Pressley 2008 pacific coast bike trip

Rick on 7/9

2008-10-16T18:41:00.000-07:00

- Rick here on Wednesday 7/9

We got to sleep in today! A really nice luxury.

After eating breakfast at the campsite we drove to Ilwaco looking for an internet provider. First we tried the library, which was closed on Wednesdays. There was a young woman sitting on the bench near the library and I asked her if she knew where we could find a internet connection. All she could say was Wow (with an emphasis on the last w). It really took me back to the 60s, when everyone seemed to be stoned all of the time.

After giving up on her (and having a good laugh) we drove out to the marina. This area is the nicest we've seen on the Long Beach Peninsula (we haven't seen the northern part of LB at all). There are shops facing the road, but the nicer ones face the walkway on the marina side.There we found a sandwich shop which had internet and I started my blogging career.

After the sandwich shop we hiked around CPSP. It really is beautiful and, luckily, we had a day with little to no fog. We hiked out to the Lewis and Clarke Interpretive Center (we are definitely in L & W country here) and from there out to the CD Lighthouse.

We had Salmon from the marina for dinner tonight. Tomorrow it's on to OR!

photos: (1) ducks in a row at the Ilwaco marina (2) basalt cliffs at CDSP (3) L & W slept here historical marker

Rick on 8/25

2008-09-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Well, this was finally it! Home at last. We drove over the shoulders of Mt. Hood, down onto the 5, and turned north. The drive was an uneventful except for the sudden shower we encountered just as we arrived in Seattle. The irony was that we hadn't had any rain in OR or CA. Home sweet home.

photo: Hannah at the airport, ready to return to Baltimore (bicycle in suitcase)

Rick on 8/24

2008-09-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today Lee and I took off on a ride. I was interested in using the same route that I had biked back in the mid 80s when I was a member of the Cascade Festival of Music orchestra. This route headed north through Bend to Tumalo SP, then southwest to to Shevlin Park, then back into Bend.

It was an interesting ride. Without Lee I think I would have gotten lost. Bend has changed so much! The 15 mi. trip used to take me out of town; now it is pretty urban. The views of Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood are still there, but are glimpsed between houses. House prices have skyrocketed. Bend must easily have the most expensive real estate in OR.

I had trouble with the elevation on the ride; I actually had to pull over a couple of times because I felt dizzy. How much of this was because I had overindulged the night before I couldn't say, but this had certainly never happened before.

We went to the Pine Tavern for dinner. I hadn't been there in a long time. The Ponderosa Pine is still growing in the middle of the dining area, and the view of Drake Pond is as nice as ever. Bend wold be a nice place to retire to if it wasn't sooo expensive. Great weather, great amenities, and all of that sun! Tomorrow we take off for home, so this was a great way to celebrate our last night on the road.

photo: Mt. Jefferson and the high desert

Rick on 8/23

2008-09-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today we drove from the Mt. Lassen KOA to Bend OR in order to visit Libby's brother and sister-in-law, Lee and Lynn Poole.

We started out by driving down (west) into the valley to catch the 5. There we turned north towards Mt. Shasta. We had dramatic views of Shasta (although I had never seen it with so little snow) all along this leg of our journey.

In a town with the unlikely name of Weed we turned onto the 97 which heads up into central OR. It turns out that the Mayor once tried to change the name of this town. It seems it was a good thing, as it (perhaps unwittingly) forced the population to really think about the name (it was named for one of the early settlers in the area). In the end they decided to leave the name as it was. (I wonder if the income from the magnet and T-shirt sales played a part in the decision).

After leaving Weed we entered OR and drove along beautiful Klamath Lake. What wonderful country! After leaving this area we drove up onto the high desert area of central OR. This desert borders the Cascades nearly to the Columbia River and has an altitude of about 4,000 ft. The most memorable things about this section of the country are the pine trees. Once in a while there are views of cinder cones and, as you go further north tremendous volcanos, but most of the time you are driving in the middle of the forest.

Eventually we arrived in Bend , land of the round-abouts, and drove to Lee and Lynn's home along the Deschutes River. What a great place! And what great people! Having dinner with them on their deck overlooking the Deschutes is about as good as it gets.

photos: (1) Mt. Shasta (2) the sign welcoming us to Lee and Lynn's place reads Welcome Bicycle Heroes) (3) Lee, Lynn, Hannah and Libby on the Poole's deck

Rick on 8/22

2008-09-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today we drove from Lake Tahoe up through Mt. Lassen NP. It was a gorgeous ride through the Sierras.

We stopped for breakfast in Truckee, which was a lot cuter than I had remembered. After, we continued on a northwesterly course on the 89, the "Volcanic Legacy Byway".

Once we entered the park I was pretty busy taking pictures. Unfortunately my camera 's battery died, as I hadn't been able to plug in at Sandy Beach RV Resort. By the time we reached our highest point, with the most photographic vistas, I was out of luck. We decided not to hike into Bumpas Hell on this trip due to time restrictions. This is an amazing area, full of sulphuric smelling volcanic activity. Mt. Lassen last erupted in 1916, but my previous visit to Bumpas Hell was enough to convince me that the next eruption could happen at any time.

We continued on to the 44, at which point we turned west towards our evening's destination. The Mt. Lassen/Shinglettown KOA turned out to e a very nice place, isolated in the woods, not far from the entrance to the park.

photos: (1 and 2) Truckee (3) Mt. Lassen NP (4) A view from Mt. Lassen looking back along the Volcanic Legacy route

Rick on 8/21

2008-09-08T16:41:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today, after a nice visit with Sarah, we took off for Lake Tahoe. It was a relatively short trip on the 80 up over Donner Pass (home of the cannibals) to Tahoe Vista. We were able to get a spot at Sandy Beach RV Resort even though they had screwed up our reservation and had us booked for the 20th.

After settling in, we left to circumnavigate the lake. Heading SW, the highlights of the day were Bliss Sp and Emerald Bay SP, site of the Vikingsholm mansion. The 2 parks abut each other and offer a number of tempting hiking trails. This time, however, we had time only for the hike down to Vikingsholm. It was, of course, spectacular. Libby and I had done this before, but it was a first time for Hannah.

After, we continued around the lake. We had a lovely dinner at the Bangkok Thai Restaurant in Stateline, continuing on into Nevada and eventually back to our campsite.

photos: (1) Emerald Bay SP (2) the path (a natural fence) down to Vikingshom (3) Vikingshom (4) Vikingsholm closeup (5) Lake Tahoe

Rick on 8/20

2008-09-01T16:26:00.002-07:00

- Rick here

Today we drove from Mariposa to Sacramento.

We started out on the 49 which winds NW out of Mariposa. Eventually we had to give it up however as the road was too difficult to navigate with the trailer. We blindly wandered west until we hit the 99. From this point it was easy freeway driving as we headed north.

We visited Sacramento in order to visit Libby's niece Sarah and her family. I had met Sarah only once before, and that was in 1979!

Actually, Sarah and her family live in the suburb of Fair Oaks. We arrived in the late afternoon heat and were glad for the air conditioning that is standard in these parts. Sarah and Jessica (Santa Cruz) are both daughters of Libby's recently deceased older brother Hamp. Libby had (re)met them both at Hamp's funeral and was looking forward to seeing them during our trip.

Hannah and I were also able to meet Lemel, Jamilla and Fiona, Sarah's kids. They are great people (already) and were a pleasure to visit. Sarah grew up in Hawaii and her boyfriend Brian is Hawaiian also. I was really sorry that I didn't take any pictures the day we arrived because Brian, Jamilla and Fiona were all out of the house the next morning and I wasn't able to get any photographic memories of them.

photos: (1) Libby and Sarah (2) Lemel (with his arm in a cast due to a football injury two days before

Rick on 8/19

2008-09-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today was our 2nd day in Yosemite NP. We decided to visit the Mariposa Grove of sequoia trees in the southern part of the park and then to go right to the heart of the park at Glacier Point.

We started out by retracing our steps to the Arch Rock Entrance and then headed south. We passed the Wawona Lodge (very cool) and continued on to the grove. The grove itself was a little disappointing for me. Because of relatively recent fire damage, there are not that many of the ancient trees left. Of course there are plenty of new ones to take their place, but it will be 2,000 years or more before it will recover it's former grandeur. Still there were some very impressive trees and I'm glad that we went. I was also glad to see Wawona Lodge, as it is a place I would like to stay at some point in the future.

After, we headed on towards Glacier Point, probably the most impressive place that I have ever visited. It is a simply incredible! From our aerie I was able to stand in the spot of the old firefall (something I still remember from when I was a kid, of course they don't push burning embers off of a cliff anymore!) and look up at the unbelievable Cathedral Range (as much as 5,000 feet above us), then down at the Yosemite and Merced valleys (3,200 feet below us). It was probably as close to a religious experience as I have ever had.

After, we drove home in the near dark.

photos: (1) Wawona Lodge (currently undergoing some major repairs) (2) a Bachelor and Three Sisters at the Mariposa Grove (3) Mariposa Grove (4) Yosemite (left) and Merced (right) Valleys from Glacier Point (5) the view straight down from firefall point

Rick on 8/18

2008-08-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

We got up this morning to drive the 23 miles to Yosemite NP's wonderful Arch Rock Entrance, although Hannah was to later decide that we should have taken the more cinematic Tunnel View entrance. I had not visited Yosemite since I was a young child and had eagerly awaited this day.

We drove down into Yosemite Valley, with it's towering cliffs making it appear to be something out of the Lord of the Rings. What a place! Pictures certainly can not do it justice. We explored the valley by car a bit before stopping to hike up the Vernal Creek trail. Libby's foot was still bothering her so we took a slow pace and quit at our first sighting of Vernal Falls. Vernal Falls is one of only two falls that have water this summer. It has been sooo dry! Even Yosemite Falls was dry.

After, we returned to the fabulous Ahwahnee Lodge (1927) for lunch. What a splendid place! Then we took off on Tioga Road, which runs on the cliffs above the north side of Yosemite valley. We drove just past Tuolumne Meadows to a view of Tenaya Lake with it's mountainous backdrop as well as a view back towards Halfdome. At that point we decided to leave the 10,000 foot Tioga Pass (the eastern entrance to the park) for another time. We turned around and headed back to the KOA.

photos: (1) Arch Rock Entrance (2) Yosemite Valley (3) El Capitan (4) Halfdome (5) Tioga Pass and Tenaya Lake

Rick on 8/17

2008-08-29T09:16:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today we drove from Malibu to Yosemite. It was a journey of about 300 miles, no mean feat in the heat.

Our route took us through the central valley (Bakersfield, Fresno et. al), then into the foothills to the west of Yosemite. Most of the way the scenery was fairly predictable; agribusiness' rule. Fresno was a bit of a surprise because it looked so prosperous.

The dry foothills were beautiful and the KOA in which we were to stay nice. It was good to see the KOA powering itself with solar panels, but surprising to learn that they did not recycle. I guess all progress is incremental.

We were pretty tired when we arrived so we opted to eat out. We drove into Mariposa and had barely gotten seated when Hannah spilled the beans to our waitress. Oh, the embarrassment when all of the waitresses came over to sing Happy Birthday to me!

photos: (1) embarrassment personified (and perhaps a bit of retribution in the works)

Rick on 8/16

2008-08-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today I took off to explore the bike trail of which the old fellow had spoken. Meanwhile Hannah and Libby drove into LA to check out the USC campus. USC is one of the 5 schools she is considering for her Masters program.

I had to bike about 10 miles before I got to Will Rogers Park, the beginning of the path. This allowed me to get a better feel for the city of Malibu and to discover the differing neighborhoods that grow out of each canyon. My favorite was Topanga Canyon. It has a kind of hippie charm. I didn't actually ride up into the canyon because I wanted to explore the bike path, but I was able to pick up on the vibe nonetheless.

After Will Rogers SB I entered the bike path. I was pleasantly surprised that the path did not just run along the parking lot but ventured out onto the beach. The beach here (Santa Monica) is vast. It has to be at least 100 yards wide. Surprisingly, it was almost empty on a Saturday. As I was riding along the path I heard opera. Naturally I had to explore this!

As it turns out there is a string of beach restaurants along the path named Perry's Beachfront Cafes. Each plays a different radio station and it so happened that the 1st one I encountered played classical music. Naturally I had to pull over for a cup of coffee!

My first impressions of Santa Monica weren't great. They consisted of the vast, empty beach and the Santa Monica Pier, which hosts an amusement park. There is a bluff running along the east side of the 1; atop the bluff I could see some beautiful buildings, but I wanted to get to Venice Beach so I continued on.

I had the impression that Venice Beach was a place where an eclectic collection of people could, and would, hang out. When I arrived, I discovered that it had gone to seed a bit. Along the west side of the walkway bordering the beach gather an assortment of street vendors, mostly selling henna tattoos and earrings. The shops on the east side of the walkway offered real tattoos and t-shirts. Looking east at the intersections along the walkway all I could see was a slum.

