PlanetWare.com (California Reporting)

My 2019 reporting trip to California for PlanetWare.com was one of the most challenging assignments I ever processed. I had approximately 50 titles to report on, and I budgeted about ten weeks for travel.

I never stayed the night in a single place for more than three days within those ten weeks of travel. I visited countless coffee shops & libraries, rode miles of public transportation, and saw lots of incredible landscapes and cities. I also had one car break down.

My journey started in the Grand Canyon, making the drive overnight from Montana to secure a permit to hike the canyon’s interior from rim-to-rim. This Arizona excursion was for a separate PlanetWare assignment (see below), and honestly, an excellent excuse to go re-visit one of my favorite national parks in the country.

From the Grand Canyon, I popped over to Joshua Tree National Park and started heading north. From city to city and park to park, I slowly made my way across the entire state with a camera in hand.

My California travels were well rewarded in many ways. It’s the assignment I look back on the assignment now as my first official entry into full-time freelance writing. And while I haven’t had to find part-time employment since, I still find myself busier than ever devoted to making this writing world work.

Check out just a few highlights from my California reporting:

12 Best National Parks in California

12 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Big Sur, CA

13 Top-Rated Hiking Trails near San Francisco, CA

12 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Huntington Beach, CA

12 Top-Rated Hiking Trails near Santa Cruz

And here’s a complete list of California articles I traveled for, wrote upon, and published with PlanetWare.com :