Pigeon Forge, TN

June 22, 2010

We have taken 2 more hikes since I last wrote. Laurel Falls is a paved walk of about 1.5m to a nice waterfall. Hike in the Smokies usually means straight up, and this was no exception. However, we were not alone. Hundreds of folks like us made the trek on Saturday morning, the lady with a bloody knee foreshadowed our view of the falls.

I have to say, we saw more spectacular falls in the Pacific states, but these were certainly nice and I wanted a better view, one that was on the other side of the folks who stopped right in the middle of the walkway. And stayed there. I was irritated with them, grew impatient, and tried a side-step off the bridge on to the rocks. Not a good idea. Of course I went down to a 2-point landing - right knee and left camera. Several good people helped the old woman up off the rocks, including the 2 people I truly wanted to yell at, "This is all YOUR fault!" I want you to know that embarrassment and self-control prevented the scene from getting out-of-hand. I was fine, the camera not so much. In the mean time, a man arrived from out of the trees to tell the gathered hikers about how much more beautiful the falls are further up. Another day, I might have wanted to go see, and was really tempted; but it seemed best to stay quiet at this time.

On the way back we visited with a couple from New Orleans who were celebrating their 33rd anniversary in the same place as their honeymoon. Nice idea. Nice people. Two of the many who helped me back to an upright position. Russell was worried about my ability to get back to the car(no problem) and correctly predicted many aches and pains in the days to follow.

We walked the neighborhood around the park and completely enjoyed the area, but we waited a couple of days before a trip back to the mountains.

We enjoyed the trek to the Greenbriar School and the Walker Sister's House just inside the park. The Great Smoky Mt. Park is home to the most log cabins anywhere. We really enjoyed the house, fairly large, and clearly livable. The old newspaper is still on the walls in one room. Russell was ready to move in! I don't look for it to happen any time soon, however.

Phoenix, again!

March 22, 2010
I'm back at home after 3 weeks in Houston. It's wonderful to be able to be where we need to be. Equally wonderful to be back home and ready to move.

We are staying at the Maricopa Regional Park in the Sonoran Desert. It has huge campsites with a fire ring, grill, and picnic table. It does not have on-site sewer, internet, or very good phone reception. There are almost daily ranger-led hikes, lots of hiking paths, beautiful sunsets, and I hear the sunrises are spectacular, but have no first-hand experience (thank you Russell!)

Yesterday we sat in the shade at the Fountain Hills park to listen to Latin music. It was a beautiful afternoon. We always enjoy our time with friends and have been able to eat, laugh, watch camp fires and relax with them in the last week.

Next firm destinations: Las Vegas with Kyle first weekend of May, Dallas the following weekend.

Yosemite, Mariposa County

August 20, 2009

Some of few remaining groves of Giant Sequoias are found in the Mariposa Gove at Yosemite’s south entrance. Where the Yosemite Valley is very user-friendly - big parking lots, direct roads, lots of lodging - the south is a more back-to-nature experience – find parking as best you can, catch the shuttle then start walking. There is a tour tram for bucks, but that is not for us.

We did get captured by Ranger John Jackson, former 7th grade science teacher, for the 2:00 “Ranger Stroll and Talk.” What a blessing! He provided the hands-on-experiences of every good teacher to create a lasting impression. Sequoia bark is weightless. A core wood shingle is equally so. The seeds and cones are very small. Yet these unsubstantial, unimpressive parts unite to create the oldest, most massive living being on earth. It’s a staggering contrast.

We were able to witness the benefits of fire, sequoias at 10 years of growth and The Grizzly Giant, at roughly 1800 years of age. The Grizzly is distinctive because a lightning strike killed the tree top, thereby stunting growth. But this same event forced growth outwards to create spectacular branches with diameters of 6 feet.

Ranger John’s tour taught us many life lessons and granted us 3 wishes. We should live long, grow younger, and return often. We need to resist change and destructive forces, but grow stronger if and when adversity does strike. Live long like the sequoia. Grow younger, as scientist have changed their method of aging the sequoia and made them younger than once thought. Resist destruction. The sequoia is fire and insect resistant, but must have fire for new trees to sprout. The sequoia is also resistant to man’s forces by having no real commercial use. When they fall, the giant breaks into many small sections, thus being unusable for lumber.

We returned to the Mariposa Grove with a greater understanding and sense of awe than we had before our first trip. Thanks go out to Ranger John Jackson.

We completely enjoyed our hike of the outer loop then the inner loop of the Mariposa. First, we arrived early enough to park in the grove! Second, we were able to talk about the types of trees and use the knowledge gained in our previous trip. Third – NO CROWD! We hardly saw a soul. What a nice day, and it wasn’t noon yet!

Fred, the Oakhurst information gentleman flatly stated, “If you don’t go to Glacier Point, you haven’t been to Yosemite.” I completely agree.

The views of Half Dome are breathtakingly in your face. With Russell’s binoculars, he found climbers on top! We could see waterfalls, both the Vernal and Nevada, peaks and valleys that were not at all visible from any point below. The two stops we made were well worth the extra miles to get there. Another bonus – no construction crews on the road on this particular Saturday!

Yosemite, Midpines, California

August 13, 2009

Our eventful drive from west to east took us to Mariposa Co. and the town of Midpines. We stayed at an up-hill KOA that was very pretty, but no AT&T was an issue for the whole week. The coolest thing about the park was our neighbor, the Taylor’s. License plates established the common ground of Texas, but a glass of wine led to the discovery that all 3 of the 4 of us were at UT, Russell and Mike even lived in the same apt. complex at the same time! Many commonalities were uncovered, and we hope to stay in touch.