After Venice Beach I reached the marina area. I started to bike around the marina, but turned back because, at the time, I was more interested in exploring Santa Monica. I had a bite to eat and then walked back through Venice Beach.

When I got back to Santa Monica I left the beach and headed up onto the bluff. Wow! This was some high end real estate! Coast Avenue, which runs along the bluff, was filled with fancy hotels and boutiques. A few blocks in was a pedestrian mall. I felt sure that if I hung around here long enough I would see all of the Hollywood stars. Instead I continued south, eventually returning to the 1 and then back to the caravan. Along the way I stopped at Malibu Lagoon SP which is situated around the mouth of Malibu Creek. The area to the south of the creek has been left undisturbed and is quite beautiful. The area to the north of the creek must once have been an opulent mansion. It is still exquisitely maintained. I was unable to view much of the area; it was closed for a private wedding ceremony.

After, Libby and I decided to go out to dinner. We had quite a bit of trouble finding a restaurant in Malibu, but eventually came across an Hawaiian place. How strange that, in this narrow town where all of the traffic has to travel on the 1, there are so few restaurants!

photos: (1) Perry's Beachfront Cafe (2) Santa Monica Beach (3) Venice Beach (4) Casa del Mar Hotel, Santa Monica (5) Topanga Canyon

Rick on 8/15

2008-08-28T15:03:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

I had been unable to reserve our camping site at Malibu Creek SP for the weekend and we were forced to find another site. Luckily we were able to find a spot at the Malibu Beach RV Resort. The RV park sits on a bluff overlooking the ocean and the Dan Blocker Beach (remember him? he was Hoss in the old Bonanza TV series).

There was a gap between the time that we had to clear out of our campsite and the time we could check in at MBRVP. We ended up putting together a picnic and returning to the Sycamore Cove day use area we had visited on the 13th. The beach here was a delightful place to hang out, although Hannah was disappointed that the haze blocked the direct sunlight.

After, we returned to our new park to set up the caravan.

photos: the view from our caravan (1) daytime (2) nighttime

Rick on 8/14

2008-08-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today we took the Marina del Rey Flyer out to Santa Catalina Island. We had to leave quite early to get to the marina by 8:30 AM but we made it with enough time to grab a quick bite. While we were eating a very old man (he had to be at least 85 or 90 y.o.) came riding up. He hung his bike on the outside hook and teetered in. I told him that he was an inspiration to me - I couldn't imagine riding in this traffic every day. He told me about a bike path that started at Will Rogers SB and went south for 27 miles. I determined right then that I had to ride at least some of that route!

We arrived at Avalon on Catalina several hours later. Santa Catalina Island is owned by the Wrigley family of chewing gum fame. It has been a hot tourist spot since the 1920s. All the big bands played at the casino, Hollywood stars came here to see and be seen and the Chi Cubs took Spring practice here. Many of the buildings are gems out of a different era.

Wrigley tried to think of everything. In an effort to beautify the island he started an artisan tile business - the result is that there is beautiful tile work everywhere. At one point there was an exotic bird aviary on the island, but they have all flown the coop now. There are shops, restaurants and hotels as well as a nine hole golf course. There is also a dive park next to the marina.

We decided to start our day with a bus tour of the Avalon area in order to understand the lay of the land. The tour lasted about an hour and we were able to see pretty much all there was to see. After lunch we spent the rest of the day sitting near the beach in order to people watch.

We didn't return to LA until about sunset. I called my old high school friend Steve Cole and we chatted about old times and brought each other up to date a bit. After that I called it a night.

photos: (1) beach scene (2) historic house (3) tile work fountain (4) more tile work (this time of the Avalon Casino)

Rick on 8/13

2008-08-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Hannah went back to sleep this AM, so I took off by myself for this last day of riding.

After stopping for breakfast I rode between dusty farms (mostly orchards or sod), military bases (Port Huemene Navy, Ventura County Navy, a Naval Ar Force Reserve base and Point Mugu Navy) and on frontage roads towards Thornhill-Broome Park, a narrow strip of land between mountains and ocean. It was cool (for Southern CA), around 70 degrees, and hazy. Here I waited for Hannah and Libby. As I was doing a crossword puzzle I noticed these strange little rodents, kind of like a cross between groundhogs and chipmunks. Weird!

When Hannah showed she expressed disapproval with my choice of sites and we wandered further south along the narrow strip of beach looking for more sand. When we couldn't find anything suitable I stayed at one of the last picnic tables with room for the caravan to park and she continued on to the end. Libby showed up only to find out that this was a camping area, not a day use area, and we couldn't picnic!

We continued on to the next PICNIC ZONE (Sycamore Cove) and shared lunch. This was a much more beautiful site anyway, with a nice picnic area and beach.

After, Libby and I continued on towards Malibu. Along the way I discovered that, in CA, no parking means beach parking only. Along every beach accessible area there would be a string of vehicles defying the no parking signs. This made riding a bit hazardous as they were using OUR space. We needed to be on the lookout for surfboards suddenly appearing between vehicles.

Malibu begins almost immediately upon entering Los Angeles County. The town prides itself on it's 27 miles of scenic coastline (I wonder if it as something to do with increasing it's tax base). As I'd always pictured Malibu as a land of movie stars and mansions I was a little surprised that it somewhat modest. Oh, there are some mansions overlooking the water, but all in all it has a mixture of houses ranging from fixer-uppers to expensive homes. For the most part it lies on a narrow strip of land between the ocean and the canyons. Along the way we saw 3 or 4 different film crews working on projects. Libby found out that one of the projects was a TV show due out this Fall called the Mentalist.

We were scheduled to camp at Malibu Creek SP. Since we didn't know what the road conditions were like or how far we would have to travel, we met at Malibu Bluffs SP and drove up to the park. MCSP is famous as the site of the filming for the TV version of MASH. It is very beautiful, with absolutely stunning sunsets. Like seemingly all CA SPs, it doesn't have enough toilet facilities and there is always a lineup at each door.

Sometime after I had gone to sleep Libby had a run-in with our neighbor, who was not only running his rather loud generator after hours (naughty, naughty) but was watching his kids create trails of smoke with self made torches. When Libby told him that his the kids were creating a fire hazard he got quite upset and claimed that the park was wet. The (not so funny) thing was that a forest fire had recently been stopped right across the street from the entrance to the park! It takes all types...

I rode about 40 miles today. Having seen more surfers and more camera crews than I'd ever seen before, I was positive I was in Southern California at last.

I was more than a little sad tonight as our riding adventure had come to an end. I felt like I wanted to go on rideabout and not return until I was good and ready. There was still quite a bit of adventure awaiting however, and we could look forward to 3 days in the LA area, 2 in Yosemite NP, 1 in Mt. Lassen NP as well as a stay in beautiful Bend OR on the way home.

photos: (1) a missile playground (complete with little fighter jets for the kids to ride) in one of the military bases that I passed (2) Sycamore Cove Picnic Area (3) self explanatory (4) Malibu Creek SP campground (looking toward the sight of the MASH filming about 2 miles away)

Rick on 8/12

2008-08-26T12:09:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today was a special day! The three of us took a boat trip out to Channel Islands NP. The islands that make up the park (Santa Cruz, Anacapa, Santa Rosa and San Miguel) were once part of the mainland but separated eons ago and now have their own eco system, ala Galapagos Island. We spent the day on Santa Cruz and visited Anacapo on the way home.

Santa Cruz Island is co-owned (managed?) by the NP system and the Nature Conservancy. I believe the NC owns 76% of the island and the NP system runs the remaining 24%. The boat made two stops on Santa Cruz Island. The first was at Scorpion anchorage where passengers departed, some to spend the day and some to camp on the island. Here, judging by what I could see from the boat, the island was desert like - certainly not hospitable at all. We continued on to Prisoners Harbor where we disembarked for a hike with a Nature Conservancy guide.

Prisoners Harbor was named after a failed attempt by the Mexican government to establish their control over the mainland. They hatched a scheme to create prison farms along the northern coast of CA. Problem was, when the first prison ship needed to resupply on it's way north, none of the local authorities would allow the ship into port with convicts aboard. The captain decided to drop the prisoners off on the uninhabited Santa Cruz Island, go back to the mainland for supplies, then return to SCI to pick up the convicts. Of course when the ship returned none of the convicts could be found!

From Prisoners Harbor (a much more beautiful area than Scorpion) a group of about 20 tourists took off, following our NC guide. The territory through which we were hiking must resemble what all of CA looked like before the Spanish arrived. Of course there were some exotic plant species, but the NC is trying to gradually eliminate these plants to allow the island to return to it's natural state.

Unfortunately, the guide was trying to pack too much into too short a time. He took off at a rapid pace and many of us were tired by the time we paused for a rest at the "lunch" spot (we had to pack our own lunches). Quite a few people quit at this point and wandered back to the harbor on their own. Those of us that continued were asked to step up the pace!

Libby, with her injured foot, found herself falling further and further behind. I kept up for a while, but felt more and more uncomfortable on the steep and rocky "trail". Eventually I turned back to find Libby and return to the harbor with her. We took a much more relaxed pace and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The island is sooo beautiful.

Hannah decided to keep going with the guide. Apparently every time he stopped for a brief rest he would urge the (small) group to step up the pace until they were practically running. Even so, they didn't arrive back to Prisoners Harbor by the time the boat was supposed to leave. Hannah, however, seemed none the worse for wear. Ah, to be 21 again!

We were supposed to return to Scorpion anchorage to pick up returning passengers and then head straight back to Ventura Harbor. Instead we made a detour to Anacapa Island to pick up 2 returning NP rangers. I really enjoyed seeing the island from the sea. Also we were able to see more dolphins and a tall ship named the Bounty.

The weather all day had been extraordinary. About the only thing we could have asked for was a whale sighting. Maybe next time?

photos: (1 and 2) Santa Cruz Island (3) Arch Rock on Anacapa (4) pelicans on Anacapa (5) the Bounty

rick on 8/11

2008-08-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

We started the day by driving down to Santa Barbara.

Hannah still wasn't feeling up to snuff, so I took off alone toward Oxnard, the unlikely name of our next destination. At first I traveled past the ritzy suburbs of Santa Barbara. After going through Summerland (cafes and antiques) I rode by Santa Claus Lane. The juxtaposition of these names struck me as kind of weird. Then I was on a frontage road paralleling the 101. Soon I was on the 101 for about 8 miles. As I've said before the idea of riding on a freeway is a lot worse than the reality. Most of the time I was right on the ocean.

After the 8 mile freeway trip, I exited onto the old Pacific Coast Highway. This was kind of a weird stretch because it featured a section that was devoted to RVs. They could (for $25 a day) parallel park on the side of the road and have access to the beach. It was called the Vietnam War Veterans Highway, but apparently the veterans have to pay the $25 a day also.

Then I was on a bike trail that lasted all the way to Ventura. It was really nice (and quiet) to be away from the traffic for a while. As I entered Ventura I met Libby, who had ridden back towards me from our campsite. We rode along the Ventura beach which, apparently, had suffered a major storm since since I had last seen it in April (SSO tour). The bike trail was fairly torn up and many of the bushes and palm trees had disappeared. Then we were on back streets of Ventura heading toward the harbor. Once past the harbor we found our destination, McGrath SB.

McGrath SB was literally in the dunes. Many of the campsites were entirely in the sand. Still, it was pretty. The bathrooms left a lot to be desired!

I rode about 40 miles today. Of course it was sunny and warm, with a nice breeze off of the water to keep the temperature bearable. Southern CA has had only 4 inches of rain so far this year!

photos: (1) beach south of Santa Barbara (2) Ventura County

rick on 8/10

2008-08-24T17:56:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today was a planned day off. As Hannah was feeling somewhat better we drove down to Santa Barbara and did a short Tour de Santa Barbara on our bicycles.

The Tour started with the Santa Barbara Mission "the Queen of the California Missions". Located on a hill above the town (I suppose so the natives would have to look toward heaven) it is indeed impressive. We paid the fee and took the tour, which was interesting.

After, we rode past some beautiful buildings to the county courthouse. Built in the 1920s it is a striking place. The tile work alone made it worth the visit. The view from the top of the bell tower was stunning.

After, we continued on to the Presideo. The restoration process of the Presideo has only recently been undertaken, so there was not a lot to see. Still, what we could see was fascinating. The oldest adobe building in SB is still standing on the grounds and the soldier's quarters have been opened. A small chapel has also been opened to the public.

After lunch we continued on to the beach. Of course it is beautiful! We saw Arlington West in the sand there. Apparently it is erected each Sunday as a war protest. A cross is put up for each soldier killed in Iraq, with signs announcing that each of the deceased soldiers had a mother. The beach area is filled with vendors selling jewelry and whatnot.

