Not all who wander are lost
Thanks for joining us.
For the next 3 months, we will be together 24/7 in our 19’ Airstream Flying Cloud journeying across this beautiful country taking in some of the exquisite sights and sounds, seeing family along the way. There’s an over/under on how long long we make it given that we’ve been together apart for 9 years by 220 miles. I like our odds.
Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain. ~Jack Kerouac
I have been meaning to create something to capture the highlights from our summer 2019 adventure and the longer out it gets, the less motivated I have been to do this – just because life moves on and really big, important things happen like the birth of my beautiful granddaughter, Ava. They are back in Brooklyn now (relo’d from San Francisco) trekking across the country in a rented RV! Having them nearby makes our hearts happy.
That said, our trip was absolutely incomparable…monumental. And we know how great it would be to have a “consolidated memory” this amazing, awe-inspiring, humility inducing trip. It’s nearly an hour long, but promise it goes by fast :~) just like the trip. So here we go…
When I put this together and shared with Brian, there were so many moments of “oh, wow” “remember that” — just such incredible memories of what we experienced and the awe of the natural beauty of this amazing country. Most travelers – especially those from foreign nations – don’t get to some of the “lesser” places. As the traveler focus is on the major sites (just like we are when we are traveling to a foreign country) – even many Americans never get to experience the natural beauty of this country – and we bless our visit with thanks and grace for the indigenous peoples, as is deserved.
And now for the next adventure THAT WASN’T. Just as I was preparing this back in early March…well, you know…EVERYTHING CHANGED. Our (non-Chrome Home) trip to Asia was due to launch mid-March and last until early May. I was planning to post this right before we left. Once we knew that we had to cancel that trip, I spent the next week+ cancelling everything and being super bummed (and freaked) out. I had a few more tweaks on this video and frankly was not up for the task – until now. Managing the technology is the hardest part of all this. Anyway, we hope to take the trip in 2021 if the world permits. Countries on our trip include Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan.
Our plan following our return and recovery was to hit the road for two camping trips (June and October) and weekend trips including a couple of weddings. None of that happened or is happening. We did get to visit Erie, PA on our trip back from picking up the Chrome Home in Jackson in May and then Promised Land in the Poconos in July. We head to Lake Champlain next weekend and then the Berkshires over Labor Day.
It is a weird time, sad time and for people who like to travel – it is tough not to be able to go as you wish. We are so, so, so very grateful to have gone on this trip last year. Really would have done my head in if Covid happened last year.
We hope, pray, believe that there will be more; maybe we will get to do the trips we had planned for 2020 in 2021. Thanks for joining & following. Be safe and well, in peace with love.
Until the next adventure…
Our road home took us back from Colorado through Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and finally Truxton, NY and then Brooklyn, NY. Long trip with mostly overnight stays, with an important stop in Jackson Center, OH – home of Airstream. We wanted to take the tour of the Airstream factory but also needed to get a couple of things on our trailer checked out & repaired. More on that later…
Those of you who know me, know I usually have a plan. Taking this 3 month trip helped me get comfortable with having a plan that covered the next 2-3 days. Very different from my typical several month (ok, year) plan. So traveling without reservations meant no plan; plan as you go. So we accessed Harvest Hosts, an app/membership that we sign on to that gives us access to farms, wineries & breweries where we can stay overnight for nothing (or next to nothing) and if time available, experience these businesses and their products. First stop, we stayed in Higgensville, MO at Arcadian Moon winery & brewery. We arrived late and had ample warning that cook was absent – so though we could stay, no food was available. We checked in and bought a bottle of wine (note, it was great).. felt since were we staying for free, we should try their offerings! But we needed food and B wanted to try some local BBQ. After settling the camper, we headed in to town to get some BBQ at Red Shanty BBQ & Roadside Cafe. B enjoyed some brisket and we both savored flash fried brussel sprouts and deep fried green beans. Delicious… We were exhausted after so many hours on the road, so boondocking (no electric or water) there was no issue since we were ready to sleep as soon as we got back to the winery.
BUT – the weather thought we should have an adventurous night. Winds whipped up and I woke worried there might be tornadoes. We were in the “zone”; so legit. B, sound asleep but he woke later as rain thunder, lightning came through. He stepped outside to do what guys can do outside, and rain started as he finished. He checked the Weather Channel app, determining it was moving north, so we’d be fine. It calmed enough for us to fall back to sleep only to have a close and super loud thunderclap wake him (and then me) violently from sleep. It’s funny now, but it was really scary then.
Next leg would take us to Indiana, Terre Haute KOA. Super nice campground where we could enjoy our last campfire after a delicious birthday (mine) dinner at Taj Mahal – I love Indian cuisine.
In and out the next day to travel to Airstream in Jackson Center, OH. We pulled in early looking for lunch – there were few choices and we wound up in a nearby bar satiating hunger with really bad pizza. Oh well, can’t all be good.
The Airstream Center is Airstream Central. Customer Service looks like you are looking at a camper. We engaged service to take a look at our camper as we went on the factory tour. It was really interesting to learn the history of Airstream and see how the various lines are made. The “factory” still produces handmade trailers – automation is limited. We saw so many campers – new and old; next gen and vintage. Not allowed to take pics inside the factory; but could take pics of some vintage as we travelled the outside lots. Loved it all.
Our service tech let us know that the issue we saw on the floor of the camper was indeed a water leak causing mold. They would need to remove and replace the entire floor to fix the water leak and eradicate the mold. UGH… Even though we were past warranty, Airstream said they would replace this without charge — as if we were, in fact, covered by warranty. OMG – how fantastic is that? What business does that anymore?? If you were on that tour and you got a sense as to how much this product means to the people who produce it, you would understand why they did that. The pride of the workforce was evident and I am so grateful to buy and support an American made product. They are in process of building a new plant; expanding their production capabilities for both Airstream trailers and the Mercedes touring coaches.
