Saturday, February 21, 2009
We were so lucky to end up in places like Zions and Moab, Utah. At this point, we were just planning the trip on a daily basis so we were delighted in what we found. The drive from Moab to Boulder is another surprise. We took the scenic route that followed the Colorado River and it was like being in the Grand Canyon. As we were winding through the mountains it was so beautiful we just kept thinking it was fake. Apparently, these areas have been used for backdrops on movie sets and commercials so we'll keep our eyes peeled when we're back to watching tv. It's another lucky day for us to have sunshine so we can admire the beauty of the West.
We spent a couple nights in Boulder with 2 of my college friends. It's hard to believe Jan and Terry Murphy are empty-nesters already. I don't know where the time went! Other than drinking wine instead of really cheap beer, we picked up right where we left off. They threw a lovely dinner party and invited another college friend, Jan Ray and her family to join us. A home cooked meal, great friends and a blazing fire...it all made for a perfect evening. Lots of laughs, telling stories about our trip and reminiscing about college days. This was the latest I stayed up this entire trip but sometimes it's good to pretend you're young. Until the next morning when you suddenly feel your age again.
We spent the next day on a cool hike in Chautauqua at the foothills of the Flatirons in Boulder. Chautauqua is actually an adult educational movement that started near Lisa's hometown in New York and there are several across the U.S. The trails were surrounded by cottages earmarked as historical landmarks so it was a challenging but educational climb. We also made a spin through the UC-Boulder campus because Lisa's nephew will be playing football for the Buffs in the fall. I'm really glad my friends met each other and hopefully they can connect when Lisa goes out to see the football games. And hopefully I'll be invited to chaperone.
Our trip ended at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, my alma mater. Lisa had never been to Iowa so I thought Cornell would be the perfect spot to make the state shine. She had also never been to Nebraska and as much as I didn't want to do it, there's only one way to get to Iowa from Colorado...and it ain't pretty. It's by far the worst drive of the trip. The state of Nebraska hasn't changed a bit since the first time I drove through it 28 years ago. It's still flat and smells like cow manure. We stayed in Lincoln hoping at least the University of Nebraska would offer a highlight. But, it didn't. And Lisa swears the pictures on their website are doctored.
We tooled around Cornell's campus in the afternoon and I was really happy to show it off. I definitely have more of an appreciation for the historic buildings and tiny town than I did when I attended the school. We made a quick stop at the local tavern, hit the new wine bar and had a good, cheap Iowa dinner. Some things will never change.
44 nights, 45 days, 9141 miles and 2 oil changes later we made it back to Chicago. It's hard to believe it's over already. We were fortunate to spend quality time with family and friends and are so grateful for the warm hospitality extended to us on our journey. We met new people and saw things I don't think either of us ever imagined we'd see. It was a once in a lifetime experience; an excellent adventure. And we shared no less than one belly laugh a day. We were good friends when we left and I think we're better friends now.
As we awoke in Iowa this morning, a snow storm hit and it was bitterly cold and windy. It was much like the January day we left Chicago. And when we turned on the tv this morning, the movie "Sideways" was on. Yes, the same movie that destroyed the reputation for Merlot. We've come full circle and I don't think I could have written a better ending.
Friday, February 20, 2009
We drove from St. George towards Zions National Park and then on to Moab. Both of these places are absolutely majestic. We followed the Virgin River up through tiny towns with rustic lodges, cabins and local shops until we "reached our destination". That's what Trixie always tells us in her little British accent. It's actually very comforting to hear after a long day in the car. The downside is if we alter the course, even to get off to fill up with gas, her voice goes from comforting to annoying. She just keeps repeating the phrase "turn around, turn around" to the point we end up shouting "shut it Trixie, shut it". Who's the fool here? Trixie or the 2WestwardHos? Don't answer that.
Zion is Utah's oldest national park and is also the most visited. It's no wonder because its colors are spectacular and canyons beautiful. There are hundreds of hiking possibilities not only for regular people like us but for hard-core back country hikers as well. We listened as a ranger gave a permit to a guy who wanted to hike and camp in the canyon. She was very meticulous in getting all the correct information and having him sign on the dotted line. I guess they need all that info in case he got eaten by a bear. We later learned that these guys typically climb up a canyon as far as they can before dark, attach a metal bed to the side of the mountain and then tuck themselves in so tight they can't move. If you have allergies, I suggest you take a Zyrtec because one sneeze will land you sprawled at the bottom of a canyon. If I were one of these extreme hikers, I think getting eaten by a bear would be a more noble way to die than to be posthumously referred to as "Poor Sneezey".
Moab is home of Arches National Park and is a couple hours north of Zions along the Colorado River. It's another example of Mother Nature making sculptures out of a 15 million year old landscape. It's a place that will awaken your imagination with all its brightly colored rock formations. It was one of the more interesting drives we had in all the parks. We found ourselves giving names to the various formations we saw along the drive. And although some of the rocks were already named, we thought we came up with better ones. However, the ranger didn't tell us the park was open to suggestions. On the other hand, he also didn't say anything about us going into the visitor's center and scratching out the existing names on the postcards and putting in our own. I'm putting Lisa on that task. Hopefully she'll finish before I"m ready to go.
There are 5 National Parks in the state of Utah alone. The Mormons trekked through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado just to find this paradise. I'm starting to feel remorseful about what I said earlier about them ruining Sundays for us non-Mormons because they closed all the good restaurants. Now that we've been through a lot of the state, there's probably a good reason. Sunday may be the only day a polygamist can gather all his wives and kin to go out and enjoy one of these wonderful parks. I really feel bad now. So bad that when I get home I'm going to borrow Lisa's "Best of the Osmonds" album and listen to it all day Sunday.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Death Valley, Valentine's Day, 2 spinsters. Coincidence? I prefer to think of it as serendipity. At about 75 miles outside of the area, we lost all contact with the outside world. No cell phone, no WiFi...it's just us in the desert with professional campers. We had a great drive in but after Kernville, we had nowhere to go but up.
