Live from New Zealand

1 Live from New Zealand 2013

[Please excuse the delay in getting this posted, as trying to write and manage pictures on our tablet has been more challenging than I anticipated. So as to keep moving forward I’m going to proceed with pictures in a new way, mostly with a link in each post, like above. Resizing and inserting has just proven too time consuming. Enjoy!]

Happy New Year! We’ve been traveling in and learning about New Zealand for the last 3 or so weeks, finding the country beautiful, very friendly, and easy to navigate. Our main problem now is there is so much we want to do!

My last quick post was to say we had arrived and all was well. We spent a great 10 days or so with Joanna, Heath, Kayla, Callum, and their animals on their 15 acre lifestyle block outside Ngaruawahia, close to Hamilton and about an hour south of Auckland. While there we fed the animals most days, chickens, cows, alpacas, sheep, and weeded most of their extensive flower garden beds. They had only moved to this property 3 months prior so were still hard at work with multiple projects including the daunting beds. We slowly made progress, then felt great when we were able to define the true garden border. Throughout the week we made our way around the yard, clearing out each bed as necessary and generating plenty of compost weeds. The first day we all planned to get in the pool after working to cool off, but before putting my togs (swimsuit) on I truly managed to fall in instead. Winner!

We also had the chance to take part in a few end-of-year school festivities, including their primary/intermediate school gala, a festival day with rides and a bouncy house, food and lollies for sale, and just general fun. We also stopped in on their school picnic, a fun field trip with swimming, kayaking, paddle boats, and gentle paint ball. It was fun to see all the Kiwi kids in action.

We learned a lot about the country and culture while with the McFarlane family – Kayla quizzed us on Kiwi words like chuffed (excited) and choice (cool) while Callum told us about eels and birds and was super industrious outside. Joanna and Heath were helpful in getting us acquainted with a cell phone, car search (we have learned that the hood is the bonnet and the trunk is the boot), and errands – Adam even bought a pair of jandals (flip-flops).

As summer was starting the animals were getting warmer so Adam helped to shear their alpacas and sheep. They weren’t the most beautiful creatures after finishing, but I’m betting they were cooler. We moved the fence for the cows each day to give them fresh grass, a trickier task since the hill they were on was quite steep, but it helped us get in shape. Some pesky cows managed to get out of the fence, but seemed to respond as we coaxed them back inside. This experience was a great introduction to the WWOOF experience, World Wide Opportunities in Organic Farming, that we hope to participate in most of the time we are in the country. WWOOF programs are available all over the world and offer room and board in exchange for 4-5 hours of work per day. The work depends on the host but often includes gardening, animal care, fruit picking, construction, etc.

We certainly ate well that week, with beef from their home kill in various forms, rabbit pie, kumara (like a sweet potato), ice blocks (popsicles), fresh eggs from their chickens, and a new tasty treat, pavlova. This delicious dessert is a sweet meringue with whipped cream and green kiwi fruit and strawberries on top. It’s a new favorite and hopefully we can make some of our own at home.

Friday night the family was gone and they were generous enough to lend us one of their cars to venture into Hamilton. Adam had been working on his driving, on the left side of the road with the driver’s side on the right, and his confidence was improving with Joanna’s help. Roundabouts were trickiest to master but I think he got the hang of them quickly. In Hamilton we enjoyed a gourmet pizza and walked around, then took a bottle of wine home and managed not to get lost.

Saturday we ventured out with a car once again, heading west to Bridal Veil Falls and then on to the surfer town of Raglan. The falls were beautiful, 55meters tall with viewpoints from the top, middle, and base, and we hiked down the 261 steps to the bottom then back up again. Raglan had a laid-back vibe, as does much of this country, with lots of cafes and little artisan shops. We landed at Manu Bay Reserve, a little south of town, to gaze at the beautiful blue-green Tasman Sea and the surfers enjoying the waves.

After heading back to the house we hopped in the car with Joanna and headed about 2 hours east to Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty area. Her mom and step-dad live in a great house overlooking a big estuary with views of Mount Maunganui. Adam took lots of pictures from their deck including some great sunset shots. We had a delicious dinner of beef sausages and patties, lamb sausages, and chicken from the barbie plus kumara, potato salad, green beans and salad, with jello with tons of fresh berries, yogurt, and ice cream for dessert. Later that night we ventured out with Wendy and Joanna to see Christmas lights around town, one house was immensely decorated, and then drove to Mount Maunganui in the dark, stopping at the quiet beach and driving through town, which apparently gets rockin around 11pm.

We arose early on Sunday to see the fishing crew off on their boat adventure before making breakfast ourselves and hauling the kayak down the street to the water before spending an hour or so paddling around. We then ventured back out to Mount Maunganui and walked around the beach, a lively place during the day, dipping our toes in the water to escape the heat of the sand.

On our way back to Ngaruawahia that evening with Joanna and Callum we drove through Matamata, a hotbed of Hobbittown where their information center has a rounded roof and doors and looks straight out of one of the movies. We stopped to pick up fish and chips, plus some potato wedges, a paua fritter (abalone), and pineapple fritter, plus some Kiwi treats like L&P (a somewhat citrusy beverage made here), ginger beer, pineapple lumps (like chocolate covered pineapple taffy), and jeffers (chocolate and fruit balls).

Monday we were sad to say goodbye to the McFarlanes and the very welcoming environment at their house. We’ll be back to visit them before we leave the country, and hope to stay in touch even when we are back in the States. They made our first days in the country so enjoyable, educational, and truly helpful for getting acquainted. They were also most generous and we are forever grateful.

New Zealand as a whole is really laid back, people are friendly and eager to help, and life is casual. Most people seem to pay attention to their water consumption (the places we have stayed collect rain water from their gutters for their main water source) and compost, and many have chickens. The country seems quite environmentally conscious and dedicated to a good life, celebrating the outdoors and natural beauty. There is not a “no shirt, no shoes, no service” rule, so plenty of people skip either or both, even when out and about. I feel very comfortable with the small assortment of clothes I brought that can all be used for hiking, weeding, or out in public. It’s definitely a nice place to be, and so beautiful!

Home!

Canyonlands National Park

[Sadly I have run out of time to get pictures into this blog post – I’ll add some when we get back. That seems important even though it’s 3 months from now.]

Tuesday, November 6, a big day for the United States, had us up early in the morning and into downtown Moab for coffee and internet at Red Rock Bakery. As the morning progressed we ventured into Canyonlands National Park at Island in the Sky and Grand View Point, a beautiful 2mile trail overlooking the canyons, then White Rim Trail, a 1.8mile trail to another canyon overlook. Other quick stops included the Black Canyon Overlook, the Green River Overlook, and an uphill 0.8mile hike to an Upheaval Dome overlook.