But the trip was about Yosemite. We drove into the Valley, our bikes hitched. The drive itself is a 25 mile adventure, meandering next to the Merced River complete with single lane bridge to avoid the rock slide that wiped out the old road. The hike/bike path encompasses El Capitan, rivers, meadows, Yosemite Falls, and John Muir’s favorite place, Enchanted Isles. We also rode by some of the wonderful cottages built for workers. How do you get these digs? It was difficult to look up and ahead at the path simultaneously, but we managed. We stopped at one point to consult the map and got aid, along with an invitation to come visit, from a wonderful couple from the Czech Republic. Late summer is not the best time to visit Yosemite, dry rivers mean no waterfalls, but you can clearly see where they have been. We visited with a long-time visitor who thinks that late summer is perfect because you can river-float and enjoy the tranquility. There were many bikini-clad tourists who totally agree with this assessment.

Biking gave us the perfect overview of the park. The next day was all about the details. We took in the movie, museum, lodge, hikes off the beaten path and Bridal Falls. We even found the spot we’d read about where Teddy Roosevelt camped and was photographed with John Muir in a presidential trip through the west. One very cool bonus was an opportunity to view El Capitan climbers. A fellow climber was stationed on the road with a high-powered telescope zoomed in on 2 different sets. We found out that it typically takes 2-3 days to make the assent. I tried to imagine scaling 90 degrees while carrying enough food and drink for that period of time in addition to a bed roll and potty. NO WAY! You must have a permit to climb, but no requirements are needed for that permit, meaning that anyone may attempt the climb and run the risk of requiring a rescue. I don’t get it. Both days we enjoyed a picnic and the free shuttle bus.

Midpines is in the middle of the gold mining rush of history. There is a wonderful state museum that we passed by at least twice, and I’d be willing to bet that it is terrific. We drove to Oakhurst to check out the RV parks and take care of a few errands. Our trip back included one of those unexpected turns that Garmin sometimes provides. Triangle Road cuts cross country winding through farm and cattle country, and a hidden winery. Butterfly Winery is in the valley; Russell spotted it long before we saw the sign on the mountain road. The tasting room greeters are several friendly cats and dogs and hosted by a charming lady who is informative and gives a great pour. We spent a long time visiting with her and some other customers who happened in after we did.

We headed out for Oakhurst; confident that we knew the road since we had we had traveled the previous week. It was different when towing. The downhill grade was more white-knuckle than anticipated, but otherwise uneventful.

Lake Tahoe

August 8, 2009

Several events make the South Lake Tahoe experience memorable, beginning with our campsite. The Tahoe Valley Campgrounds are spectacular with pines crowding one another, and campers. The beautiful site we were given was nestled between several pines at the mouth, but wide, sandy openness behind. It took much help and encouragement to achieve just the right angle to back into the narrow opening without damage to trailer, trees or other campers. Once in, we were secluded and happy, with only the drive out to dread. The next memory was fast on heels of arrival when I hit my head on the kingpin. I’ve done this before, but never with the resulting blood. A few stitches at a local urgent care took care of the problem, but our bike riding days were postponed a bit. However, we hiked every evening in the cool pine scented mountains.

The campground is on the local trolley route. We hopped on to take the ride up the west side of the lake. We rode along the lake through villages and tourist parks past Emerald Bay. The drive was spectacular and winding enough to make the trolley a great idea. We rode it later in the week to hike down to the shore at Emerald Bay where I toured the Nordic summer home built in the 1920’s. We took the north path again when we rode bikes through forest and along shore line.

Driving east from the campground heads to Lake Tahoe, Nevada and casinos. I struck it rich with a payout of 10X winnings, too bad I had only bet a dollar! But I know a good take when I see one and quit. There is also a very good NPS exhibit for Lake Tahoe near the casinos. The exhibit helps you appreciate the many forces that formed the oldest lake in the USA, second only to Crater Lake in depth. We learned that Tahoe is so deep; it’s below Carson City at the base of the mountains. We had taken the drive straight down to Carson City and could appreciate the distance. The Comstock Silver miners were responsible for the loss of trees on the Nevada side of the lake. Driving from the lush mountainous greens and blues of Tahoe to the flat tans of Carson City is a stark contrast that takes just half an hour. You know you are in the desert. We talked about visiting the Ponderosa and Virginia City northeast of Carson City, but decided to wait for another time.

We consulted the internet, the California map and camp office personnel to determine the widest, straightest route possible from SLT to Midpines on the east side of Yosemite. There just was no good route for a rig our size, but we did determine the best of the bunch. We set out southwest and downhill. We wound through the high country of the Sierra Nevada Range where tall mountains and deep ravines are covered in massive evergreens.

Mountains eventually soften to more rolling hillsides with brown grasses of late summer. Towns are more frequent and more populated. But the road heads up once again and the vegetation and terrain progression is reversed. Colors from the 108-count box of Crayola come at you at every turn. Colors with names like sienna, galena, sage, slate, umber are scattered across the mountains.

Two amazing events occurred on CA 49, both caused by Russell’s attention to detail. At the turn off to Miraposa, the highway patrol was set up for radar. We stopped to ask the best way to go. He said CA49 was definitely the most direct and except for 1 cliff-hugging, blind hairpin turn, no worse or better than the other options. He gave us a few tips and off we went.