After, we rode back up to the truck and drove the 45 miles back to Buellton.

photos: (1) the Santa Barbara Mission (2) and (3) the Santa Barbara Courthouse (4) the Presideo (5) Arlington West

rick on 8/9

2008-08-24T17:32:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

This morning we loaded all of the bikes onto the truck and drove to Buellton. Everyone was exhausted after Hannah's ordeal and it seemed the right thing to do.

We hopped on the 101 and drove through the Santa Inez Valley. It was extraordinarily beautiful - like a garden. Trees, grass and farmland were interspersed delightfully. I could imagine living here, were it not for the lack of any cultural events.

Buellton itself was a trip. The RV park was on the Avenue of the Flags. There were large US flags spaced about 50 yards apart all the way along the boulevard. Apparently the 101 used to go right through Buellton. In the late 60s, when the 101 became a freeway, it bypassed the town. The citizens, in a great show of pride, built the Avenue of the Flags to show they didn't need the freeway anyway! Governor Reagan was on hand for the ribbon cutting. Other than the Avenue there is really nothing in Buellton.

The park itself was pretty nice. Grassy campsites and a few trees will do a lot to spruce a RV parking lot up.

photos: (1) Flying Flags RV Resort (2) peace trailer

Rick on 8/8

2008-08-15T18:39:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Hannah didn't want to ride Libby's bike this AM so I took off by myself. I stopped in Gordo for breakfast and then continued south. As I progressed the terrain became more and more arid and mountainous. There wasn't much traffic at this early (for me) hour & I made good progress. Almost as soon as I entered San Luis Obispo County the terrain became more friendly and I encountered houses and a community of sorts. I remember stopping to look back at Big Sur. What I saw was about the most rugged coastline I've encountered.

I continued along some of the most beautiful ranch land I've ever seen. No wonder Hearst located his castle here! We met for lunch in the community of San Simeon. Then I cycled right by the road to the castle and past Cambria (an old name for Wales). I was supposed to meet Libby and Hannah in Cayucos; we were going to continue on to our campground in Montana de Oro SP together. However Hannah wanted to have her flat tire repaired in Morro Bay so I told her to go ahead and we would meet there. When I got to Morro Bay I called and Libby told me that the bike shop was no longer where it was supposed to be. They had continued on to Los Osos in search of a repair shop. By this time I had cycled nearly 70 miles and was pretty tired, but I started out towards Los Osos only to get confused by Libby's directions and find myself cycling in circles. I immediately called her and informed her I was going to stay right where I was and that they should pick ME up.

All worked out fine in the end except that I wasn't able to cycle past Morro (the knob) Rock. I saw it from a distance, however, and it is incredible!

Montana de Oro SP is a very special place. It is situated on a peninsula SW of Morro Bay and is reached by means of a dead end road. The entrance is lined with eucapytus trees - very striking! The climate is quite arid, but the scenery fantastic. There are many trails, horseback riding and a beautiful little pocket beach. The park has no water of it's own. As a result all the water has to be trucked in, so it has pit toilets only.

It was very warm in the park that night. We truly felt that we had reached southern CA at last.

Libby and I would feel very sorry to leave the next morning. It was such a delightful place we could have stayed a week. Hannah, however, was sick. She started throwing up in the middle of the night and just didn't stop. It was awful!!! It sounded like she was trying to invert herself.

As you can imagine we were all a bit done in the morning, especially Hannah. We simply got in the truck and drove to our next destination.

photos: (1) ranch land around the Hearst castle (2) the San Luis Obispo coast (3) elephant seals (4) Morro Rock

Rick on 8/6 and 8/7

2008-08-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today was the day I had looked forward to, probably more than any other single day on our trip. It was time for Big Sur!

The Spanish colonists referred to this area as el pais grande del sur, or the big country of the south, which was often shortened to el sur grande. It was a vast unexplored and impenetrable land south of their capital of Monterey. It was our job, should we choose to accept it, to explore this vast expanse!

We had been warned by Rebecca Downey that there were fires in the Big Sur area. We checked the news when possible, always finding that the fires were still raging. Finally, in Santa Cruz, we found out from Jessie that they had been contained. She said the fires were now in Yosemite (which we will visit on the way home). Oh well, one day at a time.

Because of difficulties in acquiring reservations for this portion of the trip, we drove from Capitola to Garipata SP just south of Carmel. There Hannah and I started the adventure. She was using Libby's bike as hers still had a flat tire.

I found the coast of Big Sur similar to the Mendocino coast, except without all of the little coves. That made it much more bikable. The traffic was also considerably more polite. Nevertheless we climbed a lot of hills today.

We were in quite a heavy fog as we started out. The road was to hug the cliff for quite a few miles until we got near the Big Sur River. At this point the road went inland a bit and there were quite a few resorts. This is also where we started climbing in earnest. After what seemed like forever we reached the top, where Pfeiffer Big Sur SP and the Big Sur Lodge are located. At this point we started our descent to the ocean. At about 880 ft. we came to Nepenthe, where we were to meet Libby for lunch.

Nepenthe is famous as the original hippie hangout of Big Sur. It's founders bought the land in 1947 and eventually decided it was too nice to keep to themselves, so they started the place as a way to share their good fortune. I guess you could say they were the original hippies. It is still a serendipitous spot!

After, Libby and I continued south. The land gradually became more rugged, with less vegetation. The road seemed to be blasted out of the sides of the cliffs. The fog, which had disappeared around Nepenthe, began to reappear. It gave the area an added mysteriousness. We did see quite a bit of fire damage in this area.

Finally we arrived at an area called Pacific Valley which seemed much more hospitable. Just past Pacific Valley was the Plaskett Creek Campground, our destination for the night.

What a place! It is a US Forest Service campground, managed (or not managed) by a private firm. There was a problem with the water pressure so the toilets were out of order. There were a number of portapotties but each of these was overflowing. Nevertheless, we fell in love with the place. We discovered that the group camp (fortunately not in use) had pit toilets in good repair and so we used these. We carried our own water in the tanks of our caravan.

We spent an extra day here recovering from our exertions of the previous day and enjoying the scenery. We drove into Gorda, the nearest town to shop for a few groceries. My main memories of Gorda were the sign saying tour busses welcome and the gas price, $6.40 a gallon.

On Wednesday I biked 53 of the most extraordinary miles! On Thursday I used by bike only to get to the group camp.

photos: (1 and 2) Big Sur in the fog (3) Nepenthe (4) fire damage (5) Plaskett Creek campground

Rick on 8/5

2008-08-10T09:27:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

After yesterday's fiasco getting Hannah's tire repaired, we awoke this morning to find that it was flat again! What a deal...

She decided against riding Libby's bike. She and Libby took off for Santa Cruz where they were to meet Libby's niece Jessica.

I took off in the fog to climb Point San Pedro. At the top I had coffee at a nice little coffee shop in Montara. After descending through the Devil's Slide I was back along the ocean again. The fog was still with me, as it would be all the way through San Mateo County, but it was somewhat higher. All the way through the county I would pedal in farmland, with wide open terrain, smooth roads, good shoulder and a stiff wind at my back. After the narrow, twisty roads of Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties this was an entirely different experience! I passed mostly strawberry, artichoke and pumpkin farms, most of them organic. I would have stopped for strawberries but, sadly, I had no cash. I made really good time throughout averaging 15 to 20 miles an hour.

It was really obvious when I entered Santa Cruz County. The city of Santa Cruz is located on the north side of Monterey Bay and so is protected a bit from both the wind and the fog (which blows through to the city of Monterrey). It is a university town primarily known for it's Southern California type of lifestyle.

Anyway, when I first entered SC County I saw a bunch of kites in the distance. As I got closer I realized that these were not kites, but sails. There were a number of people parasurfing off of Waddell Beach. They would fills the sails with air from a bicycle pump and then take them for a ride. It looked like great fun, although dangerous - the surfers would zip back and forth at great speed. Some of the more intelligent ones were wearing helmets. Waddell Beach is part of the beautiful Big Basin Redwoods SP.

I met Libby and Hannah for lunch at Duarte's Tavern, a 100+ year old institution in Pescadero. It was a nice place in a nice little town.

After, I took off on the (newly named) Cabrillo Highway. I took the scenic route through the city of Santa Cruz, traveling along the water. I stopped at Natural Bridges SP, rode by the Surfer Museum (with a salsa class going on out of doors [with live music!]), saw the surfer statue, watched a little beach volleyball and rode by the boardwalk (an amusement park) all before reaching the chic town of Capitola. At the south end of Capitola was New Brighton SP, where we would spend the night.

When I arrived at the campsite the party was in full swing, with Libby, Hannah, Jessie and her two kids, Maddie and Brady enjoying dinner. It was nice to see Jessie - the last time I saw her she was 9 years old - and to meet the kids.

This was really a great day of biking. I traveled 71 miles, the longest day of the trip, and saw some awesome scenery. Santa Cruz is certainly one of the prettiest places I've ever visited.

photos: (1) Pigeon Pt. Light Station (SP and hostel) (2) parasurfing off of Waddell Beach (3) City of Santa Cruz shoreline (4) beach volley (yes, this is downtown Santa Cruz) (5) Madison, Brady, Jessie and Libby

Rick on 8/4

2008-08-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Spent the AM blogging. I took the computer down to the clubhouse hoping that I would have better reception. it worked! Uploading the pictures was still a slow tedious process but they are now up for all to see. And I am (was) current - up to date!!! (for the first time on this trip). By the time I returned to the caravan Libby had returned from San Mateo with Lizzy, who was going to spend the day with us.

It is very foggy. Libby noticed that the office sells sweatshirts that say Pacifica - got fog? on them. How appropriate...

Hannah and I tried to fix her flat tire. Hah! Not a chance. We could not get the tire bead over the rim with the new tube. Even superman would have struggled! All of us - Lizzy, Hannah, Libby and I - piled into the truck and headed for the bike repair shop. The shop turned out to be in a sleazy little mall, not at all confidence inspiring. The shop was filled with young kids. The guy running the place wasn't much older, perhaps 20. He couldn't repair the tube and didn't have one in the correct size, so Hannah had to make a dash for our caravan where we had one tube that was close to the size we wanted. All this took forever, of course, but eventually the tube was in and the tire pronounced fit for travel.

After this fiasco we returned to the caravan for a game of Phase Ten, a bit of buzzing and bed.

photo: an unexpected visitor

Libby here

2008-08-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

We have just had a great visit with our niece Lizzy Poole who lives in San Mateo. Going from Pacifica to San Mateo was to leave thick fog and go back to summer. I like the summer! Lizzy was a good sport to hang out with us through bike repairs, grocery shopping and laundry. But it was so nice to be able to spend time with her. We were not able to connect with Brenda and Duncan Girvin - maybe next time.

Tomorrow we head to Santa Cruz, where we will see another niece, Jessica Poole and her family. Also my friend Molly, who I haven't seen since 1970!

Much as I love San Francisco, I would like to visit another time without the camper. I'll be glad to leave the city behind and return to smaller roads and communities. I'll be especially glad to leave this RV parking lot. It has good services but no charm, even though it's right on the ocean.

Like Rick, I loved the small towns of west Marin County - a little run down and funky.

Towing the camper around Mt. Tamalpais with precipitous drops to the ocean made me dread the roads south of Big Sur, where we will see plenty more of that.

I don't anticipate having much internet access after Santa Cruz for a while, so I'll leave you holding your breath about the perilous coastal driving.

Rick on 8/3

2008-08-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

This AM I awoke fairly early to Blog. I'm not able to upload pictures yet but I can at least do the blogging.

After the girls roused themselves we took off for Berkeley, land of Libby's childhood. We cruised her junior and senior high schools, Telegraph Avenue (where I bought some biking sandals) and her childhood home on Alvarado Road. Had a wonderful lunch at a tapas restaurant.

Then we took off for San Mateo, where we were to meet Libby's niece Lizzy. It was really great to see her again! Lizzy took us on a walking tour of downtown San Mateo where we had dinner at a nice pizza place. San Mateo seems very cosmopolitan; different languages being spoken at many tables in our restaurant.

After we came back to our caravan to practice and play some Phase 10 before bed.

The SF RV Park is an amazing place. It is simply a large parking lot into which people pull their huge RVs. Then they stay inside! When I was out in the truck buzzing my mouthpiece (yes, I've finally started) I saw two different couples trying to see the sunset. The gate, however, was locked and they were stuck in this jail of a park. Here they were trying to see the sunset through the fencing. It was pitiful! Then there are the dog walkers. There is a small strip of grass at our end of the "park" where people can take their pooches. Their dogs are so pitifully glad to have the exercise!