Upheaval Dome looks like a 1,500 foot deep crater but is actually a dome, either caused by a meteor hitting the Earth or salt deposits pushing up from below. Other park highlights included Mesa Arch, a long thin arch on the edge of a canyon where I sat to contemplate life for a while. We spent the evening with a quick drive through Arches National Park for sunset, with stops at a Delicate Arch view point, Panorama Point and Balanced Rock. We had dinner that night at Eddie McStiff’s in Moab, then booked a hotel room for a change of pace and election night results viewing.

The next morning was a slow one for us, with brunch at the Pancake Haus, a grocery stop, and a very nice Laundromat. We made our way back to Arches National Park for further viewing and the Devil’s Garden Trail to Landscape Arch which towers on a hill and is over 300 feet long. We also stopped at the Fiery Furnace Overlook, the lower Delicate Arch viewpoint (the arch on Utah license plates), Balanced Rock, and made our way to the Windows section of the park for North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch at sunset. We found a misplaced phone in the parking lot which we returned to the visitor’s center, then headed towards I-70 east and Colorado, stopping at a rest stop to cook some pasta with sandwiches before staying in Grand Junction, CO that night.

On our first day in Colorado we made our way to a few breweries including Crazy Mountain Brewery in Edwards, Backcountry Brewery in Frisco (coffee stout), and Tommy Knocker in Idaho Springs (maple nut brown). There were skiers on the mountains visible from the highway before we arrived in the Denver area, then headed north to Longmont and the Left Hand Brewery and Avery Brewing Co in Boulder. We stayed in a Boulder WalMart that night where the overnight parking lot cleaning machine enjoyed doing doughnuts in the wee hours of the morning.

Friday was our day in Rocky Mountain National Park where we drove to Bear Lake and hiked the 3.6mile trail to Emerald Lake, passing Nymph Lake and Dream Lake on the somewhat icy trail. The scenery was beautiful and the weather was gorgeous but eventually we made our way to Fort Collins and the New Belgium Brewery to taste a mole stout and chocolate stout in their crowded but energetic tasting room (dogs were even drinking beer inside). Our next stop was Odell Brewing Co for a taster flight and pint glass purchase before heading south to Denver to meet a friend, Allen, from WashU at the Denver Beer Company (pumpkin ale and chocolate stout). A guy in the bar next to us was painting a hops design on a snow board as we drank but we eventually pulled ourselves away and ended the evening at My Brother’s Bar.

What city is complete without an REI, so we stopped in on the Denver store, then went across the street to the Wilderness Exchange and GoLite stores, then Patagonia. We walked down 16^th Street in the sleet, then headed northwest to Arvada to meet my cousin Kim and her husband Paul for lunch. We spent a few hours catching up and laughing with them over pizza and a large cookie, then headed south to our second REI of the day in Englewood. We stayed that night with friends Bill and Cori and their lively kiddos in Louisville, CO (it’s confusing, I know) and shared conversation and good wine before sleep.

We were up early the next morning in preparation for our long drive to St. Louis, and were delayed slightly by the snow on I-70 which had closed the interstate temporarily overnight, but made our through eastern Colorado and Kansas. A quick stop at the Free State Brewery in Lawrence, Kansas for a delicious oatmeal stout showed us a bar I’d like to return to someday. Later that night we arrived in Belleville, IL and Tina’s lovely, welcoming house. The last day of our trip was relaxing, as we read and ate pumpkin whoopee pies at Tina’s, then had lunch with her before heading east to our final destination, Louisville, Kentucky.

We spent the evening with some amazingly wonderful friends we had missed tremendously, Abby, Alison, and Brad, and felt at home.  It was nice to not have to consult a map for directions, and to see familiar faces, and to know that at least for a few weeks we were home with people that were important to us and that we loved. Home!

The Grand Staircase

We arrived in Ivins, Utah on Saturday evening, after just a quick stop in Las Vegas  that included 2 brewpubs and an REI, of course. I had forgotten that people can still smoke indoors in Vegas, so wasn’t sad to leave. Ivins is home to good friends of my parents , Phil, Susan, and Margaret, who were so wonderful to host us for a few nights. I’ve known Phil since I was born and he’s never short of humor and wit, plus I managed to keep all of my shoes this trip. He’s also a great source of knowledge regarding interesting travel spots, and has known my parents since before they knew each other so provides a good back history, plus showed Adam some photos of me as a kid.

Sunday afternoon we drove up to Springdale, near Zion National Park, with Margaret to meet Phil and Susan for lunch after they biked Zion Canyon. Lunch at Oscars was a tasty burrito and a Polygamy Porter, local Utah beer with clever tag lines like “Bring some home to the wives” and “When you can’t have just one.” After lunch, Margaret very kindly offered us her car so we could explore the national park on the absolutely beautiful day. We were able to use the park shuttle to travel up and down the canyon, scoping out a few stops along the way for trail hikes later in the week. We ventured to the end of the 1mile Riverside Walk to see adventurers completing their journey in the Narrows, a flowing river in a narrow canyon that people wade up and back down. I think that’s on our agenda for our next trip to Zion.  We had dinner (chipotle chicken enchiladas) at the Whiptail Grill in Springdale that night on a recommendation from the always right-on Jenn, then made our way back to Ivins for more conversation while learning a lot about Mormons in Utah.

After purchasing our airline tickets to New Zealand (yay!) we headed southeast on Monday to Arizona and the south rim of the Grand Canyon, stopping at the Pipe Springs National Monument on the way (thanks, Tina, for the National Parks Access Pass which made so many random stops possible!). We learned more about the Mormon influence on Utah and Arizona and visited with a charming horse, mule, and longhorn steer.  Our drive included impressive views of the Grand Staircase, the various plateau levels of the earth in that region of the country, with its variety of colors and geologic features. Further ahead were the Vermillion Cliffs, named for their color, Marble Canyon, and the Navajo Bridge, now a pedestrian bridge but a great connector across the Colorado River for that portion of the state. I love admiring the structure of bridges, and this was definitely a favorite.

We camped that night in the Kaibab National Forest at a site near Grand Canyon National Park. There were some interesting bones next to the fire circle at our campsite, I’m thinking they were a random collection of elk bones including part of a jaw, leg bone and perhaps a hip bone. Halloween arrived just a bit early for us.

The next morning was an early one for us as we headed into the park for beautiful sunrise views over the Grand Canyon at the Desert View and watchtower area.  We continued west along the rim, stopping at various view points (Navajo Point, Lipan Point, Moran, Grandview) and then the Grand Canyon Visitor’s Center for a passport stamp and 20minute movie about the park before boarding the Hermit’s Rest shuttle to take us farther along the rim. We walked a few miles along the Rim Trail admiring the immensity of the canyon, the beautiful colors, and the Colorado River far below. Our last stop was Hermit’s Rest, a cool stone structure that used to be a stop for travelers in the canyon and has now been converted into a park gift shop.

