September 21-30 Sonoma to Portland – wrapping up an Epic Journey

Posted on September 30, 2022September 30, 2022 Posted in #rvlife, National Parks, Photography, TravelTagged #california, #goldbeach, #leisurevans, #oregon, #photography, #redwoods, #Sonoma, #travel, #waldport3 Comments

We arrived in Santa Rosa, mooch-docking off our friend Peter who has been a west coast mainstay throughout this journey. It was a busy time as we had deep cleaning to do on the rig, readying it for prospective buyers back in Portland. The weather was hot but mellowed out after a few days.

On a foggy Sunday morning we woke up before dawn (we haven’t done that since we retired 😜), and headed for Old World Vineyards Winery to partake in the annual harvest and crush. It was cold! After being briefed on how to harvest grapes we headed out to the heart of the Russian River Valley to their vineyard next to the famous Gallo Estates. We parked up in a lovely grove of Redwoods with another fifteen or so folks along with the extremely industrious LatinX workers, got our gloves and clippers and walked through an apple orchard into the vines.

The size of the clusters were amazing. Unfortunately, due to the recent storms that had pummeled us on Highway 1, some of the larger clusters inside the vines had molded. I spent time surgically removing these offenders, and the smell of the rot was certainly pervasive – in a wine grape sort of way. After a couple of hours the sun began to break, and the hills and forests began to open up. Being Sunday, and that we were out in the vineyards, it was pretty peaceful.

The LatinX were like machines, plowing through the vines with precision. They ranged from young to middle-aged. I can’t fathom them doing this all day; we witnessed them picking the crops, mostly strawberries as we motored up from Santa Cruz.

Being at ground zero at these agricultural centers is seriously eye-opening. It’s not something you witness on a regular tour and you gain such an appreciation for the horrendous amount of thought and work that brings food to our tables.

At Old World Wines the process is organic and they age the wine in neutral barrels. After finishing up and peeling off layers of clothing, we journeyed back to the winery for a great Mexican lunch; we had huge burritos!! The weather had warmed into the high 60’s with a pleasant breeze and inviting sun. We tasted a few vintages processed from the same vines we had just picked; we opted for the Rose’ and Merlot – so tasty and Bob can drink both!

After getting slightly buzzed from the tastings, they set up the containers so we could do some good old fashioned crushing! Well, it was an interesting experience that was purely performative; the grapes were cold as we had picked the grapes after they had been sitting in fifty-degree weather most of the night. But we crushed all the same so we can honestly say we did the heavy lifting of what goes into wine making🍷🍇

After working since the crack of dawn for several hours; stooping, bending and twisting, we wound up flaking out for the rest of the afternoon. I was fine with that as Monday was a big day and we need to prep emotionally for the upcoming French Visa Interview.

On Monday we toodled down to San Francisco, passing over the Golden Gate Bridge that was emerging from the fog. The bridge was symbolic in a way, as we passed from this stage of our life to another. We arrived in plenty of time for our appointments with HSBC (for opening up a US and French Bank Account) and then off to the Visa Processing Center.

After finishing a smooth transaction with the bank, we grabbed a quick snack and then headed for the Visa Center – it’s actually VFS Global; they act as a broker for the French Consulate. We were crammed into a small room with other applicants, some ranging from Portugal to the Netherlands and awaited our turn. The desks that the processing agents sat at were tiny with only room for one chair and Bob had no choice but to stand behind me. We gave them more documentation than what was required partly because we had been given advice for the helpline and other blogs on what to expect. I was glad for it as other folks hadn’t made photo copies of their passport pages or thought their travel insurance would cover the requirements (it doesn’t – you have to pay for the more expensive coverage such as Cigna for actual full health insurance) resulting in denial of their application at the get-go. We breathed a sigh of relief as the agent took our fingerprints and photos and we were on our way.

We had one last dinner with Peter that evening, packed up the RV and bid a fond farewell; he had been a much-needed stop for us as we approached the end of our trip.

We set out for McKinleyville the next morning, past the now dry rolling hills that were a lush green the last time we passed through here.

We decided to stop at, you guessed it, our favorite spot, the Founders Grove in the Redwoods National Forest, for tea.