Death Valley was nothing like either of us pictured. We thought it would be dust, sand dunes and blowing tumbleweed like in the movies. It's a desert but there was only one area we found sand. The annual rainfall is less than 2" but three days before we arrived they were hit with 1.4" of rain and many of the roads and hiking areas were inaccessible. This actually worked out fine for us because it limited our decisions of where to hike. And, it is all about us isn't it?
We had a magnificent 4 mile hike through the Golden Canyon and out the Gower Gulch Loop. The canyons are huge yellow boulders that twist and turn up and down with a lot of narrow passageways you can try to walk through. I decided it was better to stay on the wide path because I know what I've eaten over the last 40 days and getting stuck in a Death Valley canyon on Valentine's Day would mean Lisa would have to eat alone. And I would miss a meal. That would be sad for both of us.
The next day we hiked like camels in the sand dunes. Ok, maybe it was more like one camel because there are only 4 legs between the two of us. And we move a lot faster than a camel so now that I think about it, we probably weren't like camels at all. Anyway, we got there just as the sun came up so it was still cool out as we blazed our own trail through the dunes. From there we hit a spot in the Valley called badwater. It's the lowest elevation in North America...about 280 feet below sea level. Personally, I think the name should be changed to "nowater" because there wasn't anything there. Well, except for the other professional campers we spent Valentine's Day with.
We left Death Valley and headed to Zions National Park in Utah. The drive was too long so we stopped in St. George for the night. Another fabulous Best Western for our weary bones. St. George is a great little town with almost perfect weather and a place I would definitely come back and visit. Although, I probably would plan it a little better and come on a day other than Sunday. You see, we entered Mormon country once we crossed the Utah border. And it seems Mormons do not believe anyone should eat on Sundays. All of the decent restaurants are closed. Sure, we're on a budget but we since we eat free breakfasts and have our lunch in the car we look forward to a good dinner. And the Mormons have ruined it for us. But don't be alarmed. This little snafu is not going to make me turn on Donny and Marie or any of the other Osmonds. I'm just not going to listen to their music on Sundays anymore.
Chains are off and we're on to Death Valley. It should be about a 4 hour drive if you can shoot directly east from Yo-Yo-Semite. But, it's winter and we can't. Roads are closed so we have to head all the way down to Bakersfield, CA and go all the way back up north. It works out to an 8 hour trip. And that's if your alternate route isn't closed due to high winds. Well, as luck would have it, that road is closed as well. Never fear, we've got more roads than Trixie can spit out so we'll get there...it's just going to take a little longer.
The second alternate route is a gem. We found ourselves at the Sequoia National Forest in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Luckily, the weather turned again in our favor. It's a sunny ride and at first glance, it looks a bit like Ireland. There are miles and miles of green pastures with cows roaming about. I've given up the helm to Lisa as the drive out of Yosemite was enough heroism for one day and I don't like to hog the spotlight (ok, maybe I do a little). Anyway, the route is a narrow 2-lane twisting and turning road we haven't dealt with so far so she has a good chance to earn her medal, too. There are several signs along the roadway warning us to "watch for falling rock". Ok, as the passenger, that's my job. And I'm watching very carefully while also trying to embrace the breathtaking views. As we approach one of the turns, we see an unusually large, black rock on the side of the road. We drive slowly because it's not only large but is also an awkward size and shape. Once we get really close we realize it's not a rock. Oh no...it's a cow. A full-grown black cow that fell off the side of the mountain on all fours. He was dead but I think the judges would have given him a perfect 10 for sticking that landing. Very nicely done. And now, added to my passenger responsibilities was watching for falling cows. I swear I always have to do everything.
It's dusk and we have no lodging and no perspectives. This road, although beautiful, has some scary towns that I don't think I'd bury that poor dead cow in. We found one sign that looked promising...Kernville-13 miles. We have no choice but to follow the road around Lake Isabella to Kernville. I called a few places to try to secure lodging but no luck. Interesting, because it's in the middle of nowhere. We pull in and the first place we see is the "Pine Cone Lodge" (www.pineconeinn-kernville.com). We decide to check it out and for $79.00 the room looked acceptable so we're in. The website says it's a "hysterical landmark"...and that's an understatement. We went out for a bite and learned it was "Whiskey Flat Days" which means nothing to us except there's a parade with cowboys and an arts and crap show. We had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant and returned back to the room to find it was cold. Really cold. Apparently, $79.00 doesn't include heat. And a call to the owner wasn't doing us any good. We could switch rooms but no guarantee the heat would be any better. At this point, we both have "dog nose" and could probably give them some tips on improving their customer service. But, we stayed because we paid. Then, to top it off, the neighbors came home at 2 am in what sounded like their ski boots. With the heat not working, just imagine how poor the insulation was. They quickly jumped in the marriage bed and unfortunately, we were in the audience. Not surprisingly, we left Kernville the minute we opened our eyes...no showers...just drove the car like it was stolen and put this on the list of "no return required".