After several “I wonder if that was it?” queries, we knew for a fact when we were looking at the spot-dead ahead. There was a wide shoulder just before the boulder/turn, so Russell pulled over enough to allow 2 motorcycles to go first. They entered the curve just as a 1-ton truck came around towing a boat. The cyclists had to swerve to give him room, a maneuver we could not have managed! Those bikers were clinging to the edge of the road and cliff as that trucker did all he could to hug the monolith on the inside curve. We would have been toast! With breath held, Russell edged back on the road and slowly, uneventfully made the blind turn, taking pretty much the entire 2 lanes. Breathing once again on the other side, Russell glanced in the side-rear mirror to see how much traffic we had backed up. And there was our radar cop! He followed us for a way, then turned back at the next opportunity.

He was either very nice, or getting a jump on the carnage!

NEXT TIME: See north Lake Tahoe; go from Tahoe to Yosemite through Nevada.

San Francisco, California

July, 2009

Finally! This is the city in America I have most wanted to visit, and now I have. Amazing!

We got settled in Marin County at the Marin RV Park, chosen for its location. There is a pedestrian bridge along side the 101 for a 10 minute walk to the Larkspur Ferry. Another pedestrian bridge crossed the 101 to get to a bus stop for a drive across Golden Gate Bridge. Take a path under 101 to bike/walk to Larkspur and Corte Madera. I loved being able to walk to Trader Joe’s for groceries and step out the back of the park to be looking at a marsh and bay. We could even walk to an up-scale shopping center. We could not have had a sweeter location!

We spent a month. We traveled to S.F. at least once each week, never taking the dually. We enjoyed several walks along the Embarcadero and Fisherman’s Wharf, through Chinatown, Russian Hill, up to Coit Tower and even a trek to the groovy corner of Haight-Ashbury (not as much love as there must have been in the ‘60’s). A tour bus ride took us through the highlights of the city including Alamo Park and the Presidio. One day we bought a bus pass and hopped on and off at will, covering a lot of the city that way. Another mode of transport, we rode the historic Cable Car. We walked Lombardi St., both up and down the curviest street in the world. We took in the sights, sounds and smells of the city, walking for miles.

Several people recommended that we book the Alcatraz tour in advance, thank you all so much. We went on a Friday morning, important because this is one of only two garden tours offered all week. What a treat. It seems that the gardens were an important part of life for the island inhabitants. We also got to walk through the military officer quarters ruins and several other “off limits” areas. Dedicated volunteers are restoring the flower gardens to their original beauty using old photos for accuracy. The island has a rich history that extends far beyond its 29 years as a prison. Then we took the best audio tour I’ve ever experienced through the prison. Former guards and prisoners talk to you as you are directed through the rooms, halls and cells. Sound effects enhance the visual experience to help a visitor feel the despair of entering this prison.

One place I had to see in Marin Co. is Muir Wood. We were incredibly close, but it was still quite a long trip on a narrow, winding road. The trees defy description. How do you define Tall? Majestic? This is an island of trees in this otherwise densely populated county. These trees were big when Columbus landed. We had never before seen anything like these trees, and we were properly awed.

We spent an entire day on the USS Hornet, our first experience of an air craft carrier. In addition to the self-guided trip, we took a docent-led tour to the engine room and other below-decks areas unavailable otherwise. Another docent tour takes you up to the island; the tower of rooms for piloting the ship and its aircraft. Russell expected to be amazed, I had not.

We took a very cool trip to Berkeley to research an old address. Russell’s mom had lived here when his dad was serving in the Navy during World War II. We headed to the public library and surprisingly found phone books from 1943 and 1946. She was listed in both. There was enough information given to help us feel confident that we had found 2 different locations. We got a map and drove to each. This was so cool! We took pictures of beautiful homes that easily fit the bill in hopes that she could remember, but that didn’t happen. I know that she appreciated us doing it and we enjoyed the personalized experience. While in Berkeley, we went to the University of California. Russell wore his University of Texas shirt and hat for the walk on campus. Except for all those towering eucalyptus trees, we could have been at the UT campus. The similarity of architecture is amazing, and I think other similarities exist that we didn’t take time to learn.

One day we rode in together, parting at Golden Gate. Russell enjoyed the Maritime Ship pier while I took in art. I loved the deYoung Art Museum. An amazing Aztec tunic of bird feathers took my breath. I thought they would have decayed ages ago. The glass exhibits also caught my eye because I had never seen such exquisite glass castings. After a trip up to the observation tower at de Young, I also enjoyed a trek through some of the gardens of Golden Gate Park. I rode home wishing there was more time for more art museums. I arrived home to find that Russell had been to the grocery store and was cooking steaks. What a great day!

As usual, we had our usual work days and often didn’t leave the park except for a nearby walk. I made great strides in the quilt I was making for Kyle’s birthday, which was coming fast. Russell always works on the stock market and has other business to take care of. We drove to several nearby cities and towns, walked, shopped and ate. Our trip to San Francisco was a rousing success.

NEXT TIME: California Palace of Legion of Honor, the Olympic Club area, the Winchester House in San Jose and other points south of town

Redding, CA

July 14, 2009

Moving on toward San Francisco, again faced with the dilemma of which road to take. We had continued reservations about the scenic coastal route and opted for I-5 through the center of the state. The terrain changed from rolling to plains and high desert until Mt. Shasta. This snow laden volcano dominates an otherwise bland landscape. It appears to be lost, an outcast o f the Pacific-Rim Volcano family. But she stands quite confident in her isolation. Shasta Lake is the next landmark on the way to Redding. The blueness of the quiet lake stands out against orange shores. The high tree line shows water levels to be quite low.

