Mini-tour Day 12

We woke up to some blue sky, and fresh pancakes for breakfast!! As we were leaving camp we decided to try the free pancakes, and they must have been good as I had 2 helpings, and Janine and Jordan 1 1/2 each. They were very generous servings too, with the pancakes being nice and thick, and perfectly cooked.

As soon as we got back to the van we disconnected from the site and hit the road - off to Washington State!!



It really does seem as if some of the States within the US are divided according to geographic content. As soon as we crossed into Washington the scenery changed. Rugged mountains initially gave way to low lying wetlands.



Moving further north we cut back towards the coast to move through Olympic National Park - and what a National Park it is, incorporating beautiful mountains, rain forest, sandy beaches, and finally magnificent lakes bordered by snow-capped mountains.

We stopped at one of the rain forest rest stops and decided to talk another 30 min walk through the trees to see how the fir tree forests compared with the redwoods down in California. Whilst the firs are a lot younger, the forest was just as gorgeous.



On from there we followed US101 to where the beaches meet the rain forests - absolutely beautiful...



And finally we got to the lake district, and well, words don't do it justice...



We pulled into Port Angeles, with snow capped mountains to our south, and across the bay more snow covered mountains in Canada.

Obviously with all this snow around us it is fairly cold here - just need to cuddle more to keep warm!!

Jordan is still making lots of friends each time we stop at a McDonalds so he can enjoy the playgrounds - lovely to see. He is keen to hit the snow again too - we passed a few patches today, but decided to wait until he get to some decent snow fields, which I am expected in North Cascades National Park a bit further north.

Tomorrow we head out to the NW tip of the US - supposed to be spectacular! I'll let you know tomorrow. Bye for now.

BTW there are lots more photos of Washington state in the corresponding album in my web albums...
http://picasaweb.google.com/pauly139

Mini-tour Day 11

Today was a catch-up day, catching up on washing, trading lessons, and sleep. Good thing too, as it rained all day.

Not much else to tell, except it is cold here in Oregon!!

Mini-tour Day 10

Today took us further north up the coast of Oregon. Although we didn't have that far to go, it took us all day as we enjoyed quite a few stops along the way.



First stop was brunch at "Pig'n'Pancakes" - what a name for a food outlet!! After recharging our battries we moved on and soon stopped at a spectacular section of coast where the sea was putting on a great show. Jordan took the opportunity to do some 'mountain climbing', which was rather precarious at places - at least to his parents :-). There was quite a drop over the edge of the rocks into the sea. All in all though it was very beautiful seeing the ocean display it's power, especially from our point of relative safety!



A bit further north found us admiring some lovely homes which enjoyed amazing views, as many homes along this section of coast do.



And one other stop which took us completely by surprise happened when we saw amazing shoots of sea coming up over a sea wall bordering on a small town. It turns out a natural blow hole had formed which sent the sea shooting metres into the sky - very spectacular!!



We finally pulled into the KOA here at Astoria around 5pm - and what a campground!! It has an indoor heated pool, a spa pool, mini golf, 3 playgrounds, volleyball, and free pancakes between 7am and 10am! As you can imagine we have one very happy little boy. On the way in we noticed what turned out to be a 42' RV. We popped down and had a chat to Frank who is the proud owner. He absolutely loves it, had it since 2006. Says it is a dream to drive, and you don't need a special licence (in the US at least).

I've been thinking more about whether we go with a motorhome or 5th Wheeler for the longer term. There is the 'problem' with motorhomes that you don't have a seperate vehicle for exploring when camped. However we haven't really found that an issue as it literally takes 5 mins to get ready to go on the road. We also haven't had any situations yet where we want to go somewhere and there isn't a parking spot big enough (ours is 30').

Having thought about all that, at this point I would go with a motorhome, towing a small car behind, which is the configuration we see probably 20 times a day with travellers on the road. Very few caravans in the US. Mostly motorhomes, less 5th wheelers, and rarely caravans.