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
We made it into Yo-semite without incident. And you know why? Because we bought chains. Chains we have successfully avoided purchasing so far because the weather has been on our side. But, the gig is up. There was a big flashing sign that said if you're heading on this road chains are required. And conveniently located after that sign was a gas station advertising chains for $29.95. Better safe than sorry and we figured our lives were worth $29.95. We greet the mechanic who measures the tires and takes us in for the purchase. Well, it's not exactly $29.95 because the Santa Fe has big tires, it's $36.00 for these chains then $40.00 for installation. Oh, for cry eye...now we're going to have to eat in the car even after we get home just to make up for this unexpected cost (and I have indoor garage parking which will be even stranger than some of the picnics we've already had). But we've been assured once he teaches us how to install them we'll be able to do this ourselves. Well, that's excellent news since we live in Chicago we're fairly certain chains are not welcome on our pothole infested roads. So, look for a gently used set of 2WestwardHos chains on e-Bay in a few weeks...special deal for our readers.
We did get the chains off ourselves and headed into Yosemite. Wow...what a site that is! Since it's winter there is only one way in and out of the Park. The good news is there is so much to do here it makes it easier to be restricted to one area. Plus, we practically have the place to ourselves. It's us, a few foreign families and some retirees. Oh yeah, and the bears. They're around, too. We had to sign a form stating we will remove all food from our car because apparently bears don't need keys to get into your vehicle. Nor are they charged with any crime if they get in and eat your food while wearing your clothes. Who knew animals had such freedom out West? Anyway, the Park was wonderful but it happened to be my turn to drive the day we left and it was a snow storm like I'd never seen. I had such a white knuckle drive and since my hands are still wrapped around the steering wheel I'm passing the story on to Lisa.
The baton has been passed onto me for YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK...one of the 391 parks in the National Park System (that's what my pal, Ranger Kim Coast, tells me!). I have been dying to twirl the baton and Miss Q aka Eileen aka Master Blaster Blogger aka Quigs has given me another chance at it! Yosemite has been added to my "Must Return Someday" list. And, I would like to return in the winter as the Park is so utterly breathtaking..the beauty is indescribable! The drive from Tahoe got us started on the right foot (see prior story mentioning CHAINS--Quigs still has an injured finger from removing "her" side of the chains!--btw..who said, chains are so easy, just go into the auto store and buy them for $20--Vancouver Gayle...was that you, AGAIN?). After changing our route a few times due to snow conditions we ended up going into Yosemite via the 120 bypass. Heavy snow was weighing down all sorts of extremely tall pine trees in the forest and the drive was incredible into the Sierra Nevada Mountains (even with me behind the wheel). After checking into the Lodge, we unpacked and embarked on a trail walk capturing the Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls. The Upper Falls are the second tallest falls in the U.S. and the world's fifth largest. Only a portion of the Park (Yosemite Valley) is open during the winter months so we were able to cover some good ground in our 24 hours there. Let's see, we went to the Food Court for black bean chili and a salmon burger (for those of you who know us, you can guess who ordered what!), the Bar, with our favorite fireplace to date (sorry, no photo), and the Falls! Oh, and of course by now, you know that we only order Merlot at bars (in case you were wondering--and if you are wondering, you obviously have not been reading the BLOG!). The following morning we headed out on another trek, this time prepared with snow boots, although we also needed crampons, and the snow just fell and fell. The streams, rocks, trails filled with black oak acorns, and HUGE granite rocks and cliffs--I was thinking it was so pretty and again, breathtaking, and Miss Q, who was driving that day, was thinking get me out of here, I need to get on the road now..move it, move it! So you better believe, on this hike, I was trailing, again, behind the speedy Quigs! So, we checked out and got on our way and with the tank one-eighth full (I need to learn to check that darn gauge more often!) it took us one hour to get 10 miles out of the Park onto Route 140. The snow was coming down rapidly and in large white flakes. It was a very hairy drive (if you want to see my photos, shoot me an e-mail). At one point we were two cars behind a snowplow and we actually saw the plow take out one stake of the "Rest Stop 1/2 Mile Ahead" sign! Trust me, people will need to see that sign in these conditions. I thoroughly enjoyed the drive, although I can't say as much for the driver. Again, I am the one with the photos not Miss Q, who was driving Miss Lisa.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Few days have passed but I will make sure you are caught up on all the 2Westwardhos gossip in the next few paragraphs.
It was a long drive to Lake Tahoe and we knew it wasn't going to happen in one day. We wanted to drive as far as we could so basically took out the AAA book and picked the nearest town once we were sick of being in the car. Williams won our business and for $84, we had a decent stay in a very quirky hotel that had a monster restaurant/bar/deli/gelato/bakery/grocery store. Sorry, but "general store" just wasn't going to do it justice. It was a sleepy little town full of immigrants that work the rice fields in the local county. It's also a big hit for the birds and duck migration. Apparently, if you're a bird watcher or duck hunter you'd probably want to put this on your route. If I lived here, I would utilize the combination of the agriculture and birds and open a restaurant called "Fowl-Rice". But, I don't live here.
Lake Tahoe was a few hours away so we got there just in time to eat a picnic lunch in the Truckee Visitor's Center and get in a good snow shoeing. Truckee is a cute, old hippie town and had we been working probably would have spent more time there shopping, eating and people watching. But, that's not the case so off to Donner Lake we went to take in a gorgeous, sunny afternoon in the snow. The town of Donner and Donner Lake are both named in memory of family vacation gone bad. Apparently, the Donner's, and another family and their workers (89 in total) set out on an expedition in the late 1800s from Springfield, Illinois through the Sierra Nevada. Unfortunately, they took a few wrong turns (I'm sure Mr. Donner was leading and didn't want to ask directions). The journey took a lot longer than expected. They ran into some bad weather and since they weren't prepared for this, many ended up dying. And if that wasn't bad enough, some of the survivors resorted to cannibalism. There were several attempts to reach the Donner expedition and after a year, a rescue crew finally reached the remaining members. 41 people died...31 others were eaten. I think it was quite honorable to dedicate a lake and town to these brave people. I also think it was wise not to include a restaurant named Donner's.
