Our Route

It's November and we finally sat down with a map to draw our route. We put it up on a wall in our basement next to a framed picture of prairie dogs...yup Lisa framed a picture of prairie dogs...



Looks like we've still missed a whole bunch of the country - an excuse to take another road trip in the future!

'dacks!

After leaving Elaine and Steve’s, holding our sides from breakfast (ham quickies - yum!), we went to Syracuse. Our first stop was Edie Derrick, a good family friend that loves to bake while we love to eat; it’s a wonderful combination. She took us to the Brooklyn Pickle for sandwiches that neither of us could finish!



In the afternoon we headed to Leslie’s (my cousin) new house on the shore of Oneida Lake. We admired the beautiful view and chatted away the afternoon. We even got to see her husband, Brad, as we were heading out.

The last two days of our trip were spent at North Lake in the Adirondacks, the location of my parent’s camp! We spent the days relaxing on the porch (with Lisa crushing me in a cribbage marathon...) and paddling on the lake. The weather was beautiful, but on the second day some thunderstorms started to roll in and we decided that was the sign to head home.



We had a rainy drive through the Adirondacks and a slight wait at the Crown Point ferry which didn’t feel like it took any time at all comparatively. We pulled into the driveway around 6:30 with an expectant cat in the window.



It was a great trip and we totaled 15,000 miles on the new car! We’re looking forward to spending autumn in Vermont. However, we’re already tossing around ideas for our next road-trip adventure!

Pictured Rocks

After our marathon driving day, we ended up in the upper peninsula of Michigan. We met Amy and Tom there and grabbed pasties for lunch (a Yooper specialty!). Pasties are simply some kind of filling surrounded with dough and then baked - sort of like a calzone crossed with a chicken pot pie.

In the afternoon we headed for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior. We stopped at the beach to dip our fingers into the lake and admired the sandstone cliffs in the distance. In the drizzly weather, nobody wanted to swim. We also went to Miner’s Castle for an overlook of the turquoise water and sandstone formations.



After michigans on Lake Michigan for supper, we camped near the shore of Lake Huron. The next day we stopped to dip our fingers in our last Great Lake.



We drove through Ontario, intending to stop at Niagra Falls. It was getting late and the prospect of twenty-dollar parking kept us moving. We got a good view, but not great pictures, from the road and bridge.



We headed to my Aunt Elaine and Uncle Steve’s in Fairport, New York for a night of excellent food (stuffed peppers!) and great company. It’s been a great trip but it’s good to be back with family again.

Teddy

Our first National Park of the trip was in the badlands of South Dakota. It made sense that the last park that we visited would be situated within the badlands of North Dakota. We pulled into the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park around mid-day. It was a bright sunny day but the humidity in the air made it apparent that storms were on the way.



After a stop at the visitor center to see the exhibits and film we left on the scenic drive. The ranger warned us to stick close to the car because of impending thunderstorms. Lisa was saddened because the prairie dog towns were a few miles off of the road. We followed the Little Missouri River, stopping to see a herd of longhorn cattle, before we reserved a campsite at the Juniper Campground.



Following the road further, we stopped at an overlook to admire the gray sections of bentonite clay running through the badlands formation. The bentonite is the result of volcanic ash which blew in from the west.



Our last stop on the drive overlooked the river valley. In this spot, we could see the area to which Theodore Roosevelt pursued thieves that stole his boat. We could see bison grazing in the distance, but no boat...



We drove slowly back to our campsite, where we had a leisurely evening followed by a sleepless night due to many thunderstorms rolling in. Getting up early we had a marathon driving day through North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The highlight was our stop at the geographic center of North America in Rugby, North Dakota where we took our picture while an armored car accelerated into a stop sign behind us. It was a boring day.

Here's That Rainy Day...

We spent the night at North Cascades National Park. We made a campfire with some wood left by our site’s previous occupants which meant that we made an apricot cobbler! It was a leisurely night, but we did attend a ranger program on the human history of the North Cascades region. There were two company towns in the area (Diablo and Newhalem) that were isolated from the surrounding regions during the construction of a dam and hydroelectric power plant in the early 20th century.

