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    ABOUT US

    Stephen & Giselle backpacking the Sierra High Route

    THE LOVERS PASSPORT

    Welcome to The Lovers Passport!

    We are Giselle and Stephen, a couple of California natives with a HUGE passion for outdoor adventure & travel! We thrive on exploring everywhere from the beach to the backcountry, and we just canโ€™t get enough of it! From backpacking and camping to traveling abroad, we’ve got your couple’s travel inspo covered!

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    INSTAGRAM

    Ultimate California National Park Road Trip ๐Ÿš™ ( Ultimate California National Park Road Trip ๐Ÿš™ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Did you know that California has the most national parks in the US? We have gone to every one and are working on creating a guide to all of them ๐Ÿ˜ We would recommend 2 weeks to do the entire itinerary or break it up into 3 long weekends ๐Ÿค˜๐Ÿผ This is our Guide to Californiaโ€™s 9 National Parks ๐Ÿš™

Southern California
๐Ÿ“Joshua Tree National Park
๐Ÿ“Channel Islands National Park
๐Ÿ“Death Valley National Park 

Central California
๐Ÿ“Sequoia National Park
๐Ÿ“Kings Canyon National Park
๐Ÿ“Yosemite National Park
๐Ÿ“Pinnacles National Park

Northern California
๐Ÿ“Redwoods National Park
๐Ÿ“Lassen Volcanic National Park

We split these trips into multiple weekends because we both work full time Monday-Friday ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿผโ€๐Ÿ’ป๐Ÿง‘๐Ÿปโ€๐Ÿ’ป There is a lot of driving time in between each park so we highly recommend breaking it into pieces and investing in the America the Beautiful Annual Pass to save money on entrance fees! ๐Ÿค‘ Check out our stories for the link โ˜๐Ÿผ

Would you start your California National Parks Road Trip in Central, Northern, or Southern California? ๐Ÿš™
    GLAMPING GIVEAWAY TIME! โ›บ๏ธ๐ŸŽ The 2021 seaso GLAMPING GIVEAWAY TIME! โ›บ๏ธ๐ŸŽ

The 2021 season opens up this March & in celebration.... we are GIVING you another FREE stay at ANY of their 6 Wander Camp Locations (Zion, Moab, Lake Powell/Escalante, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or Glacier)! We did this same giveaway back in December for the Holidays and wanted to give everyone another shot at winning an amazing outdoor experience.

Hereโ€™s how to Enter:
1๏ธโƒฃFollow our favorite accounts below!๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿฝโ€จ@theloverspassport
@eagertravele
@wander.camp
@acanelaexpeditions
@kytrisha

2๏ธโƒฃTag the friend(s) you would bring along in the comments below, each comment is another entry, so tag ALL the friends you know!!!

BONUS ENTRY if you repost this to your story or feed and tell us which camp you want to visit (donโ€™t forget to tag usย @theloverspassport so we can see you)! 

Giveaway ends Sun Feb 28th and your stay is redeemable anytime in 2021. ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ We can't wait to bring you another epic Glamping Adventure Next Year!

This Giveaway is not sponsored by Instagram
    Santa Barbara is the BEST city in California ๐Ÿ– Santa Barbara is the BEST city in California ๐Ÿ– (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Santa Barbara is a tourist destination known for its luxurious lifestyle in between the mountains and beach. This is where we met back in college and it will always have a special spot in our heart. It is a MUST SEE on every California road trip ๐Ÿš™ This is how to see Santa Barbara like a local ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

๐Ÿ“… Time to Visit: March-May and September-November are the best months to visit to avoid the crowds and enjoy the perfect weather โ˜€๏ธ There really isnโ€™t a bad time to visit, but the fog does roll in during the summer months!

