Sunday, August 29, 2010.

Getting back to normal. Yesterday Serry spent a major portion of the day doing wash. I worked outside cleaning up big branches in the backyard from a big storm a couple of weeks ago. And I spent half the day trimming bushes and pulling weeds. It's amazing what two months can do. I had the lawn cut while we were gone, but hasn't been cut in a week or so, and the yard looked like a vacant lot. I'll have the guy cut it once more, and then I'll take over. Then we went to Costco. The excitement keeps on keeping on.

Today I cleaned up the car (which ran flawlessly the whole trip--thank God), and then we went for a bike ride. Like I said: getting back to normal. A couple of things: Although we haven't been away all that long, when we came back Friday, I couldn't immediately remember how I always make salad or where we keep the napkins. And I guess because we left a day after summer began and have returned when it's about over, I kind of feel that we've missed summer. How goofy is that?

Tomorrow we'll probably go to the gym and Serry will get her hair and nails done. Wednesday I'm playing golf, and Thursday the Pedones stop overnight on their way to a wedding in the Carolinas. By the end of the week, it'll be hard to remember that we were ever away. Time to plan a trip somewhere!

Friday, August 27, 2010, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

We explored Pittsburgh today. It's a really neat city, with interesting bridges, old bank buildings from its heyday in the 19th century as an investment center and steel town (Andrew Carnegie was a powerhouse there), and a nice-to-walk-around downtown area. But I have never been more frustrated driving into or out of a city. All of the major roads in and out are torn up. There are detours everywhere, some seem to be contradictory, and, to make matters worse, they appear to have changed all the exit numbers so the GPS is almost worthless. I thought we'd never get out of there. I must have driven through the Pitt Tunnel three times! And did I mention the traffic is horrendous?

But we did get out, and now, 12,349 miles and more than two months later, we're back home from the trip of our lives. More tomorrow.

Thursday, August 26, 2010, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The Great American Road Trip is winding down. We spent most of today at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a terrific place to go. Great exhibits, lots of guitars, and tons of outfits worn by rock stars in their shows. An extensive exhibit on the how R&R started from its roots in country, rhythm and blues, jazz, etc. I was a young kid when R&R started, and I can remember how it took over the airwaves, gradually supplanting almost everything else. There was a TV show called "Your Hit Parade" where singers like Rosemary Clooney sang the top 10 songs on the Billboard chart each week. When they started having to sing songs by Little Richard and Chuck Berry, you knew that show would have to go. If you have a chance, go see the Hall of Fame. You won't have to drive 12,000 miles, like we did.

Tomorrow we're going to explore Pittsburgh, and then...home to Upper Marlboro.

More random thoughts:

• We haven't done laundry since Las Vegas! We brought a lot of clothes with us, but still...
• I packed one suitcase for warm weather places and another one for places I thought might be cold. Somewhere along the line I needed something from the "other" suitcase, some things got mixed together. Now, since I can't remember what suitcase has what, I have to lug them both into the motels with me. Sure, I could rearrange stuff properly but, hey! I'm on vacation.
• We've had great weather. We had a couple of thunderstorms on the Florida Panhandle and someplace else in the South, and it was misting for a little while in Oregon one day, but otherwise it's been beautiful--sunny and warm (except for La Jolla!).
• The parks we visited were beautiful things to behold and each one was unique, even if was part of a genre. That is, each desert park was different from every other desert park, and the same goes for the mountain parks. And Serry and I were very impressed by the quality of the visitor centers and the people who operate them. The rangers were particularly helpful with suggestions about what to do and see in the parks. That was very helpful because, though I've been dreaming for years about visiting these parks, I was too lazy to figure out what to do if I actually got to visit them.
  

Wednesday, August 25, 2010, Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland has turned out to be much nicer than we expected. We got here mid-afternoon and took a walking tour of the city. Beautiful old and new buildings and statues. The downtown area is small enough to be easily walkable, and traffic is pretty light. We walked up to Lake Erie by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and some science and technology museums. Very impressive. We visited The Arcade, the nation's first enclosed shopping center. The stores were closed when we got there, and being empty of people made it even more impressive, sort of like one of those sepia postcards. The long atrium ceiling reminded me of pictures of the main building of the old Chicago World's Fair.

