Patrick's Point, Arcata, CA

16 July 2009

My apologies for the delay, but we have been opting for campsites in state parks rather than RV parks--quieter and more room for the kids to move, although they are unplugged. SO, here I sit in a coffee house in FAIRBANKS, ALASKA! Yes, we made it. To all of the nay-sayers who thought it was an ambitious trip to get here, well...the ambitious part will be getting back to park the van in time for our flight back to Muscat ;-b

So here is how the blog is going to work, I am going to catch you up with the Redwoods, CA and Crater Lake, OR; the Inner Passage Ferry we took from Bellingham, WA to Haines, Alaska, Yukon Territory and Alaska State will come later (there's just so much to say!). On that note:

Redwoods, CA to Crater Lake, OR

Wow. Green. Ginormous. Solitude.

After a night midway between Yosemite and the coast, we entered Humbolt County, CA. Known for many things medicinal and psychologically therapeutic, nothing was more so than The Redwoods We stopped for a break in Leggett, CA, where the “Drive Thru Tree” is:


























Emma in a Trunk



Then it was down the “Avenue of the Giants”, just outside of Eureka, CA. Now, there are trees, and there are TREES. But these magnificent works of time and nature were spell-binding, and to try to describe the majesty of these beasts would only insult them. There are no words in any language for the experience of the Redwood forest. 2000+ year old trees; the largest living organisms on Earth. Even David Attenburough can’t wax poetically enough to deliver an understanding. You can only live the Redwood Forest to know the captivating power of life is holds.



















Patrick’s Point, our residence for two nights, was also incredible (lamely, the word repeatedly rolled out of my mouth time and time again–I was dumbstruck with the beauty of the place.). Tide pools, sea lions, trees to the cliff’s edge, hiking trails, and GREEN, GREEN, GREEN.











Kai was SO into the trees, one actually sprouted from his face!




Emma hiding out in a local Native American house.

Reluctantly, we pulled camp to make our push to Alaska. We almost settled in.












Crater Lake, OR




After a very enjoyable drive through Jedediah Smith National Forest and numerous other national forests fostering towering Red Giants (and a pit stop for oil change and laundry in Crescent City, CA), we entered Oregon and hit Crater Lake sometime around sunset. Thinking we could camp on the rim, we made for it, but alas, the entire Crater area (inside the National park) is owned by a resort The lodge at the top was nice (the sunset over the lake MUCH more so), but not camper friendly. So we dodged a few deer (Kai is a master deer spotter. We did not hit one ) and camped in the resort-owned camp grounds lower down and spent the next day hiking and fishing and bike riding and celebrating Kai’s seventh birthday. He loved it.



























All in all, so far, GREAT! We'll sit and rest in Fairbanks until SUnday or Monday, then begin "The Great Descent". Look for an update for The Inner Passage and Alaska SOON!!

Riddles on the Road–Week One

OK, so as many of you know, we bought a camper van. If you did not know, well, we bought a camper van. A 1993 Dodge Ram series extended body converted camper van. With a pop top sleeper. Its name is Sonny, after my grandfather, Sonny Austin, who every summer when I was growing up would pile all the grand kids and anyone else who could (or would) fit into his van and haul us all over North America, from Matamoros to Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon to the Great Smokey Mountains. Fitting name for our van, as you will see.

After touching down for jet-lag recoup and good ol’ Southern hospitality in Mississippi, we flew to Austin, TX, picked up Sonny the Sportsmobile, hauled to Galveston packed up our apartment and are awaiting the sale of our house, sold and donated extraneous clutter, downsized into our humble House on Wheels and hit the road. What lies in store on the road ahead? What ALWAYS buries itself behind each curve of tarmac? ADVENTURE.

I hope you enjoy your vicarious virtual travel across up and back down the Great North American West and North (props for our friends The Canadians, whom we will visit as well) And without further adieu:

Week One: Palo Duro Canyon, TX; Santa Fe, NM; and Yosemite, CA

We left Ft. Worth and hit Palo Duro Canyon, the SECOND largest canyon in the US (behind ol’ Grand Canyon)–neither Shawna nor I had ever been there. What a place. We did not explore the vastness of the place; half of the park was closed due to a recent flood, but we did wake up to coyotes singing in the early morning!!! Here are some good pictures:
















Santa Fe, NM: Crash land at our friend, Jen Davidson’s house. The hospitality was pure Texas (generous and warm!) And the food was authentic southwestern! What a great town! Definitely enchanting...(sorry no photos--Jenn has them!!)

Here is a special shot we had to take--our friend Dennis Koi used to call Kai, Kaibab, after the Kaibab National Forest outside of Flagstaff, AZ. SO...




Santa Fe to Yosemite: nothing to report other than if you never make it to Dubai, go to Las Vegas; it’s the same place...Although, Kai and Emma DID chase jackrabbits at Lake Mead National Park, where we slept a night.


Yosemite National Park, CA:





All I can say is that it is one place you must see before you die. There was still a heavy snow layer in the upper elevations, and where we camped on the east side in the highlands (9000+ ft) nighttime lows were in the upper 30's and daytime highs were in the 70's...for our non-American friends who cannot convert, that around 3 - 4 C for a low and about 18 C for a high (I guess–I cannot convert either! ). El Capitan was commanding; Bridalveil Falls, breathtaking; trees and green, dream-branding; people, plentiful–what do you expect for 4th of July weekend?!?




(The kids do not remember Christmas 2004 when it snowed in Galveston, so this is a first for them to play in REAL snow, not fabricated Ski Dubai stuff...)


There is so much more wildlife than people in the park though. We saw chipmunks and yellow bellied marmots, and Shawna "swears" she heard a bear snooping around our campsite. I still think my sinuses were acting up again...No deer or elk, but we still have many stands of trees to explore...




Now, we are just off 101 in Northern CA, on the way to Redwoods. Update to come...