Janine and I are loving this trip, but are both of the opinion that this one is like our scouting mission, seeking out the sights that we will come back and visit properly on a longer trip next year.

Anyway, enough for tonight. I'll be back tomorrow to fill you in on the details of day 11!!

Mini-tour Day 9

Another early morning this morning, leaving to head north into Oregon!!



Crossing the state border the first wonderful surprise was the price of petrol - 70 cents cheaper than in California. That was certainly gratefully received, given the V10 engine in this RV.

As is now happening each day, we are meet wonderfully friendly and helpful Americans who point us in the direction of local attractions. Today we met a couple from near Portland, Oregon, who had been down in California for a month or two soaking up the warmth. The husband was a wood carver who makes copies of the local native American art work, and suggested we visit Neah Bay at the NW tip of Oregon - beautiful scenery and a fascinating Museum. So we be sure to add it to our itinerary. The scenery where we met them wasn't too shabby either!



Apparently the entire Oregon coastline was designated as a public 'highway' by a previous Governor, and is not avaialble for private ownership. This has resulted in many Park areas and public campsites up the coast - great for travellers!!

Near the end of the day we took an unscheduled stop at a McDonalds so Jordan could have a quick play, where he made some more '10 minute friends'. He is making a few of those each day, wonderful to see.

At the end of the day we stopped at the 'Sea Lion Caves', where there is an elevator that goes down 200 ft through the cliffs down to a huge coastal cave inhabited by 100s of SeaLions. Very spectacular, and very smelly!!



We were asked not to use flashes, and so had to use 1600ISO to get this shot. Sorry about the graininess, c't be helped.



Well, it was another long day, so off to bed! Catch you all tomorrow!!

Mini-tour Day 8

Today was a rest day which was most welcome given the long day we had yesterday. After a lazy morning we found the store shop had no milk and so went into Crescent City to have some brunch. At the local service station we were recommended to try 'Beacon Burgers', a local diner down on the Pier. So we decided to head down and try another American burger - I was a bit weary as in my experience to date the Americans have a bit to learn about burgers.

Anyway, down on the Pier it was very cold and windy, and the diner looked decidedly tired and small. However we all know not 'to judge a book by it's cover', so in we go. We ordered 3 'Beacon Burger Specials', and in so doing found the staff full of cheer and personality. The place also had quite a few people in it, which was encouraging given it's distance from town.

When they arrived they were absolutely delicious, by the far the best I had tasted in America, and also better than any I had tasted in Australia. Have to remember Beacon Burgers if I ever pass through Crescent City again!!

As a bonus, we got to visit the local wildlife...



These chaps were very noisy, jostling for prime position on the pier!

The rest of the day was spent with me trading, Jordan watching 'The Grinch', and then Janine and I catching up on our respective blogs whilst enjoying a lovely hot chocolate.

Tomorrow, off to Oregon we go!!!

Mini-tour Day 7

Our trip today took us through the famous Redwood Forests in Northern California. Whilst I was expecting some amazing trees, once again the magnificence of what I was to experience surpassed my expectations.



Travelling north on US101 took us through some more spectacular rugged coastline. We stopped for a walk after driving for an hour or two, and saw some sights that would make for a magnificent view for any home.



Seeing that we would be leaving the coast soon we decided to stop for lunch at a roadside rest area that had similar views. The traditions of lunch viewing amazing sights continued! :-)

Heading inland the vistas changed dramatically. We were treated to forests and gorges...



During the afternoon we headed off the highway to travel the famous 'Avenue of the Giants', a road trip that takes you through Redwood Forests. These trees are mind blowing - a must see.



However the treat the day had in store for us was a walk through 'Founders Grove'. Quite simply, words can't describe what we experienced. I decided to set my ego aside knowing the looks I would receive from passers by and did the first section of my tai chi form. I really could feel the difference with the energy from the Redwoods. Near the end of the walk this view treated us...