โณTrip Length: Santa Barbara can be the perfect weekend warrior trip, or a week long vacation! We recommend spending 2-3 days to get the full Santa Barbara experience in the city, on the water, and exploring the mountains! ๐Ÿ”

๐ŸฅพPopular Hikes:
โ›ฐ Inspiration Point: perfect hike for all levels to get you in the mountains and is great for sunset! 
๐Ÿ’ฆ Seven Falls: This waterfall is best enjoyed during the spring, but is the perfect hike for an early morning adventure finishing with some swimming pools
โ›ฐ Lizards Mouth - we love the rock climbing and bouldering here and is best enjoyed during sunrise and sunset
๐Ÿ’ฆ Tangerine Falls - this is the tallest waterfall in Santa Barbara and is an epic trail that should be done early to avoid the heat! There is a significant amount of elevation gain but well worth it. 

๐ŸŒŠ On the Water: 
๐Ÿ„๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ Surf - this needs to be on everyoneโ€™s bucket list! Check our Campus Point on a good swell 
๐Ÿšฃ๐Ÿป Kayak- explore the harbor and the wharf by renting a kayak! This is our favorite activity to do in the whole city! 

๐Ÿ–The City: 
๐ŸŒฎ La Superica - this is our favorite taco spot in the whole town! ๐Ÿคค
๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿผ Night Life - finish off a day of adventuring by stopping at @lamadogtaproom or @testpilotbar for a few drinks! 
๐Ÿšด๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธRent a bike: start at The Wharf and bike down state street and around to East Beach to see the main strip! Traffic and parking can be a pain so rent a bike and take in the scenery ๐Ÿ–

Would you spend your Santa Barbara trip in the mountains or by the beach? ๐Ÿค”
    Ultimate Sedona Adventure Itinerary ๐Ÿœ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)
.
Sedona is a magical town outside of Flagstaff known for its gorgeous red rocks and canyons, and should be added to every adventure lovers bucket list. Itโ€™s also quite a small area so itโ€™s super nice that driving from one adventure to the next doesnโ€™t take incredibly long! As always, make sure to Leave No Trace when visiting ๐Ÿƒ
.
๐Ÿ“… WHEN TO VISIT: November-April have the coolest temps! In our opinion, winter is always a great time to get out and explore desert destinations so that itโ€™s not overwhelmingly hot. Summer is hot and dangerous for people to be hiking around in the heat, especially in the middle of the day. If you do decide to go in the summer, try hiking early in the morning around sunrise so itโ€™s cooler. 

๐Ÿ•š TRIP LENGTH: We only got to spend one weekend in Sedona, although weโ€™d recommend staying longer around 3-5 days to take in all the adventure that the town has to offer. 

๐ŸฅพPOPULAR HIKE OPTIONS: 
๐ŸŒตDevilโ€™s Bridge: beautiful sunrise spot, and the earlier you get there, the less people
๐ŸŒตCathedral Rock: note youโ€™ll have to get a parking permit at the trailhead, but this spot is gorgeous for sunset and astrophotography
๐ŸŒตSoldier Pass: parking here is a nightmare so secure your spot early
๐ŸŒตBell Rock: wouldnโ€™t recommend scaling the rock itself unless you have some rock climbing experience
๐ŸŒตAirport Mesa: incredible 360 views of Sedona
๐ŸŒตWest Fork Creek Trail: awesome for trying to see Fall Colors! We saw lots of families and kids doing this trail

๐Ÿœ THINGS TO DO: Off-Roading! There are SO many opportunities for some awesome off-roading whether youโ€™re in your rig, renting a jeep, or renting Dune Buggies. We took Stephenโ€™s 4Runner for a spin down the Mundโ€™s Wagon Trail (almost got stuck lol) but made it and it was so much fun! You can also go for a swim in the warmer months at Slide Rock State Park or at some of the local swimming holes. 

Do you like to explore desert towns? ๐Ÿœ
    Ultimate Central California Adventure Road Trip It Ultimate Central California Adventure Road Trip Itinerary ๐Ÿš™ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Since Californiaโ€™s landscapes are so diverse, thereโ€™s a little bit of everything for all kind of nature lovers whether you want beaches, forests, mountains, or desert! Hereโ€™s an itinerary that is great for adventure lovers YEAR ROUND and covers a variety of landscapes. Feel free to connect these destinations together or do them separately! 