Redding is a nice surprise after all the people who asked, “Redding? Why?” It is the largest city of northern California and sits on the Sacramento River. Our campground, Mountain Gate RV, is nicely situated between the lake and town. The grounds are spacious and nicely landscaped. We did experience our first hot weather of the summer. Cool mornings give way to temps of 100°+. The temperature variance within the day is about 40° - so not Dallas where August temps very from 85-105°. This provides no relief, but it does get swimming pools warm. I just can’t bring myself to stay in these cold pools.

The Chamber of Commerce star is the architecturally unique pedestrian Sun Bridge that spans the Sacramento River and connects the science museum to a bike/hike path and numerous city parks. The well-traveled paths run along both side of the river. Ultimately the true adventurer will be able to pedal from town to the dam, about 20 miles. We took 2 trips, the first, a short run from Caldwell Park east to the Sun Bridge and marshes. The longer loop we began at the park, through neighborhoods, and west of town to the Ribbon Bridge, also for pedestrians. This system is by far the longest most user-friendly we have encountered. We could have had a different bike ride every morning of our stay. There is very little interaction with car traffic and the path is well maintained paving. One really cool pedestrian bridge is an old one that stands proudly next to its larger replacement road for cars. How wonderful that this small graceful path is as useful and traveled at the end of its life as in the beginning.

Two below ground trips to Lake Shasta seemed perfect for hot afternoons. The dam tour displays a marvel of civil engineering and the tallest in the USA. We traveled by elevator to an observation level, deep inside near-solid concrete. The tour hallway leads to a room on river level where the info continues with a video showing construction and a tribute to its builders. The primary function of the dam is water control and supply, it is a secondary source on California’s electric grid. As low as the water level was, locals were excited at the amount it had raised over the previous year. Conservation is their primary focus and they were not worried about the ability to provide the amount of water needed for summer. We learned that is 25% of California receives 75% of the state’s precipitation.

Our second Shasta Lake adventure took us on a very curvy descent to the shores north of the dam. The Shasta Caverns offers a package tour. The first part is the roller coaster trip to the visitor center-the curvy road trip. Second is a nice warm hike to the pontoon boat for the third segment, crossing the lake. Fourth is a bus trip back up a different mountain to the cavern rooms with chambers stacked atop each other which are quite nice, but not so different from others we’ve seen. Coming into the light we saw how much climbing we did inside. We descended stair steps back to the bus. This was a cordial group of folks - with celebrities! The young twins from “Cheaper by the Dozen” are now about 12 and created quite a stir. I was more fascinated by our tour guide. She was a ringer for a girl I grew up with who currently has many kids and grands in Idaho. I hinted at a relationship, but she didn’t bite. Oh Well.

NEXT TIME: a cooler time of year to take advantage of the bike rides

Crater Lake and Prospect, Oregon

July 8, 2009

The Prospect RV Park is 25 miles southwest of Crater Lake and right next to the Rogue River. We set out for some major geezer-type hiking. These forests are mixed pine and deciduous trees. We kept spotting a tree that in Texas I would call Manzanita, only huge. It has the distinctive pink/red trunk with papery peeling bark. To the internet. It’s a relative, the Pacific Coast Madrone.

We spent a lot of time along the Rogue River and finally got to go fishing. It took a bit, but Russell caught 5 very nice rainbow trout for the grill. YUM! Jean, one of our neighbors, came over for inspection, “You guys are NOT camping!” This may have been a complement. We did have a nice spread of fish, Caesar salad, table cloth, but no china on the park table.

We met several very nice neighbors. There was Jerry and Jeri, a nearly retired couple who are approaching full time RVing. What fun to feel like experts! Jean and Dave spend every summer at this park and provided a wealth of information about the area. We also enjoyed the managers, full timers who had even spent time at Buckhorn in Kerrville.

I have to say more about the Rogue. We hiked along the shore from both east and west on different days. We were driving on the main highway when we happened on the Rogue Gorge, a lovely cascade of white water that drops several layers over, around and through lave, and more lava tubes. Further down river is a lava tube in the river path that forms a natural bridge. We approached it expecting some arching structure over head. What we found was more lava beds with water rushing through the middle forming an underground river for that stretch of about 10 yards. The tame water entering the passage explodes into a grotto on the opposite side. It’s an amazing blend and crash of forces. At the Gorge, we met the living tree stump. This 2-3 foot remains of logging has been supported through the root system of this tree family. It has no leaves or branches, but it has grown bark over the ax scar, forming a living skin. With its intersecting root system, these trees are fed by the same roots that fed other trees long gone. Would this make them even older that the Sequoias?

Crater Lake, oh my! The drive in is long and largely uneventful unless you think about the fact that the road is climbing a volcano. This baby was huge! Its destructive eruptions impacted the entire continent for years, fortunately before people were here to observe the event. Multiple vents opened around the crown perimeter, stealing her steam. The resulting eruptions caused an implosion with the top of a massive crater falling inward, thereby creating a cap and sealing the vents. The unlikely series of events formed one of the few truly closed ecosystems on earth. Crater is the deepest lake in the United States and fed entirely by precipitation. No rivers or creeks flow in or out. Fish were introduced for tourists several decades ago, but that practice has stopped to allow the few native lake creatures to regain dominance. We didn’t allow enough time or energy for adequate exploring. There are several hiking trails radiating from the circumference. One trail descends to the shore where you can take a tour boat across the lake and even stop to explore the lake’s largest island. We missed the last boat of the afternoon and never got back to the park.