So, we had to decide — do we take the camper home and bring it back for service or leave it here now? They would not get to service our camper for at least 3 months they are so backed up and we want to be sure we can camp again in the spring. It’s an 8 hour drive from Truxton to Jackson Center to bring the camper back vs. figuring out if we can empty this whole thing out – leaving the camper “empty” — for service.
What to do…what to do. Emptying the camper seemed like a monumental task; can we even fit everything in there – including our bikes – in the truck? We debated our options and decided leaving the camper was our best option, so we spent the next several hours moving everything out of the camper in to the truck (or the garbage). We got it done and set up our service the next day – and hit the road back to NY without our trailer. It felt a little sad. She took us to so many beautiful places in this country and we weren’t bringing her home. Weird. We did experience a very cool spot Lucky Louies Beer & Weiners on our travels that offered a vegan option (note, few and far between) that I wish was always in our back yard.
We travelled on and got back to our country home in Truxton to feel such ease to be “home” and cooked dinner in our kitchen and slept in our comfortable queen size bed. We saw nature’s visitation on our home evidenced by shedded snake skins and a hornets nest in the unused grill…very cool. A nearly full moon and delight of space to enjoy created calm as we reset being home. And then further on to our BK home.
Plans for what is next were so up in the air given when we expected our granddaughter to arrive. LSS, we decided to head back to the city since traveling to San Francisco was easier than getting there from Syracuse. As we got back to Brooklyn, I felt happy to see my city skyline despite the honking for no (or stupid) reasons. Gleefully got a parking spot on my street, emptied the car, put everything away and went out for dinner.
Text from Kevin…inducing labor Sunday, expect Ava’s arrival Monday. Now, get planning…
What an amazing trip. We need time to process it all. Whenever I have been on a meditation retreat my teachers say it takes months to actually feel the effects. This trip has been a long meditation – so I know the effects will take some time to evolve in to my consciousness. This is the end of our trip from a logistics perspective; but I will add to this as we process the impact.
Our last stop, Golden, CO. near Keefe (who lives in Denver) for some father-son bonding while I head north to a meditation retreat at the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Center. I will have to rely on Brian for the retelling of their adventures as I wasn’t there!
Our first night, Keefe came & picked us up and took us to Boulder to enjoy a vegan food truck gathering. Lines were long, food was great but we had a bit of a rough start to our visit with a silly argument. These things happen and we repaired the falling out by the end of the evening. Keefe stayed with us in the camper even though he had to get up and off to Denver in the morning for work.
My 5 day retreat was called “Body as Mountain, Mind As Sky” — these frequently quoted phrases by the 13th Century Zen master Dogen evoke a feeling of embodied freedom, and form the basis of this retreat. So often we live as though we are separate from nature when, in fact, we are nature. It was a wonderful way to bring together all the experiences from the summer months in silent mediation practice (Silence is Golden; how apt). Much of our time was on the land at the Center, practicing creekside or on rockpiles atop the trails, listening to dharma talks around the campfire at night. I was fortunate my teacher, Jon Aaron, was one of our retreat leaders and it was a smaller, more intimate retreat than others I have been on-only about 15 of us. It was a beautiful center and a very special experience. Our last full day there we hiked up to Blue Lake in the Indian Peaks Wilderness area. I have no photos because in silent retreat, you give up your devices. It was an awesome hike – saw 2 bull moose on the way up, first time I have seen a bull, so cool, they are quite spectacular. There was still snow given the elevation and the trail was steep – we started at ~11,500 feet and ascended to 12,500 over 3 miles. TOTALLY worth it. We spent an hour or so up there before heading back down. I can share the trail from the All Trails app as well as some “borrowed” pictures.
While I was away, Keefe & Brian enjoyed time together – dinner with cousin Bailey who lives in Denver (and Keefe took her to the airport super early on Sat.!), haircut for B, Red Rocks hike, beers at Over Yonder Brewing Co. , tasting visit to Talnua Distillery, Impossible Whopper at Burger King, and a drive along the Mount Evans Scenic Byway, just 60 miles west of Denver – the highest paved road in North America. A day trip to the top is a journey that snakes and climbs through nearly 9,000 feet of elevation gain, from the high plains of Denver through five climate zones to the 14,264-foot summit of Mount Evans, one of 54 peaks in Colorado that soar to 14,000 feet and above – the famous “fourteeners.” They ran into a couple of goats on their travels in Mt. Evans as well. Sunday they did the Apex Trail near Golden and enjoyed dinner in town.
The evening I returned from the retreat, we had dinner with Keefe in Golden at a place called Derive – Keefe had to tackle a massive sandwich as you can see below. We were hoping to enjoy their noted dessert “Best Snickerdoodle Yet” … but sadly, they were out. Reason to return!
The next day biked in to Golden, took in a yoga class at Kindness Yoga, walked around town, did a little shopping and had a delicious lunch. We were both too pooped to hike that afternoon and it was crazy hot and humid. Good thing we did since the thunder storms rolled in later in the day. Since the heat was a factor, we decided to get out early the next day and take in Red Rocks even though Brian had already been there with Keefe, he went with me anyway. I had long wanted to see the natural amphitheater – ever since U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky concert movie. Now that I’ve seen the venue, definitely want to return to see a live show there.
We got to have one last dinner in Denver with Keefe at this amazing place called City, O City. SO delicious & Brian ran into someone who used to tend bar at Labrador Mountain, Rachel who was dining there with her visiting aunt & uncle and who lives blocks from Keefe. You never know! Before we headed back to Golden I got to see Keefe’s place and he snapped this photo of us.
We actually left Golden one day later than planned because we needed to stop at the Airstream Service Center in Jackson Center, OH before heading home. You may recall from the first stop, we were going to do the tour – but screwed up getting there in time. So we put it at the end of the trip which turned out great sine an issue popped up that we needed to get taken care of while there doing the tour. We’ll get to the trip home in the next post. It was adventurous.
Our next to last stop is in Moab, Utah to see Arches National Park and Canyonlands. Holy cow, it’s hot. Late August requires us to get on trail super early to avoid the 100 degree heat that rises by midday. We have 2 full days – one for Arches and one for Canyonlands.
