Bill got to see Lake Havasu City today. He has talked about it as a possible winter escape. It sits on the Columbia River and Lake Havasu and is a year-round resort area. The city is larger than we thought, it sports all the stores you would expect to find in civilization USA. The downtown area has the London Bridge that you may have heard of --maybe 5 years ago--that was shipped over here from London. Boating, fishing, hiking, jeeping, golfing and having sunshine are the main highlights. The town looks very new and most homes are the same--single dwellings, all light stucco and built rather close together. We only saw about 3 resorts that were 2 to 3 stories high.
We headed east this afternoon and took Route 66 for several hours. Some of the towns along the route have really made the old buildings look like they may have looked in the 50's and 60's. Tourists were out today in those towns. Most restaurants served food outside. Motel signs advertised Roomy Rooms or private baths. We only stopped in just 2 stores. I didn't remember that James Dean was an icon for this road. Cardboard cut-outs were of Dean and Elvis were everywhere. Even some near the entrance to the bathrooms.
Saw some great sandals by minneonka trimmed in Native American motifs. Looked similar to a bracelet design. Too expensive for a vacation whim.
It was another beautiful day. Trains were our constant companion on the tracks next to Route 66. Sometimes an East bound train would pass a West bound train. Certainly keeps trucks to a minimum.
Tomorrow we travel to New Mexico to visit Bill's cousin, Lynn Gilkey, who used to live in Cazenovia.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Saturday
Water, water, cool clear water! Death Valley dries you right out. We left for Death Valley before the sun came up. It is very barren but with mountains, valleys and dips. The dips almost made you sick to your stomach--they were frequent and steep. The registration area was almost 30 miles into the valley. There was an aquifer underground, so there were some trees and green. The place we enjoyed most was the Artist's loop. Very narrow roads, one way travel, some areas with huge dips were just wide enough for one car. Trucks and long vans were not allowed into the Park. They called the area Artist's Way because the roads had some color instead of looking like dark volcanic rocks.
We discovered that bikers seem to love the valley. One biker had camped in the middle of no where and was packing up his tent as we drove by. I just do not understand the purpose of testing yourself in that harsh environment.
The Golden Canyon was another interesting place with narrow walkways between cliffs. It was a little unsettling to see all the rocks that had fallen on the path. I didn't venture too far.
After lots of driving we got back to a main road. We did see sand dunes and valley floors but mostly Death Valley is similar to other drives out west. Rocky Mountains of various sizes, scrubby growth, no growth--looked like gravel had been dumped on the ground in a lot of places--and roads to drive on that let you experience all of the variety. The temperature high for the day was only 90 degrees. It is usually 100 or more this time of year. It really wasn't too bad but you had to drink all the time. Very drying.
We arrived in Loughlin in time for dinner. The Saturday night special, for $18.00, was all the crab legs you could eat and prime rib. And of course all the other stuff you get on a buffet. Delicious.
We discovered that bikers seem to love the valley. One biker had camped in the middle of no where and was packing up his tent as we drove by. I just do not understand the purpose of testing yourself in that harsh environment.
The Golden Canyon was another interesting place with narrow walkways between cliffs. It was a little unsettling to see all the rocks that had fallen on the path. I didn't venture too far.
After lots of driving we got back to a main road. We did see sand dunes and valley floors but mostly Death Valley is similar to other drives out west. Rocky Mountains of various sizes, scrubby growth, no growth--looked like gravel had been dumped on the ground in a lot of places--and roads to drive on that let you experience all of the variety. The temperature high for the day was only 90 degrees. It is usually 100 or more this time of year. It really wasn't too bad but you had to drink all the time. Very drying.
We arrived in Loughlin in time for dinner. The Saturday night special, for $18.00, was all the crab legs you could eat and prime rib. And of course all the other stuff you get on a buffet. Delicious.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Thursday
Today we drove south and then east from Bakersfield. Very, very dry. Hundreds of orchards, grapes and oranges growing everywhere but very little irrigation happening. We're wondering how the trees and vines survive. Now we are in Ridgecrest, CA. It feels like an oasis town. Lots of hotels, shops and restaurants. All day long we're seen barren land as we traveled east. Went through an area called Red Rock Canyon. It was accurate--there was a red rock by the side of the road. Tomorrow we head to Death Valley.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Yesterday was a long day but very much a wow day. The guided tour was worth every penny. Yosemite is very large, more than 700,000 acres, we saw 2 percent yesterday. All of the highlights of El Captain and Half Dome were on our route. We saw both from various areas and angels. The bus drops you in the best spots and you can go on your own from 15 mins. to 1 and a half hours. The hikes were too extreme for Bill and I, especially the early morning hike. It was only 1 mile but left me breathless after the 3rd turn. I'm hoping it was the elevation that was against me.
