Trek America - Westerner 2 Review

Last month I went on a holiday of a lifetime with travel company Trek America. I wanted to write a series of blog posts to document my experience and offer an insight into what you can expect if you go on a similar trip. 

Ok so a) why did I choose to do a west coast road trip? and b) why did I decide to do such a trip with Trek America? Well, for as long as I can remember a west coast USA road trip has been at the top of my bucket list. I'm not entirely sure where my love of America came from, perhaps the fact my dad used to work there or maybe the fact I grew up watching films and tv shows which featured iconic American landmarks - but whatever the reason I've just always wanted to travel around the US, in particular the West Coast (I previously lived in New York for a few months after I graduated). Five years ago I heard about Trek America and got my heart set on doing this trip with them. The 'Westerner 2' trek offered me everything that I wanted to see and do on the west coast. The itinerary is full of all the iconic sites / national parks and the fact that this was a camping trip meant that I would have a more authentic travel experience. Aside from this, going on an organised trip means that it takes all the usual stress out of planning a holiday and offers you the chance to meet likeminded travellers.

Itinerary

Day 1: Los Angeles -> San Diego. After setting up the campsite, (we stayed at 'Campland on the Bay') we visited La Jolla and watched the sunset at Mission Beach

Day 2: Full free day in San Diego. I went on a whale watching boat trip with Flagship Cruises, strolled around Little Italy and the Gaslamp Quarter, and then ending the night at Petco Park watching the San Diego 'Padres' take on the San Francisco 'Giants' in the baseball.

Day 3: San Diego -> Lake Havasu. En route to Lake Havasu we stopped at Salvation Mountain (famously seen in the 2007 film Into The Wild). We camped along the Colorado River at Buckskin Mountain Park Campground.

Day 4: Lake Havasu -> Grand Canyon. En route to the Grand Canyon we drove along part of the original Route 66 and stopped off in the iconic town of Seligman. It is full of cool retro signs and vintage Americana. After setting up camp at Camper Village Campground, we watched the sunset at the Grand Canyon, whilst eating pizza.

Day 5: Free day in the Grand Canyon. In the morning I visited the museum and took in the scenery. In the afternoon I went on a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon, one word - BREATHTAKING. After dinner at the campsite, we went to a bowling alley for an evening of fun and games.

Day 6: Grand Canyon -> Las Vegas. After passing the Hoover Dam, we made it to Las Vegas. We stayed at the Golden Nugget hotel in downtown Vegas (a very welcome bed after the previous 5 nights camping). That evening we went on a party bus tour of the Vegas stip, stopping off at: the Vegas sign, Little White Wedding Chapel, the Bellagio fountains and ending on Fremont Street.

Day 7: Free day in Las Vegas. I visited the Neon Museum (well worth a visit if you love the iconic American road signs) followed by exploring the Vegas strip. In the evening I went on the thrill rides at the Stratosphere (google this, it was insane!)

Day 8: Las Vegas -> Death Valley. After a quick stop at Area 51, we drove through Death Valley. Stopping off at various different points, including where they filmed Star Wars. We camped at Lake Isabella campground.

Day 9: Death Valley -> Yosemite. Here we stayed at Indian Flat Campground. After setting up camp we drove to various view points to take photographs, including visiting the world famous 'El Capitan'. Check out the documentary 'Free Solo' if you haven't already seen it!

Day 10: Free day in Yosemite. I went on the 'Mist Trail' and the 'Mirror Lake Trail', visited the museum and had lunch at Half Dome Village (try the pizza!)

Day 11: Yosemite -> San Francisco. We drove across, then stopped off at, the Golden Gate Bridge followed by a visit to Ocean Beach and Twin Peaks viewing point. This was all before checking in at the USA Hostel on Post Street. In the evening, the group took a stroll to Pier 39 to see Alcatraz, explore the shops and have dinner.

Day 12: Free day in San Francisco. In the morning we went on a 4 hour 'Urban Adventures City Tour'. Highlights included: Union Square, Chinatown, Lombard Street and Fishermans Wharf. Later in the day, I took a cable car, visited Alamo Square Park, the Painted Ladies on Steiner Street (of Mrs Doubtfire fame), Haight Ashbury and the Cheesecake Factory.

Day 13: San Francisco -> California Coast. Lunch in Santa Cruz, and time on the beach and the amusements. I couldn't resist taking a barefoot stroll on the beach! Later we visited Morro Bay and the city of San Luis Obispo (highlights included Bubblegum Alley). We camped at Pismo Beach Park Campground and watched our final sunset on the beach itself.

Day 14: Pismo Beach -> Los Angeles. Stopping off in Santa Barbara, we made it back to LA around 5pm for our final farewells.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why the trip was so special...

Ultimate Bucket List Trip - This trip was everything I could have wished for, and more. Everyday we were visiting places, which for years I had looked at online and in magazines and dreamed of visiting - and there I was experiencing it all for myself. I don't take that many holidays, so for me to actually not only be on holiday but to be on my dream 'bucket list holiday' felt incredible. I loved that the tour had a mix of both cities (San Diego, San Fran, Vegas) and national parks (Grand Canyon & Yosemite).  We visited so many iconic places that everyday was a real pinch me moment. Our tour leader, Brad, was amazing. He gave us lots of information regarding what we could see and do in each place and really motivated the group. He helped us to book tickets for attractions we wanted to visit (baseball in San Diego) and dropped us off at specific locations on our free days depending where we wanted to be - this was greatly appreciated. He ordered pizza for us to eat whilst we watched the sunset over the Grand Canyon (not many people can say they have done that) and it was one of my highlights of the whole trip. Also, going with a travel company means that your tour leader knows lots of places which other tourists may not visit, and you fit more into your day than perhaps you would do if you travelled independently. For the entire duration of the trek, I can honestly say it was the happiest I have ever been, not a care in the world and just living and loving every moment. The trip might be considered expensive, but after doing the trip I can 100% say it was worth every penny. I booked the trip 9 months before I actually went on the trek, meaning I had time to initially save for the trip itself and then even more time to save for the flights and spending money.

Camping - For me, going on a camping version of this trip made the whole experience way more memorable (if you opt for the 'BLT' version of the Westerner 2 trip you stay in hotels and hostels for the full duration). Setting up camp together, cooking as a group, eating s'mores around a campfire - it was these little things that made the trip so special and meant our group bonded so well. All the facilities at each campsite differed slightly but it kind of made it fun seeing what facilities we had once we got there. Some had pools, some had shops, laundry rooms etc. I can't imagine doing this trip any other way. 

Fellow Trekkers - My trip had 11 trekkers and 9 of us were solo travellers, but honestly we all got along so well it literally felt like we had known each other for years. What was great about this, was that each day you could spend time with different people depending on what activities you wanted to do. I had been apprehensive that perhaps the group would become fragmented, or we wouldn't all get along, but this never happened. We had trekkers from: England, Norway, Germany, Spain, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Australia. We all swapped numbers and shared our photo's with each other. I hope we all keep in touch for many years to come!

I hope you have found this review useful! Next week I'll be posting a list of my 'top trek tips', followed by a road trip playlist, so be sure to check back in with my blog for that!

More pictures from my trip can be seen on my Instagram (Phillippa22)

Phillippa  x

Instagram - Phillippa22
Twitter - @phillippa22
Pinterest - phillippadesign