Our campground was great – but who could imagine needing a hot tub (yes, the pool was definitely needed) in this heat. Have to say, it was nice once the evening began to cool the earth.
We heard/read that seeing Delicate Arch at sunrise was not to be missed, so we rose very early to reach the trail summit by 6:47AM. We had about a 35 minute drive to the trailhead and its rated as a “difficult” trail given the elevation gain; so took another 30 minutes (for Brian) and 40 minutes (for me) to get up the mile & a half to the Arch. Brian was determined NOT to MISS this, so I did not even try to keep up (5’5″ v. 6′ 1″ — my legs cannot measure up LOL). I arrived right at sunrise, thankful for the glow as she rose to light the trail along the way. It was quite spectacular.
We then planned to do the Devil’s Garden Loop Trail with 7 arches – nearly a 9 mile trail. We did the Primitive Trail with some tough scrambles – and at the suggestion of hikers on the All Trails app, did counterclockwise which was great. At the end of the day, we hit our highest mileage on trail – over 14 miles for the day. We were exhausted to say the least. What spectacular scenery, just amazing.
Day 2 we left not quite so early, but still…early to reach Mesa Arch in the Canyonlands. Brian & I agreed that other than Delicate Arch, this was the most beautiful arch we saw. And we were grateful we did not get there at sunrise as most people do as we heard a guide telling his group that there were 40 people there at sunrise that morning – it would have been tough jockeying for the perfect picture with 40 other people.
We left from there to the Grand View Point Trail, a short trail at 2.2 miles. Our last stop there was to visit the Green River Overlook. We wondered if this was where Thelma & Louise drove off the cliff…we were close, it was Dead Horse State Park.
Then went over to see the last couple of arches we didn’t have the strength to see the previous day in Arches National Park, Windows and Turret Arch and Double Arch. And we stopped to see Balanced Rock too!
That evening had a surprise in store for us when the lights went out in Moab, including our campground. It was magnificent in the pitch black with the sky full of stars! We could see the Milky Way galaxy and we saw 3 shooting stars. What a great way to cap off our Moab adventure.
Best part of the time we spent in AZ was that my girl, Meg was able to join us for a few days…happy momma. As we drove from California, we were struck by the extent of the wind farms and the crop farms. We did the trip from Yosemite over 2 days as it is quite far.
We wound up camping in Flagstaff rather than on the north rim as originally planned because logistics were easier for all of us and there was better access to other things like shops & yoga in Flagstaff. Luckily we were able to get a sit at the Flagstaff KOA which was really nice – we could even have a campfire believe it or not! Wednesday was a great day for a “regroup” – an early morning hike near Flagstaff, midday yoga and a delicious lunch in town, and an oil change – we’d put many miles on the truck! We caught up on grocery replenishment and had and early night.
Since Meg has – naturally – already been to the Grand Canyon, we went up there super early on Thursday to take it in. We were on the road before sunrise, which was cool to see the day take shape as we drove to the south rim entrance. We even saw a coyote from the road. Brian had also been to the Canyon before, but it was my first experience there. We arrived, parked and walked out to Mather Point. Like many, I would imagine, my jaw dropped as we walked to the overlook. The sheer vastness of the Canyon is so humbling; simply that, humbling.
We then made our way on the shuttle over to the South Kaibab trailhead and were greeted by a thirsty elk at the water station. Brian decided to help the big guy out with a drink.
Only to walk around to the other side of the sign when we cam back to see this:
They really need to put that sign on both sides.
We wanted to hike into the Canyon but wary of crowds & heat, decided to do just do the 2 mile trek to Ooh Aah Point. As we got to the point, with Brian ahead of me (as usual), I slipped and took a knee. Brian was caught up watching some guy lose his paper bag to the Canyon wind and when he turned around to see me on the trail (after others had seen me & were asking “are you okay?”); he says “what are you doing? Tying your shoe?” OMG – here I am worrying I am going to fall off the trail and die and he’s wondering if I am tying my shoe. It’s funny now, but that was enough – we called it and headed back up trail.
The rest of our trip was like most folks, walking along the West Rim Trail to the various overlook points. It was very cool to see the Canyon from so many different perspectives. We caught the shuttle back to the parking lot, enjoyed our lunch and headed back to Flagstaff – but we did see a group of 5 bull elk (6×6 or bigger) on our way out of the park.
We embarked early on Friday to take a mountain bike ride. We got to a trail we found on the MBT app (not easy to find trails in Flagstaff even though they have many); but it was ridiculously hard for us amateurs (well, this amateur). All I kept thinking was I do not want to wind up in the hospital before Meg gets here & ruin this weekend. So, we bailed and found another trail that was decently difficult but not life threatening and were done in time to just make a yoga class before heading over to visit the Wanderlust (HAH!) Brewery. How appropriate…we shared our wanderlust story, enjoyed their beer, got a couple of stickers and ordered a t-shirt (they were out of my size). This all helped pass the time waiting for my girl. Funny thing happened on the way to Wanderlust though — we saw a sign advertising an upcoming concert with the Crash Test Dummies. How many of you remember their big hit? Oh my, “Mmm…mmm…mmm…mmm…” was swimming in our heads for many hours thereafter. Damn, now it’s in there again. LOL.
Meg arrived Friday night after a bit of car trouble requiring her to get a rental in order to make the journey up from Phoenix. She arrived in a pick up truck! We had a lovely dinner, some prosecco and an early evening because our tour guides were due to pick us up at 5AM for our tour to Upper & Lower Antelope Canyon & Horseshoe Bend the next day. You cannot access the Canyons without a Navajo Guide – but rather than driving (2+ hours) up there and take a chance to get tickets for a guided tour at the Canyon, we decided to book with Navajo Tours Direct to guarantee entry at the best times of day for lighting/pictures and to save us from having to drive there & back. It was the right decision, even though they were delayed picking us up due to construction road blocks, our guides were great. They shared so much information about the land, Navajo Nation and other interesting facts – and even took us off tour to a couple of other locations along the way.
