California to Oregon to California

September 18, 2026: Damn, will this month never end?? I awoke to clouds and air dripping with water. Normally in the afternoon on the coast the sun breaks through, but I checked the weather and it should be cloudy up and down the coast for the NEXT TWO WEEKS! Fall has arrived in California! I can't do that or I'd have no power. Once again, my lofty plans of staying for a few days were immediately cancelled and I planned my next strategy.

I headed up 101 to the Redwood National and State Parks to see some trees. The woman at the information center gave me driving instructions on where to go. The first section, yeah, there were big trees (I kept saying aloud, "Big Tree...Big Tree...there's a Big Tree"), but I'd seen bigger and better on the Avenue of the Giants and the Richardson Grove State Park just the other day. All the pullouts and parking lots were full so I wasn't going to stop and have to deal with hoards of humanity.

At the beginning of the Redwoods second route I received a warning on Google 2.8 miles of unpaved roads. Ah, no. Sorry. I turned around and jumped on Highway 199 to Oregon! This is a beautiful drive especially when the sun started shining through the trees! Hooray! At times the highway lane got very narrow on my side with a drop off, but still beautiful. I stopped at a huge pullout and stayed the night. The traffic was noisy up until midnight.

The morning shade...but here comes the sun!

September 19, 2026: Sunny, gorgeous...a little hot, but better than cold and cloudy. I washed Big Blue in Cave Junction (Oregon) and recycled my hoard of Spindrift cans. 

Weirdness with recycling...Oregon charges 10 cents per can when you buy them and pays 10 cents per can when you recycle them. California charges and pays only 5 cents. Cheap! So...I drove to Oregon to get rid of my Oregon-purchased Spindrift cans for a better price! Yeah, I'm insane. That was $1.80, but I probably spent $180 on gas just to get here!

However, I needed a cool, but sunny place to waste time until my return to Arizona, cool WITHOUT clouds or rain, maybe a swim or two, so I'm heading back to Klamath Falls to kill a few more days. Nevada seems to be cooling down with Reno in the high 70s. Tucson is high 90s still. UGH! We'll see how long I can stay put until I get the urge to roll. What a game!

Once again, I stayed at the Great Meadow Sno-Park just outside Klamath Falls. I love that it has internet and phone even though it's up in the mountains. For some reason, Klamath Falls calls to me. I think this is my fourth visit? It's comfortable.

September 20, 2026: I spent the day parked, watching what I think were wedding/engagement photographers taking photos of couples out in the "Great Meadow". One showed up at sunrise and another showed up at sunset. I also did computer work and read my new book Miss Morgan's Book Brigade by Janet Skeslein Charles. 

I love wartime historical fictions! This one is about the women who went to France during WWI to help put a community back together by creating children's libraries. It's based on the true story of Anne Morgan (socialite who financed and managed CARD, American Committee for Devastated France) and Jessie Carson (the CARD librarian). It's a little G-rated especially since it's during the war right on the front with Germans only forty miles away. Everyone is a little too cheerful. Interesting enough, the chapters alternate with a separate story taking place in the 1980s about a woman who wants to write the history of the CARDs and during the story she asks one of the characters if they think it's too unrealistic without conflict or drama. LOL! Even though she was informed it was too cheerful, she didn't change much of the story. I still love it.

September 21, 2026: Did a run into Klamath Falls for some shopping and swimming. The geo-thermal-heated pool was nice and warm! Warmer than the air! I think there were only three other people swimming laps. An empty, warm pool is my kind of pool! I spent the rest of the day parked at Moore Park reading, relaxing, and handwashing shorts I've been wearing for weeks.

OMG! I forgot about the bugs! They are all over everything! Clinging to my screens and finding their way into the van to bounce on the windows. Their dead bodies are covering the outside of my van. Blah! It's a reminder why I do NOT want to live here! Weather is high 60s lows are high 40s. 

EPIPHANY!!! As I'm traversing the highways outside Klamath Falls once again, I notice my van is not sputtering and studdering! OMG! At the beginning of summer when I spent three weeks here, I was constantly stressed out how the van was not running well. Was it the all-terrain tires? This was my last theory since no mechanic could definitively tell me anything. Now that I have a clear comparison, I believe the new tires did fix the problem! I was told by a few mechanics that the computer program in the van will "learn bad habits" which means the transmission when trying to figure out what to do with the all-terrain tires will try to adjust for them causing the problems I had. I assumed that maybe it would take some time for this computer program to adjust to the new tires. It's been about a month. I think it did! I can't tell you what a relief this is! The cost of those new tires is way worth this peace of mind.

