This morning, we woke up at 7:30, ate a feast-like breakfast at the Best Western (including scrambled eggs, cereal/milk, waffles, and more) and then headed back toward LA. We arrived home at 4:30PM. Considering we left San Francisco Friday morning and are back in LA less than 6.5 days later, it’s been an action-filled and adventurous 7 days of road tripping with family and Tahoe.
This morning, we woke up at 3:45AM and left the AirBnB at 4:15AM. Following the recommendation of the visitor center in Moab, we decided to take a longer road to Bryce National Park, opting for the “2nd most beautiful road in the world.” (According to s Fox News web article)
By the time we reached Green River it was 6AM and there was plenty of daylight by the time we turned onto highway 24, a scenic byway that passes through beautiful scenery including Capitol Reef National Park. We arrived at Capitol Reef National Park at 8:30AM and hiked the Natural Bridge Trail which followed a rock wall marked with petroglyphs from over 1,500 years ago. After Natural Bridge, we stopped by the visitor center and at their recommendation we stopped by the Giffords House (an old ranch and farm inside the National Park) and picked up a freshly baked cinnamon roll and chocolate ice cream.
We then turned onto Highway 12 and continued along the beautiful road. During this part of the drive, we stopped at Kova Koffehouse, a remote coffee shop on highway 12 with a beautiful view.
At about 2PM we arrived at Bryce National Park and drove the entire length of the road inside the national park, visiting sunset viewpoint, Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, and so many other viewpoints.
Next, we visited Zion National Park, entering via Carmel Junction. Entering from the direction of Carmel Junction, we drove through a mile-long tunnel through a huge rock wall before descending down onto the canyon floor.
We drove and parked at the museum, and then boarded the shuttle into the main part of the National Park with Tahoe. We got off the shuttle at Zion Lodge, and dad and I hiked the Emerald Pool Trail. After returning to the lodge, we boarded the shuttle back to the museum and then drove to St George. We spent the night at at the Best Western in St George which was very comfortable.
This morning, we woke up at about 7AM and left the AirBnB at about 8AM. We stopped by a Starbucks for about an hour, before driving to City Creek Shopping Center and Temple Square. After walking around for a bit, we left Salt Lake City and drove about 4 hours to Arches National Park.
We arrived at Arches at about 3PM and drove all the way to end of the main road in the National Park. Unfortunately, the side road starting at Balanced Rock was closed but we were still able to visit some amazing scenery including the Delicate Arch Viewpoint, Sand Dune Arch, Park Avenue, and more.
After visiting Arches National park, we drove about 15 minutes to southern Moab and checked into the ARC campground cabin we reserved on AirBnB. The cabin was very comfortable with clean restroom/shower facilities, a break room, and 3 beds inside the room.
After settling in, Dad and I drove to Downtown Moab and had dinner at Pasta Jay’s, a nice sit-down restaurant with an outdoor patio on the main road through Moab. Dad and I shared a pizza al Formaggio (4 cheese pizza with basil) and then walked around for a bit before heading back to the AirBnB.
This morning we woke up at 4AM and left the house at 4:30AM to Yellowstone. We arrived at West Yellowstone at around 7AM. We then made a full-day loop around the park starting in Madison, continuing to Mammoth Hot Springs, continuing to Canyon Village, continuing to Yellowstone Lake, Old Faithful, and ending back at West Yellowstone.
The drive from West Yellowstone to Salt Lake City was about 5 hours, and we arrived at Kim’s AirBnB late Monday night. After two nights of sleeping late and waking up early, we decided to not wake up too early tomorrow morning.
This morning, we woke up at 3:30AM and left the AirBnB at 4:15AM. It was still dark during the first two hours of driving, and the sun was rising as we arrived in Portland at 6AM.
