Day 16 & Day 17 (combo)-The journey is coming to an end. We spent the night in Mitchell, SD on Day 16, home of the famous Corn Palace. So, before hitting the road, we shot into town to see this interesting building. Mitchell lays claim to having the World’s only Corn Palace. The entire outside (façade) is decorated with murals and art made of corn cobs. It’s been standing in the same place since 1892! Although it was getting a facelift when we there (birds are constantly munching the delicious corn on the cob artwork), we took 4 ½ minutes to snap a few photos.

These last days will be long driving days as we propel ourselves toward Pennsylvania. As we progressed across South Dakota and Iowa, we caught sight of some interesting sights, like a “open gallery” of large, unusual art standing in the middle of a farm field. We stopped asking “why” people display odd objects on their properties, several states ago. They just do.

We chose to settle in for the evening in historic LeClaire, Iowa (just outside Davenport), along the Mighty Mississippi. It was a really cool, little, river town and we had a delicious dinner at the Crane & Pelican Café, a restored brick Italianate-style house built in 1851 by a riverboat captain. The food and view of the river was very relaxing after a long day in Big Blue. As we were leaving, Theresa discovered that we were right around the block from the Antique Archaeology shop, from the History Channel’s American Pickers, starring Mike Wolfe. Although the shop was closed, I peaked in to see what objects they were working on, including an old bumper car from an amusement park ride. Pretty neat stuff!

I woke up early this morning on our last day to watch the sun rise over the Mississippi River. As it got a bit lighter, I sat along the big waterway, drinking my coffee and watching some small fishing boats heading out to try their luck. Several White Pelicans cruised up and down the river and one landed just a few yards from my riverbank resting spot and posed for a quick photo. As the mayflies hatched from the water and flew skyward, I took a few minutes to reflect on what Theresa, Darby and I just did for the past 16 days. It’s been a vacation to remember, and I’ll try to summarize our trip back home in PA, after “digesting” all of our experiences.

 For Theresa and I it’s been another wonderful adventure together, and especially appreciate the chance to share it with Darby. She was a real trooper with all our plans and was willing to try things she might not have tried if mom and dad were not leading the agenda! She was more patient than I could have ever been with the long days in the back seat of Big Blue and most of all, my sometimes scary, driving! Whether it was driving too close to a mountain drop-off, suddenly screeching to check out yet another bird, backing up ½ mile to see if those two Coyotes would get together, or hanging on for dear life as I accidently jumped over the raised curb (lane separator) at Mount Rushmore. You did great Darb, and we love you for joining us!

…………….til our next adventure begins, Thanks for following my Big West Blog!

Day 15-THURSDAY-STILL ONE DAY BEHIND-We awoke in the Black Hills this morning to bright sunshine, but a heavy frost and 28 degree F temps. It was fresh here in SW South Dakota. The Black Hills are a sacred place. Rich in history and debate. The area was, and still is, the central location of the Native American Tribe, the Lakota (also known as the Sioux). In the late 1870’s the rumors of gold being discovered in the Black Hills brought thousands of whites to the area, with the U.S. Army sending in General George Armstrong Custer of the 7^th Calvary to confirm the gold discovery. Although a newspaper report in 1874 stated gold had indeed been discovered, the gold rush never amounted to much of anything, except permanent settlement of many Europeans on Sioux lands. To this day, the Lakota Sioux still lay claim to the Black Hills.

We had a great day, with an early morning visit to Mount Rushmore National Monument (what I call the Big Heads Park), a cave tour 200’ below the surface in Wind Cave National Monument, close up views of large Prairie Dog Towns in Custer State Park (and Wind Cave NP) and amazing explorations of rugged sandstone formations, and vast grasslands in Badlands National Park. All these sites are located within the greater Black Hills Ecosystem. We also saw a variety of wildlife, including Pronghorn Antelope, Bighorn Sheep, Mule and White-tailed Deer, and of course Prairie Dogs-lots and lots of Prairie Dogs. There were towns of the little furry critters in Wind Cave NP, Custer SP and Badlands NP. As they ran from burrow to burrow, whistling their alarm calls, they reminded me of the gopher that Bill Murray was obsessed with destroying in the classic movie Caddyshack! The only thing that made them cuter was the fact that there were young ones waddling all around as well. Many times we would sit and watch them for a few minutes and without notice they would stand on their hind legs and jump up in the air. The young ones would mimic the parents, except they would face each other, jump and do some “belly bucking!”

The landscape of the Badlands (below) is amazing, unique and rugged!

Bighorn Sheep roam through the many rock formations.

Before leaving the area, no visit to this area would be complete without stopping at the world famous Wall Drug. For those who have traveled down south, you could compare Wall Drug to South of The Border, but with an overall western theme. Their signs mark the highway for miles and miles, they offer all kinds of souvenirs and gimmicks, and oh, yea, you can also get a free cup of ice water!

