View from our hotel room in Kamloops
TTFN xxx
Monday, 18 June 2012
Photos from days 60 to 63
Hope you like these photos.
View from our hotel room in Kamloops
Roy doing the ironing - he did the washing too!
On the deck at the Solstice B & B in Valemount
A real log cabin in the woods
I was telling the truth about the stunning Canadian scenery!
Athabasca glacier sign
Roy by the explorer vehicles that took us onto the glacier
Does it look cold & windy? It was - very!
A view of the glacier
The big brown bear we saw at the roadside on the way to Banff.
Self explanitary!
Lake Louise, lovely even in the rain.
Hope you've enjoyed sharing some of our adventures via the photos. More to come in a couple of days.
TTFN xxx
View from our hotel room in Kamloops
TTFN xxx
Days 60 to 63 vancouver to Banff 13 - 16.06.12
Day 60 Vancouver to Kamloops 13.06.12
Leaving Vancouver today for a 1 night stay in Kamloops, it's very cloudy & the mountains are invisible so good job we video’d them yesterday. Set off through the amazing Canadian countryside of trees, more trees, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, sheer rock faces, just like on the tv. It rained a bit but doesn't detract from the views at all. We stopped at a rest area in the mountains & had a hotdog & hot chocolate. There was still snow on the ground & it was freezing! We finally got to the hotel after firstly going to the wrong one, then sitting outside Starbucks with the computer on looking for directions, luckily it was only down the road!
We checked into the Maverick Motor Inn & have got a great room on the top floor with views of the city through the picture window, perfect.
I unpacked & sent Roy off to do the washing. We got ready & went to the chinese restaurant next door. The food was brilliant but the portions were enormous! Even the waitress talked us out of having rice as she said we should see the portions before deciding. We didn't have the rice! Back at the hotel we got 'The Great Outdoors' with John Candy & both enjoyed watching it.
Day 61 Kamloops to Valemount 14.06.12
Off to our 2nd & last B & B of the trip today, 220 miles to drive. The sky was overcast &, lo & behold, not far into the journey the heavens opened & it rained for the rest of the day. We stopped at a place in Blue River for some food before carrying on. Just down the road I spotted a flash of black & it was 2 black bears near the side of the road grazing on the plants. Roy quietly pulled up nearby so I could video them. It was thrilling, one didn't mind at all but the other moved further & further into the longer grass as if it was hiding. What a buzz!
Not much later we arrived at the Solstice B & B run by Leneaya & her husband Keith. She greeted us like long lost friends with her almost 2 year old daughter, Jessie. We were made to feel very at home in their lovely log cabin. The huge deck looked out over the trees to a river & snow capped mountains. It really is out in the woods! What a view to wake up to every morning.
We settled in to our room with wooden furniture that Keith had made & then were invited into the kitchen to talk to her while she cooked their tea. While we sat there with our cups of tea we saw humming birds coming to feed on the deck.
We went into the living room that is for guests & watched 'The Patriot' with Mel Gibson before turning in for the night. Everywhere is so quiet.
Unfortunately, & because I'm so biteable! I had a few midge bites!
Day 62 Valemount to Jasper, Alberta 15.06.12
We slept well in our extremely comfy bed & went out on the deck until our cooked breakfast was ready. The rain has stopped so we took some photos & the dog seemed to get on them all!
Brilliant breakfast, fresh fruit salad, bacon, eggs, potatoes, tomato & toast. While we were having our breakfast Jessie decided to sit on the dogs back out on the deck. It was so cute, the dog rolled over as if to say, 'go on then!' The next thing Jessie was lying by the dog & they were cuddling each other. Pity we couldn't get the camera fast enough! What a wonderful life for a child.
Then we set off, reluctantly, on our 130 mile drive to Jasper. We'll do some stop offs on the way. We had to stop to pay for a 3 day pass to Jasper & Banff national parks - we didn't know about that & left $60 lighter.
The scenery is amazing, hope we don't start taking it for granted. We stopped in Jasper for a drink & a look around & were quite disappointed by it as we thought it would be a bit more vibrant. Nice but not quite what we expected. decided not to go up on the cable car but save the money towards tomorrows trip.
We stopped at a few viewpoints for waterfalls & lakes & then I spotted a coyote. They are such shy creatures but I tried to film it. We saw another one at a stopping place a few miles further on but it ran off as soon as it saw us. It's brilliant seeing animals in the wild.
Then we stopped at the Athabasca falls which were fast & furious & just by the carpark. An Indian gentleman asked Roy where they were when he could see & hear them!!!
We arrived at the Sunwapta Falls Lodge, the most expensive hotel apart from New York, at 4.00pm & checked in. Our room is very nice with views of the mountains. Unpacked & went for the 5 minute walk to the Sunwapta falls, again very fast moving water, nothing would stand a chance if they fell in. My bites were starting to itch &, to top it all, I've got another on my foot from the walk to the falls! Blast!
