The Most Magical Place I've Been! (SUV Camping/Vanlife Adventures)

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks for watching! Head on over to the Suboverland KZbin channel and leave a comment on one of Grady's videos thanking him for loaning me the Suburban >> kzbin.info/door/Zw7A1KkQihsbY5mbNJFBAw

[@bettebuchheit5776]

“I feel the need to be reverent”........one of the many reasons I enjoy your videos. You “get it”. Crowds often ruin it for me.

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks Bette!

[@roypointanderson8468]

@@SUVRVing One time I was at the Exit glacier in Alaska, all by myself. Soon, a van full of drunk German tourists showed up, talking loudly and making lot's of noise. One guy was trying to kick pieces of the glacier off. I went on taking pictures, but when they finally left a half hour later, I was again alone in the quiet with the awesome glacier.

[@jonmajewski6867]

The bigger the crowd the worse experience. Nature is best enjoyed in silence lol

[@SUVRVing]

Agreed! Thanks for watching, Jon.

[@pamgypsyaries8049]

Amen!

[@joycecaudell6047]

Crowds? Even one chatty person distracts me from “communing with nature”!! And sometimes I enjoy discussing nature’s awesome beauty with another nature lover. I really enjoy the patient way you scan the environment with the camera. Thank you for going slowly! Love this one! Thanks so much!

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks Joyce!

[@dvgayle1]

That's why death valley is so nice.

[@ytubechannel997]

Honestly what bothers me the most is loud talkers. Seriously why can't people use their quiet voices when out in nature.

[@TJ-mc8uh]

I thought quite voice was for when you were inside, when you go outside no restrictions on how loud you were?

[@keithsparling5537]

You might consider, if youre in " bear country", its best to be loud, those people may be loud intentionally.

[@marklettow6610]

When hiking alone I feel like I am exploring. When the area is crowded I feel like I am just visiting or seeing.

[@SUVRVing]

Thats a great way of putting it. Thanks Mark.

[@TerryX2Explore]

That is a great way of putting it Mark and describes how I feel as well. 😀

[@rosm6621]

I too prefer small to no crowds. You nailed it when you said you felt reverent. Crowds remove that ability. Reverence allows one to hear and feel nature's Spirit. Great video!

[@zentothemax299]

Hey Tristan- For me, the “enchanted-ness” of the place came through loud and clear (or rather softly and quietly). What a special place! Yup, the crowd level has a huge impact on my level of enjoyment wherever I visit. In a place like that, I could sit for hours and observe. BTW, what time of year did you film this? Am trying to gauge best & most “human-free” time to visit. Thank you again for your uniquely inspirational content. It is very healing.

[@SUVRVing]

The filming date is always listed in the video description. This was in early November. Thanks for watching!

[@CadizArtist]

Crowd level is probably the most affecting factor for us. We’re retired and can thankfully travel off-season. Our worst trip last year was Glacier NP (first time!) and enjoyed nothing there-couldn’t hike because we couldn’t park.

[@KathleenMcCormickLCSWMPH]

I had the same experience there. Unfortunate.

[@SUVRVing]

I'm in the same boat. I can go to places during the off-season, and it spoils you for going to places during the peak season or on weekends! Thanks for watching, Paula.

[@jmchi86]

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you. About a year ago I discovered your channel and have been a subscriber since. I enjoy watching you go to all of these places and having these amazing experiences. I loved watching it so much that last summer I decided to try it out myself. I loaded up my own SUV and headed to my favorite mountain here in AZ. I camped for just a night but it was the most amazing and freeing experience. I then took my SUV to Zion national park with a friend and this time I upgraded my mattress from 2 thicker yoga mats to a futon mattress. Ever since that trip all I can think of is getting in my SUV- going, seeing, doing! March 12, 2021 will be my last day in the corporate world. I'm quitting a job that I've hated since I started and doing something I never even thought could be possible. Your adventures have inspired me to create my own adventures... to live, and that is the greatest gift I've been given to date. Thank you so very much.

