Happy Thanksgiving from Death Valley!

Kevin and I traded in our RV for a newer model and decided to travel to Death Valley National Park for a Thanksgiving weekend adventure.  We cooked our holiday meal right in the RV and it was great.  The temperatures were mostly mild during the day in the 60-70's, but dropped to the 40's at night.  It was amazing how many tent campers there were!  There were a lot of people in the park for the holiday, but access to the park is limited to only a few roads.  The rest is accessible only by foot and is the largest national park in the lower 48 states.  The views are spectacular and there is definitely something to do for everyone.  Enjoy the photos!

Lake Hill is 2000 feet tall and is directly in the center of the picture.  It looks so small from a distance and the hills appear to be relatively close.  However, in the desert distance is markedly skewed.  What appeared to be only a mile-long hike actually turned out to be 10-plus miles on the map!  It's amazing!  Notice the snowcaps in the distance. 

Sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells. 

The sand was so soft, it was difficult to climb up the dunes.  It was worth the effort because the views were beautiful from the top.

Here are some shots of the new RV.  It has two slide outs, one in the family room and one in the bedroom, to maximize the living space while parked.  We definitely needed it since we like to travel with two big dogs.  They still wanted to be where we were, but everyone had a little more room to move.

Carmel and 17-Mile Drive

September 25th was our 16th wedding anniversary.  We took a day trip to Carmel, which is south of Monterey, and drove along 17-Mile Drive, which is nestled between the two.  Finally we took a drive to the coast on a sunny day!  It was a gorgeous weekend with blue skies and warm breezes.  I got a dozen red roses and Kevin got his wish to not be in any of the pictures.

One of the things we wanted to do was go to the Carmel Mission.  There are 21 missions from San Diego to Sonoma.  They were established in an attempt to convert the Native Americans to Christianity.  Carmel Mission was established in 1770 and was the second of the missions.  In 1880 the roof collapsed and the mission was restored in 1924.  It became a parish in 1933 and still celebrates mass to this day.  The grounds were beautiful and the chapel was open to visitors. 

A section of the grounds was designated as a cemetary.  It was very simple in design.  The graves were each outlined by large shells and rocks.  The man who renovated the mission to its present condition was buried there.  His burial site was in a separate row of graves that had engraved headstones.  The others that you see above, were only marked with wooden crosses.   

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We headed back north by way of 17-Mile Drive.  This loop of road is home to a number of Golf Courses, most notably Pebble Beach, tremendously expensive homes, cypress trees and beautiful vistas of the Pacific.  Behind me is the waypoint called the "Restless Sea".  It was mesmerizing to watch the water hit the rocks.  A number of surfers rode the waves to shore just to the north of us.

The Lone Cypress is about 250 years old and the official trademark of Pebble Beach.  It is one of the more popular stops along 17-Mile Drive.  What a beautiful day for an anniversary celebration!

                                                                                              

Kayaking in Monterey Bay

A few years ago, Kevin and I bought kayaks to paddle around the back channels of Canandaigua Lake. We didn't have much of an oppportunity to use them because of Kevin's deployment and our recent move. We brought our kayaks to California hoping to put them to good use. Saturday 9/19/09, we headed back to Monterey to paddle around the bay.

Monterey Bay from the water.

I wanted this to be a relaxing, jump-in-the-kayaks-and-go kind of day. The last thing I wanted was a big production to get down there. Well, the day before, Kevin informed me that the Pacific Ocean is very cold and we need to get wetsuits. Huh? In Canandaigua, we wore T-shirts and shorts. Kevin's reply was, "This isn't Canandaigua." We couldn't get any wetsuits from our local sporting goods store, so we hoped to find something in Monterey.  Monterey Bay Kayaks was the answer to our prayers.  They had everything we needed.  The clerk informed me that we shouldn't wear anything cotton because we would get wet and cold.  I had no intention of getting wet, but I didn't tell her that.  My mistake.  As much as I love the idea of the unitard, the wetsuits were a godsend.  You do get splashed from time to time.  Six-hundred dollars later, we got our suits, jackets and water shoes and were finally ready to kayak.