We booked a table at the restaurant for 7.30pm & relaxed before getting ready. When we went down the lad made a comment about being late, then we discovered that the time has changed again & it was actually 8.30pm! Thankfully there was a table for us & we both had the spaghetti with buffalo bolognese sauce.
It was lovely but pricey, we couldn't eat like that every day on our budget but it's nice for a change.
Day 63 Jasper to Canmore, Nr Banff 16.06.12
Woke this morning with terrible earache in my left ear & swollen glands. Packed up & set off for our 2 day stay in Canmore. We are travelling along the Icefields Parkway which is one of the top 10 drives in the world. They are absolutely correct, so I won't bore you with more talk of the scenery.
On the way we stopped off at the Columbia Icefield & paid $104 to go on a trip on the Athabasca glacier.
I put on 2 fleeces & my waterproof coat with a hood for my poor ear. We were driven in a coach to the edge of the glacier & then transferred into an explorer. The drivers / guides are all very knowledgable about the glacier, history, everything to do with the area & kept us entertained. Once we had got quite a way onto the glacier we had 25 minutes to get off & explore, but only in specific places. The wind was so fierce it almost blew me over & it was so cold, like being in the arctic! Absolutely amazing though, a trip not to be missed. Sadly, at the rate it is melting, there will be no glacier there in 100 years time.
After we got back to the centre we had a slice of pizza & hot chocolate to warm us up.
As we drove along the road we could see 2 cars stopped so we pulled up & there was a large brown bear on the roadside grazing. He wasn't bothered by us but then other vehicles started pulling up so he scarpered.
Further on there was another group & there was a large grizzly with 2 cubs but I could only see it's head. Looked big though. There were some orientals & they were making so much noise I'm surprised the bear stayed where it was!
Next stop was Lake Louise, very pretty but, unfortunately, it was raining again so we had a quick look, took some photos & left. We carried on to our hotel in Canmore, the Bow Valley Inn & another nice room looking out on the mountains. It's hard not to look at them as they are all around.
We went to the brew pub, The grizzly Paw, next door & I had a raspberry beer & Roy had another sort of beer & we both had the burgers. Had a walk down the street then back to the hotel as the rain had started again.
Photos going on a separate blog.
TTFN xxx
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Days 55 to 59 Seattle - Vancouver, Canada 08 - 12.06.12
Day 55 Seattle to Vancouver 08.06.12
Got up at 7.30am, showered, had breakfast & packed. We’re
going to Vancouver, Canada today for 5 days. We’ve only got 130 miles to go so
there’s no rush. Just before the border the rain was so bad we could hardly see
where we were going. We filled up with petrol, as it’s so expensive in Canada
& then crossed the border. The guy on duty wanted to know where we were
from, why we were going to Canada, what we did for a living, if we’d bought any
alcohol or cigarettes but didn’t even look at our car papers which we’d made
sure to print off! Typical, if we didn’t have them he would have wanted to see
them.
Anyway our plan was to surprise Jennie at work but before we
could do that we had a text from Louise saying that Jennie had gone for some
lunch & could we go to her house at 4.00pm? Since being in Canada Jennie
hasn’t been able to get in touch via phone so emails Louise to text us.
We first had to find an HSBC bank to get some Canadian
dollars, which we did, then find the hotel & sign in. As we were too early
to check in we popped next door to McDonalds for a coffee & burger then
checked in & unpacked. Our room is a nice 2 queen bed room with everything
we need for our 5 night stay &, for the first time in ages, I unpacked properly!
The next thing was to find Jennie’s house, Roy had an idea
where it was from Google maps but hadn’t allowed for the fact that house
numbers don’t go in numerical order! There were odd gaps between them of 50, 70
or even more than 100 so we’d gone past Jennie’s house without realising it.
After turning round & going back we found it & went in to have a look
at where she’s been living for the last year & a bit.
At this point it should have been a grand reunion but we had
that in Vegas when she & Louise surprised us! After an inspection of the
house we went for a walk down to the water via her neighbourhood, which is very
nice & residential. We were hungry by the time we set off back so went into
White Spot (similar to Wetherspoons) for some tea & then to meet Amy &
Mike who share the house with Jennie. We’ve been lucky with the weather today
as it’s been very pleasant.
Day 56 Vancouver
09.06.12
Woke at 7.30am & got ready for our trip to Whistler,
where the winter Olympics have been held. Picked Jennie, Amy & Mike up
about 9.30am & set off on the 70 mile trip to Whistler. On the way we
stopped off at Shannon Falls & Brandywine Falls, both very picturesque.
Whistler is lovely, like an alpine village in the mountains with snow still on
top of them. We had a wander around, took some photos & had an ice cream.
