Stardate 061706

Rocky Mountain National Park

The photos will speak for themselves…but they can’t tell the whole story.  Because YOU must be part of the story…

The photos are magnificent…but cannot tell you the reality of being here.  They cannot whisper what is carried on the wind…

Stardate 042906

Yosemite Valley, California

John Muir once wrote"As long as I live, I’ll hear the waterfalls and birds and winds sing. I’ll interpret the rocks, learn the language of flood, storm, and the avalanche. I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers and the wild gardens, and get as near the heart of the world as I can".

What LUCK! We stumbled upon the BEST DAY so far this year at Yosemite! And, although we were 10 minutes late, we caught up with the Ranger Walk we came to take this afternoon. We almost didn’t recognize the group when we found them–a Ranger Walk on a Sunday in late April...with only TWO participants?

Because the two visitors who joined him originally were two young men from ROME, the ranger, Shelton Johnson, altered his planned presentation, "Writing on the Wind"–collective poetic creation. Instead, his talk was "Beneath the Layers". Shelton captured us immediately with his dynamic speaking, and his unrestrained enthusiasm for Yosemite, and the national parks. He has been a ranger here since ‘93, and before that he spent years at Yellowstone and Great Basin NPs. His last job at Yellowstone had been to deliver mail in the winter between Mammoth Hot Springs and Fishing Bridge-150-mile loop by snowmobile! He said the most dangerous part of that job was when the buffalo would lie down, and be covered by snowfall–white-on-white is impossible to see...WHOMP! Snowmobile goes off into tree, buffalo stands up, yawns, and says, "HUH? Did I just feel something?"

Another of his interesting stories of Yellowstone concerned riding along at night next to a coyote. Coyote must have been a kindred spirit of my best road-cycling days, because he was NOT going to be passed! When Shelton would speed up, Coyote would out-pace him. When he slowed, the coyote would slow. Shelton realized he was running him to death, because his tongue was hanging out. He decided he would end the game by zooming past him–but Coyote had the last laugh. Coyote lunged and nipped his snowsuit as he gunned past!

We talked about the Giant Sequoias, the geology of the park, and some park history. Just before entering a cemetery in the midst of Yosemite Village, Shelton stopped and played a haunting melody on the porcelain flute he carried on a leather thong around his neck. Then he led us to the gravesites of several of the early pioneers in Yosemite...one named Clark carved his own name in the stone, and chose his own SPECTACULAR site facing Yosemite Falls and El Capitan. Shelton spoke about how Clark had Giant Sequoia planted beside his grave, so that his body would nourish some of the oldest living things on earth.

Yellowstone NP claims the honor of being the FIRST NP–however, Yosemite is actually the oldest area set aside "in perpetuity" for and by the people. We were stunned to learn that ABRAHAM LINCOLN, during the darkest days of the Civil War, set aside Yosemite...well BEFORE Teddy Roosevelt visited Yellowstone. However, since California was already a STATE (1850) at the time of Yosemite, and Wyoming and Montana were only territories at the time of Yellowstone, President Lincoln set aside Yosemite as a STATE preserved park, while Yellowstone had to be FEDERALLY protected, since there WAS no state there. It is intriguing to consider how President Lincoln could have turned his thoughts away from the bloodiest conflict our nation has ever faced, in order to sign legislation to preserve Yosemite...but then, again, it is comforting to know that in the midst of this conflagration, he could think about a PLACE...THIS place, with it’s stunning beauty...and preserve it for the generations of Americans he so deeply believed WOULD come after.

Near the end of the hike, I asked Shelton if there would be another time this week when he would do his "Writing on the Wind" hike....and no, it was over for the year...but he pulled out his notebook, and said he would show us a little of how it would have gone. After that, at every stop, we would think about what we had learned there, and add a line to our verse....here is the end result....

Writing on the Wind

Yosemite, beyond words

A place where the dead

Can become the living

A place where the invisible is at work

And we are surrounded by a forest of sweetness.

Just by breathing the air

We’re changing the world.

Yosemite exists in all seasons

And all times

And is around us all–

If only we had eyes to see

And ears to hear

The music of this place.

           By Park Ranger Shelton Johnson, and Visitors

Later that day, Dale and I hiked to the foot of the Lower Yosemite Falls. Wow...standing there in the wind and mist created by the tumultuous lower falls of the Yosemite soaked us to the skin -- but also allowed us to "soak in" this wonderous spot -- the mist created by the falls, the river raging and tumbling over the rocks..a magic moment.

We were camped at a lovely Coast-to-Coast resort about 14 miles outside the south gate of the park. On our second day to the park, we left at 6 AM in order to hike a 9AM Photo Hike led by the Ansel Adams Studio in Yosemite Valley. Unfortunately for us, they did not honor their own 15-person sign-up -- over 30 folks showed up for the hike. Dale and I left the group early to explore on our own.  We wanted to have lunch at the Ahwahnee Lodge, where the last US President to visit Yosemite stayed -- John F. Kennedy. The dining room there takes your breath away -- 3-story windows framing Yosemite Falls. For those of you who have not visited one of our National gems, most of the National Parks are famous for their Lodges, and the fine meals served there. Dale started with a wonderful fish chowder, and I had cheddar soup. For entrees, Dale had mountain trout, and I had salmon pot-pie -- YUM! To top it off, we shared a superb boysenberry pie ala mode.

