Staying with Nick - Colorado Springs, CO

After all I had to go thru to get to Colorado Springs - seeing Nick's smiling face made it worth it! (His mustache excluded but he's no quitter and he's participating in Mustache March... haha) My arrival was cause for celebration and he grilled some of the finest New York Strip Steaks while Erica, his girlfriend, expertly ran the operation in the kitchen cooking asparagus and home made mashed potatoes... a feast was soon to be commenced!

I haven't seen Nick since he left Washington state in 2008 - so we had a lot of catching up to do! It was Saturday night and we loaded up in Erica's car for a night on the town. Downtown Colorado Springs is a happening place on the weekends and every where we visited had live music for the crowds to enjoy. The drinks were priced high but with the elevation you don't need much for an effect. We went to several bars and ended the night at a popular new country bar (think coyote ugly) - waiting in line to get in. Drinking, swapping stories, and dancing throughout the night until last call.

It's safe to say I was a bit dehydrated when I woke up the next day. Erica was cooking eggs benedict, bacon, and potatoes with peppers for Nick and I - and I couldn't imagine a better way to start our day!

After breakfast we headed out to hike the incline. The incline gains 2,011 feet, topping out at 8,585 feet - going straight up like a stairway to heaven lacking a single switchback. It takes approximately 2,696 steps to get to the top. In comparison, the Empire State Building gains 1,224 feet and has 1,860 steps to the observatory on the 102nd floor. On a normal day it would be challenging - but as I had yet to get acclimated to the lack of oxygen due to the altitude - and we had spent the night before drinking - I was paying the price and it took just over an hour to the top. (Some local fitness freaks jog up in less than 20 minutes)

My least favorite words are now 'false summitt'... I finally made it to the top - Erica and I celebrating our accomplishment with a thumbs up pose.

After getting our exercise in for the day we drove over to the Garden of the Gods. We passed tons of people jogging, riding bikes, and rock climbing on our way to balancing rock. It looked like it might fall over so I decided to help out and hold it up for a while... Garden of the Gods is a undeniably gorgeous area - and believe it or not it was privately owned before being donated to the state.

I've been here for a few days now - and it's time to go see my old room mate Levi in Loveland, CO.

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Driving to Colorado Springs...

After parting ways with the dragon I was in a somber mood but I was excited to get to Colorado Springs to see Nick, a shipmate of mine from my time in the Navy. I had a five hour drive to get there but a portion of I-70 was closed due to a winter storm that caused an avalanch - so I detoured onto HWY 24. It was quite congested for the first few hours with the additional I-70 traffic but right as the traffic cleared the road conditions became worse. I'd guess there was around a few feet of snow everywhere - and the strong winds were blowing the loose snow across the road; creating patches of ice scattered about.

By 8:30 I had made it to about 50 miles outside of Colorado Springs when I drove across a bridge that was iced over. The white rhino is only a 2WD - powered by its rear wheels which is less than ideal for driving on the ice. The drivers side rear wheel lost traction as I crossed the bridge and the passenger side wheel powered me into a slide at 50MPH. I would have been able to recover if I had the luxery of using both lanes - but as fate would have it I was on a collision course with the truck approaching in the west bound lane. I was boxed in by the rails of the bridge - and to avoid a lights out game over head on crash I plowed thru the last portion of the barrier - the air bags deployed and the impact crushed the front tire and rim, but thank God I missed the other vehicle. The white rhino plowed thru the snow losing momemtum until it came to a safe rest off the side of the road. I was in shock - but injury free.

A few witnesses to the accident stopped and asked if I was alright - and I used the last bit of my phone's battery calling 911. Further inspection revealed my cell phone charger was damaged in the crash. The next hour was spent in a fire truck waiting for the police and tow truck to arrive. I was in the middle of nowhere...

Bob - the nicest tow truck driver one could hope to meet - dropped me off at the Riverside Inn - 20 miles further away from my eventual destination. The nearest car rental location was 30 miles away - and even though Enterprises slogan is "We'll pick you up" - it only applies to people within 10 miles. I shined my thumb and landed a ride with none other than Bob the tow truck driver. At Enterprise I was given the keys to a Pontiac G6 and soon found myself pondering how I'd be able to fit all of the contents of the white rhino in a car... not to mention the kayak... which I eventually had to abandon there at the tow yard.