We continue tomorrow with our long trek home. We’re tired, but have had an unbelievable adventure over the past 16 days. One last post tomorrow, then on the home stretch to PA!

Day 14-ONE DAY LATE-I apologize in getting this day posted, but as you’ll read, we had some delays on our travels today, and didn’t get into our hotel in Hill City, SD until 11pm on Wednesday night.

We left the comfort of our accommodations (Three Bears Lodge) in West Yellowstone, MT this morning to head down through Yellowstone NP, and begin the great journey back east. However, every good plan has its setbacks, and we certainly had our share today! As we stopped to enjoy the views of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Yellowstone Falls and a couple last geysers and mud pots, we came to a sudden stop-stuck in an hour long traffic jam. Since we couldn’t see ahead of us what the problem might be, we began taking turns trying to offer our ideas as to what might be causing it. The guesses covered road construction (a lot was going on throughout the park), though there were no warning signs. Maybe an accident, but we saw no emergency vehicles come by us. A forest fire, but we saw no smoke, maybe a Sasquatch sighting? Most likely it was probably caused by uncommon animal sighting (photo opps)-probably a bear, since they cause most of Yellowstone’s long back-ups. After an hour, many of the driver’s simply turned around and returned from the direction they came from. However, we could not. The road we were on was the only road that was open, to get out us out of the East Entrance, so we had to stay the course. Well, we were kinda right. As we came around the last bend we saw flashing lights of a Park Ranger vehicle, another Park Ranger out of her vehicle standing alongside the road waving cars cautiously on by, and 100 Bison slowly, stubbornly, walking up the middle of the road, and on both shoulders. They were literally in front of Big Blue and on both sides-large, hairy, agitated beasts (and many calves) being slowly “pushed” up toward a nearby meadow by the Park Ranger in his car. He would drive to the end of the herd and drive by them slowly, forcing them to one side, then as the leading animals would wander back into the middle of the road he would whip his cruiser around and attempt to do the same with the front critters. We sat there and watched him do this 3-4 times as the large Buffalo would strut on by our windows, barely giving us a glance. If we wanted to, we could have reached out and swatted them on the butt to get them moving a bit quicker, but all I could think about was the State Farm commercial! I told Darby to give this one particular, large bull a pet on his oversized head, but she rolled up the window, and said, “You first!”

Our last photos of Yellowstone-the lower falls, 10,000′ Avalanche Peak and the Dragon’s Breath geyser.

After finally leaving the park boundaries, we traveled down through the Wapiti Valley, toward Cody, WY, a place I knew well since I worked here in 1983.The ride was going well, with stunning mountain peaks on both sides, when I came around a curve and once again had to come to a complete stop. Why? Yep, you guessed it, more wildlife delays, except this time it was a small heard of Bighorn Sheep that decided they were done grazing along the road and wanted to return to the rocky cliffs on the other side. These critters were in no hurry to move out of the way. Maybe they liked the feel of asphalt on their hooves, maybe they were tired, or maybe they just wanted piss off the tourists traveling along “their stretch of highway.” In any case, one determined young ram made it clear he was not going to be rushed, and he stopped right on the centerline-deciding not to take another step forward and follow the herd to the right shoulder. That is, until a tractor-trailer truck came around me and simply encouraged him to move off the road by literally nudging him with the cattle guard that was mounted on the front of his cab. The young sheep was no match for the Mack truck and trotted off to join the others-a bit surprised, but proud of his actions nonetheless!

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Big Blue took us 40 miles up through some amazing scenery of the Bighorn Mountains, and over 9,400’ Granite Pass, as we turned toward Eastern Wyoming, and on to South Dakota. It had been a long, but interesting day of traveling, and as the sun began to set, we knew we still had 2 hours to drive to get to our hotel in Hill City, SD (near Mount Rushmore). But, there was one last site we wanted to hit, even though we were pretty tired-Devil’s Tower. We had to, were only 27 miles away! Now, I visited this National Monument back in 1981 with my sister Cathy, Ma and Pa (as part of an earlier Big West Trip), four years after Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfus made this large rock in the Black Hills one of America’s most famous natural landmarks in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. As the sun quickly began to fade in the western sky, we raced up the back roads to the site, stopping quickly for a few spectacular sunset photos from afar, before screeching into the parking lot as the last rays of sunlight barely illuminated this unique formation. The paved path up to the observation area was short, but steep. The three of us leaped from the barely-parked truck, grabbed our cameras and cell phones and began to sprint up the hill toward “The Tower.” It was nearly dark. Darby jogged to the top with ease, showing off her new found Mountain Goat skills, but me and the wife weakened pretty quick. We both went from an Olympic sprint, to an awkwardly-looking speed walk, and finally to a slow, heavy-breathing, bring in the oxygen, “go ahead I’ll be right there,” sluggish crawl. Boy, it didn’t look that steep when we parked! By the time we arrived at the bench at the top, I had accomplished my target heart rate, sweating and gasping for water, but couldn’t quite hold the camera for a steady shot. I announced that I would just sleep on the bench and get ready for some sunrise photos. After a much-needed rest, we did manage to get some cool pictures to end our long, but adventurous day. As we left in the darkness, we were briefly “wildlife-stalled” one last time as a new born Red Fox pup got confused by my headlights and was running down the middle of the road, while another was sitting on the shoulder. Both made it safely off to the side where mama was probably waiting to lecture them about playing in the street. All I had to do was drive the 2 hours down to the hotel, in the dark, on unfamiliar roads, dodging wildlife running across the highway every mile, and we would be fine. The fact that I’m typing this blog is evidence we made it safely. NOTE: Many thanks Darby and Theresa for alerting me to the Elk that crossed in front of me. I was so tired I wasn’t sure if it was just another giant reflector, or that I was hallucinating!