After our snow-shoeing, we headed around Lake Tahoe and it was breathtaking. We were on the north end and drove all along the east side to get down to South Tahoe for lodging. I wish I could say it was an uneventful ride but I did get pulled over by the Po Po. I was speeding. Hey, the speed limit changes from 35 to 45 to 35 to 45 the whole ride so I just got tired of trying to figure it out. I was so grateful the nice officer pulled me over to explain it. And I'm also grateful Lisa was taking pictures through the back window of him writing up my citation so I will always have that little keepsake.
We finished off Tahoe with another snow-shoe outing and drove all around the lake. We went up to the California-Nevada border to check out the Cal-Neva Casino, owned by Frank Sinatra in the 60s. Supposedly, it was a Rat Pack hang-out sprinkled with some John Kennedy/Marilyn Monroe trysts in the cottages. The problem with the Cal-Neva is it has not been updated since around 1964. I would put money down (no pun intended) that the carpeting hasn't been changed...EVER. Certainly none of the furniture or pictures have been updated. And, it was empty except for the dealers and the slot-machine repairmen. I'm unclear what he was repairing as I believe if that one machine remained broken until somebody torched the place, nobody would notice since they could move along to one of the other 350 machines not being used. Yes, we are in a recession but to see an empty casino that used to be owned by Ol' Blue Eyes is down-right depressing. I mean, The Drifters were headlining on Saturday night and I'm not sure how they will draw the chain-smoking-oxygen-tank-carrying high rollers in the audience. If it was a free show, it would be overpriced. Lisa said it was the most depressing thing she's seen on our entire trip. It was so bad, she wouldn't even let us eat our leftover picnic lunch in the parking lot. Not to mention it would've been weird sitting in the virtually empty parking lot in our ski clothes eating leftover food. So, we drove over to the beach where nobody could see us.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
It's was really tough to leave the Oregon Coast...or at least the ocean. It's a reminder we're heading home. Not that we became one with nature or swam with the dolphins or were attacked by sharks. It's just the ocean holds a certain fascination we don't get to experience at home. We were so fortunate to go up the coast of California and head down the coast of Oregon a few weeks later. We saw the high and low tides, the appearing and disappearing of beaches and slept to the crashing sounds of the waves. And, we got to see surfer dudes hangin' 10 (yeah, I know, that's a 60's term that nobody uses anymore but maybe I'll bring that back along with Merlot. Or, maybe not).
The next natural beauty on our list is Crater Lake, Oregon. We can't make it in one day so at the recommendation of our Vancouver host, we drove through the Cascade Mountains to Klamath Falls. We actually have to go a bit out of our way but it's the only lodging for miles. Plus, according to our Vancouver host, the falls are worth seeing. We got ourselves situated in one of the greatest Best Westerns ever...expanded hot breakfast (with biscuits and gravy), soup and sandwiches in the afternoon and freshly baked cookies at 8...all included. Yep, last I checked I'm still unemployed and based on the room price and this menu, I can pretty much live here cheaper than home. I will weigh 437 lbs. by summer, but I could move in.
Anyway, as we planned our route to Crater Lake we wanted to make sure to catch a glimpse of the falls on our way out. It dawned on us that as we drove around Klamath Lake on the way to the greatest Best Western ever, we never saw any falls. And Klamath Lake is big; the biggest fresh water lake in Oregon. But we just didn't remember even seeing a sign for the Klamath Falls or "get your Klamath Falls t-shirt here." So Lisa inquired at the desk. Interesting fact...there haven't been any falls in Klamath since 1951. How is it these falls went from a recommended sight to a place that doesn't even exist? Oh yes, we called Vancouver to inquire about how much she knew about these famous Klamath Falls. After she back-peddled for a few minutes, we fired her. Now I have to fact check everything we were told about Canada. Was there really an ice storm in Stanley Park? Is hockey the best sport in the world? Are Canadians really better than Americans? I'll go back and research and re-post if I find anything contrary to what was already printed.
Huge, beautiful Crater Lake awaits us. This time of year you can only hope to get a glimpse of the deepest lake in the United States because there is only one way in and out and that's only if the roads are plowed. This place gets 600 inches of snow a year; and those 600 inches take 4 months to clean-up so they start in April just to get ready for the summer tourist season. Once again, we are lucky because the sun was out after a huge snowfall so we were able to get up the mountain pass to see it with hopes to snowshoe while we were in the area.
Crater Lake is essentially the inside of an erupted volcano that collapsed into itself. The lava settled at the bottom, cooled and is now a seal that holds the rain and snow, creating a sapphire-blue lake. Now this happened about 8,000 years ago, which makes it another one of those natural wonders that makes you stop and think. And that's exactly what we did. We had to climb up a snow drift so we could stop and think about how spectacular the color was. And we stopped to think about how clean the water must be. We thought about how beautiful the scenery was. Then we thought about how cold it was when there isn't anything to protect you from the blustery wind. Then we thought about how our plans to snowshoe were slowly disappearing. Then we thought about how fast we could get off this snow drift and over to the snack shop for a hot chocolate. Don't get me wrong, it was worth the trip for sure. But, for anyone else thinking about going, I might recommend waiting the 4 months for the plows to clear the 600 inches of snow so you can hang out for more than 7 minutes.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
3 days on the Oregon Coast...