Back in the busier tourist area of the park, we walked around the El Tovar Hotel, stopped in for a few minutes of a ranger program on elk, then enjoyed a porch swing on the porch of the hotel.  For sunset we visited Yavapai Point and the geology museum, then were the first to carve out a spot on the rim for pictures before being joined by plenty of others (we are trend setters for sure). After the sun set and the temperature began to drop we cooked dinner in the parking lot then attended a ranger program on the California condor reintroduction program in the park. Later we bundled up and participated in a guided cemetery walk by the light of oil lanterns and the full moon, learning about some of the early settlers to the canyon area from a man portraying Captain John Vance, a humorous canyon pioneer himself.

Driving back to our forest campsite that night we saw a mountain lion cub scoot across the road, then a multitude of large elk that regarded us with uncertainty in their tall stature. Their majesty was inspiring and gave me shivers as they stared back at us in the van. We also stopped to get water at the Desert View center and walked to the rim once again which was truly, truly magical in the full moon. Walking back to the car there was recent skunk spray in the air, we must have just missed the odiferous creature as that smell wasn’t there on our way down to our viewpoint.

The only other time Adam had been to the Grand Canyon it was so fogged in that he could only see the railing. This visit we had wonderful weather and definitely enjoyed our variety of experiences and wildlife interactions. The canyon in the moonlight was a true highlight, a moment I hope never to forget.

Hitting the road once again we headed north with a quick stop at the Cameron Trading Post. Lower Antelope Canyon is just outside of Page, AZ on Navajo land and is absolutely worth a visit if you are anywhere close. Carved by wind and water, you enter the canyon through an innocent looking crack in the somewhat flat desert ground, then climb down various sets of steps through the beautiful colors of smooth sandstone. Catching the rays of the sun offers a photographers dream, and our Navajo guide was eager to point out great photo opportunities while introducing us to this intensely special place with some tribal instruments and singing. I could have taken hours to wander along the quarter mile of the stone canyon.

Our guide also suggested we visit the Horseshoe Bend overlook, a spot along the Colorado River where the canyon forms a horseshoe and we saw a few rafters far below. We traveled to another well-known spot along the Colorado, Lee’s Ferry, where rafters put in to travel through the Grand Canyon.  That area includes the Paria Riffle (not large enough to be classified as a rapid), balancing rock structures, and so much natural beauty. Our journey back to Ivins on 89A that night was beautiful too, a new way to experience the dressed up nature of Halloween. We took Phil out to Thai food that night to escape their demanding trick-or-treaters, a delicious treat.

The next morning we caught up on laundry, dishes and blogging (caught up is a strong word there) before heading back to Zion National Park. We stayed in the South Campground in the park that night and met the very nice campground hosts (Adam wants their job) before cooking pancakes and potatoes on our Coleman stove and playing some Rummy500 before our cards started to blow away. It was beautiful to see the tall mountains all around us, and even more special to see them in the morning light.

We did some hikes in Zion Canyon that day, including a 3.5mile combination of the Lower and Upper Emerald Pools trails and the Kayenta Trail, then back along the river with the blue, cloudless sky above. Heading east in the park through the tunnels we hiked the 1mile Canyon Overlook Trail to an awesome viewpoint above the Pine Creek Canyon and Zion Canyon, then continued east to the Route 12 scenic area of Red Canyon. We drove through the beautiful formations of the canyon at sunset that intensified the red color before camping that night on a fire road in the Dixie National Forest. The absolutely beautiful starry sky provided an amazing backdrop to the chilly night. Adam even captured some cool night sky photos before we played rummy in the van on our coldest night (I think the low was 25 degrees).

Our slow Saturday morning eventually landed us in Bryce Canyon National Park with a quick visit to the visitor’s center before heading into the canyon amphitheater for the Navajo Trail and Queens Garden, a 3mile loop that wound amongst the hoodoos, tall spires of rock that have been eroded in unique patterns and fit the story of Coyote People. The almost cloudless beautiful sky was a deep gorgeous blue against the red of the canyon rock, and the hike up Wall Street, a continuous series of switchbacks, was intense but felt wonderful at the top with the whole amphitheater laid out below.

The afternoon found us driving south in the park for more viewpoints like Farview Point and Piracy Point, Natural Bridge, Aqua Canyon, Ponderosa Canyon and Rainbow Point, then north to Fairyland Point before heading east out of Bryce on Hwy 12. We spent much of the evening driving to find a campsite, and drove over Hell’s Backbone while knowing we were missing something in the dark but not knowing quite what it was. After a few false starts we ended up camping at a trailhead near the road, at about 9000 feet elevation.

Sunday we awoke early and headed east to Capitol Reef National Park, also in Utah. We stopped at the visitor’s center, stamped our passport, then pulled out of the parking lot towards the scenic drive when a ranger pulled us over to “talk about our speed.” Turns out we were driving 40mph in a 25 zone but hadn’t seen the sign (oops), and after an interesting discussion, she returned to our car with just a warning, saving us the $85 speeding ticket. It was comical but after it all we were relieved and followed the speed limit very diligently, 15mph through much of the park.

Capitol Reef was another park we had no knowledge of previously, and it was both beautiful and historical. We drove to the end of the Scenic Drive and then 2miles further on the gravelly Capitol Gorge Road to the Canyon Walk featuring the Pioneer Register (a signed list on the stone wall of travelers that passed through the canyon since the late 1800s) and The Tanks, areas that collect and hold water. Driving back up the scenic route we stopped at Grand Wash Road to see the old uranium mine, which apparently used to provide uranium to “heal” afflictions like rheumatism (people drank it).

Further down the road we hiked about 4miles in the Narrows on the Grand Wash Trail, with its interesting geologic features. Petroglyphs later in the park were fascinating then we headed out past Capitol Dome (where the park gets the beginning of its name), a white dome shaped like a capitol building, before the landscape changed quickly to concrete-like mounds and visible rock layers. We drove through the evening across open stock ranges, where the speed limit is 65mph but cows are free to wander across the road. That certainly kept us alert as we made our way to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

We camped in Glen Canyon at the Hite on the shore of Lake Powell where other campers helped us get situated in the dark since there was minimal signage to explain. We made dinner on the Coleman stove and played some cards under the absolutely beautiful starry sky and Milky Way. It was much warmer than our recent nights so I enjoyed our cozy blanket of stars and the various boaters coming off the water. It’s been a while since I’ve seen stars like that, even with all of our travels out west.

