Day6: Zion National Park

Zion National Park is midway along the geological Grand Staircase, extending from Bryce Canyon to Grand Canyon. The floor of the canyon is about 4,000 feet in elevation while the walls of the canyon tower to nearly 8,000 feet. The canyon was formed by the Virgin River which runs through the canyon. The canyon walls are colorful and striped.

We are staying in the lodge located in the canyon along the river. The lodge is run by a company called Xanterra and they do a great job. The food is fantastic. Since we are off-season the rooms are half price and they we get coupons for a free breakfast off the menu. There are very few people here -- like it is our own private park! when Jim and I were here 3 years ago in October it was so crowded we couldn't find a place to park at the visitor's center. The scenic loop road was closed to traffic then and shuttle buses took folks to the sites. Now the buses are all in mothballs at the visitor center and we can drive freely, the weather has been great, and the scenery is fantastic. This is certainly the time of the year to come here.

We got up and went for our free breakfast, then we went off to the visitor's center to explore some of the trails. We went on two trails, got a little lost in between, but had some great views.

My rock climbing and path finding training at Red Rock came in handy. And Teresa is a great guide. As she said, she has been hiking in the forest professionally for years. I haven't done much hiking, but I'm getting better. The secret for me is to always watch my feet. Hard to do when you are busy looking for photo opportunities -- but I'm learning.

While we were wondering around, we ran into some wild mule deer -- there are lots of them around here and they don't seem spooked by people at all. They are fun to watch. We found a rock that looks like a cow. Reminded me of the cows they had in Kansas City one year that folks decorated and put all over the city. So we named it "Cowen Rock." Probably won't make the guide books.

It was chilly in the morning, but warmed up by noon. Layering is the way to go because of the wide variation in temperature here. I have about 4 layers of clothing and that has been working well.

We drove into Springdale for lunch. Springdale is one of those small towns that stretch along a single road. It is filled with motels eateries, and gift shops -- most of them closed for the winter. We did find Oscars which had a number of cars out front (a good sign). It was a Mexican/Hamburger place. Expensive, but the food was plentiful and good. Then Teresa headed for the Indian Crafts shop that had a 70 percent off sign in the window.

Springdale reminded me of Weed, CA. It is much smaller, but the mountains are right there in your face, everywhere you look.

Back to the park for some more hiking. We went on two more trails. Had dinner and tried a prickly pear margarita, which hit the spot. I think we will sleep well tonight.

Tomorrow we head out of the canyon on a windy road, then back to Arizona and the Grand Canyon.

Day 5: Las Vegas to Zion National Park

Las Vegas was warm and sunny during the day, but it was chilly and sunny this morning. Brenda says that the average temperature in July is 105 degrees, cooling to 104 degrees in August. Houses are stucco with tile roofs and tile is very popular for flooring because it stays cool. Brenda and her husband are remodeling and using a tile that looks like wood. It is very pretty. She says that wood floors do not last long in Las Vegas because it is so dry. Folks here do not pay much for heat in the winter, but the air conditioner bills in summer are another story.

Water is very important here--no new development without new water. There is a huge project underway to pump water out of rural Nevada north of Las Vegas and pipeline it to the city. Brenda is also an amateur photographer and gave us some good suggestions of sites along our path. I've got my hiking shoes and camera vest at the ready.

After a good visit, Teresa and I took off about 11 am, armed with written directions to get onto I-15 north out of town. Teresa also programmed her GPS. Once again we had a clash as we followed the GPS directions onto Highway 95. Our written instructions said north 95, and we noticed the GPS had just routed us onto south 95. Quickly consulting the map (old technology) we discovered the GPS was taking us into the heart of downtown. We got off at the next exit and used old technology to get onto Nevada 215 -- the bypass. Neither of us like big city traffic.

Nevada 215 is a strange road. It is a freeway with stoplights. We had run into one of these near Barstow, but this was a little different. Right before the light, the highway veered off to the right. Then after the light, the road veered left -- as if we were going on on/off ramps. This in- and-out freeway continued to I-15. We were releaved to be on a regular freeway. We waved goodbye to Las Vegas in the distance and headed north to Arizona.

