tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20115875073778223272024-03-05T07:17:25.322-08:00Camper Van FamilyAlternative titles: "6 Months in a Creaky Van" and "Vanned If We Do"Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-84169408610294176592014-01-24T13:27:00.000-08:002014-01-24T13:27:18.511-08:00Pinery PP to Ottawa (via Cayuga, Rockwood and Prescott) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In keeping with our excellent luck on this trip, we fluked into being back in Canada for Thanksgiving and no one refused us when we invite ourselves to dinner-and-a-driveway with 2 days notice. And of course, as had been another theme of this trip, we were very thankful for good friends and family.<br />
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We also had many other reasons to be thankful this year.<br />
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Thankful to America for an amazing trip through a beautiful country with awesome $2 wine, many cool accents and consistently-friendly people.<br />
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Thankful for getting back to Canada - a fabulous country with expensive booze, cheap healthcare and year-long parental leaves.<br />
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Thankful to our solid little van Dolly for holding her aged-self together and keeping us cozy at night.<br />
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Thankful for our awesome kids who napped and held bladders like champions.<br />
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Thankful for my amazing husband who kept the van running and drove her safely all over this continent, despite the occasional apparently homicidal tendencies of our dear GPS.<br />
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Finally, thankful to be back to our little house in Ottawa with its spacious area to play with toys, endless hot shower water and full-sized refrigerator.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-29097547391962249612014-01-24T13:07:00.000-08:002014-01-24T13:07:10.554-08:00Lakeport SP to Pinery PP (ON)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a quick breakfast and a last-minute post card drop, we hopped onto the Blue Water Bridge and over to Canada, said a prayer and passed through customs.<br />
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For comparisons purposes, we decided to check out the Canadian side of Lake Huron and stay at Pinery PP. It was a tough call but crazy bugs aside, the Canadian side was a bit prettier we think. Staying at Pinery also gave us the chance to continue an 8-year tradition of spending a (freakishly warm) Thanksgiving weekend camping at an Ontario park.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-77786618547945952552014-01-24T13:00:00.002-08:002014-01-24T13:00:44.190-08:00Holland to Lakeport SP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Leaving Holland, we headed eastward making a very brief stop at a gas station in Flint which did not have a bathroom (a first on this trip) but did have many, many security camera stills of people who had robbed the place on display at the counter. We've really tried not to judge a place on reputation alone but Flint didn't do itself many favours.<br />
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Arriving at Lakeport SP, located on the American side of lovely Lake Huron, we found we'd arrived just in time for their Halloween-themed weekend. We managed to snag one of the last spots available in the very intensely decorated camper-trailer suburb. These people love them some Halloween - many severed heads, limbs, and other assorted body parts included. Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-74853380810396572982014-01-24T12:17:00.000-08:002014-01-24T12:17:17.271-08:00Indiana Dunes SP to Holland (MI)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a brief visit to check out the shore area at Indiana Dunes to see where dunes meet Lake Michigan (looks very similar to where dunes meet ocean - LOTS of sand) we headed to check out some of Michigan's "Gold Coast" and Holland. The fall leaves, time change and apples for sale let us know we were getting close to home.<br />
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Holland turned out to be well worth the visit. We walked around Windmill Island to check out the replica Dutch village (their windmills were under reconstruction) and play at the great park. We also visited the super cute downtown area to pickup some killer fudge from Kilwins and some brilliant craft liquor from New Holland Brewery - the "Dragon's Milk" porter aged in bourbon barrels was incredible - before finding ourselves an awesome spot at Walmart. A Walmart that turned out to be right across the street from both the Dutch Village theme park (complete with rides) and a great flea market.<br />