Monday morning was a gorgeous awakening in the canyon scenery, sights we had missed the previous night on our arrival in the dark. We headed further through Southern Utah, an absolutely beautiful section of this country. Our first stop was Natural Bridges National Monument for their 9mile driving loop that features 3 large natural bridges. We hiked a fun but strenuous 1.2 miles down to the Sipapu Bridge across stairs, ladders, and stone, arriving at the first large bridge for a look from below. We then hiked out to the Horse Collar Ruin Overlook, 0.6miles to see kivas and storage areas in the distant cliff, ruins from both Mesa Verde and Kayenta Anasazi who built 2 different kiva styles (one round, one square). We ventured out to the Kachina Bridge overlook, then hiked down to underneath the third natural bridge, Owachomo.

On the way out of Capitol Reef we discussed our future dream house (small and efficient) and how much we were missing our wonderful friends and family. We traveled to Moab, UT that afternoon and found their one and only brewery, Moab Brewery for a Raven Oatmeal Stout and tasty popcorn before checking out a few of the local gear stores, Gearheads and Moab Adventure Center. We landed that evening at a great restaurant called Peace Tree for internet, local advice, ribeye chili and coffee, before camping at Slick Rock that night. We played more cards under the beautiful stars (I blanked Adam 510-0) then tucked in for an evening in the low 40s.

[WordPress has just recently changed the way they handle pictures, and since I’m about of of time, these are just in their new method. I like the old way so far…]

Sunny California

Tunnel Log in Sequoia National Park

We arrived in San Francisco on Saturday evening and met up with Jonathan, a friend from Louisville who had recently moved to the Bay Area. We ventured out to The Haight and found an Irish pub for Guinness and conversation with Jonathan and another friend of mine from college, Matt P. Our late night didn’t stop us from meeting up with a wonderful friend of mine from high school, Ryan, for an amazing brunch at OuterLands. Absolutely delicious! We started with fabulous homemade bread with pluot jam and great coffee, then I had the savory Dutch pancake with bacon and maple while Adam enjoyed a delectable egg sandwich with Gruyere and Anaheim pepper aoili. I can’t wait to go back!

Golden Gate Bridge

After brunch our day turned into a lazy Sunday afternoon of laundry, football on tv, and then a sightseeing trip of the city. We started with a walk at Golden Gate Bridge Park to see the bridge and the bay, stopping quickly at the Lands End Visitors Center along our walk. The weather was beautifully sunny which I knew not to take for granted in the Bay Area. Since it was so clear we drove up to Twin Peaks for a stunning view of the whole city and the ocean beyond. The sights are amazing and I find it so neat to see a city from above, really seeing how things are laid out. We then ventured back down to the water for a closer view of the Golden Gate Bridge and then found a new restaurant, Tortilla Heights for beer, salsa and chips, and tasty, warm food.

Monday morning we headed down to Santa Cruz for a quick stop

Jellies!

at a Patagonia outlet before heading on to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (Adam’s first aquarium). We spent hours looking at jelly fish, birds, and other creatures, and attended a few neat programs about sea life and jellies. We finished off the day with a burger and Oktoberfest at the Cannery Row Brewing Co where they had Game 7 of the National League pennant race on tv. It was neat to see the locals excited about their home team moving on to the World Series. We stayed in Selma, CA that night after a visit to Trader Joes to stock up on snacks and food.

Tuesday, October 23 we made our way into Kings Canyon National Park, a park we were actually not aware existed before this trip. Kings Canyon is connected to Sequoia National Park and both parks are unique in their offerings. We started in Kings Canyon at Grant Grove to see Grants Sequoia, one of the top 5 largest living trees in the world. Calvin Coolidge designated this tree as the “Nation’s Christmas Tree” in 1926. We also walked through the Fallen Monarch, a tree that fell hundreds of years ago and is tall enough to venture down inside. The story goes that some early loggers lived in this tree before building a cabin up the hill. It was a chilly day so we layered up, then returned the car to make some hot coffee and cider.

The Fallen Monarch

We drove into the canyon to Roads End and did a short hike along Kings River at Zumwalt Meadow. The trail was soft and quiet under our feet with fallen leaves and needles, and included an interesting suspended bridge. We camped that night at Convict Flats campground (I don’t know the origin of that name but the campsites were very nice). After making dinner and playing some cards on our 1-sided picnic table we ventured down the road a bit and startled some fellow campers who didn’t know we were around. We ended up joining them around their campfire and learning about their travels. Both couples are about our age and traveling around the States for a few months from Europe, one in a rented car and another in an RV. It was fun to chat with them and share suggestions about where to visit. We ended up running into one of the couples twice later on our trip, in Death Valley and then again in Bryce Canyon.

The largest tree in the world

Wednesday morning we drove into Sequoia National Park and saw the first snow on the ground of our trip. Funny that this happened in California… We stopped at the LodgePole Visitor Center and then  journeyed to the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world in width and weight. The tree is awe-inspiring, being so massive. I kept staring as we walked around it. Nearby was another fallen tree that you could walk through, and we hiked a few miles on the Congress Trail through the Giant Forest, seeing large trees and mule deer close in the quiet forest. We then hiked up Moro Rock, 400 steps and over 300 feet to the vista with great views of the Sierra Nevada and Sequoia National Park.

One of Adam’s favorite parts of this park was Tunnel Log, where the CCC carved out part of a fallen tree so you can drive through it. We also visited Crescent Meadow then drove out of the park in the dark to Brewbaker’s brew pub in Vidalia where we enjoyed a Sequoia Red and some fries with Sriracha aoili, mmm, tasty. We spent the night in a WalMart parking lot in Bakersfield, CA before driving to Death Valley National Park the next morning, the driest desert drive of our trip.

Artists Drive in Death Valley

Death Valley was a true surprise for us, and definitely a highlight. We weren’t planning to go as we were hoping to visit Yosemite National Park instead but a recent snow there had closed Tioga Pass and other roads, so it made sense to visit at another time. As we arrived in Death Valley we stopped to fill our gas tank, just in case. Luckily we only needed about 6 gallons as this gas station realized they had the power and cranked the price per gallon to $5.98, painful for me. After leaving the gas station, a sad coyote trotted into the road, obviously adept at begging for food from passing cars. We didn’t feed him but saw a few other coyotes in our time in the park doing the same thing. Wiley, they are.

We stopped in at the Stovepipe

Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley

Wells Visitors Center and talked to a great ranger who gave us lots of good hike suggestions and information about the park. We did a beautiful hike in Mosaic Canyon in the early evening, admiring the colors of the rock and the power of nature seeing the evidence of flash floods. The diverse landscape was fascinating and climbing over boulders in the trail made it more interesting. We camped that night at Emigrant and enjoyed a beautifully cool evening with a blanket of stars, pasta, hot chocolate, and a continuation of our Rummy500 game.

Golden Canyon, Death Valley

Awaking early the next morning provided a beautiful sunrise view over the mountains before hiking about 3 miles on gravel in Fall Canyon. We then ventured around Death Valley to Corkscrew Peak, the Death Valley Buttes, Hells Gate, Mud Canyon, Mustard Canyon, and the Harmony Borax Works. There’s so much to see in that park! We stopped in to the Furnace Creek Visitors Center where we learned a lot about the park, then hiked about 2.5miles in Golden Canyon, an interpretive trail.

