This summer my brother Anton executed a solo crosscountry road trip from Florida to California, and back again. After seeing all the photos and video footage he collected, I’m super jealous (dude, take me with you next time!). Instead of regaling you with accounts of his national park travels, you can watch the fun 3-minute video that he edited for us (so you and I can be jealous together).

Footage locations:

• Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, USA
• Sequoia National Park, California, USA
• Yosemite National Park, California, USA
• Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA
• Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA
• Olympic National Park, Washington, USA

The Tokopah Falls Swimming Story:

Anton visited many waterfalls in the Sequoia National Park, one of which was Tokopah Falls. Tokopah is a solid, scenic rock formation down which rushes a band of white water. Vistors can walk right up to it. At the bottom where the white water ends, the falls pools among the rocks several times as it continues downstream.

Satisfied with the video and pictures he’d taken of the area, Anton relaxed with his legs dangling over the first pool, with a ball cap on his head and a red Lifeguard towel across his shoulders to fend off a sunburn. Overtime people went swimming in the first pool. And the second pool. And Anton simply chilled and enjoyed the scenery.

When it came time to leave, he got up and collected his things. On his way down the rocks a couple of guys asked him if he was the falls lifeguard.

Anton frowned. “Uh… no.”

It turns out that people had seen his red lifeguard towel, noted his station at the edge of the largest pool, and assumed it was a supervised swimming area — and decided to go swimming.