Zion National Park - " I'm not ready to go home "

We arrived into Zion National park right at the tail end of golden hour, the rich cotton candy sky accented the golden cliffs in perfect form. Our eyes absorbed the scenes with deep concentration, the air was crisp but inviting. As we curved through the landscape on paved roads we took in scene after scene. Eventually we found a pull off and jumped out of the van eager to explore the landscape unclose in the fleeting moments before nightfall. The rocks formed intricate swirls and martian angles, the sand was smooth and cool with a hue of delicate orange, we spent an hour in the roadside canyon capturing what our eyes were experiencing. Once the light had receded below the mountainous horizon with climbed back into the van and proceeded through the only road that leads through Zion. We were led to a long dark tunnel that curled through a large mountain, and upon completing the tunnel were welcomed to hairpin turns of the road zig zagging back and forth down the mountain face to the valley below, once in the valley one felt as an ant must feel, everything around us seemed proper for giants. We found shelter for the night in the form of a parking lot to a campground, at this point all that was left in the deep blue sky was a blanket of twinkling diamonds and the pale moon hovering in the low horizon. We layered on jackets and hats before firing up the stoves and boiling the water that would be our source of cooking for the night. Tom manned the cooking while i wandered the parking lot looking for the idea spot to capture the night sky, upon reaching the top of the lot and turning back i was greeted by three majestic mountain tops peaking through the trees with stars peppering down upon them and the remaining trail of white exhaust from a passing prop plane, i set up and immediately knew what i wanted to capture. After hours of shooting and food in our stomachs we closed up the van and prepared for a cool night sleep among the stars and cliffs. We woke with the sun as it warmed the van and made leaving the comfort of warm blankets easier, we stumbled into a small village down the road that had a small coffee shop and eatery there to greet us. We entered and promptly made our orders eager to eat and get out on the trails. We enjoyed the hot coffee and morning conversations with locals before heading to the trail head that would lead us to a view of all of Zion, this was one of the few trails open as Zion is known for expeditions that lead you through caves and rivers alike, being around the thirties in temperature we thought that not smart and decided to strike with a dry trail blanketed in sun. As we started up the carved stairs leading upwards, still shaking off the morning cobwebs and aches that come with living out of a camper van for over a week, we talked of previous days excursions and the sad reality that this would be the last stop of the trip. The trail welcomed us over steel grated foot bridges, half caves, steep rocks, and pits of sand all the while climbing to the summit. Upon reaching the summit one could see all of Zion, from the winding roads we came in on to "Sacrifice rock" miles in the distance, named for the brilliant rusty red colors dripping down its facade. The Summit was scattered with massive boulders that stretched out from the cliffs edge, and if brave enough provided a panoramic view of the scene as your legs dangled with nothing but thousands of feet below them. Without reason or acknowledging one another we spilt and each found ourselves sitting out on these rocks, secluded from fellow hikers and each other, sitting, pondering, taking it all in. As i sat i realized how far i had come since departing from New Jersey a few days earlier, how these beautiful places really do hold a true form of magic, thee kind that transforms a person mentally as well as physically. My mind had been cleared and cleaned from everything that troubled me back home, i was truly at peace in every way for the first time in my life. I never wanted that feeling to leave, i never wanted to be anywhere other then these glorious places. I knew that upon returning home everyday life wouldn't be enough after experiencing this, i knew life was way to short not to get out and see these places and to live not just exist. We must have spent nearly four hours out on these rocks pondering life and where we needed to take our own. As we stumbled off the trails and back into the van for our last leg to Las Vegas to catch our flights back to home and reality, we couldn't help but smile and laugh knowing we truly did change out here in the midwest, knowing we stumbled and learned secrets few have a chance to. The roads that led us to the last city on our list were a bittersweet experience, in one hand we saw new landscapes once again, but in the other with every mile we took we were also a mile closer to heading back and away from the real magic that we were encompassed in. Stopping at the hover dam for one last site of wonder i threw a coin wrapped in a wish over the side in slight hope my life would end up how visioned it would be out on these roads. In conclusion to this trip i want to urge you to go out and see something grand before its to late, to travel with friends, hike a mountain that seems unattainable, talk with a stranger in a foreign place, find what you love and let it lead you, go out and live not just exist. Time is the most valuable asset we own in this life, done waste it on sitting behind a desk wishing spend it traveling and planning new and exciting adventures. I will be heading out on more road trips and adventures this summer and am currently looking for people that would like to join me in these, if interested contact me though the site. Keep traveling and stay outside. 