Pacifica will be primarily remembered by me for it's fog. This morning we awoke to heavy fog. In Berkeley we enjoyed a beautiful summer day. In San Mateo we enjoyed a beautiful summer day (Lizzie even complained that every day was like this - she would welcome something different). When we arrived back at the SFRVP it was still enveloped in a heavy fog. Ugh!

The people who inhabit the biggest rigs at the park are an interesting lot. On average they are retired and traveling with two small dogs. The only time we see them is when they walk their dogs. There seems to be an unwritten law which states that there is an inverse relationship between the size of the RV and the amount of time the owners spend out of doors.

photos: (1) Libby's house in Berkeley (2) Gringo San Mateo (3) hispanic San Mateo - these two downtown areas are 1 block apart; weird! (4) from left; Lizzy Poole, Libby and Hannah

Rick on 8/2

2008-08-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today was a most unusual day. Hannah had a flat and didn't ride, so I took off alone from Point Reyes Station, the cute little town where we had breakfast. My directions were fairly sketchy here because the ACA bike route had me leaving Rte. 1 to avoid the congestion around San Francisco. Our other guide book ad me on a bike trail into Taylor SP. I made it to the SP and then made a wrong turn, costing me about 15 miles. I ended up back where I had started!

Eventually I got straightened out and back on the ACA route which led me through the oh so boutique Marin County towns of Fairfax, Ross, Larkspur and Sausalito. I had only seen Marin county from the highway, so I found the wealth really amazing.

After Sausalito I made my way to the Golden Gate Bridge. Apparently today was the day of the Marin County Century Bicycle Ride and I had been seeing bicyclers dressed up in full regalia all day. Anyway, they had given over the west pedestrian walkway of the bridge to bicyclists and had the pedestrians on the east walkway. Of course you had to pay the entry fee to the century ride to know this and I followed the usual signs to the east side walkway. There I found the path so crowded that I was forced to walk across the bridge. It was actually a nice walk, though it was a bit hard navigating the bike through all the pedestrians.

I met Libby & Hannah in the Presidio on the San Francisco side of the bridge where I ate lunch. They had already eaten (remember those 15 miles where I was lost?), so I wolfed down my sandwich and we all drove to the San Francisco RV park in Pacifica.

I rode about 60 miles today and enjoyed it a lot. It was quite hot, but very pleasant riding. I feel like I'm finally getting in the swing of things bicycle-wise and I'm feeling quite comfortable in the saddle for long periods of time.

photos: (1) Olema was the epicenter for the SF Earthquake hence this business name... (2) the Cross Marin bike trial (3) Sausalito (4) my first view of SF from Corda Madeira Road in Marin County (5) the Golden Gate Bridge

Rick on 8/1

2008-08-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Here we are in August. It's been one month already! Tomorrow, we head into San Francisco for a couple of days.

I awoke a bit late today to sunny and beautiful weather. Hannah and I took off, heading inland to Valley Ford. Cute town. The ride was spectacular - beautiful ranch country and the wind at our backs. Shortly after the town of Valley Ford we heading back toward the coast and picked up a headwind. Every coin has it's flip side!

When we reached the wonderful little town of Tomales Hannah was ready to give up. We waited (by the most wonderful bakery) for Libby to drive by. After flagging her down Hannah and Libby stayed for lunch while I pressed on toward Tomales Bay.

After I reached the bay, the wind was in my direction again and the ride was fantastic. I stopped at Tony's Seafood Place and waited for Libby and Hannah. From there Libby was to ride with me. All worked well except that Libby forgot the battery for her bike and found the going quite a bit harder than usual.

Tomales Bay is a very beautiful place. It reminds me of Hood Canal a bit, except more tourist friendly.

Eventually we reached Olema where we were to spend the night. The Olema RV Resort and Campground is Party Central. Large groups of people camping together, drumming, singing, the works. Fortunately I can sleep through anything these days (that about says it all, doesn't it?).

After setting up our caravan we took off in the truck for Point Reyes National Seashore. We drove as far as South Beach where Hannah went on walkabout and disappeared. Libby managed to chase her down while the evening darkened and the fog rolled in. Libby was still not feeling great so we skipped dinner that night and settled in for some cheese and crackers. I had hoped for a meal at Vladamir's Slovakian Restaurant, but it will have to wait for the next trip...

I rode 40 miles today. I think the cute little town of Tomales was the highlight of my day.

photos: (1) a campsite in the sand at Bodega Dunes Campground (2) ranch country around Valley Ford (3) Tomales Bay (4) sight from South Beach on Point Reyes Peninsula

Rick on 7/31

2008-08-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

After a nice breakfast at Sea Ranch Lodge I took off alone to brave the roads on my bike. I was apprehensive but determined. Both girls were feeling a bit oogie this AM and hadn't wanted to ride.

Rte. 1 for the 1st 10 or 12 miles was far enough from the coast to avoid the pocket coves and close enough to have wonderful vistas. And the wind was behind me! Traffic had lessened considerably and seemed more polite. My muscles, after 3 days off felt a bit unsteady - thank God for the tailwind. I zipped over the terrain and found that I had miscalculated the distance and was ahead of schedule for our lunch, so I stopped in at the Gerstle Campground picnic area in Salt Point SP and started walking along the coast. I hadn't intended to walk far, but around each corner something new would come up and I just kept going until I had done a 5 mile loop. It was really nice. The weather was sunny but cool (I had my arm and leg warmers on all day), with the ever present fog hovering out to sea. I took a lot of pictures!

I took off again, arriving for our prearranged picnic lunch at Ft. Ross just about the same time as the girls. Ft. Ross is an interesting place. The Russians settled here in 1806, built the fort and, with the help of the local indians, grew crops to be sent to Alaska. The also hunted sea lions and whales. They stayed here about 40 years.

After lunch I took off again. The road here was closer to the water, which meant more ups and downs at each cove. The traffic continued to improve however, with the motorists showing more concern for their unmotorized companions. The wind was fierce at times. It actually whistled through my helmet, something I hadn't even experienced on a motorcycle! The wind (and perhaps the whistling) gave me a headache, but, with the help of aspirin, I was on my way soon enough.

As I went south onto the Sonoma County coast the landscape became more barren. It seemed like the wind had blown most of the vegetation away, leaving only grass. Perfect ranching country. Eventually I entered the Sonoma Coast State Beach area. Here the coastline is owned by the state, as in OR. The beaches were actually quite far apart at first, but gradually became closer together as I progressed. Each beach had it's own name and it's own community of houses (rentals?) until Bodega Bay. Bodega Bay is known mostly as the place where Hitchcock filmed the movie "The Birds". I looked for that telephone booth everywhere but couldn't find it!

The Bodega Dunes Campground is literally in the dunes. Some of the campsites were entirely sand. This campground had the worst (and fewest) restrooms of any on our trip (so far).

I rode 50 miles today. I'm still glad I skipped the Mendo coastline.

photos: (1) Gerstle picnic area (2) Gerstle picnic area (3) Sonoma coast view (4) believe it or not I shot this picture while striding my bike looking straight down from the road (so much for the shoulder - I guess you could say this was the shoulder) - keep to the right HAH!

Rick on 7/30

2008-08-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

We slept in late today. Everyone was tired after the whirlwind day with Polly and Linda. I wasn't ready to face the Mendo shoreline roads yet anyway.

Once again we drove rather than biking. The coastline here is truly breathtaking. Sandstone cliffs along the ocean with occasional coves. Rte. 1 runs right along the water so every cove takes you down and around in a U-like pattern. Glad I wasn't on a bike! The landscape includes farms, eucalyptus groves and another tree that I don't recognize. Something like a juniper.

We stopped for a great breakfast at Carlino's Restaurant in Point Arena. Unfortunately the lighthouse (tallest on CA coast) was closed for repair. Then we were off to the Sea Ranch Lodge, our one day of living La Dolce Vita on this trip.

The SRL is very pretentious in it's unpretentiousness. It is also an extraordinary place. Whoever is responsible for the main vision here is truly an artist. Just as the landscape is filled with grand vistas giving way to beautiful nooks, the lodge has grand vistas from every window and beautiful nooks inside, filled with perhaps one still life painting, or a sculpture, or perhaps a pocket garden. It is all stunning and ridiculous (my moral judgement) at the same time. SRL is more than just the lodge however. It is a whole gated community along the northern Sonoma coast. There are strict building requirements (each building must blend in with the environment), of course, and sky high prices. The community reminds me of Sun River, near Bend OR, but on a far grander scale.

The restaurant was as great as the view of the sunset out the window.

photos: Sea Ranch Lodge (2) coastline from SRL (3) nook in SRL (4) tide pool area at SRL

Rick on 7/28 and 7/29

2008-08-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

I was still feeling exhausted this AM hen I awoke so we hopped in the truck and took off. Our 1st stop was in the town of Fort Bragg (the metropolis of the Mendo coast). It was pretty cute. We stopped for breakfast at Egghead Omelettes (a local institution), which was worth the rather long wait. Then we drove on to the town of Mendocino where we played tourist for an hour or so. The town is quite nice, if overpriced.

We drove on to Elk to look for Libby's sister, Polly. We hadn't been able to reach her by phone but hoped to catch her at home. Unfortunately we didn't find her in, so we left a note on her door and continued on to the Manchester KOA. The KOA was actually quite nice, with laundry facilities and warm bathrooms. Libby and I started immediately on the laundry (with me blogging between loads).

We went out for dinner around 8PM in Point Arena. Nada. Everything closed! I couldn't live here... Finally a woman came out on the street and directed us to the Pt. Arena Cove. There we found a Bar and Grill. Whew! After, we drove back to the KOA. It was still light but everything was closed down for the night.

I awoke around 7:30 the next AM and on my way to the bathroom guess who I saw driving down the road? Polly, of course. We all had a nice reunion.

After gabbing for a while, P,L,and H took off for Polly's place in Elk while I remained at the KOA to catch up on my blogging. What a mistake! It turns out that the KOA has an allotment of internet power each month and someone had blown it by trying to download 5 gigabytes. The whole system was disabled and even after the repairman (check out his truck - it doesn't inspire a lot of confidence does it?) got it up and running (?) it worked at a snail's pace.

Meanwhile it was a beautiful day, sunny and warm, so while waiting for each page to come up I was at least in comfort. I worked on crossword puzzles in between blogs.

P, L & H reappeared about dinner time with Polly's friend Lynda Aubrey. It was great to see and chat with Lynda. Libby prepared a feast which was enjoyed by all.

photos: (1) rte. 1 sign in Arena Point (2) internet repairman's truck (3) clockwise from left; Polly Girvin, Hannah, Libby, Linda Aubrey (4) Point Arena Cove

Rick on 7/27

2008-08-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

This AM Hannah and I ventured out to finish the marathon that I had started yesterday afternoon. Once again beautiful, if warm, weather greeted us.

We started out by DESCENDING all the way to the S. fork of the Eel!!! All that work yesterday... Then began an arduous 5 mile climb to the top of Mount Everest (better known around here as Leggett Hill). Then a 10 mile - at least - descent again. It was great! the road was in perfect condition, there was little traffic, and the wind was nonexistent. It reminded me of trips I had taken years ago on my motorcycle. We were supposed to meet Libby at a certain picnic area before arriving at the coast again, but it was not there. There was a derelict little picnic area by another name, but that was it. So I pushed on. That meant climbing Cape Viscaeno (650 ft.) before lunch. That was really hard and when I arrived at the ocean I was all in. As I had arrived first, I waited for Libby. After she arrived we waited and waited for Hannah. We discussed unhitching the trailer and returning for her. In the meanwhile Hannah showed up, absolutely exhausted and in a foul mood.

A little lunch helped us settle, and then Libby and I took off along the Mendocino coast. I was a bit shocked at the narrowness of the roads and the rudeness of the drivers. Libby witnessed someone in a huge motorhome get a ticket for passing her on a corner. Soon after the patrolman stopped me to talk about bicycle protocol. I'm afraid I disagreed with much of what he told me, but I kept my mouth shut. Staying as far right as possible doesn't work when you are the 3rd vehicle trying to occupy the same piece of tarmac in a space that will only allow two vehicles. And the bike will always lose! I believe that I own the road if I riding on it and have all of the rights of a motorized vehicle. The trick is getting the motorized vehicles to understand that they have to go into the other lane to pass.. Many drivers act as if they are afraid of those lines. Well, I'm afraid if they don't cross it, so I ride far enough out in the lane that they have to cross it if they want to pass. When they move out into the other lane then I move over to my right. I get a lot of rude looks and I hear many horns, but I feel safer.

Still there is a toll to be paid for an attitude like mine and I found that riding under the circumstances was not a lot of fun. I believe I was also exhausted from my travails over the past 2 days. Anyway I decided hat I was going to take the next day off. As the day after that was a scheduled day off anyway, I hoped this plan would solve my aches and pains - if not the road conditions.