[@DavidLari]

Your "cold, craggy heart" comment had me laughing even more than the warning sign with the elk attacking the hula hoop guy. Great video. Definitely some bucket list items there. And yeah, crowds ruin the experience for me. Love a good 2 hour hike in the mountains where I don't encounter another soul.

[@SUVRVing]

Lol thanks for watching, David!

[@virginiaallen4723]

Mountains are my special home place also. Deserts come next.

[@carolannworsham7152]

I love having the hikes through the woods to be very solemn and no other people. Definitely

[@doncox1965]

The fern canyon part of the hike is one of the most beautiful scenery ever.

[@jamesyoung4659]

Epic location, great video, THIS is the kind of content that makes this channel my absolute favorite on KZbin.

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks James!!

[@Yolsi]

Yes I don’t like crowds either. Beautiful, reverential park.

[@dixielambrecht7009]

It matters immensely! Th noise; and navigating through a crowd is to distracting. Thank you for sharing.

[@landcruisingdoc4137]

I loved the “cold craggy heart” term you used. Sounds like a country song😂. I have the same heart condition plus used to social distancing before it became the norm. Visiting remote parks or famous parks during their off season is definitely more enjoyable.

[@juanitagreenspan5412]

Definitely prefer few to no people.

[@teslah2997]

Of all your vids, I think this is one of my top five! I loved seeing the Redwoods and the ocean. And all of the feelings that you expressed about the beauty of the forest, the trees and the ocean....well, you could have been speaking for ME! And I am so glad you went to these places as I haven’t been yet....if I get to travel this summer as I am hoping to, this is one of the areas I was planning to go to. GREAT vid, Tristan! see you next Saturday! 👍🏻👌🏻

[@steverogers214]

I know what you say about feeling revenant while hiking there. Those trees are magnificent! And, I kept looking for a dinosaur to come running out from behind a tree.

[@ToddfromCalifornia]

I love visiting the redwoods, It's had to believe just how massive there are when you see them in person . I'm with you the less people the better .

[@richard_n]

The less people, the better in my book.

[@InSurrealtime]

I could tell it was Fern canyon from a one inch thumbnail! I love that place, and Jedediah smith is my favorite redwood park. Del Norte is super cool too.

[@thomasdreke1698]

Fern Canyon is a magical place as well as the redwood groves. No people make it even more so for me, even in a video. I have lived in NorCal always whiten a few miles of the Pacific for most of my life. I'm kind of spoiled.

[@sallyfromthevalley9724]

You are blessed to have grown up in such a beautiful place‼️

[@ThatOneDudeNick]

Crowd level is huge for me. It definitely changes the vibe of an area when there are a lot of people, especially if there's noise. I'd rather spend a day in a less-beautiful place that's empty, over a gorgeous place with a crowd. I acknowledge that my presence has the same effect on others as well, so it's not like I'm thinking "I wish these people would get out of *my* way" or anything. It's on me to find the experience I want, so I just visit popular areas off season, mid week, early morning, etc. And I use the spring and summer to find new places that are lesser known.

[@SUVRVing]

Amen! My thoughts exactly. Thanks for watching.

[@brownpaperbag5343]

When I traveled with the kids, I didn’t mind others around. It was nice to hear other oooing and ahhhing. When I traveled solo, I wanted my destinations to all be as close to solitary as I could make it. It does however, change the experience, to have other peeps around.

[@oceandrew]

That may help explain how it's mostly family groups that don't have much respect for the experience of others. I don't mean to be derogatory it's just they are fully connected with their people and don't have the attention span to take consideration of others.

[@philipeugenio2233]

What a stunning location. Gods live there.

[@SUVRVing]

Agreed!

[@naturegeek6201]

I owned a house in Northern California that was built in 1901. It was redwood framed...even the garage. It was a real treasure. I changed very little in the house. I planted a redwood tree in the backyard to honor the redwoods. I sold the house just a couple of years ago. There are so many beautiful natural areas to visit in California and many mountains to climb here.