There were loads of people on bikes going up on the ski lift then cycling down
the steep path back to the bottom! This is what they do when the skiing season
is over. Looked dangerous to me but exhilarating!
After a couple of hours we drove on 40+ miles to the Joffre
lakes high up in the mountains. So high in fact that there was still quite a
bit of snow that we had to walk through down through the trees to the lake!
Wow, it was worth it. Pure typical Canadian scenery, woods, lake, mountains
with trees & snow on, perfect. I have to say that throughout the day I had
shorts on, even in the snow!
The scenery on all of the drive today has been superb. On
the way back we stopped for a drink & the 3 ‘young ‘uns’ had hotdogs then
we came back stopping by the water for a quick look before dropping them all
off about 8.00pm & calling at Wendy’s for baked potatoes & chilli for
our tea, then back to the hotel to relax.
Day 57 Vancouver 10.06.12
Can’t believe how fast these Sundays come around! Rang home
so they know we’re still alive, then got ready for our next day out. Picked Jennie
up at 10.30am & drove to Capilano Suspension Bridge. Jennie’s friend has
got us complimentary passes which was greatly appreciated. What a well set out
place it was. We went over the suspension bridge, 450 feet long, 230 feet high
over the river. Yes, I walked over it & loved it! It was swaying loads
because of all of the people going both ways but was very safe & great fun,
just like on ‘I’m a celebrity!’ I can
prove it by the pictures! We also went along all of the wooden walkways up
among the Douglas firs in the treetops adventure & high up on the cliff
walk via another 7 suspension bridges ( not as long as the main one), up the
sheer granite cliffs over the canyon. Fantastic! We rewarded ourselves with
hotdogs, chips & a drink before heading off.
Next stop Grouse Mountain. Jennie has a year pass so we got
in for half price. Nice one Jennie! We went on the skyride which is a cable car
straight up the mountain, a great 6 minute ride standing with 60 odd other
people. On the way we could see the 3 wolves in the wolf enclosure at the
bottom of the mountain. Brill – I love wolves – the furry kind, not the footie
team!
When we got off we were glad to have on layers & rain
coats as the cloud was very low & there was still a fair bit of snow
around. No shorts today! The first thing we did was watch the lumber jack show –
2 guys competing against each other, chopping wood, climbing massive, high
trees & log rolling in water & they both had a drenching. It was all
great fun. Then we went to see if the 2 rescued grizzly bears, Grinder &
Coola were visible in their enclosure. They were both rescued as cubs when
their mothers were killed & have lived there for 11 years as they wouldn’t
have survived in the wild. They have a large area including a big pond &
somewhere to hibernate so don’t do too bad. Coola was only visible from the
back but Grinder was having a look around but not walking around. They only
came out of hibernation mid April.
On the mountain the snow is usually at least 20 feet deep
every winter & takes quite a while to go. As it was too cloudy we didn’t
take the ski lift to the summit as we wouldn’t have seen anything but we did
enjoy watching people on the zip line.
Next we went to see the birds of prey show & saw a Kestrel,
2 owls, a vulture & a bald eagle. Drawn back to the bears in case they were
moving about we listened to the rangers talk about them & then got the
cable car back to the bottom to see if the wolves were around. We did see one
of the white wolves lying down but the others weren’t around. Then we saw 2
black tailed deer so, all in all, it was a great day.
Jennie came back to the hotel with us to help put the photos
on to discs, then we dropped her off at home.
Day 58 Vancouver 11.06.12
Forgot to say in yesterdays blog that people, including
Jennie, actually run, jog & walk up Grouse Mountain for pleasure &
there’s a list of fastest times with different age groups. If you saw how steep
it was you’d think they were mad! There was even an 80 -89 year old age group
& the times were amazingly fast!
Got ready & had a walk up the road before going to
Starbucks where Jennie works to meet her when she finishes. Today we’re
exploring the city & going to Stanley Park so we dropped the car off at
Jennie’s house & walked to the skytrain to go downtown. When we got there
we went on the seabus to North Vancouver then came back & went to an Irish
pub for some lunch.
Well fed we set off for the water front & had a walk
around seeing a big cruise liner & lots of sea planes landing & taking
off. We walked to Stanley Park & had an ice cream then walked round. I have
never seen so many cyclists, joggers & roller skaters in my life, everybody
in Vancouver seems to be fitness orientated! It’s great to see after the
excesses of America!
After walking for most of the day my feet & legs were a
bit tired so it was nice to relax in the hotel for the evening.
Day 59 Vancouver 12.06.12
After 3 days of good weather it was a surprise to wake up to
drizzle. No problem as we’ve got lots to do today. First off was to draw out
some more money & we discovered that we could only use the HSBC bank so
wasted quite a bit of time. Then we took the car for an oil change & then
into town to find an Alamo office to take out breakdown cover for the rest of
our trip. This done we did a bit of souvenir shopping before picking Jennie up
from work.