Glazier Point was the drop-off for lunch and short hikes. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to keep a hat on your head. The views were spectacular no matter where you looked. We took many, many photos. Bill used the ipad all day so once again I will try to post here. If it doesn't work look on my facebook page for photos.
Meet some interesting people on the bus. Grace, a passenger, had a new lens on her camera that allowed her to photograph climbers on El Captain. I want one. In one shoot you could see the climber take a step. You could see dark spots with the naked eye but would have no idea what it was suppose to be.
2 couples were from Lancaster PA, 1 couple from Las Vegas, a family from San Francisco, and young adults from Northern California were also on the bus with other retirees. The young folks never got back to the bus on time.
Our guide drove the bus, led some hikes and had very passionate opinions about nature and every other topic that was mentioned during the day. It made the day interesting with conversation. John Muir was her hero.
We got back to our hotel around 6:30 p.m. and headed to a brewery for dinner. Very good food and drink.
Glazier Point was the drop-off for lunch and short hikes. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to keep a hat on your head. The views were spectacular no matter where you looked. We took many, many photos. Bill used the ipad all day so once again I will try to post here. If it doesn't work look on my facebook page for photos.
Meet some interesting people on the bus. Grace, a passenger, had a new lens on her camera that allowed her to photograph climbers on El Captain. I want one. In one shoot you could see the climber take a step. You could see dark spots with the naked eye but would have no idea what it was suppose to be.
2 couples were from Lancaster PA, 1 couple from Las Vegas, a family from San Francisco, and young adults from Northern California were also on the bus with other retirees. The young folks never got back to the bus on time.
Our guide drove the bus, led some hikes and had very passionate opinions about nature and every other topic that was mentioned during the day. It made the day interesting with conversation. John Muir was her hero.
We got back to our hotel around 6:30 p.m. and headed to a brewery for dinner. Very good food and drink.
Wednesday, September 24,204
We enjoyed a long day of travel going from Reno to Oakhurst, CA. This morning Reno was still surrounded by clouds of smoke from the King fire in CA. We were advised to stay on the East side of the Sierra's to get to Oakhurst. This change in plan had us going up and down mountain passes all day. We have never been to Lake Tahoe so that was our first stop. What a disappointment. The town has very limited access to the lake. Almost every street we went down had gates or posted signs. There was one main entrance but was so overcrowded they were turning cars away. It reminded us of the Olympics in Lake Placid. The streets were filled with tourists and the town had miles of little boutiques and outdoor gear shops. We thought it was going to be a pristine lake with easy access. So much for the off season in Lake Tahoe.
We continued south, and up and down and all around, mountain passes. Very pretty but enough already. The weather was perfect. About 80 degrees with a rather strong wind. Because we changed travel routes, we traveled through Yosemite to get to our hotel, The route was 120 and took us 4 hours to arrive in Oakhurst. You have to leave the road to see anything. Mostly trees along the route we took--a few rock formation. We ate at a very good steakhouse. Can you hear us mooing now?
Tomorrow we have a guided tour through Yosemite. The bus picks us up at 8 a.m. Looking forward to seeing the sights.
We continued south, and up and down and all around, mountain passes. Very pretty but enough already. The weather was perfect. About 80 degrees with a rather strong wind. Because we changed travel routes, we traveled through Yosemite to get to our hotel, The route was 120 and took us 4 hours to arrive in Oakhurst. You have to leave the road to see anything. Mostly trees along the route we took--a few rock formation. We ate at a very good steakhouse. Can you hear us mooing now?
Tomorrow we have a guided tour through Yosemite. The bus picks us up at 8 a.m. Looking forward to seeing the sights.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Tuesday, September 23,2014
Kalmath Falls, OR was our home last night at a Microtel. The hotel was very nice, we had never stayed in one before. We were so sick of restaurant meals that we went to a huge grocery store called Fred Meyer and purchased sandwich fixings and fresh fruit. They labeled their avocados large, and they were about as big as a butternut squash. I didn't buy one.
