And So to Summarize

My month-long journey up and down the western United States has drawn to a close. I slept comfortably in my own bed last night and woke this morning with a desire to reflect. Here is a summary of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Best Campground: Reef Campground, near Ft. Ross, California. Super cheap, near the beach, clean bathrooms, great sheltered camp sites.

Worst Campground: Sadly, the Eureka KOA where I met Pete. It was located behind a junk yard, tent sites were completely open, Harley owners idling for 15 minutes at 7:00 am. Pete told me he saw a kid chasing younger kids around with a weed-whacker!

Favorite State: Need I say, California. With Oregon following as a close second.

Least Favorite State: Again, obvious, Nevada.

Favorite National Park: Redwoods (majestic, no crowds at all, rustic, completely uncommercial, combination of mountains and ocean)

Least Favorite National Park: Yellowstone (been there before, big crowds, slow driving, not so much beautiful as bizarre)

Best Meals:Pete's carne asada; apple walnut chicken salad sandwich in Washington

Worst Meals: Each one at a fast food place (I'm weak!)

Best Day: Halfmoon Bay to Davis, followed closely by Santa Cruz to Halfmoon Bay

Worst Day: Yosemite to Bishop (the heat was getting to me, halfway blues)

Happy Surprises:

• Meeting Pete
• Bonneville Salt Flats
• Red Rocks in Sedona
• Wind farm near Bakersfield
• Complete change in direction of trip
• Sleeping on Redondo Beach

Unhappy Surprises:

• Replacing Rolly's tires
• Somehow ending up with someone else's crappy front bike wheel
• Types of tourists in Yosemite
• Crazies at Sedona Healing Center
• Bike rack breaking

Good Decisions:

• Going back to California
• Taking surf lessons
• Asking Pete to come meet me in Santa Cruz
• Hanging out in Davis as long as possible
  
• Going to Sedona rather than straight to Grand Canyon
• Getting new tires
• Giving leftover pizza to homeless guy in Santa Cruz
• Paying for night of camping in Millersylvania
• Not paying for night of camping in Yosemite

Bad Decisions:

• Not getting new tires before I left
• Going through Yellowstone
• Eating at McDonalds and Burger King
• Becoming a coffee addict

Most Notable People I Met:

• Pete
• Pete's friends in Davis: hetero-lifemate Corey, Shana, Adam, Dan, Dave et al
  
• Bob and Anne at Redwoods, the most lovely couple in the world
  
• Nice family at Reef Campground whom I played monopoly with
  
• guy at Lincoln KOA whose name I forget
• Tony, Jimmy, Monica, Heather, Erin and everyone at Sedona Bike n' Bean
  
• Nirup, crazy psychic lady in Sedona
• Nice campground hosts and their family in Sedona
• Canadian guy at other bike shop in Sedona
• Everyone on the Pink Jeep Tour
• Wolf in Winnemucca
• Guy at Balletto Winery
• Girl at Butte KOA
• Girl who gave me my surf lesson in Cannon Beach
• Two Scottish girls and young American college guy I played cards and drank with in Santa Cruz campground (forgot to tell that story on the blog)

Most Beautiful Views:

• Sun setting during Rockville ride (no photo)
• Heat lightening over Sedona (my shutter finger isn't that quick)
  
• Sun setting over Crescent City, California:

• Sun setting and thunder storm over Grand Canyon:

• Sun setting over red rock buttes in Sedona

• Yosemite Valley

• San Francisco Bay area from park

• Everywhere along the Oregon coast

• Grand Tetons from Highway 89

It was the trip of a lifetime. I'm so glad I chose the open American road for a solo trip rather than somewhere overseas. It afforded me the opportunities to take each day as I wanted to, as relaxed and spontaneous as possible. Another life-changing journey!