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Holland: we will be back.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-63748606476904646362014-01-24T12:07:00.001-08:002014-01-24T12:07:37.036-08:00New Salem SP to Indiana Dunes SP (IN) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From New Salem, we saw a few more (read: constant) corn fields - at one point watching a corn husk blowing across the road we decided they should be call Illinois Tumbleweeds.<br />
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We made a stop in Normal to pick up some groceries at a Normal Walmart (sorry, had to be said) before jumping on the I-80 at Joliet to regretfully by-pass Chicago, opting to save it for another day. Shortly after we left the "Land of Lincoln" for Indiana: "The Crossroads of America" (more like the "Land of Strippers" if you go by billboards). This also marked the official end to our on-and-off-again relationship with Route 66.<br />
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After a long day of trying to find a laundromat, we treated ourselves to a second night in a row of electrical hook-ups and showers. Plus it let us legitimate our time in Indiana to more than a drive-by.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-75437926042724869092014-01-24T10:18:00.002-08:002014-01-24T10:21:16.872-08:00Granite Park to New Salem SP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Leaving Granite Park (with it's subtle cellphone tree tower), we continued on a stretch of Route 66 through historic small towns and many, many corn fields.<br />
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We took a break in our third Springfield - a town who's love for Lincoln knows no bounds. We checked out the gift shop at the Lincoln Library and Museum with it's offerings Lincoln-themed products such as: shot glasses, fake beards, pink confederate soldier hats, fridge magnets and drum sticks.<br />
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An excellent tip from a volunteer at the museum led us to spend the night at Lincoln's New Salem Campground where we visited the reconstructed village of New Salem and learned that a tavern back in Lincoln's day did not serve alcohol - apparently a grocer's licence was require for that. B enjoyed finding a sycamore leaf bigger than her own head and sampling some Lincoln-themed candy.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-81390403843426267852014-01-24T10:08:00.001-08:002014-01-24T10:08:19.672-08:00Bennett Spring SP to Granite Park (IL) (via St. Louis)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With the van loaded up with free Troutapalooza swag thanks to the lovely park attendants, we said goodbye to free park-wide wifi and continued towards St. Louis via the "Trail of Tears". Travelling through the Ozark Highlands and Missouri wine country apparently (sweet reds mainly) we started spotting the occasional tree changing colour. We also saw our first Ontario license plate in months. </div>
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Driving through St Louis, we were struck by how quickly American cities transition from "good" to "bad" neighbourhoods; from a block of beautiful restored brick homes next to a block of buildings falling apart. We got a peak at the famous Gateway Arch before stopping for treats at Tower Grove Creamery and a walk through beautiful Tower Grove Park. </div>
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Crossing over the bridge into Illinois (a land with strict penalties on cigarette smuggling it seems), we were thankful to find a cozy Walmart in Granite Park despite our dear GPS's best efforts to get us lost. </div>
Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-43349629071867314302014-01-24T09:57:00.002-08:002014-01-24T09:57:36.307-08:00Vinita to Bennett Spring SP (MO)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From Vinita it was a quick drive into Missouri (the land of cheap smokes, booze and fireworks if the billboards are to be believed) through Joplin, a town decimated by a tornado in 2011. This was about the point that we noted it was actually tornado season right now.<br />
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We also spotted the second of three Springfields we've seen this trip (the first was in Oregon). Springfield MO turned to be a cool little university town and we decided to take a break at Jenny Lincoln Park (located near marker 6 for the Battle of Springfield).<br />
