Road Trip

[Whytewulf]

Well if any of you all remember me.. I am back from my "Journey". I just took 3 months off of work and took a nice 8K mile road trip. Not the best time to do it mind you with gas prices at an all time high, natural disasters around every corner and the job market slowing down. But oh well I did it and I loved it. Just for those that missed a post I made a little over 3 months ago, I didn't actually get time off to do this, I quick my job (was a bit tired of it), my apt lease was over, girlfriend and I decided it was time to see other people (or at least not each other), and needed new stuff, so I sold it or donated 95% of my things.

Anyway (and this may get wordy or may not).. I left the Dallas area On July 30th and headed off to Arizona, stopping in New Mexico, Carslbad was pretty nifty, hit the mountains north of Phoenix,(Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott), then hit Phoenix again (Family there), drove to Vegas (actually won), stayed at the Bellagio and that place is amazing. Then hit Phoenix again, to pick up a few things, say goodbye and off I was visiting the unknown lands of the West and Northwest.

The Big journey started as drove to San Diego and all the way up the Coast to Vancouver. Stopping along the way to visit old friends, meet some new ones and wander around. It took about 5 weeks, hitting many major moutains and forrests, like Mt. Hood, Mt Shasta, Big Bear, Mt. St. Helens, Mt Olympus, Mt. Rainer, and many others. Hit the Oregon Cliff Beaches, Ape Cave, Puget Sound, LA Traffic and got nearly strip searched crossing into Canada. Note to those going to Canada, don't do it with no job, no home, all your possesions in your truck, no reservations and know no one up there. They don't think you are coming back. :)

Coming down through Spokane, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and More of Arizona, I saw some awesome places, Lewis and Clark Caverns, Yellowstone, Zion Canyon, the Gran Canyon, Salt Lake, Bear Lake and some small towns that fightened me a bit. Also, open ranges in Wyoming are the bane of driving fast, even with a Big Cattle/Brush Guard. Saw some people who really seemed to want me to take them with me, escape the small towns for big city life. Or the people in the Big City wanting me to help them escape to Nature.

Stopped in Phoenix, Arizona again (have to see the Niece and Nephew, dang they grow quick) and started looking for a job as no income and fast outcome is bad. :) Found one, maybe too quick, and hopped back to Texas. Alas here I sit in Plano (north of Dallas) working for a big corp again, but a bit happier, a bit more relaxed, a bit more understanding and wishing I could be near more nature and alas.. even a bit of a better paycheck.. WOO HOO....Though when it happens who knows..:)

Hope all is well and I wish you all could take an awesome journey as such. Got great photos, videos and places to go back to. And soon I hope.

-Wulf

[Erling E.]

Sounds like you had a fantastic journey, and did something everybody wants to do, but few have the guts to actually make happen.

Excellent!

[Whytewulf]

Thanks Man.. And I came very close to taking up on your offer to visit up in Norway.. I still may someday.. But I just bought a recliner and nice TV.. I wanna break it in first. :)

[Erling E.]

The door is always open. :-)

(Well, actually it is probably locked, but you know what I mean!)

[Whytewulf]

Ok.. I will knock first. :)

[Soria]

Sounds like fun man.

[Whytewulf]

It rocked.. I wanna go again. I need to win this $192 million dollar jackpot.

[Rifter]

I was in Vancouver just a couple of weekends ago, myself! How far up here in Canada did you get? Did you get a chance to check out the Rockies up here at all? I know it sounds dumb, but they're actually a lot different than they are across the border.

[Fyrie]

We took my mother in law to Banff - smack dab in the middle of the Canadian part of the Rockies. She looked around and said "These mountains are nice but they just don't compare to the Rockies." She was none to pleased to find out that they WERE the Rockies as well. She believed that they only existed in the U.S.

Sounds like a great trip and the Vancouver area is really in a league of it's own in the world. BC should stand for "Beautiful Country" instead of British Columbia.

[Whytewulf]

Sad to say, that Vancouver was kind of the disappointing part of the trip. I had some problems with my hotel, the customs part was annoying, big ole Tahoe's didn't seem to fit well on the streets of the Vancouver. My mistake was not knowing anyone or not find someone up there. I would like to go back. I really enjoyed the NorthWest. Standing in the rain on Mt. Rainer was just awesome.

[Rifter]

I like Banff, but I don't consider it to be the best place to go if you're trying to experience the Rockies. There's a few off-road trails you can take (if your vehicle can sustain the abuse) that really show the true essence of their vastness. Waterton Lakes National Park, as well, is probably one of the most pristine examples of their beauty, as it isn't all urbanized and pampered like Banff is.

Sorry the customs guys gave you so much grief, Whytewulf. They've had to step up security at the border, because they've taken so much flack over the last five years, (even though it's not actually Canadian customs who allow people to cross the border into the U.S.) Some of them can just be power-tripping jerks, too. If you ever get the chance to come back up here, come check out the Albertan side. Your SUV will fit perfectly on our roads, of that I am certain.

[Whytewulf]

It happens.. Though the border guard was kind of cute, even with the guns, bullet proof vest, and snarl. :)