[@coreym162]

I hope you planted the tree some ways away from the house. They grow big surprisingly fast. They get full grown in 100 years.

[@carolw569]

You might want to change your description: "early November 2020" not 2021. :) Have you been to the Tillamook, Oregon coastline? Herds of elk in the surf.

[@lisad6106]

Ha I'm glad I'm not the only one not really clear on what day, what month, what year at any given time😅

[@markheller76]

Tillamook land of trees seas and breeze...and free cheese. Last there 1980 hitching down the coast after second eruption.

[@SUVRVing]

Lol I changed the date. Yes, I've been to the Tillamok area a couple of times, and it'll be in a video in a couple of weeks.

[@barbcomstock9965]

I don’t like other people in what I call sacred places.

[@janices6136]

The ferns and bush walk reminded me very much of home, New Zealand. Also the redwoods, we have a forest of Redwoods in Rotorua in the North Island of New Zealand that has famous walks ,throughout. Of course, then the Pacific Ocean and the coast of my beloved home.

[@michaelacurtis4660]

I love the Milford Sound area of New Zealand. Truly comparable to the Redwoods.

[@escapeartist8581]

Beautiful! I prefer no people around! Thank you for sharing!

[@MeiraV-]

You took the words out of my mouth!

[@JayWandersOut]

Me too. That's why I love hiking in the winter. It chases most of the people away and all the bugs.

[@escapeartist8581]

@@JayWandersOut Oh for sure! I camp and explore to get away- from people, jobs, etc. I need/love and appreciate my nature fix!

[@sandeedobberstine5591]

You were blessed in having solitude during your walks. How wonderful. It’s mostly the noise people make that ruins it for me. Thank you for the beautiful video!

[@ralphpatrick3071]

Born and raised, love my California!

[@noragodley1270]

I’m with you... crowds are not my thing. I haven’t been to the Redwoods in a very long time time. Thank you for bringing the magic of those beautiful trees to us.

[@sallyfromthevalley9724]

One of my most favorite childhood memories here in Cali Redwoods!!! Other favorite place, Yosemite Nat’l Park, where I live near now💕💕

[@alikawhite6903]

Awesome, I grew up in the redwoods., live in the mountains now, you've inspired a trip in my Toyota Sienna 🤗

[@lauriewichryk7480]

100% prefer no people. We’d enjoy it much more without others.

[@rhondalyn100]

Beautiful! Always love the inclusion of a map where you are. Helps with orientation and possible destination. Thanks!

[@josilynl5265]

Even in my cold craggy heart, there's room for the ocean ✨

[@joelechner466]

As always, another great start to a Saturday with another great video! Regarding the question about crowds... I've always felt like places deep in the woods are ruined by large crowds, but then other places (like certain hikes I've done in Yosemite) ironically I thought were made better by having a few other people to share the experience with, have conversations with, get recommendations from. Of course, when there's so many people you can't move or park... that's never fun.

[@bruceevans8837]

The older you get, the more you will recognize that less is more. Particularly where population density is concerned.

[@mossypants7983]

I love that area, and it’s definitely more enjoyable in the off season with less crowds. I liked the video, but you only touched on a very few of the sights to see. The drives on the Avenue of the Giants and Howland Hill Road are so amazing. The place where the Paul Bunyan is has an incredible Native American museum inside. Looking forward to your travels in Oregon.

[@SUVRVing]

Yep, can't cover everything in one video! Thanks for watching.

[@DonGuldner]

Those hikes looked magical. I’m on the east coast. I’ll likely never get to experience those redwoods. So I’ll just enjoy them with my cup of coffee and bagel. Thanks for sharing your adventures.

[@donaldwhitehurst807]

I couldn’t tell whether you went inside the “Trees of Mystery “ spot, it is sure worth it. There is a nice trail through redwoods and also a gondola ride up the mountain. Inside the novelty store in the back there is a separate museum of Native American clothing and artifacts. I was really impressed with the collection.

