California National Parks
California has the most National Parks out of any state in the United States, sitting at 9! As of right now, I have only traveled to 4 of the 9 National Parks:
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Pinnacles
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Yosemite
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Lassen
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Joshua Tree
During these trips, my humans camped at all of these spots and did some cool little hikes. Check out the different locations below!
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Make sure before you move on to check out the "Tips and Tricks" section so you don't make the same mistake as the Humans did.!
Pinnacles
Visited: End of March, 2023
The Pinnacles was by far one of my favorite tips! It was a nice quick little weekend trip from San Jose at the end of March. We left on a Friday afternoon around 4:00 and hit some traffic but after a few stops to get some last minute items, we eventually got there around 6:30. We entered from the Eastern part of the park and not the West. We camped right outside the park at the Pinnacles Campsite. These were really spacious and I have plenty of space to sprawl out, even with a second car joining me! From what I overheard my humans saying, the bathrooms were pretty well maintained but didn't have a shower.
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It was really cool at night, both temperature wise, and the things you could see and do! At night, the humans where talking about how they needed a sweatshirt in order to stay warm in the 50 degree weather... They need to get tougher! But what was really view at night! Because the Pinnacles are far from most major cities, there was no light pollution and you can really see the night sky. I loved this because coming from sitting out in San Jose, I can only see all the light pollution... these humans need to find a better spot for me sleep! Anyways, it was great at night because I was able to warm up (even thought I wasn't cold!) next to a fire that the humans made (thanks Ryan and Jeremy!).
The next days the Humans were not that smart and slept in... COME ON NOW!!! They were running around like wild chicken because they said they heard that parking can fill up really quick. Luckily, we slept close enough to the park entrance that it didn't matter. My humans started their hike at at the "Old Pinnacles Parking Area." They made their sandwiches, had their water packed and sunscreen applied!
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I had to wait for my humans and their friends for a long time! It took them roughly 6 hours to complete the 11.5 mile and 2070 feet of elevation gain. They went from the Old Pinnacles Trail to Balconies Cliff Trail to Juniper Canyon Trail to High Peaks Trail to Sycamore trail which finally led to back to me at the Old Pinnacles Parking Area.
When all the humans finally made it back to me they were an absolute mess! They were soaking wet from having to cross larger streams than they thought because of all the rain that California had this year. All of them were a sweaty stinky mess (DISGUSTING AND GOT ME SMELLY AND DIRTY!!!!) because of the long hike and heat even though it was just the beginning of spring. Kyle was the worst of them. He was a complete dummy and brought way too much water (insert number of L).
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They did say that it was totally worth it! I overheard that they tried to find the Balconies Cave Trail to find some of the caves that Pinnacles are known for but were unsuccessful.... With my GPS and navigational skills I would have lead the way and showed them exactly where to go! They are SOOOOOOO inferior to me!
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They continued on their way and had some spectacular views through! There were tunnel passages that they went thought, a small little waterfall, lots of people mountaineering, a pretty steep incline that had railing to help assist going up and down (they the elderly were able to do it, so most I assume most people can do it) and a couple of tunnels that they got to walk through. They claim they saw where the San Andreas Fault was changing the mountain range to the West, but I am dubious of this. They were pretty bummed that they were not able to see the California Condor, which fun fact recently reintroduced to this area! BUT, they did see a lot of pinnacles, OBVI!!! Throughout this endeavor, they would take breaks and sip from their ADORABLE little flask. Thank you Jamo for helping them get through it!
After the long day of hiking, everyone was tired, sore and hungry... BUT I WAS READY TO GO!!! So we took and stopped at a really cool restaurant called "The 19th Hole" (directions here) on the way home and the humans had a great meal and really great beer. (I don't understand the appeal of a beer after a long hike, but the humans say it is the best.... to each their own!)
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After saying goodbye to some of my new best friends, Ryan and Jeremy (I am quite upset that it took so long for Allie and Kyle to introduce me to them.. HUMPH!) we mozied on back to San Jose and were able to relax the rest of the weekend.
Yosemite
Visited: End of February, 2023
I AM ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS WITH MY HUMANS!!! THEY DIDN'T TAKE A PHOTO OF MY SEXY SELF!!! THEY HAD TO PHOTO SHOP ME!!! THE AUDACITY! THE NERVE! LAME...​
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Oh well, even thought they didn't take a photo of me (still bitter....) we went on a trip to Yosemite. It was a quick weekend trip to see something called the Firefalls. Apparently, people from all over the world come and see it. My humans were super excited to see it but I was pretty skeptical about it. Apparently this only happens from the middle February to the beginning of March. So we headed out on a Saturday. From San Jose using route 120, It took us about 4 hours with all our stops and filling me up with the best gas around, COSTCO!
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We got there around there around 3:30 pm and had to wait in line to get into Yosemite. Luckily my humans had a camp site at Hodgdon Meadow Campground. With that campsite, we were able to get into the park! While most people that tried to get in without a pass were turned away. It was a great little campsite that allowed me to sit in the shade while the humans set up camp. After they set up, they had the great idea of into Yosemite Valley to try and catch this Firefall that everyone was obsessed with.