Salt Flats at Badwater Basin

Badwater Basin is a popular spot in the park, being the lowest place in North America at 282 feet below sea level. We also hiked 1mile to Natural Bridge, then did the 9mile driving loop called Artist’s Drive, a highlight in late afternoon with the sunset colors and beautiful natural stone. That night we paid for a shower at the Furnace Creek Ranch (it was time) and wound our way through the park to Greenwater Canyon and a camping spot in the cool desert. We stared at the bright moon and stars in the supremely quiet night before tucking ourselves in to escape the 40 degree weather.

Early Saturday morning we drove up to Dante’s View for a view of much of the park including all sorts of beautiful colors and mountain ranges like the Panamint, Amargosa, and the tip of the Sierra Nevada range. It was windy but we looked for a while at the large alluvial fans (a new geology term for us) before heading back out to 190 and east to Las Vegas, driving through Pahrump, NV (anyone seen Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip?). In Vegas we stopped at In’N’Out Burger where Adam had his double animal style, then the Tenaya Creek Brewery for an oatmeal stout and some blogging time, then on to Big Dog’s Brewery for a Black Lab Stout and a pint glass. No western city visit would be complete without an REI, so we spent some time there too before heading east through Arizona to Utah.

A branch that fell from the General Sherman tree

A burned Sequoia

Adam’s ideal RV

Artists Drive in Death Valley

Badwater Basin

Beautiful Sequoias

Birds at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Buttress Tree, Sequoia National Park

Corkscrew Peak, Death Valley

Death Valley basin

Death Valley begging coyote

Death Valley National Park

Fallen Sequoia

Fish!

Ouch

Giant Sequoias along the Congress Trail

Golden Canyon, Death Valley

Golden Canyon, Death Valley

Golden Canyon, Death Valley

Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge

Harmony Borax Works, Death Valley

Jellies!

Jellies!

Jellies!

Jellies!

Jellies!

Jellies!

Kings Canyon National Park

Kings Canyon trail

Kings River

Knapp’s Cabin in Kings Canyon National Park

This bird was playing coy for food

Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley

Natural Bridge, Death Valley

On top of Moro Rock

Salt Flats at Badwater Basin

San Francisco

Sea dragon

Sea horse party

Sea Level elevation, Death Valley

Steps up to Moro Rock

The Fallen Monarch

The footprint of the General Sherman tree

The largest tree in the world

The General Sherman Tree

The view from Moro Rock

Tunnel Log in Sequoia National Park

View of San Francisco from Twin Peaks

View of San Francisco from Twin Peaks

Zumwalt Meadows bridge

The Bluest Water

Crater Lake and Wizard Island

[Truth be told, I write this blog post from Louisville as we made it home safely after 9 weeks on the road with beautiful sights, entertaining adventures, and visits with wonderful friends and family, plus some new acquaintances and definitely some stories. I’m hoping to finish out the blog posts of our time on the road this week, before we head off to new adventures in New Zealand!]

Oregon is a beautiful state, really no matter where you look. The coast, the inland areas, even Portland has a definite charm to it, and its urban growth boundaries ensure that you can be out of the city in no time. With all of this beauty I had high hopes for Crater Lake, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. It’s an amazingly beautiful place!

We arrived in Crater Lake National Park the morning of October 18 and our first sighting of the lake happened at North Junction. The sense of anticipation as we climbed the slight hill to the overlook was palpable. I had heard so much about this lake but had never seen it for myself. The lake was so blue, so clear, so big, it was hard not to stare. It’s on the site of a former volcano that erupted a long time ago, creating this large crater that was sealed and started collecting water. Even today, the lake is only fed by precipitation and a small around of runoff from the crater walls, maintaining its clarity.

The hike to Watchman Peak

We drove to the Watchman overlook for closer views of the larger land mass in the lake, Wizard Island. Impressed by what we saw, and the allure of seeing more, we hiked the 1.6 miles roundtrip to the top of Watchman Peak for stunning views of the lake and the surrounding areas, including Mt. Shasta in northern California. I had heard the lake described by plenty of people that I truly respect, including my dad, but no descriptions do it justice. The blue color of the water is almost indescribable.

We visited the Steel Visitor’s Center for a National Parks passport cancellation stamp, then ventured to the Phantom Ship overlook for a closer look at the smaller land mass in the lake. It’s called Phantom Ship because from certain distances and at certain angles the island isn’t visible. Kind of a cool disappearing act for such a large area of land. Another interesting feature of the lake is the Old Man of the Lake, an ancient hemlock tree trunk over 30′ long that has been floating upright and moving around in the lake for over 100 years. Definitely an interesting story worth reading here. We didn’t actually see the Old Man but the intrigue certainly kept us looking.

The Pinnacles

A drive out to the Pinnacles and a 2mile hike returned us to the area right around the lake just as the sun was setting. Adam hopped out of the car along Dutton Ridge and captured what I think are the best sunset photos of our trip, quite a statement among the beautiful sunsets out west. After gazing at the colorful, quickly changing sky for a while, we found a picnic table to cook dinner in the dark, then began our journey out of Crater Lake National Park. We spent that evening in Grants Pass, Oregon with a beautiful crescent moon and the Milky Way very visible.

Sunset on Dutton Ridge

The next day we crossed the border into California on 199, passing easily through the Agriculture Inspection station and finding our way through beautiful redwoods to Redwood National Park. A drive along Howland Hill Road offered up close viewing of the beautiful, stately trees, and we opened the sunroof to get a better look at their towering majesty. We hiked the Stout Grove Trail, short in distance but impressive with large trees. Looking straight up became a pastime until I thought my neck might not recover.

Giant redwood trees

We passed through more beautiful redwoods on our way to the Newton Drury Scenic Parkway, stopping at the Klamath River overlook which was just fogging over as we climbed the hill. We saw a herd of elk grazing as we passed Prairie Creek, then made our way to a few breweries for some samples. We shared a porter at the Redwood Curtain Brewery in Arcata and then ventured to Eureka and the Lost Coast Brewery for pints of 8Ball Stout and an Apricot Wheat and some fish tacos. Our last stop of the night was very informational, as the bartender at Eel River Brewery shared some of her favorite breweries along the west coast.

The next morning the smell of warm pastries greeted us early at Loleta Bakery in Loleta, CA where my eyes grew bigger than my stomach (and our budget). We shared a cheese danish and some coffee, but the beautiful scones, cookies, bread, cakes, and pies on display had me hungry for more. We spent a few hours blogging and reading while charging our electronics and talking to some locals about their brewery suggestions. We even met a gentleman who grew up not far from Louisville in Kentucky.