Of course, when things start going right, it's just a matter of time before things start going wrong again! My philosophy of change...

Overnighted at the Great Meadow Sno-Park. Wake up to dew and frost on the outside of the windows, but it seemed warmer than the last couple nights.

September 22, 2026: Can this month go any slower? But I'm having a good day. Van is running well. I have a good stock of food. Weather is sunny, cool and beautiful. I have a pile of books to read. Plenty of steady work. Love it. I go through stages of good and bad so I thought I should express happiness since so often I'm complaining about something!

Overnight at the Great Meadow Sno-Park again.

September 23, 2026: BRRRRRR!!!! Froze last night. Could not get warm. Woke up to ice covering my van and 41 degrees. This is too cold! I have found my limit in one place seemed to be three nights and then I'm itching to roll. Got up and didn't even bother with breakfast, drove to warm up the van and headed to Moore Park to eat and organize. I think it's time to leave for warmer weather! Went swimming, did all kinds errands.

I took the van into Les Schwab to get their opinion on my noisy brakes. This mechanic contradicted the mechanic who said my brake pads are cracked and tried to tell me the brake pads are just dirty. Who do I believe? He told me to buy some brake cleaner or spray them when I wash the van. I told him everytime I wash the van I spray the brakes. So I went into AutoZone and asked the guy what he thought. He said he thought it didn't make sense and not only that, how am I supposed to get the tire and wheel off to clean the brakes with brake cleaner?

Les Schwab mechanic also told me my front struts are leaking??? It's one thing after another, but I can't tell if anyone knows what they are doing especially when they all contradict each other! My van is finally running great EXCEPT for the noisy brakes so how can these struts be leaking? Discount tires and the latest oil change place didn't mention strut problems and I saw both of them inspecting the van. I've had too many mechanics replace parts that don't need replacing, I've heard some companies will give bonuses and commissions to get people to get customers to spend money whether they need the repair/replacement or not. Who to trust? Again, I don't seem to be having any indication I need new $1,000 struts, but  if there really is a problem, I also don't want it to get really bad if I wait to get it fixed. Damn!!!

I made a vow that if someone gives me a diagnosis and a high quote, like medical care, I get a second opinion. I'm not going to cave to men's scare tactics. Or if I do have something major repaired, I stick around the area for a while to make sure there are no problems. So I'm leaving. Les Schwab won't be getting my $1,000!! 

Overnight Parking Site on Highway 299

Left Klamath Falls around 1:30pm on Highway 39, to Highway 139, to Highway 299 and stopped on the side of the road for overnight in the Modoc National Forest just west of Centerville in California. Very nice, relaxing ride. Warmer here, high 80, low 48.

September 24, 2026: Hardly any traffic on this highway at night. Much warmer night! Most of it was in the 50s. There are times when I wake up in the night, need to pee, and I cannot get out of bed because it's so cold! So thankful this was not one of those nights. Cold in the morning, but the sun is shining! These tiny little flies are driving me nuts. Not sure how they are getting into the van....

Large pullouts all along 299 in the Modoc National Forest

Worked all day, answered emails, listened to music, and relaxed.

September 25, 2026: Woke up to clouds, but warmth! Temperatures look like they are coming down in Tucson, although it's still raining. Getting close!! Left on Highway 299 and headed south on Highway 447. Lovely drive!

California! To the Coast...

Sunrise on Highway 152 Pull Out

September 13, 2026: The highway was so noisy all night! It never stopped! All the way here I kept refusing to get gas because it's so expensive and I was too tired. I was nearly on empty! Thankfully there was a gas station ten miles away with $6.39 a gallon.

I've read parts of the coastal highways are closed due to the wildfire near Big Sur. Monterey was another overpopulated city, too busy for my liking, but it did have a Whole Foods so I was able to get some supplies not found in Visalia. 

I headed down Highway 1 to Carmel. I've always heard about Carmel. The rumor is movie stars live there. Doris Day left Hollywood to live in Carmel. Clint Eastwood. Lots of winding little streets, four-way stops, nice houses, and rude, impatient honkers. 