More Central Coast: ๐ŸŒŠ
๐Ÿš˜ Channel Islands National Park
๐Ÿš˜ Santa Barbara 
๐Ÿš˜ Oceano Sand Dunes
๐Ÿš˜ San Luis Obispo & Morro Bay
๐Ÿš˜ Pinnacles National Park

More Inland: ๐ŸŒฒ
๐Ÿš˜ Sequoia National Park
๐Ÿš˜ Kings Canyon National Park
๐Ÿš˜ Yosemite National Park
๐Ÿš˜ Mammoth

As always, make sure to leave no trace and follow all safety guidelines and protocols when planning to recreate responsibly in these beautiful destinations! ๐ŸŒฟ Would also highly recommend investing in a National Parks pass to save you money if youโ€™re doing this itinerary!

Do you prefer road tripping along the coast or closer to the forests & mountains? ๐Ÿ”
    Our Car Camping Set Up ๐Ÿš˜ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' Our Car Camping Set Up ๐Ÿš˜ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

The best thing about converting the 4Runner every weekend into a camping set up is the accessibility we have! Weโ€™ve car camped in a variety of climates from the desert to rain and snow, and it has allowed us to easily park and set up shop without much effort or dependence on the weather once we get to a location, leaving more time for things like astrophotography and campfires for example! ๐ŸŒŒ Hereโ€™s what we do every weekend to make sure our car is ready to go (*for the full build check out our Youtube channel): 

๐Ÿš™ We built a wooden platform as a base to our bed! Itโ€™s 2 pieces so that once can be used as a storage area in the back, and the other slides in once the back seats are down. On top of it, we inflate an air mattress every night! And then we either use a down blanket or our down sleeping bags from REI, followed by a duvet cover to keep us warm! 

๐Ÿš™ Reflectix BP24010 Series Foil Insulation makes for great window covers while you sleep at night. We bought some, traced some stencils of our car window outline and cut it out to fit each window, then spray painted them black for stealth camping. 

๐Ÿš™ We have plastic storage bins we got at Bed Bath and Beyond in the back to fit in our wooden storage set up! These bins hold all of our food and cooking supplies. Then we got mini ones to hold our electronics and our toiletries, etc.

๐Ÿš™ We bought portable power outlets so we can use plugs on the go. Weโ€™ve heard the ones from @jackeryusa are great, but weโ€™ve never used them ourselves! For now, weโ€™re using a BESTEK Car Power Inverter off Amazon since itโ€™s cheap and does a great job keeping our electronics charged, along with our generic portable chargers.

๐Ÿš™ Other things we always keep handy are our refillable 5 Gallon Water Jug (you always want to have extra water!), our @rovrproducts cooler, our @rinsekitusa for washing off/showering if needed, a foldable table for cooking, our camp chairs from @cliqproducts, and a battery powered fan if itโ€™s hot. 

What are some things you love bringing with you when going on a road trip?
    Catching the Firefall in 2021 ๐Ÿ”ฅ On Friday, we Catching the Firefall in 2021 ๐Ÿ”ฅ

On Friday, we got into our camp site in Yosemite National Park just in time to park our car and walk over to the viewing spots of the Firefall since there are designated parking lots and locations on the valley floor where you are allowed to try and view the phenomenon this year! We made it early and we were stoked - buttt then the clouds rolled in and it didnโ€™t happen. ๐Ÿ™ƒ The conditions in order to see the โ€œFirefallโ€ are incredibly specific as you have to have a reservation, the right clouds, enough snow, enough water in the falls, and a clear sky in order to see it during itโ€™s peak timing in February. The next day, we woke up and it was pouring rain and occasionally snowing. That didnโ€™t stop us from getting out and snowshoeing and hiking around for the day since luckily we came prepped with our waterproof gear! We ended up coming back from our snowshoeing adventure around 5pm when we realized it was probably going to happen as the sky started to clear up! ๐Ÿž

We hiked about 13 miles in unideal conditions on Saturday but then we were blessed to see one of the most insane sunsets weโ€™ve ever seen. ๐Ÿ˜ The clouds from the rain were puffy and catching in the distance, and Horsetail fall lit up like lava! ๐Ÿ”ฅ It was truly one of the most epic experiences weโ€™ve had and the fact that it happened on our anniversary was so special โœจ