Later, we hiked along the beautiful bike path near the lodge, over picturesque stone bridges framing the glorious views of Half Dome and Yosemite Falls.

We have been in California a few times over the past few years, but each time weren't able to visit Yosemite -- snowed out each time!  However, besides having such a beautiful week, we were told by many rangers and regulars that this was the best in many, many years to see the waterfalls -- just spectacluar, and nearly everywhere you looked, you could find one.  In addition, each evening we left the valley, we caught some amazing views of El Capitan and the 620 foot Bridalveil Falls, and the valley floor they overlook.  Although the photos are amazing, they still can't capture the essence of Yosemite -- the scent of pine so strong you can almost taste it, the star studded nights, and the eye-popping views in every direction.

Too short a stay, again. Back to civilization for a farewell breakfast with our friends from the Apheresis Care Group in San Francisco, then headed out for Colorado, and parts known and unknown.

Stardate 041906

Somewhere….on the coast

Coasting….we are COASTing through our last days in California.  My job here, which I have enjoyed so much, is coming to a close next Friday.  So, we are thinking about all the things we MEANT to do while we were here, and haven’t, yet.  Yosemite…. Wow!  One of our most spectacular national parks…and just about 150 miles from here…so, we made plans to go there for a week as we leave here!  OK…what else?  Carmel (pronounced carMEL), Monterey, and Big Sur….

I had worked the weekend, so Sheila gave me a half-day off on Monday, and all of Tuesday off….when I got home Monday afternoon, Dale had us packed and ready to go.  Monterey is about a 2-hour drive down the coast from Pacifica, where our RV, TESS is parked

We stayed at the Army Post where our nephew, Justin, is taking his language school course, so lodging was relatively cheap--$59 for a two-room suite overlooking Monterey Bay.  We had come down for the day earlier this year to the great Monterey Aquarium, so knew our way around, a little.  We tried Justin a few times, but when he called us back, he had just spent two hours cleaning his rifle, and had MORE fun plans (or his Sgt did!) for the evening, so couldn’t join us for dinner on such short notice.  We found a STUNNING table in the corner of two huge picture windows overlooking the bay, the rocks, and spraying surf on Cannery Row, made famous by Hemmingway.  We had a great meal…I had haddock with macadamia crust and peanut sauce, and Dale had red snapper, both of us had the super salad bar, and shared the hot lava cake for dessert…while watching the seabirds, and the waves crashing on rocks.

 Monterey’s popularity grew after the Great Quake which destroyed much of San Francisco on April 18, 1906 – exactly 100 years ago yesterday.  Many San Fransiscans had friends or relatives here, so they came during the city’s recovery period.  Those who returned north, after San Francisco rebuilt, returned often.  Many others, captured by the beauty, decided to stay.

Tuesday, we got an early start.  Highway 1 was built in the 1930s at a cost of $150-200 million.  Much of it is two lane, and rolls, winds, and slithers along the crests of the mountains that touch the sea.  The best way to see it is as the PASSENGER!!  The DRIVER needs his eyes on the road.

At the first California beach state park we visited, Point Lobos, the ranger told us our $9 entrance fee would get us into ANY state park today…and there were FIVE more along the coast in the next 53 miles.  “Point Lobos” refers to sea lions and their barking.  The earlier Spanish name was “Punta de los Lobos Marinos”, which means “point of the Sea Wolves”.

Our first short stop, at Whaler’s Cove and Cannery Point, we saw a beach covered with sunning sea lions and harbor seals.  We climbed a set of stairs in the trail, up to a crest of rocks overlooking a gorgeous aqua blue cove.  Our next stop was a hike out to the Sea Lion Point Trail.  The trail takes you through one of nature’s seaside gardens to fabulous ocean views, and a rocky staircase leads to a lower trail, where you can see sea lions on off-shore rocks, and Devil’s Cauldron, a churning display of the ocean’s power.

We would have loved to spend more time here—there are some great hiking trails, and viewpoints…but we were trying to see some of the Big Sur area, too.  So on down Hwy 1, southbound we went, to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park.  We had read this was a nice place for a picnic lunch, and had some of the most beautiful overlooks on the coast.  We hiked to an incredible spot -- a tropical oasis -- probably one of the most picturesque spots we’ve seen in our travels!  Look for the 80-foot waterfall, awesome turquoise surf, and wildflowers we photographed there.  The foundation of a house overlooking this Eden-like setting really made us wonder what it must have been like to wake up each morning to such beauty, or relax on the front porch to watch the sun set.  It is truly a paradise!

Too soon our 36-hours of tranquility were drawing to a close, and we had to head “home” – took the time for two more short stops: Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park for some postcards and more flower photos – wish we had more time here, since there is another waterfall -- and Andrew Molera State Park, with some miles of coastal hikes.  Unfortunately, we had a 3-hour drive ahead of us, so we couldn’t steal the time!  As usual, there is always just too much to see and do, and too little time.

Stardate 032506

Pacifica, California

I am having a restless night, and I’d rather WRITE than writhe, so I’ll tell you the story I heard today from my patient who spent 40 years as a flight attendant…

We SWAP ‘em.  I told her about full-timing, and that my husband is a retired Lt. Col in the Air Force, but both our sons were Marines.  That David now is an Air Traffic Controller for the 5-state region 5,000 feet above Denver, keeping people safe in the skies…and that Michael came home safely from the war in Iraq.