Now Oregonians honk at you when you are parked on the side of the road usually early in the morning. Californians just honk whenever they think you aren't moving fast enough. The weird thing is they wait to honk until you are gone! For instance, in Carmel, I pulled up to a four-way stop at an intersection with a spiderweb of tiny little streets in all directions. I could see the "downtown" area to the left and all the cars parked bumper-to-bumper along the street so I didn't want to go that way. I stopped, made sure no impatient drivers were coming at me from any number of directions refusing to acknowledge my right-of-way stop. Since my vehicle is my home, it pays to be extra cautious. I don't want to lose everything in one rushed instance! Then I proceeded to turn right. The Californian behind me waited until I was on my way and then leaned on their horn to make sure I knew of their displeasure. They turned left. This is not a one-time incident. I've had Californians race up behind me on a highway, stay right on my ass, then after I pull over to let them pass, HONK loud and long as they drive off. I think they are so used to being shot at they want a clear escape before honking. What a bunch of jerks! I've read on the apps Californians also honk early in the morning passing an overnight van, too. I haven't had that happen yet, but I won't be surprised when it does.

Are Californians the worst drivers, worse than Oregon or Maine? It's hard to say. Maybe running neck in neck in the race for the worst? I'm realizing it's not about being a bad driver; it's about being rude, inconsiderate, thoughtless, angry people. They are everywhere and not just in certain states. There is no getting away from these people and as angry as everyone is, it's becoming more normal than the exception. I think we need a new and better pandemic and get rid of a lot more people. If we had less population, we'd have more room to not be angry. Too many rats in a cage and they will start to eat each other. It's harder to be angry with less people around you.

However, I need to give credit where credit is due since I've been bashing California drivers. I have said in the past, I hate people behind me especially on these twisty turning tiny highways with drop offs. They are too often right up my ass so if I had to slam on my brakes their car would have to be removed from my engine, so I always pull off on a pullout when possible. I don't pull out on gravel especially if it has a pavement dropoff or potholes so I wait for a passing lane or an official, paved pullout. A few drivers today gave me the "thank you honk"...two little beeps when they passed. Much better than the "I hate you, you slow driving fuck" honk when they lean on their horns because I'm just not going fast enough for them. There are some nice people out there. California also has call boxes and garbage cans all along their highways. I've only ever seen this in British Columbia. California cares about people. So even if the drivers are assholes, the state is trying.

I went to the beach to work! It smells so good here! It's sunny and only 70 degrees!! Perfect!

In the afternoon I headed toward Big Sur. There was a sign announcing the highway is closed twenty-six miles south of Big Sur as the wildfire is not quite contained, but almost. The drive was beautiful, sunny, but up on the cliffs the wind was at least thirty miles an hour! I got out of the van and felt like I either my phone would get blown out of my hand or I would blow off the cliff so I didn't get close to the edge and I headed back to the van asap! The photos are deceiving. The wind is scary.

The water, rocks and cliffs were gorgeous, bright blue and turquoise with lots of waves, but the landscape doesn't have the greenery that Oregon has. Everything is a dry, crispy brown.

I headed north on Highway 1. Again, the setting sun was blinding me so I stopped and parked on the side of the road near the Greyhound Rock State Marine Conservation Area. 

September 14, 2026: Drove north on Highway 1. Very beautiful coastline and highway with lots of little farms along the route.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

What is this? All over the beaches.

I always thought this was rich people's fancy grass, but
it seems it's a weed that grows all over the California coast!

Kept driving north through Half Moon Bay - gorgeous little town with a really cool store called New Leaf Community Market. Much like Whole Foods only cheaper. Then on to San Francisco. Eeeewww...too much humanity for me. Stop and go traffic all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge.

I must be suicidal to think I should be taking photos while crossing the bridge. I love how the photo is slanted. I just raised my camera and clicked without looking so I didn't have to take my eyes off the road.

Headed to Point Reyes Station on this really gorgeous road called Nicasio Valley Road. The forest became deep and dark, but there were little houses hidden in and under the trees! Right under and next to the trees like a fairy land! Some had little bridges to the houses. The road spilled out next to Nicasio Reservoir. I considered staying overnight at the side of the reservoir, but wanted to see Point Reyes. Point Reyes was a cute little town. I kept going just beyond and parked along side Tomales Bay. At 5pm it's 69 degrees, sunny with a nice cool breeze. Perfect!

September 15, 2026: Woke up to the van covered in dew. Very damp. Smells like a swamp. I think it is a swamp.

My ankle has been in horrible pain for a few days to where I can hardly walk. Most of the time I am walking all over, strolling beaches, and hiking up mountains, but every now and then I can't walk! It comes out of no where as I'm casually walking across a parking lot and then, bam! The pain is horrible and I can barely put weight on my foot. It normally stops when I stop walking and goes away. This time it's been a few days now and the pain persists. Later, it feels as if I'm healing from an injury with stiffness and pain all the way up the back of my leg. I have a bad feeling about this. It might be the dampness or the cold? Or it might be hardware?