[@bythesea550]

Surprised he didn’t do the hike there. So much fun! The masks on Paul Buyan and Blue (the ox) is California politic stuff 😖

[@SUVRVing]

Nope, I didn't go in. Maybe on a future visit. Thanks Donald!

[@barbarootoo]

True, looks like a tourist trap from the outside but it's a nice trail with great views from the top of the mountain

[@jamesrichardson1326]

The Pacific Ocean is amazing.

[@christen5042]

Crowd level is huge.I’d rather go in crappy weather than to deal with people.

[@SUVRVing]

Same here!

[@stevenrldenault7451]

I’m not into crowds at all when in nature. I too go early or deeper in to avoid people. A few others to share a small lake or forest area is fine. I was raised in the northern wilderness near Kipawa Quebec so very spoiled when it comes to having the forest to myself. Tristan, did you not stay long on the coast because there are many free campsites?

[@standraiveyjones3670]

When I visited the Redwoods in college I knew there was a GOD!!😉🦋

[@aidenharmston402]

“Return of the Jedi” woods

[@rickyaz8640]

That’s Muir Woods just north of San Francisco. Same kind of trees. Much smaller park

[@christineforro653]

Definitely with you on reverence in nature, love it alone too. Nature is my church👍

[@ratherbfishing455]

My uncle went to school with LBJ. His wife was charming and was one of the first to protect Texas Bluebonnets.

[@turkey4957]

His wife was fantastic, but unfortunately LBJ himself was a documented racist, caught on audio saying the N word many times and was known to be one of the meanest presidents to his staff

[@ratherbfishing455]

@@turkey4957 A lot of people said that word in those days. I hear that word every day at school:(

[@robertphillips93]

Yep, the Redwoods are the new world version of the "forest primeval" . . . as you may know, fire is actually an important part of the life cycle mechanism for Coastal Redwoods. Thanks for the glimpse! P.S. Decades ago there was such high rainfall that it seemed the rivers in the area would flood every year, taking out quaint motels and long stretches of highway.

[@eugenesylvie4164]

You can laid down a somewhat flat rock under the wheel to level up you vehicle.

[@jeffhetherington3703]

I visited the Redwoods during the summer of 2020. It was fun to see your footage. I recognized most of the locations you visited. My girlfriend and I visited midweek in July. The crowds were hectic in the short accessible areas like Big Tree. People were loud and smoking and not fun to be around. As soon as we got on hikes one mile or longer we were the only people and it was pure bliss. Many hikes we would pass one person every hour or so. We asked the park rangers for hike suggestions and every one of them were epic. We will definitely be back for a longer trip so we can thoroughly enjoy the longer hikes. Thanks for your videos!

[@gypsyhobo3958]

There's nothing like the magical feeling of being in the coastal redwoods. That was a really good video, but like the Grand Canyon, the Coastal Redwoods need to be "felt" and smelled and the silence "heard".

[@brucedillinger9448]

Ah, Fern Canyon. Yes, it is one of those places where the "magical feeling" exists yet is difficult to convey in a picture or video.

[@beach3girl459]

Mellow and magical indeed. (filmed November, 2021???) Yikes!

[@davidmckee1277]

Crowd size matters. This past year we have found ourselves re-thinking all of our adventures so that we could avoid crowds. Living in Colorado all my life I am slowly watching it being loved to death. A lot of people have forgotten how to respect the land. Thank you for your videos

[@AaronBond007]

These are some of my favorite places to visit... I'm a mountain person as well, but i do love the ocean.... The fewer the people, the better... Been there several times over the past decade and theres never been many people there... Except the jedadiah trail... That place was like a freeway last time I visited... Thanks for sharing...

[@kahisawheel]

10:55 -ish is just such a beautiful scene.

[@lisamarie1280]

Thank you for another lovely adventure. I do enjoy solitude and quiet on hike, but I am more often than not on my own, so I tend to worry about wild animals, rapists, murderers. I like to see people intermittently along the way so I feel a little safer.

[@wimm0926]

I'm a bit selfish when in parks or just out. I like to have the area to myself. I will share but ......