For more info on the Firefall make sure to check out the NPS website! Good luck to those trying to see it and make sure to Leave No Trace! ๐ŸฅพWhere has been the craziest sunset youโ€™ve ever seen? ๐ŸŒ… 

๐Ÿ“Ahwahneechee Land
    Anyone else have a goal to get out hiking more thi Anyone else have a goal to get out hiking more this year? ๐Ÿฅพ #ad

We have a goal to finish 100+ hikes by the end of 2021! Since we do the majority of our hiking full sending it from sunrise to sunset on the weekends, itโ€™s so important to keep our bodies fueled properly! Our new day pack essential has been @premierprotein on our adventures! Their new Chocolate Hazelnut Protein Shake with Oats is our MUST HAVE in our pre-hike coffee and our post hike recovery for some extra energy! Whether we add it to our coffee, smoothies, homemade granola bars, protein pancakes, or just drink it by itself, itโ€™s a delicious shake to keep us healthy on our adventures! ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿผ 

What are your wellness goals for 2021?

#gohazelNUTS #premierprotein #premierself
    Celebrating 2 Years of Adventures together โค๏ธ Celebrating 2 Years of Adventures together โค๏ธ

We met a little over 2 years ago at a friends birthday party where Giselle was also celebrating her birthday ๐Ÿฅณ First date was coffee โ˜•๏ธ second date was scooter rides for a beach picnic ๐Ÿ– third date was a road trip up the California coast to Big Sur ๐Ÿš™ Ever since then we have not stopped adventuring together on the weekends. Our entire first year together was spent playing @spikeball climbing mountains ๐Ÿ” going backpacking ๐ŸŽ’ and a lot of fancy dinners because we love our food ๐ŸดThis all changed when the pandemic hit. ๐Ÿ˜ท

Giselle asked me after the first few weeks of quarantine together if I was interested in starting a couples blog because we always had friends asking us for trip recommendations, what gear to get, etc. so we thought it would be fun to work on something together to keep us busy when the pandemic hit. We saved up to buy our first camera and started bringing it with us on our adventures. ๐Ÿ“ท

This page has documented the last 10 months of our adventures and captured so many memories that we will never forget โค๏ธ this past year we have climbed a 14er together, made it through a pandemic, recovered from knee surgery, started a blog, drove way too many miles, laughed enough to make our abs hurt, shed tears together over hard moments, and have grown together more then we every thought. ๐Ÿ‘ซ

If there is one piece of advice that we would tell any couple it would be go on an adventure together if you want to grow. ๐Ÿ˜Š we have learned so much about each other through those late nights and early mornings, hanger moments, long car rides, and challenging each other day after day on adventures. We are celebrating 2 years this weekend but it feels like 10 after these last two years together โค๏ธ

Thank you for all the support these past few months ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿผ We will see you out there on the next adventure ๐Ÿฅพ

Tell us something about your story ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

๐Ÿ“ทPC: @whitneywandering @wildloveandwanderlust
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    Ultimate California National Park Road Trip ๐Ÿš™ ( Ultimate California National Park Road Trip ๐Ÿš™ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Did you know that California has the most national parks in the US? We have gone to every one and are working on creating a guide to all of them ๐Ÿ˜ We would recommend 2 weeks to do the entire itinerary or break it up into 3 long weekends ๐Ÿค˜๐Ÿผ This is our Guide to Californiaโ€™s 9 National Parks ๐Ÿš™

Southern California
๐Ÿ“Joshua Tree National Park
๐Ÿ“Channel Islands National Park
๐Ÿ“Death Valley National Park 

Central California
๐Ÿ“Sequoia National Park
๐Ÿ“Kings Canyon National Park
๐Ÿ“Yosemite National Park
๐Ÿ“Pinnacles National Park