The Oregon Coast is quite different from the California Coast. Yes, it's on Highway 101 but driving down from the north you are in the mountains quite a bit before getting oceanside. And, you need to pay attention to signs that read "City Center". That's where you turn in and the magical little beach towns appear. Clapboard cottages similar to those in New England line the streets and beachfront. Hotels and motels with wooden fisherman statues or cheesy flying dolphins can be found everywhere. The towns all have a different character...some more touristy than others but all with their own personality.
We stopped in Cannon Beach for the night. The last part of the ride was getting pretty rainy so we decided it was time to quit. Or, it was 5:00 somewhere. Or, Lisa changed the clock in the car to read 5:00 so I'd pull over. In any event, we checked out the rooms in the The Waves Hotel and decided to stay. We had a 1 bedroom studio with a kitchenette, fireplace and a banquette in the window with a beach view. We immediately went out and bought a 2 lb. fresh dungeness crab for $11.00 for the happy hour we were hosting for ourselves at the banquette table. And, once we borrowed the crackers from the inn keeper, that crab didn't stand a chance against to hungry Chicago girls. We ate like prisoners while fighting that dead fish until there was no more meat left. It's probably a good thing we were the only people at our happy hour because we were making grunting noises and talking with our mouths full...it was SO good! Plus, we don't know anyone else in Cannon Beach, Oregon so that made it easy to limit the invitation list.
Cannon Beach is great little town with lots of shops, restaurants and coffee houses. It's also known for the Haystack Rock, a massive rock shaped like a haystack (hence the clever name) right off the beach. It's 235 feet tall and the 3rd tallest structure of this kind in the world. It is said the rock was made by lava flows some 10-17 million years ago. Don't ask me how anyone can trace something back that far but that's the story. It was raining and the tide was pretty high so we couldn't get out to it. Plus, it seems they discourage anyone from climbing on the this special rock. By discourage I think they mean arrest. I'm not sure what the punishment is but it could be 10-17 million years in jail. Well, neither of us have that kind of time so we resorted to taking pictures of it instead.
We hit a couple more towns on the way down the coast and even found another dungeness crab to wrestle. This time we were in a public restaurant so we kept our groans to a minimum. We made it down to the town of Yachats where, at the recommendation of our friend Hal from Oklahoma City, we checked into the Shamrock Lodgettes (www.shamrocklodgettes.com) for a couple nights. We noticed the further down the coast the more rustic and grittier the towns became. The Lodgettes were clean and dated which is part of their kitchy charm. We had a woodburning stove, a kitchenette and a picture window the width of the room for our own private ocean view.
The location was perfect for walking into town or driving a couple miles to hike up and see the most spectacular views of the Oregon Coast. The town of Yachats has just enough to do for a couple days. We had excellent seafood and caught a couple live bands. One night we listened to Celtic band in a tiny restaurant and the next night went to a little larger venue to see a band from Eugene called "Solicious" starring a gender- indifferent percussionist. Come to think of it, most of the crowd was gender-indifferent, but we were there to listen to the band so we were indifferent to the crowd.
We managed to get in a hike on Cape Perpetua because that's where we were told would give us the best views of the coast. It was a sunny day in the mid-50s...perfect hiking weather. And, since we're such experienced hikers now, we decided to take the most difficult route. It was only 2.2 miles but that was the longest they had. Hey, we would've done a 10 mile hike because we know what we're doing. As we started down the mountain, it got a little steep and narrow. And about 6 minutes into it we realized we had to get back up this hill. Hello, who's idea was it to do the easy part first??? So much for experience. Any fool would know to park the damn car at the bottom of the mountain and huff and puff UP the mountain while they had fresh energy instead of the other way around. Half way up we were both doing a striptease to rid ourselves of the layers of hiking clothes we wore...you know, because we're experienced and know what clothes to wear. I'm so glad there wasn't a 10 mile hike available because I think naked hiking is illegal in Oregon.
We found a little church in the town of Waldport to go to mass on Saturday night. It was only 8 miles away but we had an important decision to make. We really wanted to see the sunset over the ocean since we were leaving the coast. Mass was at 5...sunset 5:45. Hmm...we better watch the clock and hope Father finished in time. Well, Praise the Maker didn't we get the fastest-talking priest in the country! I don't know if he always talks that fast or if he wanted to see the sunset, too. I just know I've never heard anything like it. I started to wonder if he was an auctioneer on the side. Then it went from wonder to worry. What if he was an auctioneer? Suddenly, I became very still. I didn't want to make any false moves in fear that Father would yell out "sold to the lady in the red coat". Then I'm stuck. Now, I'm the proud owner of the Holy Family from St. Anthony's Church in Waldport and have nowhere to put them! The car is full. Really full. But how could I tell The Holy Family "there's no room"? They already heard that line some 2000 years ago. And I don't think Lisa would be too keen being tied to the roof for 4000 miles. Well, lucky for us, he was only working as a priest and I didn't end up purchasing anything. But unfortunately, we ended up missing the sunset that night. Serves me right for daydreaming at church.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
It took us over 4600 miles and 28 days to get through the first part of the journey and we're now on our descent to what will hopefully be a safe landing in Chicago. It was a great ride up and things go half as well on the way back I think we'll both be happy.
Leaving Vancouver we set our sights on Mount St. Helens in Washington. It's an easy drive going south because you can see her the entire way. The first stop was the visitor's center that several people, including the AAA book, told us was a must see. What they didn't tell us was it was closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I don't know, but I think that's important information for people to have when they're on a 9,000 mile road trip trying to make the most of their time. Fortunately, I'm not bitter.