Drove north along Highway 1. Stopped along the way to see gorgeous views:

View from cliff above Duncan's Cove

Duncan's Cove

Overnighted on a pull out along Highway 1 just north of Jenner. Jenner is an adorable town right on the water. The fog was rolling in about 3pm.

September 16, 2026: It's foggy and cloudy. Every now and then I can see sun breaks over the ocean, but they never make it to land. Cold at 55 degrees. On days like this my feet are cold all day.

I drove through quite a few really cute towns: Point Arena, Elk, Albion. Elk had a little free neighborhood library cupboard and I exchanged one of my books for another book by Patricia Cornwell. Highway 1 was  ROLLERCOASTER of straight up and straight down with twisty hairpin turns! Beautiful ocean views!

PINK LILIES! I don't know what they are called but they are all over: in people's yards, in fields, lining driveways, all over cemeteries, sides of the roads. I'm pretty sure they grow wild here all along the coast, but absolutely stunning, especially on a cloudy, gray day!!

I stopped in Fort Bragg. They have a store called Harvest Market that is very much like Whole Foods. Their bakery was experimenting with gluten-free breads so I bought a little loaf of pumpkin bread. I also visited the library. They had books for sale, but the librarian said they also save books for the farmers' market give away and let me look at those. I took two and bought one. Hooray for books to read!

Overnighted just north of Fort Bragg on Highway 1. Lots of pullouts with and without "no parking" signs.

September 17, 2026: Another cold, foggy, and/or cloudy morning in the low 50s. Very gray. Continued northeast on Highway 1 and found SUNSHINE!! Very twisty with sharp hairpin turns with SUN beaming through the trees! Mostly up hill through dense forest...and SUNSHINE. Gorgeous SUNSHINE. Although I don't like sweltering heat, I clearly love SUN! Hardly anyone on the highway, too!

I passed Westport. Tiny little town. Very cute. I thought about those lesbians who adopted a bunch of African American children out of foster care only to drive them down the coast and over a cliff into the rocks below. The one child's body was never found. I know they went over a cliff somewhere near Westport and from what I can see there are plenty of opportunities. So heartbreaking! Why adopt children in need only to kill them? Those women were evil!

Continued to Leggett then onto Highway 101 to the Bear River Casino which is the cheapest gas in the county. All along the route there were too many "BE PREPARED TO STOP" single lane road constructions. I appreciate California's diligence and dedication in keeping the roads in good shape, but they are obnoxious. One stopped me right at the entrance to the Richardson Grove State Park with giant redwoods on either side of me. That was very cool. I like it when one is forced to stop where there is scenery.

I headed to Ferndale Beach for an overnight, but once I got there I decided I didn't want to get stuck in deep sand and I don't want to park next to the beach because last time unruly kids kept showing up late at night for a party OR the surfers show up at 6am with all thoughtless humans surrounding my van and talking loudly which is really freaky. So I'm on a side road in hopes of avoiding irritating people.

I've only had Starlink for thirteen months. The warranty is for twelve months, of course. The power cable wiring is fraying. It still works, but who knows when it will stop?

All the online information threatens the user to not buy from a third-party company, but then the help chat happened to mention Walmart sells power cables. Hmmm...why not? My warranty has expired. But I'm a worry wart, incessantly worrying about nothing, and I wonder if a cheap, third-party cable might compromise the rest of the Starlink components? I want to avoid shipping costs and shipping problems. Where is the nearest Walmart?? Walmart, Staples and Best Buy do not carry this kind of cable. Neither does Home Depot. I am seeing Amazon, online Walmart, Target and maybe Lowe's might sell them, but it might be limited to online ordering only. I'm not in a hurry as it's still working. I hate for this sixteen foot long cable to go to waste so I might try to rewire it myself once it's not working. 

California! Sequoia National Forest

September 7, 2026:   I drove to Fresno for Whole Foods and Walmart shopping. I thought I could stay the night and have my oil changed the next day, but it was 91 degrees! I parked in the Whole Foods parking lot for a bit, testing my resolve, and thought I would melt. How am I ever going to get back to Tucson if I can't tolerate even a little heat?? So I cancelled the oil change and headed back to the Sequoia National Forest. With plenty of food to hopefully last more than two days, my new plan is to stay here for as long as I can before I get the itch to drive then head to Visalia which is out the exit of the park heading south. That's the plan...which can change every fifteen minutes! (Still dreaming about Gluten-free Chocolate Cream Pie and although Corvallis is 11 hours and 30 minutes away, I could do that in one day!! LOL!)