We had a 7:45am tour of Lower Antelope Canyon – best to see this in the early morning light. Pictures from here are indeed Mac screen savers. You can see why. The guide was so helpful in getting the best shots – knowing the right settings, filters, angles, etc. She even taught us how to take a vertical pano picture. Antelope Canyons are slot canyons, said to be the most beautiful in the world. Lower AC is below ground and shaped like a V and below ground; Upper Canyon is shaped like an A and above ground.
The vertical pano
We next headed to Upper Antelope Canyon and then once outside, to an extra view of another slot canyon in the area.
There aren’t many words needed to describe the beauty of these canyons – the pictures speak beauty.
We enjoyed a nice lunch and then headed over to Horseshoe Bend. It was getting very hot and the crowds were getting big as we hiked to 2 mile out & back. Our guides told us stories of when they were young boys and would climb the canyons using garden hose for rope, go fishing and play in the chilly water of the Colorado River. Quite something.
As we drove back, we stopped along the roadside to see some native vendors and the Vermillion Cliffs and also take in the “million dollar cut” that restored highway access after a landslide closed Highway 89 for 2 years. Layers of asphalt crumbled as about 150 feet of the southbound lanes separated and slid down the steep bluff. Chunks of the highway settled as much as 8 feet below the old roadbed. Without the highway, the only paved road was a 125-mile detour through Tuba City and Kaibeto. A shorter road, Navajo Route 20, was unpaved and riddled with deep gouges and washouts. The state and tribe eventually paved that road at a cost of $35 million, but it still meant long hours on the bus for kids. Our guides returned us safely to our campground in time to enjoy a shower, nap (Meg) and dinner. Meg misses my cooking so she really enjoyed that and we enjoyed the delicious vegan cheesecake she brought for us. We had a nice fire and some wine, exhausted from the long day.
We extended our stay in Flagstaff through Monday so we could hang out together on Sunday and not have to pack up and leave by noon. We hiked a nearby trail that included some cool lava caves & tubes.
Sadly, we said goodbye to Meg around 6. I’m so happy she is doing well and is enjoying life in Phoenix, but man…I miss her.
We packed up so we could get in some early exercise before heading off to Moab the next day. I went to a yoga class and Brian headed off for a bike ride — only to call me as I was half way to class to tell me his chain broke! He wound up walking the bike back to the campground and getting us set to go by the time I returned from yoga. We hit the road for the next destination shortly after.
We had 4 full days to spend in Yosemite (which I sometimes confuse with Yellowstone – thus “the other Y park”). Brian & I both felt like this was our favorite park – we hiked every day and saw the amazing landmarks – so much variety, so much to see; magnificent.
This will mostly be pictures since that is going to tell the story. A few notes though – we originally booked a campground in the park – but JUST inside the park, not down in the Yosemite Valley. As it was a government park, no hookups (i.e., electric, sewer, water) and certainly no wifi. The weather was going to be hot, so we decided to make a change and were able to get a nice spot about 20 minutes further out, which was great as the tradeoff between services v. extra travel time weighed heavily in favor of services. Ultimately, it was a good call. I would say though if you plan to go to Yosemite, try to camp in the Valley – you need to book WAY ahead of time to get those coveted sites.
Second note, I mentioned in our San Francisco post that Jesse’s cousin Thuy was planning to hike Half Dome that weekend. We saw a few Half Domers on the trails, they all looked gleefully spent. We found out from Jesse that she was successful and said it was HARD but BEAUTIFUL. Congrats, Thuy!
Lastly, the drive out of the park to the next venue was scary if you took the wrong road pulling a camper. Luckily we were given directions from the folks at the campground and avoided Priest Grade Road – a steep 17% grade downhill.
Day 1: Taking in the major sites – El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls, Half Dome, Tunnel View, Glacier Point and hike to Lower Yosemite Falls (with view of Upper Yosemite Falls) and then one to Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake is supposed to offer a spectacular reflection of Half Dome, but at this time of year, it was more of a puddle than a full lake, so that was a miss. But the water was cool on our achy feet. Tunnel View was the most amazing view in the park. We had several wildlife encounters including 2 rattlesnakes on the Mirror Lake trail, deer near the visitor center and bear up at Glacier Point. And now that I have seen El Capitan with my own eyes, I plan to watch Free Solo. That dude (Alex Honnold) is crazy! It was not the right time of year to see the famous light show of Horsetail Fall, sometimes simply called “the Firefall” or “the Horsetail Firefall”. It is really only visible in winter, mid-to-late February, but looks stunning. Maybe a return visit…
Day 1: Taking in the major sites – El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls, Half Dome, Tunnel View, Glacier Point and hike to Lower Yosemite Falls (with view of Upper Yosemite Falls) and then one to Mirror Lake. Mirror Lake is supposed to offer a spectacular reflection of Half Dome, but at this time of year, it was more of a puddle than a full lake, so that was a miss. But the water was cool on our achy feet. Tunnel View was the most amazing view in the park. We had several wildlife encounters including 2 rattlesnakes on the Mirror Lake trail, deer near the visitor center and bear up at Glacier Point. And now that I have seen El Capitan with my own eyes, I plan to watch Free Solo. That dude (Alex Honnold) is crazy! It was not the right time of year to see the famous light show of Horsetail Fall, sometimes simply called “the Firefall” or “the Horsetail Firefall”. It is really only visible in winter, mid-to-late February, but looks stunning. Maybe a return visit…
Day 2: Hike to Vernal Falls via the Mist Trail with a return via the John Muir Trail. Falls are very strong for the time of year – the trail was indeed misted on, and if you went past the touristy viewing platform you could see Nevada Falls which was even stronger as well as the feed into the Vernal Falls. We opted not to do the trek to Nevada Falls, since the bonus to see the Falls is via a scramble along a sharp ridge. No thanks. When we finished the trail, we went over to Curry Village and noshed on pizza & beer and then took the shuttle over to the Ahwahnee Hotel (formerly the Yosemite Majestic Hotel).