This was Grogu’s third time in the Redwoods; for Shoeless and Bob Jr. it was the first. Grogu has been with us on this entire journey, having lost Dave at the Grand Canyon😥

We were lucky to find an RV leaving as we arrived and gladly slid into their slot. We stepped outside with our tea and soaked in the atmosphere; I fantasized of having a log cabin with a large porch nestled in this grove, where I would sit for hours, in a tranquil respite, listening to their stories.

We had been there in late winter and early spring when it was cold and damp; it was now early fall, with sentimental shafts of light breaking through an emperious embrace. The dry, temperate air filled my lungs; the forest perfume swelled around me that I longed to capture in a forever memory. The drying needles softened our footfalls as we got lost in our revelry. And we literally got turned around! But you didn’t find us complaining as we meandered through the grove, swiveling our heads to and fro as we finally made our way back to the rig.

Memories don’t define the Redwoods very well; I still find myself in awe as they emerge from the forest proper, an astonishing contrast to human frailty. They are not defined simply by a singular grove, but by an ancient ecosystem that lies deep in the heart of us all. Here we become true-to-nature, if even for a fleeting moment in time. I am glad they have been preserved for all to explore, and that they inspire the human race of their importance; that they will continue to endure for centuries to come.

We can only hope.

The next day, we left the Widow White RV Park and headed for the coast. I wouldn’t recommend this park, it is a bit rundown and you only pay in cash, but it sufficed for a quick overnight, and heck, it seems like we’ve run the gamut on this journey!

We journeyed through the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, it was rainy and misty which only added to the atmosphere. The weather finally broke, revealing stellar blue skies along Northern California and Southern Oregon Coast. The wind wasn’t as fierce as it was in the spring and the temperature was certainly manageable.

We hooked up at the Turtle Bay RV Resort at Gold Beach in the same spot we had in the spring. We took a leisurely walk along the beach with its thundering surf, a stark contrast to what was hitting Florida. We felt so fortunate that the weather cooperated during our trip; we were concerned about hurricanes as we headed south, but August was void of any activity which was pretty unprecedented.

We watched in horror as Ian decimated south western Florida where some of my relatives live (who are now safe), but I can’t imagine what people will have to deal with in the aftermath as they pick up the pieces. If we saw that sucker coming across our path, we would have aborted and avoided the Gulf Coast altogether on our way back to New Mexico.

While we ogle at the treasures Mother Nature has blessed us with, she will equally remind us of her wrath – striking a balance we humans continue to disrupt.

I slept hard, I suppose from the beach walk and ocean air.

We took a morning stroll on the beach, it was calm and devoid of any people; only our tracks were apparent in the sand.

When I looked back, I thought about our adventures, even with so much planning, we didn’t know what to expect, grateful that it turned out so well.

We packed up and headed for Waldport; our last night in the rig🥲😘. Yeah, it’s an inanimate object, but she has taken us through such an incomparable epic adventure it will be hard saying goodbye.

We then headed up the coast via the 101 – one of my favorite haunts; the mist was thick and the coastal pines emerged like crooked wizards, bent and twisted, savaged by the merciless coastal winds. The oceanic fog created a cataract over the mind’s eye, causing one to take the winding curves with caution.

Then we approached Cape Perpetua – even the name evokes a sense of romanticism. The immensity of this place isn’t truly captured with names such as “Devil’s Churn,” or “Cook’s Chasm.” These conventions are an attempt to classify something that needs to be experienced first-hand; and one must get soaked to truly experience its wrath. If Poseidon could spit fire he would have done so, content to have unburdened himself in the process of creation, then soaking his masterpiece with a thundering tidal wave.

When not smothered by the approaching tide, Thors Well sits in obscurity until such a time as the tide breaches its edges before sliding into oblivion. Get too close and you could become one with Davy Jones’ Locker. The Well is an anomaly that requires a fair amount of patience and photographic skill to capture. I have, back when I was a more serious photographer, spent time wrestling this beast through my lens; I did not come away particularly dry, but was victorious all the same.

We passed through Florence where I spent many summers with my extended family at nearby Mercer Lake. I wanted one last A&W fix at the classic drive-in on the main drag and I was not disappointed. After gorging ourselves one last time, we landed in Waldport at the KOA with a nice view of the bridge.