I still enjoyed the great beauty of the Mendo coast. I loved seeing the old houses and riding under the groves of eucalyptus trees.

I rode 41 miles today, although I limped along the last few miles.

photos: (1) Rte 1 sign (2) eucalyptus grove (3) looking north toward Cape Viscaeno on the Mendocino coast

Rick on 7/26

2008-08-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Hannah & I continued through the most beautiful country this AM. Back up Mattole Road and on to the Avenue of the Giants. I stopped for rest break in the very cute town of Myers Flat. The only restaurant was closed, so I went into the local coffee shop. After requesting a drip coffee I asked the barrista which of the pastries was best (I make a habit of this in a new place). He sneered at me that he didn't know me, he didn't know my tastes, and he just WASN'T going to go THERE. WOW!

As there was no other choice in restaurants I picked something & found my way to an outdoor table. Soon after I heard the barrista and the next customer going at it. That guy was certainly in the wrong profession! I stopped again in the next town, Mirada, to take the taste out of my mouth.

After Phillipsville the groves started to thin out. Also the traffic began behaving in a less civil (redneck?) manner and I began to have the urge to get to Garbersville, our lunch stop. The Avenue of the Giants soon ended and I was back on the freeway (Rte. 101). I have to say that 101 in this part of CA is superior to 101 in OR. Even though I was on a freeway, it had wide, swept shoulders with smooth pavement and no feeling of precariousness. On 101 in OR I often felt that the state just wouldn't put up the funds for a road sweeper that would clean the shoulders for bicyclists. Funny for a state that promotes itself as being bicycle friendly...

After lunch I rode on my own because the map showed too much elevation gain for Libby. After taking the 1st side road recommended by the Adventure Cycling map, I gave up and stuck to 101 where the grades were more uniform. It was quite hot (90 degrees) and very hilly. The map showed 2,000 feet of elevation gain between this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon. I soon realized that was just the map speaking, not reality. In reality, each ascent would be followed by a steep descent followed by another steep ascent and another descent, etc... I think I climbed 6,ooo ft. to 8,000 ft. this afternoon before I reached the Standish-Hickey State Recreational Area where our campground was located. I took a nap as soon as I arrived at our campsite.

I rode a metric century today, probably the hardest metric century I've ever ridden. Tomorrow morning looks about the same as we keep going to the top of Leggett (an appropriate name if ever there was one) hill, the highest point of the entire trip at 2,000 ft..

SHSRA is the campsite where we first discovered the real difference between CA state parks and the parks in OR and WA. Because RV are not as likely to come to the CA parks, the parks seem to attract a younger crowd. This park was Party Central. Lots of noise. Perhaps the swimming hole was park of the attraction...

It was warm again tonight. Hannah slept without her fleece jacket for the 1st time!

photos: (1) the campground at last! (2) a new bridge going up over the S. fork of the Eel River. The Avenue of the Giants follows the S. fork of the Eel River for it's duration. In 1963 there was a flood in this area (the 1,000 year flood); the water level reached would have been over this new bridge at that time. (3) an idyllic scene on the S. fork of the Eel.

Hannah here

2008-07-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

Dad is still perpetually behind in transcribing his daily notes into blog posts - but right now we're at Sea Ranch Lodge in The Sea Ranch, California. Everything is beautiful here. It's nice to have another night with a bathroom in the adjacent room instead of several campground loops away, and where you don't have to put 50 cents into the shower meter every 3 minutes. Spending a month traveling to a new campground virtually every night has sure been an enlightening experience. We have become very aware of the different types of campers: the "RV people," with their neatly pressed clothes and coiffed hair; "tent people," generally the most rugged - particularly the hiker/biker types; and the in-between trailer people, including us. Though I have to say that we are leaning toward the rugged end of the trailer spectrum. There are all sorts of vehicles, but there are all sorts of people, too. There are Young Fun-Loving Families, who sometimes come in groups and have lots of kids with bikes and swimsuits cluttering up their campsites. There are trashy college students and 20-somethings, who bring cases of Miller Lite and play loud music. There are civilized older couples who have all their camping routines down. Sometimes I feel like people in tents frown upon people in trailers and RVs because our version of camping is so soft. I have to say I still feel like I'm a tent person at heart. Camping is a really different experience when you have a little room with real beds and a little refrigerator and a heater and lights and running water. Of course I probably wouldn't want to be tent camping for two months straight, but I still think you experience more of being outdoors when you have to cook outdoors, sleep outdoors, hang out outdoors, etc.

Rick on 7/25

2008-07-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today was an almost perfect day of bike riding! Hannah & I started out by riding into Ferndale, then on through the dairy farms of the valley. The weather was still chilly and foggy as it had been on the coast since Brookings, OR.

After the valley we ascended three sharp hills to Rio Dell, a depressing place if ever there was one. Then on to Scotia, a beautiful (Pacific Lumber) Company town.

As we headed inland the sun came out. We rode on 101 for 5 miles or so and then onto the Avenue of the Giants.

This was great bicycle riding! Very little traffic and what traffic there was behaved in a civilized manner. Sun-dappled roads and gorgeous groves of redwoods. Flat terrain with just enough wind to keep one cool.

We met Libby for lunch at Redcrest. After, Libby and I continued on to Mattole Road, as gorgeous a road as one is likely to find. The poor condition of the pavement probably served to help keep the traffic volume low. Albee Creek Campground is very small and beautiful. Even the rangers here seem quite real. Almost like they weren't wearing uniforms. The other thing here is the temperature. It was warm into the evening. After living in Seattle for many years, one appreciates a warm evening.

All in all this has been the best day of our trip for me. Favorite road to bike, favorite campground, perfect weather, and the wind not a factor. I have to say a word here about the wind. I feel like a sailor must feel, most of the time. On the days the wind is with me, or a non-factor, riding is great and I couldn't be happier. On the days when I'm riding into a strong wind, riding is difficult at best and often unpleasant. I'm completely at the mercy of the wind (and weather) and, of course, have no control over either.

Another thing that was perfect about today - I only rode 37 miles. Forty miles seems to be the perfect distance. It's not too tiring and, of course, doesn't take as long. I don't have to get up and get cracking, so to speak. And I have time to enjoy the campground and the evening meal. In this case they were perfect.

photos: (1) the valley around Ferndale (2) the Avenue of the Giants (3) one of the giants (4) a campsite at Albee Creek Campground

Rick on 7/24

2008-07-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

I awoke feeling so sore that I promptly decided a day off was in order. That was all it took for the 3 of us to decide to travel by truck. As this was to be an all freeway day anyway, it was an easy decision.

Before leaving PTSP we opted to look around the Yurok ceremonial grounds that are adjacent to the park. Indians from up and down the CA coast use this area for some of their ceremonies. It was quite interesting. The place looks a little Japanese. The houses were dug in so only the tops showed. The construction was modular, so they could be picked up and moved to another spot if need be. There is also a garden where native herbs and roots are grown.

After, we drove into Arcata. I fell in love with the place. I could live here! Of course CA real estate prices have to be figured into the equation...

After a good lunch at the Humboldt Brewery we drove on to Ferndale, passing up Eureka completely. Oh well, another time...

Ferndale seems to be a living museum. All of the buildings for blocks around Main Street are beautifully restored high victorian masterpieces. Quite something! The town is surrounded by some of the most beautiful dairy farms I've ever seen. Of course most of the dairies come with their own victorian home also!

We spent the night at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds on the outskirts of Ferndale.

photos: (1) Libby looking into the door (!) of a communal lodge (2) sweat lodge and men's club (3) Arcata town square (4) Ferndale victorian

Rick on 7/23

2008-07-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Yesterday we spent quite a bit of time climbing the 1st of the Crescent City Hills only to descend waay back down to Mill Creek. Today we opted to drive back up to our starting point on Rte. 101

On a sunny but chilly morning Hannah and I started off to face our ascent. But - lo and behold - the 2nd two hills were nothing but further crests of the first hill! We almost flew over them.

Then we were on our way down to Klamath, home of the "Trees of Mystery". I have been hearing about the "Mees of Tristery" from Kathie Ramm for so long that it really cracked me up to see the sign. It wasn't enough to make me want to pay the entrance fee however. We stopped at the Forest Cafe across the way (where I saw the largest stuffed teddy bear I've ever seen) and then on to Klamath City, passing the two Golden Bear statues on the Klamath Bridge.

We were to meet Libby on the Drury Parkway, a scenic - read hilly - alternative to 101, for lunch. After scouting the parkway for a while and not finding a suitable place, Libby headed back towards Klamath City. When she encountered me along the way she pulled over and we decided to have lunch right on the spot. We waited for Hannah to arrive and then dug in.

After lunch Libby and I descended on 101 to the ocean. I was still wearing arm warmers, leg warmers and a vest. We then faced three loong hills before Patrick's Point SP. At the time we didn't know how difficult they would prove to be. Libby dropped out after the 1st hill and called Hannah asking for rescue. I stubbornly kept going, riding through Humboldt Lagoons SP with only an occasional view of the lagoons.

Patrick's Point SP is very beautiful. Very private. After showering we elected to go into Trinidad (named because the first white spotted it on Trinity Sunday) where we at a mediocre meal in a very picturesque location.

I rode 53 miles today and I'm sooo tired.

photos: (1) Mill Creek Campground (2) no explanation needed! (3) The Trinity harbor

Rick on 7/22

2008-07-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

MILESTONE - we're now in California! It's still cool and foggy however.

After an unimpressive ride to the border and then a quick pass through the agricultural checkpoint, Hannah and I stopped for the obligatory photo op at the Welcome to CA sign. A couple of female Harley riders were doing the same thing, so we took turns taking each others pictures.

Then we were off onto backroads passing through beautiful farm country on the way to Crescent City. I biked along Pebble Beach, catching sight of Castle Rock and the much photographed Battery Street Lighthouse (yes I took pictures), then traveling along a nice bike path to our lunch spot.

After lunch, Libby and I rode on Rte. 101 up onto the first of the three dreaded Crescent City Hills. After we had nearly gotten to the top we turned off onto the road to our campground. This road took us all the way down to sea level on the other side of the hill - a really steep three miles. Needless to say, we opted right then to drive back up to 101 in the AM!

Mill Creek Campground in Del Norte Redwoods SP of the Redwoods State and National Park System (yes, that is it's title) is a fantastic little campground. It reminds me of the campgrounds of my youth; small, private and secluded away in the woods. Because we are separated from the coast by the 1st Crescent Hill we have sun again. Nice! We are now surrounded by redwoods, living and dead. Also we had our first warning about BEARS. It will be bear lockers from now on in CA SPs.

Apparently very few of the CA SPs have hookups, so we'll be burning more propane and using more battery power now. As a result of this lack there are fewer big RVS in the SPs. I guess they all go to OR and WA. I did see the fanciest rig I've ever seen at this park however - a brand new semi pulling a veery long 5th wheel and flying one of the biggest American flags I've ever seen. What is it with campgrounds and the American flag?

I rode 37 miles today. Started out in the fog and ended up in the sun. Life couldn't get much better.

photos: (1) Welcome to CA (2) don't get lost! (3) Castle Rock (4) the Battery Street Lighthouse

Rick on 7/21

2008-07-29T17:22:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today was another planned day of rest. Libby and I spent the day in Brookings "Home of Winter Flowers" doing chores. These included laundry (we had so much it made sense to go into town) and bike repair. Hannah opted to stay in because we had internet. When Libby & I finally made it back to the trailer she had stuffed herself on Mac n Cheese so Libby and I went to the only Italian restaurant in town, Bella Italia. It was quite good. Later I was able to do some blogging, but I'm still behind. I don't think I'll catch up until we are back in Seattle...

Tomorrow it's on to California! I can't believe that we have made it this far without a single flat tire. Amazing. The next week promises to be difficult because much of the time we will be traveling inland on CA 101, which is freeway most of the time. We have been promised wide shoulders, but....

I have been dreading this art of our adventure a bit. I guess if it is too much we can always hop into the truck.

photos: (1) Harris BSP campsite (2) Harris BSP campground (3) the B in Harris BSP

Rick on 7/20

2008-07-29T13:11:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today started out beautifully. I set out out earlier than Hannah, waiting for her when I reached the first turnoff. By the time she arrived the fog had rolled in and it was chilly. We took off on the old coast highway, but somehow missed a turn. We ended up paralleling Rte. 101 for a while on a smaller road before eventually rejoining the main route.

At this point Hannah went on ahead. Soon I pulled into a SP (Geisel SP - named for a family that was massacred by indians; I have yet to see a site dedicated to the massacre of indians by whites) and met an older couple walking their 5 dogs. He had lived in Puyallup. We talked a little about the retired life. After, I was able to exit 101 onto the old coast highway. The hills were more sharply graded here, but it was nice being the only vehicle on the road.