At least I was finally back on the road - and though Nick told me it would only be a 5 hour drive from Moab, Utah - with the accident it took me 28...

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Canyon Lands & Arches National Park

Even though the Dragon and White Rhino have become great friends and travel mates - they would soon be heading in separate directions. We decided to go back north for our final stop together - back into Utah. We entered Canyon Lands national park first - and before we knew it we were walking down Cave Spring trail.

"In the early 1900s, this area was a popular range for sheep and cattle. A large camp was established here, next to a reliable spring, to accommodate the cowboys. Cooking and most activities were performed outside and many items remain, including Dutch ovens, fry pans, tables and other relics. The camp is set against a rock, which alcoves were where cowboys slept. The spring bubbles from the ground in the last alcove. Ancient pictographs can be seen on a blackened wall in Spring Cave."

http://www.utah.com/thingtodo24507.htm

We then drove a few more miles until we spotted a nice area to catch the sunset. We climbed the rock cliffs on the picture above - basking in the sun and reading our books while watching the sun make it's descent below the horizon. The views were dramatic - the red rocks lit up by the firey sun...

We ended our day at Moab, Utah - where we crashed in the parking lot of a local hotel. The next morning on our way to Arches National Park we passed a billboard on the side of the road advertising for Moab Skydiving. I've never skydived and I'm not certain how I would react standing at the open door of a plane 14000 ft above the ground - but I couldn't imagine a way to end the trip on a higher note! A quick call to the Moab Airport and we negotiated the price down to $200 a piece - a lot of money but a priceless memory. It was tough to give all the amazing rock arches we were passing our full attention - as we were inthrawled with the idea that we'd be jumping out of a plane in a few hours!

We decided our time would be best spent hiking to Landscape Arch.

"The Natural Arch and Bridge Society (NABS) considers the Landscape Arch to be the longest natural arch in the world, having measured the span in 2004 at 290.1 ± 0.8 feet, which is slightly longer than a measurement made by the Society in 2006 of Kolob Arch in Zion National Park. Since 1991, three large slabs of sandstone measuring 30, 47, and 70 feet long have fallen from the thinnest section of Landscape Arch, forcing the Park Service to close the trail that once passed beneath it." (wikipedia)

We weren't able to stay very long though - as we had a plane to catch. We hit up an ATM so we could arrive with the proper amount of cash, and then we found ourselves signing our lives away after reading the Release of Liability forms. Outside the winds were kicking up and dieing down in an endlessly confused cycle. Our pilot introduced us to our Sky Dive instructors - who would be taking us on a tandem jump. They said it was borderline safety-wise to jump that day - with no one to catch the shoot on the ground it could send us dragging along the canyon floor unable to depower the shoots - plus the direction of the winds would push us towards the powerlines - and no one wanted a shocking finish...

I was due to leave the guys right after the jump, but decided it would be worth another day; jumping out of a plane just seemed such a perfect way to split ways with the guys, and I didn't know how long it would be until I saw Sam or Buzz again. Our pockets $200 lighter - we went to the Moab brewery to use our free nachos coupon we received from Moab Skydiving and to show the other customers what a proper game of pool looks like. Well Sam is the talent of our group - but the rest of us can hold our own...

During the night we all drifted in and out of conscienceness - our minds struggling with the notion of going against all logic to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. When we awoke gray clouds had moved in and it was much colder than the day before - a call to the pilot was in order to see if we had any window in the weather to jump. He sounded almost as dissappointed as we felt when he told us we should make our way to the airport for our refunds. As irony would have it - after getting refunded we could see a patch of blue skies that was not only getting larger by the minute but it was also heading directly for the Moab airport. We watched the wind vane sloop down due to the lack of wind and we knew we couldn't ask for much better conditions to jump. One final call to the pilot - and the hesitation in his voice was easily explained by imagining him just arriving at home and not wanting to return to work and deal with coordinating with all the instructors needed to make it happen. We would remain on the ground.