The fog came and went, but at least the rain dissipated and allowed us to get out for a walk. Then we settled in for our final night in BigB.

We woke to an elixir of coastal perfume mixed with dense forest; you breathe it in but you can’t get enough – if it was a drug I would be an addict! This sensory combination I have not yet experienced anywhere else and will be missed.

We had traveled 27,318 miles since February 20th, through snow, heat, frost heaves and flooding to witness some of the most stunning landscapes in North America.

It’s been a helluva ride!

September 14 – 20 From the Desert to the Sea

Posted on September 20, 2022 Posted in #rvlife, National Parks, Photography, TravelTagged #arizona, #california, #carmel, #desert, #joshuatree, #leisurevans, #londonbridge, #morrobay, #ocean, #photography, #santacruz, #travelLeave a comment

We finished our stint in Arizona with an overnight in Lake Havasu overlooking the London Bridge. We stayed at a hotel once again due to the heat. Lake Havasu really does look like an oasis in the desert, populated mostly by retirees as we soon discovered. The water levels were quite good considering it was fed by the Colorado River which seems to be under constant threat due to drought. The London Bridge is quite something when you think that it was reconstructed brick by brick at this location.

We woke up to a toasty 82 degrees and decided to get out for a walk early. We strolled along the esplanade as the sun rose, passing a touching tribute to the queen and other gift shops and restaurants.

The next morning we headed out to Barstow; there isn’t much in this area and the Mojave National Reserve had been flooded out by monsoons (much like Death Valley) so we couldn’t swing by there for a look-see. I did find a feature near Barstow called the Rainbow Basin with colorful rock formations that reminded me of the Artist Palette in Death Valley. We decided that would be a fun geological adventure to hike, but we soon discovered that that road had been flooded out as well🌊

We decided to pack it in and went to the hotel. We had plenty to do with prepping BigB for sale, and other logistics related to our impending move to France.

The next morning we embarked to Bakersfield where we would spend the night at the Orange Grove RV Park. We stopped by a rest stop to clown around the Joshua Trees, and then drove through Tehachapi which was now brown, quite the contrast of the rolling green hills of our spring jaunt through this region.

Our stop over in Bakersfield this time was a bit different from our stay in the spring when we were surrounded by the heady scent of orange blossoms; there were now oranges on the trees, mostly green, and the temperature was a manageable 83 degrees.

I sat amongst the orange trees until the sun faded, enveloped by the cooling breeze – there were no ponds here to reflect upon, only what I had brought with me as I pondered the last legs of our trip; the thunderstorms I was so fond of that came in multiples while in Sedona, were now behind me.

The last strokes of the summer sun was now slipping past the fading fields, no longer in sway as we cross over from the solstice to the equinox of charitable memories. In the aftermath of a desert glow, my pupils, thankfully, no longer felt fazed by the sun. I watched the breeze as it ran its fingers through the trees, teasing the leaves as they turned to gold. The idea of autumn was upon us.

The next day we arrived at the California coast, specifically Morro Bay. I hadn’t seen my leggings and sweatshirts since we boondocked across the Columbia Icefields in mid-June. Thinking back on the early stage of this adventure it seems so long ago! We were staying at a small RV Park, it was more like a space attached to an Airbnb that had a cabin and across from that full hookups for our rig.

It was rather cold and windy as we went for an evening walk on the beach; I can never inhale enough of the effervescent Pacific breeze. We built a fire and roasted marshmallows then slumbered in the dark and quiet, only interrupted by the occasional calls of the nearby seals and then an owl.

The next morning we strolled along the beach and then stopped in the cove next to Morrow Rock where the sea otters 🦦 hung out. We watched them for about an hour, ensconced in their rituals. The rangers had set up scopes so we could see them closer. One of them had a baby on her belly – they are the most charming sea creatures!!!

We then turned our attention to the birders who were watching the Peregrine Falcons on the nearby Morro Rock – a beautifully stunning site.

We headed down the Embarcadero that had restaurants and shops dotted along the waterfront. It was a perfectly sunny day, hovering in the low to mid-sixties that made for such a treat after months of intense heat and humidity. We picked up a few souvenirs and then did some food shopping. We wound up walking several miles!