Once we got down to the valley it was an absolute mad house! My fellow cars (and a lot of my fellow subbie brothers and sister, lets go!) were parked everywhere and people walking all over the place. Even in the STREET!!! The audacity of them, that is my path.
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Anyways, the humans found a spot to park and rushed to see the Firefalls. It was about a 2 mile walk from where we parked and they had a limited amount of time, so they RAN! They should have taken me, but I am glad because they talked about how many people there were and the fact they were all walking on my driving path.
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While they were walk/running, they were able to see a beautiful landscape with a bunch of falls. Apparently the most impressive fall was Yosemite Fall. It was wild to see the videos because as the water fell, it turned to snow because it was so cold. It was really cool and super unique.
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Even more unique was the Firefalls! The humans were not lying when they said it was worth it. They say a picture doesn't do beauty justice (unless it is of me, of course!) and this definitely didn't! Over the crowds hopping and hollering, apparently you saw the most amazing reds, oranges and yellows turning the falls into what looked like fiery lava flowing over it. My humans were able to enjoy a small little beverage thanks to Screwball, which helped them stay warm. Thanks Screwball!!!
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Anyways, after watching the falls, we headed back to the campsite and go ready for bed. They played some games in their tent before bed but then Allie froze (poor baby girl! Kyle is mean for not sharing his sleeping bag with her!!!). It got down to 25 degrees at night and when they woke up in the morning, there was ice on their tent! (it was even cold for me!) Wild. They tied to warm up by drinking a little Jamo, but to no avail... Thanks for trying!
At 4:30 in the morning, I heard these inconsiderate humans waking up and starting to move around (well I heard Allie pestering Kyle to wake up, but she's and angle and I didn't really mind). They cooked breakie (of course Allie had her coffee) and were off. We went back to the valley to try and go on a hike, but of course my humans didn't think this through.... Just getting out of the car they about broke their backs because of all the ice. Should have known considering it was freezing every night!
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So we just ended up going home. But instead of going home route 120, I decided that I wanted to go a different route. So we ended up going home on highway 140. This was really cool because I was able to see a new way! Anyways, that was all from this trip!
Lassen
Visited: End of July, 2022
This was the beginning of where my Humans decided to make the section "Tips and Tricks" page because of the STRUGGLE. We left San Jose around 3:00 pm for Lassen and got there around (time) (we went up I-5 to Red Bluff and then over). First off, the humans did not use my navigation and we went off roading for the first time on some dirt road (I am pretty sure it as 17 to Mineral Road but I can't be sure), and because of that, I got nice and dusty! BEEETCHES!!! Oh well.
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Well we eventually got to Lassen and tried to get to our campground, Butte Lake. When we entered the park, I thought that it would be a quick trip to get to our campsite. BUT IT WASN'T!!! We just keep driving for what felt like hours but in fact it was only 45 minutes from Summertown to our campsite.
Well, we were about half way to our campsite but had to turn back because I was almost all out food... I was a little scared because there is only 1 gas station in the park and we didn't fill up in Red Bluff. No one likes to work on an empty stomach. So around we turned and filled up! Once we filled up, we were on our away again.
In order to get to Butte Lake, we had to go through another dirt road. This is mainly why it took so long to get there. It was a lot of fun to do this type of off roading because I had never really done it (except for earlier).
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When we finally arrived, my humans noticed all the signs saying that this was bear country... I was absolutely TERRIFIED!!! What if my humans forgot something that smelled amazing to the bears in me? Would the bear come into the car? Would I be torn apart?!?!? AHHHHHH!!!!! So scary.... But luckily that never happened! My humans did a great job of cleaning me out and putting it in the bear box that was provided at the campsite.
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After the humans were completely set up and they had dinner, it was pitch black. It was a little eerie because of how dark it was. Luckily, there was a decent amount of people and so it was decently well lit at the campsite.
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That night, my humans decided to go on a little adventure to walk down to the lake to look at the stars. They brought some chairs and some beverages with them, so that they could enjoy it. Well not 10 minutes later, they came running back faster than I could drive. They had the look of terror on their face. I overheard them talking about how while they were by the lake, there was some strange sounds (common for being outdoors) but then they heard a loud rustling noise behind them. So they high tailed it out of there!
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That night, they decided to sleep in me... which was another big mistake that they made (well not really but you'll see what I mean). Being their first time ever sleeping in me, they were just feeling it out. They had an air mattress that purchased that was specifically to tailored to me (look at me, I am special!). They also had bug nets that covered the windows because apparently the humans don't like it when they get bit (I don't really like it when I bugs get stuck to the front of me, but I deal with it). Well this led to their first problem.... Kyle sleeps extremely warm and was cooking! I hate it when they get me all sweaty and Kyle basically maid a pool in me! BETCH! Second problem: Deflate gate (no not the football one). When Kyle set up the air mattress, he never pushed his valves all the way in... so in the middle of the night when he would roll over, you heard the dreaded SHHHHHHHH sound of air leaking out of an air mattress. By the next morning, Kyle was basically sleeping on my seats. HAHA SUCKA!!!
