A Smooth Flight, a Lost Bag, and the Coziest Campsite Arrival

Flying on an airplane is part of the whole experience for me in a vacation of any kind. Whether it’s taking us to a new adventure in the wilderness or just to a city to chill for a weekend, I feel like it begins as soon as we start on the drive to get there. Everything is ready, *finally,* and all there is left to do is park the vehicle, check our bags, and head to the gate. Let’s get into the first day of travel on our excursion to Mt. Whitney. Whoop whoop!

Campsite view — The beautiful view from our first campsite! (Read on to find out where it was!)

Parking at Pittsburgh International Airport

Once we parked (choosing the Long Term Lot option for ease of arrival and departure), we grabbed our bags and headed to the extra long set of people walkers that sits next to the Pittsburgh International Airport parking lot options. I think these are so fun, because I’m a giant nerd. But of course we don’t stand still on them because the hubs *does not* have a slow gear. 🙂

I usually have to hand off the smaller checked luggage so I can book it a little quicker, which always reminds me that I probably *do not* need this extra piece of luggage…nevertheless, we make our way from there to print what’s needed from the kiosks and drop our bags at the counter. I think it’s great they have the kiosks to help move things along, and if you don’t need to check your bags it’s awesome to be able to just print and go. (We’ve only got to do this once, but it was such a breeze compared to lugging the big bags around!)

If you’re wondering what kind of options the PIT Airport offers for parking, I’ve listed them below:

Pittsburgh Airport Parking Options

Extended Shuttle Lot
Economy Lot
Long Term Lot
Short Term (Garage)
PIT Executive Parking

You could also visit this link to enter the dates you need parking for and it’ll provide you with options and prices for your time away. For reference, our trip was about 10 days, and cost us $190 in total in the Long Term Lot.

Now of course you can hitch a ride from a friend or family member, or even use one of the ride share options like Uber or Lyft. We’ve done all of these in the past, but find that it’s much easier to park in the Long Term Lot and make our way to the gate from there on our own time. (It also makes for easy departure from the airport since we can just head straight to our vehicle when we’re ready and don’t have to wait on traffic forming in front of the pickup area).

If we do opt for a ride share company, we prefer Uber and have had great experiences with them. If you’re new to the Ube-izzle fam, enter the code 👉 14sb2yn6qkru during sign-up to score 50% off 2 trips.

Do you have a favorite option? Which of these works best for you? Or maybe your local airport has different options altogether, let me hear about them when you have time. 🫶👇

Uncomfortable seats at Pittsburgh International Airport — Ahh…the best seats in the house! Jk. These are never comfortable but I do take comfort in the fact that it means we’re one step closer to our flight! ✈️

Flying With United For The First Time

So let’s talk briefly about airlines. Your favorite, my favorite, our favorite? 🤷‍♀️
Typically we fly with Southwest, and it’s absolutely been great the last several years we’ve been flying with them. Unfortunately the time slot we needed for our trip in didn’t work with them so we went with flying United Airlines instead. ✈️

I’ll share more about our (less than ideal) time on the flight back with Southwest once we get to that part of the trip, but for now, let me tell you how our experience flying with a new to us airline was.

We’ve flown with others as well, such as Spirit and American. But for our first trip with United, I have no complaints. The whole process was pretty simple, checking in was just as easy, and I like how you didn’t even have the option of printing out your boarding pass, it was solely on your phone.

Maybe you’ll disagree that this is a good part, but I loved the feeling of not needing to worry about dropping mine (have you seen how many end up on the floor?!) or fussing with it since I already have enough stress taking my ID in and out of my wallet so many times without dropping it or setting it down somewhere or losing it…(I did actually pack it once INSIDE of my extra purse which was inside my checked luggage, which resulted in an extra screening and a whole lot of stress, so, keep it in your hand at all times folks!)

Needless to say by this point, I have no extra purses, and a wallet specifically for flying with only my ID and necessary cards. 🙄

And what if your party needs the pass? No problem, United lets you share it with them (as long as they have the app) so they can have it, too. What I also loved about their experience was the way they handled problems…

Flying with United Airlines App — A screen shot of what the app looks like on the iPhone✨📱

No Bag Left Behind

For the first time ever, one of our checked bags was left behind. Which means it would be arriving on a separate airplane altogether. Boo to that, right? Luckily, we had to stop a few places in Fresno anyway, and by the time we were done it was at the airport ready for pickup on the way back past. 💪

They handled that situation and the gate change sitch super smoothly. When we got off of our first plane and headed to the second for the layover, the gate was changed to the furthest possible one. 🤦‍♀️ We seriously booked it at warp speed and made it just as the last group was boarding, but they were awesome enough to keep communication coming the whole time via text letting us know which group was in line and making sure we felt assured we wouldn’t be left behind.

Lesson learned! Always opt for the furthest seats to the front when needing to make it in time for a layover flight.

Props United, thanks for a stellar first experience. 🙌

Whitney Mountains Hike view from Plane — Each time I pass the mountains I think about which one we’ll be climbing next. The Whitney post is upon us! Subscribe to stay tuned! 🏔️

Quick Fresno Stop for Supplies and a Lazy Dog Feast!

So as previously mentioned, we stopped to shop for some groceries for the camping trips, (only buying one night at a time this go around instead of the whole weeks worth, which was definitely a winning decision). Sprouts was perfect for what we needed, and it was also right beside the Dollar Tree and Ross where we grabbed some last minute items such as extra TP, paper towels, and a car charger.