In the morning, we strolled along the Skagit river on a loop trail. The river water is unusually clear due to the dam blocking much of the sediment.



We stopped in the visitor center and watched a film on the area. The remoteness of the North Cascades mountain range has been preserved; without mountain climbing gear, there wasn’t much to do but drive through and admire the scenery. We drove the park road, stopping at many of the overlooks.



The rest of the day was spent driving through Washington, Idaho and into Northern Montana. The drive was direct with one stop for Chinese food and gas in Idaho. Luckily, the scenery kept changing from prairie to mountain. We can’t get used to that kind of variety as we head towards the midwest...

Arriving right outside Glacier National Park in the late evening, we set up the car and went to sleep.

We got to take showers in the morning and headed into the park where we were on a mission to find breakfast. Our expectations were exceeded at Eddie’s Restaurant in Agpar Village. We stuffed ourselves and went to see Lake McDonald for more unusually clear glacial water (this seems to be a common occurrence at this part of the trip.) Noticing a boat rental establishment on the shore, we couldn’t help ourselves and rented a canoe for a paddle on the lake.



When we returned to shore, it was just starting to rain. We returned the canoe and jumped in the car to drive the “Going to the Sun Highway.” We stopped at many of the overlooks and scenic views but clouds were blocking the more distant peaks. It was our first rainy day of the trip; we really can’t complain!



Arriving at Logan Pass, we intended to hike to Hidden Lake. Rain and temperatures in the forties made us change our plans. We listened to a ranger talk on the disappearance of glaciers in Glacier National Park. They’ll be declassifying two this year and expect to have no glaciers left in fifteen years. In 1850 there were 150 glaciers in the area, now there are 25!

Across the continental divide, we drove on and stopped to overlook Jackson Glacier. The characteristic blue ice was very visible this time of year.



Our last stop in the park was a view of Saint Mary Lake. The clouds were beginning to break now that we were on the “dry side” of the park; they still hung in the mountains to our back though.



We’ll be driving through northern Montana for the rest of the day. Our goal is to see Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota tomorrow. There’s supposed to be lots of buffalo and wild horses!

It's a Wash

After a night in Astoria, Oregon we went to Fort Clatsop - part of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Site. We arrived early, in time for the re-enactors dressed in buckskins to raise the fifteen star and stripe flag. One mentioned that they needed a bugle for the event and I told him that I had one sitting in the car. I ended up playing Star Spangled Banner while they raised the flag.



After enjoying the fort (Lisa wants to build one at the orchard) we went through the museum and headed into Washington for an all-American lunch in Longview. We got pie to go!

Our next stop was at the Mount Saint Helens Visitor Center. We could barely see the mountain through the clouds, but bought admission to the museum. Watching the movie inside, we were awed by the instant change that occurred during the mountain's eruption and the resulting mudslides. We ate our pie in the parking lot; it’s important to be prepared.

We headed to Mount Rainier National Park and were lucky to get one of the last campsites available for the evening at the Cougar Rock Campground. Our evening was leisurely as we built a fire and made peach cobbler over it.



Waking up early the next morning, we headed to Paradise (that’s actually the name of the area in the park). We got some excellent views of the mountain while we hiked to see Myrtle Falls. We were lucky to get a clear morning at Mount Rainier because some visitors don’t get to see the peak!



We hiked to Nisqually Glacier for a view of one of the many glaciers coming down from the snow-pack on the peak. It was amazing to see the boulders held within and the river cutting through a crevice below the ice.



We’re Seattle-bound for the afternoon, hoping to spend this evening in North Cascades National Park.

Or

After a lazy morning, we ended up at Crater Lake National Park at mid-day. When we turned into the Rim Village we gawked at the bluest water that we had ever seen. After we finished our leftover pizza for lunch, we headed down the walkway to the Sinnott Memorial Overlook. We were in time for a ranger talk on the history and geology of Crater Lake. It turns out that it should technically be called "Caldera Lake" since it is the result of a collapsed volcano!