Sam asked me to write a note in his book as he has had so many others do - and I knew this would be the end of our trip together. We all said our goodbyes and I sounded the White Rhino's horn as I made my departure from the three guys I have had such an amazing trip with. My journey would continue though - as I don't plan to arrive to Seattle until April 8th or so. 

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Mesa Verde

"Mesa Verde National Park was created in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Puebloans, both atop the mesas and in the cliff dwellings below.
About 1400 years ago, long before Europeans explored North America, a group of people living in the Four Corners region chose Mesa Verde for their home. For more than 700 years they and their descendants lived and flourished here, eventually building elaborate stone communities in the sheltered alcove of the canyon walls. Then in the late 1200s, in the span of a generation or two they left their homes and moved away. " - Mesa Verde Map & Guide.

Justin's grandfather told him Mesa Verde was a must see. He had visited many years earlier and learning about the lives of these people had moved him. We soon found ourselves at the Chapin Mesa Museum learning how the civilization advanced from nomadic basketmakers to a settled farming community living in archetectually complex cliff dwellings. The museum quickly gave you a feel for the lives of these people, the advancement of their society, and how resilent people can be under such tough circumstances.
We then took a tour to see Spruce Tree House ruins guided by a National Parks Ranger. He submerged us into the lives of these people - enlightening us about their culture, Kivas, and Puebloanian way of life. It was inspiring to see the world in such a new light.

After the tour we wanted to take a photo of us with the ruins in the background and I asked a fellow travelor to take a photo of us. Her name was Amy - she was traveling by herself from Minnesota making her way to Washington - she's going to be looking and listening for mating pairs of Spotted Owls in the Cascades until the end of summer. We enjoyed her company and soon found ourselves playing leap frog with her while driving the Mesa Top Loop viewing the multitude of Cliff Dwellings across the canyon. In our conversations I learned she was also a fellow couchsurfer - and she'd be arriving in the Seattle area around the same time; funny way to meet a possible future surfer of our couch...

After leaving the Mesa Verde ruins we drove back to Cortez, CO to look for a place to park overnight. Though we wish we could afford accomodation everynight it is our meager living that enables us travel on such an extended trip. We've found parking at hotels has been a good stategy. (we blend in with the other cars, less of a likelyhood to be woken up in middle of the night - and if we did I'd rather it be hotel security than a cop, and lastly we can normally find a bathroom inside if needed... ohh - and did I mention WIFI internet?) We haven't found an unlocked pool or jaccuzi yet but Buzz enjoys scouting the hotels on search and infiltrate missions...

We ended up going back to the Baymont Inn so Sam could use their internet connection again; we had stayed there the night before. The day visiting the ruins at Mesa Verde left us in a talkative state for some reason - Sam and Buzz chatting away in the dragon and Justin and I doing the same in the White Rhino. During our hour long debates of humanity, ancient astrology & wisdom, and the journey of life - we noticed a guy getting in a parked car - driving 20 spaces - parking - and going back again. We thought it was strange and didn't know if he worked there or what so we decided to change hotels instead of taking our chances there. Besides, right next door was a Holiday Inn and why would anyone stay the same place twice on this kind of a trip?

The next morning we were unable to use the john at the Holiday Inn - so back we went to Baymont. Justin went in first, and when he returned he advised me not to use the nearest entrance; a woman was cleaning the doors. I went around the building to the other door which was conveniently right by the bathroom I was headed to. I went right in - it was a private restroom right outside the gym. All I really wanted to do was wash my face - and since it was a private bathroom I thought I might as well quickly wash my hair. Mid lather I heard:
[Bang Bang Bang Bang on the door]
Me: Yeah?
[Bang Bang]
Me: Just a second... (Ugh - must be security... quick rinse and dry of my hair - throwing everything in my bag and opening the door...
[Flash - he took a picture of me with his cell phone as I opened the door]
[Big burly guy - looked really pumped up not knowing who he'd be confronting]
Security guy: (Demanding) Are you a guest?
Me: No sir, I was just using the bathroom...
Security guy: (Amped up) This is private property: you are trespassing... I could call the cops - leave my hotel now! You need permission to use the bathroom - argggg
Me: (Raising my hand in the universal stop position) Calm down sir - I've done you no harm - I'll leave...
Security guy: Don't touch me man - I'm looking for a reason to kick your ass...
Me: (exiting) There's no reason to kick my ass (couldn't believe this guy was that upset)
Security guy: You aren't walking fast enough - MOVE!
Me: (thinking what an unprofessional prick -and I just kept walking)
Security guy: We own the back lot too - you better not be going over there...
Me: I'm going to my vehicle and I'm leaving... Look I'm a good person - you don't have to be rude - I'm leaving...
Security guy: If I see you in Cortez again...
He then approached Justin in the dragon as he was taking pictures of the license plates...
Justin: (smiling) How's it going man! (Thinking he was just another admirer of the dragon)
Security guy: (insert A-Hole response)

