I've said it before and I'll say it again: this year has been an absolute whirlwind and I have no clue how it is nearly October. I mean, yes, I understand the basic concept of time moving forward, but let's not kid ourselves, it moved fast. While I haven't exactly slowed down, I am trying to make time for things I enjoy and be slightly more productive.

I thought I'd start by writing about a little road trip I took with some friends... in May. Yes, I'm late to the game, but at least I arrived? Anyway, we left Seattle at 7 pm (4 months ago...), drove all through the night and 14 hours and an almost equal number of coffees coffees later, we made it to Yosemite National Park in California!

While my friends parked themselves at a coffee shop to work remote for a few hours (can you tell we crammed this trip in), I headed to the lake to explore. If I said I knew exactly where I was, that'd be a lie, but it was somewhere near Stanislaus National Forest. In any case, it was a misty day that gave it a very moody vibe.

GLACIER POINT

This is the place to be in Yosemite and, as you can guess, it was the place where everyone was. Despite this, we still enjoyed breakfast with a view and patiently waited our turn to take pictures without people. While waiting, we hung out with a couple of squirrels (or perhaps a squirrel couple?)  as we watched a large group of humans attempt to capture photos of every conceivable combination of the 8+ people present. The squirrels definitely helped pass the time.

TUNNEL VIEW

This was also a popular place to be, but luckily most people go where they are told and don't explore a little farther out, which worked out nicely in our favor. After moseying through a few trees and up a rock or two, we found a quite place above the crowd with a massive view of the valley at sunrise. 

TRAVERTINE HOT SPRINGS

Once we felt satisfied with Yosemite, or the parts we could make it to on a busy Memorial Day Weekend (don’t go during that weekend…), we decided to head to the much quieter city of Bridgeport. While here, we camped at Travertine Hot Springs, which are **SPOILER ALERT** very hot. I submerged for a few seconds at a time, but mostly did a little toe dip and called it good. The cold beers helped offset the toastiness.

Travertine is unique in that there are several small natural hot springs that fit a few people in each (comfortably 2-5). They are often already in use, so there's a high chance you'll be waiting for a turn, but it is worth it, I assure you. Even for a happy little toe dipper, like myself.

HOME VIA RENO

On the way back, we stopped in Reno and I quickly learned that it is a very, very sad place to find oneself, especially at 9 am on a Monday. It was filled with people shuffling around the streets that looked like absolute zombies; there was a striking dichotomy between their demeanor and the intense flashing lights of slot machines going ping!-ping!-ping! with such intense vibrancy.

We stopped at a casino to use a bathroom but got sidetracked by those pretty machines going ping!-ping!-ping! and I ended up winning $6.72 using absolutely no talent whatsoever! I pushed a button on the cat and dog themed slot machine and boom - I am a winner! I technically only won $3.72 since I paid to play, but I still left with more than I walked in with. My S'mores Blizzard basically paid for itself.