Day 13-Yellowstone National Park. This a mysterious, magical place. It’s a land of steaming geysers, boiling hot springs, bubbling mud pots, an abundance of wildlife and rugged 10,000’ snow-capped peaks that seem to surround you in every direction you look! It’s an ecosystem unlike any other in the world. The entire 2.2 million acres is literally an active volcano with over 10,000 thermal features and 300+ geysers. It’s located in three states (mostly Wyoming) and its land mass is larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. It’s big, really big! Yellowstone is America’s first national park, designated in 1872. It hosts about 3 million visitors each year.

Perhaps the main attraction in the entire park is Old Faithful, a large geyser that erupts every 60-70 minutes, 24 hours/day, 365 days/year. It reaches a maximum of height of 150’ and lasts about 2 minutes. With a thousand other visitors, we sat around the steaming vent, watching and waiting on a cold (53 degrees F), windy morning-everyone’s cameras, cell phones and video cameras all anxiously pointed at the center of attention. People were talking and laughing and then the geyser would give off a large “spurt” as it built up pressure for the main eruption, and everyone would suddenly get quiet. It would then settle back down and you could hear the crowd sigh a collective, “ahhh,” as if their favorite basketball player just missed the winning foul shot! This happened a couple more times, and each time the audience reacted the same. It was pretty funny after the 3^rd time!

What makes Yellowstone unique are all the geysers ad hot springs that dot the park. Just about everywhere you drive you see steam rising from the landscape. Sometimes there’s a bunch of them together and it’s a interpretive stop, but most of them are just scattered about, on the side of a hill, or in the thick, young Lodgepole pine forest that covers the terrain. They constantly leak their hot, boiling water and minerals into the park’s two main rivers, the Yellowstone and Madison, where anglers try their luck catching Cutthroat Trout and adventure companies guide visitors down the flowing waters in large rubber rafts.

  If

Old Faithful is the main attraction in one central location (along with a few others like Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Lake and Yellowstone Falls), then wildlife is what attracts visitors nearly everywhere else in the park. The park is well known for its variety of large critters, such as Elk, Bison, Grizzly and Black Bears, Moose, Wolves, Coyotes and many species of birds. No matter where you travel in the park, you have an opportunity to view one, or many, of these awesome animals-and where you find animals, you’ll find people. You start to see a very obvious pattern in Yellowstone NP. When you see lots of cars crazily pulled off the side of the road, there’s probably some kind of wildlife there. It becomes a bit hectic when there’s no space for many cars, but 50 vehicles will back up traffic to see a Bison laying down along the road munching on some grass. We’ve been very fortunate in the past couple days to see Elk, Moose, Bison, Mule Deer, Pronghorn Antelope and Coyote, but like many others, we still wanted to spot a bear. Darby in particular had even practiced her bear calls, which up to this point, hadn’t produced anything larger than a Chipmunk. Everywhere you look, however, there’s signs warning you about bears (Their slogan is BE BEAR AWARE) and even specific areas closed off due to “bear activity.” We closely examined every meadow, forest clearing and river edge, but still no sign of the hairy beasts.

But, after hours of looking, we caught a break with a little help. At the end of the day, on the way back to our lodge in West Yellowstone, MT, we decided to stop and scan a large meadow with some rolling hills behind. There was only one other car parked there when we arrived. I thought I saw something “bear-like” in the distance so I broke out my spotting scope. As I stood there trying to focus on this brown spot ½ mile away, an caravan of vehicles pulled in to the small parking area. About 15 cars carrying Asian visitors jumped out next to us pointing there cameras in the direction I was looking, but having no clue as to what they were looking at, or for. I truly believe they wanted to ask me, but didn’t know how. When I turned back to Theresa and Darby to tell them it was a Bison (false alarm) and not a bear, they must have understood because they all abruptly put away their cameras, hopped in their minivans and sped off down the road! They must have been wanting to see a bear, too! Just after they left, a man came up to me and told me that the camper (as he was pointing) down the road has a grizzly in view right now. So, like any good Yellowstone wildlife watcher would do, we jumped in Big Blue and raced on down the road, and sure enough, about a ½ mile away on a ridgeline was a a large Grizzly bear. It was obviously feeding on a dead animal because the Ravens were flying all around it and Theresa even managed to spot a Coyote trying to sneak in for a snack at the same time. Although it was a long way off, the spotting scope came in handy, and it was very cool to see. Darby was even steady-handed enough to use her iPhone to snap a decent photo through the scope lens. It was a great ending to another great day on our Big West Trip, and yes Yellowstone is every bit as good as you read/hear about! Just come and visit!

