The Redwoods

Check out these huge trees! We were just waiting for a Brontesaurus to step out from behind a tree, thats how surreal these forests are. Quiet, fern covered, eerily still, its like a place where gnomes and fairies should live. I was just amazed at how large and old these trees are.

The Coast, Again

Our last day at the coast we spent in Brookings looking for tide pools hoping to get a glance at some sea urchins or starfish. The day started out nice and sunny but the fog rolled in quickly. I personally didnt mind, I prefer overcast skies, you have to when you are pale. At this particular area of the beach there was a sign posted that said that a mountain lion had been spotted recently and to beware. "Beware of Mountain Lions" - that can make you a bit paranoid. I am surprised that people didnt hunt it down and kill it for showing its face on the beach. That seems like typical human behavior.
Unfortunately, we didnt spot any tide pools because the tide wasnt low enough but we still had a good time,...



...Plus we got to feed some animals. Among some of the rocks near the coast, there are gopher-like ground squirrells living in holes and tunnels in the ground. When you walk up to them, the fat speckled ground squirrels pop out of their holes hoping to be fed human food. I decided to feed them a granola bar. As soon as I opened the granola bar about twelve of them ran to our feet and started begging. I was afrad they were going to run up our pant legs, they were so insistent.

Pacific Sunset

I have seen my share of Atlantic Coast Sunrises but have never watched the sunset over the Pacific, so here is my first. We were driving down the coast heading to Gold City to spend the night, so we stopped to take a few pics.

Oregon Wildlife

While we were in Oregon, we saw quite a bit of wildlife, unfortunately most of it wasnt very wild. Daniels parents took us to a wildlife rehab center that takes in animals that are injured or abused and rehabs them to either release or keep at the facility. The bears were quite sleepy and unexpectedly stinky. They had black bears, Kodiak bears, mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, wolves and a huge collection of birds of prey. My favorite out of all was the Badger. He was so fat and cute and quite lazy. Badgers are supposed to be fierce creatures that you wouldnt want to encounter in the wild. But this one had been raised by humans so he acted like he would have curled up in our laps and cuddled. Unfortunately we didnt get a photo of him.


My favorite animal, (well maybe a close second to the badger)...

Oregon: Jacksonville

One of my favorite towns in Oregon is Jacksonville. Its a cute little historic town just outside of Medford that still has its "Gold Rush" appeal. we like to get coffee there and visit the toy shop and other cute stores that sell handmade things. My favorite is one called Terra Firma which is the kind of store I would like to open in Olde Towne Portsmouth.



It may look like we stepped into the 1800s, Daniel's phone and iced latte keeps him in 2008.

Finally Crater Lake!

Third time is a charm! The past two times I tried to see this natural phenomenon, Daniel and I would get all the way to the ranger station and they would make us turn around because the ice and snow was too dangerous. I guess it pays to take the trip in the summer.
Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. It was created when the mountain was a volcano and the top colapsed in on it. It is almost 2000 feet deep and is at an altitude of over 7000 feet, which is the highest altitude that I have ever been on land. It was gorgeous! Bluer than the sky and quite clear. It was also pretty cold. Where we were standing at the rim it was around 65 degrees but when you peaked down towards the water you could feel the cold air rising from the lake.




This was the lodge at the top. We went inside and all the fireplaces were burning and everything had this neat craftsman style wood cabin feel. we considered staying the night but we decided to save our limited resources for something else.

Oregon: The Land of Nooks and Crannies

With all its valleys, rivers, rocks, windy roads, and ups and downs, Oregon's nickname should be the Land of Nooks and Crannies, forget those English Muffins they have nothing on Oregon!
Here are pictures from our short hike to the Avenue of Boulders which we stopped at on our way to Crater Lake, Oregon.
Daniel tried to lead me up this crazy trail that I dont think anyone but a mountain goat could have negotiated. I made him turn around and go back to the beaten path. I know I am a scaredy cat but that trail was a death wish. Luckily we made it safely to the river.

Oregon Coast

After our night in Brookings to wait out the fog, we had breakfast and enjoyed a fogless walk on the beach. The beaches here are so radically different than the beaches back home. From what I have seen, Oregon beaches seem wild with animal habitats and nature lovers. The beach I grew up with was for tourists, sun worshipers and hotel building.

The Coast

After a nights stay in Napa, it was back in the car to continue up the coast. We got a very late start so we tried to make up time by not stopping but when I saw this Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue ox, we had to stop and take a few pictures. Along with the fabled characters, we found a few flowers in bloom. Everything is in bloom here.

As we got closer to the coast, the landscape changed drastically as did the weather. We went from sunny, dry and hot to foggy, windy, wet and a bit chilly. Fog seems to be synonymous with the west coast.
As the sun started setting and the fog was getting really thick, we kept our eyes peeled for deer on the road. As we neared Crescent City, CA, we started to see signs warning us of elk on the road and a sign that told us to tune into an am radio station for more information. Just as we got the radio tuned to the station and the radio announcer was telling us to watch out for Roosevelt Elk, we saw them, a huge herd of about 20 along the road side. We pulled off to get a better look but we didnt get out. It was of herd of several females and babies and one very large bull with huge antlers. He seemed to be very apprehensive of the cars invading his space. We didnt get close enough to the bull to get a photo.


We continued up the coast and tried to fight through the fog but it was a losing battle. We decided to stop in the small fishing town of Brookings Oregon and spend the night. Our hotel was right on the water with a balcony overlooking the beach. Unfortunately we werent able to enjoy it much because it was too cold and windy. While Daniel and I were bundling up for the night, several people were enjoying the outdoor pool. I am telling you, people out here are immune to the cold.

Napa California

We left San Francisco behind and headed north to Napa. We planned to stay the night in Napa but we didnt know where or when we were going to stop. As we drove into northern California, I was amazed how dry and brown everything was. I have seen northern CA only in the winter and chalked up the dry brown landscape as a result of winter weather. It appears that Northern California doesnt have the lush landscapes that I thought it would in the summer.

As we drove we saw many very expansive (and probably expensive) wineries. In our limited wine tasting experience, Daniel and I have learned that the larger the winery the less personable the people and the less free wine you get. So when we passed by this rather rustic and unassuming winery and vineyard, we decided to stop. Jackpot! The people were quite nice, we had several large tastings, and purchased a few bottles. Overall it was pretty nice. Not to mention the pot belly pig mascot with the crazy tusks.
After the long flight, the hot drive and the wine, we were done for and found a nice little to stay the night before our long drive up the coast to Oregon.