The American West
Two city boys, one Mustang and the West Coast's greatest hits
I’d been to the US a few times as a teenager, but this was my first trip there as an adult, and my first time on the West Coast. I’d been dreaming about it for years, mostly because of all the national parks I’d seen countless pictures of, especially the Grand Canyon and Yosemite.
I went with my best friend Alex. The trip kicked off with us picking up our rental car at the airport, an orange Mustang convertible. Don’t ask. From there, we drove straight to Joshua Tree, a national park not far from LA, where we got our first taste of the incredibly warm weather, endless boulders to climb on, and almost no people around. We found a small campsite for the night, which was perfect and quiet. I loved that it ran on the honour system: you simply leave 10 dollars in an envelope in a box. That kind of thing always makes me happy.
The next day, we headed towards Las Vegas via the Mojave Desert. It was the first proper desert I’d ever seen, and there was something genuinely special about it: the long, flat landscape, completely dry, just sun hammering down on the ground and bending the horizon. Arriving in Las Vegas, on the other hand, was brutal. I knew I wouldn’t enjoy it, but I had no idea how much I’d dislike it. To me, Las Vegas concentrates pretty much everything I find unpleasant in one place. We left the hotel for about 30 minutes, just long enough to grab some food to take back to the room.
Then onwards to the Grand Canyon, and oh boy, what an experience. I’d seen plenty of photos before, including in my sister’s honeymoon album, and they always looked nice. But being there is something else entirely. The sheer scale is something photos simply can’t capture, and it really took my breath away. Hiking down into the canyon was thrilling too, with incredible views the whole way. So many people just stay in the car park and admire the view from above, and they have no idea what they’re missing. If you ever go to the Grand Canyon, please plan an extra three or four hours and at least walk part of the way down. You won’t reach the bottom, but the experience is well worth it.
That wonderful day ended with a stunning sunset over the canyon. Until we realised: it’s now pitch dark, and we’re in the middle of a national park where you’re not allowed to camp. We drove through the night to the nearest national forest, where we spotted another camper who’d made a bonfire, so we set up close to them for a bit of human presence and some warmth. Pitching a tent in the dark with only the headlights of the car turned out to be quite the adventure for two city boys like us. After a lovely evening with our new neighbours, we crawled into our tent and proceeded to freeze all night, because it was literally snowing outside, and we were sleeping on the thinnest mattresses imaginable, with basically no insulation. Another lesson for the city boys.
We survived the night, somehow, and headed to Monument Valley. It’s such a unique landscape that you really do feel like you’ve landed on another planet, while at the same time half-expecting a cowboy to ride past at any moment. There’s a kind of predefined route through the park, and we stopped regularly to take in the views and snap photos. It was a brilliant day. From there, I think our next stops were Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, and then Bryce Canyon in Utah. Bryce Canyon is another stunning park, with truly unique rock formations. We couldn’t stay long because we were on a tight schedule, but the few hours we spent there, including a beautiful sunset, were absolutely worth the drive.
Next up was Death Valley. Yet another incredible place, sitting below sea level, and yes, it was hot. Something like 43 degrees if I remember correctly. Everything is so flat and white, the remains of a salt lake that dried out long ago, surrounded by sand dunes. We pulled out the frisbee, played for about ten minutes, nearly died, and ran back to the car where we fell completely in love with the air conditioning.
And then we drove to Yosemite, which was probably the highlight of the whole trip. This place really has everything: incredible peaks, an enchanting valley with beautiful meadows, waterfalls, and a great community of climbers. It took us two attempts to land a spot at Camp 4, the famous climbers’ campsite. I’d never been somewhere where deer just walk past you without a hint of fear, and where every single direction you look in is breathtaking. I could have stayed forever, and honestly, I wish I had.
After a few days, we drove on to San Francisco, and reality hit hard. After ten days surrounded by nature and quiet, we landed in this incredibly busy, ridiculously loud city, surrounded by people living in the streets and struggling with drug addiction. I don’t mean that in a judgmental way. I actually feel sorry for them, and I’m more upset at the society we’ve built that allows things to get to this point. As soon as I arrived, all I wanted was to leave again.
We drove south on Highway 1, along the coast towards Los Angeles. The nature wasn’t on the same level as Yosemite, but it was still a wonderful journey, cruising in our Mustang along this beautiful scenic road and camping in national forests overlooking the sea.
Finally, we made it back to the airport, returned the car, and flew home. I had an incredible time, and I’m honestly a little envious of how easily people on the West Coast can access these extraordinary parks. A few months after this trip, Trump was elected, and I haven’t set foot in the US since. But I still hold this trip very close to my heart, along with some beautiful photos to remember it by.