We left promptly - but I I was still baffled at how shaken this guy was over the smallest of gestures - using a restroom. Hindsight - I could have diffused the entire situation saying I was about to check in - inquiring about vacancy at the front desk - but at least now I'm better prepared to deal with hotel security guards just looking for a fight...

A quick discussion with the owner of the dragon and we realized the dragon's heading should start pointing northwest. Our trip is winding down to an end - and we're off to the Canyon Lands of Utah where our impending departure will transpire - I'll be heading back to Colorado in the White Rhino to visit some Navy buddies as the dragon flies back to Seattle to be reunited once again by her gracious owner.

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The Grand Canyon

Five million people visit the grand canyon every year - and this year four of them were hammock brothers.
Justin and I left the dragon early in the morning to cook breakfast while studying our first view of the grand canyon. It almost hurts to look across the canyon with so much information to process; the scale of everything you see almost incomprehensible. We cooked scrambled eggs with ham and cheese - along with some instant oatmeal and cappicinos (it's a hard life but someone has to live it)

As we aren't the typical group of tourists - the standard pose from the safe side of the wall wouldn't do. Justin found a slice of solitude away from the masses walking by on the sidewalks... but to get there you'd need to rid yourself of all fear of heights - and reassure yourself that the rocks you stand on are solid (even though the view shows millions of years of erosion...) From this vantage point you can see for miles - but you still couldn't see the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon around a mile below us. I joined him out on the edge of the isolated rock cliff - and even set up my hammock at the trees more near the cliff about 20 feet below the people gathering to see us. We weren't trying to attract attention to us - but  I overheard children saying they wanted to go out there - others pondering why someone would do such a thing - and then a guy answered saying Justin might be suicidal. Well that did it - the seed was planted into everyone who heard it and like a virus it spread across the crowd and my theory is an angry mom eventually decided we weren't going to get away with doing as we pleased and informed a ranger they needed to get us down.

Becoming more and more of a scene - two rangers and policeman arrived to difuse the situation. Justin being completely oblivious to the string of people lining the rim of the canyon gawking at him. His headphones tuned out my shouts of his name - so I had to join him on the rocks edge to awaken him to the fact that we had to pack up and leave. He finally looked back and saw the nearest group of about 50 people giving us there undivided attention.

The Rangers were upset with us that we caused such a scene - and they soon imposed their authority having us sit on the lawn on the safe side of the wall (even though we requested to remain standing)  - demonstrating their position of power over us. I did my best to inform them we had no ill intentions - that we just wanted to get away from the crowd so we could enjoy the view. Finally after they ran our IDs and informed us that we didn't break any laws but they could give us a fine for disturbing the peace or wreckless endangerment - I obliged by saying with their consent we'd be on our way and the big scene would be over. Finally - they let us free.

The rest of the day we drove Desert Drive enjoying the 5 major viewing areas while looking for the Dragon. We left Sam and Buzz sleeping in the Dragon from the night before - while we headed to the canyon for breakfast... only I found out that Justin had their radio so once again we found ourselves incommunicado.

After our taste of the Canyon from our perch far above - we had  to get a closer look. We were interested in hiking down to the bottom but we needed a permit to stay overnight. We visited the backcountry office and they said we must be very fortunate because the permits get released months in advance and they only save 2 a day for walkins. We landed the last available spot - for a group up to 6.