After relaxing back at the rig, one of Bob’s ex-coworkers picked us and gave us a tour then we have a great seafood pub dinner on the bay. It was a great end to a perfect day.

The next morning we headed out to Highway 1 to Big Sur and Carmel-By-The-Sea.

What we didn’t realize was the storm system that had hit California a few days ago had spun around and we were getting hammered as we drove the curvaceous wonders of the coastal highway. When we stopped at a viewpoint for tea, the rig was literally swaying due to the gusts.

When we hit the road again we watched as a Class C in front of us was spraying water every which way as it hit the vehicle, the driver struggling to stay on the road; we could empathize with his plight.

We made it to Carmel just in time for a respite from the storm. We encountered some gusts and a few passing showers, but otherwise we were able to browse this charming city for a few hours. The architecture was a cross between English Tudor with spanish influences.

It was busy, and there were some boutique shops hugging the big box stores that looked rather meek; I guessed that Carmel has a city code on the type of facades that were allowed. Thankfully this helped with a more authentic ambience.

In the afternoon, when we reached the KOA the rain had let up enough for us to get BigB set up, and we huddled for the evening as more storms were forecast. As the night drew to a close, we slumbered under the passing showers churning up from the coast. We woke to low clouds and then the blue sky opened up in all its glory. It was in the sixties and very comfortable, and the air smelled of eucalyptus and pine, courtesy of Mother Nature.

That afternoon we went to the beach, reading and watching surfers skate upon the waves. I observed the Pelicans diving for fish and the Curlews swirling in unison up, between and over the imperious waves. It made for a relaxing afternoon, the arresting clouds with occasional sun breaks. We were fortunate the storms were gone and we were able to laze in comfortable tempatures on a virtually empty beach.

When we returned, our side of the RV Park had emptied out and we sat in serenity by the fire with little wind, no bugs and other encumbrances we had so often encountered, especially in Canada and the east coast. We didn’t know when we would experience another classic American campfire since the Oregon Coast was beginning to recede into fall, beckoning the rain and cooler temperatures.

I roasted what would probably be my last marshmallows. One became a casualty of the fire, but I was not be dissuaded as I still had half a bag. S’mores are one of my fond childhood memories that I recapture from time to time. It can become quite the religion; weaponized with custom forged tongs for the very purpose of roasting the perfect marshmallow. Part of the experience is to find the right convection in an open fire, and as is the case with all wild things, one must be patient.

For those of us who revel in solitude, it was quite the treat to be on the California Coast lazing in the receding sun of the evening with only our low playing music, the surf and the organic sounds of wildlife.

Bliss.

We only have a few more nights in the rig, just overnight stops as we journey up the Oregon Coast. It’s a nostalgic thing to think we have traveled over 26k since May 9. So many of our experiences seem like an eternity ago. And the thought we will be leaving America on our migration to France is now upon us, literally week’s away. After years of dreaming and planning the stresses of this new and exciting reality are now taking hold.

Our life is changing in concert with the seasons.

April 9 Oregon Coast

Posted on April 9, 2022 Posted in #rvlife, Photography, TravelTagged #california, #florenceoregon, #leisurevans, #oregon, #oregoncoast, #photography, #travel2 Comments

We headed back to Santa Rosa to mooch-dock and visit our friend Peter; the weather was glorious and dry and we shared some fabulous dinners together.

Bob had purchased a couple of bicycles from him to be packed and shipped back to Portland and it turned out the boxes were bigger than anticipated – along with the costs, so we shipped one back and have managed to wedge the other one into the RV. Fortunately it’s just for a few nights.

We made a pit stop on our way to the Oregon Coast at the Founder’s Grove in the Redwood National Forest. What a great tea time we had – it was so rejuvenating revisiting this place and tree bathing amongst these magnificent giants once again. #spoiled.

We finally arrived at the Turtle Rock RV Resort in Gold Beach and its stunning coastline – it was a long day of driving and being buffeted by the wind so instead of fixing dinner we dove into the local Mexican restaurant for a margarita and some nice chow. Heck, it was Friday night!