Across the street from the visitor's center was a huge timber B&B. We eyed it before heading to the visitor's center that was CLOSED (oh, did I mention the visitor's center was closed?) then decided we better check it out before it gets dark. (For your reference, National Parks do not have street lights. So, when you visit these parks, please make sure your brights are working or wear a miner's hat if you are taking a walk on one of those roads). The Blue Heron Inn (www.blueheroninn.com) is sitting on a hilltop looking directly at snow-capped Mount St. Helens. The view from the driveway was unobstructed so it looked very inviting from our vantage point. The check-in was even better. The home phone was hanging outside with a flyer informing potential guests of the price and the phone number to call if you were interested in staying. Of course I called...it wasn't my money and we had nothing to lose. The friendly proprietor, Eric answered. Very casually he apologized for not being there but he was at his daughter's basketball game and wouldn't be back for a couple hours. Then, he gave us the security code to the keypad and told us to check out the place and he thought the room was cleaned but maybe the bathroom needed to be cleaned and if we liked it, just call him back. Huh? Excuse me sir but you just gave us the security code to your house and NOW you tell us the bathroom MIGHT be dirty but you'll clean it when you get back? Who cares? We had three stories of living space, a fully appointed kitchen, no other guests and a huge veranda to ourselves...we weren't going anywhere and frankly looked forward to hearing if his daughter won her basketball game. We got ourselves hooked up on his WiFi, had our music playing and were drinking a nice bottle of wine when they arrived. I think Eric was as pleased as we were that we broke into his house. Too bad the rest of the world isn't run this way...we'd all be better off I think.
Dinner was a treat. There's really not too much going on in the Park this time of year so Eric recommended the Toutle Diner which was about 3 miles away. The diner is a family owned restaurant in an RV park and features an espresso bar AND a beauty shop. They don't serve liquor because they're across the street from the school that has K-12 grades so that was probably smart on their part. It was 7:45 and the family was ready to call it a day but since our new friend Eric called, we were welcome. They were quick to tell us the special was a Philly CHEESE Steak...made with prime rib. Sounded good so we asked for mozzarella cheese on ours. The daughter responded that it didn't come with cheese. Then I wondered what would have been easier for her...to add cheese to the sandwiches or erase the word "cheese" on the special board...a toss up for sure. We got the cheese and the sandwiches were delicious I have to admit. We would have stayed to get our hair done in the on-site beauty shop but I think we used all the mozzarella.
Eric made an incredible breakfast for us...the best we've had in a hotel. Certainly B&Bs are supposed to have good breakfasts...but Eric is a great cook and went out of his way to make sure we got exactly what we wanted. Being the only guests has its benefits...especially when you have the security code memorized.
We went to the visitor's center (which was now open) and we thought they should know their hours are not correctly posted to the public. They didn't really care...it was still going to cost us $3 each to get in and see the history of the area. Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980 after it was shaken by an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale. We learned that nearly 230 square miles of forest was blown down or buried beneath volcanic deposits. Talk about devastation...the ice storm in Stanley Park didn't hold a candle to this catastrophe! Much of the land near our inn was owned by Weyerhauser and they have replanted over 68,000 acres of trees over the last 28 years and some stand 70' tall already. They are a huge lumbering operation in the Pacific Northwest so they really need these trees. The good news is they didn't only plant them for their own purposes but aligned with Habitat for Humanity in an effort to rebuild homes in the U.S. and Canada, with some of their employees volunteering their time. Now that's a good story.
We did a bit of hiking in the area and drove up through the Park. It was really quiet except for the speeding lumber trucks barreling down the 2-lane highway. Lisa is now an expert on the mechanics of the lumber trucks so make sure to ask her next time you see her. I didn't ask, but she told me anyway. And now every time we see one (which is about every 9 minutes) she quizzes me. So please, will somebody please ask Lisa to explain the mechanics of the lumber truck so I can get a break. It's not that complicated really. And, I'm not sure if she's interested in the trucks or the lumberjacks behind the wheel.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
If you're interested covering all of Vancouver in a short period of time, I think we have all the information you need. Maybe we'll submit a quick guide "Vancouver in Two Days" to The Star or The Globe (it won't be New York Times worthy, trust me). I'll give you a few of our highlights but basically, all you need is a sense of humor, adventuresome personality and a surly tour guide who's an unemployed transplant from the U.S.
Since we stayed in and fed ourselves to the point of explosion on Super Bowl Sunday we set a goal to walk the next day. So, we walked. And, we walked. And when we thought we were finished walking, we walked some more. I don't wear a pedometer but I'm sure we clocked in twice what Oprah recommends...10,000 or so steps. Plus, I don't know what the metric conversion for steps is but I bet we walked more than we thought.
The city of Vancouver is surrounded by a seawall and you can literally walk around the entire island. We didn't walk that far. But, over 8 km (I'll convert for you...5.5 miles) of the seawall is the amazing Stanley Park, a 1,000 acre city-owned urban park. It's the third largest in North America and even larger than Central Park in New York. We went in and out of that park 4 times over a 2 day period and I kid you not, we didn't come close to covering all the trails and scenery. Besides having deer, bears and coyotes, it also has all types of recreational facilities for residents and guests (lawn bowling, putt putt and a public pool to name a few). Walking the trails is like being in an enchanted forest and if you get the same surly guide we had, you are likely to get lost a few times. But, that's fine because the adventure is worth it.
Stanley Park was hit by an ice storm in December, 2006. The devastation was almost unimaginable and they are still cleaning it up. There are about 1/2 million trees in the park and over 10,000 were destroyed. We saw trees that had 20 ft root systems standing on their sides. There was a 600 year old cedar tree weighing 36 tons that was completely uprooted. Seriously, "don't fool with Mother Nature" has a whole new meaning after traipsing through this forest.