Wow – the Dyerville Giant

Driving south we explored Humboldt Redwoods State Park and its highlights of the Avenue of the Giants, Founders Grove, dedicated to those who fought originally to preserve the redwoods, and the Dyerville Giant, a redwood tree that fell in 1991 with a big bang, weighing over 1 million pounds at 370 feet tall and 16 feet in diameter. Apparently residents nearby to the tree thought there had been a train crash when they heard the noise of the fall. These trees are beautiful and tall, elegant in their life over thousands of years and certainly inspiring.

A camera self-timer moment gone awry

That afternoon we continued south and found Highway 1, which follows almost the whole California coast. Reaching the ocean again was magnificent and made me smile as we sailed down the windy, narrow, cliff side road (I was honestly glad that Adam was driving). We stopped in Fort Bragg to visit North Coast Brewing Co, home of Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout, and sampled a few of their tasty other selections.  We continued down the coast on The 1, pausing to overlook the ocean as the sun set on the horizon. After a quick sunset kiss we hopped back in the car to escape the wind, and journeyed south to Jenner, where we headed inland across 116 to Santa Rosa and the Russian River Brewpub. It was definitely a popular spot on a Saturday night so we shared a porter and headed on to San Francisco!

The northern California coast

A camera self-timer moment gone awry

Crater Lake and Wizard Island

For my dad

Founders Tree

Giant redwood trees

Highway 1

Highway 1!

I’m so tiny in comparison

Redwood National Park (see Adam?)

Sunset in California

Sunset on Dutton Ridge

Sunset on Dutton Ridge

Sunset on Dutton Ridge

The hike to Watchman Peak

The northern California coast

The Pinnacles

Wow – the Dyerville Giant

Portland brewery fun

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

After making our way down Highway 101 on the west side of Washington, mostly in the rain, we arrived safe and sound in Portland, Oregon on October 12 at the home of Jamie and Phil, wonderful friends who took us in for the weekend. They share our love of interesting beer, so Saturday, after watching some football (it starts early on the west coast!) we visited a few breweries.

Our 9 beer tastes at Upright Brewery

At the HUB on Friday night the bartender recommended we try Upright Brewery where we made our own table out of a beer barrel and sampled all 9 of their beers (sample size, not pints) including a tasty hopless lemon grass concoction. We then made our way downtown to a Deschutes Brewpub location, with a roaring fireplace, tasty dinner, and more new beer. Just down the street was an REI location, so Adam wandered for a while, actually making a purchase this visit. We then headed out to the Rock Creek McMenamins, a really cool tavern that was built out of timbers from old barns, one dating back to the late 1800s. They had live music, a patio, and a dark beer that Adam couldn’t see through, his favorite.

Old Salmon River Trail

On Sunday Phil made us a tasty brunch at home and I got to watch a bit more football, no Bengals, however. The rain was holding off so the four of us packed the car and headed towards Mount Hood, stopping first at the Old Salmon River Trail for a really nice wooded hike along the Salmon River. Phil and Adam talked fly fishing while Jamie, Stuie, and I caught up on the river bank. We then ventured further up the mountain to the Mt Hood lodge, Timberline. Most of the mountain was hidden in fog but we enjoyed a beer at the Rams Head, then made our way back down to Government Camp and the Mt Hood Brewing Co. for beer and pizza. A tasty end to a fun day outside.

Monday was a day of errands like mailing things and picking up supplies. A trip to Portand wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Voodoo Doughnut for some maple bacon doughy love. Tasty! I also tried an Oreo peanut butter doughnut which was fabulous too. It’s a good thing Adam doesn’t like sweets too much, or his fingers might have disappeared.

The smell of beer brewing drew us in to Widmer Brewery during happy hour. We shared a pint of their signature Hefeweizen and a cup of beer cheese soup, both perfect on a rainy afternoon. Later for dinner, Phil made a super tasty loaded grilled cheese and tomato basil soup and we watched The Hunger Games movie and did some laundry.

A tricky wave got me

It was hard to say goodbye to Jamie and Phil after such a fun, relaxing weekend, but Tuesday we headed to the Oregon coast and our first stop of Cannon Beach. We walked along the beach near Haystack Rock, dipping our toes (and sometimes our knees, unexpectedly) in the cold ocean water. The clouds overhead eventually dropped some rain, so we tucked into the Ecola Fish Market for some homemade clam chowder (with hot sauce, just as Adam likes it).

Driving south on Highway 101 the rain was on and off, so we stopped a few places but just drove by others including Oswald West State Park which had been recommended to us. We did stop at Three Arch Rock in Oceanside, then made an accidental loop back to Tillamook where we sampled some cheese at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company. We managed to catch a great view of the sunset over the ocean in the Pelican Breweryparking lot in Pacific City (see the link for a cool picture of the parking lot location), then headed inside to try their beer wares. We camped that night at the free Castle Rock campground in Suislaw National Forest, an unusual set up with one large tent area separated from the parking area.

Pelican Brewery parking lot

Wednesday brought beautiful coastal view points including a stop at Boiler Bay where the big waves crashed and sprayed multiple stories in the air. We ate our sandwiches in the car, much to the chagrin of the inquisitive sea gulls waiting patiently for crumbs. We also visited the Yaquina Head Lighthouseand saw dozens of birds in their nests on the sea stacks just off the coast. The wind didn’t stop the rocks from applauding on Cobble Beach, a unique beach feature that was hard to miss (as the water recedes from each wave, it ripples the large pebbles on the beach, creating a sound much like applause).

Cobble Beach

The Oregon coast is definitely beautiful and unique, so we stopped at Rogue Ale’s Brewers on the Bay for a taste of their Double Chocolate Stout, Baltic Porter, Mocha Porter, Smoke Ale, Chipotle Ale, and Shakes Ale, just a few of their selections on tap. Rogue also brews a Maple Bacon Ale, in coordination with Voodoo Doughnut, that apparently is tasty when used in pancake batter instead of water. I’ll have to try that sometime soon as the thought of maple and bacon flavors already in my pancakes sounds fabulous to me.

Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach

We then traveled inland to Eugene and Ninkasi Brewing Company, I think my favorite so far on the trip. Arriving at the tasting room we met Nikos, co-owner, and James, marketing director, who were staffing the TR that night so their staff could all hang out together. Seems like a really neat operation which has grown tremendously in just the last 7 years. They have some really cool metal work, all handmade by their friend and employee, on the beer taps, bar, and outdoor patio area. They also gave us a prototype of their soon-to-be-produced Ninkasi bottle opener which is super cool, plus stickers, info, and a parking lot to sleep in. Definitely a great stop and worth the trip to Eugene.

We got some car errands done in Eugene, then headed for Crater Lake National Park, definitely a favorite on the trip. Check our next post for our thoughts on Crater Lake!