The Nevada countryside was dry and desolate. At the border, we came to the Nevada town of Mesquite (population: 9,389; elevation: 1601) In the distance we saw Virgin Peak and a small, half dry river (the Virgin River) ran through town. This was the first water we had seen since we entered Nevada. Mesquite has seven destination golf courses and the tour book says it is "nestled in a lush valley." There were palm trees around the hotel/casino, some green grass on the ball fields and golf course -- but LUSH??? Teresa's new mantra is, "Everything is relative." This certainly applies to Mesquite.

Suddenly we were in Arizona. As if to let us know we were no longer in Nevada, we soon entered the Virgin River Canyon. Hello Arizona! The canyon was beautiful and the Virgin River was running. After we were in Arizona for about 20 miles, we ran into some vibrant colors, mountains and mesas. Hello Utah!

We went through St. George and took the exit for Hurricane, Virgin, and Springdale. The scenery just got better and better. What a difference a little water makes.

When we got to Zion National Park, I flashed my Golden Pass. You can get one for $10 if you are 62 and it gets you into all National Parks, Monuments, etc. When I traveled with Jim (he is 5 years older), he was always the designated senior. We got the golden pass, senior price for ferries, etc. as long as he was along. I was actually excited to get my own Golden Pass. But now that I am the designated senior (Teresa is 8 years younger), I'm not sure I like the idea -- but I'll get over it.

We checked in to the Lodge in the park. Cell phones don't work here, but the Internet does. We are staying until Thursday, so we have all of tomorrow to explore.

Day 4: Mojave to Las Vegas

We started off early from Mojave driving across the desert. I immediately noticed that there were no telephone/electric poles along the road. You don't normally notice telephone poles in the Pacific Northwest because the tall trees block out not only the view of the horizon, but also the view of the sky. If Montana is known as "big sky country," the Pacific Northwest should be known as "small sky country." Since we entered Kansas-like country in Northern California, I had been noticing telephone poles, especially when trying to take landscape photographs from the car. They get in the way. The lack of telephone poles made the country seem both unspoiled and desolate.

We connected with the main highway and headed east. Soon we passed signs for "20-Mule-Team Road." Last night in Mojave we saw a sign for the 20-Mule-Team Terminus. Evidently that was how you got through the desert. Now as we approached Boron ( population: 2,025, elevation: 2060) we could see a huge industrial site. The travel guide explained that this was the site of the largest open pit mine in California. The mine produces borate used to make 20-mule-team Borax. They even have an original 20-Mule-Team Wagon on display at the plant.

We continued on the main highway and passed by the exit for Edwards Air Force Base and came to a crossroads called Kramer Junction. Here we found our lost electricity. BPA-like high power electric lines were everywhere. I think they should call this Electricity Junction.

As we were cruising along the desert highway west of Barstow, we suddenly encountered a stop light -- in the middle of nowhere. Teresa thought it might be there so local police could catch unsuspecting tourists. We decided that we should tell our brother, Gary (who deals with red-light cameras) about this potential new market.

Barstow is a desert town, but back in the age when luxury travel was by train, the town provided lodging, fine dining, and an elegant ballroom to accommodate train travelers. Those days are long gone, but the Spanish Moorish Casa Del Desierto, has been fully restored and now houses the Amtrak station, several museums, and a visitor center. As Teresa said, "Barstow's got it goin' on."

Our route took us slightly north of downtown, so we couldn't see the Casa. But just east of town we ran into a number of billboards advertising for the "Ghost Town Road" exit. As we passed by this oasis, we noticed Peggy Sue's 50's Diner and a packed parking lot (at 9 am). Looks like the Ghost Town has it goin' on too.

And just a few miles down the road was the exit for the Calico Early Man Archeological Site. This site was founded by Dr. Luis Leaky and has active digs in progress. Evidently there has been a lot goin' on in this area for a long, long time.

At Baker we got off the main highway to get gas before heading south for a side trip to the Mojave National Preserve. This oasis area had some interesting eateries including the Mad Greek Cafe and the Alien Fresh Jerky. We must be near Area 51.