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Driving on, we enjoyed noting the quirk of Missouri naming its highways using letters. Taking a brief detour towards Lebanon, we enjoyed the rolling countryside and our first cool night in many days at Bennett Spring SP camping in a hilltop oak forest. Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-79409613283281364082014-01-24T09:46:00.003-08:002014-01-24T09:46:55.705-08:00Red Rock Canyon SP to Vinita (via Tulsa)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the morning we had a late start leaving Red Rock enjoying the cool canyon breezes as a welcome relief from the hot, A/C-busted van. We opted to pass Oklahoma City (OKC) and head for Tulsa lured by promises of nice riverside parks and stunning Art Deco architecture. Sadly, we found downtown Tulsa to be a complete ghost town on a beautiful Saturday at 5pm. Like creepy-empty. Like looking for zombies empty. Attention hipster gentrifiers of the world: downtown Tulsa needs your help!<br />
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Not finding much to do in Tulsa, after a park break, we took the "Will Rogers Turnpike" to a Walmart in Vinita perfectly located right off the turnpike - though it did turn out to also be the "all night train horn sounding" capital of the planet. Nonetheless, we enjoyed celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary with a bottle of Charles Shaw's (aka Two Buck Chuck's) finest vintage red that we saved for the occasion.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-53303314270594156232014-01-24T09:34:00.002-08:002014-01-24T09:34:48.327-08:00Amarillo to Red Rock Canyon SP (OK)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Leaving Amarillo heading east on the I-40 (aka "Purple Heart Trail") it was flat farmland as far as you could see in either direction. We drove past an impressively massive rest area/tornado shelter before crossing the Texas panhandle into the red fields of Oklahoma where we had our first armadillo sighting (dead, upside down on the side of the road sadly).<br />
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We took a longer break in Elk City to check out Ackley Park and the huge annual flea market going on there (for all your vintage gun and knife needs) before driving to Red Rock Canyon SP (we can't get enough of the red rock apparently). Our night at Red Rock was spent listening to the cicadas sing there hearts out with a storm warning hanging in the air. A large thunderstorm came through later that night bringing a few hours of heavy rains and some amazing non-stop "strobe" lightening.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-38812777321398947202014-01-24T09:24:00.001-08:002014-01-24T09:24:07.164-08:00Albuquerque to Amarillo (TX)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had a late start to the day thanks to some engine troubles and had the chance to meet a fellow Roadtrekker. Which led to finding out that we were perhaps the only Roadtrek in New Mexico unaware that there was a giant meet-up planned for the Balloonfest taking place that weekend. Bummer.<br />
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After getting the van back in working order, we left the pretty scenery of Albuquerque back into some intensely boring interstate driving alleviated only by the billboards, driving past Milagro (see Keremeous comments about beanfields and wars) and seeing our first tumbleweed.<br />
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We took a break at Park Lake in Santa Rosa for some playground time and a quick swim in the pool-ized lake. Continuing our drive through farmlands and red water; spotting the iconic Route 66 "Cadillac Ranch" before pulling into a Walmart where the strong smell of cow poop on the breeze let us know we were officially in Texas.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-36604351877796448612014-01-24T09:09:00.000-08:002014-01-24T09:14:11.822-08:00Bluewater Lake SP to Albuquerque <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Opting for a shorter day of driving, we decided to check out the Old Town of Albuquerque (it gets easier to spell every time) near the Rio Grande and some cheap and/or free museums.<br />
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After driving through shrub-dotted plateaus and roadside lava fields, we arrived in Albuquerque and made a quick trip through the beautiful art gallery and history museum. One highlight for me was seeing a rare 47 star flag which was produced in the month between New Mexico and Arizona joining the Confederacy. Next we hit-up the amazing kids science museum "explora!" where L practiced crawling while B played with lasers, water, air and electricity.<br />