I met Libby & Hannah in Gold Beach (formerly Ellensburg - do you think the chamber of commerce had anything to do with the name change?) After lunch Libby and I continued along the Boardman State Scenic Corridor. Even in the fog it was awesome!

Then down into Brookings. Harris BSP is right in town and is the Rolls Royce of SPs. Private sites, great showers, laundry facilities, fast internet connection (for a fee), newspaper kiosks, even an ice cream vendor. I could live here...

I rode 51 miles today through beautiful terrain.

photos: (1) Natural Bridge on the Boardman Corridor (2) Arch Rock on the Boardman Corridor (3) our first glimpse of Brookings (4) an interesting guy we met today - he said he was spreading God's love

Rick on 7/19

2008-07-29T12:42:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today was a scheduled day off. We woke up relatively early - due to noisy neighbor kids - and hiked up Humbug Mountain. I had been led to believe that some of the most stunning views of the OR coast could be found from the top. The trail was really quite nice but the top a little disappointing as we never got above tree line. A few tantalizing views were all that we were able to enjoy. The trail itself was quite steep, with only one slight loss of elevation in the entire 2.5 mile climb, and that near the top.

After, Libby and I drove to Cape Blanco SP. There we toured the Hughes House (1898) and drove through the campground (very nice) and down to the beach (very steep but equally nice).

We then drove back to our site, stopping en route for groceries and gas.

Cold dinner tonight because one of the propane canisters is out of gas and we were unable to loosen the attachment to switch canisters.

We had beautiful weather again today and thankfully our campsite was wind protected, allowing us to bask in the sun's warmth.

photos: (1)Port Orford from Humbug Mountain (2) a view from Humbug Mountain (3) the beach at Cape Blanco SP

Rick on 7/18

2008-07-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Beautiful weather today. I was really sorry to leave SBSP, but ever onward we go. I certainly plan to revisit this area to spend some quality time.

Hannah & I rode along 7 Devils road (that's seven hills to you non-cyclists) through clearcuts as we paralleled Rte. 101 south. Twenty-five miles later we rode into Bandon (aka Bandon by-the-sea), where we were to meet Libby for lunch. Old town Bandon is really nice with lots of restaurants (a rarity on this part of the coast) and shops that are several steps above the usual trish-trash along Rte. 101. We had an excellent lunch at the Two Loons Cafe; they even had a wind protected patio in the rear where we were able to enjoy a bit of sun. (If you are not in a wind protected area this part of the coast feels like you're in a small gale.)

After, Libby & I rode through a newer development along the bluffs south of the main part of town. I had heard that this part of the OR coast had the most beautiful beaches and now I believe it! Lots of sand onshore and rocks off shore.

Somewhere around Sixes OR we encountered our second favorable wind of the trip (the 1st was near Grayland WA). This breeze literally blew us into Port Orford. A strong tailwind does wonders for one's soul, to say nothing of tired muscles! I felt like Lance Armstrong zipping along at 25 MPH on the flats and more or less coasting up the hills. In Port Orford we met Hannah for soup at the Crazy Norwegians's Restaurant (highly recommended).

I continued on alone to Humbug Mountain SP along a stunning coastline. The campground is beautifully situated beneath Humbug Mountain (the highest point on the OR coast), but the sites are a bit close together.

I rode 59 miles today, but with the wind's help near the end I felt great.

Photos: (1) a view of a Bandon by-the-sea beach (2) Face Rock (3) Humbug Mountain (4) our first palm tree!

Libby

2008-07-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

Today we enter California. I'm prepared to surrender produce as I drive across the border. I can't believe we've gone through Washington and Oregon already!

Rick tells me that we are halfway through the biking portion of our trip. That's time-wise, if not distance.

I am looking forward to seeing family and friends in California, and to visiting some old favorite spots and discovering new ones.

The last few days have been cloudy and cool, but the scenery has been spectacular. I can't wait for some sunshine again!

We had some late-arriving neighbors in the campground last night. They ate dinner in the dark and then went to bed. When I went to the bathroom this morning, the crows were having a party in their campsite with all the left-overs.

Rick on 7/17

2008-07-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Wonderful to sleep in late!

It was foggy again (high) this AM. Usually it begins to clear up about 1PM, but out here on the cape it seems to stay foggy.

I was awakened by a baby crow calling for it's breakfast outside f my tent window. It's kind of a mini-raucous sound. Soon it was satisfied by a parent and shut up.

After our breakfast we headed out to explore Coos Bay. We wanted to do some shopping also. I was looking for a fleece jacket (it's cold out here on the coast!). I'm finding that when all my energy is directed toward my leg muscles my top half can't seem to warm up. We also wanted a toaster. If we're eating in each AM we might as well eat like kings and queens! We all wanted internet access. It turns out the entire downtown area of Coos Bay (what there is of it) is wifi, though terribly slow. We wondered into a christian book store/coffee shop and went online. I added one day (I'm terribly slow).

Coos Bay seemed like a very unfriendly place to me. No eye contact from anybody, and even fewer words.

On the way back to SBSP we drove through Bastendorff Beach County Park on the way out to Cape Arago. It was very nice - like SBSP on a smaller scale. They have showers and hookups and cheaper rates, although I doubt if you could reserve in advance. There is a beautiful day use area overlooking the ocean.

After, we drove on to the remaining 2 SPs on the cape. The first, Shore Acres SP, is where Simpson's son built his mansion.. Unfortunately it burned down 6 years later (he had no insurance) in 1921. He had poured everything into the place, so it really set him back. They lived in the gardener's house for quite a while. Eventually there was a shipwreck on the reef in what is now Cape Arago SP so Simpson salvaged the remains and had a second mansion built. In 1932 he gave the end of the cape to the state for a park (Now Cape Arago SP). Soon after, his businesses started to fail and he sold the rest of the cape to the state. SBSP was part of his estate and Shore Acres SP includes the mansion grounds. This includes the gardens which are an amazing piece of work. Even while he was in residence the garden was open to the public and cuttings from the garden were used to start other gardens all over the state of OR. It is set up like a proper english garden with pergolas, fountains, a rose garden and an asian garden around a pond. Unfortunately my camera had run out of battery power so I have no record of this except what's in my head ( & many of you know how unreliable that is).

The state housed the military on this property and the main house served as an officer's club. Then in 1948 the state, in all it's wisdom, decided that it was cheaper to raze the mansion than to maintain it. So it's gone! The gardens remain however along with some of the most spectacular scenery I've ever seen.

Cape Arago SP is extraordinarily beautiful also. Simpson used to run cattle out here, and the reef where the ship foundered is located here.

Although I consider the North Bend/Coos Bay area unfortunate, it's worth braving them for a chance to spend some time on lovely Cape Arago!

photos: (1) shot from Cape Arago SP (2) Libby calls this plate tectonics at work; shot from Shore Acres SP (3) shot from Shore Acres SP

Rick on 7/16

2008-07-21T10:08:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Fog again this AM. It was high but thick. Didn't start to break up until after 1PM. Hannah and I had a fairly quick trip (at least for me in the morning) to the Tahkanish (many arms) campground for our 1st rest break. Then we climbed a 5oo ft. hill after which we descended into Reedsport. Reedsport wasn't much but the Schooner Inn Cafe where we had our second rest break was lovely. We bought a picnic lunch there and rode out to the ocean again at Winchester Bay, "The Best Kept Secret on the Oregon Coast". We continued on to Lake Marie at the Umpqua Lighthouse SP where we were to meet Libby. ULSP is a delight - shielded from the wind - very sunny and beautiful.

After, Libby and I continued on to North Bend. We had to walk across the McCollough Memorial Bridge crossing Coos Bay. It was sooo windy. After, we stopped at the Information Center, but there wasn't really anything of interest. We continued on back roads to the Cape Arago highway. There Libby bailed. A woman with whom we had been talking while resting kindly offered to take Libby out to the park, but Libby had already been trying to reach Hannah. (Reception is often spotty at the out of the way SPs). Anyway Libby ended up sitting in Maria's car chatting while waiting to see if Hannah would show up while I rode ahead to Sunset Bay SP. (Hannah did come back to get Libby).

Sunset Bay SP is on a dead end road. It is the 1st of 3 SPs on the road, all this land having once belonged to a entrepreneur by the name of Simpson. He ventured out to California during the gold rush but soon realized that more money could be made supplying the gold diggers than by actually digging. His hardware company soon expanded to lumber and then to ship building. (He had ship building concerns in Coos Bay and Grays Harbor.)

Hannah cooked a wonderful dinner. While eating the meal she discovered (for the 1st time) wine dregs, which put her off of wine for a while. SBSP is a lovely place. It has tall hedges which provide a lot of privacy. We had no hookups, but the propane heater worked! (1st time). Now just the water heater...

Because we don't know southern Oregon very well we will be spending an extra day at each of the next three SPs. Tomorrow we will explore the rest of the Cape Arago area as well as the town of Coos Bay

I rode 51 miles today. My odometer screwed up for the 2nd time, making me realize that I really hadn't gone 86 miles on the 5th day of our trip but only 55 miles.

The photos are: (1) The campground at SBSP (2) Libby before attempting the Coos Bay Bridge (3) The Coos Bay Bridge (McCollough Memorial Bridge). McCollough was the designer of many of the bridges on the OR coast. The bridges were built during the 30s and I believe they are another success story of the CCC. (4) The beach area at Lake Marie in Umpqua Lighthouse SP

rick on 7/15

2008-07-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Libby was in tears this morning. Too much work - stress of driving trailer, cooking, shopping, riding, laundry, tearing down the campsite - and not enough help. The cold, foggy weather today probably didn't help either. I wonder if , besides more help, she wants more company? Hannah and I can start, at least, by providing more help in the AM before we start biking.

It was cold pretty much all day. The fog didn't lift until we came down from Cape Perpetua and into dune country. Even then it was windy and cool. Of course the wind was working against us again today...

We had lunch in the truck because it was so cold. After, we toured the Sea Lion Caves. That was fun. I hadn't done that since I was a kid.

Libby and I rode on to Honeyman SP. It was beautiful but our campsite was backwards. We couldn't both plug in and get to our picnic table/fire.

I rode 40 miles today. I had wanted to spend some time in "Old Town" Florence but Libby wasn't interested.

The photos are: (1) a dune in Honeyman SP (no, it's not snow). The Oregon Dune Recreation Area stretches from Cape Perpetua all the way down to Coos Bay. The dunes can move inland as the wind picks the sand up and moves it around. We would be riding along Rte. 101, several miles from the ocean, looking at this amazing hill of sand... (2) Hannah practicing for the 1st time on Ray Davis' travel cello (I still haven't buzzed - do you think I'm ready to retire?) (3) The Oregon Sea Lion Caves (4) Our first view of the Dunes Recreation Area as we descended from Cape Perpetua.

Rick on 7/14

2008-07-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

- rick here

I woke up early to a sunny, perfect day - to blog. I'm almost up to date although I don't know when I'll have another chance. Meanwhile Hannah & Libby went to a bike shop for adjustments to Hannah's bike. They were also looking for a sleeping bag for Hannah as she is always cold.

Later Hannah & I rode to Beachside SP near Yachats (The Gem of the Oregon Coast). I tend to ride more slowly and to stop to see the scenic waysides so Hannah arrived much sooner than I. Libby had actually ridden north from Beachside SP and met Hannah. They returned to the park together. There is a nice beach here, however I don't think that there would be many days you could enjoy it if you weren't well dressed.

The wind was finally with us again today. Hallelujah! However the weather seems to be turning. I sincerely hope not. Tomorrow promises to be a very scenic day.

We're going to drive back to Newport so we can have some family togetherness at the Rogue Brewery (Brewers by the Bay Restaurant). It was closed last night and is a place that shouldn't be missed.

I rode only 20 miles today.

Rick on 7/13

2008-07-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Hannah had a headache today so, riding alone, my first task was to climb Cape Lookout. Although I didn't know it at the time, Cape Lookout is the highest spot on the OR coast at 840 feet. As I climbed from sea level and the road went pretty much straight up, it was exhausting.

It seems to take me a long time to wake up in the AM, physically as well as mentally. I'd rather not have the tallest spot on the coast staring me in the face before lunch. Oh well!

Anyway, I met another biker near the top. He was traveling south from Portland to Crescent City. He had done the trip before & knew that we were near the top. He accompanied me the rest of the way and for several miles until he turned off on a shortcut back to Rte 101. He is a biology teacher in Campbell River BC. His wife is visiting relatives in Portland so he is using the time to bike travel. A good choice!

Hannah, Libby & I met in Pacific City for breakfast. After, I rode past Neskowin (Plenty Fish) and took another ACA recommended route using the old coast highway. The route climbed through beautiful farms and then old growth forests to 650 ft. at which point it zoomed back down to sea level and Rte. 101 via the town of Otis (population 25).