She told me that just after the war, her crew began ferrying kids home from the fighting. One of her friends ordered a special box built, and got two square feet of SOD.  As their first group came aboard, they were greeted by the box of sod, and a sign that said something like “Welcome Back!  Here’s your first step back on American Soil”.

Well, these kids were a group of young pilots….and they sank to their knees, and ran their hands through the grass.  They put a bit of it in their pockets.  Some KISSED it.  Some cried.  But NONE of them would STEP on it.

That flight attendant did this for EVERY flight back.

Stardate 032006

Pacifica, California

Dale’s 78-year-old mother is very ill, back in Ohio, so Dale is there, now.  YOU are therapy for me, to keep myself busy and pass the time instead of worrying.  Thanks!

People tell us stories, and we have passed on many, on the website.  We’ve told you of The Frog and the Prince, that we met in a rest stop in Childress, Texas.  We’ve told you of Marshall Dillon, from Missouri, whose father flew with Eddie Rickenbacher.  And of a Missouri rancher’s father who was shot down over Vicchy France, and spent the closing days of the war hidden by the French Resistance.

My patients tell me stories, too.  Recently, I heard one that should be told.

She is a tiny little 70-something lady with Leukemia and a thing called Thrombocythemia, which means she has too many Platelets in her bloodstream (along with  too many white blood cells of Leukemia). She has battled this for over 4 years, and has had this procedure I do 5 times, but she still is a chipper little thing, greeting me with a huge smile, and giving me a hug when I left. And very interested in everything--asking ME about MY life. Told me that MY life, as a nurse, was like the strong Pioneer women of our past, inspiring others.

Anyway, she was from a large family, too—one of 8 children. She was born in London, and was 4 or 5 years old during the bombings of WWII--the Blitzkrieg. In those days, Londoners sent all their children to the countryside for safekeeping...can you IMAGINE that, now? Many, to perfect strangers. Her father was a Vaudeville-type entertainer, and was away, entertaining the troops. So, her mother was alone in their house in London, with the tiniest baby in the family, who was too young to be sent away. One night, during one of the raids, a bomb hit their house, and the roof collapsed. Her mother threw herself over the baby's bed, and a timber from the roof pinned her there. Even then, she might have lived, if someone had heard her and searched, but the damage was too severe, and there was too much noise from the raid. It wasn't until the next morning, that they heard the baby crying. Her baby brother was saved by the sacrifice of her mother.

It was a Sunday, and she was at church in the countryside, when a woman told her family that her mother was dead--just said it out like that, very matter-of-fact. She was maybe 4 years old. Her sisters were crying, but she was in shock, and she heard some woman whisper--"Look at that little Whelp...doesn't even cry when her Mum dies"...both evil and GOOD are always with us, eh?

Stardates 022306 to 030406

Disney Western Caribbean Cruise

“A Dream is a wish the heart makes…”  And a dream it was -- our first Disney Cruise.  Seven days in the western Caribbean, along with my sister Barb, brother-in-law Bob, their family, and some friends of theirs, Mike and Loretta.

My sister is an outstanding planner -- I think her true avocation is travel agent!  This was the 5^th time Barb, Bob, and her family have done Disney cruises, and she really knows how to do it right!  She taught us a lot of the “insider” knowledge that makes everything even more special.

Sitting here now, back in California, where it is 60 degrees and pouring rain, it is easy to imagine myself back on board the Disney ship, Magic.  So come along, for a virtual tour.

The family began the vacation with 3 days at Disney World, staying at Port Orleans, the French Quarter Resort.  What a lovely place, with a river walk and lots of flowers and magnolia trees.  Dale and I arrived Thursday, mostly relaxed Friday, then joined in the fun at the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue.  This show has become a family tradition, and many members of the family have actually become PART of the show over the years.  David (now 32) at age 3 was chosen for the part of sheriff, I think Bob and Bill both played the angel in a tutu at different times, and Christy was the dance hall girl.  This time, Bob’s friend Mike was chosen for “special attention” by one of the cast -- a pretty girl!

Saturday, we began our journey to the ship at Port Canaveral by taking a HUMMER LIMO!!  See what I mean about Barb and her plans?  Inside were 3 TV sets, a bar, and leather seating.  Cool, huh!  But however cool it looked, the limo didn’t have enough room for 25 pieces of luggage for 12 people – even though Barb told them ahead of time what to expect.  So the limo company had to pay for an additional taxi van to shuttle most of the luggage from Orlando to Port Canaveral.

Our first glimpse of the ship was amazing -- it is so huge, and beautiful -- well, see the pictures!  While our luggage was being transported to our rooms by crew members, there was a great welcoming deck party with music, dancing, and entertainers.  As the ship was leaving, Barb and Bob had white Mickey gloves for everyone in our group to wave goodbye to the folks on the dock, and bubble stuff -- just held it over the rail, and the wind made huge bubbles everywhere! 