The Mojave National Preserve has a number of volcanic cinder cones and lava flows, caves with ancient petroglyphs, and a forest of Joshua trees. We turned our radio to 1610 for information about the preserve. According to them, the Joshua tree's seeds are spread by rodents -- in their feces. The first Joshua tree came from a sloth's feces. I don't even want to know how they figured that out. Since the sloth is no longer in the area, it is up to the kangaroo rats to do the job now.

Joshua trees look like a cross between a pineapple and a fat, woody bush. Even though they aren't very tall, they tower over most desert vegetation and are quite striking.

At Kelso we discovered another relic of the grand days of the trains. The Spanish Mission train station there has been fully restored and houses a museum, exhibits, while still functioning as an Amtrak station. The schedule listed 6 trains today.

After our side trip, we got back on I-15 and headed towards Las Vegas. Teresa's friend, Brenda, has an office at the Red Rock Canyon Conservation Area. We met her there and since I wanted to take some pictures of the area, decided to go on a hike that showcased limestone formations and a great view at the top. I didn't know what I was getting into.

Once we got started up the hill, I remembered a previous experience in Bryce Canyon with Jim -- where I kept thinking as we were hiking DOWN -- we have to come back UP... Well, here we were hiking up first -- a definite plus -- but I kept thinking, we have to come back DOWN. I wasn't worried about overexertion; I was worried about falling off the cliff.

I really wasn't mentally prepared for rock climbing, but after I figured out I could tuck my camera inside my vest to free both hands, it was better. The hike to the top took about an hour and as I was creeping along a 6" ledge, I kept thinking, "Jim will never forgive me if I fall and kill myself." Thank goodness for Tai Chi. The balance and low-to-the-ground stance came in handy. We made it and the view from the top was fantastic. You could look out over the entire city. Quite an adventure.

We made it down, but it was late and the park had closed with our car in the visitor's parking lot. Brenda knew a way back in, so all was well. We followed Brenda home and had a great time visiting over wine and pasta. I think I'll sleep well tonight.

Day 3: Where the Birds Are

We got up early and watched the sunrise from Conrad's front window. There is a wildlife refuge across the street that leads to the Sacramento River. We drove down to the boat launch -- less than a half mile from his house. It is very peaceful, with birds singing and the sound of the water.

Then we drove through the development. It is called Lake California and goes on for miles. We drove by the club house and pool and the community center. They even have an airstrip. I'd say the place is about 1/3 to 1/2 developed. Groups of houses and then lots of empty space.

Teresa said Conrad found the place himself. When he had his realtor show him the house, he asked him how in the world he found the place. Conrad has always been good at finding and catching things. One summer at the beach Conrad came rushing in with a live seagull he had caught by burying himself in the sand and had baiting his trap with bread crumbs.

We got back onto I5 and stayed on I5 most of the day. California is a LONG state. The sun was shining in our faces most of the day as we headed south. It felt good. The landscape flattened out and Teresa said, "If you don't look far to the left or right, it looks like Kansas." That is, the valley was very flat with short vegetation (ie., no tall trees). If you don't live in the Pacific NW you may not realize that the tall trees there block out the horizon. I grew up in Kansas and noticed that right away when I moved to Vancouver-- it is disconcerting not to see the horizon when you are used to a 360 view. Hello horizon.

We passed an exit for Corning which is called Olive City. There are numerous olive and nut orchards in this area. The trees had been clipped at the top so that the whole field looked like a giant hedge. I don't know how they did that -- maybe a special machine.

Next we passed by the Willows area which has a large wildlife refuge. there were swarms of birds everywhere. The land looked like wetlands with miles of rice fields covered with birds.

We live close to a wildlife refuge in Ridgefield that serves as a stopping point for many birds on their way north and south. I always wondered where they ended up-- evidently in northern California. This area is the terminus of the "Pacific Flyway." Lodi hosts 7,000 sandhill cranes each winter.

When we stopped at Lodi to gas up, I told Teresa I'd stay in the car. Just after she left, I opened the door to step outside and the alarm went off. Teresa turned around and turned it off -- and I closed the door again. She turned around, I opened the door again and the alarm went off. I thought Teresa was locking me in the car, but she told me that the car behaves this way when it is unlocked, doors shut, then a door opens. So it was the car. I've figured out how to outsmart it now -- just have to open the door and leave it ajar.