The striking blue color of the water is the result of sunlight reflecting on some of the purest water in the world! There are no tributaries that flow into Crater Lake so all of the water is rainfall and snow-melt.



We drove the rim-drive stopping at many of the overlooks and snapped a ton of pictures. We especially enjoyed the views of Wizard Island.



We drove to the Oregon coast to camp for the night. After seafood for dinner, we slept well in the cool air.

The next day we drove the scenic Oregon coast and stopped at Sea Lion Caves. We enjoyed the guttural sounds from the creatures laying on the rocks below us. In the cave, we got a closer view of sea lions laying on a giant rock. It was entertaining watching the ones in the ocean trying to get out of the water.



We stopped to dip our toes in the Pacific Ocean on our way up the coast; it was invigorating.



Meandering up the coast, we ended up in Astoria on the north-western tip of Oregon for the evening. We'll be going to some Lewis and Clark historic sites in the morning.

Down Down Down, In a Burning Ring of Fire

We arrived at Lassen Volcanic National Park in the early evening and got a campsite near the southern entrance. After unpacking, we headed to the Sulfur Works, just up the road. We got to experience the “yellowstench” again from the thermal features there. After we had inhaled enough sulfur, we headed to our campsite, made dinner (chicken and sausage gumbo) and went to bed early.



Waking up early the next morning we headed to the Lassen Peak Trail. We knew that the upper portion would be closed, and thought that we might be able to get there before they put the gate across. We started up the trail, admiring the mountains and blue glacial lakes around us.



To our surprise, the upper trail hadn’t been closed so we made our way up the switch-backs to the peak. Other hikers were complaining about the forest fire causing smoke in the distance. We enjoyed the sight of smoke hanging in the peaks. Fire is actually an important natural process in these western forests and some trees can't reproduce without it!



When we got above the tree line, it became a scramble. When we got to the top we took a break to admire the view and eat some trail-mix.



After lunch at the visitor center, we hiked the Bumpass Hell trail. This was a series of fumaroles, pools and bubbling mud-pots similar to the Norris Geyser Basin at Yellowstone. The hot steam rising in the air made a nice contrast to the snow on the ground.




We walked through the Devastated Area on our way through the northern part of the park. The area may have been decimated during the 1914 eruption but now had many mature trees. There was an interesting mix of different lava rocks dotting the trail.



Driving out of the park, we stopped and grabbed popsicles before driving into Pheonix, Oregon for the evening. Our next stop is Crater Lake National Park.

Yosemite

Day 1: Hetch-Hetchy and Mariposa Grove

We got to Yosemite National Park early in the morning to get in line for a campsite. It wasn’t the best planning that we ended up at one of the most visited parks on the weekend. After a game of cribbage in the car, we ended up with a beautiful and very private site at the Crane Flat Campground.

Looking at the map, we headed north to the Hetch-Hetchy Reservoir. This was the controversial lake created in the early twentieth century to provide water for San Francisco.



We enjoyed the granite cliffs as we hiked towards Wapama Falls. The trail was deserted and the scenery was stunning. John Muir said that the scenery there rivaled the beauty of Yosemite Valley itself!



After a picnic, we headed south, through the construction and into Wawona to board the shuttle into the Mariposa Grove. We hiked through the giant trees, and snapped pictures along the way. The trees were still impressive, even after being at Sequoia National Park.



Heading north, we took the spur to Glacier Point for a sixteen-mile windy road that ended with a panoramic view of Yosemite Valley. The area has been a popular tourist destination since the parks’ creation and was even the area in which Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir camped together.



Our next stop of the evening was at another overlook of the valley, just after the tunnel.



Our last stop was at Bridalveil Fall for a quick hike. Tired, we snapped a few pictures and headed back to our campsite. It didn’t take us long to fall asleep.




Day 2: Yosemite Valley

We decided to try to see some of the valley first thing in the morning, before the crowds descended. We arrived around 7:30 and had no problem finding a parking spot. That wouldn’t be the case for most of the drivers arriving later in the day.