Anyways, the next morning, we all woke up nice and early (because we heard that the parking where all the trails to explore Lassen get full pretty quick), had their breakie and coffee, and were off!
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Here lies the third problem: the distance... When my humans planned their trip, they never realized how large Lassen was. Well, it took them just about an hour to get to the base of Lassen and then another 30 mins to get to the top (roughly 1 hour and 30 mins of driving). Along the way we saw some pretty wild things, like the forest that burned down in previous years and.... DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!! A MOMMA BEAR AND HER CUBS!!! Kyle immediately pulled over with other the people and ran to take some photos. Allie did the smart thing and stayed with me in the car.
They continued along their way to Bumpass Hell, which held the geothermal vents. It was a quick little hike (about 3 miles round trip) but definitely more challenging than they thought. Two reasons: the elevation and the heat. Although I had a really easy time getting to the place, the elevation gain got to my humans (it was roughly at 8,300 ft). My humans OBVI did not realize this and that is also what lead to the heat. Being that high, even though it was not extremely hot, the sun was beating down on them. Once the humans got back, they were talking about how generally the trail was pretty easy except for the smell. Because of the geothermal vents, they came back smelling like rotten egg... YUCK! But they said it was really cool because their was a tiny bridge that you could walk around on and see all the thermal vents. It was really cool because you could see the water boiling up!
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Anyways after the hike, we all relaxed next to Lake Helen and the humans enjoyed a nice cold Coors Light and a sandie. From there we drove around to the park a little bit and checked out some really cool views and then headed out to our next destination, Crater Lake!
Joshua Tree
Visited: Middle of April, 2022
Joshua tree was definitely one for the books! It was super cool because of where We all stayed and just the beauty of the park...
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Instead of camping (This trip was before me... RUDE!!! But I did hear them talk a lot about it from my friend the Nissan) He and my humans stayed at a really cool airbnb about 45 minutes outside of the park. We stayed in Morongo Valley at the following Airbnb link. It had a really rustic feeling but the housing was completely modern. It was a really cool experience because of all the animals that were on the property! I was able to meet a lot of dogs (don't worry the dog didn't hurt my humans, he just wanted to take them exploring), baby chickens, ducks, a HUGE piggie and two EMUS!!!!!!! Allie is terrified of Emus and thought that Emus were actually Lamas... so when she tried to pet one and it hissed at her, she ran away faster than I ever have seen a human run. But to be fair, Kyle was not able to get into the house for about 3 to 4 minutes because one was sitting in the front of the sliding glass door.
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Anyways, I noticed the humans favorite thing to do in the morning was sit outside with their coffee and watch the sunrise because it had the most amazing sunrises. We all would just sit there and bask in the glory of such a beautiful sight... It truly was something to see!
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Allie had to work during this trip because Kyle was off on his spring break, but luckily this place had amazing wifi! The humans were saying, if you are looking for a great weekend trip, you should definitely check it out.
Anyways, enough about where the humans stayed, I want to talk about the greatest part.... EXPLORING JOSHUA TREE!!!! Joshua Tree was out of this world, literally and figuratively. We all agreed that it looked it was perfect for a movie set and you could easy imagine that you are on Mars.
The first day that We all went out to go exploring, it was really cool seeing all the Joshua Trees! I have never seen anything so wild... They were funky looking because of the way that the branches were going in weird different directions. The way that the bark was covered the Joshua Trees, it gave it the appearance of having hair on them! We drove around the parks Western side and stopped at two places: White Tank and Hidden Valley. The first place was a little trail (more like a place to just go and explore; there was a semi-designated trail) that you could climb on some rocks and bask in the amazing scenery. It was really something else to see all of the wild rock features and being surrounded by massive cliffs. During their stop, the humans had a little drink will looking out. Allie was trying to explain to Kyle how to use a map and compass... but ultimately just made them die laughing. On the way to Hidden Valley, we passed the famous Skull Rock but decided not to stop because of the amount of people and we didn't want to miss sunset
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After that we stopped at the second location to watch sunset. For all of you that have watched the TikToks or IG posts of Joshua Tree sunsets, you need to see it in person. It was amazing because of the way the light hit the various rock formations and how much it lit of the clouds.
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The following day, it was time for the humans to head on to San Diego because Kyle had a water polo tournament there. What was cool about this drive was the fact that we went to from the Western side to the Eastern side. You are probably thinking, what is so special about this. Well, the landscape completely changed. The Western side of the park is how Joshua Tree got its name because of all of the Joshua Trees.... (NO SH!@#%) The Western side is considered part of the Mojave Desert, whereas the Eastern side is part of the Colorado Desert (don't ask me why, humans don't always make sense). It was really a stark contrast because instead of Joshua Trees, it was completely covered in Cactuses! They were ABSOLUTELY adorable! They were pretty small, only going up to a two to three feet and they had the cutest little green flowers! However, they had the most knarely looking spikes of them, sticking out about 6 inches.
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Anyways, that was all! I hope you enjoyed Joshua tree as much as I did!
