The First Day: Determined and Unprepared

The path was set, the plan in motion. To Alberta I go! Of course, starting in California was no quick ascent to the great Rocky Mountains. I had so many paths to choose from, but I realized that one place I had not explored yet -and famous for its many national parks- was Utah. Hundreds of "pins" on Pinterest had been saved for months with all of the different things I have always wanted to do in Utah. What better time to explore the grand desert than on my way up North? And what a dramatic shift in scenery that would be too- to start in the desert and end in the mountains. It had been decided: I would start in Utah, pass through Idaho and Montana and make my way up to Alberta.

I left my city on September 12, 2016 and embarked on my journey. It started in Zion National Park, Utah. That day, I left with no plan, nothing booked. Just a vague route that I would follow for however long I decided to travel. I planned to camp as far as I could to save money and then stay in Airbnbs along the way when I needed a break from camping or when weather would not allow. Given that this trip was much more free-flowing than I was used to, I did not pre-book any accommodations like I usually would. Instead, I spent weeks before the trip doing research on places along my vague route and saving potential campgrounds and airbnbs.

I often get asked a lot of questions about Airbnb and my experiences with it and in the near future, I am going to do a post solely dedicated to it. But for now, a quick talk about Airbnb. It is one of my absolute favorite ways to travel! I first started using Airbnb last year when I did my 1-month long U.S. road trip. My friend Vasi who joined me on half of that trip had mentioned using Airbnb and couchsurfing to save money for our accommodations along the way. I had never used either site, but was open to trying it. I was really surprised by how organized and legitimate it really was. At first, I didn't entirely understand the concept. You pay to stay at someone's house, but it's not like a hotel service or bed & breakfast? But after using it many times in various parts of the world, I realize that it now falls somewhere in its entirely own category. Airbnb is a beautiful community. A community of travelers, adventurers, families, friends. I have had nothing but incredible experiences while using Airbnb. This is how I've made lifelong friends, connections, determined my paths and routes while I've traveled, and have had many of the experiences traveling that I've had. I've had the extraordinary privilege of meeting the most incredible people through Airbnb. It is such an authentic way to live like a local and get the opportunity to connect with beautiful souls from all around the world. You learn from these people, you share experiences, you share stories and it is truly just a special connection to make while you are traveling. For people who really want to see each place for what it really is and learn from and connect with individuals who live there, this is the way to travel!

However, for this first leg of my journey. I started off with camping. BEWARE TRAVELERS. The first lesson was learned on my first day: Always call and check availability for campgrounds in National Parks before you show up. I've always been a planner. The fact that I didn't plan anything for this trip was a huge adjustment for me. To keep with this nomadic "go with the flow" intention I started with, I thought I would just show up at whatever campsite I wanted. Now, this might seem like a "duh" moment to some, but given my experience with camping, I have never had to pre-book a campground on off-season. Something I did not realize, though, was that Zion National Park doesn't have an off-season. I showed up in the park at about 5:00 or 5:30 pm with a large list of potential campgrounds to stay at. When I arrived at the gate, I asked where the first campground on my list was. The ranger warily asked me if I pre-booked my campsite and I sheepishly said "no" when I got the bad news. "Every campsite in the park is booked." At first I didn't believe him, so I continued optimistically to my first campground. A huge sign saying "campground full" filled me with dread and I pulled in to check with the people running the campground. They confirmed that every site in the entire park was indeed full. I had come on some weird week where tourism was heightened even though it was after Labor Day weekend and school had already started.

Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort was my saving grace. About 40 minutes outside of the park, the "Ranch" had a lot of open accommodations despite everywhere in the actual park being booked. The Ranch Resort was definitely a different style than I was used to, but great for what I needed. I am typically used to and prefer primitive camping. This means pit toilets, no washrooms, only a few campsites, pretty.....well, primitive. The Ranch Resort was different, but great for people who prefer a little bit more comfort to their camping. At the Ranch Resort , you can book a campsite, a pre-set up tent site, a covered wagon for more of a "glamping" experience, and cabins. I chose a normal campsite, which was only $13.00 per night. Everything was separated far enough from each other so I felt like I actually was camping. They had a big lodge with a restaurant (which actually had some great food!), a little store with food and basic camping supplies, a pool, and a big lodge with washrooms. For people who aren't really looking for the primitive camp lifestyle, I definitely give this place a recommendation. It's also in a great location in between Zion NP and Bryce Canyon NP, so it's perfect for close proximity to the parks.

Check out their site! http://www.zionponderosa.com/index.html​

At the point that I had finally arrived to my site, I was definitely pretty starved and tired from the drive. It was so dark outside and windy that trying to get my 20-something year old, 6-person tent was almost comical. I struggled for nearly an hour, kicking dejectedly at the tent poles, popping one side up with a glimmer of hope, only to have the wind knock it down over and over again. I'll tell you, setting up a tent in the dark is no easy feat! I knew the next day would be better, though, because I had some major hiking coming my way! Stay tuned for the incredible hiking experiences in Zion in next week's post.