Day12-We arrived at the Rocky Mountains! After settling in at Salt Lake City, UT last night, we took a short trip to Antelope Island State Park in the middle of the Great Salt Lake this morning, before heading north. Great Salt Lake is the largest natural lake west of the Mississippi River and is a remnant of the pre-historic Lake Bonneville, which covered more than 20,000 miles during the ice age. The park gets its name from the Pronghorn Antelope that roam freely on the island, along with many Mule Deer. But, its most famous residents are American Bison. Twelve animals were brought to the island in 1893 and now there’s a healthy heard of around 600. Along with the larger mammals, the park is home to Coyotes, Badgers and a variety of birds. It’s a unique, amazing park, and I really l would like to return to spend a few days roaming around!

Our travels took us north to some of the most famous, and visited, national parks in America-Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone NP. Our plan was to hit Grand Teton today and visit Yellowstone the next two days. On the way to Grand Teton we trekked through some of the most beautiful high mountain meadows we’ve ever seen. The areas we traveled through were found at about 6000’ and were vast and lush with huge green meadows, fresh water ponds and even some cattle pastures. Most people probably just drive through them on their hurried way to get to the big parks. We were able to spot several Sandhill Cranes, hawks and waterfowl using these habitats.

I think the Grand Tetons (a local range in the Rocky Mountains) are the most majestic-looking mountains in the entire country. Each time you look at them, you photograph them! It doesn’t matter how many times you stop, or from how far away your parked (or hiking), you just keep snapping. When you first see them from a long distance, you pull-over to take pictures almost thinking you better capture them now before they’re gone, even though you know you’ll get much closer! A cloud gently rolls in over one of the peaks and you look at it thinking, “that looks cool, I don’t have a picture of that yet,” then the sun breaks through the clouds and illuminates one of the glaciers that hides between the peaks, and again you steer the car nearly into the ditch. Why? Because the mountains beg you to stop and photograph them. Lots of other cars are almost in ditches, too-even though 100 yards up the road you discover a large, safe turnout to stop in. Even after you’re all done for the day and you’re heading out of the park, you still manage to snap one last picture through your window at 40 mph, as twist your head around into a pretzel! That’s what the Tetons do to you! That’s their magic!

We called today Mammal Monday because of all the mammals we spotted throughout the day. We started with Coyotes, Pronghorn, Bison and ground squirrels on Antelope Island SP, and continued our good luck with seeing a young, bull Moose feeding along the Snake River in Grand Teton NP. We also managed to see a few Elk grazing nearby, Mule Deer along the busy roads and chipmunks playing among the rocks at Jenny Lake. The ladies made fun of me (and started to get a bit concerned) as Big Blue spent quite a bit of time driving in reverse. I would spot something, then wildly hit the brakes as if something just ran in front of me, take a quick look in my mirror, and start backing up to get a better view of it. It started with seeing two Coyotes on the causeway into Antelope Island SP. I noticed a pair of them crossing the shallow flats in the Great Salt Lake, and were headed right for us. As they got closer they started trotting down alongside the truck, but in the opposite direction, so I started backing up. This continued for another ¼ mile as I positioned myself to get that perfect photo of both of them together. Fortunately, no other cars were on the road, or it might have been a problem. Finally, I heard the cries from the back seat, “Stop! Let’s go forward and get to the park!” The message was received loud and clear!

Western Meadowlarks an Black-billed magpies could be seen and heard throughout travels today (see below)

Day 11-After watching Darby spin around in circles last night with the luggage cart in the hotel parking lot, we settled in for the night in Carson City, NV. As a note, I thought it was a joke until I saw Theresa jump in to try and save her and the luggage from flying all over the hotel entrance! Darby’s rotation was so fast it looked she was riding some whacky ride at an amusement park. If they weren’t laughing so hard, I would have thought it was a traumatic experience.