Dispersed Camp Spot #2

I overnighted at another camp spot just south of Tenmile Campground, just west where I stayed last night. This one seems to have more sun and a level parking area, but I'm parked right next to the highway. The high is 72 degrees - sunny, cool, comfortable, and quiet. The low is 60 degrees! No freezing at night!

September 8, 2026: I have been having the weirdest, wildest dreams lately. I have no idea why? Am I eating something toxic? Even though I buy organic and gluten-free, one never knows what is being slipped in or if the customer is being lied to about ingredients. For instance, "natural flavors." I refuse to buy anything with "natural flavors" on the package. I'm sure I've complained about this before. Product labeling for transparency is a joke.... Maybe it's in the air? I don't know. As usual, health is a mystery.

I woke up out of a weird dream this morning with the epiphany that I can't remember if I rinsed the hydrogen peroxide out of one of my gallon water jugs! When they are empty, I usually put about a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide in the jug and swish it around. I leave it in for a time then rinse it all out twice to make sure there is no left over residue. I think I forgot to rinse it out this time?? Which jug is it in? I can't dump all this water or just use it for handwashing clothes because I am two hours away from a water source and I need to be able to drink water if I am to stay multiple days in the woods. Is it safe to drink hydrogen peroxide in small amounts diluted in a gallon of water?

I looked online and it says HP is often used for various health-oriented therapies like teeth whitening, fingernail and toenail whitening, and wound care disinfecting. I've used it for wound care many times since my chefs knife is so darn sharp! It says online is not a good idea since it also destroys good cells which slows healing. Who would have known? Age-old traditions are so often refuted with modern science. I know a woman living in a van who uses HP to rinse her mouth after brushing her teeth so I know she's ingesting small amounts everyday. I tried that once. So gross.

I decided to stop the incessant worry. I'm not dumping this water. I'll drink it and if I get any side effects (stomach pains, nausea, throat burning, esophageal pain) I'll know which jug it is in. I think it'll be fine. Van life is a constant adventure!! Life threatening even!

Speaking of life threatening...I kept seeing this bush on the sides of the roads wondering what it was. Looks like lilacs from a distance, but there is a bush in my camping spot. Blue Elderberry. I wonder if bears eat this? It says online it's used medicinally for gut health. Well! If I'm poisoned by hydrogen peroxide, I can eat these berries! 

I am reading The Alice Network. It looked like a great story until I opened the pages and got slammed with some stupid woman's perfume. I almost threw the book away, but I need something to read and I had looked forward to it! I put on N96 mask and plastic gloves, sat outside in the mosquitoes, and tried very hard not to rest the book on any clothing. Pain in the ass! But it's a great story!

Sunset! The skies have been clear the past few days so no sunrises or sunsets, but all afternoon has been cloudy which was nice or it might have gotten too hot. When I first saw these dazzling colors after months of watching the wildfire warnings, my first thought was, "OMG! The sequoias are burning down!" Thankfully, they are not! Weather here is holding around 75-78 degrees for the high, and 60 degrees for the low. It's NOT been freezing these last couple nights which is nice, but the mosquitoes are out. In the valley both Visalia and Fresno are over 100 degrees. I'm patiently waiting to return to Tucson - even though I really don't want to go back.

September 9, 2026: Around 8am a white truck pulls up. I'm wondering if it's a forest ranger, but it's this random guy. He stopped because I had my hood open and thought I was having mechanical issues. He did NOT look like a mechanic so I'm not quite sure what his plan was. Nicely dressed, short, small for a man, dark hair, with a knife on his belt. I think he had a mustache. I explained I have the hood up to deter rats from chewing up the engine wires and I am fine. He said he would have felt bad just passing me if I needed help. Then he said just a little hostile, "Maybe you should put a sign?" I thanked him and told him I'll close the hood so others don't feel they need to stop. He left continuing toward Hume Lake.

So an hour later he stops again on his way back from the lake. I was outside sitting in my lounge chair reading. He says he hasn't eaten all day. (So what? It's only 9:00am and doesn't he carry snacks if he came to this park for the day?) He claims he went to the lake, but they had no restaurants. Now I came through that way and although I didn't pay much attention, it looked like there were restaurants or at least hotels where one could get food. It was a very big resort with lots of tourists. I said, "That is very strange. I would think they'd have food." He wondered if I had a sandwich or something he could eat. 

