The Western Tour

"The Western Tour”

It was towards the end of school. My parents had just told me that I would be spending two weeks of my summer traveling, and I was not excited to say the least. The only place that I was really interested in when I was told about the trip, was Las Vegas. Now you tell me, what does a 15 year old do in Las Vegas? I’ll tell you right now, the answer is not much.

                I was going into the trip a little timid. I did not know what I was going to see, and I was not exactly thrilled about all the walking that had been planned. Before I could refuse, though, my family and I landed in California, ready to set foot on this adventure. I was taken aback. The city of San Francisco intrigued me, due to the fact that everywhere I turned there was a bit of pop culture that I seemed to be able to relate to. The city was practically buzzing in the streets. It was just an exciting, upbeat place to be. I’ll never forget going to the fisherman’s wharf, and seeing the street performers. They may seem shifty in their business, you may think they are trying to scam you out of a quick buck, but some of those men and women were genuinely talented at all sorts of unique crafts. It was hard to leave the city, but I’ll always remember the excitement I felt in that city, and on the fisherman’s wharf.

                After leaving San Francisco, we moved on to Yosemite National Park. I have to say, after seeing the first waterfall, I was captivated. It is truly a remarkable sight to see. When you are standing on top of a mountain that you just hiked up at 8,000 feet, surrounded by snow in June, the experience is almost ethereal. I did not think that Yosemite would be so life changing, but I saw things there that I can’t see anywhere else, and it reminded me that every moment of life is a precious experience that I need to pay attention to. It really helped set me up for the things I would see on the rest of the trip, including Kingswood national park and the Grand Canyon.

                In Kingswood National Park, I saw the tallest trees in the world. These things were gigantic! There was a tree so wide, we could drive through it. It really put nature into perspective for me, because it made me feel small compared to one of mother nature’s creations, which isn’t usually the case. While at Kingswood, we also saw quite a few bears, and came much closer than I thought was possible. Contrary to popular belief they’re pretty friendly. Doesn’t mean you should pet them, but feel free to stare. They don’t mind.

                The final destination that I’m going to talk about is the Grand Canyon. The first thing my family saw at this destination, was my teenage arrogance. The first day, we walked around the rim of the Canyon and I just whined about how it was just a hole. This is something I majorly regret, because it is far more than that, which was proven to me on the second day. We hiked into the canyon, and it was an ordeal, that not only entertained me, but it is a memory I will always treasure. It really is a spectacular place.

                So here I am now. A timid traveler turned intrepid adventurer. The trip really was an eye opener, and I’d do it all over again.