It was getting dark and we hadn't met up with the dragon yet - so we headed back towards the hotel we had parked at the night before. About a mile before the hotel we spotted the dragon on the side of the road with a truck behind it. Turns out they broke down and hadn't even made it to see the Grand Canyon yet. They had adjusted the valves in the morning prior to leaving - and something went amiss. I overheard words like pushrod, wrong spacing, and such from Scott Patrick (the good samaritan who stopped to help; climbing underneath the dragon and turning wrenches to make up for our lack of mechanical aptitude.)

After their all day excursion on the side of the road - everything was corrected and properly adjusted... I had left to pick up a six pack of beer as a small offering of thanks for Scotts help but he refused. He insisted we stop and help the next person we see needing it - which we eagerly agreed.

After avoiding towing, parts, and labor to restore the dragon - we celebrated with a hot meal and planned for our adventure to the base of the canyon the following day (The same canyon Sam and Buzz had yet to see)

Snow doesn't come to mind when thinking of the Grand Canyon - but the top part of the trail is covered in snow and ice. We quickly found ourself in a roadblock with too many people to pass - and Sam captured a funny video of me sliding my way down a switchback.

The first day included seven miles of hiking down the South Kaibab Trail ending at the Bright Angel Campground by Phantom Ranch. The trail was very steep as you would imagine - traveling to the mile deep canyon floor. I was told there wouldn't be trees of sufficient size to hammock off of but I was stubborn and brought mine just in case. I could always resort to the tarp taco if it rained and there wasn't any trees. I couldn't believe my eyes as we arrived at camp - trees adourning each side of Bright Angel Creek! I don't think hammocking is against any official rule - but I've learned it is discouraged due to the harsh dessert environment; some people feel it damages the trees. I disagree... and setup my hammock and tarp. The ranger came by inspecting our permit and accounting for everyone in our group - asking 'is the hammock guy with you as well'. No worries from him and I was in the clear. Good thing because I needed all the rest I could get for the ten mile hike out of the canyon the next day.

It's hard to describe the sense of accomplishment I had after finishing the hike - I was exhausted but envigorated at the same time. It's almost as if you earn the views with each painful step. I was surprised that we finished under our estimated 7 hour time frame - considering our long lunch and many breaks.

We're heading north now questioning what our final stops will be amongst the array of options...

Monument Valley

4 Corners

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Zion, Utah

Ship Rock, NM

Colorado Springs, CO

Arches National Park

Denver, CO

Jon pumping water as Buzz sleeps on the picnic table...

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Staying with Justin

When I arrived at Justin's apartment I was greeted with a fridge full of beer and a smiling face; after all I haven't seen my cousin in 5 years! We couldn't have arrived at a better time - Arizona weather in March is absolutely perfect.

We were welcomed by a whole crew:

Jamie                          My Cousin
Nancy                        My Aunt
Corey                        Justin's best man
Jessica                       Justin's Fiancee
Lloyd                         Upcoming Artist
Allie                           Jamie's Friend
Jackson                      3 year old nephew
Vinnie & Casey          New Yorker
Dillan                          Big D
Rusty & Shannon

A few others - and add the hammockbrothers in and it would be considered a house party - only we all ended up at the pool mingling with another group playing beer pong...

Many laps were made between the covered bar with flatscreens playing music, the jaccuzi, the pool, and beer pong challenges...

I wish I had photos from that night to share - but all I can offer is a posed photo at the pool before we left...

We stayed at Justin's for 3 awesome nights, recharging our batteries, basking in the sun, and updating the website... It's stops like this that enable this site to happen!

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Sedona Arizona

"The majestic red rock scenery and evergreen vegetation are two reasons for the unique energy of Sedona and its tangible regenerative and inspirational effects. The red-orange color of the rock is one of the most neuro stimulating of colors. It enhances creative thinking and problem solving. Because Sedona is framed year round by green, visitors are also bathed in sense of hope and renewal, regardless of the season. The spectacular trails and overlooks provide numerous opportunities for prayer, and contemplation. "

(Jon)

 

I left Death Valley in the White Rhino with the intention of rendevousing with the Dragon at Williams, AZ; the gateway to the Grand Canyon. Uninhibited by the pace of the Dragon - I arrived in Williams a few hours before them enabling me to do a load of laundry and eat a hot meal. At the laundry mat I met the elderly couple cleaning the place up to close it down - and the gentleman was excited to tell me about Sedona - where he once owned a house. He pulled down a calender chocked full of photos of the beautiful red rock country, and he explained it was on the way to Phoenix where we intended to meet my family. Our plan changed to go to Sedona before the Grand Canyon.