We left Carson City and headed northwest across Nevada, with our goal of making Salt Lake City, UT by evening. By comparison, the scenery today was quite a bit “less exciting” than the past few days. For the most part the journey across these two states was uneventful, except for a good stop at a rest area in central Nevada. Not only was it a much needed bathroom break, but we also enjoyed a nice picnic lunch in the high Nevada desert, and I also found a small oasis of birds that were using the few trees that were growing there. I recorded Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanager, Bullocks Oriole, Wilson’s Warbler and a Western Kingbird. In addition, we also spotted a small ground squirrel that Darby scared away when she tried to offer the critter a piece of her bread stick from last night’s dinner by throwing it directly at him. The poor little rodent thought something was attacking him from above and frantically ran away into the sagebrush, heading toward Arizona!

A few western bird species I managed to spot (see below) at a rest area in central Nevada included Swainson’s Hawk, Black-headed Grosbeak and Western Tanager.

Getting ready to leave the rest area, I asked Theresa to drive Big Blue for a half hour or so, so I could take a quick power nap. Well, that didn’t quite work out so well for either of us. She really hasn’t driven the truck that much, and I put her behind the wheel in an unfamiliar area and told her to put the pedal to the metal. After 15 minutes of driving through some high winds, a long tunnel and several tractor trailers whizzing by, it was time for her to call it quits. Besides, honestly, I couldn’t even close my eyes! So, I asked her to pull off to a gravel turnout that was just ahead of us, but the only problem was she wasn’t slowing down to pull off. After I started wildly shaking my finger pointing to the spot to pull off, she came to a screeching stop in the gravel area, barely missing a plastic pole. It was as if she was pulling the truck into the pits at the Daytona 500. I sat there for a moment dazed, and subconsciously waiting for the truck to quickly jacked-up and all four tires to be changed, and gas to be dumped into our tank! I jumped out of the passenger side and breathed a sigh of relief!  

If you travel this part of the country on I-80, you have the fortunate (or unfortunate) pleasure of crossing through the Bonneville Salt Flats in western UT. This 40-mile stretch of highway has large, expansive salt flats on both sides of the road. Its claim to fame is that it’s the location where many land speed records have been broken over the years. It’s pretty cool to look out over the flats and see what appears to be water, with the mountains in the back looking like islands. There’s so much heat reflecting off the white salt and sand, it creates mirages in the distance, as you drive by. If you’re really not into that sort of thing, you’re in luck, since the legal speed limit coming across that section is 80 mph.

We rumbled into Salt Lake City, but not before one last little incident. I had forgotten to fill up with gas before we crossed the Bonneville Salt Flats, and read a sign that said the next fuel available was 55 miles away-oops. I couldn’t tell the girls just yet. If you have one of those indicator lights in your vehicle that comes on when the fuel is running low, you should probably pay attention to it. But, it’s even a bigger problem when that little orange light comes on for 25 miles, then disappears! That’s where I was. I had to spill the beans to Theresa and Darby that there was a slight chance we might run out of gas. I knew there was a small gas station 15 miles up the highway, but was not sure I could make it, and in my head I kept hearing my wife’s statement that’s been repeated to me for 27 years-“I do not push, and I do not walk for gas.” Luckily, I drifted into the gas station, stretching my neck to make sure it was still open on a Sunday night. I filled Big Blue’s tank, and said a couple quick prayers! Tomorrow we head north for Yellowstone NP and Grand Teton NP.

Day 10-After leaving the beaches of central CA, we met up with Tyler and Amelia for a hearty breakfast in Paso Robles. It was great seeing both of them and catching up with what they’re doing with each other, and their busy lives. It’s only been 12 hours and we miss them both already! Oh, and thanks for a great breakfast. We can’t wait to see you both again soon! Maybe a trip back to PA, eh?

As we traveled through the hills east of Paso Robles, we noticed a small herd of Elk at the top of a distant hill, staring across the road. When we turned to see what they we’re looking at we were surprised to see they were staring at a small cattle drive (see below)

On our horizon today were the mighty Sierra Nevada Mountains, and more specifically, Yosemite National Park. Known mainly for its waterfalls and famous granite peaks such as Half Dome, El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks, the park’s nearly 1,200 square miles host so many different ecosystems to explore, including alpine meadows, giant sequoia groves and high mountain lakes and streams. Around every turn there seems to be a different view of Yosemite’s rich, natural resources.

Four of Yosemite NP’s most popular attractions (below) are Bridalveil Falls (l) and Yosemite falls (r), and the granite peaks of Half Dome (l) and El Capitan (r).

Since we were visiting the park in mid-May, there was the chance that some of the roads we wanted to explore might be closed due to snow. We were in luck today, and our timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The one main road we wanted to drive (and would need to exit the park from) re-opened this morning after being closed for several days, so, after visiting all the main, but still spectacular, tourist sites, we headed north for Tioga Pass. Now this road is not for the faint-hearted. It winds its way across high peaks ranging from 6,000’-10,000’ and turns and switches back about 100x in 40 miles. The views are stunning, but should only be seen and appreciated at one of the many pull-offs along the route-not while you’re driving! Although there was quite a bit of snow higher up, we only hit a little bit of rain mixed  with some sleet. We took our time, and stopped along the way to see the less visited side of Yosemite, as the sun poked out through the low clouds that surrounded us. It was worth the cautious drive, as we were blessed with some of the most beautiful sights the park has to offer-most of which are not seen by the majority of visitors to Yosemite. The Sierra Nevada Mountains are big, really big, and they seem to go on forever. Just when you think you’re down out of them, another 8,000′ pass looms in front of you, and up you go again!