In the afternoon, we drove around the rim of Crater Lake. You drive up to 7,000 feet to get to the lake which is the deepest in the USA. The lake is located inside a volcano that erupted hundreds of years ago. All photographs of the lake look very blue but the day was overcast so we didn't see the reflection of the sky in the lake. The lake is only 60 miles across so no matter which overlook you used to view the lake, you could see the entire lake. It is beautiful. We drove around the lake on the West side so we were on the edge. There were drop offs of 4,000 to 5,000 feet in some sections. Scary. A lot of people were planning on camping in the camp grounds and signage warned campers that bears were in the campgrounds and they should follow all precautions listed in the camp office. We drove away without even considering camping.
This morning we headed south into Neveda. We had a short drive today, about 4 hours, and the terrain was mostly semi-desert. Irrigation is not very popular in this area. Mostly ranches raising cattle. As we neared Reno in the afternoon, we smelled smoke and saw smoke but no flames. The wind blows the smoke way beyond the fire area. Even listening to the news, it is hard to determine where the fires are burning. The hotel staff told us that you couldn't see Lake Tahoe this afternoon because of the smoke. We are planning on traveling around the lake tomorrow on our way to Oakhurst, CA. In Oakhurst we will join a one-day tour of Yosemite on Thursday.
We spent this evening gambling after we had a light dinner. Nothing positive happened. The casino has a Gilleys but they were not open this evening. I did want to see Bill ride the mechanical bull but that will have to wait for another time.
We are looking forward to continueing our trip.
In the afternoon, we drove around the rim of Crater Lake. You drive up to 7,000 feet to get to the lake which is the deepest in the USA. The lake is located inside a volcano that erupted hundreds of years ago. All photographs of the lake look very blue but the day was overcast so we didn't see the reflection of the sky in the lake. The lake is only 60 miles across so no matter which overlook you used to view the lake, you could see the entire lake. It is beautiful. We drove around the lake on the West side so we were on the edge. There were drop offs of 4,000 to 5,000 feet in some sections. Scary. A lot of people were planning on camping in the camp grounds and signage warned campers that bears were in the campgrounds and they should follow all precautions listed in the camp office. We drove away without even considering camping.
This morning we headed south into Neveda. We had a short drive today, about 4 hours, and the terrain was mostly semi-desert. Irrigation is not very popular in this area. Mostly ranches raising cattle. As we neared Reno in the afternoon, we smelled smoke and saw smoke but no flames. The wind blows the smoke way beyond the fire area. Even listening to the news, it is hard to determine where the fires are burning. The hotel staff told us that you couldn't see Lake Tahoe this afternoon because of the smoke. We are planning on traveling around the lake tomorrow on our way to Oakhurst, CA. In Oakhurst we will join a one-day tour of Yosemite on Thursday.
We spent this evening gambling after we had a light dinner. Nothing positive happened. The casino has a Gilleys but they were not open this evening. I did want to see Bill ride the mechanical bull but that will have to wait for another time.
We are looking forward to continueing our trip.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Day 3
Our travels continue to follow our planned activities. Today was just devoted to driving northward to Kalispell, MT about 100 miles south of the Canadian border. It was rather cloudy all morning but we saw some sun this afternoon. The mountains, cattle and rocks dominated the scenery until we reached Flathead Lake. It is a popular resort area and the lake is the largest in Montana. Our route took us around two sides of the lake. Hundreds of boats, shops and restaurants dotted the landscape. The surprising thing was that most of the shops related to fishing, outdoor gear and of course guns and ammunition. More the type of shops I consider inviting to men rather than women. I couldn't find anything to purchase today but food. We stopped at one gas station that had a small department store inside. The number of boots and hats was in the hundreds. Sorry Sarah, but the fancy belts were way to expensive to even consider.
This is still a popular time for travel and Kalispell is a popular spot for fishing, hunting and for seniors. The restaurant we ate at tonight had several tables of all males bonding over dinner. Montana Club was the name of the restaurant and BEEF is big. I ordered a prime rib sandwich for a lighter meal but it was a huge piece of meat dwarfing the roll x3. Bill liked his steak and Buffalo Droll, his new favorite beer.
We are staying at a Travelodge Hotel. I do not want to say it is a bad part of town but the bank next door to the hotel does not dispense cash from the ATM for their customers safety. One may deposit money but not get any out. This hotel and all others in town are full. That makes me feel safer. There are small casinos, about 10 machines per casino, all over town so that may explain the ATM situation but who knows. Tomorrow we go north ending our day in Banff. Looking forward to the trip.