 

It had just snowed 8" in Williams, and the temperature was a frigid 18 degrees. Sedona is a few thousand feet below Williams - and as elevation and temperature are directly correllated we decided to push on to Sedona that night. It was a very windy drive - climbing hills and curving our way thru the canyons. 

 

It didn't take us long after arriving to find a place for the night; and this would be a rare full night sleep without interuption from the authorities. As you can see from our view in the morning Sedona is a magical place. 

 

 

(Free camping with a view - first night Sedona, AZ)

 
We left that morning and found a perfect stop for lunch at the Wildflower Cafe. (Which we all recommend for their fresh baked breads, hot soups & sandwhiches, at friendly prices) The cafe is conveniently located near the Chamber of Commerce's official visitors center - and after a quick visit with the ranger we were armed with local maps and brochures of things to see in the area.
 

Slide Rock would be our first destination. Since it was a state park our national parks pass wouldn't help us with the $10 fee for parking. As we are on a travelers budget we decided to park 1/2 mile down the road and walk in. A race insued - Buzz and I hitchhiking and Justin and Sam walking. 90 seconds in Buzz wanted to throw in the towel and we agreed walking the short half mile while hitchhiking would be a better idea. I'd guess about 20 cars passed - not one paying us any mind... Justin and Sam walked thru the entrance without any hassle - but as Buzz and I arrived we noted the sign saying it would cost $3 for each pedestrian. It would cost us $12 instead of $10 for all of our trouble which we explained to the ranger collecting the fee. He agreed to only charge us the $10 and after standing there a few moments he caved and said we could enter for free if we promised to have a good time. The hammock brothers unbelievable stroke of luck continues.

 

Slide Rock is a natural water slide and is a popular summer destination - the parking lot normally full and cars park on each side of the road as far as you can see - but not today as we had it all to ourself with the occassional visitors stopping in for a while. The cold water easily explained the vacancy but the views and friendly Arizona weather wouldn't be overlooked as we set up our hammocks for a relaxing day of bliss.

 
Our competitive nature developed a rock throwing game in which we aimed at various targets (bridge, boulder, etc) It eventually even evolved into a rendition of skiball, each level of the cliff on the opposite bank of the river worth points in descending values... We were all winners by the end of the day...
 
We were advised to catch the sunset at Cathedral Rock and our enchantment with slide rock faded with the dropping temperature. The steep ascent of Cathedral Rock is more of a rock climb than a hike at times, and our heart rate increased in step with the elevation... We were paying the price of our Vegas birthday celebrations...
 
The sunset on top of Cathedral Rock inspired Justin and Sam to reascend after dinner to camp under the stars in Justin's two man tent. Surely a spiritual place - feel free to ask Justin or Sam about their night... As for Buzz and I we crashed in the vehicles at the trailhead and yet again were awakened by a cop. She was very nice and respectful, but after I called Justin at her request to inform him he had to come down for us to leave and she heard his hesitation (actually refusal) she informed us it was an arrestable offense. Another police car arrived and they chatted then left us saying they would return in an hours time to check to see if we left. Justin and Sam would take their chances staying in the tent as Buzz and I left for a more welcoming place to park outside of Sedona city limits.
 
 

 
In the morning we would visit the Wildflower cafe one last time before heading to Gilbert, Arizona to stay with my younger cousin Justin...

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Death Valley

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Yosemite

Bridalveil Falls - Yosemite National Park

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Couch Surfing San Francisco

Jason woke me up after my three hours of sleep - and I remembered hammering Sam at our Frisbey golf game in the parking garage the night before... No time for reminsicing though; Jason needed to get to the Airport. We pulled up to the Dragon and Jason said his early morning goodbyes and we headed off to the airport. I plugged in airport to the GPS and 10 different airports popped up. He figured he was flying out of the main San Francisco airport, and since we didn't print his itenerary we wouldn't know until we got there. After arriving I tried to wait as he verified his ticket but the security guy was telling me to move along. I pulled forward about 50 yards and didn't pay him any more attention. I finally noticed he was writing me a ticket right as Jason jumped in and said we needed to hall ass to Oakland - where he's supposed to fly out of.
So off to Oakland - anxiety building as each minute ticks by... I dropped him off at the Alaskan Airlines terminal wishing him the best.

