LaLa Land.............

The drive down from San Fran on the PCH was spectacular. Those houses in Malibu just defy gravity. No wonder they keep sliding of the side of the hill. I stopped in Camarillo on my way in to see some old neighbors of mine from Pine Lake. Keith and Bonnie moved out here a few years back. I spent a couple of hours catching up and discussing my travels with them. It was nice to see them again. When I got into LA I decided to do the usual tourist things first. First stop Hollywood. I went Mans Chinese theatre, the walk of fame, and the Kodak Theatre. They are pretty much what you would expect. Griffith Park Observatory has spectacular views of the city and the Hollywood sign. The building itself has some interesting architecture. The sculpture out front has several famous astronomers carved into it (Galileo, Copernicus, etc.) From there I drove down Beverly street in Beverly Hills. The house there are monstrously huge and of course equally as expensive. Rodeo drive was a lot shorter than I expected. They say the rents on that street run upwards of $40K a month. WOW. I have to say LA was nothing special...the stars there were the only thing that make it different and since I am not star stuck I found it all a bit boring. Venice Beach was a whole new story. Freeks and Geeks central. I reminded me of Little 5 Points in Atlanta with a beach. They had every kind of character there you could imagine. The Rasta on Rollerblades playing Jimmy Hendrix on his electric guitar was one of my favorites. I spent the next three days chilling out on the beach and people watching there. I have grown weary of all the so called tourist attractions and find that watching people is far more enjoyable. The only "star" I saw while I was there was Traci Lords, the porn star gone legit. My next stop is San Diego and from there I have decided to head home. Later, Brett

San Francisco.....

As I rounded the bend I got my first peak at her. She was tall, beautiful, and had the longest legs I had ever seen. Her arms were wispy but you could tell her strength just by the way she stood there. Then just as quickly as she appeared she was gone again. A few seconds later I finally saw her in her full glory. Little did I know it was going to cost me $5 just to make her acquaintance. As I slowly approached my repose was interrupted by some asshole California driver (and I thought Atlanta drivers were bad) who was none to please with my rate of progress. He was in a hurry to get across. I casually gave him the one-fingered Georgia salute and went back to admiring the Golden Gate Bridge. What did you think I was talking about? San Francisco has three quarters of a million people packed in just 47 square miles. Every square inch is covered with a building, a road, or asphalt. Save a couple of little parks. Finding a parking space in this town was harder than finding hair on Mr. Clean unless you wanted to shell out 20 bucks.

I finally found a spot at a meter on Embarcadero and cruised Pier 39 for about an hour. On my way back to the van this guy started chatting me up about my van. He had one similar to it. He told where I could park for free during the day. I found the parking area and he was parked there to. You should see his rig. He added another bump out on the back part of the roof with what looked like a camper shell from a truck. I got a shot of the outside. The next day I went to the Haight/Ashbury area. I luckily found a parking space on the street. When I opened the door my nostrils were immediately assaulted with the stench of incense and patchouli (sp?). The guidebook gave directions to a few famous houses like Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead, and Charles Manson. Could have skipped that but oh well. The street had plenty of 70’s throwbacks and if you want a tie dyed shirt this is the place. I was going to go to Lombard Street and China Town but I couldn’t find any reasonable parking at either location so it was time for Plan B. I had spot a halfway reasonable parking lot near Fisherman’s Wharf on my first day so Saturday I parked there and took the cable car. The cable car ride was loads of fun. I can’t believe they still let people hang off the sides still but that was where I rode. Very Cool. Lombard Street is the most crooked street in the world. I would hate to live near there. The place was swarming with tourist. China Town is the place for cheap haircuts and souvenirs. The cable car museum was very interesting with all the motors and sheaves. I had to change trolleys at the end of the line to get back to Fisherman’s Wharf. The change over was at Union Square, an upscale shopping area. The crowd waiting to board the trolleys was huge. I had to wait over an hour to get on. The guys who run them don’t seem to be in any hurry and to make matters worse there were several street preachers delivering their sermons at the top of their lungs. The worst was the one with the bullhorn. Those guys are so obnoxious. I am all for 1st amendment rights but man I wanted to shove that bullhorn down his throat after listening to an hour of his hell fire and brimstone. Needless to say I was relived to board the trolley and get back to the waterfront. It was a beautiful day so I cruised the piers again people watching and enjoying the sunshine.

Overall I liked the vibe in San Francisco. The people were friendly when on foot and the weather was pleasant. Loads of stuff to do and see. Tons of foreign tourists. Walking the streets I felt like I was in the UN. Off for LA……………Later Brett

Northern California.......

