Eugene, (OR)

Another exciting college visit at the University of Oregon. We stayed with Candice who we know from our high school. We were so lucky to have such a welcoming place to stay. Candice and all her roommates were so kind to basically let us take over their living room. We were so happy we got the chance to see Morgan the day after she moved in. It was funny because she was just as new to the this place as we were. We also got a little campus tour from a Hayden, another good friend from back home. We had no idea how incredible the campus was, with brick buildings and the green...EVERYWHERE.

One day we went to this waffle place recommended to us called Off the Waffle. We are struggling to write about it now because it was was one of the most tasty treats we've eaten in a couple weeks. It was a Liege waffle covered with bananas, chocolate, and whip cream. Later that day a group of us went to the tailgate, and it was incredible to witness how much spirit and support this school has from students and alumni. On our last night it was pouring rain. The streets were covered in puddles and our clothes were soaked. We thought it was a normal Oregon night until someone told us this kind of rain this bad wasn't normal. We seem to be getting so lucky with all this weather!

Overall it was awesome to check out UO and Eugene- definitely a place to consider for next year!

Crater Lake Video, (OR)

Crater Lake National Park Video. Will have a post up about the last few days tomorrow!

http://youtu.be/5PvCDj5yq4Y

Crater Lake National Park, (OR)

Photo by: Elaina Keegan

Photo by: Elaina Keegan

         Crater Lake is a destination we have been dreaming about for a while and our expectations were far exceeded.

    On our first night it started pouring and in the morning when we got out of our tent it was snowing! We were not expecting a storm of this magnitude so we made ourselves at home at the national parks restaurant drinking coffee, reading and drawing. Even though we only bought coffee and stayed there for a lot longer than we should've (because we didn't buy a meal), none of the workers seemed to complained after realizing we were the last tent campers left. We even got a few free pieces of warm cornbread before heading back to our tent.

   The next night the rangers informed us that the snow would continue so we bundled up like crazy. We were not expecting to wake up in the middle of the night to our tent collapsing on top of us. Both feeling claustrophobic and not knowing how bad the storm would get, we set an alarm for every couple hours to knock the snow off. Stepping out of the tent the next morning was surreal; seeing everything coated in this fresh powder was beautiful. We didn't think seeing Crater Lake was an option because of the storm, but we stayed optimistic and drove up to the rim.  At the base, where we camped at 6,000 ft it was snowing and fogged in, but when we drove up to the rim at around 7,000 ft, there was blue skies! It was the most dramatic view we've seen on this trip so far.  

    Our trip to Crater Lake gave us our first lesson on how fast weather can change and We feel so lucky to have been able to witness such a drastic change of season in a matter of a few days- another reminder of how truly remarkable nature is. First snow of the trip came a little bit earlier than expected, but exploring Crater Lake with a fresh coat of powder made it all the more special.

Ashland (OR)

Ashland's usual....for us it was INSANE. Eleven deer just doing their thing.

Walking around we came across the Three Penny Tavern inspired by Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night' s Dream. Up on the loft there were 3 guys playing a mandolin, banjo, and a washboard. Such a unique and lively sound!

Three nights and six coffee shops later we are headed off from our longest stop so far. Ashland, Oregon hadn’t always been a definite stop along the way, but after visiting and exploring the town, we are so grateful we had.

    The town is full of life and music. Just roaming around the town we ran into an incredible festival celebrating the equinox and the arrival of the homegrown harvest season. It was a small gathering started by locals committed to providing their families and community with non-gmo foods. Local musicians played at the gathering, while people danced around on the field. We are both so thankful that we stumbled across this gathering- its incredible to see that a small town could acquire so much life.

   Ashland is a very outdoor focused town- our original plan was to go outdoor climbing but the weather did not agree. Luckily we were able to spend a full day at the local rock gym slacklining, climbing and messing around. As awesome as it was to have a day back at a rock gym, it made us miss our rock gym at home.

Mt. Shasta (CA)

Had another late start to our next destination. We are quickly learning scrambling to find a campsite will only lead  to settling for an overpriced KOA filled with RVs and located right against a railroad track. As long as it is a safe place to sleep we aren't complaining. :) We made a yummy meal of lentils, veggies, and hot cocoa- loving the meals we have been throwing together on the road(that or our taste buds have become a lot less picky).

The next morning we went off to find a hike that was suggested by a local, but once we started getting lost on a road we realized it was a hidden gem for those that knew the area. We decided to keep driving down this random road, and at the end we discovered the most peaceful lake surrounded by mountains and trees.  It was a perfect place to do yoga, and stretch out our bodies from the hike the day before. 

Lassen Volcanic National Park (CA)

We got a late start leaving for our first real night on our own at Lassen Volcanic National Park; arriving at dusk with no idea where we would be sleeping that night.  By the time we found a nice campsite it was dark and just as we started to set up the tent it started to rain. Finally the rain stopped and being optimistic we decided to make a big pot of quinoa to use for leftovers only to have Elaina accidentally knock the whole thing over. To give a little perspective we had not eaten since our little peanut butter banana sandwiches 7 hours earlier… We used the rest of our quinoa to make our dinner and it turned out pretty darn good. 

View from scrambling rocks trying to find Eagle Peak

     The next morning we went to the visitors center to ask the ranger directions to the best place to rock climb in Lassen, eagle peak. We packed up all our climbing gear, and from the vague directions we were given, started on a trail that quickly disappeared. Since it was our first chance to climb on our trip we were stubborn and turned what was supposed to be a half mile trek into a 3 hour adventure. Ultimatley we found the area and were to get in a little bit of bouldering before we had to head back. On our way out we took the chance on another trail we saw and it ended up leading to the same parking lot but only took us 15 minutes!!

At the top!

    Thursday morning we hiked up Broke off Mountain and were rewarded with a killer 360 degree view of Mt Shasta and the whole park, including Mt Lassen. 

    

Lassen Video

Here's a video we put together from our adventures at Lassen Volcanic Nat'l Park!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0htLod2aO2k

Next stop... another college? (Chico, CA)

      

Our next stop after Sonoma was Chico State to visit and stay with our lovely friend Julia! Our second day there we meet up with our friend Dom to slack line and it felt like we were back home. Dom and Julia took us to a burger place called The Bear and it was the most wonderful veggie burger we have ever had- we will be dreaming about it the rest of the trip as we are eating our quinoa and lentils. 

(Sonoma, CA)

   Back on the road. Didn't realize how beautiful Sonoma State's campus was and getting to stay with one of our favorite people, Beeta, was such a treat! It was refreshing to have a day to just relax and explore the college after a hectic and exciting few days.

   We are humbled by the amount of work that goes into preparing for such a big trip. Fitting food, gear, and clothes for every type of weather condition and situation was definitely as hard as it sounds. It was weird leaving for the trip in shorts and a t-shirt with a car stuffed with winter jackets. Everything has its own place in the car, and even after a couple days we already have a routine for getting whatever it is out of the car. Getting into a groove!

And it begins...

Well we're off! It's been one year since we decided to take this year off after high school last September. After months of preparing and anxiously waiting for this exact day, we're finally hitting the road for our trip around the States and unbelievably stoked for our adventures ahead. Its hard to believe we're actually leaving the Bay Area after we've grown up here since we were little ones. Just got to our first stop to visit a friend!! We will see where the nights takes us.