A tricky wave got me

Boiler Bay

Boiler Bay

Cobble Beach

Voodoo Doughnut!

Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach

Mt. Hood in the clouds

Old Salmon River Trail

Our 9 beer tastes at Upright Brewery

Pelican Brewery parking lot

Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

Flying Fish

Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle

Driving southwest on October 11 we rolled into Seattle on an overcast but not rainy day, stopping first at the REI flagship store, then heading to the very famous Pike Place Market where I managed to see some fish fly through the air although Adam didn’t so thought I was making the whole thing up. We wandered around taking in the sights and sounds, stopping at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese for a crusty grilled cheese and delicious tomato soup, then Three Girls Bakery for a cookie.

Seattle skyline from Kerry Park

Since it wasn’t raining we visited tiny Kerry Park for the impressive views of downtown Seattle and a quick drive through the Queen Anne neighborhood (hi Stacey!)

Fremont Brewery was our next stop for a Wet Hop IPA (we’ve been learning all sorts of things about beer) then made it to Olympic Sculpture Park for a colorful sunset over the Puget Sound.

The car ferry to Bainbridge Island in the dark was quite an experience. We made our way up to the open top deck as the large ship slipped through the cold evening, 30 minutes to the far side and our drive northwest to Port Angeles, WA for the night.

Stream, Hall of Mosses trail

The Olympic Peninsula brought our first real rain of the trip, starting in the morning as we drove along Hwy 101 in Olympic National Park. Lake Crescent was a shimmering blue, formed long ago by a glacier pushing through the area. We hiked from the Hoh Rainforest visitor’s center along the Hall of Mosses trail and the enormous trees provided shelter from the rain. I guess it’s only appropriate that it was gently raining in the temperate rain forest. A park volunteer encouraged us to look for the baby Coho salmon along the trail, and there they were, slender and about 2 inches long, hiding out amongst the brilliant green river plants.

Hall of Mosses trail

The rain fell a bit harder as we left the Hoh area so we didn’t linger too long on rocky Ruby Beach but it was still wonderful to be next to the ocean. Waves, sea stacks, driftwood and large pebbles provided plenty for Adam to photograph as I just stared at the ocean for a while. Water has always been very restorative for me. Perhaps its my Cancer sign, perhaps it’s the rhythm and beauty, power and simplicity of the element, but it always puts me at ease.

Ruby Beach sea stacks

Ahead of us was a few hundred miles to Portland in the rain but our wonderful friends, Jamie and Phil, were waiting at the end. We spent some time catching up with them, then all ventured to the HUB (Hopworks Urban Brewery), a Portland brewery where the bartender gave us recommendations for others to try in the area. More from Portland soon!

Hall of Mosses trail

Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle

Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle

Ruby Beach sea stacks

Seattle skyline from Kerry Park

Stream, Hall of Mosses trail

From Glacier, WA

Diablo Lake, North Cascades National Park

I’m still behind on these posts… One day I hope to get caught up and stay caught up, but internet access, etc, can be sporadic. So, just use your imagination to think back a few weeks to early October, and I’ll share about our adventures in Glacier, Washington.

Adam’s parents were able to share a week of their variable timeshare with us, so we checked into a little townhome community near Mt. Baker and the North Cascades National Park. Snowater is nestled in the trees just outside of Glacier, Washington and I think is most heavily used in the winter for skiers.

We had a little one bedroom unit with a kitchen, living/dining area, small deck, and a fireplace that worked with the push of a button. Certainly not elegant but a great place to land for a week, cook every meal on a real stove, do some laundry, and shower whenever we wanted.

The first day we explored the lodge area, made a big grocery run (big for us this trip  – we had a kitchen!), read books on the couch (instead of on our backs in the van), and did lots of loads of laundry in the very small machines. Internet was only available at the clubhouse of Snowater, and cell phone service required a 20 minute drive into the third town from Glacier. We used paper maps to research where we were headed and recognized how much we have come to rely on our cell phones for maps, information, recommendations, and general correspondence.

Sunset in Glacier

Sunday we drove 90 minutes to the middle of North Cascades National Park. We did a few short hikes to picturesque waterfalls and lake overlooks. The 2 big lakes in that area of the park contain high amounts of glacial “flour,” fine-grained bits of rock that are generated when glacial erosion grinds surrounding rock which gets carried down stream. Due to the small size of the material it becomes suspended in the water and often makes the lakes brilliant colors of blue or turquoise. These were beautiful lakes.

Diablo Lake

Monday we explored the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest just down the road from our condo with its 2 stunning large peaks, Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan. After 30 minutes of driving up windy and steep roads we reached intense landscapes of fall color and glaciers within view. The Fire and Ice Trail was unlike anything I’ve ever seen, with babbling brooks, bright green moss, firey red bushes, wind blown trees, a lake, and a small glacier. Somehow I felt I was walking through a movie set, perhaps for the Lord of the Rings. The pictures just don’t do it justice.

Fire and Ice Trail

The Artist’s Point trails offered beautiful views of the 2 peaks in the afternoon sunlight. We learned that Mt. Shuksan is the most photographed mountain in the lower 48 states, looking much like the Alps. It was striking indeed, and I enjoyed just sitting and looking in the quiet.

Mt. Shuksan

Tuesday we drove 30 minutes to the Canadian border crossing (we were probably only 10 minutes from the actual border but I guess you can’t just cross wherever you want). A very direct border official asked us a few questions and sent us on our way to Vancouver, about a 90 minute drive in total. A call to Verizon informed us that we would be charged for any phone usage while out of the US, so we put our phones away and once again worked from paper maps. We had lunch on a nice park bench at Sunset Beach, drove through Stanley Park, explored downtown some (but not too long as parking meters were quite expensive), and visited, yes, a brewery, Yaletown.

Steam Clock Tower in Gas Town, Vancouver, BC

We struggled a bit in the afternoon without accessible electronic directions, but managed to stop in a motorcycle exhibition then on to the Gas Town neighborhood and Steamworks Brewery for entertaining bartenders (one was super informative, one super hilarious), very interesting bar company, and a Reds loss in Game 3 of the Division Series.

They also had really tasty beer, as Adam enjoyed a strong espresso stout and I had a nut brown. [Cy, not sure if you like espresso stouts, but this beer was strong, dark, and delicious – probably more your style than apricot ales.] After ordering we tried their seasonal pumpkin ale – absolutely fabulous but there’s no order do-over when you’re halfway through your pint. Being unemployed and on a budget we generally share a pint, but sometimes we get our own, just usually only one each. After our cheeks hurt from laughing we made our way out of Canada, bringing no fruit (they ask at the border), only a beer mug from Steamworks.