Antelope Canyon & Horse Shoe Bend - " i want to do this forever "

Nothing but sand around for miles, a small hut cracked the repetition, the hut surrounded by old pickups converted into covered people haulers. Pulling into the lot you are greeted by a native, all the land the canyon resides in is Navajo owned and is ran and patrolled by the native people, The lady was friendly and gave us directions of where to park and handed us or tickets for the excursion. We met our guide for the day whom told us to call him Bear, he was a big man with strong features and a welcoming smile. We climbed into the back of the truck bed where benches bolted down awaited us, Bear took the front and proceeded to drive us to the canyon entrance. The ride out was bumpy and the sand soft due to the constant flooding in the winter months, we passed cattle grazing on the little vegetation and water to be found. We rounded a bend and there before us was the entrance to the canyon, a slice down the one hundred and thirty foot mountain, the opening was something out of an indian jones movie, barely wide enough for three of us to walk through at once, as we entered the canyon revealed her beauty and size to us, the main chamber was wide enough to fit the ten person group with ease, the light cascading down the walls and painting them with violent reds and oranges. The sandstone was smooth to the touch, and with each touch you could feel the history around you. The canyons once used for natives hiding from westerners trying to enslave them has been used by the navajo for years prior to opening for tours. As we made our way through the canyon the temperature drastically dropped to the point of being chilly, the sun further drowning out and less making its way to the cave floors. Bear pointed out the many naturally formed land marks on the walls with deep insight, he reminisced of the floods and how each year they leave there own signature on the canyon, and once even taking a group of tours as penance. During the flooding season it can be only a matter of seconds for the flood waters to reach twenty feet high. as we crept through the walls becoming increasingly narrow, the light was non existent at points forcing one to caress the walls to find his way. During the walk through i spoke with an elderly man about life, the road, and love, he spoke of being on the road with his wife for thousands of miles and how they still had many more to go, as he spoke his words sunk into me with deep meaning. He said that life is short and the greatest gift it has to offer is love and companionship, not to waste ones time doing something they don't love, and to find that one person you can't live without and travel together, see the world hand in hand because at the end of our own chapters those will be the stories we pass on, those will be the days we cherish and bring with us. As we continued to speak and walk the rest of the tour sped ahead to leave, we hit a small chamber in the canyon and our guide Bear brought out his native wood wind instrument and proceeded to play a native song that echoed across the swooping lines of the canyon walls, between this and the words from the wise old man i felt myself slip into a transcendent esq state and realize what i truly want out of life. What it was ill keep to myself as i believe words wouldn't do it justice nor should they, what you want out of life shouldn't be a description but more of a feeling and sense of mind. I believe we all have an opportunity to experience this moment and the ones that do and listen live a fulfilling life. Bear was complimented with applause and kind words all around upon finishing his short performance. We gathered our gear and proceeded back to the initial point of departure, in the parking lot we said our farewells to the kind individuals we met along the adventure and decided to head off to our last stop of the trip, Zion National Park. As we left Antelope Canyon and headed down the vacant desert roads we shortly started reading signs for Horseshoe Bend, the name immediately stood out in our minds and being that the signs said a short half mile hike and the sun still high in the sky we decided it well worth the detour. We parked in a dusty lot and proceeded down the marked and beaten path, As we walked you couldn't see anything aside from flat land and low lying shrubs, Within minuets we made our way to the end of the trail, in front of us were large flat rocks, we climbed up on top of them and before our eyes laid such a magnificent sight. We have all seen photos online of the bend but i can truly say that none of them due it justice, the scale of the bend is beyond words and photos, boats traversing the rivers 180 degree turn looked like miniature model toys, the waters a rich emerald in the late day sun, a perfect contrast to the red canyon walls that have been carved out over decades. We perched our selves out on the cliffs edge, rocks no bigger then a square foot, our feet swaying out with just the brisk air wrapping around them, a warm rush of adrenaline coursed through our veins, at that moment we were one with our surroundings and in a state of pure meditation. After we had our fill of cliffside relaxation and grabbed the photographs we wanted to achieve we climbed back off the cliff only to be treated by a fellow photographer, after speaking we learned he has been traveling around as well photographing the country and world, we exchanged social media information and parted ways. Pb&j's awaited us back at the van as a quick refuel before heading back out on the open road. We took highway 89 north west past the southern tip of lake Powell and through the grand staircase national preserve. We stopped along the road to photograph mountains with brilliant deep red and contrasting white stripes, the moon full and clear over top of them, the golden hour was setting in quickly as we reached an hour out of Zion. We slowly made our way through and suddenly found ourselves on top of the most gorgeous mountains we had scene. Zion National Park we had finally arrived. 