Tomorrow: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Random comments:

• Through the thousands of miles we've driven we've seen very few accidents. We saw a couple of fender-benders in southern Calif., and a couple of scarier-looking ones in one of the mountain parks, Yellowstone, I think. One involved a motorcycle that went off the road on a sharp turn. It was only about 75 yards down the hill, and it didn't look like the riders were seriously hurt, but yikes! The other involved a car that did the same thing. No apparent injuries.
• Because we never knew where we would be much in advance, I was afraid we might have trouble getting lodging, but it never was a problem. Every afternoon about 4 Serry would check the GPS for motels at our expected destination, and then call them on her cell for availability, price, etc. We never had a problem, even near the big national parks. We actually got a place in Grand Canyon NP the day we arrived there. We couldn't get a room in Yellowstone, but we easily got a place less than a mile from the park entrance.
  
• The GPS and cell phones made traveling a breeze. God knows where we'd be now without them. Probably lost somewhere in Death Valley.
• Until the trip, we always figured that gambling was pretty much restricted to Las Vegas and Indian reservations. Boy, were we naive. I guess there aren't too many places to gamble seriously on the east coast, and maybe the mid west, but starting around Texas, I think it was, casinos and slot machines are everywhere!
  

Tuesday, August 24, 2010, Portage, Indiana.

We spent the day in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We walked into the beautiful old Mackie Building in downtown Milwaukee and a cleaning lady invited us to see if the doors to the 2nd floor ballroom were open. They were. Beautiful old paintings, woodwork, atrium ceiling, etc. When we walked out, Serry was taking a picture near a guy standing by his truck smoking a cigarette. The guy asked if we were tourists, and then told us the Mackie Bldg. hosted the stock exchange before Chicago. And it turned out this guy was a carpenter who had worked at restoring some of the fancy old woodwork in the building. He then invited us to go to an old building across the street with a copper staircase he claimed was worth more than the building itself. Beautiful.

From there we went to the Hotel Pfister, which reminded us of the Willard in DC. Very elegant. The concierge said the Pfister has the largest collection of Victorian paintings in the world. He'd still be talking to us if we hadn't had tickets for a boat tour of the rivers that run through Milwaukee.

The tour was fun, though the scenery left a bit to be desired: industrial areas, piles of coal, rail yards, etc. The woman seated in front of us moved to Milwaukee from Rockville, Maryland, 30 years ago.

After that, we started east again, through Chicago. Terrible traffic jams; worse than the Washington Beltway. We're now in Portage for the night. Not someplace to visit, I'm afraid. Tomorrow: Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

More random thoughts:

• We're starting to detect regional accents once more.
• At home, we have the radio on before we leave the garage. At the start of our trip we had it on, too. Somewhere in the South, however, we became so interested in the scenery that we turned the radio off. Now that the scenery is pretty much the same as at home, we turned it back on this morning.
  

Monday, August 23, 2010, Madison, Wisconsin.

On Sunday we went to Mitchell, South Dakota, to see the Corn Palace. The Corn Palace is covered in corn, along with rye milo, oat heads, and sour dock (whatever that is). This year's theme is transportation through the ages, so there are large murals on the building made with corn that depict planes, wagons, cars, motorcycles, etc., etc. It sounds kind of hokey--and it is--but it's also extremely well done and quite stunning. Google it and you'll see what I mean. It was started in the 1880s by the townspeople to help boost Mitchell, and it's been famous ever since. Every year the old designs are stripped off and new designs are done. The town has quite a festival doing it. We missed it by a week. There are corn murals inside the building, but because they're not exposed to the elements, they have to be changed only every 15 years. Inside the building is an arena that hosts big-name entertainment, basketball games, proms, and who knows what else. Don't miss it on your trip to South Dakota. We overnighted in Albert Lea, Minnesota.

This morning, in Albert Lea, we walked along one of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes, then headed to Austin, MN, to the SPAM Museum. Another great spot. Everybody makes fun of SPAM (and Hormel acknowledges that), but it's a hugely successful product all over the world. They make 21,000 cans of the stuff every hour to keep up with demand. During WWII, Hormel supplied SPAM to the troops in such quantities that they ate it for virtually every meal. So they started to make fun of its ubiquity. And it's been the butt of jokes ever since. But people keep eating it. We watched a video of a Korean chef using it in a recipe with kimchee. A very sophisticated, fun museum.

We're now in Madison, Wisconsin. On the way, we rode along the Mississippi River and watched some boats go through one of the locks. Very cool. Tomorrow we head for Milwaukee to walk in the footsteps of Laverne and Shirley.

