Picking up where I left off we left the hotel Monday morning there was no breakfast because of Covid 19 but there was a coffee shop just down the block. Magnum coffee and roastery was brightly decorated with a giant Toucan on the outside of the building. Their coffee cups were beautiful works of art as well. I ordered the java potion which was a delicious mix of mocha, vanilla, and cinnamon sugar. The barista was very friendly and as we chatted she mentioned that she was going to be married in the next few months. We congratulated her and my Mom gave her some advice
"It won't always be easy, just remember that."
As we approached California from Nevada we saw a bright light to our right, getting closer we saw it was part of a solar facility, the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility. It is a concentrated solar thermal plant and I had never seen anything like it with the mirrors reflecting the light to the towers.
Next we took a detour to Bakersfield, CA because our check engine light had come on as we were driving through Nevada. We had gone far but not far enough that we should need an oil change and we were taking it to the closest Ford repair shop on our route, Jim Burke Ford to be exact. I drove to the back where the repair area was and Matthew came out to the car and checked our oil. It was fine, we suspected it was possible that since we had the last oil change done so early the internal counter hadn't reset. He showed me how to reset the system so that it would read that the oil was changed. While we were in town we decided to find the famous Bakersfield Arch and get lunch. The Arch was easy to find as we drove down Buck Owens Boulevard. We didn't actually walk the streets of Bakersfield but we walked from the car to Temblor Brewing and decided that was close enough to get the idea. The brewery was probably our favorite seating area of all the breweries we went to. It was hot and the long benches were enclosed in a covered patio and along the ceiling were misting hoses. At first I was a little skeptical but the mist was very refreshing and the dogs loved it. We had cooling vests for them that my Mom had purchased on chewy.com and those also seemed to help with the heat.
The brewery is the work of three Bakersfield natives and their award winning head brewer. A relatively new brewery the idea began in 2015 and by September of 2016 they were open and serving customers. There are six mainstays and then a series of seasonal and rotating beers. The flights did a good job of showing the variety of their beers from the dark stouts to the varied colors of their fruit beers.
Our next destination was Sequoia National Park and along the way we drove past a surprise roadside attraction in Delano, CA. The Halo company turned their packaging plant into a giant box of Halos, a happy accidental find.
It was already late afternoon when we reached the Sequoia National Forest and we started up (and down) the winding roads. We climbed up to the pull off to view Moro Rock and stopped to admire the view. We continued up the road toward the Generals (Grant and Sherman) and soon found the largest trees I had ever seen. The Sequoias are completely awe inspiring towering above the road with trunks so wide you could lie in front of them and not cover the base.
I took the photo of Meg taking photos and I think that is one of my favorite photos from the trip.
Shortly before we reached the Generals we pulled over for a beautiful panoramic photo of the different peaks and valleys surrounding us. My Mom noticed a car with two couples who had been there before we pulled up and were still there when Meg finished taking photos. She said she thought they seemed stressed. We asked if they were ok and learned that their brakes had stopped working on the winding road through the mountains they had managed to use a lower gear to get to the pull off but were unsure if they could go any further. A tow truck was coming but it had been awhile. Add to that being up on mountains no one had very good cell coverage. We gave them my number and told them we were continuing to the Generals but would come back and if the tow truck hadn't come we could at least get them down to the main ranger station where phone service would be better. After seeing the General Sherman, the largest by volume known single stem tree, we turned back. When we reached the viewing area they were no longer there. We hoped that meant that the tow truck had come for them and we had that confirmed when we reached the forrest entrance. The driver was putting their car down and we pulled over to check on them. Apparently the brakes had over heated and with a little bit of time they would be safe to drive, perhaps at that point they already were. Though they would want to get their brakes checked and change the fluid.
Because we had started into the park so late it was already dark by the time we came back down. We stopped in at Three Rivers Brewing for a rest. The beer was good with the Oliver, actually made with olives, was interesting and the Honey wheat was my favorite. As we were sitting in the back yard one of the employees came out and we started talking. We told her we were just passing through and she told us about a few spots in the park that she considers the best for swimming and relaxing. While we weren't going to have time to explore the park I appreciate her telling us about the spots because they really weren't the regular tourist areas and it could be she tells everyone about them but it felt nice and personal that she was offering us her advice.