On to Sacramento. We could see the skyline from miles away. In 1963 a deep-water channel was completed which connects Sacramento and Stockton to the San Francisco Bay making these cities major inland ports. In addition, the Sacramento - San Joaquin River Delta was reclaimed in the 19th century by Chinese workers making the area a water sports destination. We passed by a number of channels and waterways in addition to orchards and farmlands.

As we travelled south in the San Joaquin Valley it got dryer and browner. Then we started seeing signs saying things like "Congress Created Dust Bowl" and "Food grows where water flows." I'm not sure what is going on, but it is definitely making a desert out of the crop fields and area farmers blame Congress. The landscape began to look like a desert with small towns looking very much like an oasis. There no vegetation on the hillsides, but you could see tall palm trees in the distance announcing an area of motels and truck stops.

We got off I5 at the oasis of Buttonwillow and headed east on SR 58 towards Bakersfield heading to Mojave. We had a directional malfunction at Bakersfield -- Map Quest disagreed with Teresa's GPS and they both disagreed with the highway signage resulting in a rushed attempt to cross two lanes of traffic. We didn't make it, but we managed to make a "legal U turn" of sorts and get back on track.

We got into the mountains after Bakersfield going from an elevation of 400 feet to 4000 feet quickly. There is a train line that weaves back and forth beside the freeway then up the hills and through a number of tunnels. I think I was on that train an number of years ago traveling from Kansas to Vancouver. I remember that the train was very late so they took us off the train at Bakersfield and bused us to meet the train we were going to miss in San Luis Obispo. It was actually great. We didn't have to change trains in Los Angeles. And since the train tracks follow the same path as the highway, we could see the train from the bus as we literally chased after it. Quite an adventure.

As we got closer to Mojave, we saw hilltops covered with all different sizes of wind mills. We finally pulled into the Best Western here about 5 pm. Long day. We had dinner at Mikes RoadHouse, a 50's style diner displaying a large number of old toy metal pedal cars. Very unique place with good food.

Tomorrow we head for Las Vegas.

Day 2: Bend to Lake, CA

I set my itouch up as the official weather reporter for trip destinations. I checked the current temperatures at 8:30 AM. Redding: 47, Las Vegas: 55; Tucson: 43; Bend: 18! Brrrr.

Yes, it is cold in Bend. My first big decision of the trip was whether to use my seat pillow (in an effort to avoid Monkey Butt -- see previous trip) or to use the seat warmer -- couldn't do both.

The seat warmer won out. As we drove out of the driveway, I made my next important decision and pulled out my sun glasses. It was clear and very bright. The day was beautiful. As we drove out of Bend, we had a fantastic view of numerous mountain peaks. I commented to Teresa about how impressive it was, and she said, "Well, it's like this all the time in Bend."

The high desert was beautiful with just a dusting of snow against the blue clear sky. The road was straight and lined with trees. As we proceeded south along highway 97, I noticed that the snow piled up along the road was getting higher. Then we passed what looked like it should be a slow vehicle turnout (Washington traffic lingo) but the sign clearly identified it as a

"snowplow turn around." Turns out we were entering the "snow zone" of Chemult, OR. According to Teresa, during a normal winter the snow piles up to about half the height of a normal house, then the snow from the roof is so heavy that it falls and the result is that the snow is up to the roof line.

Chemult is also known for the matsutake mushrooms. During the fall, folks flock to town, get their permits from the Forest Service, collect the mushrooms and set up farmer's market stalls along the road to sell them wholesale.

We went over a summit, road was still straight, not at all like the mountain passes I'm used to and then we headed for Klamath Falls. Teresa used to live there and verified the tour books claim that many of the folks there use geo-thermically heated water for heating homes, schools, businesses, and for melting snow. The area is also a winter nesting ground for bald eagles.

Just north of the city, Highway 97 runs 20 miles along the shore of Klamath Lake, the largest body of fresh water in Oregon. Mount McLoughlin peaks over the lake and there are some fantastic views along the way.