I wasn't sure what to expect.  I thought we were just going to go in the calm water by the marina.  As you can see by the pictures above, we were practically in the ocean.  You had to be careful when fishing boats passed by because the wake they created could topple you if you were facing the wrong way.  It was exciting to be out there and in retrospect, I'm glad we did.  Once you paddle past the fishing docks, there is a rock wall alive with gulls and seals.  The fish smell was very concentrated there and the seals were noisier than I ever remember.  They were a riot.  Many of them were just hanging out.  It's hard to tell in some of the pictures, but it was actually a beautiful sunny day.  The sky was blue behind us, but the fog rolled in ahead of us. 

The best thing about being in the water was getting so close to the animals.  The seals and otters would pop up around you going on about their business.  Various birds flew all around us looking for their next meal.  As we got closer to the aquarium, the sea kelp was more abundant in the water.  Birds perched on top of it and the otters swam in the middle of it.  It was hard to get pictures because the kayak was constantly in motion and I had to keep the camera dry, but I managed to get some good shots.  The sea otters were very aware of our presence and often watched as we paddled by.

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Sea Otter Video Clip



The total trip was about three miles.  We went as far as the aquarium and went ashore for lunch.  Afterward, we headed back to the beach where we started.  Any further and we would have been in the rougher waters of the ocean.  I was so proud of myself for staying dry.  I had just hit the beach and I was paddling to get further out of the water when a small wave turned my kayak sideways and I wiped out in front of everyone.  Thank God I didn't wear cotton!  We had a blast and the dogs were good.  We headed home after sundaes at Ghirardelli.  Another great day in Monterey!

Once we got home, Ingonish went to his favorite place - the fridge.  He knows where ice cubes come from and was ready for a bedtime snack!

Port Reyes National Seashore

Labor Day Weekend 2009 held much promise as we were looking forward to a long weekend.  On Sunday 9/6/09, we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge to Point Reyes National Seashore.  It was about an hour north of Sausalito on Route 1.  This road is the scenic route along the California coastline.  The first ten plus miles of Route 1 proved to be very twisty and crowded.  Ingonish has always had a queasy stomach in the truck, but has done well on motorhome trips.  We were keeping our fingers crossed. 

Sure enough, he proceeded to vomit two times in the same spot on our way up.  Luckily we had throw rugs down, but quickly used all of them up.  At least we knew his stomach was finally empty.  We figured it was worth it just to spend a day at the beach.

We soon found out Point Reyes was not all we thought it would be.  The roads were unpaved and bumpy and the scenery was less than inspiring.  Still, we were there and wanted to make the best of it.

The coastline proved to be very beautiful with bright blue skies.  At the southern most tip was Point Reyes Light.  We always like to see as many lighthouses as we can.  We found out the lighthouse was situated at the windiest point in the United States.  I believe it.  The wind was horrendous.  It made the wind at our Canandaigua house seem like a small breeze.  With all the rocks below, we could see why it was such an important place for a lighthouse.

Kevin decided it would be fun to take the dogs on the beach.  A few words came to my mind:  salt, sand, misbehaved.  See where this was heading?  The sand had a consistency of dirt.  I stayed back and watched the action instead.  I got jumped on the weekend before with muddy wet paws and this weekend was much cooler on the coast.  The three of them jumped in the water having fun.  The dogs absolutely loved it.  They also loved drinking the nice salt water and eating and rolling in the nice sand.  Thank God there was an outdoor shower where the boys were promptly bathed before heading back to the motorhome.  It was fun watching them have a good time.

The trip home proved to be just as exciting as the ride up.  Ingonish threw up the sand and water that he swallowed.  There weren't many places to pull over to let them out.  So, Cabot decided to pee in the motorhome without any warning.  Nice.  Even though this wasn't our best trip, we enjoyed spending time together and managed to have fun and laugh along the way.  Kevin bathed the dogs and shampooed the motorhome carpet when we got home around 10 pm.  I sat on the couch and watched TV:)

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Kevin, the dogs and I packed the motorhome and headed up to Lassen Volcanic National Park and Forest from 8/28/09-8/30/09. Lassen Peak last erupted in 1915 and is part of a chain of active volcanoes at the southern end of the Cascade mountain range. Hydrothermal activity continues today with steaming vents (fumaroles), boiling sulphur springs and bubbling mudpots. The peaks are surrounded by firs, pines, lakes and streams.


This steaming vent is part of an area called Sulphur Works. The smell is unreal. This is just one reminder of the activity that exists below the surface.