We also happened upon one of the many lagoons in the park. Lots of ducks, swans and a couple of coots (not us...they are black, non-webbed foot ducks) took ownership of the Lost Lagoon. Now, there are signs all over the park warning people not to feed the birds and animals. Down from where we were we saw a lady waving a white flag as if she was retreating. To what or whom we didn't know but as we got closer we saw she had food...and she wasn't the one eating it. As we approached she was quick to explain that she comes down to feed the swans. She has to waive the flag to keep the ducks away while she feeds them or the ducks will steal the food. Apparently, swans are shy birds and the ducks beat them to the punch when it comes to food so if she doesn't feed the swans they will likely starve. Who knew swans were shy? Well, this lady did and she was wearing a volunteer badge so who were we to argue. She was very knowledgeable and after the swans had their fill, she stopped waving the flag, backed-up and we watched as 50 ducks attacked the seed she threw on a rock. It was fascinating to see them all dive beak first in the water to get the chow. I just have to say, I sure am glad I have the luxury of table service because if this was me going after a little bird seed, I'd want to be first in and first out. I can't tell you how many "misplaced" beaks I saw. The guys on the outskirts were doing full on dives into other duck's bum...OUCH!
On our travels we also took a ferry over to Granville, Island where the Emily Car Art School is located and you can see the artists creating their funky work. It also has a great market to buy fresh fish, meats and vegetables. It was a little more tempered than the Pikes Market in Seattle but along the same lines. We picked up fresh dover filets for our tour guide to whip up for dinner because she really hadn't cooked for us all day. We thought it was the least she could do for making us follow her around the city for 6 hours.
We did a lot of driving on our sightseeing tour as well. We headed to Cypress Mountain, a small ski resort 20 minutes away from where we were staying. Whistler is the larger, more well known resort but it was "Pride Week" and I was sure the guys would look better than me in their ski bunny outfits. Cypress was holding the World Cup Freestyle and Snowboarding Championships so teams from all over the world were arriving that day. Competition is this weekend and next but trials were being held on Thursday. We had thoughts about staying for the trials because we would never have this opportunity again. However, our tour guide must have caught a case of laryngitis because she didn't say "oh, you should stay longer so you can see this once in a lifetime event". Guess we'll read the results when we get home.
There's so much more to write about but I'm out of time. My editor doesn't like to read the drafts too late so I'm trying to get my copy in early. Vancouver was the longest we stayed anywhere on this trip and it was worth every minute. Gayle and Sandra were great hostesses and I seriously haven't laughed this hard in a long time. If unemployment was always this funny, I would never work again.
Monday, February 2, 2009
We left the United States on Saturday. Not for good of course, but we hit the end of the country and had one more stop to make before heading back. We had a great time in Seattle. I caught up with one of my favorite peeps in the world and former roommate, Julie. We've known each other so long I always feel right at home when I see her. She has an 8 and 5 year old...both wonderful and really funny kids so I warned her if they come up missing, don't bother with the Amber Alert...just check Chicago because it's likely they're with me.
We've planted ourselves in Vancouver for a few days with our friends Gayle and Sandra. They are great cooks, have an unobstructed view of the English Bay and an expansive wine collection. Plus, they've been reading the blog and knew how much we liked a fire so had a recording of a crackling blaze on their flat screen when we walked in. I'm trying to push our check-out date as far out as possible because this whole set-up is working really well. Plus, Gayle is unemployed right now so she's got all the time in the world to show us around the city. Sandra is an attorney so I need to be really thorough in my research on squatters rights in Canada in case they try to boot us before we're ready to go. The fact that they don't know I'm using their internet connection to look up case law tells me this might be easier than I thought.
It poured on Sunday...our first really nasty day that kept us indoors. We made it out to Mass and were hermetically sealed the rest of the day. And that was perfectly fine because it was Super Bowl Sunday. Woo Hoo!!! Oh wait, we're in Canada...they could care less. Sandra is Canadian and Gayle is a recent transplant from the States. Well, it was 3-1 we were watching the game. And, it was almost the same as being at home...except for the commercials. I think we missed a bunch. We did get the Bud commercials but were cut out of the rest. Gayle is a 30 year advertising veteran so she was not too pleased at how much air time was spent on the "Vancouver 2010 Olympics" versus the clever Pepsi, Doritos and whoever else spent $1 million for a 30 second ad. We had to pacify her by eating her homemade chili, drinking her wine and promising to hook the computer to the tv so we can watch the commercials later. We'll do whatever it takes to keep our hostess happy because as I mentioned, we're not leaving anytime soon.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
1/31/09
Reporting live from Seattle...ok well, now we are in Vancouver and it's actually 2/1. Anywhooo I gave Ms. Q the day off yesterday..poor thing..she's all blogged out! Hey, so let me jump in and give the gal a helping hand! I am a team player after all ! And, for those keeping track, I am also jumping ahead of our day/night in the Willamette Valley Vineyards. More on that later, right Q?
OK, so where was I?
