Tag: travel

Palm Desert Paradise: Joshua Tree, White Water Preserve & Botanical Gardens.

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Joshua Tree national park is one of our favorite parks for many reasons. It’s sunny, dry and has a spiritual aura about it that leaves you in a blissed out state of being. We also found a hidden gem called the White Water Preserve. I’ll share more on that piece of paradise soon.

Our first experience with Joshua Tree was back in 2019 during the super bloom. I highly recommend traveling through the park when the dead desert floor is beaming with life and color. This time around, no super bloom, but nonetheless had a wonderful day exploring the park north to south side. Keep an eye out for the super bloom experiences! They usually happen in March or April, but not every year. If and when there is a rainy winter, the likelihood of a super bloom happening are high!

Super bloom 2019

The best way to tour the park is with a vehicle. There is camping inside the park, and free BLM camping at the south end right outside the park. If you are more of a hotel motel kinda traveler you can stay in the towns of Yucca Valley, Twentynine palms or as far out as Palm Springs (about an hour away).

Our first trip we stayed in Palm Springs, this trip we traveled through in our camper van and camped in the Palm Desert. You can easily spend a week or more hiking and exploring through the park. We only had one day to tour and we brought our doggo Gypsy.

Dogs aren’t allowed to walk within 100 yards from the road, which means you can’t take them on many of the hiking trails. We had a doggy backpack and were able to walk a bit with her on off roads that allowed dogs. If you don’t have a dog, the park is free to roam. They also have a dog boarding place right at the north end of the park. More information about dogs in the park on their website https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/pets.htm

Since we have been here before, and did most of the hikes we wanted to in 2019. This time around we enjoyed simple .5- 1 mile nature walks exploring the trippy, out of this world landscape. The north end of the park has most of the Joshua Trees and funky boulder and rock formations. The south end of the park you get to see Cholla cacti, Ocotillo’s, mountains and some smaller canyons. 

Definitely pack a lunch, snacks and drinks and enjoy your day or longer stay! Soak up the incredible landscape, it feeds your soul with much healing, awe and wonder. 

The next weekend we discovered an absolute gem in the Palm desert called the White Water preserve. Here, you can hike with your beloved furry family member on some of the trails.

We hiked a 3.7 mile trail called the Canyon View loop trailhttps://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/whitewater-canyon-view-loop-trail This was just a perfect hike! What I mean by that it had a fantastic balance of mountains, desert, rivers, flora and fauna. It’s just challenging enough to feel like you got worked, but no so over the top where you feel dead by the time you reach the mountain top. Did I mention you can bring your doggo?

Our little 20 lb. Frenchie crushed the hike! She loved it. I was super impressed she bulldogged through all 3.7 miles, we were half prepared to carry her 1/2 the way. We definitely wore her out for the rest of the afternoon though.

The Pacific Crest Trail also intersects the whitewater preserve; and there are many other options for hiking and exploring in that area as well. If you are traveling during the weekends, make sure to get there before 9:00a as parking is limited. It’s also the desert! So it can get hot! Best time to visit is early spring, late fall and winter.

As an added nature bonus, If you are cruising through the city of Palm Springs check out the botanical gardens! I have never seen such a wide variety of cacti and desert plants from different regions. If you are into unique plants and colorful hummingbirds this is a must stop in the desert.
Ps: You can bring your pup too! http://www.moortenbotanicalgarden.com/




Enjoy the journey, and never stop exploring!

The Wild Wild Wild West: Lone Pine & The Alabama Hills.

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A wild adventure took us to Lone Pine California for 5 nights, 6 days. We found this location sort of by accident, if anything is ever truly an accident. We were heading south; moving from the Sacramento area to San Diego and looking for a few epic stopping points along the journey to our new Southern California homestead. 

I found this location while scoping out free to cheap BLM camping near the desert of Southern California. Popped up on my Pinterest page one evening was this gorgeous shot of snow capped rugged mountains and out of this world boulder rock formations. I explored further and it guided me to the town of Lone Pine California to a place called the Alabama hills. 