I have been thinking that I would share some random impressions of the trip on this blog after I get home, but I know I'll forget them by then, or simply be too lazy to post them. So I'll start now, as I think of them. In no particular order or level of importance:

• We continue to meet people with connections to where we live. I mentioned the guy in Montana (or was it Wyoming?) with the Upper Marlboro t-shirt. The clerk in the SPAM Museum who was born in DC and lived in Bowie. The guy in the hunting equipment store in Montana whose daughter lives in Annapolis. And many more examples.
• Somewhere in east Texas we began to see huge hay farms. Huge stocks of it piled neatly in shed-like enclosures. Lots of hay throughout the Southwest, up the Pacific coast, through Washington, Montana, Wyoming, and most of South Dakota. It wasn't until we reached eastern SD that we started to see corn. Now, in Wisconsin, we see corn everywhere. But it doesn't compare to the hay we've seen.
• The thickest regional accent we heard was in Mobile, AL. But after that they pretty much disappeared.
• At the end of the day, it's easier to drive east than it is to drive west. Then sun is a killer when you're coming down a mountain and you're blinded at every hairpin turn.
• Gas is considerably more expensive in California and the Northwest than it is in the rest of the country.

Saturday, August 21, 2010, Murdo, South Dakota.

This morning, after some necessary shopping (sunblock, soda) we drove to the famous Wall Drug in Wall, SD. I've been reading about this place for years in motorcycle magazines. It really is something. Like South of the Border, signs announce it before you arrive. Lots of signs; a sign every 100 yards or so, for 10 miles! Unlike S of the B, it's very well done. They sell absolutely everything: food, clothing, souvenirs. They have thousands of photographs of the family, important politicians, old-time western stuff, etc. It's a tour bus stop, etc., etc.

After Wall we went to Badlands National Park. This is one of the most interesting places we've visited. The bare cliffs and towering spires and pinnacles look like a moonscape. Serry thinks they look like cities and buildings. Not to be missed if you're out this way.

Tomorrow, the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. Then, who knows?

Friday, August 20, 2010, Rapid City, South Dakota.

First stop Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Deadwood to view the graves of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, who is buried next to Bill. There's a question as to how close they were. Apparently, she claimed they were lovers, but other accounts say they barely knew each other. At any rate, she died long after Bill and got to choose her burial spot. He had nothing to say about it.

After Deadwood we drove to Mt. Rushmore. I used to think I had chiseled features, but those guys take the cake. The really interesting thing about being at Mt. Rushmore is being able to see in person something we've been seeing for years in pictures. After Rushmore we went to see the nearby Crazy Horse Memorial. For years, a private individual has been carving the figure of Crazy Horse in a mountainside. I believe the idea is to picture Crazy Horse on a horse. So far, he's just got the Indian's head done. The sculptor makes a point of saying he hasn't accepted any state or federal funds for his project, but I doubt that any have been offered. Anyway, when we drove up to the entrance, we learned the admission was $10 per person! Even Kenneth The Profligate has to draw the line somewhere, so I politely declined to enter. Besides, you can see what's been done from the road. Impressive, I guess, but not worth $20.

After that, we entered Custer State Park to ride the Needles Scenic Road and to see the bison herds. The needles are towering rock spires that crowd the road so closely that in some cases only one car can get by at a time. Another one of those scenic wonders you have to see to appreciate. But the ride through them is kind of brief. We had time to oooh, but not aaah. We did see lots of bison walking along the road blocking traffic, but we're kind of jaded seeing bison meandering on the roads; we want to see them fight, or charge a car, or be attacked by bears. C'mon, we drove across the country for this!

For dinner tonight we had Mongolian barbecue (in Rapid City, SD?). Even Serry liked it. The idea is: you get a bowl, add vegetables, meats, noodles, sauces, etc., then give it to a guy who stir fries it for you. Serry and I are newbies at this, so our bowls were filled, but nothing special. The professionals at this are able to pile bowls a foot high! Again, something you have to see to appreciate.

One more thing: The folks here in the Black Hills are focused on the fact that it's been 1103 days without a temperature of at least 100. They want it to be hotter than it is. Maybe this weekend. Please pray for them.

Tomorrow: Badlands National Park.

Thursday, August 19, 2010, Deadwood, South Dakota.

