Escape the Crowds at Lake Tahoe (or any tourist spot) by Trail!

Hey everyone, this is my first Steemit post! I hope that you like it! All constructive criticism is welcomed.

I recently spend 3 weeks travelling California by camper-van. I spend the first few days of the trip in Los Angeles as it was the cheapest place to fly into. Although I had a few good hikes in LA, the hustle and bustle mentality of LA is what I was trying to escape. I hit the road searching for solitude in the form of peaceful trails to hike and bike.

California is vast and beautiful. It's easy to find your own private beach, claim your spot and never leave. Head inland to find beautiful mountain ranges, towering tree's and mystical valleys. What I did notice at these inland destinations however, is that these spots had become monetized and gentrified. Essentially, these beautiful locations had become tourist attractions. I don't mean to insult anyone who enjoys seeing nature in this type of situation, but I know that it's not my style.

Last year during a trip to the Grand Canyon, I learned how to avoid the meandering gaggle of tourists. This technique can be applied to any popular outdoor attraction. What was the technique I applied at the Grand Canyon? Well... it was to actually walk into the Grand Canyon. That is to say, my girlfriend and I spent the better part of my day walking down the Bright Angel Trail descending into the Grand Canyon. Guess what? It was the most beautiful trail I had ever hiked... and it was also deserted. I felt like we had the Grand Canyon to ourselves. It was fantastic. Since then, I have applied the same technique in Banff, Sedona, Yosemite, Mount Washington and most recently Lake Tahoe. Hiking never fails to provide the solitude that I seek. Furthermore, my photographs have improved drastically.

I have been creating trail review videos all summer. Since I got away from the beaten path, I was able to take my time and create this video at Lake Tahoe.

I really believe that I couldn't have made this video from a boardwalk or gated lookout. Rather than being told where to look, I prefer to take a look for myself. I hope this encourages everyone to think differently on their next journey. Some of my best memories involve rounding a bend to reveal a beautiful mountain vista, or the view from a top of a mountain which I reached by my own power of will.

Anyway,

Peace and Happy Trails!