We have been home from our holiday for just one day, got the truck serviced and made plans to head out to the mountains for the remainder of the week....until last night. At 9pm Sarah decided to undertake an epic battle with the flip-flop of doom whilst coming downstairs, after a scuffle lasting two or three steps Sarah lost and we found ourselves in A&E for a couple of hours. Luckily it's just a bad sprain and should be ok in a week or so (some people will do anything to get out of hiking)
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After overnighting in Hope BC we had breakfast and made the short drive to the Othello Tunnels hike close to the town, the clouds hung low over the mountains and it was a lovely hike along the old 'Kettle Valley Railway'. After hiking we made a short hop to the town of Penticton in the Okanagan region of BC where vineyards and fruit growing are the main attractions on the route in. We stopped for a short roadside hike in the forest and by a small roadside lake where we saw local fishermen having little luck (main pic below). Tomorrow will be our last leg heading home via Glacier National Park (the Canadian one not the US one) then through Banff and back home along the familiar stretch of the TransCanada Highway. It has been a fantastic trip and I'll post more detail in a week or so when we've got home and sifted through all the photos. For the last gallery of the trip, click the small images below for larger captioned versions.
With rain promised for most of the day today we stuck with the truck and drove back up through Washington and across the border back into Canada. After a nice dinner at a chinese restaurant in Abbotsford (that tasted just like the ones back home in the UK) we made a short hop further east along the TransCanada Highway to Hope BC where we are staying tonight so we can hike the Othello Tunnels in the morning. I've added a few unseen shots from the previous days as the camera stayed in the bag all day today. As always click smaller images for larger captioned versions.
Today we had our last wander on a Californian beach by spending far too long exploring the central beach in Crescent City this morning before getting back on the road north into Oregon. As soon as we crossed the border we stopped at Crissey Field welcome centre and took a walk on the beach there which is covered in massive driftwood pieces. Back on the road we stopped and started at beach after beach as we made our way along the coast. At Meyers Creek we stopped for a paddle in the incredibly cold water, so cold that as it hit the hot sand of the beach it caused mist to rise immediately after every wave, walking out of the sea meant burning feet on the hot sand...it was quite an experience. We then stuck to the plan for a few miles and though we passed some spectacular scenery we kept moving to Cooks Chasm where a huge hole in the rocks acts as a blowhole for the sea with each swell breaking up through the hole and then disappearing down into it again, another incredible sight, we also found a rainbow wall where almost every wave created a spray and with it a nice rainbow, it's a great little spot but only has limited parking by the roadside and you do need to be on the lookout for it or you can drive right past (as we did initially) We finally arrived at the town of Newport Oregon at 6pm and after checking into our hotel we went downtown for dinner where we sat in a harbourside restaurant watching through the windows as fishermen boiled huge tubs of crabs and filleted some reasonable sized fish they had landed today, it was a lovely end to another enjoyable day on the coast.
Today saw us making a relatively short hop from Fort Bragg to Crescent City (our last stop in California) so we really took our time and enjoyed lots of beach stops and sightseeing along the way including from the coastal headlands seen in the main shot below. The day started with a visit to Glass Beach just outside Fort Bragg (this is where a bottle dump in 1947 - 1960 turned into a modern day tourist attraction as the broken glass from the dump was ground into rounded pebbles of colour along the shoreline) We then called into a beach with a small inlet and a trestle crossing it. This was followed by a visit to the 'Drive Thru Tree' in the redwood National Forest, then paddling and sitting around on a lovely empty beach before reaching Crescent City. We checked into our hotel and then immediately went out and hiked 'Stout Grove' which is one of the best giant redwood sites in northern California (and is just outside the city) We ended the day with lovely fresh fish and chips before heading to the hotel for bed. Click small images below for larger captioned versions.
We left San Francisco this morning and made the short drive to Vista Point on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge before parking up and walking halfway across and back. We then went into the 'Golden Gate National Recreation Area' northwest of the bridge to explore a little before setting out along the Pacific Coast on the impossibly scenic 'Highway 1' from the Golden Gate Bridge to Fort Bragg (around 200 miles). We stopped at so many beaches and overlooks it's hard to remember where they were. We saw some spectacular sights along the way and ended the day with a lovely sunset on the beach in Fort Bragg where we are staying tonight. As always click smaller images for larger captioned versions.