Now for a brief ship’s tour…  There are 10 decks.  Deck 10 overlooks 3 swimming pools below in the center areas of deck 9, and there are basketball courts and ping pong tables on deck 10 forward. Also on deck 10 aft is the Palo Restaurant for adults only, and it is absolutely marvelous. Forward, on deck 9 is the adult pool, with two hot tubs.  Mid ship is the family pool, with two hot tubs and a giant movie screen, and a stage for entertainers.  Farther back is the children’s pool, with Mickey ears serve as wading pools, and the pool has a nice water slide.  All the way aft is the Top Siders Buffet, where you can get breakfast, lunch or dinner, if you choose, buffet-style.  And everything is free…all you want, whenever you want, except alcohol, which you can purchase, as well as specialty drinks, such as smoothies.  Decks 2, 6, 7 and 8 are mostly stateroom decks.  Deck 7 has a “secret” aft deck area for quiet reading while taking in the sun and the sea.  Deck 5 is also mostly staterooms, but has a large movie theater, which plays current Disney Company movies throughout the day and evening.  The ship plays other current and recent Disney movies on 4 or 5 of their television channels – again, for free.  Deck 4 has a running or walking deck outside, with shuffleboard courts, and very comfortably padded lounge chairs.  Deck 4 also has gift shops and the main theater for the nightly Disney productions of Broadway-like shows.  Deck 4 has the Animator’s Palate restaurant, and Shutters, where you go to see/purchase photos taken by the Disney photographer staff of your group and individuals throughout the cruise.  On deck 3 are Lumiere’s and Parrot Cay restaurants.  Your group is scheduled to rotate through the Parrot Cay, Lumiere’s, and Animator’s Palate restaurants throughout the cruise – and the servers rotate with you.  Or you can make reservations to Palo, the adult only restaurant on deck 10, which has the most elegant foods and service we’ve ever seen!  There are also areas set aside on the ship for game shows and activities throughout the day….and the wonderful kids clubs, that no one can match – Disney has over 50 people on their staff just for kid club activities.  Beth and Brent have three great little girls, ages 10, 8 and 4, and each of them loved Club -- the littlest never wanted to leave!

You keep track of all the activities and events by the nightly newspaper slipped under your door called the Navigator.  There is so much going on every minute…  Family games, live music, movies, ventriloquists, comedians, and the absolutely wonderful Disney evening shows!  Or, you can CHOOSE to be alone, to sit on a deck chair and read a book, or just relax…it’s all up to you.

When in port, there are all kinds of activities to choose from.  For instance, in Key West, Florida, there are 10 different tours, from sailing and kayaking, snorkeling, to a schooner sailing trip, tram tour and museum, glass bottom boat, shipwreck historeum, pirate scavenger hunt, or butterfly nature conservatory.  Unfortunately, it was a very rainy day, and our scheduled trip on the Western Union Schooner was cancelled due to high winds and seas.  We took the 90-minute tram tour of the city, which was okay – but we all got pretty wet, since the tram didn’t have sides or windows to keep the rain out…

At Grand Cayman, you can take a 2-tank dive, snorkel, visit stingray city aboard a 65-foot catamaran, take a submarine expedition (some go down 800 feet), or the Nautilus Undersea tour.  You can also take a two-person inflatable motorboat, and visit a submerged shipwreck.   We opted for the island tour, which also included a boat ride to Stingray City Observatory – basically a large pontoon boat.  The pontoons were made to climb down into, with large windows to view colorful fish and the large number of stingrays that stay in the area.  We then proceeded to the sea turtle farm – some of the turtles weighed over 500 pounds.  They release about 25 percent of their turtles to the open seas each year.  By the way, the waters of the Caribbean are unbelievably gorgeous -- jewel-like greens, to various blues, to almost purple shades, sparkling in the sunlight. 

Our ship was originally scheduled to visit Cozumel, Mexico.  But because of extensive hurricane damage last Fall, it was canceled, and Costa Maya, on the coast 130 miles south of Cancun, was substituted.  There were 13 different excursions to choose from…snorkeling, catamarans, several Mayan ruins tours, all-terrain 4x4 tour, kayaks, dune buggies, horseback riding, biking, jeep adventure, and a dolphin encounter.  We chose the Kohunlich Mayan Ruins for our tour.  We found it very interesting, and many of its buildings there could be climbed.  The Temple of the Masks had several of the original masks made of stone and placed in the front sides of the temple, although looters had got to some of the ruins over the years.  The Mayans lived in this area for a long time, and this ruins covers several square miles – about 5 acres is open to the public for tours, and archeological digs are still going on in other parts.  The ruins here were discovered in 1912, and most of the buildings date from 250 – 900 AD.  Our tour was a little more remote than some of the ruins tours offered, and the bus ride was over 2 hours each way.  We did get to spend nearly 2 hours at the ruins, and the guide was very informative.  Mike and Loretta, another couple from our group, opted for the Chacchoben Mayan ruins, and enjoyed them, as well. 

For us, the very best day came last, at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. It is really a tropical paradise.  You could easily spend the whole day in a hammock or lounge chair under an umbrella, or swimming in those warm, beautiful green waters of the protected lagoon.  But just in case that isn’t enough, there are over 15 different excursions to choose from: snorkeling, bottom fishing, renting a tube, float or bicycle, banana boat, parasailing, catamaran, kayak, glass bottom boat, jet skis, hobie cat, or, OUR FAVORITE, feeding and snorkeling with the stingrays.  It was really neat to feed them, and to spend some leisurely time snorkeling in their large fenced off area of the lagoon – clear, green water and soft sandy bottom.  It was exciting being amongst them, and seeing them swim so closely below and beside us!  A very satisfying end of the day adventure that will be remembered fondly for a long time.

