This past summer, a good friend of mine and I made our first trip to Cali. A full blown road trip from Houston, TX all the way to the west coast.

I’ll begin with the first leg of the trip. A 12 hour drive to the Gardner Hotel in El Paso, Tx. We stayed in the hostel section of the hotel, which consisted of a small room with 2 sets of bunk beds, a sink, and a door to a shared bathroom with the next room. I’ll admit that this place did have some antique charm. They had an old school elevator and a pretty nice looking lobby. However, the front door was a popular hangout for some of the more shady guests. And, for $30 a night, you would probably be better off forking over a little extra for a La Quinta with free wi-fi, of which this place had none. Overall, it looks like a cute little place, and they do have some pricier private rooms with cable and extra amenities, but if you are on a budget then I would recommend looking elsewhere.

Next Stop: San Francisco. Of course, I’ll skip over the stay in Tuscon, AZ, and a few nights at my uncle’s place in Oxnard, CA. The next hostel we arrived at was the Adelaide Hostel in San Fran. It was definitely interesting to say the least. Bustling is a good word too. It was a little hard to find also. We circled the same streets while demeaning and cussing at the GPS. It just so happens to be located in an alley. They do have a valet service, but we didn’t use it, only because of the fact that we didn’t know about it. Instead, we paid $25 to park in a garage down the street. So, the people and staff seemed friendly enough. About 90 % of the guests were Europeans. I think both the guys who worked at the front desk were Irish too. So, if you are looking for a unique cultural experience with the opportunity to meet people from all across the globe, then this is the place for you. There are also many computers throughout the building, however, there is also an equal amount of guests to occupy these computers fairly constantly. The lobby is pretty nice. There are some tv’s and many couches to lounge upon. Trust me, the environment is very communal. For breakfast, they encourage you to buy your own food and cook it up in the kitchen. Still, they do provide coffee, toast, butter, and many other small food items. My only complaint about this place lies with the room. We were put in a co-ed room with 10 bunk beds, each with a curtain that pulls across to provide some privacy. There are also multiple sinks that run along side the wall. This is no normal room though. It is like a lengthy hallway with a few feet of walking space. Also, when we had arrived, there was only one bed left in the room. My friend nabbed that one with no remorse and I was put in a bed that sat at the end of the hallway in the center of the room, no curtain, no privacy. Other than the open window at the head of my bed and the elderly woman who fell on me while trying to climb up into her top bunk, I had a decent nights sleep. The room was pretty cluttered, pretty damn cluttered. It seemed that most of the guests that had been there before us had been there for quite some time, and seemed to have plans to stay for quite some time in the future.Still, the lines of hanging t-shirts and jeans strewn about the floor, random toothbrushes in the sink, and abandoned facial cleansers made for an unforgettable experience. They even had a laundry room downstairs, which most seemed to not know about. So, if you are looking to meet some interesting and unique people, share a 40 oz or two, maybe a doobie on the alley steps, then this is definitely a place to check out while in San Francisco.

HI: Marin Headlands Hostel. Go here. In fact, if you are planning on visiting San Francisco, don’t even bother trying to find somewhere to sleep in the city. This place is only ten or fifteen minutes away and it is gorgeous. You can see the bridge and San Francisco from the beach. Traveling to this hostel is like being in the country and coming across a quaint little town. You have to wait at a 5 minute red light and travel through a one way tunnel just to get here, but that is what makes it fun. There is tons of great hiking around here and absolutely breath taking views of the ocean. We were able to see many deer and sea otters off the coast. The hostel managers are very nice and accommodating also. Sausalito is only ten minutes north of San Fran, but it feels like you are in a completely different world. The rooms have about 6 to 8 bunk beds but are nice enough. I would definitely describe this hostel as more family friendly. So, if you are looking for gorgeous scenery and a unique experience, with a cost of only $22 a night, then check this place out.

Lake Tahoe. There’s not much to say. The pictures will tell all. We stayed at a little motel just like every other motel or hotel that lines the shore. When in Tahoe, it’s not about where you stay but how you spend your time there.

Mammoth Lakes: Davidson Street Guest House. After a day of hiking through Yosemite, we needed a place to rest our feet. We had it all planned out to stay at Doug’s Mellow Mountain Retreat, but after reading some questionable reviews, we decided to look for a new place. We called Davidson. Luckily they had plenty of space. You would think that after a day of hiking through Yosemite, there would be nothing that could top it. Think again. This place was astonishingly gorgeous. While staying here, you truly feel like you have discovered a hidden gem. First, there was no management at the hostel. You simply slide your money under the door with the appropriate paperwork. The kitchen is fully stocked and the design of the place is very rustic. Also, within five miles you have beautiful lake shores and high end shopping centers. We just happened to be there on a weekend in which a beer fest was taking place, so we ran into many interesting people. Still, even without the beautiful country around you, the night sky would be enough for me to visit again. We spent almost the entire night looking up at a sky that had more stars than I ever knew truly existed. We also managed to grab breakfast in the hostel on our first morning. The only other guests there were a German family that invited us to eat with them. That made the trip. For sure, check this place out. It’s close to Yosemite and is only $25 a night. Totally worth it.

We then continued on to Sequoia National Park and stayed in some sort of Super 8. More on that in part 2.

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