The Grand Canyon - " wow what a hole "

As we awoke in Sedona, the warm air against our faces raising us from our slumber, we jumped out of the van, grabbed some fresh air, organized a little, and headed into town looking for breakfast. There is only one road that passes through Sedona and every few miles has a little town with shops and eateries. We headed north bound as thats where we needed to head after eating anyway, and found the last of the little towns on the main road. We drove looking for anywhere cozy and local and found that within The hitching post restaurant, inside smelled of eggs and waffles,the waitress a friendly older lady with a spunky personality asked what we would be having and brought out some much needed coffee. Upon finishing our meals we walked the town and checked out some local shops before heading back to the van to head north. The roads leading out of Sedona leveled out quickly and stayed straight and baron for the two plus hours we had on the road, no signs of civilization minus a few make shift ranches and some farm animals, vegetation was at a minimum only seeing small cacti and shrubs sparsely lining the roads. We made our way into the National Geographic Greeting Center for the Canyon and talked with a ranger and grabbed some trail maps, All this time you could not see or tell how close or far you were from the Canyon. We parted ways and headed to the road that would bring us to our first over look, passing through the gates you could still not see anything, how could such a massive place be so hidden in plain sight we thought to ourselves. We breached the first parking lot and got out to walk towards the trail, as we turned a corner the canyon revealed herself to us in full glory,my mind couldn't comprehend what my eyes were seeing, no photographs nor videos did any of this justice. Crawling out onto narrow ledges surrounded by 1000 ft. plus drop-offs around us just to fully immerse ourselves more and try to understand the magnitude of this magical place. The canyon walls layered in brilliant reds, purples, and yellows, the sky above a piercing shade of blue. It felt as though one was living inside a painting, as our feet dangled we took in the sights and just breathed deep hoping a little of the magic in that air would last with us eternally. After enjoying the views for a few hours we headed further down to find the perfect spot to set up camp for the night, and prepare our gear for sunset. The spot we came across was on a long straight stretch of road, pulling into the parking lot there were only two or three cars with no more then eight people, which was much improved over the super crowded first overlook.The parking lot made a horseshoe shape and at the bend a walkway reached out to the canyon edge. Mountain goat trails scattered the area high and low allowing you to reach numerous cliffs edge each spot big enough for a personal moment of meditation. As the sun set the remainder of people cleared out and left us to ourselves, Theres something so incredible about being alone on the edge of the grand canyon as the sun vanishes. Right after the last sliver climbs below the canyon horizon the skies transform to painted shades of indigo, teal, burnt orange, and deep red. Gazing forward one could see where the color pallets that inspired the natives came from, my eyes never saw colors like this merge so seamlessly, as they shuffled the sky brought forth its next treat for us in the form of millions of twinkling stars dancing. We spent the remainder of the night hoping from cliff to cliff cameras in hand trying to capture even an eight of what are our eyes where witnessing.Star photography is rewarding in the sense that it makes you slow down and wait a minute, to sit and think while the exposure is being captured for a few seconds to a few minutes each time. You haven't experienced the night sky until you've sat on the edge of a cliff at midnight surrounded by all those little diamonds in the sky. We stayed up late that night, who would want to go to bed being where we were, once we felt ourselves start to get tired, we packed up our camera gear and cooked some mac and cheese in the back of the van before sitting on another cliff edge eating our meals, talking of the days prizes and planning for tomorrow excursion.That night was perfect, those few hours on the cliff edge at the grand canyon, i was at peace. 