Of course, being with Barb, Bob, Bill, Beth, Brent, Cassie, Allie and Kendall is always a laughter-filled, happy time.  We went for early morning swims, while Beth and Brent went to the gym or for a massage at the spa.  Brent took a scuba dive in Costa Maya, and Bill, Beth and Brent snorkeled off a ship in Grand Cayman.  Bill and Bob took a jeep tour of Costa Maya.  We all dressed in Pirate costumes for Pirate night.  One night we stayed up late for a movie, Flight Plan with Jodi Foster, and another evening Beth and the girls cried through “Eight Below”, about a dog-team stranded in Antarctica. Our best memory of the wonderful shows presented each night was of the Golden Mickeys, although Disney Dreams, and Twice Charmed were fabulous.  On the night of the Golden Mickeys, kids lined up to be interviewed about their choice for "Favorite Disney Character" (Goofy, by a landslide!)--well, last was this tall, white-haired 12-year-old--BOB!  How funny!

Our servers came with us, from restaurant to restaurant, and soon knew our preferences -- so our favorite beverages were waiting, and our table perfect.  Erasmo, from Chile, and Jonathan, from the Philippines, not only served us wonderful meals each evening, but entertained the little girls with various types of napkin-folded hats, and games.  Erasmo earned a kiss on the cheek from Kendall for cutting her steak each night.

Disney knows how to do it -- and always does it “just right”.  For us, vacationing with our loved ones makes those moments magical -- times we will always remember.  So don’t delay -- take a trip with your family soon, and make your own magic and memories.

Stardate 020506

China Camp State Park & Point Bonita Lighthouse

Blue Sky Day…perfect for hiking…and I have a man who is a perfect 10.  Today is Superbowl Sunday, and he didn’t even mention it when I suggested a hike today.  Although, when we got home at 4:15 Pacific time, the TV came on immediately.  OK.  He’s still a MAN….

China Camp State Park is north of the Golden Gate.  Its story begins with the gold rush.  In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill.  Gold Rushers came overland and by sea to San Francisco.  Sailors jumped ship to join the rush for gold.  Even in far off China, men were lured by the gold fever -- 700 Chinese arrived in 1849, some were experienced placer miners.

By 1869, the Chinese were being pushed out of the gold fields. That same year, another 5,000 Chinese rail workers were laid off when the Transcontinental Railroad was completed with the Golden Spike.  Small groups of these displaced workers found the shrimp in San Francisco Bay were similar to those found near their homeland in Canton.   They ordered special nets from China, and began harvesting shrimp in their traditional ways.  By 1875, there were 26 thriving shrimp camps, like China Camp, surrounding the Bay…today, only China Camp survives, as a state park.

Shrimp was harvested from the nets twice a day, then cooked in salty water, and spread in the sun to dry.  Once dry, the shells and tails were removed, the meat was placed in barrels and sent to China.  Later, at the turn of the century, San Francisco developed a taste for fresh-caught shrimp. 

The Chinese were never allowed to become citizens.  When the Chinese workers became too successful, laws were enacted prohibiting shrimping with the traditional methods used in the camps, and prohibiting the exporting of shrimp.  By the early 1900s, the camps were deserted beaches again.

Today, the trails here are beautiful, overhung with eucalyptus, live oak, and cypress trees, overlooking the bay…but busy with lots of mountain bikers and hikers.  Don’t come here to be alone, even in February!  We hiked 2 hours along the cliffs above the shoreline, really enjoying a very nice day.

On the drive back, we decided to take in the western views above Golden Gate.  We had stopped on several occasions on the northeast side of the bridge, which gives good viewpoints of the bridge, Alcatraz, and the city.  However, we always missed the cut-off on the opposite side when traveling back from parts north.  But this time, we remembered, and wanted to take advantage of such a clear day.  So up and up we went on the road leading into the Marin Headlands.  GOR-gegous!  After a short stop at the interesting visitor center, we went on to Bonita Point Lighthouse.  I really wish we had known about this spot when my sister Barb and her husband Bob were here last month!  I think they would have really enjoyed this ½ mile hike -- reaching the lighthouse entails hiking down a paved trail, through a short tunnel in the rock, and crossing a suspension bridge!  It may not have been the most unique light we’ve seen, but it was certainly the most interesting walk TO a lighthouse!  Even when we reached the suspension bridge, we found we had to wait our turn to cross – max load is 500 pounds, so only two people were allowed to cross at a time, back or forth!

 This is the second lighthouse at this point.  The first was built atop the high rock formation in 1855, through which a tunnel now runs, allowing access to the new one, built in 1877.  But the original lighthouse was found to be too far off and too high above the point, still placing ships at great a risk from the fog-bound rocks.  There was once a natural land bridge to the new location, however it eventually crumbled too much, so the suspension bridge was built…  But after so many years, it too has seen better days, thus the small load limit.

Looks like we’ll get to do more adventures in this area.  Kate’s 13-week traveling nurse job was to end this Friday.  But another nurse there is having back problems, and may need surgery.  So Kate agreed to extend till near the end of April.  Then we’ll be off to Colorado for our routine medical appointments, and spend a couple weeks with our oldest son and family – grandparents have to get some time with their grandkids!!  In May, we’ll wind our way through western Canada and on to Alaska!