Northern California
๐Ÿ“Redwoods National Park
๐Ÿ“Lassen Volcanic National Park

We split these trips into multiple weekends because we both work full time Monday-Friday ๐Ÿ‘ฉ๐Ÿผโ€๐Ÿ’ป๐Ÿง‘๐Ÿปโ€๐Ÿ’ป There is a lot of driving time in between each park so we highly recommend breaking it into pieces and investing in the America the Beautiful Annual Pass to save money on entrance fees! ๐Ÿค‘ Check out our stories for the link โ˜๐Ÿผ

Would you start your California National Parks Road Trip in Central, Northern, or Southern California? ๐Ÿš™
    GLAMPING GIVEAWAY TIME! โ›บ๏ธ๐ŸŽ The 2021 seaso GLAMPING GIVEAWAY TIME! โ›บ๏ธ๐ŸŽ

The 2021 season opens up this March & in celebration.... we are GIVING you another FREE stay at ANY of their 6 Wander Camp Locations (Zion, Moab, Lake Powell/Escalante, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or Glacier)! We did this same giveaway back in December for the Holidays and wanted to give everyone another shot at winning an amazing outdoor experience.

Hereโ€™s how to Enter:
1๏ธโƒฃFollow our favorite accounts below!๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿฝโ€จ@theloverspassport
@eagertravele
@wander.camp
@acanelaexpeditions
@kytrisha

2๏ธโƒฃTag the friend(s) you would bring along in the comments below, each comment is another entry, so tag ALL the friends you know!!!

BONUS ENTRY if you repost this to your story or feed and tell us which camp you want to visit (donโ€™t forget to tag usย @theloverspassport so we can see you)! 

Giveaway ends Sun Feb 28th and your stay is redeemable anytime in 2021. ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ We can't wait to bring you another epic Glamping Adventure Next Year!

This Giveaway is not sponsored by Instagram
    Santa Barbara is the BEST city in California ๐Ÿ– Santa Barbara is the BEST city in California ๐Ÿ– (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Santa Barbara is a tourist destination known for its luxurious lifestyle in between the mountains and beach. This is where we met back in college and it will always have a special spot in our heart. It is a MUST SEE on every California road trip ๐Ÿš™ This is how to see Santa Barbara like a local ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿผ

๐Ÿ“… Time to Visit: March-May and September-November are the best months to visit to avoid the crowds and enjoy the perfect weather โ˜€๏ธ There really isnโ€™t a bad time to visit, but the fog does roll in during the summer months!

โณTrip Length: Santa Barbara can be the perfect weekend warrior trip, or a week long vacation! We recommend spending 2-3 days to get the full Santa Barbara experience in the city, on the water, and exploring the mountains! ๐Ÿ”

๐ŸฅพPopular Hikes:
โ›ฐ Inspiration Point: perfect hike for all levels to get you in the mountains and is great for sunset! 
๐Ÿ’ฆ Seven Falls: This waterfall is best enjoyed during the spring, but is the perfect hike for an early morning adventure finishing with some swimming pools
โ›ฐ Lizards Mouth - we love the rock climbing and bouldering here and is best enjoyed during sunrise and sunset
๐Ÿ’ฆ Tangerine Falls - this is the tallest waterfall in Santa Barbara and is an epic trail that should be done early to avoid the heat! There is a significant amount of elevation gain but well worth it. 

๐ŸŒŠ On the Water: 
๐Ÿ„๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ Surf - this needs to be on everyoneโ€™s bucket list! Check our Campus Point on a good swell 
๐Ÿšฃ๐Ÿป Kayak- explore the harbor and the wharf by renting a kayak! This is our favorite activity to do in the whole city! 