I have been looking forward to this part of the trip from the very beginning. I left Oregon and took the Redwood Highway headed for Gold Bluffs Beach in the Redwood National Forest. I found out about this gem from my guidebook “ Let’s Go Road tripping USA.” The book has been great for the most part with the exception of a few duds, but that is to be expected. The drive was pleasant with interesting scenery and light traffic (the majority of my traveling in California will be on two lane roads, primarily CA 1). Getting to Gold Bluffs beach was a mini adventure in its self. I turned off CA 1 on to Davidson Rd., which went from asphalt to a single lane dirt road about a mile in. I meandered down this winding path through deep forest for about 4 miles. There were a couple of places that I wasn’t sure the Turtle would make it. Slow and Steady won the race and I emerged on this sliver of beach that was only about 200 yards wide nestled between the cliffs and the ocean. All I can say is WOW. You have to see the pictures can I cannot do it justice verbally. My campsite was literally on the beach. This site was an old mining camp back during the gold rush. What is the first thing I saw after getting settled in? An Elk grazing 50 feet in front of me (see pic) and then a couple of minutes later a whole herd of female elk come strolling down the beach. I wound up staying for two nights and all I did was walk on the beach and read. Definitely what I needed before I hit the hustle and bustle of San Francisco and LA. Major had a blast cruising up and down the beach. I don’t know what it is about snow and sand but they seem to bring out the puppy in him. The only disappointment was the lack of Redwoods in the area. I was hoping to do some hiking in the redwood groves. I left there Tuesday on my way to San Francisco and low and behold along the way there was this stretch of road called the “Avenue of the Giants.” It is a 32-mille road running parallel to the 101 that winds through the oldest redwood groves in Ca. My luck must be improving at least it was not snowing. I made a lunch stop along the way and took a hike through the “Founder’s Grove.” It was like stepping back in time to some primeval forest. I half expected Lancelot to come galloping down the trail behind me at any moment. These things are gianormous!!!! 400 feet tall, 12 feet in diameter, and 40 feet around. The temperature in the groves was at least 15 degrees cooler. The only other plant that seemed to thrive here are these great big ferns. Some of them were 6 feet tall. About 20 south was the cut off to CA 1. I had to cross two mountains and nearly got carsick getting there,but the views once I reached the coast were breathtaking. Imagine this 2-lane road hugging the coastline in some parts to being precariously perched 400 feet up on the mountainside in others with only a flimsy guardrail between you and certain death. It was just awesome. 300 miles later I arrive at my campsite 30 mile outside of San Francisco and settled in for the night…..Later Brett

Oregon.....

I headed for Mt. St. Helens thinking I would get some good photos….well not this week. The weather was really bad and the visibility was even worse. I stopped at the Ranger station and was told all the roads in were still blocked by snow. So that did pan out so watch out Portland here I come. I got into town around lunchtime so I headed for Pioneer Square to get a feel for the place. The traffic was horrible and I got stuck on a one-way street with all the turnoffs blocked. Not to mention it was the red light district with peep shows and strip clubs by the dozens. After sitting in that mess for an hour I changed my mind about Pioneer Square…Lord please let me just get on the freeway and take off for Mt Hood (60 mile to the east) and some snowboarding. Portland is split down the middle by a river and the freeway so it took some time for me get on the right track. I found a real nice campground about 10 minutes from the Ski Resort and called it a day. I ran into a little problem with the Turtle. The weather was so nice I rolled down both the front windows so we could enjoy the fresh air and when I went to put the back up the passenger side one wouldn’t budge. I took of the whole door panel trying to figure out what the issue was. The switch worked for down but no joy when I tried up. I checked the wiring, cleaned the switch, and even pulled the motor….nada….I finally had to rig it so it would stay closed. I can deal with that when I get home…..

I started raining in the middle of the night and I was afraid the roads would be impassable. They were fine and I got to Ski Meadows around 8 am leaving me plenty of time to eat breakfast and change before the slopes opened at 9 am. That place was huge with over 30 different runs. The chairlifts were scary those things were really moving and to top it off the top of the mountain was socked in with fog. When I got off the lift I worked my way over to the intermediate trail and waited for someone I could follow. A couple of guys came along and I took off after them but the first trip was very interesting because I could only see about 20 feet in front of me but I made it down in one piece. As the day wore on the fog lifted and it made for a great day of riding. The boarding out here is so much fun compared to NC. I rode until 2pm when my legs were getting tired and I decided to call it a day.