We spent most of the morning visiting and hiking around Devil's Tower National Monument which, as you all know, is America's first national monument. It's also quite spectacular. We saw a number of climbers struggling up the sheer rock. Looks like fun (yeah, right). Saw our first prairie dog colony on the way to the tower. Serry took 300 pictures of them, even though they all look exactly alike.

After the tower, we drove to Sturgis, South Dakota, home of the annual Black Hills Motorcycle Rally. We missed the rally by less than a week, when there were about 8000,000 riders (mostly Harley) there. Sturgis has now returned to its virtual ghost town state; just a few Harley guys riding around and a bunch of t-shirt vendors trying to unload millions of shirts. We had lunch in the huge, but largely empty Loud American Cafe.

Having watched and greatly enjoyed the HBO series, we then went down the road to Deadwood, where we strolled around the town and watched a re-enactment of the murder of Wild Bill Hickok and the capture of his killer. A little hokey but also fun. Lots of Harleys rumbling by, and lots of casinos. In fact, every restaurant was also a casino. Our hotel has a casino. The church probably has one. Also lots of tacky t-shirt/souvenir shops. Still, the town is kind of neat...for a day. Tomorrow we head to Mount Rushmore.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010, Sundance, Wyoming (where the Sundance Kid got his moniker).

So this morning we're at the Little Bighorn Battlefield Monument in Montana listening to a Park Ranger presentation and I notice the T-shirt of the guy in front of me. It's from the 1st Annual Vintage Car Show at the First Baptist Church of Upper Marlboro! His daughter lives in the area and teaches school in Annapolis. Small world.

We intended to stay only briefly at the battlefield, but got caught up in it and spent half the day. I asked a ranger why the battle became so famous, and he said it was simply because Custer was famous from the Civil War. Turns out he was a genuine hero in the war. Virtually alone among general officers, he actually led his men in their charges. He had eleven horses shot out from under him and never suffered a scratch. As to how Custer has been portrayed since, the ranger said it seems to depend on the nation's mood and politics. In 1942, when we were engaged in WWII, Errol Flynn portrayed Custer as a brave, dashing hero valiantly resisting the bloodthirsty savages. In 1971, during the unpopular Vietnam War, Little Big Man portrayed Custer as a vain, blustering idiot, and the Indians as noble savages.

After the battlefield, we headed across Montana and into Wyoming. It's hard to describe the beauty of the countryside we've been driving through--seemingly endless grasslands, unusual (for us) rock formations, etc. Neato!, is the word that comes to my mind.

We're now in Sundance, WY. I've just finished eating a chimighanga made not with a tortilla, but with sweetened pie dough! What were they thinking?

In case you find yourself on Jeopardy! : In 1887 Harry Longabaugh was convicted of horse theft and sentenced to 18 months in the Sundance, WY, jail. That's how he became The Sundance Kid. After jail he met fellow outlaw Butch Cassidy, and he and Butch embarked on a successful movie career. Is this a great country, or what?

Tomorrow we're off to see the Devil's Tower National Monument.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010, Hardin, Montana.

On our way east today, we took the northeast exit of Yellowstone NP and drove into Montana on the Beartooth All-American Road. CBS's Charles Kuralt calls it the most beautiful road in America, and he's probably right. Beartooth Pass is about 11,000 feet high, and the road up and down is one 15 MPH switchback after another. And the view from the road (when I wasn't too terrified to look) is simply breathtaking-- the Beartooth Range is home to 20 mountain peaks over 12,000 feet and 10,000 mountain lakes. Amazing.

After leaving the mountains we drove across miles and miles of as-far-as-the-eye-can-see tan fields and bluffs (I think you call them--sort of smallish hills). We're now in Hardin, not far from the Little Big Horn Battlefield. We'll visit there tomorrow before heading on toward Rushmore.

On the way out of Yellowstone we stopped in Cooke City, now famous for the bear attacks about
2 weeks ago, remember Mama Bear was euthanized and her 3 cubs are being placed. A real cute old time authentic western town with down home people. Another great stop.

Monday, August 16, 2010.

Today was spent driving to and from the Grand Tetons. It takes about 4 hours each way, with stops for letting bison clog the road. Bison are kind of fun to watch. Cattle just stand there and eat. Sometimes they lie down. Bison are busy things. Running after each other, scratching their heads against the trees, kicking up dirt to wallow in, etc. Oh, and walking slowly in front of your car. Saw lots of elk today, too.