The phrase "Go Big or Go Home" certainly applied on this trip. The picture on the left is a view inside a red wood which obviously gives the best idea of diameter. My Mom stopped at the base of one of the trees and I got down on the ground to get this angled shot up the trunk of the tree. Pictures don't do justice to give an idea as to how massive and impressive these trees are. Near the tree that Gypsy is sitting in was another tree dubbed "The Immortal Tree" this tree was somewhere around 1000 years old and had survived a lighting strike which had removed several of the upper limbs lowering its height from 298 feet to a mere 248, loggers, a forest fire in 1908, and a flood in 1964. This wasn't the first time we had seen reference to the flood of 1964, or the Christmas Flood as we also saw it called. Earlier as we drove among the redwoods we saw a sign naming the highway the "Sam Helwer Memorial Highway." It listed the many accomplishments of Sam Helwer who was the son of German-Russian Immigrants and was originally from Kansas. He began as an engineer for the California Highway Division when he was a little over 20 years old. Eventually he would become the Deputy State Highway Engineer and helped design the world's first four level highway interchange outside Los Angeles. Certainly his accomplishments had a great effect on the development of California but in Humboldt County he is remembered for his leadership as District engineer during Christmas week of 1964 where his action and compassion is credited with saving lives.
The next morning we turned north toward Lake Tahoe and some more beautiful scenery and a very unique statue- a bear and cubs made completely of pennies. My goal was to mix nature and roadside attractions and this was a perfect mix. The beautiful pines on the Sierra Nevada mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe framed the blue waters of the lake. The bear family made of pennies gave it depth and the pennies standing up looked almost like fur.
This was the part of the trip where everything was a day away from the previous thing. So we did a lot of driving, saw a lot of beautiful scenery, reached our destination, and then went for dinner and looked for a hotel. In Lake Tahoe we stopped at 50/50 Brewing which Meg selected because they had a beer in honor of the Solar Eclipse- which was an amazing life changing event that if you missed it in 2017 you should really look up the path of the 2024 eclipse and make plans now to travel for it!!!
As we had been driving to Lake Tahoe we saw some signs of past fire damage on the pines but I don't think it was from current fires. However we did see a lot of haze and smoke in the sky. As we were starting to head further north back into Nevada the smoke grew thicker. We were trying to reach the Fly Geyser which I had first seen on the cover of a Time Magazine and was shocked to learn the fantastic image was some place in America. My understanding was that it could be seen from the road, we couldn't get up close because it is on private property, however the smoke was so thick that we are pretty sure we saw something in its shape but could not see the vibrant colors that had grabbed my attention on the magazine cover. Then we began a bit of an adventure. We started driving north west to the California border. The smoke was getting thicker and as we drove animals would occasionally dart from the left of the road (west) to the right side (east) it was reminiscent of something from a movie when animals are trying to escape coming danger. And as we drove we soon saw the danger they were running from. In the distance there were two large red glowing spots and a few small spots. As we continued down the road more small glowing spots came in to view. Several times we thought we should turn and head back but our cell phones and GPS were having trouble getting signal and may not have been able to recalculate and also there was traffic coming from the other direction. However we eventually came to a road closed sign. We were looking at a long drive back the way we had come and while not low on gas we knew we had over 80 miles with no gas stations. It was almost 11pm when we returned to Gerlach, NV. Luckily the station pumps were still on and I was able to fill up. I then drove over to the local bar to ask if anyone had alternate directions for us to continue on our way. There were a few people there and the bartender had the news playing behind him. One of the customers mentioned that a train had been stopped blocking one of the roads in to town but had since moved since the tracks were cleared of fire. That would allow us to return back towards Reno and from there we would be able to take a more western route to CA. I bought a few bottles of water for us and the dogs and we began driving for what would be a very long night. We ended up sleeping in the car that night and then driving and checking posters and asking other travelers at the rest stops to see what area was closed because the GPS was not adjusting for roads closed due to fire.
We ended up getting back on track and stopping for breakfast in the small town of Alturas, CA. The city has been the seat of Modoc county California since 1874. Originally the town was called Dorrisville in honor of the bridge that Pressley and James Dorris built over the Pit River. The post office opened in 1871 and the name officially became Alturas in 1876. On its website the town declares itself "where the west still lives." And looking around that seemed like a good description. After sitting with our donuts and coffee from Wild Mustard we walked a few blocks to look at the murals, including a cowboy riding a bull and antelope grazing, around town and turned down one small street to see a pair of deer just walking down the street.
From there we continued on to our next location with giant trees: The Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park.
After seeing the trees our attention turned to getting dinner and some place to sleep. We were all feeling a but tired after the adventure and not very restful sleep of the night before. We stopped at Eel River Brewing for some take out to bring back to our hotel, a Best Western right next door. I think this may have been the first time I stayed in a Best Western. The room was a suite which was great because it had two bedrooms which meant the dogs could get a nice break from each other... or really that Domino could get a break from Gypsy Rover. Gypsy never wants a break from anyone :-)
Eel River brewing is the first certified Organic brewery in the United States and is located in Fortuna, CA. As I have said before the craft beer industry is one of my favorites because so many owner/brewers are in it for the love of the product whether that be food or drink. They care about every aspect- taste and aesthetic. Eel River also has a history of sustainability. They use their spent grain to feed area cattle and have their own treatment system to lessen the burden on the environment. On their webpage they say they wanted to make a beer as hardworking and innovative as the locals of Humboldt County. The breweries motto is "Never straight. Always forward." which certainly has a good sound to it and I think says a lot. Obviously located along the Eel River, a major water shed in CA that phrase accurately describes the motion of the water. It also very well describes life and it definitely described our day of driving which had taken us in all directions as we navigated around northern CA. Good motto, good food, and great beer!