๐Ÿ–The City: 
๐ŸŒฎ La Superica - this is our favorite taco spot in the whole town! ๐Ÿคค
๐Ÿ’ƒ๐Ÿผ Night Life - finish off a day of adventuring by stopping at @lamadogtaproom or @testpilotbar for a few drinks! 
๐Ÿšด๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธRent a bike: start at The Wharf and bike down state street and around to East Beach to see the main strip! Traffic and parking can be a pain so rent a bike and take in the scenery ๐Ÿ–

Would you spend your Santa Barbara trip in the mountains or by the beach? ๐Ÿค”
    Ultimate Sedona Adventure Itinerary ๐Ÿœ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)
.
Sedona is a magical town outside of Flagstaff known for its gorgeous red rocks and canyons, and should be added to every adventure lovers bucket list. Itโ€™s also quite a small area so itโ€™s super nice that driving from one adventure to the next doesnโ€™t take incredibly long! As always, make sure to Leave No Trace when visiting ๐Ÿƒ
.
๐Ÿ“… WHEN TO VISIT: November-April have the coolest temps! In our opinion, winter is always a great time to get out and explore desert destinations so that itโ€™s not overwhelmingly hot. Summer is hot and dangerous for people to be hiking around in the heat, especially in the middle of the day. If you do decide to go in the summer, try hiking early in the morning around sunrise so itโ€™s cooler. 

๐Ÿ•š TRIP LENGTH: We only got to spend one weekend in Sedona, although weโ€™d recommend staying longer around 3-5 days to take in all the adventure that the town has to offer. 

๐ŸฅพPOPULAR HIKE OPTIONS: 
๐ŸŒตDevilโ€™s Bridge: beautiful sunrise spot, and the earlier you get there, the less people
๐ŸŒตCathedral Rock: note youโ€™ll have to get a parking permit at the trailhead, but this spot is gorgeous for sunset and astrophotography
๐ŸŒตSoldier Pass: parking here is a nightmare so secure your spot early
๐ŸŒตBell Rock: wouldnโ€™t recommend scaling the rock itself unless you have some rock climbing experience
๐ŸŒตAirport Mesa: incredible 360 views of Sedona
๐ŸŒตWest Fork Creek Trail: awesome for trying to see Fall Colors! We saw lots of families and kids doing this trail

๐Ÿœ THINGS TO DO: Off-Roading! There are SO many opportunities for some awesome off-roading whether youโ€™re in your rig, renting a jeep, or renting Dune Buggies. We took Stephenโ€™s 4Runner for a spin down the Mundโ€™s Wagon Trail (almost got stuck lol) but made it and it was so much fun! You can also go for a swim in the warmer months at Slide Rock State Park or at some of the local swimming holes. 

Do you like to explore desert towns? ๐Ÿœ
    Ultimate Central California Adventure Road Trip It Ultimate Central California Adventure Road Trip Itinerary ๐Ÿš™ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

Since Californiaโ€™s landscapes are so diverse, thereโ€™s a little bit of everything for all kind of nature lovers whether you want beaches, forests, mountains, or desert! Hereโ€™s an itinerary that is great for adventure lovers YEAR ROUND and covers a variety of landscapes. Feel free to connect these destinations together or do them separately! 

More Central Coast: ๐ŸŒŠ
๐Ÿš˜ Channel Islands National Park
๐Ÿš˜ Santa Barbara 
๐Ÿš˜ Oceano Sand Dunes
๐Ÿš˜ San Luis Obispo & Morro Bay
๐Ÿš˜ Pinnacles National Park

More Inland: ๐ŸŒฒ
๐Ÿš˜ Sequoia National Park
๐Ÿš˜ Kings Canyon National Park
๐Ÿš˜ Yosemite National Park
๐Ÿš˜ Mammoth

As always, make sure to leave no trace and follow all safety guidelines and protocols when planning to recreate responsibly in these beautiful destinations! ๐ŸŒฟ Would also highly recommend investing in a National Parks pass to save you money if youโ€™re doing this itinerary!

Do you prefer road tripping along the coast or closer to the forests & mountains? ๐Ÿ”
    Our Car Camping Set Up ๐Ÿš˜ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' Our Car Camping Set Up ๐Ÿš˜ (โ€˜๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ' ๐˜๐—ต๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ)

The best thing about converting the 4Runner every weekend into a camping set up is the accessibility we have! Weโ€™ve car camped in a variety of climates from the desert to rain and snow, and it has allowed us to easily park and set up shop without much effort or dependence on the weather once we get to a location, leaving more time for things like astrophotography and campfires for example! ๐ŸŒŒ Hereโ€™s what we do every weekend to make sure our car is ready to go (*for the full build check out our Youtube channel): 

๐Ÿš™ We built a wooden platform as a base to our bed! Itโ€™s 2 pieces so that once can be used as a storage area in the back, and the other slides in once the back seats are down. On top of it, we inflate an air mattress every night! And then we either use a down blanket or our down sleeping bags from REI, followed by a duvet cover to keep us warm! 