We visited Jackson Hole, WY, a touristy western town just south of the Tetons. Kind of a neat place. A real mecca for skiers in the winter.

The Tetons are something to see. As you know, they have no foothills; they just rise abruptly from the plains. Very impressive. And beautiful, clear weather kept them visible.

I've been hearing horror stories for years about how crowded Yellowstone is: long snaking lines of cars, nowhere to park, etc., etc. We didn't find it that way at all. I think people with campers sometimes have trouble getting a campsite, but we weren't camping, so it wasn't an issue for us. There were certainly lots of people in the park, but we didn't have any trouble with driving, parking, finding something to eat, or anything else. Even the Old Faithful area was a breeze; zillions of people, but plenty of parking, food, etc. The whole Yellowstone experience has been very enjoyable. Tomorrow: east towards Mount Rushmore.

Sunday, August 15, 2010.

We spent most of the day visiting the fantastic hot springs Yellowstone has to offer, including Old Faithful. These things are so unusual they're surreal. When the first explorers brought back word of these things, people thought they were making them up. It wasn't until Congress accepted their reality that Yellowstone was made the first national park.

Lots of animals today. First up was a grizzly bear ripping apart rotten logs for the tasty insects inside. Next a small herd of elk. They were feeding on the opposite side of the river we (and lots of other people) were standing on to take their pictures. Suddenly the herd entered the river with the clear intent of crossing to our side. But there were so many people standing where they wanted to cross that the elk finally turned back to their side. And lots of bison. They like to walk on the roads and block the cars. Naturally, we don't care, it gives us more photo opportunities.

We got back to our motel after most of the restaurants were closed, so I dined on beer and beef jerky (just like a cowboy, right?)., and Serry had crackers with peanut butter and jelly.

One more full day in the park.

Saturday, August 14, 2010. Gardiner, Mont., at the entrance to Yellowstone National Park.

Our plan on Friday morning was to rent bikes and ride along a branch of the Columbia River in Missoula. Unfortunately, it was raining, so we canceled that, did a little shopping, took a short hike by the river (the rain had stopped by then), and headed east. We stopped at Butte, which as you all know, was a major mining area at the turn of the last century. The visitors' center has a map of the thousands of mine shafts under Butte. It's amazing the city hasn't collapsed. We're now in Gardiner, Mont., a little western/touristy town on the edge of Yellowstone NP. We're spending three nights here to make sure we see everything.

When I was in the sixth grade, my teacher had traveled to Yellowstone during the summer, and she regaled us with stories of the park's wonders. Ever since then I've wanted to see it. It took me 58 years, but I finally made it! And it's everything I thought it would be.

One of the nice things is that, although the park is very large, the part where visitors go the see the famous sights is not so large that it takes hours to get to them (like Yosemite). Serry and I drove the Canyon Loop today, stopping at various sights, including the Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone [River]. Nothing as huge as the Grand Canyon, but impressive anyway. A couple of terrific waterfalls, deep gorges, nice trails, etc. On the way to the canyon, we were stopped by a traffic jam. It turned out there was a huge male bison walking slowly down the middle of the road in the other direction. He must have passed within three feet of my window. The way he was walking reminded me of those inner-city kids who walk slowly across traffic to force it to slow down. In addition to lots of bison, we saw some deer, a pronghorn antelope, and a couple of coyotes. No bears yet. Maybe if I cover Serry with honey.
I almost forgot: A couple of years ago, Serry and I were on the road somewhere, and a flat-bed trailer truck went by the other way holding what I was sure was a giant statue of that famous photo of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square at the end of World War II. I Googled it but couldn't find anything about such a statue. Lo and behold, a couple of days ago as we were getting dressed, I turned on the Today Show and there in Times Square, having just been unveiled, was the statue I saw on the truck. How cool is that?

This has been such a wonderful trip for Ken, he is finally doing what he has talked about for so long, and it has been a real adventure for both of us, and it's not over yet.
The ranger told us it was mating season and we might see some bulls fighting over cows, but we did not. What we saw was 6 bison cross the road, to another field and down to the river, walked across the river where they were met by a huge bull. I thought now we might see the fight, but instead, the bull sniffed each one, and I assume recognized them or felt no threat and they all went off and grazed on higher ground. It was very cool.

I also hope we see some bears, but on my terms, from the car and not while hiking.

Thursday, August 12, 2010, Missoula, Montana.

