Tour Prep: A Walk In The Park
As I make the final preparations for my upcoming six week tour, I am beginning to take stock of some of the natural beauty at which I will be able to marvel on this once in a lifetime journey.
With less than three weeks until I leave for my west coast tour I have been busy finalizing dates, packing gear, and prepping promo pieces. My focus for the last several weeks has been fixated almost exclusively on filling the remaining open dates on the calendar. Now, we have reached a point at which there is only so much I can control each day to fill the five remaining open dates on the itinerary. In the last few days, I have specifically begun to look at some of the beautiful country I’ll be criss-crossing as I make this journey.
Taking a closer look at drive times, routing, and my schedule has afforded me the chance to begin to think about what things I really want to see on this trip. On this journey, I am most excited about viewing the breathtaking vistas that the west has to offer. I’ll be covering thousands of miles of ground that will be completely new to me, and I will be near some of the most hallowed natural spaces on Earth.
In my excitement for the trip, and for the places that I might have the chance to see, I spent $80 for an annual pass for the National Park Service. This pass will allow me entry to every park, monument, and site within the entirety of the National Parks system. In total, there are more than 2,000 sites under the jurisdiction of the NPS. Seems like a helluva deal, even just for this trip alone.
To begin the trip, I’ll head from Michigan to the Pacific across the upper portion of the country. From the top left corner of the lower 48, I’ll cruise southward through Washington, Oregon, and then I’ll drive nearly the entire length of California. Los Angeles marks my furthest point from home as the crow flies, and once I wrap up there, I begin the long road home through the Southwestern desert, then over the Rockies, and finally, across the plains to ferry myself back to the Great Lakes.
I am thrilled at the chance to stand in awe of the natural world. Whenever I make a point to commune with nature, my body and soul are always replenished. I am so very excited for the opportunity to commune with her regularly and for longer stretches than I might normally take.
As much as I love the beauty of nature, I am a bad outdoorsman. I haven’t camped in twenty years and that experience was a nothing less than genuine, bona fide shitshow. I can hike a well marked trail as well as the guy next to the next guy, but my tree identification skills wouldn’t even earn me a Webelo badge, and my birdwatching acumen is just atrocious.
Due to space concerns in the Buick, I will only be able to pack limited gear for the sojourn. This means I might not even have the necessary clothing for a full day trail hike in spots with changing elevation or unpredictable weather. All of this is to say that I will largely be driving to overlooks and trailheads to enjoy these parks in small stretches.
Here are just a few of the natural spots along the way that I am hoping to carve out time for. I would love to know about your experiences in these places. Where are the best spots to stay, eat, sightsee, and gawk in these areas? Is there a hidden gem that I should seek out over a more famous spot? I really want to hear about your highlights, surprises, and the things you would love to experience again for the first time if you could do it all over again.
This is what I have pinned on the map.
Glacier National Park
The first major site that I have in my sights is Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana. I find myself with a day off between Bozeman, MT and Spokane, WA which should allow for a full day in the park. Situated in the northern chain of the Rockies, and just south of the Canadian border, Glacier sports scenic peaks, spring fed lakes, pristine forests, and a vibrant ecosystem left in the wake of a massive glacier that cut the earth away millions of years ago.
I’m hoping to drive the famed Going To The Sun road, a seasonal pass that is so cluttered with traffic in the summer, you need a reservation to drive the damned thing. I’ll be visiting on the first of October, a time when winter weather could come in full force at any moment. It could also be a glorious autumn day rife with sunshine and gentle breezes.
Have you trekked Glacier before? Is the seasonal road worth the hassle? Do you have a special can’t miss spot? How do I best plan a single day in the area? Let me know your best advice.
Mt. Rainier National Park
It’s likely I won’t get to do much at Mt. Rainier besides drive by and wave. During the three days I will spend in Washington state, I will play three shows, and in the midst of that stay, I will have to make the nearly 6 hour drive across the state from east to west. With the driving and shows, there won’t be tons of time for outdoor excursions. However, Mt. Rainier sits remarkably close the Seattle metro area where I will be spending the better part of two days. Assuming I have the ambition to get up early one morning, I should have time for at least a cursory visit.
Having grown up a midwestern flatlander, I am always gobsmacked when in view of the mountains. They seem alien, unreal, a set piece added to the horizon for dramatic effect. Yet, I am deeply aware of the pull the mountains have on the soul. I am anxious to stand amongst the evergreens and marvel at the white peaks as they folds back down into a valley filled with lakes, streams, forests, and bustling with verdant wildlife.
Have you been to Rainier? Is there a way to get a sense of it in a few hours without spending the entirety of the day? Would I be better off seeing something else in the area instead of forcing a mammoth site like Rainier into a single afternoon?
Crater Lake National Park
7,70 years a volcano exploded in what is now southern Oregon. The explosion that left a massive hole in the top of the mountain. In the intervening millennia, rainwater and snow melt have formed in the crater at the top of the mountain to create the deepest lake in the world. Its crystal clear waters are said to be the purest on Earth, so clear in fact that observers are said to see objects literally hundreds of feet below the surface of the water.