Kate had today off, and it was too beautiful to stay home!  So we packed up a picnic lunch and headed to Mount Diablo.  When we were in Sacramento last year, we had wanted to visit this state park, but never made it due to other competing places to see.  But since we were only about 25 miles away, we were determined to see it before we leave this year.

Mt Diablo peaks at 3848 feet and provides outstanding 360-degree views of far off areas – San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sierras, and the very hilly surrounding terrain.  It was established as a California state park in 1921.  Much of the roadwork and other construction was completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in an effort to get people back to work after the Great Depression.  To get to the top, you drive nearly 6 miles of twisting and winding narrow road, with no safety barriers along the edges – thus nothing to interfere with the awesome views, either!  We are still always surprised to see just how hilly California really is even near the coastal areas – caused by the coastal and continental plates pushing together, which is how Mt Diablo and other mountain ranges here were formed.  But we also found how cold it was up this high – 63 degrees at our RV, but only 40 here, not including wind chill, which was a significant factor today!!  We thought we were dressed for it, but found our winter jackets still weren’t enough at the top!  Fortunately, it wasn’t too bad half way down…

We stopped at a picnic area for lunch at a place called Rock City.  It has a lot of different types of rock, including some sandstone.  The wind and rain has done a good job of eroding the sandstone, baring some large underlying air pockets – looks like windows and big enough to crawl into in some areas, thus the name Rock City.  The park also has numerous rock formations sparked by the imagination – elephant and camel rocks, to name a couple.  We did get a chance to hike around much of this area and really enjoyed a few of its many climbing opportunities.  We had a lot of fun, and didn’t regret putting off any of the chores and errands we thought about when we first awoke – this was definitely the better choice for today!

Stardate: 012106

San Francisco, California

Yes, I’ve gone back to the old “Stardate”…still just a Trekkie at heart.  And one ending, where Zulu asks Captain Kirk what heading, and he replies, and points…”Out THERE, somewhere…” has always resonated with me.  In three more weeks, it will be “out there, somewhere” for US!

Last weekend, the Leader of the Morgart Clan hopped a “space shuttle” to visit us for a long weekend, at this “other world” we are inhabiting for a time.  My sister Barb and brother-in-law Bob arrived Thursday noonish, and stayed until early Sunday morning.  And Friday the 13^th was her BIRTHDAY! 

Thursday we spent the afternoon and evening getting them settled in the great hotel suite that their son, Bill, had arranged for them.  It was so funny, hearing Bob tell the story of Bill’s negotiating skills…”My parents are getting older, and they wanted to go visit my mom’s sister one last time.”  But it must have worked, because they had a great suite overlooking the ocean, and at a great price.  Bob wanted to sleep with the balcony doors open, to listen to the surf, but Barb put the kabosh on that, because of the connecting balconies.  Later, we drove south along California Highway-1, walked on a beach for a bit, then got pizza and played a card game called “Ten Down”…ladies were the winners!

Friday, Dale was our tour guide.  We had a delicious breakfast at the hotel restaurant, which had huge windows overlooking the breaking waves just in front of them.  We walked on the Golden Gate Bridge, then drove up to Mount Tamalpais for the views (unfortunately, too much fog…), then down to John Muir Woods National Monument. To walk among the giant redwoods, and realize their age, might make one feel insignificant….To me, it is a comfort to know that any of MY little problems will pass, and that we are all a part of something bigger…even when one of these giants comes down, it just opens a spot in the sunshine for new seedlings.

Back across the Golden Gate, downtown, we found a little bagel shop on Filmore  St. for a quick SF lunch, then we bought tickets to ride the cable cars.  This was one of things Bob was most looking forward to visiting…Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” sings about “Where little cable cars …Climb halfway to the stars…”.  The cable cars are the only MOVING National Monument.  They are embroiled in the national news, right now, since the SF mayor Newsom charged that the cable car operators were pocketing fare money.  Well, considering OUR experience, they should FIRE quite a few of them!  When we (Obvious Tourists) asked if this was the right car for where we wanted to go, they were really rude to us.  OK.  One guy. Then, on the next car, Barb pointed out to the driver that one passenger, standing on the side hanging on to the railings, was nearly bumped by a passing car.  The driver responded, “I don’t care.  I’m used to these crazy people!” 

We had lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf, at a wonderful place called the Franciscan Restaurant…lots of pictures of the great FACES of the movies -- Bogart and Bacall, Lucy and Desi, Bob Hope, Jimmy Durante, Hitchcock, Gable, Monroe, and hundreds of others….that was fun.  And the FOOD was really great, too.  Barb had clam chowder in a sour-dough bread bowl.  Dale and Bob each had seafood chiopini, a delicious fish stew.  And I had lasagna.

Our night tour of Alcatraz was about to leave from Pier 39…had to hurry up!  After all the old movies about Acatraz, this was another high on the list for Bob, but my boss had warned me that it was hot and smelly from all the bird droppings, and you had to hike uphill over broken concrete…so I was a little worried.  Didn’t want to disappoint them…  Actually, I think taking the NIGHT tour was a key to our enjoyment -- cool breezes (so no smell), the lights of San Francisco sparking across the Bay in the darkness -- and the darkness seemed also to lend a certain feeling…the isolation…deprivation…the “Sounds of the Slammer” (a tour where they show what the sounds of the slamming cell doors not only sounded like, but also felt like)…and right there, just across the water…was FREEDOM.  There were stories of the more infamous jail-breaks -- the most successful route to freedom was by BOAT!  A few convicts disappeared that way, never to be found again…but only ONE of the many swimmers ever made it alive to shore – the cold water and currents were too much for the rest.