When I was 14, my first girlfriend went to Missoula for a Luther League convention. I thought that sounded pretty exotic, and I never figured I'd someday be here myself. But here I am. It's not exotic, but it is beautiful here in the Montana mountains.

We left Yakima this morning and--finally--got the car washed and vacuumed out. It was starting to look like a family of marmots was living in it (although they'd probably be a lot neater). After that we headed to Montana. I always thought Washington was pretty much all forest, but that seems to mostly be true west of the Cascade Mountains. East of the Cascades it's very open with low, brown tree-less mountains, and, finally, huge farms of hay and vegetables. Apparently, Washington sells most of its hay to Japan. I guess they feed it to Kobe beef.

Along the way, we stopped at a high vista point named the Wild Horse Monument. On a hill overlooking the vista are about 10 flat, steel statues of wild horses. You can walk up the steep hill and touch them, if you're crazy. Otherwise, the overlook looks over (hence the name) the Columbia River and a gorge it runs through. A stunning sight.

Idaho and, so far, Montana look pretty much as I expected--forested and rugged, lots of mountain roads, not many restaurants or gas stations, etc. I've been filling up with gas when I'm at half a tank, cause you never can be sure where the next gas station will be. I'm a little surprised there are no "next gas" signs in the West.

Tomorrow we're planning to ride bikes in Missoula along the Clark Fork River. It's supposed to be flat. But who knows what flat means out here.

Wednesday August 11, 2010, Yakima, Wash.

Today was bittersweet for me. One of our very best friends, Artie, was buried today and we were
not able to attend. I am very grateful we were able to visit them in May, but so sad that I was not able to be there for my dear friend Kathryn. I am happy that our children and daughter in law made the trip to NY for the funeral and I will forever be grateful . Mount Rainer showed its beautiful face today as we drove to the park and that was for Artie.

We left our hotel for Mt. Rainier in sunshine hoping when we got to the mountain it, too, would be in sunshine, and on the way up the mountains the clouds cleared away, and Mt. Rainier showed itself in brilliant sunshine. It's really something to see--snow, glaciers, numerous snow-melt waterfalls, and, looking like tiny specks, climbers on the glaciers. Pretty neat. Serry and I took a 2.5 mile hike up the mountain to the snow line. I'm still out of breath, but Serry could have jogged up. The lower reaches of the mountain are covered with meadows covered with wildflowers. The whole scene is just beautiful. Later in the afternoon we took a hike at a lower altitude through a dark, moss-covered forest. Also beautiful, though very different from the morning hike. Did I mention we saw lots of marmots at the higher elevations? They look kind of like groundhogs, only smaller.

We're now in Yakima, which I guess is a high-desert area--hot and dusty, no more towering evergreens. It looks like there are a number of vegetable-processing factories here. Not really a tourist destination, as far as we can tell.

Our next "scheduled" destination is Yellowstone, but we're concerned about getting there on the weekend, when the crowds will probably be awful, so we may have to go somewhere else first. We could always do a couple of weeks of laundry; that would kill some time. And we could wash and vacuum out the car. That would kill a week right there.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010. Ashford, Wash., near the entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park.

Did I mention we expected gloom on the Oregon coast? We got it on Monday. It was cloudy when we left Eugene, and it remained so all day long. After Eugene we headed north through Salem, then turned west to the coast hoping for clear weather. No dice. Had a nice walk near the ocean in Ft. Stevens State Park, and saw an old shipwreck. Then we headed for Astoria, Wash., where we spent the night. Had dinner in a trendy restaurant at the foot of 4-mile-long Astoria Bridge (which crosses the Columbia River into Washington).

Monday morning we spent several hours at Ft. Clatsop National Park outside of Astoria. Ft. Clatsop was built by Lewis and Clark at the western end of their Voyage of Discovery. They spent three months there and reported that it rained all but 12 days! Serry and I were the only ones at the park when we arrived, and because it's kind of small and, I thought, not well known, I figured we'd have it pretty much to ourselves. Four hours later, when we left the park, it was so crowded you could hardly move.