One day while Russell worked, I walked across Prospect to a state park. A trail leads behind a bluff to completely isolate you from the town and highway. The first set of waterfalls makes a mossy horseshoe retreat. An easy climb gets down to the beautiful clear water. The falls have a relatively short drop, but the width wraps the viewer into the scene as multiple creeks come together. It is lush and sparkling, an audio-visual with spray completing the experience. I moved on, curious about the creek’s path. A familiar rushing sound foretold the scene around the next corner. From the high bluff, creeks were rushing down bare rock, fighting for a place at the finish line. The first falls was all shelter, peace, verdant. This experience was bright, bold and hard edged. Different creeks on their way to join the Rogue. What a joy to share the scenes with Russell later in the day.

This stop is a story of trade-offs, I guess all trips are. We had a scant Crater Lake experience, but completely enjoyed the national forest and river. We may have shorted the larger, more lauded wonder, but the many small, less-traveled wonders were very worthy of the time.

NEXT TIME: Give Crater Lake its due. Diamond Lake.

White Salmon, Washington

July 6, 2009

In keeping with our Lewis and Clark adventure, we left Woodland for White Salmon, east of Portland on the Columbia River. There were several route options available, the most direct being to follow the freeway to Vancouver, WA then continue on WA-14, a 2-lane with who knew how many twists and turns. This road is true to the river and meanders through numerous villages. The longer route was to stay on the freeway through Vancouver and Portland to Hood River, Oregon where a bridge connects to White Salmon. Locals recommended the freeway as timelier and more scenic looking over to the Washington side. Sounded good!

We wound through the big cities uneventfully and started lapping up the view; mountains, fruit tree groves, vineyards, waterfalls, wide rushing river, all the way to Hood River, a surprisingly large town. Then there was THE BRIDGE. It absolutely must be wider than it appeared to be beyond the tollbooth. If you had to fit through the tollbooth to board the bridge, we barely made it. A logging truck was heading straight for us: “Get the mirrors in!” Only by thinking thin and not breathing did we clear all obstacles. The White Salmon RV Park is a small, but roomy, nicely landscaped individually owned business.

The Gorge Loop is the Columbia River between City of the Dales on the east and Multnomah Falls on the west. We were in the middle-perfect! A trip east on WA-14 proved that we had made the correct choice for RV travel by freeway. Our destination, Beacon Rock, is an ancient volcano core and one of the largest monoliths in the world, straight up. From the parking lot there are 2 routes, climbers–not us–go left, hikers–us–go right. We walked to the river facing side of the rock to find stairs that wound back and forth in 47 switchbacks, clinging to the face of the rock. This state park is the site of one of Lewis and Clark’s camps and was once private property. Mr. Biddle bought it in 1915 because the Army Corps of Engineers was going to use the raw material to build a nearby dam. He hired an engineer and together the men spent the next 3 years building the stairway that still exists today. He then gave the historic site to the state with the stipulation that the public never be charged for admission. And so it is. The legacy of the man stands as tall and strong as the rock he championed. The view from the top includes marshes, mountains, farm lands, and of course, the river. It has been used as a look out by all the people who traveled this route for centuries.

We next traveled the Historic Columbia River Highway in Oregon complete with stonework walls to keep travelers from dropping off! This road made the bridge look roomy, but Horsetail and Multnomah Falls virtually splash on to the road, well worth the trip. A little hiking would yield several more falls, but we were short on time. The Dalles is one of the oldest cities of the area; a trading and meeting point of Indians and later, traders. The site is named for the long stretch of rapids nearby. There is also a natural rock formation that creates a type of fort. We sacrificed seeing the town for the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and a sit-down lunch. Wish we had allotted more time for the area. We bought salmon on the way home for another delicious meal. Indians are allowed unlimited fishing rights on river, whereas all other have strict limits. Therefore, the best salmon is roadside, in coolers.

Navigation on the Columbia was once an iffy thing, with spring swells and numerous rapids. Original navigation plans included locks to bypass dangerous cataracts. Now the rapids have been flooded by the creation of dams. Interestingly, dams do not cross the entire waterway to allow for boat and salmon navigation.

It is safe to say that we needed more time, but we were due in the next location. We drove the length of Oregon, right down the middle. Farm land rolled over hills, we skirted Mt. Hood, marveled at lava fields, gasped at major ravines in the desert and arrived again in wooded mountains and another volcano, Crater Lake.

NEXT TIME: Stay Longer!

Woodland, Washington

June 29, 2009

We spent the week of July 4th at the beautiful Columbia Riverfront RV Park on the banks of the Columbia River, near the mouth of the Lewis River. Our back window faced the river and rolling hillside on the Oregon side. Groups gathered in the evenings for bonfires on the driftwood-strewn beach.

On the 4th, we avoided all traffic and crowds by cleaning house, cooking at home, and resting up for the evening fireworks display courtesy of the RV Park owners. Campers gathered in sweaters and blankets along the beach, the driveway and at sites for the show scheduled to begin around 10:00. Each group on the beach had their own fireworks display so we had a show that filled the sky, across the park grounds shore from various sources. Not planned or orchestrated by a single entity, but varied, colorful and great fun. The very nicest part of the night was smiling and feeling the celebration on the slow walk home, no traffic or stress.