Now I'm sure he knows I have food if I'm camping. I said "I'm sorry, no, I don't." I did not explain why I wasn't going to give him food because it's none of his business. But, for your information, it's two hours to food plus another two hours to return. I'm not giving up my food or I'll run out besides I don't want him here, sitting around, eating it while invading my privacy. Is he just lonely or is he a serial killer? He whined with just a hint of hostility like I owed him something he'll have to go all the way to the information center and drive all the way back to the lake to get there. (Oh, poor baby...it felt like it was a sociopathic targeting, like he was testing how compliant and empathetic I am. Maybe he thought I would care about him so much I would cave?) I said, "No, continue in the direction you were traveling. Drive up to the highway and take a right. The information center is not that far." He said, "Thank you. Sorry to disturb your reading." He left. 

Now is that weird? Does that make your instincts tingle and your adrenaline flush? First, I think he's lying about no food at the lake. Second, who in the hell stops some random person camping and asks for food? Would he stop and ask a man? NO. Did he stop at the lake and ask all those RVers for free food? Third, he can't be that hungry. It was all very suspicious. 

Normally if a man made me feel that uncomfortable, I would have left, but damn! I'm not giving up this spot and I refuse to let a man intimidate me. If he comes back, I'm locking myself in the van. I already pulled one of my knives out so it's waiting. I'll be defending myself to death. I couldn't help but feel irritated on how men always see everything as transactional...he stopped to check on me now he expects I should give up my time to feed him, cater to his needs, and entertain him???? WTF? He never came back. Maybe he made it all the way to the info center figured it was too far out of his way to return? I said, "It's not that far." LOL! Good riddance.

I was just thinking this morning, summarizing the brilliant and the bad, the fun and the frightening, the good and the ghastly of this trip and honestly, I haven't had that many scares this time. Maybe I'm due one?

Van life is a never-ending adventure!

September 10, 2026: This was a lost day! I thought it was the 9th and it's the 10th. It was hot so I was sweltering and with no books to read, it was long, sweaty, and boring. Quiet day, too, hardly anyone on the road.

September 11, 2026: It's hard to believe 9/11 was twenty-five years ago!

I got up early and did a garbage dump run at 6am before anyone was on the road. I'm sure I've complained about this before, and although staying in one place saves on gas, the accumulation of garbage is such a horror! Especially when the van gets hot - it starts to smell! I had a Whole Foods grocery bag full, wrapped in small bags in case I have to be stealth when dumping it at a gas station or a store where they don't want household garbage. There is a trailhead and campsite three miles up the road with multiple garbage recepticles for campers. Even though the national forests provides this service, I still feel guilty so I went early before anyone was awake. There is also a restroom/pit toilet that I would have loved to use, but it stunk to high heaven with flies. Nope.

As I've driven this road several times now, I've always been curious where the other dispersed campsites are. There are dirt drives into the trees. Are they campsites or private property? I decided to explore. I found a dirt drive, parked the van by the highway, and hiked in. I found a doozy!!! 

Dispersed Camp Spot #3

It has a fire ring, picnic table, and room for about ten vans. Enough sky for solar and Starlink. Maybe even some shade if it gets too hot. (It's supposed to be in the mid-70s today so should be perfect.) Gorgeous view of the mountains in the distance. The problem is it's huge and there is a weekend coming up. That means I'd have to share if someone shows. Thankfully this park doesn't allow anything over 22 feet so at least I wouldn't have to deal with one of those huge RVs that look like houses filled with a dozen people, BUT I don't want to deal with free roaming dogs, unsocialized teenagers, or drunken young adults, or...anyone. I like the solitude. It's SO QUIET especially since it's off the road. I don't want to share! Later in the day I plan to hike across the road to another dirt driveway and see what's there. (It was a bigger campsite, but the road in is a little scary.)

Time for a review! I constantly see ads for "Who Gives a Crap" toilet paper. I love their marketing! It's brilliant. Every roll is wrapped with a designer paper cover (which seems an excessive waste to me, but I love the cheerfulness!) and they currently have national forest themes. Whole foods has a small four pack for about $7.49 that isn't the national forest design. This is a lot more than the cheap Walmart pack which is six rolls. One can sign up for a subscription membership and receive huge cases at a discount, but first, where would I put it? There is no room in this van for copious amounts of toilet paper! Second, where would they send it? Is it worth it the extra cost?  I've read too many marketing ads saying the cheap stuff is bleached or riddled with chemicals that could cause cancer to the girl parts. Hmmm...maybe I should spend more money and do better? I decided to test it.