We crossed into California about noon and stopped at the small town of Dorris for lunch with a friend of Teresa's from the Forest Service.

The deli was "across from the flag pole" which you could see from miles. Turns out the town is famous for that flag pole. Teresa's friend said was the tallest flag pole west of the Mississippi. The sign said it was the tallest in America at 200 feet tall. Don't know if they recently put up a taller one east of the Mississippi, but this one was very impressive.

After lunch and a good visit, we continued on toward Weed, California. This is Mt. Shasta country. The mountain dominated the landscape for miles. And I started training Teresa in being a photographer's driver. She was a good sport and didn't seem to mind turning around and going back to a good view point.

You wouldn't expect a place with a name like Weed to be graced with beautiful scenery, but nestled at the base of Mt. Shasta, there doesn't seem to be anywhere that the mountain isn't right there in your face, larger than life.

Having worked for Freightliner, I couldn't pass up this picture (below) when we stopped to get gas at Weed.

Just south of Redding, only a few miles from our destination, we ran into a major traffic jam due to an accident bringing back memories of my days commuting on I5. During the stop and go, we opened the window and were pleasantly surprised that it was warm! After making it to the Cottonwood exit, we stopped off at a shopping center to get provisions for dinner and I saw someone in a sleeveless T-shirt; Teresa saw someone in shorts.

Conrad lives in a gated city. They have two lanes at the entrance; one for residents with key cards and one for guests with a guard on duty that takes down very detailed information. Then you go into the development and it goes on for miles and miles. There is a lake (hence the name Lake, CA) There are houses along the lake with boat docks, houses on the hill with great views of Mt. Shasta and everything in between. Even their own store and pizza shop. It is sort of like Black Butte Ranch on steroids. But I guess this is California.

We had a great visit with Conrad and will be on the road again early tomorrow to see much more of California..

Day 1: Portland to Bend: In Search of the Sun

Jim took me to the Portland Airport today. I avoided the terminal and huddled on a cold bench next to the information booth watching hotel and rent-a-car buses whiz by. I think my brain thought I was going to fly as I experienced a lot of anxiety prior to departure. Yes, I was packing my bags; yes I was going to the airport. But once the Oregon Breeze Bus pulled up and we were on our way, a wave of relaxation came over me -- this is a road trip!

The jovial bus driver did not count passengers, he counted empty seats. There were only two. I was in the back row which had 5 seats -- 3 occupied and the two empty seats. One of these empty seats was actually occupied -- by a rabbit. I thought it was a dog at first, but the owner was feeding it from a bottle, so I took a closer look. We picked up one more passenger at Gresham and he took the un-rabbit-occupied seat. Fortunately there were no more passengers. And off we went to Mt. Hood.

It was rainy and nasty going up the mountain, and dry and sunny going down. Even crowded into the rabbit row, it sure beats driving over the pass. We made it to Bend right on time at 6pm where my sister, Teresa, picked me up and we headed to her house to prep for our departure tomorrow.

I had been to AAA and gathered maps and travel guides. In addition to this, Teresa has prepared a very business-like trip plan in a folder....no powerpoint though (she is retired after all). One great thing about her working for the Forest Service for so many years is that she knows people all over the country. We are having lunch on the way to Redding with one friend, staying overnight in Las Vegas with another, and staying in another friend's vacation home in Tucson.

We had dinner with my nephew, Alec -- who just got back from the Philippines. Then we went to Baskin Robbins where my niece, Celia, works while she is going to beauty school. Celia is in a household with 7 dogs, 1 cat (Celia's), fish and a turtle. She is looking for a good home for two 4-week-old puppies -- I told her that wouldn't be our house. But if anyone is interested, she says they are really cute. Teresa and I both had "kid" cones -- told Celia she should advertise them as "senior" cones.

Tomorrow we are off to Redding to see Teresa's oldest son, Conrad. It is going to be very cold tonight (about 15 degrees), but the roads are clear and unlike the other side of the mountain, no moisture of any form.

Upcoming Adventure

Just setting up for the next adventure. Getting ready to take off on a road trip to Tucson, Az. Will be glad to get out of the snow and rain that we had this week. My recently-retired sister and I will be hitting the road on Friday. See you then.