Wednesday was a day to relax, read more, research our next steps and do more laundry. We also drove a bit to the beer shrine at North Fork Brewery for a growler of their dry stout, spent some time in the pool at Snowater, cooked our last meal for a while, and caught up on some Rummy 500 (I won some!) before getting on the road again Thursday.

Diablo Lake

Diablo Lake, North Cascades National Park

Fire and Ice Trail

Mt. Shuksan

Steam Clock Tower in Gas Town, Vancouver, BC

Sunset in Glacier

Natural Park Beauty

The beautiful Mt. Rainier in Washington state

We arrived in Washington state about 2 weeks ago, slipping across the border from Idaho into beautiful Spokane. Our first stop was Manito Park, an absolutely amazing free park with beautiful rose gardens, a conservatory, traditional English gardens, a Japanese garden, and more. We found some phenomenal rose varieties among the 1,500 bushes but we certainly didn’t see all 150. My favorite was the Herbie variety, for my wonderful uncle Herb (happy birthday too!)

I’m still amazed the park was free, in the middle of a neighborhood, as it was as impressive as most botanical gardens I have visited. We then attempted to visit another well-known park in Spokane, Riverfront Park, but our driving attempts led us over the park instead of into it, so we went to check out a brewery instead, with plans to return to the park the next morning.

Spokane Falls

We tried 5 tasty beers at NoLi Brewery (once Northern Lights), 4 dark beers and their Crystal Bitter. Notes of chocolate, coffee, and caramel made all of our options tasty, and distracted me somewhat from the fact that my phone needed to be wiped to move beyond whatever bug or hiccup it had encountered. Darn technology.

Success was ours in finally getting into Riverfront Park the next morning. The site of the 1974 World’s Fair, the park is also the site of two hydro power plants along the Spokane River. Powerful waterfalls travel along the length of the park, and a simple but powerful veteran’s memorial stands on a hill.

The Japanese Garden in Manito Park

Great coffee is among Adam’s loves, in fact I’m not sure whether he would choose good coffee or good beer if only given one choice. INDABA Coffee was a true coffee highlight for Adam, offering a hot cup brewed to order plus knowledge about brewing that he soaks up like water.

Heading west we stopped at a rest area for a quick workout, making the most of the benches and open space for some exercise. Then on to Ellensburg, WA and the very friendly Iron Horse Brewery where we were introduced to the Brewing News, a paper with regional brewing information and stories, plus a map of all the northwest breweries, valuable information for our trip.

Manito Park Conservatory

On to Mt. Rainier National Park and a beautiful wooded campground at Ohanapecosh before hikes the following day. We started a game of Rummy 500 that night, which Adam promptly won the next night. We’ve kept it going over a few games though, a good way to pass the dark, quiet, often chilly evenings at a picnic table.

Adam at our Ohanapecosh campsite

Friday we hiked and drove around Mt. Rainier, starting with the short Grove of the Patriarch’s Trail, a mile and a half through beautiful old growth forest with huge cedars and other trees averaging over 500 years old. The designation of national parks and wilderness areas, beginning with Yellowstone in 1872 and continuing with the Wilderness Act of 1964, has provided millions of people the opportunity to see beautiful natural places that might otherwise have been overrun or developed and not preserved. We have truly enjoyed all of the parks, recreation areas, and monuments that we have visited in our lifetimes so far, and this trip has been a wonderful reminder of the immense and diverse beauty across the United States.

Mt. Rainier from the Naches Peak Trail

On a recommendation from one of the park rangers at Mt. Rainier we found the 3.5mile Naches Peak Trail with views of Dewey Lake, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Adams. The park joined the Pacific Coast Trail for a while, a fact that greatly excited Adam. After our beautiful hike we drove up to Sunrise for a closer view of Emmons Glacier, the largest one on the mountain. The higher elevation definitely brought chillier and windier conditions, but still beautiful views.

Dewey Lake near Mt. Rainier

Then on to a quick stop for a growler fill at the Dirty Bucket Brewery in Woodinville and further north in Washington to our new home for  the week, a small townhouse in Glacier, Washington, very close to Mt. Baker, the North Cascades National Park, and the Canadian border. Adventures from Glacier in our next post!

Adam at our Ohanapecosh campsite

Dewey Lake near Mt. Rainier

Manito Park Conservatory

Mt. Rainier from the Naches Peak Trail

The beautiful Mt. Rainier in Washington state

Spokane Falls

The Japanese Garden in Manito Park

Downtown Wilderness

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I’m still catching up to present day again. Outside is too pretty sometimes to stare at a computer screen, but remembering what we’ve done is certainly enjoyable. The past few days have been a bit rainy, plus we have had a wonderful home away from home with Jamie and Phil in Portland, Oregon. Thanks you two!

We woke early in Kalispell and headed out for a short trail hike near Whitefish State Park. After some exercises and a 2.5 mile hike, we made our way north east to the West Glacier entrance of Glacier National Park, my favorite! [We were in Glacier last year on August 8 when Adam proposed, overlooking the intensely blue Hidden Lake while a few mountain goats sauntered by, on my parents’ 36th wedding anniversary – he has thoughtful, wonderful timing.]

In Glacier we visited the Apgar Ranger Station for a hike recommendation, then took in the view of Lake McDonald where I had called my family last year to let them know we were engaged. The once again beautiful weather (although snow was predicted) led us to the Avalanche Lake trail, a 2mile climb through the forest to a large, peaceful lake. Smoke from a small forest fire was evident on the ridge above the lake. We enjoyed the scene until it began to rain lightly and we headed back into the trees for cover and the hike down.

Sampling some tasty beers at The Great Northern Brewing Company in Whitefish helped warm us against the chill that was setting in with the blustery wind. That evening we drove back to Flathead Lake, truly a vision of purple mountains majesty around sunset. After soaking in the view of the lake, we ventured to the brewing site of Tamarack Brewing Company for a hearty Scotch stout and another delicious burger. They are clever with their burger toppings – this one had bacon, brie and tiger shrimp, just to name a few toppings, plus Adam’s new favorite condiment, Sriracha aioli for dipping. A fabulous meal, plus we purchased a pint glass from the brewery to add to our collection.

We left Montana that night after another wonderful stay, driving through the mountainous dark to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The next morning we wound our way through the very interesting downtown to Tubbs Hill and its impressive 2mile trail overlooking Lake Coeur D’Alene. Absolutely beautiful scenery and a bit of wilderness right in the middle of downtown.

Heading further west in Idaho brought us to BiPlane Brewery where all of their beers are named after WWI planes. Nadine was amazingly helpful in offering suggestions of other small breweries to visit, even doing some internet research about what was open that day. Their Vanilla Porter has also been my favorite beer of the trip, with a great balance of sweet and bold and a smooth finish. We even found a funny Idaho magnet to add to our state magnets collection.

It was a quick stay in Idaho but I do believe we enjoyed ourselves immensely.