Sedona and Red Rocks State Park - " I didn't think the dirt would be this red "

Upon concluding our time in Phoenix, and grabbing the ever needed hot shower and night of sleep in something that doesn't have wheels, we packed up, said our thank you's, and got back onto the road. Sedona was roughly a two hour or so drive from where we had been staying, leaving phoenix the roadside attractions gradually got smaller and the cacti gradually got bigger. Again we found ourselves driving the straightest roads although this time instead of being flat they climbed as we went. We drove and crested out onto some flat land for a few miles before coming up on the welcome center right outside of Sedona. we pulled off and parked, immediately noticing how truly red the dirt was when stepping out of the van, i assure you that the photos may look saturated but that is in fact how this martian dirt looked to the eye, it was breathtaking. We grabbed a few trail maps, talked with a local national park officer, and had or coordinates to one of Sedona's best hiking spots. Driving to the trail head the first thing that you noticed is the structure of the town is unlike that of any other, set up in a strip of roundabouts as apposed to a road with intersections, all the houses and structure made with adobe and painted with the colors that natural form around the area. Everything about this town was cohesive and felt right nestled beneath the incredible rock structures. Everywhere you looked, all 360 degrees of view has massive and surreal stone structures painted in the rich red dirt as the light shined upon them.We found a small parking area outside of the trail head, parked, grabbed our cameras and water and proceeded up to cathedral rock. The hike started off slow, passing over a dry river bed, and traversing a slight incline sprinkled with low lying brush and trees. About twenty minutes into the hike we reached our first plateau overlook, it wasn't anything to write home about as far as height was concerned but to look north and see the massive stones we would be climbing shortly was mesmerizing.We grabbed a quick water break and continued on, this trail getting harder as we went, to the point of us putting the cameras in the packs and using both hands and feet to climb up these red cliffs. After another hour we were approaching the summit, tired, and ready for a break, but we continued to push on knowing we wanted to make it before sunset. As you got to the last leg and climbed the almost sheer cliff you breached up on the final over look, a six foot wide plot of land connecting the two cathedral rock structures, sheer cliff on either side and one of the most astounding views my eyes had seen thus far. Like something out of the land before time the red mountain tops scattered throughout highlighted by rich green trees. The wind whipped around us like a sort of welcoming dance, a congratulations to reaching and seeing what few get to. We spent most of our time sitting perched on the edge of the cliff feet dangling into the oblivion, lost in our thoughts. If there was ever a place you felt pure nirvana this was it. Just writing this gives my the warm rush all over again. We sat for a good hour taking in the purple majestic sunset as it coasted beneath the fiery cliffs infant of us. as it dipped the sky became a brilliant blue and revealed the moon for the first glimpse of the day. We proceeded to force ourselves to pack up and leave knowing we would already be walking back in the dark. The treck home was faster, we were more familiar with our terrain, and we were hungry. Arriving back at the van we headed to find a place to set up camp for the night and begin cooking, during this search we stumbled upon two interesting places, the first a literally Church built into the side of one of these massive mountains with huge glorious windows overlooking the valley. Ive never been one for religion but this place was sheer beauty and commanded respect over the town. The following place was far less grand but much more interesting, it was a sort of artist commune of sorts, multiple shops combined into a collective nestled between the cacti. As we wandered from room to room the hand crafted goods sang to us with there beauty and taunted us to buy, knowing we had a tight budget we decided it be best to leave, we continued down the road and found a cozy parking lot inside the mountains to spend a night. As the darkness slid in the sky became painted with brilliant twinkling stars, it was a perfect reward to a successful day, well that and the delicious mac and cheese we whipped up! As we were just about ready for bed and to crawl back to it we saw headlights beam up over the horizon and enter the parking lot, a cop car, thinking this was the last thing we needed, to get kicked out of a public place and have to find a new place to sleep we expected the worst, to our surprise the cop pulled and, pulled around and left just as quickly without saying a word. Not ones to overthink we shrugged and prepared for bed and the next day of adventure ahead of us. 