Crater Lake was my next stop but I needed a shower and some laundry done so I found a KOA on I-5 that was not to far away. One really strange thing about Oregon I discovered on my way there. They will not let you pump your own gas. I got out a gas station and started to pump some gas in the Turtle and this dude just freaked out on me and started yelling “you no pump gas, you no pump gas!” He came over and told me he had to pump the gas for me. Being the skeptic that I am I figure he was running some kind of scam on the out of towner, but the guy at the next pump explained that in Oregon the attendant has to pump the gas. How strange is that. Any way I got a nice long shower and did my laundry at the KOA and left for Crater Lake the next morning. I have to say the view is just absolutely amazing and I took a few pics but they just don’t do it justice. Unfortunately I ran into my old nemesis again SNOW. It turns out this place has snow on the ground 8 months out of the year. It takes them 3 months just to clear the rim road. The ranger said in some sections the snow pack is 40 feet deep. So all that was open was the Visitor Center and of course the Gift Shop. I ate lunch in the van and took a few shots of the lake but that was all there was to do. Another place I would like to come back and see in the summer when everything is open. I did not take many pictures in Oregon, as a matter of fact Crater Lake was the only place I took any. I am sure California will make up for it………..Next stop California…………..Later, Brett

Seattle..

After a week in Yellowstone I was ready for some warmer weather and a little civilization. I don't know what it is about me but I love the big city and I love the wilderness but only in moderate doses. When I have been in one for a while I start to yearn for the other. I guess I need to find a place that offers both options in close proximity to each other. Anyway the drive to Seattle was uneventful. I am at the point that I actually like the driving parts of this trip as much as some of the stops. It has given me time to think and analyze alot of things. I would say it has been very therapudic. I rolled in to town Monday around lunch went straight downtown for some food and to get my gameplan together. I landed at the waterfront and found some parking on the street....parking was a real bitch all over town and expensive too. I guess that is what happens when you try to squeeze a major city between the Cascades and the Puget Sound. Lunch consisted of Fish & Chips from some resturant on the pier, an outside table, and a segull for company. After cruising around for a couple of hours I decided it was time to find my accomodations for the next couple of days........I decided to splurge on a real RV park with showers, laundry, and a hot tub (man did that feel good after freezing in Wyoming).

Tuesday I was on my touristy agenda....Space Needle (check), monorail (check), public market (check), well you get the idea. The Space Needle was impressive but $16 for an elevator ride from one gift shop to another I was feeling a little ripped off...........the view was nice but really $16. Next in line was the monorail which runs $2 a mile luckily it only runs for a mile or I would have gone broke in a hurry....finally something that was free the public market. If you are not familiar this is the one where they throw the fish around.....my luck was holding they did not throw any fish while I was around and I waited around for over an hour. Conspiracy I say....but I digress. Fresh flowers, fresh fish, art, fruits, veggies all could be had this day at the public market. It was suprisingly busy for a tuesday. I did find an artist that I like alot. Daniel Fleming calls himself a "File Stylist". He takes photographs and manipulates them in a computer to create these intresting images called "Noriginals". One cool thing... I had taken a shot of the Experience Music Project with the Space Needle in the background and he had a very similar image on display. Anyway you can check out his work at http://Fodoughgrafiks.ifp3.com if you are interested. Next I headed to the Fremont area in search of the this goodluck charm scuplture made out of an old VW bug. Legend has it that if you kick the tires you will have good luck. Well I needed it. Guess what? I could not find the damn thing and after an hour of searching I called it quits and headed for the barn. (that was the first time the guidebook let me down). I am sure I missed many things of intrest but I am on a tight budget,which is only getting tighter with gas prices going up, so I hit the highlights.

All in all I liked the vibe in Seattle. Would love to visit again with a little more time and money to explore. Funny enough I did not rain at all the 3 days I was in town. Off to Mt. St. Helens...Later Brett

Updates

Hey Guys..........I just got the pics from Seattle up....wifi has been real spotty...I will get the narratives up in a day or two...

Later,
Brett

Yellowstone Part Two......

It was another cold snow covered night in the turtle. I had all intentions of going to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone today but the road was closed (yeah it snowed that much). So I went to Mammoth Hot Springs instead. It turned out to be a good day for pictures. I got some ethereal shots and some interesting shots where the snow and hot springs meet. I wondered around the springs for a couple of hours.
Friday the roads weren't much better I had to wait about 2 hours for them to open the roads. I finally made it to the "Grand Canyon" around 2pm. I was spectacular. They only had 2 trails open but both of them had spectacular views. The first one was of the canyon and the second was of the lower falls. They were breathtaking. Especially because you stand on the edge of the cliff looking down with only a 3 ft tall rock wall between you and the abyss........The Norris Geyser field was on the way back to camp and I had time to kill so I stopped by. Steamboat Geyser is there and it only erupts every 4 or 5 years......when I got there it was shooting water 10ft in the air which is one of the precursors to an eruption. I hung around for 45 minutes waiting to see if it would go off. It was just teasing me...but I did meet a fellow traveler named Buck from Wisconsin. He was staying at the same campground so I invited him to have dinner. He show up with some really good beer and 2 different kinds of cheese (he is from Wisconsin)...We shared and nice meal and it was nice to have some conversation with someone besides Major......I had one more day to kill and then I took off for Seattle on Sunday......I was glad to be heading to a warmer area.

Later,

Brett