The Alabama hills is a destination for cinematographers and movie buffs alike as hundreds of movies from the 1940’s to present were filmed at these iconic desert meets the mountain locations. 

There are 2 camping options there; The Alabama hills recreation area and Tuttle creek campground. Both are owned by the bureau of land management (BLM) in which you can camp up to 14 consecutive days for free to upwards of 5$ a night. Rates go up a bit at tuttle creek during high season April-September. 

We decided to stay at the Tuttle creek campground as it seemed less busy than the Alabama hills recreation land. Also for that 5$ a night you got pit toilets, garbage cans, fire ring and a picnic table. The other location is authentic bare bones boondocking. Both are wonderful options.

Since it was off season, February- the water and sewage dump station were not available. We packed in all we needed; water, food and propane to have a comfortable stay.

We posted up in site #26 towards the back of the campground. It had absolutely gorgeous, unobstructed views of the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The grounds were maybe 10% full of campers, it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. 

The first couple nights the weather behaved. It would be in the high 50’s-low 60’s during the day. The evenings were another story; 27-38*. We traveled in a camper van with heat, which made those evening temps more manageable. But nonetheless, it got cold!

This is a interesting landscape! It is a valley that sits right between the Sierra Nevada mountains and Death Valley national park. The location is the dry side of the Sierra mountain range.  Very low humidity, and dry sweeping winds that chap your face and lips raw in a matter of days. 

We were able to work from our campsite. The Verizon signal was decent and the wifi was very good. On our days off we played at the Alabama Hills recreation area and did some lovely hikes with our dog Gypsy. The day we hiked, was probably the nicest day we were there, almost warm! We hiked the trail to the famous arch that framed Mount Whitney. There are tons of little arches forming too. It’s fun to scope out the landscape and see if you can spot any arches in the rocks; large and small. 

The last 2 nights of our stay, a bitter cold, unforgiving windstorm rolled in. It shook our van all night, and on the second night it froze our propane lines. We all dog piled up with wool blankets to stay warm. We ran out of heat, and our van got down to 48* at night. In the morning we had to cook breakfast outside in the 30* temps. 

The fun part of the windstorm was that we watched the 80’s classic  “Tremors” while the wind howled and shook our van. Tremors was filmed right at the place we camped and explored in the Alabama hills area.

By Friday morning we were ice cold and sleep deprived. We had a wonderful stay, however it was time to head further south to warmer temperatures. 

On our way out of Lone Pine we stopped to get some comfort food at the Alabama Hills bakery and cafe. The cafe got great reviews and didn’t disappoint! Decided to splurge a bit, ordered the breakfast burrito and the peach-berry coffee cake. It was a great way to end a wonderful adventure through the rugged, eastern tip of the infamous Sierra Nevada mountain range. 

No wonder so many old west flicks were filmed here. By the end I felt like a real modern day cowgirl exploring the final frontiers of the west.

2020 release & reflections

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2020 was a incredible year for upheaval, awakening, change and shedding light on personal, cultural and global issues, dysfunctions and imbalances. In my life time, I have definitely gone through my own trials and transformations, but to do so along side the world at large was a wild, crazy and enlightening experience. 

From a global pandemic, political, economical and environmental challenges. I don’t think anyone could catch a break or a breath edge wise. We all were truly hanging on by the seat of our pants, with lots of “oh fu@&s!” and anticipations. 

In my little world, I lost jobs, switched careers, taught Yoga online, quit teaching yoga, started a you-tube channel, taught yoga again with masks and social distancing, rebranded my business, started a new job wellness coaching at a doctors office, got married, went on honeymoon, bought a sprinter van, traveled all over california, gained weight, lost weight, landed somewhere in the middle. I had a few health scares, my dog had a health scare, I made mistakes, I forgave, sold and gave away half our belongings, and planned and packed a move to Southern California in early 2021. 

I don’t know if I am a glass half empty or glass half full kinda gal.. it depends! But I do believe in balance, universal sovereignty, and the power of love and believing all will work out for the greater good. This year was a mega soul booster, propelling us in to new dimensions of seeing and new paradigms of being.   