After stopping by at a Starbucks, we drove to Voodoo Doughnuts to have a snack/breakfast. Because of our early Sunday morning timing we were able to skip the line which is routinely about 30 minutes. Dad and I each got a an Apple Fritter (including banana, peanut butter, chocolate, chocolate chip) which was delicious and a bit heavy.
After Voodoo, we drove past Powell books and Pioneer square, before continuing over in the direction of Multnomah Falls. We merged onto the Columbia River Gorge Highway which is a beautiful road that passes by about 10-15 waterfalls, scenic overlooks, and more. We hiked a few trails and stopped at most of the scenic points along the road.
Next, we continued in the direction of Boise. We didn’t stop much on the way, and arrived at Boise where we stopped for a few minutes at Ann Richardson Park and also stopped to take a quick look at library plaza, a shopping center for sale which I’d come across on Loopnet a few hours earlier.
Then, we continued on to Idaho Falls. We arrived at Idaho Falls at about 11pm and stopped by Walmart before heading over to the AirBnB. The AirBnb was a small bungalow house in a modest neighborhood. We were staying on the entire main floor and it was a nice, local experience. We slept at about midnight, ready for a long day tomorrow at Yellowstone.
This morning, we woke up at about 8AM, and dad, Tahoe, and I went for a morning walk at the riverfront park accessible at the end of Grand Street.
At 9AM, the riverfront park was busy with walkers, cyclists, and joggers. After about a mile of walking, we arrived at the base of Skinner Butte. Skinner Butte is a butte (an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top (similar to, but narrower than a mesa). We hiked up the switchbacks for about 15 minutes until reaching the top of Skinner Butte. The top of skinner butte is unusually flat with views in many a different directions. We walked down a different way, ending at a rock climbing area at the base of Skinner Butte. Then, we walked back to the AirBnB to relax and have Shabbat lunch.
A few hours later, we all left the house to walk to downtown Eugene. Eric recommended we check out Saturday Market, a once-a-month market on 4 adjacent street corners in Downtown Eugene. We walked around all the vendors including marijuana-related products, photographers, local produce, and even a free empathetic listener.
After relaxing at Starbucks for an hour, we walked to Fifth street public market, a repurposed chicken processing facility which has been transformed into a beautiful character-filled, indoor/outdoor mixed-use property consisting of a hotel, grocery store with prepared foods, restaurants, local “made in Oregon store”, and a wine bar. After relaxing by the fountain for about 30 minutes, we walked back to the AirBnb.
We were hanging out in the living room and watching the preview for the Mayweather vs Mcgregor fight, and we decided to go out to a bar to watch the boxing match. I researched online and found out that a local brewery “Elk Horn Brewery” was hosting a no-cover charity fundraiser that night and we decided to go. We arrived at about 6pm and spent time on the outdoor patio listening to a live 6-person band playing lively southern music. It was a wonderful time with interestingly-dressed/acting locals.
At about 7:30pm, we went into the crowded indoor area of the bar and watched the match preceding the main event. We ordered loaded fries (including jalapeño, cheese, etc) and strong, local beer and enjoyed watching the match. The match was very entertaining and lasted ten rounds. McGregor came out strong, but Mayweather showed endurance and looked much stronger and more composed as the fight continued. After the fight the bar emptied out, and we went back to the Airbnb to sleep before an early morning tomorrow.
This morning, Dad, Tahoe, and I woke up at 3:30AM, and left the AirBnB in Daly City at 4AM to pick up Mom from Gabriela’s apartment. At 4:15, we said our goodbyes to Gabriela, and started on the 7 hour drive to Crater Lake National Park.
As we entered Southern Oregon, the air had a milt tinge on wood-burning smoke, which became stronger as we made our way north. Turns out there are currently many wildfires in Southwestern Oregon. The smoke was very thick in the area of Crater Lake and Highway 97, so our view of Crater Lake from the Rim wasn’t ideal, but we could still see the blue water and view most of the rim while we were driving around to each of the viewpoints.