The town of Woodland is fairly sleepy, good for bike rides on the quiet streets. We found tasty, inexpensive restaurants for our salad-based diet. The farmer’s market was small, but full of local bounty. The local Visitor’s Center host was very helpful in planning our week. It is also where a small commuter van stops each weekday to take people to Portland. We had expected to see some sign of damage from the Mt. St. Helen blast of 1980, but found that the eruption went north and west. The south and east had no effects to speak of. In terms of population centers and damage this was the best of a bad situation.

We took several side trips across southern Washington. On July 3 we took our bikes to Lake Sacajawea Park (Lewis and Clark once again) in Longview, WA. The park is a city block in width and at least 4 blocks long with a bike path along the entire loop. The path even cuts under the bridges at each intersection to avoid car traffic. We made the 3.5 mile loop, admiring lovely old homes in addition to the beautiful park grounds. The reason for not riding more was a very cool Fourth of July festival. We put the bikes away and walked through the crowds to window shop.

Another day we took a trip into Portland on the commuter van. We had no plan at all except to see the city. We began in the midst of department stores and tall buildings then hiked to the largest book store in the world. What a treat! We love used book stores and Powell’s was overwhelming! Four floors of a building that covers a city block is organized by color with maps and signs all over to keep the book traveler from getting lost. We walked through various quarters of town, which really was designed in quarters. The founding fathers laid out the town with a multi-block park symmetrically placed at each compass point. Parks are shaded by large old trees, colorful with flowering beds and punctuated with statuary. We most enjoyed the museum/university area.

One highlight of our Woodland stop was a trip to Mt. St. Helen’s and another to the Lava Tubes nearby. We drove up into the mountains through fog, winding around rocky peaks, tall pines and small villages along a river. As we broke out of the fog MSH was instantly visible! No clouds, just snow covered, jagged volcano crater. Nothing less than miraculous! We stopped for pictures at an overlook of the valley and Kalama River. The usually shrouded crater was clearly visible against a blue sky. We met 2 couples from England at this stop. They were spending 6 weeks traveling the Oregon Trail. I was amazed that this bit of Americana would attract Brits. They were winding down the trip and had loved it.

We drove on to the visitor center which sits directly opposite of the crater for an ideal view. The drive from our photo stop wound through pines with small billboard-type signs from Weyerhaeuser giving the year in which the pines had been planted. The visual effect of uniformly planted pines of a uniform type was eerie. It was like perfectly horizontal lines across the forest. The closer we got, the more obvious damage was still apparent. There was very little vegetation. Everything facing the open-sided crater was gone or, like the visitor center, less than 28 years old. We arrived at eye level and I blindly took one photo after another. We were 5.5 miles away, crater and lava dome, clearly visible. My wonderful new camera had a large LED screen, great except in sunshine, at which time it becomes mostly black. I had no idea what images were captured, clearly seen when we checked it out inside. Of course by the time we went to get more pictures, clouds. So another spectacular event is in memory only.

The Johnston Ridge Visitor Center has a wonderful movie of the volcano, interactive exhibits and stories of people from the blast. All work to create sense of awe. Several hiking paths are available, but we had a long drive back and did not go far.

We went to the Lava Tubes, two words we would never have put together prior to this trip. We learned that lave tubes are a passage of lava underground. The sides in contact with the earth cool more quickly, allowing the inner lava to continue to flow and drain. After learning of their existence, we found that they are very common in volcanic areas. We donned headlights and coats for the trip down a natural entrance about midway through the tube. It was even darker than the Taft Tunnel, but mercifully we didn’t have bikes. We had a wonderful adventure on the short trip, but decided against the longer more strenuous version which stretched out in the opposite direction.

We talked about a trip to the coast, but decided to leave it for the next time through. Our stop in Woodland had been far more fun and relaxing than we had anticipated. It also taught us to plan well ahead for holidays.

NEXT TIME: Astoria

Kalispell, Montana

June 8, 2009

What a nice town! We had heard that Kalispell is a neat place, and have not been disappointed, especially in the Spruce Park on the River RV Campground, a beautiful spot on the Flathead River. The Flathead is a wide, rushing body; at least it is in early summer, fed by snow melt. Our campground is owned by a wonderful lady who grew up on the premises when her parents were the owners. They still live on the site and take great pride in it, as evidenced by the bountiful flowers and original wood carvings. We got to visit with the couple one evening as they were driving the grounds in their Cadillac Esplanade. It is such a wonderful place; one of the employees was planning her wedding here for later in the summer, under the spruce trees beside the river. I got all the details, but no invitation.

The town is a small city – Wal-Mart, Dodge house, mall, downtown – all we needed after several National Park gigs. All of this is set against the Rockies, and protected by them. Temps here do not get as extreme as at St. Mary. We had a lot of work to catch up on since we had not been near a sizeable town since Salt Lake City.

Our highlight of the city was the Conrad Mansion. The original owner and builder was a post Civil War self-made man and city founder who put himself into every aspect of the construction but died only four years after its completion. It was home to his wife, four children, mother and mother-in-law for many years after. Interestingly, there were no grand-children and except for Alicia, the youngest, the children died young. Alicia lived in the house, saving everything until the 1960’s, when she sold the estate to the city. This lady was so exacting, she even saved receipts from the original construction in 1895, toys, clothing, and furniture are still intact. All of these artifacts are exactly what makes this such a fabulous tour and glimpse into the life of privileged at the turn of the twentieth century.