I don’t expect the clock to strike 12:00a tonight and poof! 2021 all my problems and anxieties will disappear. But I do feel a flood of hope, new beginnings and healing coming into being. I am grateful for my family’s health and well-being, and all the challenging lessons and upheavals in 2020. Which in hindsight, guided myself and family closer together and moved us forward to our place and purpose.

I am looking forward to new adventures, challenges, blessings and whatever 2021 is ready and willing to dish out. Cheers to a year that propelled our growth and a humble bow to a new year drawing us more near to hope and healing.

I’ll end the post with a poem that helps reflect upon and digest 2020 in a metaphorical nutshell, Enjoy!

Peace, love and health,

Brittany

“fighting the instrument” By: Mark Nepo


Lose yourself to find yourself in Big Sur, Ca.

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California has many iconic locations along the coastline, HWY 1. From the Redwoods in Humbolt county all the way down to San Diego, there is something inspiring for the new and seasoned traveler alike. One of my all time favorite locations is Big Sur California. Big Sur is located south of Monterey Bay and Carmel about 30 minutes down the epic HWY 1. With sweeping coastlines tucked between the hills and redwood trees and the sheer drop offs is a magical paradise that feels like you have been transported to a national geographic documentary.

We camped in our 23 ft sprinter van at the Riverside Campground South of Andrew Molera state park. We woke up to views and sounds of a flowing river surrounded by old sacred redwoods and fall colored leaves. Sunlight dancing through the trees, and the almost full moon peaking through coastal clouds. I love the simplicity of having all you need with you and the freedom to explore. Surrounded by nature; less noise and city energy. A quietude my soul often longs for but doesn't get enough of.

I have always been a vagabond, a traveler searching for truth. Not that the truths I am seeking are located at some destination, rather the exploration of self, broadening of my perspective often guides me to the answer I seek in the moment. The caveat is the answer I find is transient, ever expanding knowledge that shifts as I shift, and moves as I move. I have learned to not get attached to what I find, inside and outside of myself. Maybe that is the allure of traveling, the constant unfolding, learning and novelty of the new and the now.

In Big Sur, there are only a few beaches you can actually walk down and on. Most of the ocean experiences are spent cliff side, looking down 100 ft + edges to untouched, pristine bliss. One of our favorite things to do is drive down HWY 1 and intuitively choose a pull off to stop at. And they are everywhere! We ended up spending a couple hours at a pull off with stunning views of turquoise waters, rock formations galore and and waves crashing right on the shore. Creating sea foam, abstract patterns I could get lost in.

Heading back to camp on the first day, we stopped at the famous McWay Falls. It is literally a waterfall dropping into a tropical looking turquoise colored cove. Staring at it takes you somewhere beyond and otherworldly. The best way to end the day is finding another pull out, grabbing your favorite drink and snack and watching the sea gulp up the sun.

Garrapata beach is a walkable beach just south of Carmel about 20 minutes. luscious white sand beach about a mile long end to end. It is dog friendly too! Surfers abound with head to foot thick wet suits, surfing 6 foot waves dancing along the rip curls dip, diving and dodging. Even on a busier day (weekends) You can nestle up to a private cove and just soak it all in. We spent close to 2 hours here relaxed and sunned. Deeply relaxing and nourishing.

Big Sur means the Big South. Many famous artists and writers from Jack Kerouac, Salvador Dali, John Steinbeck and more have traveled here for inspiration and deep soul searching. I liken the area to the Napali Coastline in Kauai Hawaii. It is a sight to be seen and cherished.

Places to stay in Big Sur are mostly campgrounds, boutique hotels and cabins. For more affordable options, stay in Monterey Bay a half hour north. Keep it simple! Pack a cooler with food, snacks and drinks, a few chairs and blankets. Give yourself a few days to get lost on one of the most iconic California coast lines.

Highlights of Big Sur: Andrew Molera state park, Point Lobos, Garrapata beach, Bixby bridge, Mcway falls, town of Lucia, Julia Pfeiffer state park and hidden beach. And MUCH more!

Have fun, be safe, and never stop exploring,

Rob, Brittany and Gypsy