Once again, I will try to upload pictures. Look on my Facebook page to see ones I upload without any problem.
This is still a popular time for travel and Kalispell is a popular spot for fishing, hunting and for seniors. The restaurant we ate at tonight had several tables of all males bonding over dinner. Montana Club was the name of the restaurant and BEEF is big. I ordered a prime rib sandwich for a lighter meal but it was a huge piece of meat dwarfing the roll x3. Bill liked his steak and Buffalo Droll, his new favorite beer.
We are staying at a Travelodge Hotel. I do not want to say it is a bad part of town but the bank next door to the hotel does not dispense cash from the ATM for their customers safety. One may deposit money but not get any out. This hotel and all others in town are full. That makes me feel safer. There are small casinos, about 10 machines per casino, all over town so that may explain the ATM situation but who knows. Tomorrow we go north ending our day in Banff. Looking forward to the trip.
Once again, I will try to upload pictures. Look on my Facebook page to see ones I upload without any problem.
Back in the USA
We have seen so many beautiful mountains, valleys, orchards, and rivers to last a life time. Yesterday we had the chance to stop at the Carrolls in Ellensburg, WA. Paul was a student of Bill's but has lived out here for almost 20 years. He has a wonderful family, 6 children, and a perfect wife who does just about anything. By that I mean cook, clean, decorate, home school their children, sew, paper crafts, and teach others her skills. They also have lots of animals--goats, cows, cats, dog and what ever comes into their yard because it is open range country. We had dinner with them and the meal's main item was half a cow. Never saw such a large piece of meat in a private home.
Heading south into Oregon today. If this posts, I will write more tonight.
Heading south into Oregon today. If this posts, I will write more tonight.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Day 2
We started our day very early--eating our breakfast in Sheridan at 6 a.m. We finished just as the sun came up. It was a great day for our planned activity of driving over the Beartooth highway. Every word meaning magnificent, spectacular, breathtaking, awe-inspiring would be appropriate to describe the mountain pass and the scenery. The summit topped off at 10,300 + feet. The shading on the snow, the trees, the grass, and the mountains from the sun seemed to change the scene every turn. Very sharp switchbacks got even sharper and more frequent as we climbed to the top. I was worried about our descent but we were coming down into Yellowstone National Park so we only needed to go to 7,000 feet.
The day was warm and sunny until the late day shower that happens almost every day around 4 p.m. and lasts about 10 minutes. We saw buffalo and elk today. The Elk are mean because they are rutting. Huge signs warn visitors to stay out of the way. Someone said that the males were attacking
cars on Monday night trying to get to a female. Not today we are happy to report.
We entered our first casino today in a small town near the entrance to the Beartooth highway. We were actually searching for restrooms but found nothing until Bridger, population 260. Previous towns with populations of 16, 95 and 130 did not have any public facilities or much else for that matter. By playing a machine, we got a free beverage. The bathrooms were very quaint. Imagine my surprise to discover the ladies room door did not close but the toilet stall had a curtain that could be pulled for privacy. Since we travelled almost 100 miles searching for a bathroom, it worked just fine. When in the West do as the cowgirls do.
We had a great steak dinner at the Montana Rib and Chop House.
Hopefully, photos will upload and you can see some of what we did today.
The day was warm and sunny until the late day shower that happens almost every day around 4 p.m. and lasts about 10 minutes. We saw buffalo and elk today. The Elk are mean because they are rutting. Huge signs warn visitors to stay out of the way. Someone said that the males were attacking
cars on Monday night trying to get to a female. Not today we are happy to report.
We entered our first casino today in a small town near the entrance to the Beartooth highway. We were actually searching for restrooms but found nothing until Bridger, population 260. Previous towns with populations of 16, 95 and 130 did not have any public facilities or much else for that matter. By playing a machine, we got a free beverage. The bathrooms were very quaint. Imagine my surprise to discover the ladies room door did not close but the toilet stall had a curtain that could be pulled for privacy. Since we travelled almost 100 miles searching for a bathroom, it worked just fine. When in the West do as the cowgirls do.
We had a great steak dinner at the Montana Rib and Chop House.