๐Ÿš™ Reflectix BP24010 Series Foil Insulation makes for great window covers while you sleep at night. We bought some, traced some stencils of our car window outline and cut it out to fit each window, then spray painted them black for stealth camping. 

๐Ÿš™ We have plastic storage bins we got at Bed Bath and Beyond in the back to fit in our wooden storage set up! These bins hold all of our food and cooking supplies. Then we got mini ones to hold our electronics and our toiletries, etc.

๐Ÿš™ We bought portable power outlets so we can use plugs on the go. Weโ€™ve heard the ones from @jackeryusa are great, but weโ€™ve never used them ourselves! For now, weโ€™re using a BESTEK Car Power Inverter off Amazon since itโ€™s cheap and does a great job keeping our electronics charged, along with our generic portable chargers.

๐Ÿš™ Other things we always keep handy are our refillable 5 Gallon Water Jug (you always want to have extra water!), our @rovrproducts cooler, our @rinsekitusa for washing off/showering if needed, a foldable table for cooking, our camp chairs from @cliqproducts, and a battery powered fan if itโ€™s hot. 

What are some things you love bringing with you when going on a road trip?
    Catching the Firefall in 2021 ๐Ÿ”ฅ On Friday, we Catching the Firefall in 2021 ๐Ÿ”ฅ

On Friday, we got into our camp site in Yosemite National Park just in time to park our car and walk over to the viewing spots of the Firefall since there are designated parking lots and locations on the valley floor where you are allowed to try and view the phenomenon this year! We made it early and we were stoked - buttt then the clouds rolled in and it didnโ€™t happen. ๐Ÿ™ƒ The conditions in order to see the โ€œFirefallโ€ are incredibly specific as you have to have a reservation, the right clouds, enough snow, enough water in the falls, and a clear sky in order to see it during itโ€™s peak timing in February. The next day, we woke up and it was pouring rain and occasionally snowing. That didnโ€™t stop us from getting out and snowshoeing and hiking around for the day since luckily we came prepped with our waterproof gear! We ended up coming back from our snowshoeing adventure around 5pm when we realized it was probably going to happen as the sky started to clear up! ๐Ÿž

We hiked about 13 miles in unideal conditions on Saturday but then we were blessed to see one of the most insane sunsets weโ€™ve ever seen. ๐Ÿ˜ The clouds from the rain were puffy and catching in the distance, and Horsetail fall lit up like lava! ๐Ÿ”ฅ It was truly one of the most epic experiences weโ€™ve had and the fact that it happened on our anniversary was so special โœจ

For more info on the Firefall make sure to check out the NPS website! Good luck to those trying to see it and make sure to Leave No Trace! ๐ŸฅพWhere has been the craziest sunset youโ€™ve ever seen? ๐ŸŒ… 

๐Ÿ“Ahwahneechee Land
    Anyone else have a goal to get out hiking more thi Anyone else have a goal to get out hiking more this year? ๐Ÿฅพ #ad

We have a goal to finish 100+ hikes by the end of 2021! Since we do the majority of our hiking full sending it from sunrise to sunset on the weekends, itโ€™s so important to keep our bodies fueled properly! Our new day pack essential has been @premierprotein on our adventures! Their new Chocolate Hazelnut Protein Shake with Oats is our MUST HAVE in our pre-hike coffee and our post hike recovery for some extra energy! Whether we add it to our coffee, smoothies, homemade granola bars, protein pancakes, or just drink it by itself, itโ€™s a delicious shake to keep us healthy on our adventures! ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿผ 

What are your wellness goals for 2021?

#gohazelNUTS #premierprotein #premierself
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