Merry Christmas

Actually, today is Boxing Day but I'm thinking outside the Box. I had a Christmas celebration with my family at my grandmother's house in Berkeley, California. We had presents, dinner, live music (from my dad and uncle), and some really cool home movies from when my grandmother was a child.

Veterans Day

Today Dad and I drove out to Pt. Reyes National Seashore for a little bit of beach time. Interestingly, it was the first ocean I've seen since visiting the Atlantic back in July. It was a sunny day with (for me) T-shirt kinds of temperatures. It made me glad to be back in Northern California since I've been hearing about blizzards and tornados in the central part of the country that I traveled through last summer. I think if I were back in North Dakota right now I'd at least put on a sweater.

A Happy Birthday

Today is my 22nd birthday, and it was a great one! My family and friends celebrated at the Davis Farmers Market. Check out the cake I got- a whimsical and delicious work of art created by Pam Cohen and her step-daughter. That's the Ice Cream Goddess topping it all off. When I got back home, my former caregiver, Alejandra Hernandez, was waiting with a gift for me.

It was really great to see everyone. I'm really feeling the love tonight. The only thing more amazing than my birthday party was the fact that it rained... in California!

Labor Day

This camping trip seems like a perfect bookend to a great season. Not only did we stay at the same campground as on Memorial Day weekend, we got the same campsite (Unit #5).

The end of the camping season is always a little bittersweet for me. As we pack up our tent and sleeping bags for the winter I'm sad that we won't use them again until the Spring. On the other hand, I revel in fond memories of places we've been and people we've met this summer.

I'm sure that we'll have many more excellent adventures in the future, but I think that 2015 will be hard to match in terms of epicitude. It seems like we've been everywhere (just like in the Johnny Cash song). On this year's travels I spent 30 nights sleeping outdoors in a tent, 12 hotel stays, and 6 overnights as a guest with friends and family. I visited 31 U.S. states and 1 Canadian province. I will always remember this summer!

Mt. Shasta City

I can't believe it's been five weeks since Dad and I returned from our summer trip. But here we are again on a Labor Day weekend adventure. This area seems to be quite the power spot. We're camping here for the second time this year, watching the Burning Man crowd pass through town. I think I'd fit right in. Maybe some other year...

Also, I have a strong suspicion that the Ice Cream Goddess is watching over me.

Homeward Bound

Well, it's the end of the line for this adventure. We're back home in Davis, California. What a great trip! Here's the stats:

Days: 42
Miles driven: 9,290
Time zones: 4
National Parks, Monuments, Lakeshores and Seashores visited: 19
McDonald's meals: 0
Walmart shopping: 0
Starbucks: 1
Ice Cream Goddess visitations: numerous

I'm going to sign off for a while now that I'm back home, but I'll be back later with more blogging. Thanks for following all my posts.

I Am A Patriot

"I am a patriot, and I love my country
Because my country is all I know
I wanna be with my family, people who understand me
I've got nowhere else to go"

I've got three words for you: I love America! Its people, its beautiful places, the freedom to enjoy them. It's my home. I'm almost 22 years old and I've had the opportunity to explore much of our country. I plan to continue doing so in the future.