These forests leave me in awe...and blessed to be able to visit them. I know I use the word 'blessed' a lot with respect to what I am seeing, but I really can't think of a suitable alternative that does these experiences justice.

Mini-tour Day 6

Every 2nd day on our trip is a 'rest day', where we look at local sights after a sleep-in. The Manchester Beach area boasted a light house at Point Arena, which was where we headed out for lunch and the afternoon. The coastline was spectacular, and provided our lunch time vista.



The coastline north of San Francisco is rugged and spectacular, with crashing waves hitting large clifflines.





I also noticed how much vacant land there is on the coast, nothing like Australia which is very populated in similar areas. Of course with the current US financial climate land is comparatively very cheap. I can now relate to the comments that Australian real estate is some of the most over-priced in the world. I'm glad we sold out when we did as what goes up, must come down, Australian real estate pricing included. No doubt many disagree with me, so be it...

Point Arena township was quaint, and also closed!! I think we found one shop open, a chemist!! So back to the campground for a walk through the trees to say hello to the deer, and some more tai chi for me. I can heartily recommend a holiday for those wanting to improve their tai chi!!

Mini-tour Day 5

The night seemed extremely cold, and when I got up in the morning I saw why - it was snowing outside. How different the camp ground seemed this morning!!!



The lake looked lovely, a bit cold for tai chi though!!



Surprisingly Jordan thought it was a great opportunity to play in the playground!!



After taking the mandatory photos, and having being pelted by snowballs by Jordan, we hit the road, heading back to the Southern California coastline.



Today the GPS worked flawlessly once more, and directed us to a lovely parkland which fell on the way to our destination for the night, Manchester Beach KOA. The last hour of the trip took us through 'Mountain View Road', and what a mountain road it was!! I'm glad the RV has a V10 engine!!

Once again the campground was lovely, even with it's own family of deer wondering in the forest which forms part of the grounds.

As we arrived quite late again, after a lovely hot dinner it was time for sleep.

Mini-tour Day 4

Yosemite National Park was one of the expected highlights of my trip, so I was very excited to be heading off to see it's wonders.



I really had no idea what to expect. The drive from the KOA (Kampgrounds Of America if any of you are wondering) to the park was nothing short of spectacular. It reminded me a lot of the drive through the gorges around Queenstown, New Zealand. The wildflowers were amazing, brilliant blazes of colour amongst the rock and grass.



A few mile down the road, can we imagine the excitement when we saw our first glimpses of snow!! Despite the altitude, I really didn't expect to see any this far south.



A few miles further, with the temperature steadily plummeting as we continued further into the valley, we found snow beside the road. No prizes for guessing who was straight out the door to throw his first snowball!

We made our way into the Park proper, having to drive through a hole in a huge rock - literally. I was glad the RV fit through! As we drove into the valley, we had the first of what has become a bit of a blessed 'tradition' - lunch with the most unbelievable vistas. Todays was the mountains of Yosemite National Park.



Inside the valley we found quite large areas of reasonably thick snow, giving Jordan the opportunity to make friends with another little boy and make his first snowman.



We stayed until reasonably late, before leaving the park, amazed by the wonderous creations we had the good fortune to witness.

Mini-tour Day 3

One of the great things with these RVs is the minimal time it takes to pack and get going. Disconnecting takes around 5 minutes. We hit the road for Yosemite National Park reasonably early.



We were a bit more organised this time, and stopped at a supermarket to stock up on supplies for the next day or two. We are finding the Garmin GPS simply fantastic. It holds around 1.2 million Points Of Interest, under myriad categories. So I simply need to ask it to find say Grocery Shops along the current route, and it displays all the options. It can then simply insert my choice as a point along the route. I don't understand why the Garmins aren't more popular in Australia. Perhaps I'll find out when I start using it there!!