Our next stop was in Oregon but we still had a little more driving to do which was lengthened by construction- which we managed to hit in every state take my word for it infrastructure work is going strong! This time we had a long delay as we drove up a two lane highway that was closed at one point for about an hour as work trucks were hauling dirt from their location to a dump area. I knew going into these trips with the miles and distances we were going to be covering there would be random unavoidable delays so the best thing to do is make the best of it. Its not that different from sitting in rush hour traffic on the LIE or I-24: its there you are there and that is it. So we walked the dogs a little and cleaned the windows really well while we were pulled over.
When I had been looking up roadside attractions along our path I saw a lot of "Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox" statues but had not actually worked one into my trip plans. But some times roadside attractions just happen and as we were driving Paul and Babe appeared on the side of the highway like the oversized figures they are said to be. So we stopped. Now normally with this kind of a statue we try and get Gypsy to do a sit stay and take her picture. But she was afraid of them so we didn't bring her very close. To give you some idea of size Paul is 49 feet tall and Babe is 35 feet tall. Honestly I knew of the stories of Paul Bunyan but always associated him with the middle of the country and Minnesota/Wisconsin and Canada. But given the existence of giant trees in CA it is no real surprise that the figure of American Folklore also found his way there. Although apparently there is some dispute whether Paul actually is a true figure of Folklore or if he was a creation to promote tourism. There are early accounts by loggers in the mid1800s about a Paul Bunyan who was a large man of 7 or 8 feet tall and 300 lbs. These stories give credence to him being a figure of Folklore as they all share similar details despite being told by loggers from Maine to Canada. But the stories of Paul Bunyan first reached wider audiences in the early 1900s when William Laughead published a pamphlet about Paul and advertising the Red River Lumber Company. In the pamphlet Paul grew to impossible heights as did his exploits including creating the Grand Canyon by dragging his axe behind him. In my opinion Paul and Babe certainly belongs to American Folklore.
We then continued the trip up the coast. We stopped at one beach in CA right off the highway but a large sign said no dogs allowed so we didn't all get out. I did and I took some of the dark grey sand and sea shells and put them in a bag. I haven't it done it yet but my plan is to make a little display in a glass bowl. I had never seen the Pacific Ocean or coast before and this was one of the moments I was most excited for on this trip. From the sandy beach of CA we continued north to Brookings, Oregon and this time we did all get out at the pull off. Below us was a beautiful majestic rocky coast and the most beautiful shade of blue water.
This is one of my all time favorite photos of Gypsy Rover! And the close up shot shows how beautiful and clear the water is.
We continued from there to Yachats, Oregon and Thor's Well in the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. Thor's Well is a rock formation that during high tide loos like a bottomless pit that the ocean flows in to. To get the full effect you need a high enough tide. While the tide wasn't as high as I hoped the Well was neat to watch as with each wave the water rose and fell inside it. We also got to sit relax and watch the sun set off the Oregon Coast.
Yachats and Newport Oregon were beautiful small towns. The whole coast area was amazingly beautiful and that night was one of the many times when we decided we were getting a good taste of the area but needed to come back.
The next morning we stopped for coffee at a Dutch Bros Coffee. On the lid of the cup it said "Make today an adventure" with all these trips I think we definitely fulfilled that statement.
As we were driving we saw a sign for the "Enchanted Forest" which seemed familiar and it took a moment for us to realize that it was familiar because we had seen it on an episode of Ghost Adventures. The crew had done an investigation there because Aaron Goodwin grew up near the park and remembered going there as a child and hearing stories about it. Sitting in my dining room writing this blog post months after the original road trip it is a little bittersweet. Because I know that a lot of the area that we drove through, miles and miles of beautiful pines have been devastated by wild fires. I have heard stories on the news from locals about the loss of life and property that the people in that area have suffered.
Our next state on the list was Washington and our destination was Mount St. Helens one of the volcanos in the Cascade Range. For the best view of the volcano we drove to the Johnston Ridge Observatory just four miles away from the volcano and with a stunning view at the crater caused by the May 18th 1980 eruption.
From the Observatory we could see the damage done to the dome. We could also see lava trails flowing away from the volcano, a reminder of past eruptions. When we had been at an earlier pull off we had seen deer walking around at the base of the volcano. At the Observatory I left behind a painted rock with a dragonfly on it since that is the official Washington state insect.