The Imperial Sand Dunes - " We need to experience this barefoot "

After refueling and heading out of the glorious Salvation Mountain we started north toward Phoenix where friendly faces, a hot shower, and a night of sleep in a home that didn't have four wheels awaited us, oh and civilization let us not forget that. The roads started off incredibly flat and straight for as far as our eyes would let us see. We continued like this for hours with another car passing once every thirty or so miles, gradually the landscape started gently raising and collapsing. The soft hills coated in low small vegetation and little else, in the distance one could see mountains majestically painting the horizon as the sun started to lower itself in the royal blue sky. Driving onward we suddenly found ourselves being wrapped in a terrain we had yet to encounter while on the road, pale dunes of sand higher then the van on either side of the road, the winds blurring where road war ended and dune began. Amazed at what we were seeing we found the nearest pull off and in one moment ripped our socks and shoes off and began our sprint into the marian landscape. The sand beneath our feet felt like silk and all at once we flashed back to children dancing in the yard with no care or worry of the troubles in our respective lives. We summited the biggest dune we could see and gazed out toward the setting sun, the landscape went for miles with no sign of anything else. The difference between the shadowy sides of the dune and those painted with the sun was that of fall and spring. As we stood and watched the sun set the dunes became richer in color and the sky began to show us what a sunset should always be, brilliant purples, pinks, blues, all seamlessly mixing and mingling together. I will never forget that moment and the feeling of complete freedom that overwhelmed me. This is what life was all about and this the feeling i will forever chase. endlessly. 

Salvation Mountain - " We found an oasis "

After a hasty getaway from the Salton Sea we drove a few more miles and reached the eastern end of the vast lake and the final town we would drive through before reaching Salvation Mountain. As we pulled through the town we saw it was surrounded by massive power plants and power lines strewn around like cobwebs in an old attic, businesses and houses were just as deserted as the other small towns we ran through earlier in the day. The further we got the less building we were seeing, as they tapered off completely the roads became surrounded by piles of broken glass shimmering in the mid day sun, abandoned concrete structures coated in vibrant graffiti and cryptic messages were now the only thing resembling structures and life we saw. Miles into the distant desert as far as the eye could see were old camper vans on blocks with slapped together tent huts around them, “do people really live out here” we both murmured. Surely one couldn't survive out here for long, as we came up on one of the martian huts we saw a weather torn man sitting in a lawn chair in worse shape then him, he gave a slight nod as we drove past as if to answer or previous question. Cresting a small hill on the dirt road we traveled one could see a large mound in the distance, not like the sand covered ones we had been seeing for miles, this one was special for ever a few miles out the radiant colors it had been painted  with glowed in the distance like a mirage from the movies. We sped up to make our way to it as if it was going to disappear before we could reach it, the parking lot was small and the van kicked up a dust storm as we pulled in and parked off to the side, the once small colored mound had grown quickly as we approached now towering over our van as we left the vehicle. “ Welcome to Salvation Mountain ” a friendly voice chimed from a few yards away, we glanced to where the voice had came and saw an older women sitting pleasantly in a shaded  hut next to an old car hand painted with life lessons. She told us how this place was special to her for more then just obvious reasons,. That back home, which surprisingly was very close to our home, she could no longer walk due to issues involving her back but once she got out here to Salton Sea that she hasn't had a day of pain since! This was further proven by her climbing and painting the side of the mountain all day.After continuing finishing up our conversation with the pleasant lady we began exploring the most odd of places, starting with a “cave” on the far right entirely made by hand using only what was available which from the looks of it was adobe, branches, and old car parts, once inside you felt as though you just jumped into a child Dr. Suess book. Strange colors lined the walls in sporadic patterns, makeshift portholes formed with circular shards of glass molded into the wall sides, these let in beams of multi color light that danced around the open room. The air inside and out was clean and dry, we passed through a dimly lit corridor and ended up in a room filled with belongings of fellow visiter's, everything from photos to drivers licenses lined the walls, a penance for the extraordinary place they just experienced. On top of the mountain you could see the desert stretch miles until meeting mountains, we made our way down said our goodbyes to the kind women, took one last look back at the brightly colored peak and hopped into the van and off to our next adventure. 