Day 3: We travelled south to Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite and is home to over 500 mature giant sequoias. We rose early to get over there to avoid crowds and heat, but once you passed the major view point of the Giant Grizzly, it was dead quiet and wonderfully beautiful hiking up the rest of the trail to Wawona Point, an overlook with panoramic views. At the top of the trail is the densest grove of Sequoias. We also encountered a couple of deer who didn’t seem to mind us being there. It was lovely to watch them together. We also experienced a huge pine cone falling to the ground with a wicked loud thump. Not a sequoia cone as those are only as big as an egg, but it was HUGE and we were grateful it didn’t land on us! Many of the trees have names, as mentioned in captions below. The drive back to camp led us down through Yosemite – and we saw the effects of later day/weekend (this was Saturday) on traffic in the park with a 2 HOUR wait to get into the Valley. Yikes, glad we didn’t have to manage through that.
Day 4: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, a relatively short drive from our campsite. It was not very busy when we went Sunday morning – and the campground staff didn’t think it was all that beautiful. Wrong! It was not only beautiful, but very interesting. The O’Shaughnessy Dam was completed in 1938. Today the 117-billion-gallon reservoir supplies drinking water to 2.4 million Bay Area residents and hydro-electric power generated by two plants downstream.
5 years ago Meg and her friend camped in Yosemite and took one of my most favorite pictures of her ever. My friend Gail saw how much I loved it and made it into a tile for me and I keep it by my bedside. We were excited to get on this trail and try to find the spot where she took the photo. Below you see Meg on the left in wheel pose, me in tree pose in the middle and Brian recreating Meg’s wheel on the right. Not exactly same angle, but pretty good! Meg teared up when I sent her the pictures — but took a few minutes to realize that was Brian in wheel!
Great hike right up to the base of the Wapama Falls the other Falls (Tueeulala) were dry. On the way back to camp, we stopped at the Evergreen Lodge for a brew and contemplated coming back for dinner so B could try the Elk Meatloaf (we didn’t; again, perhaps a return trip). Nevertheless, it was a cool place and we got to chat with another recent young (meaning, like our age) retiree and shared our adventure tales.
Ok, for saying not there would not be much writing, there was more than I thought. This is a park we will likely return to in the future.
Next stop…Arizona – the Grand Canyon and even better, a visit with my daughter, Meg.
…in San Francisco. Ahhhh! So great to see Kevin and Jesse and Jesse’s growing baby belly as we get closer to her due date (9/16). She looks beautiful even if pregnancy is making it harder and harder to breathe. Baby Ava is an active little one, so mama is feeling her now. I would share a lovely family photo IF I had remembered to take one … grrr… I even reminded everyone at dinner NOT to forget. We all forgot. *sigh* Very mad at myself for that. So, I will share a couple of my favorite pictures of the two of them instead.
And one from when Jack & Meg came to visit their big brother for his birthday last month.
Anyway, we arrived in Marin RV park (really a parking lot for RVs with a small pool) late Tuesday and just hung out there that evening. Not a long drive, but we dod get in to some traffic, so made it a different than most of the drives on the trip. Office was closed when we arrived, so we pulled in and set up – noticing the Trader Joe’s walking distance to our camper. We needed a few items, so we walked over, good to get the blood circulating again after sitting in the truck. Got back & then realized we forgot something we really needed that night, so off we went again to the store. At least we could walk.
We were excited to head in to spend the next couple of days in the city, staying with Kevin & Jesse at their lovely home in Outer Sunset. They were both working during the day, so we decided to take a bike ride out in Marin before heading in. We did the Paradise Loop, excellent ride — but we didn’t go all the way to the Golden Gate — just from our campground in Greenbrae, so about 26 miles.
Beautiful rolling hills, a good part of the ride was on trails too, and on the roads, not too much traffic, slow speed limits for the cars that were very aware that bikers were common to the route. We enjoyed the ride and fantastic views.
We cleaned up before heading in to SF so Jesse wouldn’t be offended by our gritty camper selves. She had asked in a text when we had last showered, so we exercised caution. As far as we could tell, we passed Jesse’s sniff test!
Jesse was in when we arrived and gave Brian the house tour. There had been some very nice furniture acquisitions since I had last visited only days after they had moved in, including many items for baby. Hospital bag packed & ready and clothes for Ava all organized and waiting for her arrival. She also showed us the garden where Kevin has been working on his green thumb – producing jalapeños and new buds for tomatoes. He gets such joy cultivating his plants, nice to see. We had also ordered more Trenary Toast delivered to their house, YEA, so we restocked for the remainder of our trip.
We caught up on our devices now that we had internet access. OMG, such quick internet. Been a long time since it performed so well! Jesse went to pick Kev up from work and I was so happy to see him when he arrived. I miss him so much and hope one day they will all return to NY so we can be closer.
We brought over some of the salmon we caught in Klamath and enjoyed a lovely dinner. Hung out catching up and watching a few episodes of Queer Eye that evening. Then we got to sleep in a queen size bed. So nice…
One of the things Brian was excited for and maybe a but nervous about was being able to weigh himself. We hadn’t had access to a scale since we launched our journey and we could tell he was losing weight with all the good food and exercise, just didn’t know how much. He had a goal for the trip – so now was the time to see how he was progressing. I told him to wait until morning because we weigh less then. Moment of truth…woohoo! 15lbs less. Excellent result, he was happy with that. Me, on the other hand, 0lbs. How is that possible? Same intense level of exercise, same food – nothing lost. I put it down to improving muscle mass, and my pre-trip exercise and nutrition levels. Sigh, just not fair. Even 1 lb, c’mon!!
Not letting it deter me, we needed to get some yoga in to counter the rides & hikes, so we walked about 1/2 mile to Ocean Beach Yoga and enjoyed an excellent Gentle Stretch & Strengthen class, perfect antidote! We took advantage of the intro offer – buy one class, next is free and went to an Align & Refine class the next day before heading back to Marin. The teachers were excellent, but our Align teacher, Nicole was hilarious. I would try to explain what was so funny, but it would not come across right; one of those you had to be there moments. I look forward to going back there when we are out looking after family when Ava arrives. Nice to have a “home studio” that is unpretentious, with excellent teachers and within walking distance.