We chose a new spot for lunch (which we usually try to do when coming into a new town), and this one *did not* disappoint. Apparently it’s a chain restaurant? 🤔

So the Lazy Dog Restaurant is actually 53 locations strong! And I can see why. This meal was one of the best ones on the trip, with a free appetizer, lightning fast service, and delicious food, we will definitely be back when we see another. Thank you Lazy Dog peeps in Fresno for a freaking awesome lunch!! 🥳

After we picked up the missing luggage, filled our stomachs with amazing food and shopped for the essentials, we were finally headed to our first campsite, Big Meadow Campground in the Sequoia National Forest. This campground is located approximately 75 miles east of Fresno, so it took only about an hour and a half to make our way there. The last road that you turn on for it actually takes a while in itself, since it’s tucked back in and a little more secluded than your typical national park campground. (Which we love). 💗

We usually book our site in advance to make sure it’s available when we arrive, and you can do this too on recreation.gov. It was a beautiful location. Quiet, just enough space in between campsites, and none were overly far from a bathroom. (These are pit bathrooms, so make sure you know what those are before expecting something that flushes). 🙂

What is a Pit Bathroom? 👇

A pit bathroom, or pit latrine, consists of a hole dug in the ground (the pit), a concrete slab with a drop hole, and a shelter (outhouse). Waste in the pit is treated through decomposition and by draining into the soil, while the shelter provides privacy. When the pit fills, it needs to be emptied or a new pit dug, and construction must ensure proper distance from water sources to prevent groundwater contamination.

The camp host was super cool, suggesting we check out the rest of the sites in case we saw an open one that was more suitable. I’m so glad she did, because we found one at the very end of the sites that was on the corner and even included some great hammock hanging trees (which somehow we always are lacking with sites).

Using A Bear Box For The First Time

Now, this was our first time using a bear box, so let me go over that experience really quick and provide some things we learned in the process:

Put EVERYTHING you are not sure about INSIDE the bear box. Just do it, don’t question it. The risk will most definitely outweigh the reward. 😅
“Everything” means anything with a scent. That could include the following:
1. Food, obvs.
2. Sunscreen & bug sprays
3. Bug balm & lotions
4. Chapsticks & toothpaste/toothbrush
5. Mints & gum (psst, don’t forget to check those side pockets of your car door). 😉

Make sure your backpack pockets are emptied as well. This is something we forgot a few times and luckily got away with. Now we know to check over the entire car before locking the box, because no thank you, I *do not* prefer bear claws ripping open my car door and suitcases. 🤓

Speaking of those, we invested in some Osprey ones a year or two ago. They have not only been great, but they also have the “All Mighty Guarantee” that will cover any damage by repairing or replacing the item. (And yes, your girl most definitely did look up bear damage, and they got you, boo). 🧸

Bear box with our snacks from REI — The bear box on our campsite, (every site has their own). I was mid-prep for all of the things shown here from the car to keep our snack and food inventory organized. 💪

Check out their full in-depth guarantee if you’re wanting to learn more 👉 Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee
And view their wheeled luggage options here if you’re into seeing what they have! 🧳

Campsite Routine And An Unforgettable Sky

So, after scouring the car for any last minute items we needed for the tent, it was time to test out our new stove from REI! It worked well and although I would have loved to have been able to fit more items at once in our new trusty pan, we were still able to enjoy a full steak dinner with asparagus and roasted potatoes. 🤌

I usually like to start on dinner while he sets up the tent, and then we sort of switch into me setting up the inside of the tent while he double checks the bear box and reads the map and trails for the next day. It’s a good flow we’ve finally gotten down, but don’t let me fool you, it has most certainly taken practice. 🙈 What’s your flow look like? As a couple or solo traveler? 👇

Need snacks for your next hike? Check out 10 REI Trail Snack Favorites for Solo Hikes and Shared Adventures.

Before we turned in for the night, we got a chance to stare up at the night sky that was totally dark and majestically beautiful. Coming from a town not far outside of the city, it’s a treat to see so many stars at once without lights not allowing them to shine through. It’s one of the things we absolutely love about the west, the sky is so much bigger and the stars are so much brighter. It’s truly a sight to see if it’s something you’re not used to. ❤️ ✨

With a creek running nearby and total silence from lack of neighbors, we did a little reading and turned in for the night after a long day of travel and planning. We’ll pick up in the next post with Day 2 where we had the amazing experience of seeing some of the largest trees in the world! 🪾 This will be the post where we cover both Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon, so stay tuned or subscribe to make sure you don’t miss any of the California (and Mt. Whitney) Series!

Catcha later! 🥳🏔️

Little creek by our campsite near Mount Whitney — The little creek right beside our campsite made for a tranquil evening! ✨

Screwdriver in a tree — I also wanted to call out this less than awesome situation. Someone had shoved a screwdriver into one of the campsite’s trees, assumingly to hang a bear bag or other item from it. Unfortunately, screws or nails can damage the tree, making it more susceptible to disease and decay. 😔 Additionally, many regulations prohibit such actions to protect the health of the forest ecosystem. Please do your best to use other avenues to hang your items and utilize the bear box if one is present so we can preserve our forests! 🌲❤️

Thank You For Reading “A Smooth Flight, a Lost Bag, and the Coziest Campsite Arrival”

Flying United Airlines ✈️ for the first time turned out to be an unexpectedly great experience — even with the lost bag adventure. Our campsite couldn’t have been more perfect, and we’re so grateful to have you along for the journey. Thanks for reading, and until next time!