Washington was the 25th state we had visited this year officially we were more than half way done with reaching our goal of all 48 contiguous states in one year. This trip was the big one. Not only was it a 2 week road trip but it brought us to states I had never even thought about visiting before. But here we were and there were still miles to go.
Also I love that tee shirt! In college when I spent three months in Rome we needed to keep a journal for one of our classes. I brought my polaroid camera and lots of film so that I could take pictures on our different adventures and add them to my journal. It was a neat experience, much like I am doing now Meg and I had a map of Rome and every Tuesday and Thursday we had an art and architecture class that would bring us to a different area of the city. We would draw out the different paths we took on the map in an effort to see as much of the city as possible.
The next stop on the list was in Idaho and it is a bed and breakfast but sadly we were not going to be there at a time that would allow us to spend the night. Still though we went to see it because I couldn't pass up visiting a bed and breakfast in the shape of a dog! Not only that but they had a bed and breakfast in the shape of a tea kettle as well and several other fun designs. So if you are ever driving in Idaho near Cottonwood and you are looking for a place to rest. You could stay in possibly one of the most unique Bed and Breakfasts in the world.
We also got to drive along parts of the original Oregon Trail, a part of our history I love because of the computer game. We saw several historical markers noting the different routes like in Kuna Idaho and Bonneville Point. I think making this trip made me appreciate even more the pioneering spirit and bravery that early explorers had. We had GPS, cell service, regularly spaced out hotels, breweries, and restaurants. And I was still nervous about the trip.
One of the reasons we went on the Great west Trip when we did was the long days. We needed long hours of sunlight to cram in as much sightseeing as possible. Right now I leave work at 5:30 or 6pm and it is dark out. Then I look back at this picture of a balancing rock in Buhl, Idaho that I took at 7:26pm! PM!! I repeat. And it was awesome out!
Also I love that tee shirt! In college when I spent three months in Rome we needed to keep a journal for one of our classes. I brought my polaroid camera and lots of film so that I could take pictures on our different adventures and add them to my journal. It was a neat experience, much like I am doing now Meg and I had a map of Rome and every Tuesday and Thursday we had an art and architecture class that would bring us to a different area of the city. We would draw out the different paths we took on the map in an effort to see as much of the city as possible.
We stopped for the night in Buhl and had a fantastic meal and beers from Magic Valley Brewing. Decor was neat inside with a good rustic feel. We sat out back on the patio with the dogs. Despite my love for burgers, and the fact that we could smell burgers since they are grilled deliciously on the patio, I ordered a MVBLT and for the side I had to get their potato salad... actually I got potatoes every chance I had in Idaho almost like they are known for them or something :-)
The next morning we got up early to see Shoshone Falls. Referred to as the Niagara Falls of the west it is 212 feet high and 925 feet wide. It was caused by flooding from Lake Bonneville and lies along the Snake river, which we spent a good deal of time driving along. We were there in August which is when the Falls are historically at their lowest flow amount partially because snow and ice melt from Colorado and Wyoming would have already finished and because the nearby power plant has a required amount to draw. Interestingly though it also has a required minimum amount that needs to flow on the Falls during tourist season of 300 cubic feet per second from April through Labor Day. Shoshone is the name of a Native American Indian tribe, also called Agaidika which translates to salmon eaters. The height of the falls made it impossible for fish to continue further inland and so the area surrounding the Falls was known to be filled with salmon and other fish. Apparently some reports said the river was so filled with fish that fisherman could through a spear into any area and catch a fish. I didn't know this but Sacagawea was a member of the Shoshone tribe.
A little later on my Mom and I switched drivers so that I could grab a nap in the back. I woke up to my Mom commenting on how bright it was up ahead and Meg knew instantly: it was the Salt Flats. The Bonneville Salt Flats are the remnant of Lake Bonneville whose flooding 15,000 years ago resulted in the formation of Shoshone Falls. The brightness is from the sun reflecting off the salt flats which sometimes will have a layer of water on them that will give a mirror effect. We were there when it was dry and too late for any morning dew to have an effect but still it was incredibly bright.
We then continued the drive to see Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island where we got to see Antelope and Buffalo! We also got one of our favorite moments and a joke that is never going to get old. As we pulled up to the toll booth to enter Antelope Island we asked if the National Parks Pass my Mom had purchased was applicable to Antelope Island. The fellow said no but since we were in Utah today he would let us across anyway. Super awesome of him and his phrasing of "since we were in Utah today" gave us a laugh and became a bit of an inside joke for almost anything.
We had reached the conclusion of part 2 of this trip and in my original plans this is where the trip would have ended. We would have gone home from Great Salt Lake having made a full circle on the Western part of the US. However when we had added the extra week and I expanded the trip to two weeks I decided to make a northward turn here that would bring us to Duluth and Lake Superior instead of making that a separate weekend trip.
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