I enjoyed the chorus of frogs that lulled me to sleep. The weather was clear but really windy in the morning and we struggled a bit with our beach walk (literally getting a sand facial) and decided to pack up for less windy climes.

Our next destination was Heceta Beach RV Resort outside of Florence, Oregon. This area has special meaning to me as generations of my family and friends have met up at nearby Mercer Lake over the 4th of July; many have passed on and it is time to bid a final farewell to this unspoiled paradise. The resort had held out for so long but recently sold to a developer – it will not be the same.

Such is the sad passing of things.

We stopped and strolled through our regular haunts in old-town Florence and picked up a few tokens – thankful for the beautiful weather; a fitting farewell.

Reflecting back on the last seven weeks I cannot choose a favorite place because they are all so magnificent in their own distinct way. While we had a challenges with the weather, and the added stresses inherent to being in an RV during freezing weather, I have to confess that the beauty of snowfall made up for it. And we had all the gear to manage any conditions mother nature threw at us.

I’ve pulled together some impromptu highlights that made this trip even more memorable:

❤️Dim Sum in Chinatown, San Francisco

❤️Sunset Happy Hour at White Sands National Park

❤️Elevenses at Mirror Lake in the shadow of Half Dome, Yosemite National Park

❤️Barbecuing amongst the orange blossoms outside Bakersfield

❤️Snow in the Grand Canyon

❤️Impromptu balcony lunch at the Creekside Cafe in Sedona with a fabulous view of the surrounding buttes while they played “Stairway to Heaven” in the background – a perfect storm of pleasure

❤️Meeting up with National Geographic photographer Nevada Wier in Santa Fe at the Obscura Gallery – I hope to join her on a photo tour someday

❤️Getting a tour of a traditional Navajo hogan at Canyon de Chelly

❤️Enjoying a peaceful sunrise breakfast at the Needles Overlook in Canyonlands Rim Recreation area

❤️The zen of Windwhistle Campground

❤️Watching the sunrise over Monument Valley after the snowfall

❤️Tea time at the Founders Grove, Redwoods National Park

❤️❤️The hospitality of the Navajo Nation….

I couldn’t have asked for a better overall experience and feel so blessed to have made the decision to embark on this adventure.

We arrive back in Portland after seven weeks on the road: We are packing our house up for international shipping for our eventual relocation to France – and then we will sell in May.

Our trip to Hawaii that was disrupted by the pandemic was rescheduled for April, so we will enjoy a couple of weeks being spoiled by tropical trade winds and hanging with my brother and sister-in-law on the North Shore of Oahu. We will be visiting the Arizona Memorial in honor of my father’s memory who served on the Enterprise when Pearl Harbor was bombed and am hoping to catch up with the Pacific Navy Fleet Bandmaster to connect the past with the present. It should prove to be an interesting blog considering his history during WWII.

Next stop Honolulu!

April 5 Yosemite National Park

Posted on April 6, 2022April 6, 2022 Posted in #rvlife, National Parks, Photography, TravelTagged #california, #leisurevans, #nationalparks, #photography, #travel, #yosemiteLeave a comment

It didn’t really register to me that it was spring until we got to Bakersfield and saw various bulbs and even roses blooming. Add the orange blossoms and I felt like we discovered a slice of paradise after being plagued by snow, hail and high deserts devoid of blossoms.

We accidentally took the long route to get to Yosemite though it turned out to be quite beautiful with farmlands with blooming flowers and green fields. As we gained elevation there was the welcome site of pine trees, mostly Ponderosa pines. When you are from the Pacific Northwest, making the transition back to the “green belt” is a welcoming event. I was in need of some serious tree bathing.

The rock here is like a seafoam colored granite with some sparkly bits that was quite beautiful. The roads were hairpin with little or no gaurdrails, though the views made up for it. The alpine lupines were blooming and there were occasional fields of wildflowers sprayed across the meadows.

After a while, we lost signal thinking it would pick up again as we approached the park. Civilization was starting to emerge so it was quite surprising when we got to the Lake Yosemite RV Park, while quite popular, was devoid of any signal. We were fortunately blessed with lovely weather and a spot on the river, though the park was quite crowded and somewhat noisy and you had to pay for wifi.