We arrived in Seattle from McMinnville (Willamette Valley) on Thursday 1/29, and what a drive it was! Mt. Rainier was just waving to us from the East the last hour of our trek. So crystal clear! Again, God is good! We spent the night w/Brooke, Jeff and little Paige Erbstein in the St. Anne neighborhood. Brooke and Jeff used to live in Chicago and have been in Seattle for seven years. They have a lovely home w/lots of rooms for Hos like us (ok, but really, who is like us??). We had a suite all to ourselves, w/kitchen included...so bummed Quigs didn't bring any of her chicken breast recipes! Yesterday, we spent the day exploring . We hooked up with an old friend of mine from St. Joe's College, Dr. Bill Hogan, who is the Athletic Director @ the Seattle University, a fine Jesuit school of 7800 students. The Coach is responsible for re-introducing the University back into Division I sports. The goal is to win the NCAA Tournament in 2016. Quigs already asked him for tickets if they make it to the big dance in exchange for lodging in Chicago if "we" host the Olympics. (Ok, I'm chiming in...this in no way should be construed as a Blago deal...there was no discussion of money in exchange for tickets or lodging). Doc Hogan entertained us in his office, gave us some t-shirts and hats (kindly asked what color shirts we wanted since he admittedly didn't know how to ask what SIZE we wanted). HOW did we end up with TWO X-Large shirts I asked!?? He gave us a tour of their infamous St. Ignatius Chapel which is a modern structure but architectural gem (think: windows strategically placed to reflect colored prisms on the walls of the Chapel). He then treated us to a fab lunch. He kindly picked up the tab and when he resisted our money he said are you kidding me? The chance to lunch w/two babes? How can I not pick up the bill? (I thought that would have been the perfect time to discuss the C he gave me in Production Management @ St. Joe's...yes, the only C I got in my major!) but, unlike my usual self, I let it go! After 25 years..let it go for pete's sake!! After lunch we said our good-byes and he resisted all attempts by Quigs to attend and run his 2pm meeting...she said she really missed facilitating them! We headed to the Olympic Sculpture Park...fairly new, on the waterfront and compared to Chicago's Millennium Park. Right...nothing compares with "our" Park but it was a great stop and we enjoyed walking around and posing in front of the sculptures. Then off to Pike's Place Market along the wharf where we ran into a Chicago friend, Bob McNamara (of Chancey Brother's fame) and his wife Jeannie, who were in town for a wedding.
So...we headed back to Queen Anne and Quigs, after pushing me out of the car to the curb, announced she had to get her car washed and never returned. I think I rec'd a text stating that she was spending the night in Newcastle w/a former Cornell college roommie, Julie, and her family. A ruse I say, it was a ruse! That car is still dirty! And I was left with no one to rub my feet at night!
After an exhuberating walk with Brooke around the Queen Ann area (amazing view!) Saturday morning, I had coffee...ok...water (no Diet Coke was available) and a DONUT (my second on this trip) with John McDowell, brother of my good friend Carol aka Tinker Shaheen. John opened up a chic men's clothing store, Oslo's, on Queen Anne Ave. three years ago...and is offering 75% winter stock for anyone mentioning my name (you did say that, right John?)
1/30/09
What ever happened to merlot? Merlot is a good grape...could even be considered a GREAT grape. I used to drink it frequently. Frankly, everyone I knew used to drink it. It was always a wine you had on hand to serve or would grab to bring to a party. Since the 2004 movie "Sideways", merlot has been given a dirty name. Nowadays, bartenders are offended if you order a merlot. If you brought it as a hostess gift you certainly wouldn't put your name on the gift bag! And that's all because of Hollywood. Why did we allow that? What does Hollywood know about wine anyway? In my opinion, Hollywood should leave the wine harvesting to experts and concentrate on harvesting the careers of overlooked talents such as Pauly Shore, Tyra Banks and Keanu Reeves. And as far as merlot goes, well, things are about to change. I have lodged a campaign to bring it back and I'm telling everyone. I started talking about it at the first sip I took in Sonoma and have only continued spreading my message throughout the Pacific Northwest...BRING BACK MERLOT ("BBM"). I am going to drink merlot like it's my job in 2009. And, the way the economy is going, it may be my ONLY job in 2009. Don't get me wrong, I don't want you to give up the other reds you've been drinking, I just want you to put merlot in the rotation. If you're struggling with how to get involved in this worthwhile campaign, I can help. Invite me over, open a bottle and I'll drink it. Or, come over to my house, bring a bottle and I'll drink that, too. Merlot is coming back people...and you read it here first.
Back to the Willamette Valley. We hit a few vineyards and at the suggestion of one of the wine hostesses, we went up to Vista Hills and parked ourselves for the afternoon. We had the place to ourselves, they built us a fire, opened up a bottle of pinot and let us use their WiFi for the day. They have the best view of the valley so it was an easy way to blow an afternoon.
We stayed the night in McMinnville which is a quirky little town between a few of the wine valleys. Our hotel was a mix between a hostile and hotel that offered singles, doubles shared and private baths. We took the private bath option. If I were 20 years younger and backpacking, I might be more inclined to risk getting athlete's foot or some other communicable disease from a shared bath. But I'm not 20 years younger and get irritable when I have a cold so that really wasn't an option.
We picked a french bistro for dinner that looked cute. But, before entering, we peaked across the street and saw the Blue Moon Restaurant. The big flashing bulbs on the marquee were calling our name. As we walked inside, we just knew this is where we were eating. Leather bar stools, big horseshoe booths and an ornery bartender. Yep, we were home. And the price was right as you can see on the picture. It's as if they knew the HOs were in town.
To top off our visit, we had a nice walk the next day and wandered into a wonderful cafe for breakfast. Great decor, good food and really nice staff. As we were eating, a guy around our age came in to eat. He was carrying a book and I almost could not believe my eyes. I whispered to Lisa that he had THE BOOK and decided we had to talk to him when we left. He was engrossed in his reading so I approached him with a warning that I didn't want to spook him but had to tell him something. I told him we've been listening to that very book on tape being read by the author herself. He howled (perhaps a nervous laughter) when we told him and I presume he felt some relief that there were other people out there like him. Oh yes, this 40-something married man was holed up in this quaint little cafe reading the Marcia Brady story. He may have been hiding this passion from his wife but he was no longer alone in his quest to know the truth of what really happened to Marcia. And I believe that now brings the total gross sales of her book to $40.
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