I wanted to do the Land’s End trail with Brian, so we headed out there that afternoon. A bit crowded, but such a nice hike and some great views down by the beach and of the Golden Gate. We also went over to the Legion of Honor and when I asked if I could use the restroom, they said I could if I had an admission ticket. Oh well, hold it! If you haven’t been there, it is a beautiful building with a very moving Holocaust memorial outside and a Rodin Thinker statue in the plaza. Jack happened to call me just after our stop there and we both thought there was more than one Thinker statue cause I swore I had seen it in Baltimore. Wikipedia says that is so, but who knew!
Finished the trail and headed off to meet Anne (Mitchell) Moselle & her husband Dave in North Beach for a pint. But we had some time, so I tried to find the Crooked Street, but GPS took us somewhere in the vicinity, but we did not see it. Brian was getting a bit unnerved by the city traffic & my driving, so we headed over to North Beach, circled around looking for parking to no avail and wound up in a garage not built for trucks. I knocked over a cone, around the first turn – it was SO tight! – so I got out and let B park it.
Anne is a friend of the Garrett family since childhood and also happens to be a sorority sister of mine (go Kappa Delta!) from Cornell. After many, many years of not seeing Anne – we had now seen each other 2x in the last 2 months as she was at the wedding we attended in July too. I picked this picture up off Anne’s FB page, at least she remembered to take a picture.
We picked a cool Irish pub, Maggie McGarry’s, in that neighborhood – SF’s “Little Italy” – because Kevin had made dinner reservations at one of the oldest Italian restaurants in North Beach, The Stinking Rose: A Garlic Restaurant. It has become famous for celebrating the culinary euphoria of garlic and serving over 3,000 pounds of the pungent herb each month. We ordered the garlic in a hot tub to start, and there was plenty of delicious garlic after that as well. Good thing we were all there so we didn’t offend each other later. It was a delightful evening. Jesses cousin, Thuy (pronounced Twee) came by that evening, she was the next guest to share space at the O’Connor household and we learned we would be in Yosemite at the same time – but she is climbing Half Dome, so not likely we would see her. But, you never know…
I thought it was funny that we brought our laundry with us to their house — usually it’s the kid bringing their laundry over to mom’s! But they were generous enough to let us clean up during our stay. Kevin was up and out early Friday morning, so we hugged goodbye saying next time I see him, he will be holding his newborn daughter. Wow.
As mentioned before, we got in our second yoga class, came back and said bye to Jesse and her passenger. We look forward to visiting again soon.
I was a little bummed to realize too late that it was Outside Lands festival that weekend in SF. Would have been a blast to hang out and enjoy the music, food and sunshine (and fog) — only a short walk from Kev’s house. I had heard about it earlier in the year and didn’t put it together that we would be in the vicinity during our trip – but we had plans to move on, so be it. Another reason to come back (as if we need one).
We made our way back to Marin and later that afternoon headed over to Woodacre to show Brian where I go on meditation retreat — Spirit Rock. There are some hiking trails there, one that quite steep and long that I wanted to have him trek so he can get a sense of what I do when I am there in silence. It was a beautiful afternoon for it and it was a challenging hike. I had done it back in April but in the opposite direction. It was more difficult this direction because the descent was super steep with lose gravel. A few scary moments, but all was well. Except that I did mention rather late in the hike that back in April, there was a large rattlesnake on the property. He staked out a spot on the sidewalk to the meditation hall and basked in the warm sunlight. The staff posted a sandwich board type sign warning of the rattler and we all walked around it when visible and carefully when not. Brian is not a fan of snakes, so that was not a welcome revelation. We didn’t see any but we did see plenty of lizards (that can scare the bejesus out of you how quickly they appear & disappear), deer and turkeys. I really liked sharing that experience with him.
We got back for a nice dinner that evening, hitting Trader Joe’s and BevMo! one more time for ice and a few remaining items we wanted on board before heading off to Carmel-by-the-Sea the next day.
From SF, we headed south to Carmel-by-the-Sea. Such a lovely name for a town. The campground was small with less than 40 sites, but it was nice – except that the showers only ran for 10 seconds at a time, requiring you to keep pressing the button. Silly…
At one point, we counted 7 Air Streams in the campground. This was the most we had seen on one location – and super high percentage given how small the campground was. As we were walking out of the registration office, we passed by someone who looked familiar, only to discover that they were our neighbors at the last campground, Marin RV park. They parked next to us here at Carmel too. They were visiting fro Holland, where they get 1 month off for vacation and had rented an RV to see some sights in America. We ran into them the next day on our hike as well. Small world.
We went in to town that evening looking for Clint Eastwood. Ha, not really, but it would have been cool to run into him. For those who may not know, Mr. Eastwood was once mayor of Carmel. B is a big fan of his. We took a walk on the beach and wandered around the town. Very cute, quaint and wealthy town.
We only had one full day to spend in Carmel as we planned our monthly pampering out of the camper day for Monday. Yes, we realize we had time out of the camper in SF – but this was a special trip to Big Sur and I didn’t want to white knuckle the drive down Rt. 1 with the camper in tow. Sow e did a double in Camel with a hike in Point Lobos State Reserve. It was an amazing hike of interconnected trails along the coastline with sea lions, cypress grove, bluff views and historical info. It was a bit foggy, which impeded the view – but we really enjoyed the hike & lunch afterwords in the picnic area. From there we went over to Monterey Coast to do a bike ride. Most of the ride was excellent once we got through the heavily trafficked area near the beach/town. We had planned a quick detour to the pro shop at Pebble Beach golf course, but when we arrived, it was $10.50 entrance fee just to get on the 17 Mile Drive to the shop, so Brian did a U-Turn and left, refused to pay that just so we could go spend money in their pro shop!
We were spent by the time we got back to camp that evening, but were happy to welcome a visitor, Tom cat, who decided he liked us enough to come by for some pets.