Meanwhile H & L and driven to Lincoln City and proceeded to try to find the restaurant I had read about in my Road Food book. After driving down a narrow steep road to a site near Road's End recreation area they found that the place was not there. Gone - hook, line and sinker. Nothing left but an empty lot. They unhooked the trailer so they could more easily drive around town to shop, etc. but when they returned they were blocked in. They went back up to they highway and were finally able to reach me by cell (I had been out of service for quite a while). I met them at a McMenamin's Restaurant/Brewery for lunch.

After, we all drove down to Road's End where the trailer was almost free. We asked one old guy who was sitting in his car if he would move it one space over so we could rescue our trailer. He did move his car, but only after delivering a lecture about how we shouldn't have parked there in the first place. Thanks a lot!

Since I had already ridden 45 miles and crossed over two major hills I stayed in the car as we all drove to Newport and our one night stay at the Embarcadero Resort. The Embarcadero is a time share that is in the network in which we own points. It is a lovely place on the Yaquina Bay Marina. Here we will do laundry, access the internet, order room service dinner and generally enjoy some of life's better things.

The weather today was great however the wind was, once again, working against me. Hopefully the desired winds from the North will help us out soon.

The shot above is of Cape Kiawanda, the 3rd of the capes on the 3 Capes Loop. The other capes are Cape Meares and Cape Outlook.

rick on 7/12

2008-07-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

We changed our routine a bit today. Since Hannah wants to have breakfast before biking and I would prefer getting in some miles first, I left before she did. Ordinarily she rides on ahead of me and I never see her anyway so there didn't appear to be an issue.

I had breakfast at Wanda's Cafe in the town of Nehalem. It was a really great restaurant except for the lack of eye contact from the waitresses (a pet peeve of mine). The town itself is quite cute, very artsy.

After breakfast I left Rte. 101 on an Adventure Cycling Assn. recommended side road. The road (the old Pacific Highway route) wound through the Foley Creek and Miami River drainages and was very beautiful. I recconected with 101 just south of Bay City (the "Pearl of Tillamook Bay). I rode along Tillamook bay into Bay City and out onto a pier where we were to meet for lunch at the Pacific Oyster Restaurant. I was there about an hour before Libby showed up, towing the trailer. About 1/2 hour later Hannah rode in, having biked the same route I had. I good lunch was had by all although I still don't properly appreciate oysters.

After lunch Libby and I rode into Tillamook and then out onto the 3 Capes Road, another recommending scenic road. Libby took the shortcut across the first of the capes, Cape Meares (named after the 2nd sea captain to discover the mouth of the great river of the west {the Columbia} and think it was just a bay - the 1st was Capt. Vancouver) while I decided to bike the entire cape. It turned out to be a very strenuous day as the road went from sea level all the way to the Cape Meares State Scenic Vista at nearly 800 feet. The Vista was indeed superb! I spent quite a bit of time ther, recovering from my exertion as well as enjoying the sights. I left the State Scenic Vista to find myself going down to sea level, then up, then down until I reached the town of Netarts. Netarts has one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. From there I rode along flatlands to Cape Outlook SP a truly beautiful park. I could certainly spend a week here! There were a lot of campers there but the site we were in still afforded a lot of privacy.

One interesting thing at this campground - there is a near religious service at the beach as the sun goes down. It's a little like a party and a little like a church service. After, everyone heads back to their campsite before it gets dark. Most interesting. It made me realize the power Stonehenge must have hard during it's heyday.

The photographs are of the Cape Meares lighthouse, the entrance to te beautiful Nehalem Bay SP, The Octopus Tree at Cape Meares State Scenic Vista and part of the gathering crowd for the Sunset Service at Cape Outlook SP.

I cycled 52 miles today, up and down a lot of hills (mountains), and I'm pretty sore. I've now another adage for my collection however. It is that any road labeled scenic is going to be hilly. Scenic=hilly=tired.

rick on 7/11

2008-07-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Hannah and I left Ft. Stevens SP with nice weather and a beautiful ride as far as Rte. 101. From the point it was like riding along Aurora (Rte. 99) in Seattle. Lots of traffic, even more noise (with all of the people traveling these days by motorcycle, mostly Harleys) and a wind that was not in our favor.

Sometime before Seaside my rear derailer started acting up and by Seaside it was hardly working at all. I limped into a bike shop where I watched the guy "fix it" in about 5 seconds. I'm always apprehensive when I see people doing things too fast, as if they are in a race. Sure enough I hadn't gone 2 blocks when the derailer froze up entirely. Back to the bike shop (because I didn't know of any alternatives). It turns out the cable was frayed (you don't suppose?). After that was fixed (maybe 20 seconds this time) I was on my way again. By this time Hannah (who had been ahead of me since we reached 101) was really irritable since she hadn't had anything to eat yet. We went to Norma's Ocean Diner, a restaurant that had been recommended, but they weren't serving breakfast which further irritated H. From Norma's we rode on to Cannon Beach. Actually I limped the last few miles because my derailer still was not right.

When we got near Cannon Beach we passed Libby on the way out of Ecola SP where we were to meet for lunch. She was frayed because of the narrow, twisty roads (not recommended for trailers) in the park, as well as the amount of traffic. At that point we loaded the bikes on the truck and I dove into Cannon Beach. There I found a good Bicycle shop that fixed my derailer properly.

So here's the situation. Libby is irritable because of the narrow twisty roads towing a trailer, Hannah is irritable because of the fact that she went without breakfast while bicycling quite a few miles and I am irritable because of the derailer issues. What do we do? We hop in the truck and head to our next campsite at Nehalem Bay SP (see picture)!

Here I must insert into the record an homage to Jim Weaver, my bicycling guru. Jim tried, oh so hard, to instill in me a love for the Art of Bicycle Maintenance. It is no fault of his that I was such a poor student.

I ended up riding 25 miles today (including the limping parts).

Rick on 7/10

2008-07-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today Hannah & I rode east from Cape Disappointment SP to Fort Columbia SP, near the Astoria Bridge. It was chilly but pleasant riding. There we climbed into the truck for the trip across the bridge. The Astoria Bridge is a narrow, 2 mile long floating bridge with notoriously gusty wind conditions. Many cyclists have regretted using it and so we avoided it altogether by using our "sag wagon".

Once in Astoria we stopped at the Bridgewater Bistro and had a fine lunch. In this building I was also able to purchase a half case of Flying Dutchman Pinot Noir (what opera lover could resist the title?) which we will enjoy as we wind our way down the coast.

Then it was on to Ft. Clatsop, pictured above. Actually, to the 1955 replica probably near the site of the original L&C winter encampment. Still, it was interesting. Then Libby and I took off for Ft. Stevens SP on the mouth of the Columbia. Unfortunately my google map wasn't correct and we ended up 15 miles or so south of where we wanted to hit the Pacific in Seaside OR. The southerly wind was really howling and L & I decided to call Han to bail us out. She came to the pizza place where we waited and we had dinner there before heading back to Ft. Stevens SP.

Ft. Stevens SP is huge and, like many of the places we've seen, we would love to come back and spend more time.

I forgot to attach my cycle computer today so I'm not sure how far I biked, but it was about 25 miles. It turns out that the route L & I took to Seaside is the official route of Adventure Cycling Assn, the route that we will be following for the rest of our trip. This more inland road was very beautiful with mixed forests and farms and quite warm.

Rick on 7/8

2008-07-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

Today we rode from Bruceport County Park along Willapa Bay (it is huge) to Cape Disappointment SP at the mouth of the Columbia River. We had perfect weather and, because we were a bit inland, no wind until the end of the ride. We made really good time all the way to Ilwaco and I felt like Lance Armstrong.

Hannah & I stopped in Bay Center for breakfast - it is really cute with lots of old houses. We had lunch at the Willapa Bay National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. Hannah dubbed it the Willapa Bay National Wildlife Kill because the powers that be allow hunting (?!) in the refuge. No dogs are allowed except, of course, hunting dogs. The Refuge seemed to be staffed mostly by teenagers who ride around in airboats powered by huge fans (ala LA bayous). The things make a dreadful racket and the kids wear ear protectors. Libby figured the wildlife are all deaf by now. Maybe it makes them easier to hunt!

From there it was straight on to Ilwaco for Libby and me. It didn't seem like much of a town as we pedaled through it on the way to Cape Disappointment. That's where we ran into the wind!!! Steep hills and a STRONG wind in ones face do not make make for pleasant riding conditions. We finally made it to Cape Disappointment SP in a rather sorry condition.

Out here on the cape it is quite cold. After riding all day with the temp in the 70s we spent the evening huddled in our home with the heat turned on high. CDSP is one heck of a place for star gazing however.

Tomorrow is our 1st day off. I had thought I would do a tour de Long Beach but realize now that was wishful thinking. My butt needs a day off! Tomorrow we'll try to hunt up an internet provider and I can start blogging. Also I hope to check out CDSP.

photos: (1) Ilwaco from CDSP (2) mouth of the mighty Columbia (3) Dead Mans Cove in CDSP (4) air boats at the Willapa Bay Refuge

Rick on 7/7

2008-07-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

- Rick here

We got a slow start today; later I was to regret it. We got up about 9:30 and the five of us drove to the Tokeland Hotel for breakfast. The Tokeland is an 1880s structure that is among the oldest hotels still operating in WA. It is very pet friendly so dogs and cats seem to be everywhere, especially around the fire. Anyway, we didn't start biking until 1:15 and my butt was sorry I hadn't broken the ride up bit more.

After Hannah and I rode around a 20 mile stretch of Willapa Bay we had lunch in the Raymond City Park. While there the owner of the Raymond Carriage Museum came out to her car. We chatted with her a bit and she asked if we wanted to see the museum. Well, who could turn down such an invitation? It was fun seeing all of the late 1800 and early 1900 horse carriages in perfect condition. It must have been a piece of work to put that collection together!

After, Libby and I rode along the Raymond to South Bend Bike Trail, which winds along the south fork of the Willapa River. In South Bend "The Baltimore of the Northwest" we stopped to see the Pacific County Courthouse. It is a beautiful old structure with a grand view. Unfortunately we arrived too late to go inside to see the Tiffany glass dome as the facility closed at 5pm and we didn't arrive until 5:45pm. Next time...

We rode on to Bruceport County Park, one of the oldest parks in WA. The park area was originally settled by a couple of survivors from a shipwreck who who climbed the hill and built a house. It is a beautiful park with stunning views. The picture above was taken from BCP and shows the nature of Willapa Bay. The original (english) name for the bay was Shoalwater and in this shot you can see why. The bay was named Shoalwater after the local indian tribe. I haven't been able to determine if Willapa is the indian word for shoalwater.

I finally figured out that I can add multiple photos and so I added one of the metal sculpture welcoming us to Raymond (Raymond is noted for the many metal sculptures along the road, mostly of animals). I also added a shot of the Pacific County Courthouse in South Bend. The last image is of Hannah in the Carriage Museum.

I biked for about 40 miles today and I'm afraid I must admit that the buttache one gets from riding a bike is cumulative.

Rick on 7/6

2008-07-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

- Rick here on Sunday 7/6

We had another cold day today. I spent all day in my arm warmers and leg warmers. Hannah is getting to be a very strong cyclist. Her pace is probably faster than mine already!

Libby's pace and mine match perfectly as long as her battery doesn't run out. Good thing we usually have hookups!

When we finally reached the Pacific Ocean and turned south a tailwind picked us up. It was great! It feels like you are in a hot air balloon. It is so quiet. Our speed picked up by several miles an hour, perhaps 2 gears worth of speed at absolutely no cost!

Tonight Joe Bynum and Janai Fuller visited and camped with us at Grayland BSP. It was a lot of fun, they are great company. A delicious dinner was enjoyed by all.

I was flagged down by our lonely next door neighbor. He is at Grayland BSP for a kite festival. His campsite was festooned with kites and whirligigs. He's retired military and spends his time building whirligigs and going from kite festival to kite festival. He said that Grayland BSP can expect 2, 000 to 3,000 kite flyers spread over 2 miles of beach. Although we won't be around for this festival, a kite festival is planned for Brookings OR the weekend will be there. It might be fun.

I rode 48 miles today.

photos: (1) view along the Blue Slough Road near Cosmopolis (2) kites and whirlygigs galore (3) our 1st view of the mighty Pacific

Rick on 7/5

2008-07-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

- Rick here on Saturday 7/5

Today was kind of a miserable day. The weather turned bad. It started out cold and turned rainy by noon.

There were some good aspects, however. I was very thankful that WDOT had repaved the section of Rte. 101 that winds along Hood Canal (Fjord?) It made the ride much more enjoyable than it would have otherwise been. After lunch in Hoodsport Libby decided that she didn't want to go out into the rain so I rode the rest of the way alone.