The Salton Sea - " Why is there a pile of dead birds? "

The Salton sea, this place has been scene to many post apocalyptic movies and documentaries due to its odd life. the sea is well below sea leve which has caused extremely high salt content in its water. In a past life the sea served the wealthy and elite of new old hollywood, but suddenly was rejeected  due to the sea no longer supporting most aquatic life within it, this caused most of the surrounding areas of this resort desitnation to become barren and abandoned. Upon arriving you could see nothing but desert and sea for miles, as the van hummed past dead foliage and abandoned shacks we grew curious as to what was ahead for us. We continued on what seemed to be a never ending highway of deja vu, noticing quickly we were running out of gas we opted to stop at the nearesttown sign. The town resembled footage of a nuclear fall out, everything stuck and rotting in the glorious past, the shine of new paint was now coated in salt depsits and rust, roads cracking from unrepair and sun damage, then we got hit with the stench, something of rotting fish and other forms of decay. Since already in a town with no gas station in sight we figured we would let curiosity get the best of us and started exploring round the forgotten town. Like something out of a movie as soon as we left the van an old man peddled by on a bicycle and mumbled something toward us neitheer could make out. We continued on cameras in hand for anyting worth our time or film in this alien terrain. Rounding a corner near the van we stumbled into an unsettling amount of headless birds piled up and thought it best to be on our way. 

Joshua Tree National Park - " I've never seen stars like this "

A few hours down interstate 99 and we found ourselves in Bakersfield and surrounded by low lying foliage and desert mountains of rich purples and tans. Nightfall reached us shortly after making our way into Twentynine pines, the nearest town to Joshua Tree, at this point the roadways stretched flat and straight for forty miles on end, this is were we found out that our reliable and trusty van was limited to a less then satisfying ninety five miles per hour. The light pollution was just about at zero due to being so far out and the cold air killing an atmospheric haze. as we zipped down the open roadways with the windows down and a late night nineties boyband playlist singalong happening the night was one ill never forget, Me and a good friend with nothing but a horizon of stars in a new land. Upon reaching the entrance of Joshua Tree National Park we read a sign saying to quietly find a place to sleep and camp and not to worry about paying the camp fees until the morning. This put a slight smile on my face, knowing that there are still places in this world that gain trust onto fellow peers and trust an adult will act as such, now i don't know if this is a sad reflection on myself or this worlds current status but thats neither here nor there. Through the help of the always trusty trip advisor app we found a nice camping area outside of the famous arch in the park and nestled our camper in-between rock formations and began setting up our van for sleeping and our photography gear for capturing the brilliant display the sky was putting on for us. The night brought upon us howling winds and frigid temperatures, although warmer then the previous night in Yosemite the winds were far worse. We propped our selves and gear up high on the close rocks, weighted down our tripods, and sat bundled up as the long exposures jammed. We stayed out for a few hours before the bitter cold made us pack up and retreat back to the van, the time i was out on those rocks sitting just me, my camera, and the surrounding stars was a real form of magic, i felt my soul cleanse, the mess thats usually in my head cleaned, it was the truest form of peace and happiness. The night spent in the van again brought shiver but was bearable. Again we had found ourselves pleasantly awoken moments before the sun was about to rise. We pulled back to curtains to reveal the glorious scene beyond the windows, tones of violet and teal painting across the rocks and sky, stepping out of the van was like stepping onto a martian terrain. We packed up our gear and headed into the vast desert to begin capturing the beauty that surrounded us. We climbed on top of the massive stones, down through dusty trails avoiding cacti. Quickly we grew hungry and thought it best to go find some food before the mid day sun, we headed into the nearest town and grabbed a delicious skillet of vegetables and eggs. As delicious as breakfast was and as needed as the coffee we raced through it fueled for more adventure. On the way back through the winding roads into the park we made a quick pit stop at the local donut shop. Once back inside the boundaries of the park we headed further south until the road went from pavement to sand, we pulled off and followed a rocky trail to what was a mining town.All that was left of the town was some old stone foundations and a couple closed off shafts. We perched on a cliffs edge and took in the view while picturing the old town bustling with pick ax laden workers. Continuing down the road we made our way to the location of Skull Rock, a formation thats as old as the park itself, massive stones reach to the sky with the unique weathering on them transforming them to form a skull overlooking the vast desert. We climbed and took in the last of our time in the amazing park before foraging onward to The Sultan Sea. Joshua Tree was a unique landscape and brought our eyes and cameras spectacular sights. There was absolute magic in that desert, the kind that makes you happy to be where you are with whom you are with. 

