cliff dwellings. I chose Cliff Palace, and I was very happy with my choice. It was the first ranger-guided tour I have gone on since this National Parks tour of mine. I was excited to be alone and indulge in people watching. I heard murmurs of people discussing previous times they came when you didn’t need a ranger to access the cliff dwellings. They mentioned someone spray-painting something on one of the structures. After listening to all the speculation, I was happy to hear we aren’t allowed access freely to such a sacred land. The ranger on the tour appreciated the land as well, which made it so enjoyable. Shout out to Ranger Bonnie! It was silencing to walk among the kivas and charred rock from all the fires keeping families warm or lighting the ceremony. If you are ever in Colorado, venture here and you will not have one regret. The visitor center alone is one of the coolest I have seen so far, and also houses the research center for the park. 

After a few nights we gotta just keep moving! Dobby and I saddled up and began the drive toward Great Sand Dunes National Park! But first Pagosa Springs… 

DropBox Link for Mesa Verde Pictures: Mesa Verde NP

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park - Colorado

As I was driving into Colorado, I decided to stop in Grand Junction to have a reset day. I booked a RV site for the first time in a while, since I could dump the trailer, get a shower, do my laundry, and have wifi, so I could work. Luckily, it was pretty even pavement, so I didn’t have any trouble just staying hitched. It was right on the Colorado River, which made my walk with Dobby on my break so blissful. 

The next day, I packed up and headed to a couple of trailer parts stores to get the tongue hitch replaced. This jack seems not to be in stock anywhere in Grand Junction. But I am just flowing. 

I fucking hate Jeff Bezos and I try as hard as I can not to use Amazon, but fuck that turned out to be my only option. I ordered the tongue jack and decided to continue leaving the trailer hitched to the truck until it arrived. 

As I was arriving closer to Black Canyon, I saw a trailer store and thought on a whim they may just fucking have the tongue jack. I pulled up and was able to get the part! Fuck Amazon, now I have to return the other one. 

Dobby and I were feeling good going with the flow! We arrived at some BLM land outside of Black Canyon National Park. I was warned about the mud, and damn Colorado, you hit me with the mud day three. I was able to get Tommy and The Tank tucked in some Juniper Trees and threw the hammock up. This is what it’s all about. The birds, the breeze, the pages of my book rubbing against my fingers, and Dobby swaying away with me. 

After lots of hiking and driving, I decided to take a day to just be home and take care of a few things on The Tank. It was nice to be putting my energy into my home on wheels. I think it tightens our bond. 

The next day, I explored Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. It was a day full of sun, wind, and rain. After not being able to get a permit for the trail I initially planned to go on, I had to get a permit for the longer, and apparently slightly more difficult, trail to the bottom of the canyon. The ranger had said that there hadn’t been rain, so the trail shouldn’t be too slick, but he didn’t know that I bring the rain with me. After making it 2,000 feet down out of the 3,000, I turned around. I hear the river running through the bottom of the canyon is breathtaking and one day I’ll see it, but not today. It was tough! It made the Grand Canyon feel like a fun stroll. 

After a very exciting and quick trip, it was time to continue south to Mesa Verde National Park! 

DropBox Link for Black Canyon: Black Canyon NP

Arches National Park - Utah

I found another camp site off the highway in Moab on Klondike Bluffs Trail about 20 minutes from the entrance to the park. It was a popular spot that had its nights filled with fellow travelers blasting ABBA and Amy Winehouse. If I was more extraverted I probably would’ve joined, but I admired from afar. I found a couple of places to call on the next day about my brakes, since I had to wait until Monday for places to be open. 

Monday I made my way into town in Moab and stopped at a shop that quickly turned me away. After a couple of calls going to voicemail, I stumbled upon a small shop while I was driving trying to get help. I pulled in and got help right away from my fellow latino. After recent experiences throughout my time in Utah, I felt safe and delighted to have familiarity. Right away, my homie took the keys and got my stuck brake caliper all fixed up with new brake pads. Tommy was feeling nice and smooth after that awesome treatment. Shout out to MCJ Tire and Auto Repair for the speedy fix. From there it was time for a reset day of laundry and groceries. 

The next day I made my way to Arches National Park where I went on the Devil’s Garden Trail, which I highly recommend! There were about 9 arches throughout the hike to explore, which had some rock scrambling making the blood pump. My favorite arch was the Navajo Arch, which was tucked away, and the Dark Angel rock formation. That rock is one that you know exactly why it has the name. Previously to this park, I was being quite negative about Utah, but I did speak too soon. I enjoyed the town of Moab, which seemed to just be filled with other nomads enjoying all that this world has to offer. Inside the park I could appreciate the timed entries, making it way less crowded than other parks I’ve been to. Arches, you have made it to the top of my list of favorite National Parks. 

My time in Utah was ending on a positive and left me optimistic about my next adventures to come in Colorado. Time to hitch up and head out!

Oh wait… never mind. The tongue jack crank stripped when I tried to crank it when it was stuck in a slanted position. Instead of hitting the road quickly, it was time to use the carjack and stabilizers to take this tongue jack off the trailer so I can get the fuck out of this state. 

Just flow. 

I take the jack off and successfully hitched The Tank onto Tommy, and we were off to Grand Junction, Colorado! A quick stop before heading to Black Canyon National Park. 

DropBox Link for Arches National Park: Arches NP