Pinnacles National Park
*This is our worst blog post, and will likely be the worst of our lifetime. If this is your first post you are reading, please refer to our previous posts. My eyes only, Thanks!
We just can’t seem to get enough of driving, so after wrapping up Sequoia and Kings, we headed out toward Pinnacles National Park on our way to Big Sur.
It would’ve been a disaster if we hadn’t stopped in Fresno, California. And if you’ve never been—don’t worry, you’re not missing much. Just keep driving.
Finding a place to stay that night in Fresno turned into our first real hiccup with campsites. iOverlander was basically barren for that area. We couldn’t find a truck stop that allowed overnight parking, the Walmart had sketchy reviews and didn’t seem open to it, and all the residential areas we scoped out just didn’t feel safe or welcoming.
Eventually, we landed on the busiest corner of the Costco parking lot, which was… not ideal. I was stressing pretty hard as we settled in for the night, imagining everything from getting a fine to someone breaking the window. I do a lot of catastrophizing, and I’m hoping this nomadic life helps me grow out of that a bit (what a bummer if it does the opposite). I’m definitely testing myself by being in these kinds of situations—pushing past comfort, facing the unknown, and trying to stay calm when things feel uncertain.
This was a long day—probably mostly for Sarah. She ended up doing laundry, running to three different grocery stores, and knocking out a bunch of errands we’d been putting off while in the national parks. Meanwhile, I was working from the car in 92–95° heat, hopping between meetings and trying to find decent signal and shade. Work has actually been super busy lately, so I was just grateful to get a lot done during the day.
The laundromat was its own little adventure. The guys hanging around there really seemed to like Sarah—maybe because no one could figure out how to use the machines and they needed a woman’s touch. I think she was the hero of the afternoon.
After a tough days work for both of us, we hit the road and we began our travels to Pinnacles National Park. We left later than we wanted to, so we had to pick a shorter, and perhaps less beautiful hike in the park. When we arrived, we swooned from the beauty that was desert and scout camps. We hiked to an overlook of the pinnacles peaks, and they really are quite stunning. Throughout the hike, we made it through about 3 eco systems — we started in desert, descended our way into a shaded, wet oasis, then ascended into mountainous pines before we got the look of the peaks.
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| View of the pinnacles |
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| peepers |
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| Making a bug stink |
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| a pinnacle 🫨 |
Someone on iOverlander said they went for a day, enjoyed their hike, and left because that national park had been checked off their list. After being there, I can see how one hike can encapsulated much of the beauty of the place. Would definitely recommend taking a look at Pinnacles if you are driving through, they are cool! But I can also see why this isn't the dream destination for everyone. At least the stop came with a free shower. We hustled through in one day to get some time in Big Sur.
- Ethan and Sarah