We awoke in San Francisco this morning to low cloud and (thankfully) cooler temperatures, it was perfect for our planned excursion today. After breakfast we walked a very short distance down the road to the rental centre where we were 'trained' and kitted out for the excitement of a 150cc trike which comes with a guided GPS tour built in. It was a surprisingly enjoyable little thing and we did the whole harbour from the wharf to Old Fort Point below the Golden Gate Bridge (main image) and then on to Baker Beach where we stopped for a walk and to see the bridge from the west side too. After chasing waves for a while we went on to Golden Gate Park via Lands End and Cliff House. We then turned north again through Presidio and along the harbour back to the rental centre after just over 2 hours with both of us grinning from ear to ear.
For the afternoon we returned to Pier 39 for lunch and then walked along the east side of the bay to Embarcadero where we took the tram to Union Square where Sarah parted with more dollars for clothing and another handbag. As we waited for the tram to return to the wharf a limo pulled up and offered us a ride for the same price as the tram so we enjoyed a limo ride back to the hotel where we dropped the shopping off before going out to dinner close by. Tomorrow we hit the road again and head up the pacific coast highway to beaches, giant redwoods and more. Click small images below for captioned gallery. We had a fantastic day in San Francisco today, the temperature was in the high 80's but the sea breeze was blowing so it didn't feel so hot. We set out on the tram to the Mission District this morning to view the murals in Balmy Avenue and elsewhere in the area. From there we walked over to Alamo Square to see the 'Painted Ladies' (Victorian houses beside the square with the city perfectly placed behind them) We then took the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) which is an underground metro service like the tube at home, we got out at union square for some shopping where I bought Sarah a new suit as an anniversary gift. We hopped back on the tram and this time stood on the running boards all the way across town to Lombard Street. We disembarked to take some shots of the winding road with hundreds of vehicles queuing patiently to make the short journey down the tight series of 'S' bends. After this we returned to the hotel and dropped off bags before walking the short distance to the wharf where we took a boat trip around the bay via the Golden Gate Bridge. Once back on dry land we had a bite to eat and a drink before heading back to the hotel with aching feet. Click images below for larger captioned versions.
Just a few shots today owing to very poor wifi at the hotel in San Francisco. We started out this morning from Carson Nevada and made the 30 minute drive to Lake Tahoe where we spent 4 hours walking, swimming and clambering around the rocks, it was a wonderful start to the day. We then drove west to San Francisco arriving at 6pm, just in time for dinner in a restaurant on the harbour overlooking Alcatraz Island. After dinner we walked around pier 39 and then returned to our hotel ready to explore San Francisco tomorrow. We are here for 3 nights now so will likely post just a few pics tomorrow and Tuesday too. As always click gallery for larger captioned shots.
Day 3 saw us making great time again, so much so that we are now officially a day ahead of ourselves. We have called the hotel in San Francisco and made arrangements to arrive a day early, we are going to tag the 'spare' day on the back end of the trip and have more time along the pacific coast.
Today we continued along US-93 (scenic byway) from Twin Falls Idaho, to Wells Nevada, then west along I-80 for a while before heading down the 305 from Battle Mountain to Austin on US-50 (The loneliest Highway in America) We saw old time ranches, pony express routes, small town America, the shoe tree, wonderful desert scenery and a mountain comprised entirely of sand before arriving at Carson, Nevada just 30 minutes from Lake Tahoe (California). We had a fantastic alfresco dinner in a nice local restaurant where we breathed in the warm desert air and chatted away the time before returning to our hotel ready for California tomorrow :) You can click the main image below for a larger version, it was taken as we approached Wells Nevada this morning (the bird in flight in the top right hand corner is the ubiquitous Turkey Vulture) as usual click small images below for larger captioned versions. |
AuthorWe arrived in Calgary, Canada on 29th December 2011 to continue our journey. This blog is intended to keep our family and friends informed whilst we explore Canada.You can use the RSS feed below to stay updated. Categories
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January 2024
The Shaman, West Texas
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