For a long time, I have wanted to visit Esalen Institute in Big Sur. They do a lot of different workshops, but the real calling for me was the healing water of their Hot Springs. They are open to the public from 1am – 3am if you reserve that morning. That was not in the cards for us, but if you book a massage, you can have access to the springs for an hour before and after your massage. It is built right in to the cliffside of the pacific ocean. It is absolutely magnificent.
That is from their website – I took a photo on our way down there before I saw the “no photography” sign.
No doubt the reason is that there are outdoor massages happening and bathing itself is clothing optional. We soaked for a while until they called us for our massages. It was the most sublime experience of my life. The full length window was open enough to hear the crashing waves. No need for canned spa music when that natural soul calming sound is available. I felt so relaxed and cared for when done, and we soaked for another hour or so before heading north to check in to our hotel for the night … another amazing once in a lifetime experience.
I booked an over the top expensive one night stay at the Post Ranch Inn. When we were at Cornell reunion weekend this year, one of the alums we were telling about our trip plans suggested this place as a real pamper treat. She indulges once every so often, so I took note and looked it up and thought it was crazy. But then, we are probably never going to do this again, so I went ahead and booked it. It was worth every minute and every penny. OH MY… We had champagne at check in and were driven over to our room – it’s not a hotel with a big building, but rather 39 guest rooms around the property. Our room, called “Pick” was right on the cast with a bench outside where we watched the sunset, possibly the most beautiful one I have seen in a long time. As we sat, a blue bird came to join us and a small buck popped up right in front of us. It was magical.
We went to the meditation pool, enjoyed dinner at their restaurant, Sierra Mar – where there was star gazing out on the balcony and we saw Jupiter, Saturn and an incredible close up of the moon’s surface. We made a fire when we got back to the room and enjoyed the last bit of the evening. We took a yoga class the next morning, enjoyed breakfast, soaked again, took a shower with the windows wide open as if outdoors and checked out at the very last minute we could (1PM). We ate, drank or took with us all of the complementary food & beverage. It was truly such an indulgent respite for these pampered glampers.
The drive along Highway 1 is stunning. For those of you that have been on this coastal stunner, you will no doubt concur – even if there are a few scary bits. It was a fog-free day on our way down and our way back, so we got to take in the beauty of this drive. On the way back, we stopped to do a hike in Andrew Molera State Park called “Beach, Bluffs, Panorama, Ridge and Creamery Meadow Loop”, an 8+ hike that had everything including over 1,300 feet elevation gain. When we were deciding whether we should do the hike or just go back to Carmel – Brian said, what else are we going to do? So, we hiked. It was quite exhausting but a super nice way to end our time in Big Sur.
We drove back to Carmel, stopped to replenish some items, saw some of the antique cars that were in for the car show (we missed that, started after we left), and headed back to camp where Tom (the cat) visited us again.
The next day, we were off to Yosemite.
What an experience.
Our trip next took us to northern California and Redwood National & State Parks. As we learned from a park ranger, it is the only park in the US that is BOTH National & State. The park, near the northern limit of the coast redwood’s narrow range, preserves the remnants of a forest that once covered two million acres and, at the turn of the 20th century, was badly threatened by logging. The state of California and the Save-the-Redwoods League came to the rescue by acquiring hundreds of groves and protecting them within 26 state parks. Three redwood state parks—Jedediah Smith, Del Norte Coast, and Prairie Creek—were encompassed by the national park when it was created in 1968.[source] Most people know Redwood as home to the tallest trees on Earth. It is indeed that and more. We were fortunate to share space with these giants, enjoy Fern Canyon, the ocean coastline and catch salmon in the estuary during our stay. Our campsite was situated right along the Klamath River, though chilly & foggy in the morning and evening, provided a lovely backdrop for our stay. We even took in several rounds of table tennis at the campground. So much fun!
We hiked among the mighty Redwoods our first day. Anyone who has ever been in their presence will attest to how small you feel – in many ways. Understanding how long some of these giants have held their place here brings that moment of awareness of my infinitesimal smallness in the scope of this world. But that was a moment – long or short lived, small or big, we all have that possibility of making an impact on this world. The indigenous Yurok inhabit this land and we learned much about their past and present from our visit.
We did get to see “Big Tree” which is just a tourist attraction since we got to see other bigger trees. It’s just that Big Tree is big and old and in a convenient spot for tourists to see and appreciate and take pictures. So did we.
Trail hike amp is a bit messed up cause I forgot to turn it off as we drove away LOL!
That afternoon we hiked along the coast to Hidden Beach. Challenging hike but we got through and enjoyed the trek.
We also discovered that even if a campsite advertises free WiFi it doesn’t mean you get access to it! That’s ok, we’re used to it by now. Just don’t promise it!
On Monday we headed out early to meet our fishing guide Mick Thomas. Been a long time since we woke to an alarm at 5:30am. He took us out salmon fishing in the Klamath River estuary. We met him at the dock, boarded his jet boat, flew over some pretty low water, skimming rocks to get there and trolled until we hooked. In the meantime we shared stories and pictures. Mick so in love with his granddaughter Jolene who turned 1 the day before. He also showed us some of his hunting & fishing photos – one of a herd of bull Roosevelt Elk in a field that blew my mind. Must have been between 30-40 of them. Very cool. So cool that a dude who lives that life got out of his truck to photograph them. Mick, very cool dude. Good times.
We hooked 3 and pulled in 2. Brian got the first salmon – pulled in a 8-50lb. fish (closer to 8). First one I tried to reel in shook off the hook; I wasn’t reeling her in right. I was okay with that because there was a limit of 1 salmon per so if I’d got that one, we’d have been done and it was still early. We trolled some action. Then, Mick thought we’d have a lull because the tide wasn’t moving so we’d have to wait a bit. Brian said he hadn’t seen any seal activity which is a sign of fish in the water. Then a few seals started to pop their heads up we noticed. And then another hooked and I was on to reel her in. Mick was great helping to guide/coach me and we landed her. About 18-20lbs. woohoo!!! Brian took a video, so cool.
One thing I just loved that Mick said – “the salmon are imprinted with the river where they are born and return there to spawn”. Wow.