We had several deer sightings and almost ran into Bambi on our way out of the RV Park. All around Yosemite the deer tend to wander onto the roads.

Upon entering Yosemite we had expected more of a “slow reveal” of the wonders of the park. Instead we came face-to-face with El Capitan – trying to reconcile what we were looking at…then the realization came. The sheer scale of it emerging from the valley floor is incomparable to anything else we have witnessed. Then came Horsetail Falls and all of its thundering glory. The surrounding cliffs are like a supporting cast save for Half Dome that demands its own audience.

As we were pretty early, and even then the park was getting busy, we snagged a parking spot at one of the campground trailheads. Thankfully BigB is only 24 feet, anything bigger would have had a hard time. Some of the roads into the trail heads has serious pot holes, not something you would expect in a major park such as this. We trekked a couple of miles to Mirror Lake and were blessed with a gorgeous view down the valley with the monoliths reflecting in the water. We stopped for a snack and to contemplate the scenery.

Mirror Lake

The day was getting warmer than we had anticipated and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky, it was hard to imagine it had snowed about a week before and the weather can be touch and go in April. We wandered around the now packed visitor center, wondering what it must be like in the height of summer. We are so fortunate to be doing this now as the National Parks are starting to require reservations and shuttle service to manage the increasing crowds.

We left the park via “Tunnel View,” even though the parking was limited we managed to squeeze BigB into a couple of spaces – we were only going to be there for a little while.

The name does not even begin to describe the sheer scale of what you are witnessing – this particular view is the one made famous by Ansel Adams; his renditions are magical though you need to see it in person – there are no substitutes for the real thing (sorry Ansel but I’m sure you understand). You don’t embrace this view, it embraces you as if to say “thank you for preserving me – this is how I give back to those who will protect me for generations to come.”

The immensity of this gesture subdues you into a heavenly state of awe.

April 2 Joshua Tree National Park

Posted on April 3, 2022 Posted in #rvlife, National Parks, Photography, TravelTagged #california, #indiancovecampground, #joshuatree, #leisurevans, #nationalparks, #photography, #travelLeave a comment

We were thankfully reserved at Indian Cove Campground outside of Twentynine Palms, Ca several months ago – it is in high demand and we almost didn’t get a spot. We bypassed Phoenix on the way, but stopped briefly to view the Saguaro cactus indigenous to the area. They were nothing really new to me but more novel to Bob and Grogu. It’s fascinating that these forests stop just as abruptly as the start; why was this part of the desert conducive to their existence vs say Joshua Tree?

The same proved true for the Joshua trees – they suddenly appear and then drop off save for a few rebellious stragglers.

The California desert proved to be more desolate than the New Mexico high desert; we went miles with no signs of life – not even structures. Grogu wondered if we were on Tattooine or in the middle of a David Lynch movie. The landscape is very monochrome and doesn’t appear to support much fauna; I doubt many humans have set foot in most of it.

When we approached Twentynine Palms we saw more buildings though there was an abundance of abandoned structures, more so than anywhere else we had been. It’s as though much of this region was settled in fits and starts.

The main attraction in this area is Joshua Tree National Park and Indian Cove Campground.

Much like the Alabama Hills, these massive clusters of boulders appear out of nowhere. Indian Cove has about a hundred campsites tucked amongst them; I felt like I was in an episode of the Flintstones. The weather was in the 80’s and we settled in and went for a hike along the nature trail. It was a great space to stretch our legs after such a long drive.

The fire pit beckoned as our happy hour blended into the evening, set against the massive boulders housing curious lizards and iguanas.

This was the first fire we’ve had where we weren’t plagued by high winds or dipping temperatures. We sat and watched the stars come out. This is a Dark Sky region but there was too much haze which muted the intensity of the night sky. The rising moon hung low in a lovely crescent making for a perfect ending to the day. We wish we could have stayed longer but we have to get back to Portland in the next week.

We departed eventually arriving at the Orange Grove RV Park late in the afternoon of the 3rd, surrounded by an unexpected paradise of orange blossoms that wafted through the RV at a balmy 80 degrees – bliss! As the evening cooled the scent became more intense – we will have nature’s aromatherapy to lull us to sleep.

Next stop – Yosemite!

FocalDreams

Tag: #california