San Francisco is an interesting place. This past summer was my first time visiting, but I have been to New York many times. In my opinion, San Francisco is like the New York City of the west coast, except more hilly. It is a big place, so that is why I have some tips for people who are traveling there. As I said, I have only been there once, but I learned a few things.

We were lucky enough to meet a local San Franciscan in the laundromat. She was quite a character. Also, while on the topic of laundromats; don’t just choose any laundromat on a whim. Shop around a little. See if they have wi-fi. Some have little coffee shops and bakeries inside. Some charge you just for being in there. Some have working machines. Some don’t. Although, I guess it’s a trial and error type thing. For us it was.

Anyway, this lady gave us a lot of advice once she heard that we weren’t from there. In fact, we told her we were from Texas and her response went something like this: “Texass! Boyy! Why you so pale?” I had just spent my whole summer swimming. I’m talking like, 4 hours a day in the Texas sun.

According to her advice, first and foremost, avoid the guys in Golden Gate Park. Sh said that there would be guys who whispered to you from the bushes and the tunnels. She wasn’t kidding. We traveled all day to get there, the famous Haight Ashbury area, and decided to check out the park. Within five seconds of setting foot past the “Golden Gate Park” sign, we suddenly knew what she meant. The first guy was businesslike. We walked past him and he called out to us, “Trees.” Now, there are trees in the park, but he wasn’t simply stating the existence of them. “Trees, $2o a tree.” He didn’t look up while he said this, but kept his face down in an issue of a Victoria’s Secret catalog. We took this opportunity to scurry along. The next guy came on a bike, about ten seconds later. Dreads, slippers, and crossed eyes. “Yo boys. Got some leaf. Lookin’ for that leaf.” It appeared that his offer spurred the first man to get up and close the catalog. They both then walked along side us, arguing over who would get the sale, apparently with no idea that we weren’t interested. They kind of got caught up in their own debate, so we took that as another opportunity to continue on. Long story short, the dealers are like Robin Hood’s merry men, hiding in the forest. They were everywhere. We didn’t stick around in the park long, but on our way out, we did notice the two bike cops arresting two of them. Just another day I guess. So far, the laundromat lady was 1 for 1 on her advice.

Secondly, she warned to know your bus routes. Always know which bus you are taking, where you are taking it to, and if there are any transfers. Like I said, this is a big, hilly place. We tried to pay attention, but all I could really notice was the bit of chicken salad hanging from her lip. So, we decided to wing it. At first, we just kind of roamed the city to see what there was. Then, we looked up bus routes on our laptop while in the laundromat. There was no printer, so we snapped a picture of the screen with our digital. That proved to be a mistake at the end of the day. We did end up getting to Fisherman’s Wharf, which was awesome. It was very relaxing with plenty of good places to eat and tons of little shops. The only problem came in getting back. We looked at the various bus stations, but the routes didn’t seem to add up. So, we walked around looking for the right bus stop, and before we knew it, we were in the residential area. Just hill after hill, street after street of apartments. So, we figured that if we were going to walk, then we may as well find some neat little bistro. Mistake number 2. Basically, we walked about 10 blocks uphill, 10 block down and ended up at a Subway. This subway didn’t even have the $5 foot long deal yet. Also, don’t think that the walks downhill will give your feet a break. They are both equally as hard in the midday sun. Therefore, laundromat lady was 2 for 2.

Number 3. In her opinion, the Golden Gate Bridge is uncrossable. “That bridge is swingin’ and swangin’. No lane dividers either. Gots to worry about people drivin’ all in your lane.” She told us that she hadn’t crossed the bridge in over ten years. She only traveled south. That is why she told us she made it down to Houston at one point for some conference, but it wasn’t much of a story. Anyway, we knew that we needed to go across the bridge and didn’t think much of it. For some reason, I think she thought that the bridge swaying was a bad thing, but I didn’t feel like getting into architecture with her. So, we eventually made it to the bridge on our way to Sausalito. My GPS managed to send us in a few circles, and I burned out my clutch. (Really! Be aware of how steep the hills are. If you drive a standard then use your e-brake on stops.) So, the bridge was nice. There are no land dividers, but there are cones. I also blew through an ez pass lane without a tag, but I never got the ticket in the mail. so, if you are from out of state, be sure to take advantage of that. Apparently, this would make the laundromat lady 2 for 1. Still, I’m glad we met her.

Have fun in San Fran.

Okay. So, Sequoia National Park. We stayed in Lindsay, CA in a Super 8 as said before. That was as close as we could get in the time that we had to make a reservation. That meant about an hour drive to the entrance of the park, which is only about $6 to get into. Also, the Sequoia trees (The Giant Forest) was about 17 miles inside the park. That means another hour drive through the park. The roads are extremely steep, very narrow, and absolutely gorgeous. You will probably average about 10 mph while driving to The Giant Forest. The colors of the leaves vary between gold, orange, red, and green. I wish I took more pictures. However, entering the Giant Forest is definitely when the real show starts. You really do feel like you re in the land of the giants. There are different parts of the park, such as Kings Canyon, which holds the Redwoods, but the Sequoias were enough to blow my mind, thoroughly. The forest is damp and a little foggy, which makes it seem like a fairytale. We took some short hikes and felt miles from the real world. I would love to go back and experience more of the park. We even managed to see some deer while hiking through the park. But, if bear is what interests you, then be sure to check out Yosemite.

Yosemite National Park. This is where shit goes down, as some would say. As I’m typing this, I am actually looking in the thesaurus for the proper words to describe this experience. Hiking through Yosemite is stunning, sumptuous, superb, dazzling; it’s a dream. The lakes are like mirrors-mirrors with fish beneath the surface. The mountains make you feel like you were barely born-they’re enormous. Waterfalls, rainbows, horseshoes and blue moons…Not to mention, we ran into a few bears. The first time, we were hiking in a group of about 15 people. They looked like dark blurs running through the trees. I took off running at first sight. They were only cubs though, so we pointed our cameras and clicked. The next encounter was when we were alone. I didn’t even notice it within ten feet of us. We were hiking around dusk and my friend said “Shit! Matt, what should we do?” I said, “About what?” Then he pointed. There was a fatter cub, ten feet away, eating out of a trunk. We snapped a few pictures, then left quickly fearing th presence of a mother. The cub didn’t even notice us. I can’t say whether these were Grizzly or Black bears, but I would guess Black because they didn’t look too big. I am not guarantying that Yosemite will bring bears, but it is still a worthy place to visit. There are many great hikes in the area, so be sure to give yourself more than a day. And don’t worry about walking everywhere because there is a shuttle system that runs all throughout the park. Check out the pictures.

Quick tip. While driving through Arizona, be wary of random thunderstorms and sandstorms. They can mess with your paint job.

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.