Life's a Beach

Well it's been a little while since my last post, and I apologize for that. But, since I believe that very few people have endured my writing this summer, I will have not disappointed many peeps. But for the brave few who continue to read on, I thank you for your support!

Anyway, I'm currently in Moab, Utah, in a cool little cafe/second-hand bookstore on main street. Ready for some canoing! Actually, I messed up majorly. Ok, so the canoe trip launches August 1st right. For some reason I had believed that there were only 30 days in July, and so thought the trip was set to leave tomorrow instead of Friday. So I'm here a day early, with nothing much to do other than hang out and melt on the sidewalk cause it's so damn hot.

Ooooh, I also have another thing to mention that may make you question my status as an intelligent adult. While in California I went on an awesome wine tour in Amador County. The wine tours out here are very different from the ones back East. They give you as much wine as you want here. There's no $5 for 3 tastings or anything like that. You walk up to the bar (but for the love of God don't call it a bar or they will be on to you), ask for a glass, and drink away. Free of charge! Unless you want to try some of the premium wines (psssshhh). For all the wine lovers out there, if you have not come to California for a wine tasting: get off your ass.

But the point I am trying to make is that, having unlimited quantities of wine for tasting, for some reason, affects my judgment. I know, I don't get it either. So I start buying lots of bottles of wine. By the end, I have a baker's dozen of wine, and am feeling good about the world I live in. A good state of mind to be in.

Now that is not necessarily a bad thing; having lots of wine, that is. It can only be bad when you have nowhere to store said wine while driving through some of the hottest parts of the country. Wine does not like heat and dryness, two things you get a lot in Utah. If I went on the canoe trip and just left the wine in the car all week, the wine would certainly no longer win any Amador County gold ribbons, and most likely be undrinkable. Fuck me.

But I don't like flushing $200 down the toilet. I prefer to drink my money. There must be some way I can salvage the wine. Think outside the box.

Well it turned out it wasn't that hard to find a place. I just drove to the canoe outfitters whom we are renting the canoes from and asked one of the guys at the place if I could keep some wine here inside. Without even hesitating he said "yeah suuure bring it on in!". Haha it was almost like he had been in this exact situation before himself and was eager to complete his karmic duty of reciprocity. I've come across so many nice people on my trip. It's really uplifting I have to say.

So that's solved so I'm just hanging out waiting for the other to arrive tomorrow. I spent last night in Salt Lake City. Awwwwesome city. I explored the downtown area, and went to the Clark Planeterium and saw a laser-light dome show featuring U2 music. Salt Lake City is a nice place. Clean, wide streets, good public transportation, lots of parking (free parking, no less), lots of cozy cafes for the weary travelers out there. I wish I had more time to spend there to get the full experience.

Oh, I and spent last weekend up on the "lost coast" of the very northern part of California near Eureka and Crescent city. I went to Redwoods National Forest and saw the huge redwoods. The largest tree in the world is 380 feet tall... !!! The trees were so tall it was really hard to see the tops from the base of the trunks. You know how when you're on a very straight road and in the distance it looks like the two sides of the roads are converging on each other and eventually meet and disappear? Now change your perspective to vertical and think of trees and you'll know what it was like.

I'd been wanting to camp on a beach for a long time and finally had the opportunity at Gold Bluffs Beach in Redwood National Forest. Well, the campsite was actually on the beach exactly. It was on a site right next to the beach, which really pissed me off once I got there. 15 bucks and I don't even get to sleep on some sand? F that. I pitched my tent at the campsite and then grabbed the rest of my stuff and set up on the beach about a quarter mile from the campsite. I brought some goat cheese and some bread to snack on, and a bottle of wine, which I proceeded to drink the entirety of. Yeah it was an awesome night haha. I woke up the next morning with my face in the sand though. I guess I tossed and turned during the night.

So the past few days have been going by really fast. I'll be heading out on the canoe trip as I said on Friday where I will have no access to the internet, cell phones, society... ahhhhhh.

I've also uploaded more pics from Safan Ranch.

3 more weeks and I'll be back! I can't believe it!

Take care everyone.