I asked Theresa and Darby to compare Yosemite to Zion, which we visited four days earlier, to see if they had a favorite. We all agreed that the views that Yosemite offered, along with the dozens of cool, snow-capped, granite peaks, were beautiful and simply unmatched from a scenic standpoint, but in the end, all three of us chose Zion. Maybe it was the trails of Zion that we had a chance to sample, maybe it was the towering sandstone pinnacles that stand like guardians over the forests and streams below, or maybe it was just because we got to hike up the middle of a fast-moving river! How cool is that!

 After four days of traveling throughout Central California that took us from the lowest point in the U.S., to the bright lights of Hollywood, and from the coastal beaches to some of the highest peaks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, we departed the Golden State and landed in Carson City, NV (after a failed attempt to get to our hotel room in South Lake Tahoe, due to two key roads being closed because of snow). Although we have many miles to go, and still many places to see, Big Blue has officially turned himself (and us) back toward the East!

Day 9-A moment to slow down, sleep in this morning and relax for a day or so, in the same place. For a quick geography lesson, we’re hanging out near the central California Coast-about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Tomorrow (Saturday), we begin our journey north and inland toward Yosemite National Park.

 As we get excited to see Tyler and Amelia, we took some time to do some local exploring. Our 24-hour travel pause allowed me to sneak out early this morning and do some birding at a local park. In addition, Theresa, Darby and I popped down the road a short distance to visit Morro Bay, on the central CA coast. This was a cool place that Amelia and Tyler showed me back in February, and I wanted to return with the ladies to show them the same. Staying overnight in Morro Bay made this short adventure easy.

A California Gull  (below) digs in the beach for sand crabs and a Snowy Egret dashes in and out of the surf

A few of the California birds I was able to see early this morning included an Acorn Woodpecker, an Anna’s Hummingbird stretching its wings, a Western Scrub Jay looking for insects and a California Towhee checking my truck out. Along with the birds, a family of Ground squirrels were not happy with my presence.

Between my brief bird walk and the critters we saw in Morro Bay, we logged a good bit of wildlife species today. The main attraction in Morro Bay are the California Sea Otters. These year-round critters lazily float in the bay, napping and feeding on the rich sea life. Many visitors travel to Morro Bay just to see these playful marine mammals. Although quite windy, our walk on the beach was very relaxing and peaceful, as we enjoyed watching California Gulls and Snowy Egrets feeding along the breaking waves, and discovered a couple small, intact sand dollars-some with barnacles growing on them. We did see an interesting habit that a few California Gulls were carrying-out. A bird would dig into the sand at the water’s edge with its webbed feet, then continue digging as water filled up the hole-just like kids digging on the beach as the waves roll in. It would stay in the same spot for several minutes, presumably looking for those little sand grabs as hors-d’oeuvres. By the time it was done, both legs would basically disappear in the hole. We also watched a few dedicated surfers braving the 54-degree F water!

We capped our afternoon adventure off with a stroll along some of the harbor shops, then stopped for, what else, ice cream! I was enjoying my sundae when out of nowhere, my dear daughter starting commenting about my wild, bushy eyebrows. I sat there shoving Moose Tracks into my mouth as Darby pointed at me as if I had two large caterpillars crawling across the tops of both eyes! I didn’t know whether to join both of them laughing, or immediately run back to the hotel room and shave them off! The way she looked at me you would think she was looking at Sasquatch! Darby began to laugh so hard that I think I saw ice cream ooze out of her nostrils. So, I did what any other semi-embarrassed father would do. I just sat there eating my snack, then declared it was time to go! Maybe this is what happens when we have a bit too much down time!

The long days finally caught up with me last night, so I’ve decided to combine Day 7 (yesterday)and Day 8 (today) together in this blog. 

Day 7-We left Las Vegas this morning to return to Hoover Dam so Theresa and Darby could take the dam tour, down inside this amazing structure. They really enjoyed the full tour, seeing the turbines and getting the opportunity to hold their cell phone outside one of the vents to snap a unique photo of the dam.

As we headed west to the CA desert and a stop in Death Valley National Park, one thing that didn’t let up for the past two days was the wind. It’s been strong and steady, blowing around 20-30 mph non-stop during the day. It started as we left Zion NP in Utah, returning to NV, and into CA, and refused to let up during the daylight hours. It does taper off when the sun goes down. We can certainly feel it with Big Blue’s boxy shape, as sometimes he gets nudged toward the side of the road by a strong gust (more on this later, including a close call).