As we approached the park, dad asked “Is the landscape naturally like this or were all these trees planted by man?” This question encapsulates the feeling of unnatural awe that many experience while visiting National Parks. We arrived at the national park at about 12PM, and stopped by the park headquarters/visitor center.
Because we were with Tahoe and dogs are only allowed on a few trails inside National Parks, we made certain to hike a few trails including Lady of the Woods, Sun Notch, and a few paved overlooks. Over the next few hours, we drove on East Rim Drive toward North Entrance Park Road.
After leaving through the Northern entrance, we took Highway 138 back to Highway 97. A few seconds after turning left onto Highway 97, the tire pressure of the back right tire of the car rapidly decreased until reaching zero. We had a flat tire at a very inconvenient place (1 hour from Bend and 1 hour from Klamath Falls), and at the worst possible time (Friday afternoon before Shabbat).
Dad called AAA and requested a tow to a nearby tire shop, but we waited an hour and a tow truck didn’t show. After another call, AAA called a tow company from a neighboring town to tow us. Fifteen minutes later, a old, crappy tow truck towed us toward the Les Schwab tire shop in La Vine, which was about 40 miles away. For that hour (and during the entire time driving on highway 97), it really felt that we were driving in a rural region of the Alabama or Louisiana, mostly due to the people we were dealing with. We ended up replacing the damaged tire, and driving to Eugene, Oregon.
We arrived at the AirBnB in Eugene, OR at 8:30PM, about 1 hour after Shabbat ended. After saying the Friday night blessings, dad and I drove to Whole Foods and picked up some snacks including chips, ingredients for fresh salsa, yogurt, bananas, hummus, and more. We then returned to the AirBnB and had a nice Shabbat dinner. Within a couple hours, we all slept after the long day.
The home we were staying at was perfect for our situation. Rather than spending Friday night, Shabbat, and Saturday night in a single hotel room, we were able to have plenty of room and amenities to ourselves including a kitchen, living room, den, restroom, two bedrooms, and more. Additionally, we were able to experience living as locals (in a local residential neighborhood, in a Eugene-style home, and in a home furnished and personalized with items consistent with the Eugene lifestyle and values.) For example, Eric and Hillary’s home was decorated with personal touches demonstrating the importance they place on their relationship/love, dogs, breweries, and marathons.
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This morning, dad and I woke up at the Airbnb and drove over to Gabriela’s apartment. Dad and mom spent the day moving Gabriela’s small items and personal belongings to her new apartment, while Tahoe and I worked at Starbucks.
At about 3PM, Tahoe and I walked a couple blocks to Golden Gate Park and enjoyed a short walk and some time in the dog play area. At 4PM, mom and dad picked us up at Starbucks and we worked on arranging to move Gabriela’s larger items (bed, desk, chairs, etc). At Gabriela’s recommendation, we used the app Lugg to arrange for two freelancers to bring a moving van and help moving all the large items to the new apartment.
After a couple hours, we had a sushi dinner near Gabriela’s old apartment and dropped Gabriella and mom off at Gabriela’s new apartment before heading back to the Airbnb in Daly City.
This morning, we all woke up at 5AM and started packing to leave the house as soon as possible. Tahoe was confused/anxious when he noticed that Mom, Dad, and I all were packing and preparing to leave the house. When we brought him downstairs and he realized that he’s coming with us, he was very excited which lasted for a couple hours.
We drove up to San Francisco, stopping along the way to visit a property in Turlock. Then we continued on and headed to the AirBnB that Dad, Tahoe, and I would be staying at in Daly City. We dropped off some things there, and then headed to the UCSF hospital in Mission Bay to pick up Gabriela. We then all went out to dinner together to Shangri-La, a Chinese-kosher restaurant.
For the next few hours, while Mom and Gabriela packed, Dad and Tahoe and I walked around in Downtown SF before heading back to the AirBnB and relaxing for the night.