Another day-trip was to the west side of Glacier NP. Again we could take the Sun Rd. about 12 miles because of the avalanche. The west side is very different, hardly any snow remained, the mountains are less rugged and it is more forested. We headed up a trail to a small mountain lake. I am so slow on an uphill climb that it is a drag on anyone else, so I turned back and enjoyed the lodge Russell reported that the small lake was well worth the hike. So was the McDonald Lake Lodge! Original tourists arrived by boat, so the front entrance is lakeside, next to a rushing creek. We did drive in as far as possible, but failed to find any place to park. This had not been a problem at St. Mary! We did relax a bit at a cataract in the river – more breathtaking stuff!

We enjoyed the drive from Kalispell to Coeur D’Alene, especially the beautiful Flathead Lake community and moonscape terrain west of it.

NEXT TIME: Flathead Lake

Glacier National Park East at St. Mary, MT

June 1, 2009

Russell and I have both wanted to see Glacier, the most remote of national parks, for years. In each of our previous trips to Montana we did not have time to get that far. So this was a MUCH anticipated destination. We headed to the more remote, rugged east side at St. Mary partly because it is the closest to the Canadian portion of the park.

We had been beating the season in each of our stops with good results, fewer crowds, more moderate weather and a lot of luck. This native Texan did internet research in planning each destination, but weather hadn’t been a focus. We had no idea that roads would still be closed on June 1 when we arrived at the KOA. The campground did have a few visitors, even though they had only just opened that week. Fortunately, we bought groceries on our way north, sensing that shopping would be limited in St. Mary. After several days at camp, we were low on several basic foods. The only grocery store in town had not gotten stocked yet!

The highlight of any trip to Glacier is the Going-To-The-Sun Highway, climbing between rugged peaks over the continental divide. An avalanche had occurred earlier in the week, closing the central and most spectacular section of road. This was certainly bad news for us, far worse for the crews who would have to repair the damage, but we were not sympathetic at the time. Going-To-The-Sun is the only road crossing Glacier NP. As with most national parks, there are several entrances; Two Medicine in the south, Waterton in Alberta, Canada, West Glacier, near Kalispell, St. Mary and Many Glacier in the east. Going-To-The-Sun connects St. Mary to West Glacier, while each of the other entrances is isolated from the others. We got to go to all 5 major entrances!

Driving the 14 miles west from St. Mary along St. Mary Lake, you can almost see melting snow and glaciers scraping away the terrain. Extreme winters leave their mark, resulting in razor sharp summits with only bare rock to tell the story. The colors of rock are deep cranberry, turquoise, slate, olive. We hiked to St. Mary Falls and you didn’t have to go far to witness rushing creeks and the river. The sounds of cascading water were everywhere. The white waterfall and rapids filled emerald lakes. Glacier fed lakes just have a different color than other lakes, certainly very different from the sandy-bottomed man-made lakes of Texas.

We drove to Many Glacier – hunting for bear…with our camera. Lovely drive, quaint, not-yet-opened lodge, no bear. We drove to Waterton Lake in Canada past Chief Mountain. Chief is imposing for several reasons; he is sitting all alone, larger mountains are off in the distance, he is more of a butte, flat-topped, not jagged and spiked like the surrounding mountains. He dominates the landscape from the north, but is not at all visible from the south.

The village of Waterton is purely for tourists. The Prince William Lodge, not yet open, sits high on a cliff above the village, kind of like Chief Mt. in the south, now that I think about it. Waterton is a wide finger lake that straddles the border of the USA and Canada. The southern tip of the lake is a point of entry to the USA for hikers only. You must have a passport to go past the shore. Waterton is called International Peace Park, the only park that crosses an international border. On the boat ride from the village south, you cross a roughly 10 foot stretch of land, running east-west, which is free of trees and a marker on each shore of the lake denoting the border. It is the easiest border crossing in the world. The guides joked that you feel a bump in the lake as the border is crossed.

We had carefully timed our Canadian trip to allow for boat trip, sight-seeing, and a return before 6PM, when the most convenient border crossing would close. The next week, their hours extend to 10PM, but we would be gone. We arrived at the dock to find that the summer schedule had started that day and the boat we expected to find had already sailed. The next available trip put us past the 6PM deadline. So we got to see more of the area, have a nice dinner and go bear hunting again. This time we were successful! We caught glimpses of two cinnamon bears playing and eating in a marshy area, seemingly unaware of us on the road above. What fun! We also snapped several pictures of a bald eagle perched only a few feet away from us. We could not believe our luck! Unfortunately, most of the shots were with the 35mm that was not properly loaded. No photo evidence exists to show how close we actually were.

The drive through Alberta to the next border crossing was a nice bonus. The terrain is rolling grassland with cattle and ranch houses dotting the landscape. Only random glacier-droppings of boulders remind you that you are not in Texas or Oklahoma. And there in the background was Chief Mountain welcoming us back to the USA. We also enjoyed driving through the picturesque town of Cardston, Alberta on our way to the border. We crossed the border uneventfully, but it was interesting that we had far more questions coming back to our own country that entering the one we visited.

Whenever we had an opportunity to visit with the local folks we asked, “What do ya’ll do in winter?” The answer was unanimous, “LEAVE!” The eastern side of glacier can reach temperatures of 65 below. Snow covers everything. Freezing temps can occur during any month up there. There was snow just before our visit and just after. Not just snow, but storms. Angels were smiling on us yet again. Further down the road, we talked to a man who had been at St. Mary just days after we had left. He fled in a driving snow storm!