After the park we drove across the Astoria Bridge into Washington on our way to Mt. Rainier NP. We're in a lodge just outside the park and will explore the park tomorrow.
We've already been to the Paradise Visitors center, named so, many years ago by a woman who thought it was paradise. From what I've seen I agree. It is a 20 mile drive to the center, the altitude is 5000 ft and the scenery is breathtaking and scary. Tonight we had dinner in a Himalayan restaurant , very good, but we did not see the Nepalese dishes on the menu until after we had ordered. The owner and his wife owned a resort in Nepal and he guided tours in the Himalayas. He is also a part owner of a mountain guide service near Mt.Rainer.

Sunday, August 8, 2010, Eugene, Oregon.

We left Crescent City in considerable fog, but as we drove up US 101 the sun came out, the fog burned off, and the day turned beautiful. We stopped at overlooks and towns along the coast and were treated to spectacular views of the ocean and the craggy boulders scattered near the shore. We were surprised at how beautiful the water color was and how clear it remained. We expected a somber, brooding look along the coast, but instead got spectacular sunshine and color.

After stopping at Oregon Dunes to see the sand dunes (what else?), we headed east toward Eugene, where we're spending the night. (For a change we got to head away from the blinding sun at the end of the day.) Our plan was to go to Portland tomorrow, but now, for the life of us, we can't remember why. Maybe we'll just drive through it and head back to the coast and head north.
Or perhaps I can get Ken to tour Eugene, which has the Univ. of Oregon, with its spectacular buildings and lovely tree lined streets which are fairly car free, thanks to the abundance of
bicycles. The last time I saw so many bikes, bike racks and bike lanes was in Fort Collins when
Michael attended CSU.

I have enjoyed the flowers on the northern coast, many of the same
varieties, but they are huge because of the maritime fog. Gorgeous and the wild sweet peas and
wild poppies, wow! The Oregon dunes are 400 feet tall in places and from the dunes to the beach is about 1 mile.

I am looking forward to trying tuna or salmon jerky!

Saturday, August 7, 2010, Crescent City, Calif., just south of the Oregon coast.

We left Eureka like we found it--damp and foggy. On the way to Redwood NP we stopped at Trinidad, a cute little coast town--it would probably be cuter in sunshine--and walked down a precipitous path to the beach. Just like a postcard of the Northern Calif. coast: big boulders in the water, lots of small fishing boats, people searching in tidal pools...and harbor seals! A beautiful, picturesque spot.

We proceeded to the park, and it too was shrouded in fog. A ranger suggested we take a chance on a scenic drive through the redwoods and farther up the coast, and as we did the fog began to lift. At an 800' scenic overlook near where the Klamath River enters the ocean, we got a beautiful, clear view of the Pacific and the coast. And we saw some whales swimming by! Then we took a nice long hike among the redwoods, and saw some elk in a meadow.

We're spending the night in Crescent City, a quaint-ish fishing village/tourist trap. When we arrived we could see the water from our motel room. When we finished dinner, we could barely find the car in the fog.

Tomorrow we'll start heading up the Oregon coast. We have no specific plans as I write this, but will probably head toward Portland.

Friday August 6, 2010. Eureka, Calif.

Something else I forgot to mention: On our second day in Yosemite we stopped to take a picture or something and a guy went by riding a mule and leading four pack mules. He looked just like a prospector in one of those old Westerns, but another park employee told us he was bringing supplies to the high country, where the roads don't go. How cool is that?

Today was mostly a driving day. We headed northwest and drove through Humbolt Redwood State Park on the Avenue of the Giants. This road winds its way through one of the last remaining stands of old growth redwoods. The trees are huge and the forest is dark and damp. Very impressive. Some interesting facts (as well as I can remember them): The trees we refer to as sequoias and those we call redwoods are both related types of sequoias. The redwood is the world's tallest tree; the tallest resides in Redwood NP at 379 feet. The sequoia is the world's largest living thing by mass. The trunks are immense--much bigger around than the redwoods. A mature sequoia, i.e., a tree about 2000 years old, can have bark almost 3 feet thick. But they're nowhere as tall as redwoods. In fact, many of them look as if their tops were cut off. That's because they experience many fires over the centuries, and the fires damage the trees enough so that they have trouble delivering water to their tops. Hence, the tops die. But the trees don't; they keep growing thicker and thicker. Anyway, if you see the giant sequoias first, as we did, the redwoods don't come across as spectacularly as they could. I think that's because you can't see how tall they are. You'd literally have to lie on your back to look that high up. My neck still hurts.