Yosemite National Park - "The heat doesn't work"

Leaving the warm Venice air proved to be difficult knowing we would soon be welcomed to cooler winds and white powered on our boots, still we picked up the camper van, loaded our packs and gear into its selected places, picked our music for the five hour drive, and started up to Pacific coast highway toward our first national park of the trip. The drive started off slowly winding through the hollywood hills and the un-nerving Los Angeles traffic before having us climb over mountains wide and high. It was about two hours in of these hill climbs before we descended and had us traversing flat desert roads north through Bakersfield.After passing through Fresno we started heading east inward two the gates of Yosemite National Park, we heard reports of snow storms days prior but until reaching the gates we had no idea how they had and will affect our journey. The swirling roads that lead into the park were fine at first, then suddenly the sides of the roads became peppered white, then the roads themselves, eventually as we passed through the small mountain town of Fish Camp the roads had iced and the snow was coming down viciously.  We passed sign after sign stating no vehicles past this point without chains and four wheel drive. It would be smart to turn back, then again no story ever begins with “and then we turned back ” so we proceeded on. Luckily for me Tom has had experience driving vans on snow covered roads, still the drive wasn't without its fears as Yosemite seems to not be one for guard rails or any other measures that would save a wayward vehicle from falling thousands of feet to its doom. We made it roughly a half hour past Fish Camp and decided to find a lot to park and camp for the night, the snow falling had made sight non existent and we were beginning to push more snow then driving over. Upon parking and setting up camp we thought it best to have a small quick snack of trail mix and water, then prepare for bed. The back of the van was spacious after folding out the cushions and the three hundred and sixty degrees of curtains covered all windows nicely for privacy and darkness. We did however have one downfall in our first night in the wilderness, the heater, we quickly figured out did not plug in and work. Of course we had the heat from the van but it would need to stay running in  order for that to work, and being that we had not seen any gas stations since turning off the main highway we knew this wouldn't be an option. We threw on double layers of sweatpants and sweatshirts along with blankets and tucked in for a long cold night. We awoke early, minutes before the sun rose over the skyline to the sound of a plow truck, well that and the immense cold that had crept in while we slept. Taking the many clues that sleeping in wouldn't be an option we tossed our boots on jumped up front and headed out.The next stop? Half Dome, and yes that should sound familiar as aside from being featured as a backdrop on all apple computers and photographed by some of the worlds leading photographers. The roads although increasingly better then the night before were still slick with ice and snow unable to be scraped clean by the plows. We winded further and further, higher then we had ever traveled before in this journey. As we turned a corner before us like a glowing red fire on a sun-kissed horizon was the entrance to a tunnel, it was long and resembled more of a lit cave then anything, as we drove through anticipation to where this would lead out grew, words couldn't do justice what laid before our eyes upon reaching the end. We pulled off immediately into the lot on the left side of the road, there before us in all of its glory centered between its sister peaks, Half Dome. For this marked the first time in my life i was left utterly speechless, for all at once my eyes soaked in the rising sun, the deep teal aura of the sky, the snow topped peaks surrounded with brilliant green pines it seamed to suck any words from my grasp immediately.  It took everything in us to peal ourselves away from this view but we knew more where to come and that the road was calling. Originally we had planned to head up and over the mountains and onto the eastern side of Yosemite but due to the overwhelming snow all roads but the one we were on had been closed, luckily the road was a massive loop so no back tracking needed.Upon getting into the van and heading out we started the decent into the valley of Yosemite. The mountain tops receded but we were rewarded with an increase in gorgeous pines and sun soaked fields. We soon found ourselves driving beside the Merced River down Northside Dr, we immediately found a clearing and pulled over. As soon as we pulled off i knew the image i wanted to take, i grabbed my camera and a wide angle lens and positioned myself onto the river bed facing upstream the river provided a mirror like surface that portrayed gorgeous symmetry and took in all the blue tones that saturated the landscape.  By this point our less then small breakfast of trail mix and water was proving to not be sufficient, our stomachs growled and turned begging for nutrition. We set off to find food, this proved to be more difficult then anticipated, we traveled for miles on back winding roads with no sign of food. We stumbled onto a couple hopeful spots but due to the weather all were closed. What seemed forever but turned out to be only an hour or so of driving found us off of the snow covered mountain roads and proceeding off the mountain ranges, at the end of this road a quaint mountain town with a small diner/convenience store nestled in the center. The hosts were gracious and kind, asking about our journey and provided quick food and beverages to quench our hunger. We said our goodbyes and feeling well nourished we climbed into the van for the eight hour drive to Joshua Tree National Park in southern California.