After a bit of a traveling hiatus, I figured it best to get back into the swing of things by making tracks to my first destination requiring plane travel. Leaving the “lower 48” behind, I was Alaska-bound!

Now I’m going to let you know right off the bat, Alaska is pretty much exactly what you think it to be—beautiful sights EVERYWHERE, wildlife abounding, lots of rain (August is the rainy season), endless outdoor adventures (it is ‘the last frontier’ after all), and way more than I could ever see in a short 11 days. Not a single one of my pictures will do it full justice.

This post covers roughly 3,000 miles and six national parks in one week—prepare yourself!

This is where things move into fast-forward a bit. Wanting to optimize my sight-seeing in the short amount of time I had left on the road, I made a lot of quick stops, working mornings but driving afternoons and evenings. After leaving Washington, I started south. On passing back through Oregon, I visited Crater Lake National Park. While snow piled higher than my vehicle lined a lot of the higher elevations, there were still plenty of views of the brilliant blue water of America’s deepest lake situated in the crater of the former Mount Mazama.

Washington is a state that warrants more than just a week. And while I lengthened my stay, it still whirled by!

Ok that’s enough ‘w’ words. I realize I’m a bit behind, but better late than never, right?

Whew! I’ve covered three states and had some pretty thrilling experiences since I last checked in.

In an effort to fit in as many places as possible in the West, prior to heading home for the summer, I have been booking some short stays, which is a bit preventative of exploring, working, AND blogging. But alas, here is where I’ve been:

I sure have been putting on a lot of miles lately. Before starting up the coast, I reached the 5,000 mark in my two months of adventure.

But before staring that journey, I had a couple experiences left for my final days in Southern California. I made one last trip to L.A. for a chance to catch Venice Beach. Stinky, crowded, bad parking—overall, not a fan. I did enjoy my stop in Rancho Palos Verdes on my way back to Oceanside. Beautiful drive and sunset. I also accidentally (in a good way) drove through the San Pedro shipyard. It took me right back to the epic battle scene of Iron Man 3. 😛