[@suzettecalleja3122]

I'm with you, the less people the better I enjoy a place, unless it's Disneyland.

[@brothrber1]

Definitely hope everyone else stays home when I go places like these! 😂

[@caraoosterhouse7348]

I hate crowds. Like you, I go really early or travel in the shoulder seasons to avoid people.

[@Mr21011952]

When we did our adventure we were alone in Northern California and enjoyed it very much. We also went south and found more people at the sites and it didn't seem as magical. Thanks for sharing

[@bevliechty1161]

You have such a sharp clear voice thank you for your excitment

[@Humboldtcraftworks]

That's my backyard if you get a chance you should head up to Stout grove In Crescent City On The Smith River Way More Beautiful And Even less People

[@SUVRVing]

Stout Grove is literally in this video 😂

[@billbaker4970]

really enjoy all your videos love coming along on your trips.

[@isitsustainable]

Agree on crowd level importance! Its hard to enjoy a place with hundreds of other people. Last summer we went to Crater lake and it was too much. We left it immediately for less popular place.

[@SUVRVing]

Yeah, the national parks can be a real zoo, for sure! Thanks for watching.

[@Jismysis]

My god as a woman I would love to just do that ! Alone! Without weapons

[@jeanestravers1865]

I’m a woman living alone in Colorado and I do most of my hiking and traveling alone. I was in northern Cali a year and a half ago, alone and visited the redwoods...reverent is the right word. So quiet, so humbling, you can really feel how tiny and inconsequential you are but also how privileged to be able to enjoy the beautiful wonders of this world!

[@Jismysis]

@@jeanestravers1865 if one has experienced rape one is terrified to be alone in this environment but I want to do I will but I don’t want to carry a gun Jesus

[@Jismysis]

@@jeanestravers1865 I also am a single women living in colorado

[@Barley150]

Yes, like you, I hate seeing and, especially hearing, other people when I'm in an outdoor adventure. Especially families with kids. One or two people is OK -- especially if they're visitors from distant places.

[@timschwarze4842]

I am wondering how you get kids to appreciate nature if you don’t want them out there. Just saying!

[@alineradventureswithsimons79]

So beautiful! As much as I'd prefer no crowds, I am limited in the time I have to explore. I have to see things while I can.

[@SUVRVing]

It's definitely better to see them with crowds than not at all! Thanks for watching.

[@ReeWrayOutdoors]

Agreed. Crowd level is definitely a huge turn-off for me. Alot of the scenery in this video is very similar to Muir Woods, just north of San Francisco. But man, every time I've been there, I can barely even find a place to park it's so overrun with people. Still a magical experience to walk among the coastal redwoods, but all the more if you can manage to experience it in relative solitude!

[@SUVRVing]

Muir Woods is a great place, but you're not kidding about it being hard to find parking!

[@in-cite]

Thanks for another great show! Loved the trees and ocean. Good to see some hills on the rugged coastline too. My wife and I hate crowds too. Love your show!

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks Kelsey (and wife 😁)!

[@clammi]

What a great Vid with some really awesome views, Wish i could check it out.

[@SUVRVing]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@WayOffTheTrail]

Love the redwoods and yeah, they are best appreciated in silence. I avoid touristy spots like the plague, usually, but lately I've realized that I'm missing out. If I do visit them, it's never on the weekends for sure.

[@coolgrandma4952]

It’s best if its not crowded, but like you said you could be missing out on a lot of beauty. I’m usually so wrapped up in the surrounding beauty that I don’t notice the crowd as much. Better enjoy it because you may not have the opportunity to see it again.

[@kimprocarione5473]

Hey! My neck of the woods! It is magical around here! So glad you've been here! I live down in Arcata 😁 One of my all-time favorite adventures was on that spit of land you pointed out from the Klamath Overlook! The salmon run in August! I felt like I was living an episode of Wild Kingdom! I was going to describe it but it would take too long! It was absolutely incredible! And for it to be my #1 favorite is saying a lot! It even beats out my scuba diving experiences!