NEXT TIME: JULY!

Yellowstone National Park

May 25, 2009

We traveled north from Grand Tetons to the south entrance of Yellowstone-dirt road and all. The lake region of Yellowstone was still frozen and just beautiful. We arrived at Old Faithful in time to see the geyser show off. It was grand! It starts with some belching, then short spurts, then a grand spray for several minutes ending with more sputtering.

We got settled west of the town of West Yellowstone, MT – Yea – wifi, TV and occasional phone reception. This KOA has an old-fashioned 2 person swing and plenty of space at each site – fabulous!

Yellowstone is so big that it is hard to see everything. Fortunately we arrived before school was out and avoided the massive traffic we experienced several years ago. We took several of the walking loops through the geysers seeing examples of all three types; hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots. Each geyser had something unique about it and I wanted to see them all! Many of the hot springs was actually at a boil. Each was a different shade of blue, with bacteria growth of oranges, yellows and pinks. It is amazing to stand on the boardwalk and know that you are looking down into the mouth of a volcano, magma creating the heat in evidence at the surface. Fumaroles are noisy things, spewing dry steam from rocky surfaces. Mud pots could be called nothing else. It is like watching oatmeal simmer and boil in shades of brown and red.

We got a glimpse of Old Faithful Inn on our first day and wanted to see more. We ate a lovely dinner in the old dining room and got information about the daily tours. The lady hosting our tour group literally wrote the book on the lodge. The lodge, built in 1904, was the first of the national park lodges and set the tone for the rest. The goal was to create an atmosphere of living in the woods, complete with a tree house of sorts, four floors up in the lobby. The Inn, made of local materials, blends and enhances the natural setting and is comfortable. Much of the same furniture designed and built for the lodge is still in use, and still comfortably inviting. The original rooms are simple boxes with a shelf and dowel hooks to accommodate belongings, some had a sink, but communal bathrooms were the only option. This old style is still available but suites and private baths have been added as rooms were built on. The original cedar panels of the hallways are removed and steam cleaned periodically. We visited with one of the maintenance crew who added many interesting facts during our tour. He told us that the whole place shuts down in October for crews to completely clean and winterize. All first floor windows are boarded and water is drained from all pipes, in addition to other procedures. This gentleman has been spending his summers here since retiring several years before. We met many service people who had made the same retirement choice, including a lady who annually drives from South Carolina! She makes up dinners and freezes them for her husband who doesn’t want to leave home.

During the tour, the group is taken out to the front entrance for a sense of the view that greeted early visitors. While admiring the portico, one of the more erratic geysers, the Beehive, blew. The tour stopped for us to enjoy the rare spectacle. The hotel is situated so that visitors on the veranda, a deck on the entrance roof, may be treated to both this geyser and Old Faithful while sipping drinks and lounging in comfort. This is the kind of detail the architect considered in every aspect of design.

We also enjoyed the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The Yellowstone River falls in a beautiful cascade into the gorge. The falls and canyons are on the east side of what is referred to as the Grand Loop of the park. Geysers dominate the north and west sides while the lake region dominates the south. We drove through the north and south, getting the flavor, but lacked time for exploring. The north entrance features Mammoth Hot Springs. The Lodge here is a Victorian spa set in bare rolling hills. The springs are sulfuric, white-cake-frosting type formations. They beckon you to relax and “take the waters.”

People who camped in the park were treated to a variety of wild life. We saw buffalo – lots of buffalo. There were crowds of people snapping one picture after another. They must not have been from Texas or the central plains states!

NEXT TIME: stay in the park at Mammoth Hot Springs

Jackson, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park

May, 2009

We camped one night at the Moose-Wilson KOA near Jackson, WY. Our view from Teton Pass clearly explains why the valley is called Jackson Hole. The name comes from an old fur trapper who worked the area.

Downtown's park square is complete with deer and elk antler gates at each entrance. Saloons, T-shirt shops and river guides abound. We really enjoyed the National Park Service’s visitor center and game preserve. As usual, the NPS rangers were friendly and very well informed. The well-displayed exhibits were helpful and gave us a good preview of the Grand Tetons.

We took a walk near the campgrounds and discovered a baby eagle in a nest atop a telephone pole. There are 4 by 4 foot platforms on utility poles throughout the west, many with large nests. This is the only one we got close enough to see the baby, screaming and yelling either at our presence or a lack of food.

The Grand Tetons are so majestic! The vantage point is from the east, looking at these snowy peaks from across a lake or, at times, across a meadow. The string of finger lakes at the base of the range provide perfect reflection pools. In mid May, snow covered all but the lowest elevations.

This was our first stay inside a national park, the first that could accommodate a large rig. The advantage to staying in the park boundaries is that you are there – no time is wasted getting to the entrances, although we covered a lot of distance getting to the many areas we wanted to see inside the park. The downside is there is no TV, WiFi, or phone coverage except at the lodge. So we spent a lot of time at the lodge, which was a good thing.

Wildlife is everywhere! We saw bear, elk, moose, wolf and eagle. A group of us at the lodge watched two wolves stalk the elk herd. They managed to corner a member of the herd, but she used terrain and vegetation to escape and rejoin her friends. Russell was working inside and missed the event, but later he elevated it to a life and death struggle to the end when relating it to others .

Our experiences here led to a desire to improve our equipment. We bought a new digital camera and binoculars and dusted off the old Cannon 35mm camera.

NEXT TIME: more hikes, ride the Jenny Lake boat, stay longer.