Anyway, the last 20 mile of our trip was particulary enjoyable as it took us along a small country road with great scenery. Midposa KOA looked fantastic, with a small lake / very large pond, anothjer playground for Jordan, and gorgeous facilities.



We arrived around 7pm, and once again hook up was very quick with dinner soon cooking. The weather was very cool, with us being at around 3000 ft. Being a long day on the road, we were soon in bed, looking forward to visiting Yosemite National Park.

Mini-tour Days 1 and 2

I was surprised to have had a decent sleep, what with the excitement and apprehension that I might oversleep and arrive late to meet Janine and Jordan. I had downloaded an alarm clock for the PC and set it for the appropriate time. That was another opportunity for error as I have my PC set to EST for trading purposes, and of course LA is PST. Fortunately I made the time conversion for the alarm clock successfully and it went off at the right time.

Well, I arrived at LAX at around 7:15am, with their flight due in at 7:30am. It arrived arround 8:45am, and they came through arrivals at around 9:30am! They both looked well albeit a bit tired, and I got the most gorgeous hug and kiss from Jordan.

We took a taxi to the RV hire centre, and after a few minor issues we hit the road around 2 hours later, about 1pm.

I managed to stay on the correct side of the road with no lapses, and we took our first stop at Malibu for a coffee and muffin. Jordan had his first play in an American playground, much to his approval!



We continued north to our campground at Santa Margarita. A lovely camp ground in wooded hills, gorgeous green grass and a lovely outlook from our site. I found the various pipes and cables from the RV connected in as they should, and we were set for the night!



The camp owners were most hospitable and opened the shop for us to get some supplies for dinner, as our organisation wasn't quite on track and we didn't have anything for dinner!

The next day both Jordan and Janine slept in to near mid-day, and I had the opportunity to do some tai chi amongst the trees, then some trading practice. I also enjoyed some more of an amazing book I am reading by Michael Beckwith.

After lunch Jordan made friends with Robbie, a 7yr old Californian from the Yosemite area. Jordan discovered the joys of Luke Skywalker battles!!

All in all a quiet day, preparing for the trip to Yosemite National Park the next day.

Back again!

My apologies for the delay in blog updates to my legion of readers :-)

Our internet access has varied between patchy and non-existent for the past week, and this campground is the first where we have had constant connection. So we are making the most of the opportunity to catch up on emails, uploading photos to my web albums, and of course updating our blogs.

To help you all follow it I'll update it day by day as we travelled. I hope you enjoy the log of our travels. Whilst I'll include some photos, you can find dozens more here...http://picasaweb.google.com.au/pauly139

Arrived in Los Angeles

I had a great day today, starting with a very foggy drive from Vienna to Pittsburgh. Kim and Francessca drove me to the airport, with the thickest fog I have seen in a very long time. We were in fog for the entire 90 minute drive, in some places so thick that you could barely see the car ahead. Kim did a great job though and we all arrived safely.

Check in went smoothly - no excess baggage charges this time!! In fact they didn't even weigh the bag.

There were a number of flights on substantial delays, but mine wasn't one of them! I had time to enjoy a few chapters on my kindle before hitting the skies for Chicago. Now Chicago O'Hare Airport is one Jordan would like...any guesses why?



I found it a really nice airport, with nice bright concourses, and this great display in the tunnel between terminal buildings.



With me spending around 12 hours travelling today between Pittsburgh and Los Angeles the knidle was great. I read lots from a number of different books, and downloaded some more freebies from Amazon whilst in Chicago.

The Hacienda Hotel, where I am staying overnight in LA, is close to the airport, clean, comfortable, and very reasonably priced. All in all perfect for what I wanted. Another great win!

The main book I was reading today is "Spiritual Liberation" by Michael Beckwith (http://www.agapelive.com/index.php?page=3). An amazing book, one I will be reading many times over as I continue on my exploration of my true self, and the truth about reality.

But for now, time for bed before a VERY exciting day tomorrow!!