Our first hike was to Vernal Falls. It was a steep trail, that only got steeper as we got closer to the falls. The mist from the falling water was refreshing when we got close; it also created a distinct and clear rainbow at the base. When we reached the top, we took a break and ate some trail mix while chasing corpulent squirrels away...



We followed the path a bit further towards Emerald Pool and a bridge that viewed Nevada Falls. Not wanting to ascend another thousand feet in elevation, we fought traffic on the way back down the trail.



After lunch at the Taqueria, we walked to Mirror Lake, which has receded to only a few pools at this point in the year. However, the view looking directly up at half-dome was impressive!



Since we were both hot in the mid-afternoon sun, we took the shuttle to the visitor center and watched the movie: “The Spirit of Yosemite.” The film was well done, but they amplified the sound of the rushing spring waterfalls so much that most of the audience was deaf and had to read the subtitles. Luckily, we had the foresight to plug our ears.

We followed the path from the Visitor Center to lower Yosemite Falls. The falls came from half-way down the huge granite wall. There were crowds wading and swimming in the pools below.



Our last stop in the valley was dinner (pasta) and we headed back to our great campsite for the night.

Day 3: Tuolumne Meadows & Tioga Pass:

We awoke early and cold on our last morning at Yosemite. We made some oatmeal for breakfast and headed towards the eastern entrance of the park. This road took us through much of Yosemite's beautiful high-country. We stopped at many of the overlooks along the road:



One of our last views was of Tuolmne Meadows, which seems like a backpacker destination based on the number of parked cars along the road. We stopped just in time to watch a deer and two fawns trot across the meadow.



Tioga pass led us through a view of polished granite and glacial debris as we headed out of the park.



Our next stop is Lassen Volcanic National Park in northern California.

Big Trees, Big Canyon...

The smoke hanging in the hills above our campground didn’t impede our travels at all. In fact, the fires are to the south and we drove away from them. The air got cleaner as the morning pressed on.

We arrived at Sequoia National Park around mid-day and drove the windy road, through construction, and into the groves of big trees. The Lodgepole Campground was our first destination and we got one of the last two campsites left for the evening. We made some chicken sandwiches for lunch and headed towards the General Sherman Trail. At the bottom, we stood in awe of the biggest tree on Earth.



Crystal Cave was the next stop after a twisty nine-mile road. It was unique in the cave tours that we’ve taken; the cave was formed from marble rather than limestone and there were no artificial lights within the cave. We were all given flashlights at the beginning of the tour which made for a natural cave experience. The wet cave featured snow-like, white crystals running over many of the cave formations. In spots, water had slowly polished blue marble.



After the cave, we went to the Sequoia Museum where we learned about the history of the park. There had been an entire village dismantled since the 1950’s since it was built too close to the trees and was damaging their shallow roots.

From there we hiked the Big Trees Trail, where we viewed big trees. We were amazed at the singed fire-marks on the base of otherwise healthy enormous trees. They are apparently very resilient.

After Mexican slop for dinner (we’re using up our supplies...) we went to bed early. We woke up early the next day, and headed to Moro Rock for a panoramic view of the valley below. There was a crystal-clear view all around us but there was a clear smog line to the west.



Again, we walked to General Sherman but it was early enough that we were there alone. We admired the big tree and then walked the Congress Trail. The trail took us to view some of the densest groves of sequoias that we had seen.



We headed north into Kings Canyon National Park where we had a picnic near the General Grant tree (the third largest in the world). We hiked the trail around the grove and then headed into the canyon.



On our descent into Kings Canyon, we couldn’t help stopping at the lookouts:



We made it to the bottom, and back into the park, following the river. We stopped at the Roaring River Falls for a scenic view. Unfortunately, other than scenic lookouts, King’s Canyon NP is mostly a backpackers’ paradise. The trails were longer than we’d be able to do in an afternoon. We headed out of the park.



When back in the National Forest, we stopped at Grizzly Falls. It was another scenic spot where we could feel the cool mist coming from the pool below us.



On the way out, we enjoyed the scenery but looked forward to some straight roads. We’re now heading towards Yosemite for the next few days