"Who Gives a Crap" is made from recycled paper which is admirable. "Made from stuff like books and love letters." The things we love! Great marketing! They also, according to the box, donate 50% of profits toward clean water and people in need. "Your bum is a hero. You should probably get it a cape." HA! I'd buy it just because the box makes me laugh!

It does feel like paper, a little like the cheap toilet paper Europe has made for decades. Europe is probably far ahead of the U.S. for healthier toilet paper! If I use it for wiping any surface, it falls apart into tiny pieces. It doesn't soak up much liquid. I'm sure it's biodegradeable. One of their selling points online is it lasts a long time. We'll see. I started one roll yesterday so I'll keep track. (One roll lasted about five days....) Walmart toilet paper is soft, pliable, soaks liquids well, easy on the nose, and one roll lasts about four days. I like the individual wrappings and they can be recycled for...letters? Gift wrapping? Envelopes? Scratch paper? I'm saving it all!

I've discovered some "challenges" with this "perfect" camp spot. Pitch. It's all over everything! I found out the hard way. I couldn't figure out why my bare feet were sticking to my rugs. I tracked in the pitch with my shoes then walked in it! I had to spend too long rubbing mayonnaise on the spots and then cleaning the mayonnaise off with rubbing alcohol. My "welcome" rug is a small rug I often put on the ground under my side door...what a mess. I cleaned the pitch spots, shook the dust out of it, folded it up, and plan to take it to the laundry facility at the Sequoia National Park information center on the way out. I also climbed up to the solars to find they are covered in a thick layer of dust and have globs of white-transparent pitch all over them. Damn.

Look at this massive pine cone! Maybe it's a sequoia?
All that white stuff on it is pitch.
The toe of my hiking book is for size comparisons.

Besides the dust, pitch, little pieces of branches, seeds, needles, and pinecones compromising how much light gets to the solars, I'm also having difficulty charging them. Although there is clear sky, there are so many trees they filter the sun rays. I went to bed with only 30% power praying it would stay on until morning keeping my refrigerated food refrigerated! I think I need to move. There is always something that prevents me from staying in one campsite too long!

September 12, 2026: Have I mentioned my plans can change in a heartbeat? Today was one of those days!

It was a rough night. Lots of dry dust making it hard to sleep. You wouldn't think in the lush forest there would be dust, but it's been a very dry summer and this is a dusty forest. The ground, although it looks like it's covered in pine needles, the dryness pulverizes them into powder and the wind kicks it up.

Where's the sun? All morning I moved my van following the small patch of sun trying to get as much solar charging as possible. This was frustrating! Finally I packed up and headed to the trailhead parking lot at the top of the road - the one with the garbage receptacles and smelly bathroom. By the time I arrived I notice my CHECK ENGINE LIGHT was on! OMG! It's a solid light, not blinking, which indicates it's something minor, but one is instructed to get it checked out so it doesn't develop into something worse. I can't imagine being stranded way up on this mountain!!! I search to see what mechanics might be open on a Saturday in the valley and headed down.

 

It's Saturday in the Park! (Isn't that a song?) This is not good. Traffic on a weekend in a national park is hellish. I wanted to see some of the sites on the way down, but I doubt now if that is possible. Maybe I can come back after I check out the van? I still stopped at the Lodgepole Visitor Center and Village for a couple loads of laundry (I washed that little rug twice!) and a shower since it's on the way. Beautiful visitor center! The washing machines were only $2!!! In California??? At a tourist site? No way! Drying was only 25 cents for 7 minutes!! The shower, although rather cold especially if someone flushed the toilet, was only $1 and good enough!

I stopped at the information counter in the visitor center to ask if anyone had a code reader. I didn't really want to leave the park without seeing it. They did not, but they gave me a list of the local AAA group and other emergency contacts just in case. The woman told me she has driven for too long with that light on and as long as it's not blinking, don't panic as I should be fine. She also said going the way I came up and over Kings Canyon National Park is a much less challenging ride. I didn't want to go backwards and I assumed I'd be going downhill so I can just coast and brake all the way down without stressing my engine.

After getting all these things done, I head out to the van to leave...the check engine light is OFF! What a relief!!! I wondered if it was the dust that somehow got into the exhaust system? I have no idea, but I was thrilled!

I drove down the General Sherman Highway into the Sequoia National Forest. The sequoias are gorgeous: orange bark that looks like sponges and the trunks are MASSIVE! Unfortunately, but expected, all the parking lots were full so I didn't get to see the General Sherman Tree or walk among the giants. No photos! However, "more challenging" is an understatement! Especially for a Saturday. The highway was straight down, the deepest canyons and valleys I've ever seen with drop offs. The twisty turning switchbacks were ten miles an hour sharp and the traffic coming UP the highway was bumper to bumper. It was slow going! In the valley the temperatures climbed to 100 degrees!