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We took a quick drive through the heart of the cool-but-touristy Old Town on our way to get dinner at Golden Crown Panaderia - a must-visit in Albuquerque if there is one with their green-chili pizza crust, free cookies and in-house aquaponics system growing tomatoes and goldfish. We ate our delicious dinner picnic-style in the Tricentennial Park (located right next to the Old Town and the museums) before parking for the night at Walmart where RW enjoyed experiencing his first attempted drive-by conversion by some eager Seventh-Day Adventists.<br />
<br />Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-84483525640831745702014-01-21T17:46:00.002-08:002015-03-03T12:01:12.214-08:00Cottonwood to Bluewater Lake SP (NM)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As we drove from Cottonwood towards the pine trees and mountains of Flagstaff, we had the rare (and highly amusing) chance to see a sign advising travellers that the Grand Canyon was in fact closed. Thankfully, the US government shut-down did not impact our travel plans as we had intended to stay mainly in state parks anyway.<br />
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We made a stop in Winslow AZ to do some laundry and take a few music-nerd photos before grabbing historic Route 66 towards Albuquerque. Driving through scrubland, we saw signs advertising any type of "Indian" souvenir you could want including 2 for $10 t-shirts, leather hats and 50% fireworks.<br />
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We arrived in New Mexico to find that we'd missed a time change somewhere around Arizona and, with the red hills of the Painted Desert in the distance, we spent a nice night at Bluewater Lake SP - the first legitimate body of water we'd seen in days.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-14877660816670298822014-01-21T17:30:00.003-08:002014-01-21T17:30:49.464-08:00Lost Dutchman SP to Cottonwood (via Sedona)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From Lost Dutchman SP, we found our way northward to Sedona, noting the how beautiful the highways are in Arizona where simple overpasses are decorated with xeriscaping and animal reliefs. We also noted that Arizona has many names (gulch, wash, creek, river) which all apparently mean "dry ditch" - like the desert version of 50 words for snow I guess.<br />
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After a stop at a Trader Joe's in Prescott to grab some essentials like a couple bottles of the infamous "Two-Buck Chuck" red wine, some bacon cheddar cheese and a 6-pack of pumpkin ale, we drove into the shocking red mountains of Coconino NF and Sedona. Finding Sedona to be a bit more touristy than we like (picture Banff with red rocks, adobes and shops offering aura photos), we drove down into Oak Creek Canyon to Slide Rock SP located on the site of an old apple farm.<br />
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Sadly, Slide Rock SP didn't offer camping and closed early. So, too soon, we headed to the nearest cozy Walmart to spend another night listening to coyotes hunting in the distance (somehow less romantic in a parking lot).Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-40254495788647353532014-01-21T17:19:00.001-08:002015-03-03T11:58:43.747-08:00Joshua Tree NP to Lost Dutchman SP (AZ)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After sharing our breakfast with a cute lizard, we continued eastward on the I-10 taking a break in Blythe before crossing into Arizona.<br />
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Driving through the La Posa Plain, we noted the interesting differences in the types of desert plant life, rocks and mountains - observations made more interesting by the extreme interstate boredom syndrome. We spotted a few dust devils in the distance as we arrived at Lost Dutchman SP (named for a fabled lost gold mine and not a GPS-challenged husband) located at the base of Superstition Mountain, close to the historic Juan Bautista de Anza trail.<br />
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We enjoyed a short hike before the stunning sunset that never seemed to end. However, the highlight of the night was waking to the sound of coyotes hunting nearby (very nearby) and falling back asleep under another star-filled night sky.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-56765566008602148432013-11-20T18:57:00.002-08:002013-11-20T18:57:55.780-08:00Bakersfield to Joshua Tree NP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now on Highway 99, we drove past oil fields and vineyards, into the Sierra Madre Mountains, past Pyramid Lake and into the mid-day Saturday rush hour traffic around Los Angeles before making a stop for haircuts near Coachella.