[@davidcrumpler5714]

100% on the crowds. Lots of times we go to the desert in the middle of summer. Even though it’s hot, no crowds.

[@SUVRVing]

Same here! It's worth it. Thanks David.

[@glennk.7348]

That looks like scenes from Jurassic Park…. Oh you just said they filmed here!!! 😃 the stegosaurus scene!!

[@SILSAL67]

DEFINITELY enjoy these trails, hikes when I'm alone! Understandably, a different experience....a better experience.

[@eagleteam6]

Tristan, what app do you use to measure distance, elevation and gain? Also, I really enjoy your videos. Please keep them coming. 👍

[@PreventiveCarnivore]

One thing, Tristan, about living at the coast, rarely does weather just sit and stay. Don't like rain? Just wait awhile.

[@maryhull3877]

Beautiful..I need to go back

[@michelleharrell8452]

Some people. Crowds no. Especially children who like to run all over the place. Also people who walk off the trail & abuse the area.

[@nehpetsrellek2750]

Hyperion 380 feet tall. General Sherman 275 feet tall, redwoods.

[@indtexcol]

I dislike crowds. We went to Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, CO last fall and the crowds were awful. It was like going to a concert. It was not like that about 15 years ago.

[@douglansburg4545]

Crowds absolutely ruin the experience, I avoid national parks, and prefer national forests, blm,ect

[@michaeltichonuk2176]

Herds have a HUGE influence in my choices. Period. I enjoy people, just not herds. Noise and smells....too much white noise... Yeah...Magical indeed! Wow! Your timing was pretty spectacular! Well done and Outstanding presentation!

[@keithschneider6584]

Enjoying the place and the feelings of sacred are different events., bare naked awareness of of our smallness in the face of the mystery of life is only possible in solitude.

[@farrendavis4143]

ABSOLUTELY REVERENT AREA! Prefer less LOUD visitors! Beautiful video! Would like to live on the coast only if I was in Idaho! Love this conservative state! Safe travels back home!

[@tonychasteen7512]

Redwood trees have shallow root systems, and can be damaged by people walking on them. Thank you so much for all the great videos.

[@justherb666]

Some places are worth the crowds...Zion, Yosemite, Grand Canyon etc., but nothing beats having a beautiful spot to yourself.

[@johnhaug1747]

General Sherman Tree is at the north end of Giant Forest. The General Sherman Tree is the world's largest tree, measured by volume. It stands 275 feet (83 m) tall, and is over 36 feet (11 m) in diameter at the base. Sequoia trunks remain wide high up.

[@gracecallowayable]

Wow!!! Breathtakingly beautiful!!!👠🚌👠

[@sandyplummer8740]

I visited those forests November 2019 and had the same feeling....magical. Have you visited Otter Point in Oregon? Spectacular views. I'm not a crowd person and enjoyed the solitude as well.

[@cindynichols27]

Oh yeah. It most definitely matters to me how many people are around when I camp. I hate the crowds in major parks, and I really, truly hate camping right next to others. It matters to me less than when I was very young, because, at 66 and usually solo, I feel a bit better knowing that at least some people are in the vicinity. But I still don't want them real close by. The solitude is THE THING. Or a big part of the thing. I went to school at Humboldt State in Arcata, and omg do I miss the Redwoods 😩

[@ritagibbons5251]

I enjoy having places to myself. I don't enjoy crowds.

[@reggiebald2830]

1st; Welcome! So glad you visited so close to my homestead (95437)! The good lord & we are on a lend/lease from the Pomo Tribe Indians, as I serendipitously took your retirement suggestion quite seriously a couple years ago and live a mile inland, a couple hundred miles south of Fern Canyon in a slightly smaller grove of majestic redwoods! You really should bring Cassie; especially if she's never seen them (redwoods). 2nd; Crowds? No. Especially since Covid. Just rather not go. Thanks!

[@deatraparks4739]

enjoyed the veiw in this--thank you---i should have commented sooner---take care---deatra