I had a list of things to do in Visalia. First, oil change. Then shopping for food and water. Library to try to find free books (none) and make copies of a complaint letter to Ford. Then I left for the coast where it is in the 70s! This is what freedom looks like!! Pick your direction and drive! The mechanic at the oil change place gave me all kinds of tips. The most valuable - don't attempt going straight through to the coast as the steep hills will destroy my transmission. Do the interstates and highways to Monterey and drop down to Highway 1. It was a hot drive, but dropped from 100 degrees to about 75. Heading west, the sunset ended up in my face making driving dangerous so I pulled off to the side of Highway 152. The highway traffic noise was horrible all night. I guess Californians don't go to bed. To make up for it, here is the sunset view:

California! Kings Canyon National Park

September 5, 2026: I didn't get to sleep until about 2am! Noise from the highway continued ALL NIGHT! I awoke early anyway and headed to Kings Canyon National Park hoping to beat the weekend crowds. The highway was fairly empty...then I got to the ticket gate and there is a line up of about ten vehicles. Behind me immediately pulled in ten more. OH! Not only is it the weekend, but it's LABOR DAY WEEKEND! OMG! I had no idea! What was I thinking?

Even with a holiday weekend the park wasn't bad at all. I was anticipating bumper-to-bumper traffic and it wasn't. The only horror are the Californians. Impatient, rude, thoughtless. I drive the speed limit, first because there are stupid people always milling about looking anywhere but at my van coming toward them. Second, there are bears and other wildlife. I would be horrified to run anything over that large and cute! Third, these park roads are very narrow and with Californians behind me riding my ass and Californians coming at me crossing the center stripe, it's dangerous especially with a drop off into the very deep canyon on one side. Last, I like looking at things. Why go to a national park just to be in a hurry? I hate people behind me, especially rude people, so I constantly have to pull off on the pullout to let them pass. I cuss them out when they do pass. Toward noon the parking lots were full. I avoid people so I don't bother stopping. The highways were still quite empty. I'm happy I'm here in September and not July or August!

Nice park. Not as beautiful as Yosemite, but lovely drive into the very deep canyon. It smells like the desert plant creosote. I love that smell as long as it's not strong or it gives me a headache.

I stopped and saw the General Grant Tree and a giant hollow log.

I love the giant logs that have been hollowed out. They are so huge!

Drove  the Kings Canyon Road with gorgeous views of the canyon. At the bottom of the canyon was Kings River with giant boulders and lots of rushing water. 

Continued to the Cedar Grove Visitors Center where they have a laundry ($3.00) and showers ($1.50 for a token for five minutes). The shower was hot and seemed to last longer than five minutes.

I kept noticing vans, trailers, and even a bus parked along side the park road. I always thought once you were beyond the national park gate camping was limited to official park campgrounds and no dispersed camping was allow. Then I saw a sign that said, "No Dispersed Camping Beyond This Point". WHAT?!! I stopped at the next national park information center. Kings and Sequoia National Parks are right next to each other but there are spaces in between and along the sides that are part of the Sequoia National Forest.  Dispersed camping is allowed in these locations!

Unfortunately, I don't have enough food to stay too long, but enough to survive the holiday weekend. I'll be famished by Tuesday morning. I plan to carefully use the food I have and then head to Fresno where there is a Whole Foods, maybe get an oil change while I'm there, and then come back to see Sequoia National Park.

Dispersed Camp Spot #1

I'm in a gorgeous camping location just south of Tenmile Campground in the woods which is in the Sequoia National Forest, on the side of the road to Hume Lake, but with enough sun to use Starlink and get solared. So relaxing and beautiful! Living my best life! I'm loving this!

September 6, 2026: Very quiet night. I usually go to bed hot because the sun has been beating down on the van all day. In the middle of the night I wake up freezing. It's hard getting out of bed in the cold, but it's intolerable to stay cold so unwrap my blankets, put a wool sweater and happiness sweats on over my pajamas, my red, oversized hoodie over everything, and put the wool blanket over all my other blankets. I really hate nights and look forward to the morning.

This camp spot is also anything but flat. I think I've moved the van ten times trying to find a spot that didn't tilt, then finding afternoon shade, and later sun to keep the solars charging. I pray I don't get stuck in the dirt. My constant fear. No rain in the forecast or I'd head to cement! It's raining all over Arizona...