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Arriving at Joshua Tree NP just before sunset, our campsite luck held and we snagged one of the last spots for the night. Throwing together a quick dinner, we were able to watch the incredible stars come out while we ate. </div>
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Joshua Tree easily had one of the most amazing night skies I have ever seen. </div>
Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-56284644421000401452013-11-20T18:47:00.002-08:002013-11-20T18:47:45.771-08:00Henry Cowell Redwoods SP to Bakersfield<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Our growing frustration with the non-stop rush hour-style traffic in California coupled with a homing-instinct beginning to kick-in, we decided to leave the coast and head eastward. Driving through green strawberry fields hedged with cactus and framed by rolling brown foothills, we took a break at Casa de Fruta (co-located with Casa de Wine, Sweets and Gas) - a dried-fruit-stand-cum-semi-budget-themepark.<br />
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Taking Interstate 5 past the San Luis Reservoir, we enjoyed 3 hours of highway littered with tires and apples, an endless sea of fruit trees and brown hills of the "congress created dust bowl" (as indicated by the many, many signs we saw). Other signs stated that "speed enforced by aircraft" - a term which takes on a new meaning in light of the increasing use of drones by the US military.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-13861731342190626572013-11-20T18:34:00.000-08:002013-11-20T18:35:30.980-08:00Martinez to Henry Cowell Redwoods SP (via San Francisco) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The drive into San Fran was a veritable shrine to the freeway overpass; a land where roads (and houses) are stacked in defiance of God and nature. </div>
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We spent the afternoon picnicking and playing in Golden Gate Park, thoroughly enjoying the Koret Children's Quarter (the oldest public playground in the US) with its concrete slides (more fun than they sound) and beautiful carousel. </div>
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Heading to Santa Cruz, we spent the night camped in a sycamore forest beside a redwood-filled valley that we had a chance to explore a bit with an after-dinner walk. </div>
Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-59428837864652798432013-11-20T18:11:00.003-08:002013-11-20T18:11:53.513-08:00Manchester Beach to Martinez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If we thought the initial part of Highway 1 was intense, the road past Sonoma Coast SP into Russian Gulch defied anything we'd experienced the day before. The highway at this stage was clearly designed by a relative of MC Escher. Cattle guards (aka "Texas Gates") across the road made us constantly crane our necks trying to spot cows grazing while wearing climbing ropes. </div>
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We took a break at Goat Rock SP to appreciate the crazy wind, waves and the many, many signs warning people of the extremely dangerous nature of this particular piece of beach. From there, the crazy turns continued until Bodega Bay when the road turns inland and straightens out. Arriving in Petaluma (we're still not entirely sure how exactly we got there...), we decided to grab dinner at a California institution: "In-and-Out Burger".</div>
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After dinner we spent a few discouraging hours trying to find an overnight spot closer to San Francisco. Striking out at a state campground (walk-in spots only), 2 Walmarts (no overnight parking) and a Best Western (fully booked), we ended up grabbing the last hotel room available for the night in Martinez (home of naturalist John Muir). </div>
Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-75889546607065151242013-11-20T17:59:00.000-08:002013-11-20T17:59:30.320-08:00Humboldt Redwoods SP to Manchester Beach <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From Humboldt, we took the turn coast-ward at Leggett to take the Lost Highway (#1, aka the "Shoreline Route"). A highway which turned out to be less "lost" than "insane"; doing it's best to emulate nothing so much as a narrow, guardrail-less roller coaster. Made even more entertaining by the presence of random delusional cyclists competing for the limited pan-space with enormous RVs towing full-sized pick-up trucks. </div>
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We took a short break to appreciate the views at Juan Creek where Highway 1 abruptly emerges from the redwoods onto the coast, before continuing past fields full of cattle and sheep enjoying million-dollar views. </div>
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A longer break in Mendocino had us checking out the tourism bureau/museum, picking up groceries and strolling past cool houses we could picture ourselves living quite happily in.</div>
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After the fourth delay for bridge repair, we decided to call in quits at Manchester Beach and try our first experience with a KOA. Verdict: good (B loved the rental go carts) but expensive. </div>
Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-79988890810676006862013-11-12T18:45:00.002-08:002013-11-12T18:45:22.952-08:00Crescent City to Humbolt Redwoods SP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Taking the "Redwood Highway" we drove through massive, misty groves where the size of the trees lining the road defies comprehension. </div>
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After a break at the Humbolt Lagoons SP, we drove through Eureka, regretting a sleeping baby while starring longingly at the Lost Coast Brewery. From Eureka, the road turns inland, encouraging one to take the detour through the incredible Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile, slow-going portion of the old Highway 101 which runs parallel to the freeway.<br />