We entered CA and paid a visit to Death Valley NP-the hottest, driest and lowest place in the U.S. Although Death Valley’s conditions can be extreme, the landscapes are very different throughout the park and show a rare beauty in how they were formed millions of years ago, and are still forming today. Rugged peaks, outcroppings of black volcanic rock formations, great vast salt flats, large, wind-blown sand dunes and ever-eroding sandstone badlands paint the park everywhere you look. It’s a very distinctive environment, but uniquely special as well!

As we departed Death Valley, we ascended up through two separate mountain passes. The first was Tower pass, at 5,000’. The drive up, then back down was a bit nervy. With 10-mile switchbacks, very little guide rail, wind gusts of 30 mph or more (remember those winds I mentioned earlier) and steep drop-offs just past the shoulder of the road, my grip on the steering wheel was pretty tight. At one point, a strong gust pushed the truck toward the edge of the roadway-no shoulder, no guide rail and a 1,000’ drop. Needless to say, we all took a quick breath, held on to something and froze for a minute or two. Except for me of course, since I was driving and couldn’t just stop or we probably would have plunged over the edge to a very gruesome death! As I glanced in my rear view mirror I saw Darby looking like she was about to project vomit on the back of my head, while a second glance toward my dear wife saw her grabbing my Bird Field Guide and start frantically turning pages as if she was speed reading the entire book, never taking another look out her window until we had safely descended. But, no worries, I shook Big Blue back into the middle of the lane and continued down, but this time driving at a snail’s pace. It was a very hairy call! When we got to the top of the second pass, there was a scenic overlook, so I asked Theresa and Darby if they would like to pull over to check it out. Their answer was perfectly timed together, with a booming “NO!” Later on, Darby told me if we had stopped at the overlook, she wasn’t going to get back in the truck for the drive to the bottom. She would either walk the 10 miles down the other side of the mountain, or call for an air lift! I do admit, it was one of the scariest drives I’ve ever done.

Some of the critters (see below) we encountered as we drove from Nevada to California included a very hungry Coyote that came right up to the truck when I pulled off the road (unfortunately, this was a sure clue other people had probably fed it), a Gambell’s Quail, a Common Raven calling to its mate and  a small White-tailed Ground Squirrel stopping for a snack and a Desert CottontaiI that I scared away after I laugh snorted while taking its photo! 

After a long day we safely arrived in LA, tired, but ready for a new kind of adventure on Thursday morning.

Day 8-The name of this two day blog is Extremes. Extreme landscapes, extreme temperatures, extreme weather conditions and now, extreme differences in visit locations. Up to this point, the trip has been mostly based on locations that focuses on our natural resources, because, quite honestly, that’s the kind of places we prefer to visit. But, we also like to “dip into” our cultarl resources every once in a while as well. That’s where California kinda fits in. You can’t get more extreme from trekking up a river gorge in the middle of a rugged National Park one day, then stroll down Hollywood Blvd. surrounded by thousands of people, large buildings, bright lights, music blaring, characters in costume darting in and out, the next day, and not consider it extreme!

It’s time to California. I word it like this not exactly knowing what it means “to California.” Maybe it’s a lifestyle, maybe it’s an attitude (not necessarily in a negative sense), maybe it’s a little of both. However, I’m convinced of one thing, if you don’t live in California, then you probably can’t understand what it means to be a Californian, and I’m ok with that. But, as promised, we were ready to check out one of the most famous places in the world-Hollywood.

We took the typical tourist route and booked a tour to “See the Star’s Homes, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Rodeo Drive…and many more fascinating sights!”  We boarded our open air van with our guide Steve and driver Danny, and headed off. It was unseasonably chilly in LA today (temps in the low 60s), and rain was forecasted for a little later in the day-something that hasn’t happened in many months. As Danny raced through the wealthy neighborhood streets like a NYC Taxi Driver, Steve would point out a star’s house on one side, another on the opposite and spiced the locations up with many colorful and funny stories. It was a fun, fast-paced peek at some of the homes of the most famous and wealthiest people in the world, as well as a history of the entire TV, movie and music industry all rolled in to one. In addition, we took an extra hour and walked down the weird, but wonderful, Hollywood Blvd-with many people seeking fame and fortune dressed up as movie, comic book and cartoon characters and guys “giving” (for a small donation) away their personally autographed music demo CDs. At one point I laughed as I stood and watched one of these aspiring hip hop artists trying desperately to convince a group of eager Asian visitors that he was not Snoop Dog! The more he tried to sort it out, the more Asian visitors surrounded him! His pedaling of music CDs to this visiting group completely backfired, and he vacated his coveted spot in front of the Chinese Theater quickly and quietly. The group’s attention quickly turned away from the would-be musician when one of the visitors discovered Jackie Chan’s star in the sidewalk directly below them and they all rushed in, huddled around snapping photos of the star and selfies of themselves next to his star-only in Hollywood!  We also checked out the bronze stars on the Walk of Fame, Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Dolby Theater (where the Academy Awards are held). From my personal travels, I compare it to a cross between Times Square in NYC, Jackson Square in New Orleans and the Strip in Las Vegas, but w/a few less people, and surrounded by a whole lot more money!

