TURAS GIRLS

Stefanie and I met in 2009 and we became fast friends. We bonded over similar interests and a similar heartache that our families lived so far away. We both moved to Tacoma, WA for jobs as Perfusionists and fell in love with the area. Stef is a West Coast convert from Syracuse, NY and I’m a mountain girl from Colorado.

We both love the outdoors and being active, and began our friendship training for a half marathon and trying a few wet backpacking trips during the wettest months in Washington. Suffice to say we haven’t been backpacking again in the Pacific Northwet…I mean Northwest.

In September of 2010 we had the idea to drive down the coast of California to Disneyland to run the Disneyland Half Marathon, camping and hiking along the way. Because of the lack of vacation time, we opted to rent a car and fly back. We began our trip with one long drive in our rented Kia Soul from Tacoma, WA to the redwoods of Crescent City, CA. We got to the campground after dark and set-up camp in the pitch black of night with headlights on.

Through the giants of the Redwoods, to the beautiful coastal cliffs of Mendocino and over the hills to Napa we went.  Mandavi, Sterling, and Cakebread were all detours along the way.  Which explains our stop for the night at the KOA in Petaluma, CA. 

Next up….San Francisco, a classic must-see. The Golden Gate bridge, stinky Sea Lions, sourdough bread, and Ghiradelli chocolate were not to be missed! 

From San Francisco to Big Sur was a beautiful part of the drive. I don’t think I would ever tire of seeing those rugged cliffs and choppy waves.  I, however, could do without the terrifying turns and drop-offs of Highway 1. We were clenching in a little Kia Soul so I can’t imagine the drive in the several hundred RV’s we passed along the way. 

By the time we camped in Big Sur, we had our routine down and would make breakfast (often pancakes), pack-up, and be on the road before most people had downed their first dose of caffeine. We weren’t in a rush, but there were places to go and things to see.

We continued on to the hills of Santa Barbara and hit the traffic of Los Angeles far before any sign of the city. We enjoyed seeing all the fancy cars and houses as we crawled through traffic in Malibu and Santa Monica. 

We finally ended our trek down the coast in Anaheim the night before the race. We got our race bibs, grabbed a pizza, and checked into our Disneyland hotel. I love camping, but after a week of  ground tent sleeping, a warm, soft bed is a welcome sight. 

The race was a blast! If you love Disney characters, this is the race for you. We took pictures with several of them and celebrated every mile. We ended the day at Disneyland to cap off our amazing journey!

This may not seem like a long journey or even really that adventurous, but this trip cemented our sisterhood and was just the beginning. Along the way we had some mishaps but a lot of laughs. We learned a lot about each other and began to plan our next adventures!

In October of 2017, many of the areas in California we had the privilege of seeing were victim to wildfires and mudslides that devastated the area and the people living there. The relief efforts in California are on-going. If you would like to donate to these relief efforts, please follow the link below to The American Red Cross.

https://www.redcross.org/