Ry & I packed up the CRV and headed west on 80 from Cheyenne August 30 at 8:18am.
I built (with Ryan's assistance) a plywood platform (48" x 61") for the CRV, instead of taking the time to pitch a tent at the campsites. And it gave a more secure feeling when sleeping in bear country. I slept surprisingly very comfortably 12 out of 17 nights on this thing.
In 2 weeks we stopped to sleep at these places in this order:
Rockport, UT
Lake Tahoe, CA
Napa, CA
Redwood National Park, CA
Bend, OR
Portland, OR
Seattle, WA
Vancouver, BC (Ryan flew back)
Portland, OR
Farewell Bend State Park, OR
Yellowstone National Park, WY
Rawlins, WY
Salt Flats are just that... only way mysterious
Lake Tahoe- my first experience in CA other than the LA airport. It was hazy due to the Yosemite fires, but not as bad as Reno. The haze made the sun & sunlight appear kinda unearthly- should've taken a picture.
big evergreen takes reproduction seriously
I just received the bill in the mail for crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. My first time.
He said, "Do you want a good seafood restaurant recommendation or do you want the BEST seafood restaurant?" So we walked down the alley to the water and ate at this Rat Pack lookin place, and yes, it was pretty damn good. Scomas, it's worth it.
yeah, just rake the bay and put it on this plate
I enjoyed Napa Valley more than expected. It's a gorgeous drive and wine tasting was fun. Wine information has always come in one ear and out the other for me, so didn't gain anything there.
no campfires allowed at the campsite in Napa Valley- totally understandable
North of Napa we caught hwy 101 and continued north to the coast where we entered Redwoods National Park. We spent 2 nights there. The first night we slept at the campgrounds on the beach, Gold Bluffs Beach, known for it's herds of elk livin the life.
after settling on the beach we short hiked it to Fern Canyon
love scramblin over these fallen giants
bigger than a horse, wild, and only 50ft away
Walking back to the campsite along the water we did not turn our backs to the water and we did watch out for 'sneaker waves' just like the signs told us. How could I turn away from those gorgeous ocean sunset colors?
ah, Redwoods, everyone we hiked past had a smile on their face
they are this big because they are sooo good at surviving
Being around these trees is probably the closest thing to being kept by King Kong I will ever experience. Bummer. I love that feeling.
From Redwoods we drove up the beautiful Oregon coast to Florence, then cut east to Eugene, and through the mountains (stopped at Cougar hot springs) to get to Bend, OR. We spent the night and the next day walked around the town a bit before driving north to Portland. I could totally live in Bend. It's adorable- the sunnier climate is a little more like Colorado, only greener :)
I could live in Portland too- the art, dancing and fun meetups might make up for the lack of sunshine? Maybe. Anyway, staying at this bohemian hotel just east of Portland was lovely. McMenamins, Edgefield, has a brewery, winery, concert venue, bath house... highly recommend staying here when in Portland, and they have other locations in other cities too.
the best part is the artful surprises around the grounds...
...and on the walls
very cool
On to Seattle, to spend another single night in the city. We rambled through and ate at Pikes Place and saw the Mariners beat the Rays at Safeco Field.
I found a very affordable European style B & B just a few blocks from the market. We ate breakfast with a nice couple from Calgary. Just before leaving we were told the bathroom was haunted by a nurse and the space next door used to be a crematorium and has been featured on Ghost Hunters.
Just before the border we stopped in Bellingham, WA, to check out a brewery Ryan was curious about, Boundary Bay. Very family friendly and the food was delicious. I think Ry liked the beer.
Across the street was an impressive farmer's market. Bellingham is another city I could enjoy living in- Very Green with lots of lakes, rivers, & bays around.
a little hurdy gurdy action at the farmers market
Canada took my pepper spray
Vancouver beach in the city
I gitchu
nuthin like ice cream after sushi on the west coast at sunset
Vancouver is very much a world city like NYC. I heard many languages on the beach, and when the sun disappeared completely we all clapped & cheered :)
driving north from Jackson to Yellowstone on 191 you pass the Tetons
Quick dinner after driving the length of southern Idaho. It's funny- immediately after entering ID from OR I smelled french fries. No kidding. Ore-Ida's factory is close to the border.
the next morning I woke to steaming Earth all over the place
Bacteria living in the thermal springs and their run-offs give a gorgeous show. Orange bacteria grow in the cooler water, blue in the hottest. Hottest being near 200 degrees F. Laying on the floor of one of the hottest pools were fresh baby elk bones. These pics were taken at West Thumb on the shore of Yellowstone Lake.
painted pools
baby elk bones pool
same pool
bison don't care if you are trying to make a 10am lecture on wolverines...
...as it should be
an alpha female leads a herd- just one animal fact I learned
the ducks & geese are wilder in Yellowstone- just look how wild!
Carol the tour guide
easy 3 hour education hike
Me and 13 boomers took the infamous Yellow Bus for a 4 hour evening Wilderness Tour. I sat in the passenger seat up with the driver and helped remove the canope to make it a convertible bus! It was cool.
He took us to a rock face to see white fuzzy mountain goats, to a creek to see a female osprey in her nest & her mate just a tree away eating a fish luckily, down the valley to see 2 grizzlies digging for moths from a mile away with a telescope, and lots of pronghorn & bison along the way.
Old Faithful sent me on my way back to Denver