I made my way back to the China Town area with the fleeting task of finding a parking space. After 15 minutes of circling around I found one, parked, and headed out to find a bathroom to freshen up... Since it was Sunday most of the cafes were closed but finally found one that was open and ordered a coffee. I tried calling Justin's phone but it was off - dead battery probably... Randevousing with them just got much more difficult.

As I was walking back to my car the craziest thing happened - the Dragon buzzed by honking and hands waving out the window. They pulled into a spot half a block up but as they did the dragons bumper clipped an innocent 2007 Honda CRVs bumper and ripped it clean off...
Sam fashioned a well written note - apologizing profusely and giving our contact info.
We had sorted out both vehicles afterwards and made plan to meet at highly recommended diner for breakfast but were unable to connect. Luckily our couchsurfing ad we placed worked well and Justin and I made plans to meet Jessica - and if all went well she said she'd be able to accomodate all of us. Well at the time we didn't know what a Jackpot it actually was. This was our first time couch surfing (less Sam of course) and we found out that Jessica worked for Couch Surfing (CS) and worked and lived at basecamp in San Francisco. Our first time couch surfing would happen at the epicenter of CS - meeting everyone behind the scenes of such a wonderful organization.

Justin Jonathan & Jessica

We met a crazy cast of characters:
Jessica                                                 Host

Michael                                               CS Programmer from Germany

Travis                                                  CS Handyman

Gardner                                              Programmer

Farley                                                 Sys. Admin (hookah guy)

Zahid                                                  Room mate

Kate                                                   Room mate

Jackie                                                 Fish keeper (haha)

Jill                                                      Cook

Casey                                                Founder of CS

Otto                                                  CS

Michael                                             Roommat


and others I'm sure we missed. So many people coming in and out it was difficult to keep track!
I was able to spend a few days updating the website while socializing with everyone at the house. Everyone made us feel really welcome and we even joined them for their organized meals twice a day that Jill so expertly orchestrated.

Michael and Jonathan playing 'I'm Yours' by Jason Mraz

The backyard housed a large tent with (wouldn't you know it) four couches for us to sleep on! Many conversations, hours of playing music, and drinks were had during our visit. It was my first exposure to the live where you work atmosphere... I would love to work in that type of passionate setting.

Our time in San Francisco was closing to an end though. We set our sights on one of the most beautiful places in America... Yosemite National Park!





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Bring on San Francisco!

The dragon lead the way across the Golden Gate bridge, with Jason snapping pictures of her from the passenger side of our ride... We made it! Jason was buzzing with excitement from the endless possibilities the night could offer. Due to our unpreparedness we hadn't arranged a couch to surf - and after pricing parking we decided to splurge on a room for the night. We submerged ourself in the night life on Polk St. Jason constantly striking up conversation with different groups of people throughout the night - breaking the ice for the rest of us...

We were rewarded the next day with a refreshing morning shower - our first since leaving Medford. The wifi connection let us post a proper couch surfing request. We headed out to find the most crooked rode in America, the grade of the hill so steep on Lombard St. that they had to pave mini switchbacks on a single one way lane down a well landscaped gardens and flowerbeds

The dragon powered thru the crowd at the top of the hill, posing proudly for all the photographs being flashed... As we creeped our way down Lombard Street I had the censation we were on a float during a parade - everyone waving and whistling as we made our way down.  As you can see, Jason decided to display his bravado and surf on top of the dragon down Lombard Street, suprisingly he didn't fall and loved every moment of it. It would be highly unfair for only one of us to drive a legendary beast down a San Francisco landmark, so a procession of six laps began - the crowd ever supportive each passing lap...

It was suggested we attend the Chinese New Year in Chinatown - and San Francisco has the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. We procured parking in an underground garage and headed out into the masses gathered outside. We even had a chance to relax in the hammocks while waiting for the parades to start.

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