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We ended up at the Burlington Campground located next to the amazing visitor's centre in the middle of a prehistoric stand of virgin redwoods.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-14491436124195331502013-11-12T18:32:00.001-08:002015-03-03T11:58:57.156-08:00Jessie M Honeyman SP to Crescent City (CA)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sticking to 101 South, we drove through dunes and rainforest, across the historical McCullough Memorial bridge into North Bend and Oregon's "Bay Area", taking a break in Coos Bay (hometown of Steve Prefontaine) to check out the sadly rained-out Fun Festival. Stopping for gas, we learned that there is no self-serve gas in Oregon and that people everywhere complain about their "winter" weather.<br />
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As this point in the drive, ocean-sightings were rare until just past Battle Rock and into Humbug Mountain SP which offered some stunning views. The route took us past the historical markers for Cape Sebastian and Pistol River, across the highest bridge in Oregon (Thomas Creek), through Brookings and into California.<br />
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In light of the rainstorm, we decided to skip the planned state park and spend the night at a Californian Walmart enjoying a bottle of their finest $2 "Lucky Duck" red wine.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-88816855450313578542013-11-12T18:17:00.001-08:002013-11-12T18:17:24.661-08:00Salem to Jessie M Honeyman SP (via Eugene)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Saturday Market in Eugene came highly recommended to us and did not disappoint. We enjoyed some top-quality people-watching while picking up some fresh lemon-ginger kombucha in a refillable growlette from Kombucha Mama. Our kombucha addiction having started in Grand Forks only got worse as the trip progressed. I regret not buying the full-size growler. And that we don't live close enough for regular refills.<br />
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After the market, we swung by Voodoo donuts to try America's take on this Canadian favourite. The rather-disturbing flavour selection included: fruit loop, oreo cookie, m&m, maple bacon and cotton candy.<br />
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Taking our sugar-highs back on the road, we headed back towards the coast, passing over the Suislaw River via the historical bridge and into the Oregon Dunes. The Dunes being a hugely-popular recreational area for sandboarding (like snowboarding but year-round) and four-wheeler dune buggies.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-80045056883595754552013-11-12T17:55:00.002-08:002015-03-03T11:58:28.984-08:00Cape Disappointment SP to Salem (OR) (via Portland) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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From Cape Disappointment we opted to head inland to visit a couple of must-see Oregon cities: Portland and Eugene.<br />
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Leaving Washington State, we took the 6.8 kilometre Astoria-Melgar Bridge into Oregon and on to the "Sunset Highway".<br />
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In Portland, we found great, cheap parking right downtown in a lot surrounded by cool food carts... and proceeded to try none of them. We did however hit a few great Portland spots including: coffee at Stumptown, a photobooth at Ace Hotel, browsing books at Powell's, an amazing PBLT (pork belly, lettuce and tomato) at Lardo and ice cream at Ruby Jewel.<br />
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Wrapping up in Portland, we made the short drive to Salem, passing signs for The Dalles and Willamette which made me seriously nostalgic for my misspent youth playing hours of Oregon Trail (cholera anyone?).Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2011587507377822327.post-70568494590372871812013-11-07T18:25:00.003-08:002013-11-12T17:37:17.747-08:00Ocean Point SP to Cape Disappointment SP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Staying on the coast, we took Route 101 which traces some of the route taken by Lewis and Clark through many sloughs and little towns like Raymond (distinguished by tons of neat metal statutes on the roadside), South Bend (a quaint village self-declared as the "Oyster Capital of the World") and Ilwaco (a forgettable town we will never forget).<br />
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Ilwaco initially had little to recommend itself as a stopping point - other than the closest laundromat that the GPS could locate - however, the two hours we spent there were rather memorable for several reasons. First was the laundromat's strategic location across the street from Don's Portside Cafe and Pizzeria which, in addition to free wifi, served a tasty, snack-sized hamburger (provided that snack was being split 3 ways). Second was the locating of a 3 pound bag of Lifesavers Wint-o-Mints (a roadtrip-acquired addiction) at the small grocery store in town. And third, but not least, was when the rather rough-looking gentlemen smoking outside Ilwaco's local wateringhole "The Seahag" very sweetly complemented us on our cute kids. Ilwaco, you won our hearts.<br />
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Cape Disappointment SP (mis-named by English fur trader John Meares to reflect his emotion state at having not found the Columbia River) was a beautiful park with several nice beaches we enjoyed exploring.Sid.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15454696188357679253noreply@blogger.com0