We had originally thought we would try to camp at Shafer SP. The park doesn't take reservations however and we weren't sure we would get a site on Saturday July 5th. Since we hadn't been able to recharge our various batteries since Deception Pass SP, we opted to go to our backup - the Microtel in Elma. After riding in the rain for a good deal of the day it was nice to go to a warm room and have laundry facilities available.

My odometer, which has been very accurate so far, says that I biked 86 miles today. I'll have to check that later, but I know that I feel like I cycled that far. My butt is toast!

photo: Brandt's cormorants

Rick on 7/4

2008-07-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

- - -Rick here on Friday 7/4
We got a late start because the 1st 3 ferries out of Keystone were cancelled due to the tides. We finally got off at noon. Hannah and I did the Port Townsend bike trail. It's doubly great because, not only is it very scenic as it takes one along the water but one manages to avoid most of the 1st hill. We stopped at the Chimacum Cafe for pie (their pies is still delicious).

When Hannah and I arrived in Quilcene Libby was waiting at the restaurant (which was closed due to the 4th of July). Libby and Hannah switched places and Libby proceeded to zoom over Mt. Walker with me to Dosewallips SP. We found out how long her battery will last as it conked out near the end (about 25 miles). We had planned on dinner at the Geoduck Tavern (a local institution) but it too was closed for the 4th! Who ever heard of a bar being closed on the 4th of July?

Dosewallips SP was rather disappointing. Very crowded with no privacy, a LONG walk to the bathroom, and the trailer hookups I had reserved were not at the site to which we were assigned.

I rode for more or less 5 hours straight today and am sore and tired. Covered 40 miles in all including the rather daunting Mt. Walker.

photos: (1) Port Townsend bike trail (2) please notice on this historic day that the colors of our rig are - red, white and blue!

Libby

2008-07-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

We are now in Newport, Oregon, spending the night at a time share on the bay. So far we have been really lucky with beautiful weather, although the winds can be fierce.

Our tent trailer is very cozy and quite comfortable. The setting up and taking down is a little labor intensive on a daily basis, but we are getting better at it all the time. We have a few two-day stays coming up, so it will feel very relaxing!

Bicycling has been mostly good. The first few days were hard on the "contact points" to quote the Bike Doc, but now it takes longer for the seat to get sore. Those padded shorts really help! Of course I like the flat parts, but my battery has helped me up the hills, and lasted for my share of the day.

A week ago we were in Grayland Beach State Park - a very lovely spot. Joe and Janai came to spend the night and brought dinner, too. We had a great time, and I told them to visit us this weekend, too, but we're too far away now.

One thing that I have loved is seeing the stars! It's a long time since I have seen the Milky Way, and the zillions of stars (and satellites) that we don't see in Seattle. I also love being by the ocean. I love the energy of the surf, the sea smells, and of course the fresh seafood.

Anyway, so far, so good! My foot is pretty good now, and we have had no injuries on the trip. and no bike disasters. Keep your fingers crossed!

Wednesday 7/3

2008-07-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

- Rick here on Thursday 7/3

Today we went from Deception Pass SP to Fort Casey SP, both on Whidbey Island. One thing I've learned about islands - they are mountaintops surrounded by water. I'm not sure there is such a thing as a flat island!

A fierce storm blew in last night, complete with lots of thunder and lightning. Our trailer is a gem!

It was raining pretty hard this morning and Hannah elected not to ride. I altered my ride by heading straight down Whidbey on Route 20 instead of riding along the east side of the island as I had planned. We met at Zorba's Restaurant and all of us had the wonderful Zorba burger (sort of a combination of hamburger and gyro). Yum!

After lunch the weather improved (up to 60 degrees and no rain) and Hannah accompanied me. We rode along the east side of the island on Scenic Heights Road and around Penn Cove into Coupeville where I enjoyed a pint of Toby's Red Ale. Then over to the west side and Fort Casey SP.

Fort Casey is a wonderful SP. The campground is not so great - everyone is tucked into a little corner right by the Keystone ferry landing. It looks like a used RV lot. However this frees up the rest of the park and whoever is in charge has done a great job. The deer and the rabbits were seemingly not afraid of us and we had fun watching them as we wandered around the bunkers. The bunkers are quite extensive and from a distance looked like one of those Mayan arenas where they used to play their ball games. The Admiralty head Lighthouse is stunning. Attached to the caregivers house, it looks like a castle from which Rapunzel might have hung her hair.

photos: (1) Whidbey Island NAS "the Sound of Freedom" (2) Ft. Casey parade field and gun batteries (3) a more intimate spot in Ft. Casey (4) Admiralty Head lighthouse

Rick on Tuesday 7/2

2008-07-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

- Rick here on Wednesday, July 2nd

Today Hannah & I rode along the rest of Chuckanut Drive to the Edison Cafe (1933) in Bow-Edison where we had a nice breakfast. While there we saw a photo of the 1925 Edison High School championship basketball team. One of the players was Edward R. Murrow! We continued to Bayview SP, just north of the 20 where we met Libby for lunch. I continued alone onto Fidalgo Island and across the Deception Pass bridge to Whidbey Island and Deception Pass SP.

Once again we had perfect weather. As I rode along the very shallow Padilla Bay to Bayside SP I realized that I am a much stronger biker than I was a year ago. Thank you Jim Weaver!

Today is Libby's birthday. We celebrated by driving into Oak Harbor and having dinner at Fraser's Gourmet Hideaway in Oak Harbor. The food was great although the staff seemed to be trying a little too hard.

photos: (1 and 2) views for Chuckanut Drive (3) view from Deception Pass (4) Libby at B-Day dinner

Rick on Monday 7/1

2008-07-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

- Rick here on July 1st
This AM we drove to Blaine for our photo op at Peace Arch Park (after a nice breakfast at the Seaside Bakery & Cafe). Hannah & I started our adventure by riding along tidal flats back to Birch Bay SP to help Libby load the trailer. After, we rode to the Silver Reef Casino for lunch. Hannah wanted to play something but after realizing she "would have to talk to people" in order to play blackjack she opted for the slots. I gave her a $20 and told her to ask the cashier for quarters. Apparently she got quite a look from the cashier! Quarters are definitely a thing of the prehistoric past at casinos now.

After lunch I rode alone along Marine Drive through Bellingham to Larabee SP on Chuckanut Drive. For those of you unfamiliar with Chuckanut Drive it is one of the most beautiful roads in WA. Foothills hug the south side of the Nooksack River all the way to Puget Sound (actually they keep going and become some of the islands of the San Juan Island archipelago). A road has been blasted into the sides of Chuckanut and Blakely Mountains just as they reach Puget Sound and Larabee SP has been wedged right in the middle of this 11 mile stretch of beauty.

Along the way I stopped at Boundary Bay Brewery for an ale (and to rest my aching buns).

photos: (1) Larabee SP entrance (2) Larabee SP bandstand (3) looking out towards the San Juans (4) Bellingham Bay historical marker

Rick on Sunday 6/30

2008-07-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

- Rick here on June 30th
Okay, it's the eve of departure and Libby is already injured! It happened last night at about 11pm when she tripped on the retaining wall while working on the trailer and hurt her foot. It was still painful in the morning so we were off to the ER to check it out. Fortunately there were no bones broken, just a sprain exacerbated by the discovery of a bone spur on the foot. Anyway as we took off she was hobbling along on crutches and didn't expect to ride for 3 or 4 days.

The drive to Birch Bay was uneventful, if slow, due to the fact that we didn't get going until nearly rush hour. The weather was perfect and we had dinner looking out over a beautiful sunset over Birch Bay.

photo: Birch Bay (you can double click on any of the photos in the blog to enlarge them).

- Hannah

2008-07-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

from the Elma, WA Microtel

Upon arriving in Elma earlier today, we had our first internet connection since leaving Seattle on Monday. We are all exhausted and glad to be in civilized lodgings for the first time in almost a week.

Tomorrow we expect Mom to start riding normally following her foot injury the night before we left. She sprained her foot but while at the hospital we discovered that she has a bone spur in her foot, which probably exacerbated the injury. It's not urgent, but when we get back to Seattle she will probably have surgery to shave down the spur.

She's been recovering well - shunning the crutches the doctor gave her but much helped by the Percoset. Yesterday she rode for the first time, about 14 miles, but tomorrow will probably be back to normal.

Anyway, I expect Dad will post a detailed description of each day. Things have been going pretty well so far aside from a few mishaps. On Tuesday afternoon at Larrabee State Park near Bellingham, Mom and I were setting up the trailer by ourselves for the first time. Our spot was kind of on a hill, and we forgot to block the trailer wheels before we unhitched it, and it started to roll down the hill! We were panicky and luckily a neighbor ran to our rescue and helped us catch the rogue trailer. Since then we have been very mindful to block the wheels right away when we park.

itinerary

2008-06-19T14:09:00.000-07:00

contact info

Libby 206-920-9418 Libbypoole@comcast.net

Hannah 206-799-0898 hppressley@gmail.com

Rick 206-713.1108 rick_pressley@yahoo.com

We welcome people to visit while we're on this trip. Please call to let us know if you are coming and to confirm our location.

Monday evening 6/30/2008

Birch Bay State Park

site #28

Tuesday 7/1

Larabee State Park

site #11

Wednesday 7/2 Libby's birthday

Deception Pass State Park

site #77

celebration dinner that night at 7PM:

Frasers Gourrmet Hideaway

1191 SE Dock Street

Oak Harbor

Thursday 7/3

Fort Casey State Park on Whidbey Island

not site specific

Friday 7/4

Dosewallips State Park on Hood Canal

site #91

Saturday 7/5

Shafer State Park

not site specific

Sunday 7/6

Grayland Beach State Park near Westport

site #81

Monday 7/7

Bruceport County Park 4 miles from South Bend

not site specific

Tuesday 7/8 and Friday 7/9

Cape Disappointment State Park on the Columbia

site #69

Thursday 7/10

Fort Stevens State Park in Astoria

site #24

Friday 7/11

Nehalem Bay State Park

site #E-45

Saturday 7/12

Cape Lookout State Park

site #C-63

Sunday 7/13

Embarcadero Resort in Newport

1000 SE Bay Blvd.

Monday 7/14

Beachside State Park near Yachats

site #C-71

Tuesday 7/15

Honeyman State Park in Florence

site # D-194

Wednesday 7/16 and Thursday 7/17

Sunset Bay State Park near Coos Bay

site #B-29

Friday 7/18 and Saturday 7/19

Humbug Mountain State Park

not site specific

Sunday 7/20 and Monday 7/21

Harris Beach State Park

site #B-39

Tuesday 7/22

Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park near Crescent City

Mill Creek Campground

site #54

Wednesday 7/23

Patrick's Point State Park near Arcata

site #106

Thursday 7/24

Humboldt County Fairgrounds campground in Ferndale

not site specific

Friday 7/25

Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Albee Creek Campground

site #4

Saturday 7/26

Standish-Hickey State Park Recreation Area

Hickey Campground

site #55

Sunday 7/27

Mackerricher State Park

site #118

Monday 7/28 and Tuesday 7/29

at Polly Girvin's in Elk CA

Wednesday 7/30

Sea Ranch Lodge

Thursday 7/31

Bodega Dunes Campground near Bodega Bay

not site specific

Friday 8/1

Olema Ranch Campground near Point Reyes Nation Seashore

not site specific

Saturday 8/2, Sunday 8/3 and Monday 8/4

San Francisco RV Park in Pacifica

not site specific

visit Lizzy Poole

Tuesday 8/5

New Brighton State Beach near Santa Cruz

site #108

visit Jessica Poole Chavez?

Wednesday 8/6 and Thursday 8/7

Plaskett Creek Campground at the southern end of Big Sur

site #33

Friday 8/8

Montana de Oro State Park near Morro Bay

not site specific

Saturday 8/9 and Sunday 8/10

Flying Flags RV Park in Buellton north of Santa Barbara

not site specific

Monday 8/11 and Tuesday 8/12

McGrath State Beach in Ventura

not site specific

Wednesday 8/13 and Thursday 8/14

Malibu Creek Campground

not site specific

Friday 8/15 and Saturday 8/16

Malibu Beach RV Park

not site specific

Sunday 8/17 Rick's birthday, Monday 8/18 and Tuesday 8/19

Yosemite West / Mariposa KOA

not site specific

Wednesday 8/20

at Sara Poole's

6712 Ellsworth Circle

Fair Oaks CA 95628

Thursday 8/21

Sandy Shores Resort in Tahoe Vista

not site specific

Friday 8/22

Mt. Lassen / Shingletown KOA

not site specific

Saturday 8/23 and Sunday 8/24

at Lee and Lynn Poole's in Bend OR

19919 Ashwood Drive Bend OR

Monday 8/25

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