After a rainy ride north up RT 101 (Coastal Highway), we landed in Atascadero, where we’ll hang for a couple days to meet up with Tyler and Amelia tomorrow. I’ll be aiming to get back to my daily blog if time allows. As a note, to date we’ve travelled 3,490 miles, traveled through 13 states and visited 5 National Parks-and we’re not even halfway done yet! Thanks for following our travels!

Day 6-We left the bright lights of Las Vegas this morning and headed northeast to Utah-our destination: Zion National Park. It was only a 2.5 hour drive from Vegas, which, compared to some of our recent long days driving, seemed like a short trip up the street to go for milk. Darby had chosen to give up her first choice excursion to Area 51, for an outing to this park, and we’re glad she did!

Now I’ve heard a lot about Zion NP (and other National Parks in Utah such as Bryce Canyon and Arches), and it’s been on my bucket list to visit for many years, but nobody else’s personal photos, postcards or national Geographic TV shows can equal an actual visit to this park! In this blog you’re going to briefly read about our day and see some of the photos we snapped, but this is one place you must try and get to in person. My words and our photos don’t “do it fair justice.” It was truly (and literally in some places) breathtaking!

I had promised Theresa and Darby if we could get out early, I would stop for coffee and some breakfast. About 20 miles north of LV, Darby had tracked down a Dunkin Donuts and we all decided we really needed coffee. Unknowingly, the exit we chose was for the LV International Speedway. Yep, big race tracks, grandstands, shops and NASCAR signs everywhere. Big Blue (my truck) got very excited and seemed to pull us toward the main track. I think he really wanted to live out a fantasy and take a few laps! He resisted when, realizing we had made a wrong turn and were headed for the main pit area, I turned him around toward the Dunkin Donut shop. For the next 90 miles he drove like he was pouting!

After easing our tired morning bodies with some java and snacks, we were on our way. As we entered Utah, we drove through the Virgin River Canyon-an amazing 11-mile stretch of I-15 that cuts through steep, rugged peaks on both sides of you. I do admit, it was hard to keep my eyes on the curvy highway when you’re driving past 9,000’ peaks right outside your window, but both my wife and daughter kept reminding me as Big Blue would edge closer to the 100’ drop-offs!

Zion NP is Utah’s first National Park. For millions of years, the Virgin River (which flows into Lake Meade above the Hoover Dam) has carved a path through layers of sandstone, forming spectacular gorges and forming high, rugged peaks of all sizes in its path. Wherever you look, you’re surrounded by cathedral-looking pinnacles of rock that tower above you. Every turn and every new step on a trail seems to call out for yet another photo.

We encountered some cool wildlife along our hikes today, including (see below) a momma Ground Squirrel carrying a baby and a small little Tree frog quietly resting on a log.

We wanted to hike today, and we did a good bit of it. Not hard core 15-mile hikes, but just some easy walks on some of the hundreds of miles of trails the park offers. Our first stop was a nice 4-mile hike up to what’s called the Upper Emerald Pool. The first section (3 miles) is considered easy, but the last 1-mile section was considered moderate. It was pretty challenging-especially that last section. But Darby, who turned into part Mountain Goat today, seemed to glide across the rocks with ease, and traverse the ups and downs as if she walked the trail many times before, only stopping to snap a quick photo w/her iPhone, or to check on the slow progress of Theresa and I. I do admit, I was impressed by her endurance!

Our last stop of the day was maybe the coolest (figuratively and literally). We wanted to hike a section of the park called the Narrows. As its name implies, it’s a deep, narrow gorge with the Virgin River (more like a large stream) running down through the middle of it. After walking on the Riverwalk, a 1-mile paved path the trail ends at the river. At this point you carefully walk up through the rushing water as far as you want to go-you can choose a few hundred yards, or you can hike up another 10 miles. The farther up you wander, the deeper, and tighter the gorge becomes. It’s an awesome experience. Most visitors simply walk up a little ways and turn around. Many of the Adventure Tour groups were leading their customers up 3-5 miles. The three of us decided a ½ mile up was far enough to get a “feel for the experience,” and after standing in 50-degree water for an hour, we were once again ready for dry land. It was a fantastic end to a fantastic day in Zion National Park. The three of us only chatted a few times on the way back to Vegas-exhausted from a long day of hiking and sightseeing, but extremely satisfied!