After that we drove to Eureka, where we're spending the night. We were surprised at the size of Eureka and all the traffic, as we're used to staying in very small, empty places. When the sun is out--it wasn't today, it was very cloudy, cold and damp--Eureka is probably very picturesque. There's a historic downtown with old Victorian buildings, a working fishing fleet, trendy shops, etc. On the other hand, the parts of town that surround the historic area seem drab and rundown. In the sunshine it probably looks a lot better. Maybe tomorrow, when we head north to Redwood NP.

Thursday, August 5, 2010. Williams, Calif. (not the middle of nowhere, but you can see it from here).

Before I forget...On our way to Death Valley on Sunday we stopped in a tiny crossroads town in Nevada for gas. We went into a largely empty store to get a drink and noticed a number of books for sale about Nevada brothels, including some signed by the author--Heidi Fleiss (remember her?). When we walked back to the car, we realized we were parked next to the Cherry Patch Ranch House of Prostitution. Pretty cool. We didn't stop in.

Today we stopped in Modesto for an oil change and then drove to Sacramento, a really nice place to visit. We spent most of the time in the old restored historic district. Just like an old western town, with wooden sidewalks. And, for some reason, lots of candy stores. Sacramento is where Wells-Fargo started the Pony Express in the 18-somethings, around the 50's, I think. Who can remember? Sacramento is supposed to be one of the nicest places in the country to live. So we left it for Williams. Tomorrow we head northwest toward the coast and Redwoods National Park.

Ken has been driving for days now and perhaps tomorrow I can help out a little; the hairpin turns in Sequoia and Yosemite were too much for me too handle. So as Ken is driving round and up and down these gorgeous mountains and I am being rocked to sleep. After about 1/2 hour I
can't keep my eyes open, I am totally relaxed, the same way I am in a plane or on Ken's motorcycle.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010. Oakdale, Calif.

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Yosemite. Tuesday we were in the Valley area and saw El Capitan, Half-dome, Bridal Veil Falls, etc. Spectacular views! Very crowded in this area, but not so bad that you couldn't park, shop, etc. The weather has been perfect, not a cloud in the sky. But hot, around 98 degrees. It's a little cool in the shade, but the sun is fierce.

Speaking of crowds: Yosemite is huge, and the big attractions like El Capitan are far into the park. If you're staying in an affordable motel outside of the park, you have a pretty long drive to get to the entrance (on difficult, winding roads) and then an equally long and winding road to get to the attractions. The result is that everybody arrives at about the same time: 11-12. And because the exit takes just as long, everybody leaves at the same time. So traffic by the Valley visitor's area is awful. Hey!, but you might see a bear. (We didn't).

Serry likes Bed and Breakfasts (although she rarely eats the breakfast), so Tuesday night we stayed at Nature's Inn in Ahwahnee (an Indian word for "middle of nowhere"). We were in a cabin-like room, so small the bathtub was a few feet from the bed. We called for this place early in the morning, so the owners had plenty of time to prepare for us. Nevertheless, there was almost no toilet paper, there was no sugar for the tea and coffee in the room, and although a sign invited us to enjoy the complimentary drinks and cookies, there were none. But the host and hostess were very nice, and the other stuff was no big deal. All part of our adventure

Wednesday, Serry and I took a 5-mile hike around the Hetch Hetchy (Indian for edible grass) reservoir to a waterfall. Pretty neat, but also very hot and pretty strenuous. But beautiful, like everything else here.

Tomorrow we'll give the hiking boots a rest and head for Sacramento.

Monday, August 2, 2010. Fresno, Calif.

We spent yesterday in Death Valley NP. Very hot: about 115 degrees! And very huge and desolate. But also quite beautiful. The numerous chemicals in the park have painted the mountains shades of red, blue green, black, etc. It's really something to see. And some of the roads in the park go straight ahead for as far as the eye can see, with maybe one car way ahead. A ranger told us that a few days ago a couple of teachers on summer vacation wandered off the main road on to a road the Park Service didn't know about and proceeded to get lost for three days. They broke into a cabin somewhere to protect themselves from the heat. They were rescued when, quite by accident, they were spotted by a tour helicopter.

We spent the night in Bakersfield, and today we explored Sequoia National Park. Finally, after weeks of heat and cactus, some green trees , water, and coolness. The sequoia are spectacular. It's not the height of the trees--the giant redwoods hold that record--it's the massive girth. One famously has a road cut through it.

Tonight we're spending in Fresno, and tomorrow we're off to Yosemite. My credit cards are getting worn out.