I will almost certainly have time for Crater Lake. I’ll have a two day break after my pair of Oregon shows that will give me some time to get down and explore the area on a Monday. Again, with the elevation involved and the early October timeframe, the weather could be beautiful or brutal.
What was your experience at Crater Lake like? Is there stuff to do in the park besides visit the lake itself? Tell us all about it.
Yosemite National Park
The fatherland of preserved lands in America, Yosemite is the Mecca of the American conservation movement. In the late 19th century Yosemite first became a California state park, the first of its kind in the world, under the stewardship of the great naturalist and writer, John Muir. With famous sites like Half Dome and El Capitan, Yosemite is perhaps the most notable and recognizable natural spot in America not called Yellowstone.
This one is at the very top of my list. It will require driving out of my way a few hours to make the visit happen, but with a three day stretch in central California with no gigs, this is perhaps my best chance to walk this hallowed ground. I long to stroll amongst the massive redwood trees and marvel at the feeling of being on that legendary valley floor. I’m anxious to deeply breathe truly fresh air and to feel myself set within a true and genuine wilderness. At Yosemite I hope to lose myself in the majestic cathedral of nature.
Is it all its cracked up to be? Where should I begin? How do I do it best in a day or two? What gem is waiting that I know nothing about but shouldn’t miss?
Big Sur Coastline
The coastline along the Big Sur forest and State Park is said to be some of the most beautiful water’s edge scenery in the world. My plan is to drive along the Pacific Coast Highway between Monterrey and San Simeon. My ability to do that will be determined by the location of my gig for Oct. 12 which is currently planned for Santa Cruz, but I find myself still seeking a host.
Depending on how things shake out I may have to make a decision between Big Sur and the jaunt over to Yosemite. At the moment Yosemite is calling to me loudly, but I would love to know if I am off the mark here. Everyone tells me I have to drive a section of the PCH. This stretch of road, with its dramatic views and its connection to the Kerouac canon has me dying to visit. I sure hope I have the time to make the drive.
If you had to choose between Yosemite and Big Sur, which would you pull the trigger on?
Grand Canyon National Park
Once I finish with my Sunday gig in Anaheim, I will have a Monday off followed by a Herculean drive to my next set of shows in New Mexico. The Anaheim gig is an early night, and I am tentatively planning to drive eastward for a couple of hours after the gig to attempt to get some miles in before bed. Looking at the map, I think I can make enough hay to allow time for a brief stop at the Grand Canyon on my day off along the way.
I have never seen the Canyon on the ground. I flew over it once and was able to get some small appreciation for how massive it is, but it is no substitute for standing their at the edge of that gargantuan hole in the ground that seems so impossible. My thought is that I could drive a few hours to get to the Canyon, spend the day and night and then make the drive the following day to Albuquerque for a Tuesday night show.
Depending on how ambitious I am and how much time I have on the actual day, I may opt to visit Joshua Tree, which is the lone National Park in which I have spent appreciable time. I am especially intrigued to be in the desert at Joshua Tree at night. There is almost no light pollution and the stargazing is said to be absolutely incredible.
Have you done the Grand Canyon? I know it’s amazing, but it will require an ambitious schedule and a fair amount of extra driving. Would you make the extra effort if you were in my shoes?
Rocky Mountain National Park
I will have three solid days around Denver/Boulder with one of those being a full day off. Making the time to get to Rocky Mountain National Park should be fairly easy. It sits just an hour and a half away from downtown Denver and I am hopeful to spend an entire Sunday taking in the mountains and the adjacent flora and fauna.
During my visit I am hoping to hike some trails in the serenity of the woods. I would love to catch a glimpse of a grizzly, a mountain lion, or cougar. Still, a day filled with peace, quiet and beauty will likely be a welcome change of pace after more than a month of load-ins, traffic jams, and schmoozing.
I am fervently hoping in the midst of that natural serenity, that I can find some peace and calm. Here’s hoping that these natural pilgrimages will make me more patient, forgiving, andwill encourage me to slow down just a smidge. I will seek to match my breath with the breeze and I shall sing with the birds.
I am so excited to see so much new territory in this land that I call home. If you were making this trip, what is the one natural site you would never wanna miss along the way? I can’t wait to hear what y’all have to say.
Cheers,
Matty C
Rainier is beautiful, lots of travel within the
Park to get to great vistas of Rainier but if you are looking to just gawk at the mountain you can do that in a half day, there are also beautiful streams, wildlife and large trees to look at. Definitely make sure you have warm
Clothes no matter how warm you might think it is.
Sounds like a fantastic roadtrip..I've been to most of these...I have thoughts....Are you taking the interstate to Bozeman? its a long drive.I80? ...Do the drive Thru The Badlands in SD,Mt Rushmore you've seen in pictures..skip it ...Alternate route through the UP and all the way across to Going to the Sun on US 2. slower but more interesting than I 80....lots of eagles gather in Glacier at some point in the fall but you'll have to google. but that takes you out of the way from Bozeman...have you tried for a gig in Missoula? would you have time?