Early Saturday, we had breakfast here at the RV, since Dale had arranged a private tour by van, of San Francisco.  Several folks at our RV park had recommended this tour company, AM/PM Tours (www.ampmtours.com).  Manuel Newman was our driver in the comfortable 6-passenger van, with a video camera that he could point in different directions to highlight certain buildings or sights and display it on an overhead video screen.  Manuel was EXTREMELY knowledgeable, and very thoughtful of each of us, with umbrellas ready-to-hand, and helping the ladies out of the van.  Our first stop was the Bay Bridge, and discussions about damages from the 1989 earthquake.  Didn’t realize until the tour, though, the extent of the damage, and the fires that destroyed a large part of the city, afterwards.  Also learned that many shorelines of the city are the result of landfills over top of an awful lot of ships sunk after arrival – some from the 1850s which had brought gold rushers to the area.  Manuel showed us the new buildings going up everywhere in this district including multi-million-dollar condos.  In the downtown district, we heard the story of the origins of Bank of America (which started as Bank of Italy -- two Italian immigrant brothers were unable to get an account, so they started their own bank), and saw the second-tallest building in the state, the TransAmerica building, with it’s rocket-like appearance.  This building brings in $40 MILLION per month to its owners in office space rentals.  There is a LOT of building going on everywhere you look, much of it due to ensuring buildings are earthquake-proof.  In addition, to help ensure that San Francisco puts on a good face for the tourists, mandatory cleaning of building exteriors is required of the owners, as often as once per year…

Grace Cathedral is an amazing place to visit, with its glorious stained glass.  We were fortunate to hear the organist practicing while we wandered… The cathedral is the third largest in America, built on land donated after the 1906 earthquake destroyed one of the mansions on Nob Hill.  Then came another opportunity for us to get out and walk!  Lombard’s Crooked Street in Russian Hill was fun, if a little daunting downhill in the misting rain.  Hope the pictures convey its uniqueness.  To cut down on traffic, the neighbors got together to turn their street into a very sharp, zig-zag path down a very steep grade – and the surface is bricked, which is really slick when it rains.  But besides finding a way to cut down the number of cars on their street, they also created lovely garden landscapes, making a very nice place to walk and photograph.

Next was Coit Tower, erected in honor of the young girl rescued from a fire, who grew up to help city firemen go from volunteers to paid professionals…  The tower gives a great vantage point at the top to overlook the city, but today was too foggy and rainy.  We  then went on to Fisherman’s Wharf (lunch and some souvenir shopping), and Pacific Heights, where the $40 million mansions perch on a cliff above the city, and their owners vie for space to park all their Lexus, Mercedes, and other expensive cars.  The final drive was through the now closed Presidio Army Post, and a stop to take another walk, from the opposite end, along the Golden Gate Bridge.

Thanks, Barb and Bob.  We LOVED having you here!  Seems like our most memorable vacations are the ones we spend with the people we love.

Jan 8, 2006

John Muir Woods National Monument

Beautiful blue sky day -- at last -- after what seems like WEEKS of rain and wind.  We drove north across the Golden Gate Bridge, with its sparkling views of the Pacific and the Bay.  After a roadside stop to buy honey-coated almonds, tangelos, and cherries, we decided to visit nearby Mt Tamalpais before going on to our destination today.  The pavement slithered and coiled up and up.  We shared the roadway with spandex-clad bikers flying downhill, or, God bless ‘em, pumping UP-hill!  On the way to the top, we stopped at several viewpoints for pictures of the very green forest overlooking the vast Pacific, with the sudden jarring juxtaposition of the tall buildings of downtown San Francisco in the distance.

Must be the gypsy in me, but I cannot seem to pass a trailhead without it “speaking” to me of things I have yet to see…trying to beckon me into it’s shady depths.  Several trails on top were doing their best to seduce me…but no.  Today is for Muir Woods, and the Giant Redwoods.  Snaking downwards in our little rented VW Jetta, Dale was having fun driving through the curves -- the Tour de Marin County, but at a safe speed, since many areas had no guard rails and bikers were everywhere!  

John Muir Woods has a Ranger Station and Gift Shop that were fun to browse, and then -- The Main Event!  There is a LOT of hiking here to choose from.  Today is “get acquainted”, so we opted for the 2 mile loop, part boardwalk, part high-up path …passing four bridges, and the most notable groves, such as Cathedral Grove.  In the beginning, you walk past a slice of a tree downed in 1939, with the rings listed as to what happened on those years in human history – a tree that saw 1,029 years before it toppled.  This is a cool, dark, moist place, suitable for the giants that inhabit it.  Some of them get to be 225 feet tall.  For their first 100 years they sprout up and up to reach the skylight, then start their growth outward for the centuries that follow.  Many trees in these woods are over a thousand years old – they can live to be 2,000 to 3,000!!  This environment seems perfect for them, providing the 200 gallons per day a huge tree might need through rain, fog, and other moisture in the area.  The tannic acid found in redwoods protects them from insects, and it can take as long as 400 years for a fallen tree to complete the decaying process.