Lake Helen was a gorgeous oasis on a hot summer day. Kevin took the boys for a swim (maybe they

took him)! Afterward, they jumped up and got mud all over me while a nearby young boy kept saying "oh, look at the dogs!" Yeah, thanks kid! The closer he got, the crazier they became.



This is a view from a trail above leading to Bumpass Hell, a hotbed of hydrothermal activity. The water is so boiling hot and the crusted layers over the water are so thin that the only way to see the Bumpass Hell area is to utilize the boardwalk built for tourists. The yellow areas on the ground are sulfate crystals. The bubbling of the mud and water is so pressurized, it actually sounds like a waterfall. However, it smells like the foulest sulphur spring you could ever imagine. It makes rotten eggs smell like roses!



The area was very beautiful with mountains and evergreens surrounding us from above.


Check out the videos of the boiling sulphur springs, mudpots and steam vents!

Overlooking the park as we were driving down the trail.

The second night we left the boundary of the park and pulled into a quiet area in the National Forest to camp. A small stream lulled us to sleep nearby. The last day we climbed a huge boulder, which gave us a great view of the area. If you look closely, you can see a glimpse of the motorhome behind the trees.

Heading Home!

Monterey Bay

Saturday, 8/22/09, Kevin and I headed down to Monterey. It was hot and sunny in Milpitas, and cool, breezy and overcast in Monterey. What a difference as you head toward the coast. We started out at Fisherman's Wharf and walked the 1.2 mile trail to Cannery Row, which is where the Aquarium is located. Most of these pictures can be double-clicked to see them in a larger view.





We walked alongside the harbor at the beginning of the trail. It was late afternoon/early evening and the water was full of activity. The sailboats were swaying in the breeze as the brown pelicans were swooping and diving in the water for their dinner. Cormorants, seagulls and loons (yes, loons!) were either swimming or sunning themselves on the rocks. A lone harbor seal was sleeping soundly amid all the activity!

Monterey Bay Aquarium was wonderful. It was the first time either of us had been there. We loved watching the animals in action, especially some of the strange and unique creatures under the sea.

I think we were most fascinated by the jellyfish. I did not know there were so many varieties and that they ranged from teeny tiny to very large, like what you see at the beach. My favorite one had to be the purple-striped jelly. It was the first one you came to and was one of the larger and more colorful of the jellies at the aquarium. It was mesmerizing to see them in action and the dim lights at the exhibit enhanced the beautiful colors. People were taking pictures like crazy. I was surprised I was able to capture the image in such a dark room!

Purple-striped Jelly

Black Sea Nettle Jelly

Moon Jelly
I think this one is cool because it looks like a flower in the center. It was soft and pretty compared to the more vibrantly colored jellies.






Comb Jellies Video



This video is of the Comb Jelly. You can hardly see the outline of the jellyfish. What makes this one so unique, is that eight linear structures within the jellyfish create a multicolor strobe effect as it hits the light. They looked like little spaceships floating in the water.

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The "Secret Lives of Seahorses" exhibit opened this past spring. Like the jellyfish, they also range in size. They can be as small as a fingernail to 7-8 inches tall. That's pretty large for a seahorse! They were pretty funny to watch. Some of them swam in large circles as their back fins fluttered while propelling them along.




The potbelly seahorses looked like they were all pregnant. Apparently for the male potbellies, bigger is definitely better. They inflate their bellies with water to attract a mate. Just what women want, a potbellied man! The second bizarre creature is actually a leafy sea dragon, a cousin to the seahorse. They have leaf-like appendages to help camouflage them in their home within the kelp.

Potbelly Seahorses and Leafy Sea Dragon

Monterey is home to the sea otter, commonly found floating on their backs in the harbor. This little guy is actually an African spotted-necked otter. The reason he was so funny is that he was by himself sitting on a rock baring his teeth at everyone. I don't know if he was making any noises, but he looked ferocious, or at least tried to, until it ended in a yawn. It was funny to watch.






After a day of sightseeing and shopping (I did most of that), we ended the night with a great dinner at Isabella's, an Italian seafood and steak restaurant. The dogs were waiting for us in the motorhome and were very well-behaved. Can you believe it? It was a great day. If anyone wants to visit, we would love to take you to Monterey Bay.