Hopefully, photos will upload and you can see some of what we did today.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Day One
When Bill and I walked through the arch of detection at the Syracuse Airport, the TSA agent proclaimed us Perfect because we didn't sound any alarms. And that is exactly how the day turned out to be for us. Our flight to Minneapolis left and arrived on time. The walk from gate C 29 to gate G 1 was a 5K walk, which I swear went past the Mall of America, but when we finally arrived, the flight for Denver was already loading. We arrived in Denver to 80 degrees and sunny weather. Perfect.
Our car rental procedure was long but we finally got on the road and headed north. The drive offered the same view on both sides of the road. The prairie grasses are short in some areas yet almost cover some Angus Cattle in other sections. We saw antelope( hundreds), cattle, horses, buffalo and some sheep. The grasses range in color from blonde, blonder and blondest, broken up by rocks, valleys, and short green bushes. We even saw a tumbleweed. The best part of driving are the speed limits. 75 in Colorado and 80 in Wyoming. You just cannot go fast enough to try and find another type of
vista.
Our travels will take us to Yellowstone Park late tomorrow. More mountains tomorrow with more varied vistas.
I'm going to try and upload some pictures. Wish me luck.
Not going to happen today.
Our car rental procedure was long but we finally got on the road and headed north. The drive offered the same view on both sides of the road. The prairie grasses are short in some areas yet almost cover some Angus Cattle in other sections. We saw antelope( hundreds), cattle, horses, buffalo and some sheep. The grasses range in color from blonde, blonder and blondest, broken up by rocks, valleys, and short green bushes. We even saw a tumbleweed. The best part of driving are the speed limits. 75 in Colorado and 80 in Wyoming. You just cannot go fast enough to try and find another type of
vista.
Our travels will take us to Yellowstone Park late tomorrow. More mountains tomorrow with more varied vistas.
I'm going to try and upload some pictures. Wish me luck.
Not going to happen today.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Saturday, September 13, 2014
A freak snowstorm in the West has dumped up to 12 inches of the white stuff onto roads and towns in Montana, including Yellowstone Park, and parts of Colorado--including Denver. Thank goodness it was this week and not next week.
I have been notified by several friends that it is not possible to comment on this blog. I will try to correct that flaw before we leave. Look for a new address for bog if we are unable to correct the flaw.
A freak snowstorm in the West has dumped up to 12 inches of the white stuff onto roads and towns in Montana, including Yellowstone Park, and parts of Colorado--including Denver. Thank goodness it was this week and not next week.
I have been notified by several friends that it is not possible to comment on this blog. I will try to correct that flaw before we leave. Look for a new address for bog if we are unable to correct the flaw.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Three weeks traveling
Monday, September 8, 2014
Beginning next week, Bill and I will fly to Denver and then rent a car and make a huge circle exploring the West and parts of Canada. Our granddaughter Sarah, wrote in her last high school English paper the regrets that some people may have about not savoring the last time they may do something. She mentioned the last time you hold your baby on your hip or rock your baby to sleep as examples of last times that may go unnoticed at the time. Well, this may be the last time Bill and I take an extended trip out west, so I decided to write a blog to remember it in detail.
We have traveled to Yellowstone and the Rockies many times and absolutely love visiting these unique spots. It is always a spiritual experience. Bill loves to drive so we shall travel many hundreds of miles exploring some familiar and some new locations.
One bag and 1 carry-on will challenge my fortune telling skills in predicting what to pack but I'm up for the challenge. Starting the laundry and packing today.
We are fortunate to have house sitters so we can leave and return with no worries about our mail, lawn care or "surprises". Makes traveling much easier.
Beginning next week, Bill and I will fly to Denver and then rent a car and make a huge circle exploring the West and parts of Canada. Our granddaughter Sarah, wrote in her last high school English paper the regrets that some people may have about not savoring the last time they may do something. She mentioned the last time you hold your baby on your hip or rock your baby to sleep as examples of last times that may go unnoticed at the time. Well, this may be the last time Bill and I take an extended trip out west, so I decided to write a blog to remember it in detail.
We have traveled to Yellowstone and the Rockies many times and absolutely love visiting these unique spots. It is always a spiritual experience. Bill loves to drive so we shall travel many hundreds of miles exploring some familiar and some new locations.
One bag and 1 carry-on will challenge my fortune telling skills in predicting what to pack but I'm up for the challenge. Starting the laundry and packing today.
We are fortunate to have house sitters so we can leave and return with no worries about our mail, lawn care or "surprises". Makes traveling much easier.
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