In the photo with both our catches, B’s looks the same due to his use of perspective in pushing his fish forward. Very good B! I needed 2 hands to hold mine up :).
Mick filleted the fish for us, took the roe for steelhead bait and tossed the carcasses in the water. We watched a seal swimming back and forth nearby after catching the scent of the first carcass which was pretty close to the boat. Mick threw the second (bigger) one further out and that seal moved in to grab the remains for her lunch. We finished up and went back to camp to store our catch and take a nap.
Since we got back at a decent time, we decided to go out and see Fern Canyon that afternoon. You’ve likely seen this scenery in some movie. Dusty dirt road to get there. Brutal – but the lush canyon was worth it (but then again, I wasn’t the driver). I’d never experienced anything like this.
Very Good day, tater. We also both noticed that our fitness level had definitely increased. Things that were so hard were now not that difficult.
I broke vegan that night to partake of this glorious fish that gave her life to nourish us. Delicious! We even shared some with our camping neighbors as we had more than we could enjoy or fit in our freezer. They were very appreciative.
Next destination-San Francisco. Staying in Marin County RV park, but spending a couple nights with Kev & Jesse. Drive from Klamath to Marin was serene. Until there was traffic. Hello city.
Having been to the mountaintop (well, not really, but my heart felt like it); we ventured further south to Oregon. We were staying in 2 locations — one between Portland & Mt. Hood and then further south to visit Crater Lake.
The last (and only) time I visited Portland with my BF Ann in 2014, the trip was cut short so I could get back to NY because my father’s health was rapidly declining. We made a quick change of plans after being there only a couple days and got the next flight back to central NY and rented a car to get to the hospital. I was the last of the 6 kids to get there and he died shortly after I arrived. He was – is – my favorite man in the world. So, it was rather bittersweet to go back, but Portland is a wonderful city with so much to see and do. Alas, we had but one long afternoon but we really made the most of it! I place it 3rd In my list of favorite US cities – behind NY and New Orleans.
After we got set up at our campground, we drove close to the city with our bikes in tow, parked and then took off to bike around the waterfront and across 2 bridges (Steel and Sellwood). Portland is a fantastic bike friendly town and known for the many (12) bridges across the Willamette River. We had 2 destinations in the city – first Salt & Straw for deliciously interesting ice cream. They have some crazy flavors and let you try before you buy, so we did plenty of that ultimately settling on meyer lemon & blueberries and roasted strawberries and coconut (me) and for B, the meyer lemon and cinnamon snickerdoodle. We ate it before we could take a picture! Unfortunately they were out of the raspberry & wasabi sorbet I was hoping to try – but we were delighted and spent the rest of the day working off the ice cream.
We biked pretty much uphill to the Japanese Garden. We had a little over an hour to take in the beauty, peace and serenity.
“Born out of a hope that the experience of peace can contribute to a long lasting peace. Born out of a belief in the power of cultural exchange. Born out of a belief in the excellence of craft. The Portland Japanese Garden is a place to let go of worldly thoughts and see oneself as a small but integral part of the universe.”
The International Rose Test Garden was right next to the Japanese Garden, but we were running out of daylight time to get back to the other side of the river, so we have a reason to return!
We cycled back over the Sellwood bridge and admired the houses down on the river – and other site to explore on the next trip. We got back to the Foster Rd. area where we parked the truck only to find the food carts we were hoping to dine from mostly closed. (Portland is also well known for it’s food cart scene). Turned out to be a good thing as we quickly found Thunderbird Bar that had the best buffalo and BBQ chik’n sliders, delicious cider and IPA and a super cool vibe. We dined, drove back to camp and promptly conked out.
The next day we drove to our camp site closer to Crater Lake. I was tickled by the town names along the route and near our next locale. Boring, Zigzag, Government Camp…really.
Trillium Lake is said to have the most beautiful view of Mt. Hood, so we thought we would get a change of pace by kayaking on it the next day. We booked for 4 hours, but that was overkill – it’s not a big lake; but yes indeed quite beautiful.
From there we drove up the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway and visited the historic Timberline Lodge. What a site! Known for being the exterior of the hotel in The Shining…
it was constructed from 1936 to 1938 by the Work Progress Administration it was built and furnished by local artisans during the Great Depression and later declared a National Historic Landmark. Back when government did good things. Truly spectacular. The chairs in the bar weighed more than me.
Our last day in Oregon was taking in the breathtaking Crater Lake: “Crater Lake inspires awe. Native Americans witnessed its formation 7,700 years ago, when a violent eruption triggered the collapse of a tall peak. Scientists marvel at its purity: fed by rain and snow, it’s the deepest lake in the USA and one of the most pristine on earth. Artists, photographers, and sightseers gaze in wonder at its blue water and stunning setting atop the Cascade Mountain Range.”
We were indeed awed. We traversed the Discovery Trail for some beautiful views and then hiked up Mt. Scott to get a broader panoramic view. It was a challenging and fulfilling hike.
After we got back down Mt. Scott, we drove over to catch a couple of other key sites around the lake – Phantom Ship and the Pinnacles. Phantom Ship is a small island in Crater Lake in the U.S. state of Oregon. It’s a natural rock formation pillar which derives its name from its resemblance to a ghost ship, especially in foggy and low-light conditions. The Pinnacles are a group of volcanic pumice spires, colored various shades of grey and brown, formed by erosion.
We didn’t drive around the entire rim of the Lake – we felt like different viewpoints were not going to add anything more to our reverence, so we called it.
Back on the bikes! Next morning, we rode out from our campsite to take a trail by the Rogue River. Had a bit of a rough go on the bike trail with overgrowth and downed logs – according to a runner on the trail, some had been there for at least 3 years, so we didn’t do the entire trail, but it was a good ride, especially when we found the blackberries alongside the trail and helped ourselves to mother nature’s sweets.
I finally got to make the vegan Bahn Mi sandwiches I have been wanting to make for some time, delicious! end to our time in Oregon. Off the the Redwoods in the morning.
Wanderlust In Silver 