For many years, this land was too remote and rugged for lumber companies to get their equipment into this forest economically.  The last owner turned these giant redwoods over to the Government for protection in 1908 under the condition it would be named a national monument – Teddy Roosevelt agreed.  It was named in honor of John Muir in recognition for the conservation efforts he made.

The Redwood Creek running through these woods is one of the few remaining free-flowing streams on the Pacific coast, which still provides suitable habitat for the endangered coho salmon and steelhead trout.  It supports one of the last populations of salmon to survive in their natural habitat on the central California coast.

New Years Eve, 2005

Pacifica, California

Dale and I want to wish each of you health and happiness…may every new morning be a “present”.

We have been enjoying San Francisco so much this winter -- much more than Sacramento, last year.  I love my temporary traveling nurse job, and the people I work with -- taking great satisfaction in my nursing, again, for this short time.  Dale, as usual, is making friends with everyone here at the RV park, and doing his best to make himself indispensable to all our neighbors -- helping with battery problems, and satellite internet connection problems….and in his SPARE time, catching up with our yearly maintenance on the truck, car, and RV.  Our RV park is situated on a cliff overlooking the Pacific, so we are first-hand observers of every facet of the ocean moods -- wind, rain, pounding surf…and occasional blue sky days along the coast.

This week, we will be adding pictures of our trip to the world-famous aquarium in Monterey, and to the beaches and the lighthouse at Pigeon Point.  In two weeks, we will be adding pictures of our time with Barbara and Bob, my sister and brother-in-law, on her birthday trip here.  We will be visiting the Golden Gate Bridge with them, and Alcatraz at NIGHT, and a tour of San Francisco’s Chinatown, Nob Hill, and a ride on the famed cable cars.

The passing of the old year makes us think of all our blessings in living our dream of full-time RVing.  This marks two and a half years for us, since we quit our jobs, sold two houses, had several garage sales, gave our best furniture to our kids, and hit the road.  When we bought our medium duty Freightliner truck, in March 2003, it had 21,000 miles on it -- we brought it back to our neighborhood in Suffolk, Virginia, and scrubbed and polished, equipped it for RVing, and showed it off to all the neighbors and friends.  Now, it has over 78,000 miles on it.  We bought the little Subaru Forrester as our daily driver in March 2004 – started with 19,000 miles and now it has 79,000 miles on it.

Probably most of you remember the harrowing first few days of our full-timing -- when our brand new Teton Fifth Wheel caught fire and burned on the roadside in Colorado -- and Dale ran inside the burning hulk to rescue our two cats!  This was followed by a “loaner” from our dealer, so we could travel to California to see our youngest son Michael, home from the Iraq war, and take our grandsons Nick and Tony on our long-promised trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.  We also managed that summer to attend the Life On Wheels conference in Moscow Idaho, to learn as much as we could about what we were getting ourselves into -- full-time RVing.

Since then, we have camped in 35 states (drove through 10 more), and 5 Canadian provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edwards Island, Quebec, and Ontario).  We have lots of favorite campgrounds, especially Hart Ranch in South Dakota, and Mesa Regal in Mesa, Arizona.  We have memories of favorite trips, like following the Lewis and Clark trail from St. Louis to the coast of Oregon. And Glacier National Park, in 2004, with David, Christy, Nick, Tony, Mike and Jamie, plus lots of grizzlies and other wildlife -- unforgettable!  And this past summer, a family wedding in Pennsylvania, then New England, and the Atlantic Provinces.  Favorite moments, like watching the sun rise in Acadia National Park atop the highest peak in the Eastern USA with my sister Gerri, or whale watching in the Bay of Fundy off Nova Scotia. Or taking our grandsons to the evening programs in several national parks -- or having to evacuate the campground before a forest fire in Yellowstone.

We have volunteered in a wonderful canyon in Taos, New Mexico…stocked fish in the Rio Grande and Red rivers by hiking down a really perilous trail, did wildlife studies, watching eagles land with a wriggling trout in the tree right behind our RV, explored petroglyphs, and stagecoach station ruins.  We have volunteered at a lake in Somerville, Texas, working with boy and girl scouts and school groups, visited the nearby LBJ Ranch, and the Missions of San Antonio.

We have seen the waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge.  We’ve hiked in the footsteps of Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and Sacajewea along the Lolo Trail in the wilds of Idaho.  We’ve biked the Hiawatha Trail along the Montana-Idaho border, with its nearly 2-mile long tunnel, and trestled-bridges hundreds of feet high.  We’ve explored lighthouses from California to Oregon to the Outer Banks to PEI.  We’ve experience Ceildhs in Nova Scotia and PEI.  We’ve explored the Old Town of Quebec.  And we’ve had the time to spend slow evenings playing “National Park Monopoly” with Nick and Tony…and seeing sights through THEIR eyes, like “Old Faithful” and Mount Rushmore.

Now our most anticipated things coming up this year are our 7-night Disney Cruise to the Western Caribbean with Barb and Bob and their family in February, and the start of our long-awaited Alaskan trip beginning in May this year -- Dave, Christy, Nick and Tony will join us for two weeks of that adventure.  And we are TRYING to convince Mike and Jamie to join us, too -- they’d love to, but Mike isn’t sure if he can get time off, since he just started his new job in Williamsburg, Virginia three months ago.

Most unexpected for us, though, is finding that we have come to cherish so many new friends in unexpected places all over this continent.  We are so grateful for each of you.  Happy New Year!!