We’ve booked hair appointments and the girl, Bonnie, is Vietnamese.
She looked at my hair & went off to get the colour for the highlights &
base without looking at colour charts – which was a bit worrying! I can
honestly say no one has put colour on my hair so fast before! Then Roy had the
fastest hair cut ever & I had the colour washed off & my hair cut. All
in all she made a great job of us both but there were moments when I feared for
our ears as she was a whizz with the scissors!
After a bit of shopping we dropped Jennie off at home, she’s
making us chicken casserole for tea, yummy! Roy dropped me off at the hotel so
I could do some sorting out & went to Jennie’s to fit her a blind & go
for some shelves before picking me up for tea. All I can say is, ‘ Jennie, you
make a great chicken casserole. Thank you!’ The day may have been miserable as
far as the weather was concerned but it was a triumph as far as getting things
done that needed doing & having a lovely, home cooked tea. Our time in
Vancouver has been great & we’d like to thank Jennie for being such a great
guide & host.
In Whistler at the olympic rings
Hope you've enjoyed hearing about our adventure in Vancouver & seeing the photos.
TTFN xxx
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Days 52 - 54 Eugene, Oregon to Seattle, Washington State 5 - 7. 06.12
Day 52 Crescent City to Eugene, Oregon 05.06.12
Woke just after 7 & it's not raining YET. Cloudy & grey though.After we'd packed we walked up to the small harbour to see the seals on the pontoons. Some were swimming around in the sea & they were all very noisy.
We set off on our trip to Eugene & stopped at an old town called Bandon on the way to stretch our legs & have something to eat. What a great place, really friendly people & all along the front there were large carved sea creatures & hand carved benches dedicated to people. No graffitti or damage to anything - wonder how long they'd have stayed that way in the UK?
We went into Lloyd's Old Town Tavern & had hot sandwiches with THE MOST DELICIOUS CRISPS I've ever eaten (& I've eaten a few!) They were freshly made by the chef. I've been spoiled now.
On the rest of the drive we went through the most picturesque scenery yet, forests often going right down to the sea, rivers, creeks & lakes all along & the coastline was amazing. Everywhere is so green too, they say they have a lot of rain but it's stayed fine for us.
Another stop on the way was at Winchester Bay for an icecream. The woman in the shop wasn't as friendly as the ones in Bandon.
By some fluke, as we'd gone a different way so the instructions didn't match up to the way we drove in, we found our hotel & checked in, this time the girl was lovely & friendly but we didn't have a coffee/ tea maker, never mind it's only for 1 night.
Did the ironing & watched an old Judy Garland film on the tv.
Day 53 Eugene to Portland, Oregon 06.06.12
Had a very disturbed nights sleep as some sort of horns / blowers kept going off all through the night. When we went down for breakfast I asked the guy on the desk & he thought it might have been the trains but said he didn't hear anything. He wasn't very friendly or chatty at all! For the 2nd morning in a row we've had no cereals - it must be an Oregon thing! Set off at 11.00am as we've only got 130 miles to go so we need to stretch out the journey. Never mind stretching out the journey - we stretched my stomach again with some strawberry puppies from Denny's!
Carried on to the Aladdin Inn in Portland & put the heating on. It's hard to believe that just a couple of weeks ago we were roasting & now it's COLD!
We did have a laugh at the tv - it was made in february 1987! We've chucked out newer ones than that.
Had some sad news today - My Ex Father in Law, Arthur passed away today. He was in hospital & will be sadly missed by many people.
We lazed around & then popped out to Starbucks for a hot drink, no coffee / tes making facilities again.
Day 54 Portlant to Seattle 07.06.12
Woke to rain this morning & it's cold again. Breakfast was basic to say the least & we packed up & left about 10.00am. The girl on reception wasn't very pleasant either.
On the way it rained so much we could hardly see where we were going, & still some cars didn't have their lights on! We arrived at the Georgetown Inn just outside Seattle about 2.00pm & checked in. Nice room but again no coffee / tea maker! Starbucks opposite so guess we'll be going there again.
By about 4.00pm it looked as if the rain had stopped for a while so we braved it & drove into Seattle. Being unfamiliar with the roads etc it was a bit of an ordeal but we found a carpark right next to the space needle & the monorail. Had a look at the needle but didn't really have time to go up it & it was $20 each so got the monorail into the main bit of town. We'd been told to visit Pike Place Market which we did. It's a fish, fresh fruit, flower & craft market & was great to walk around even though by that time some of the stalls were packing up. The size of the fish & seafood & variety was amazing.
Then we walked to the waterfront but that wasn't anything flash & we had to make our way over a very busy road to get near it. Then we walked back to the metro station, had some food & got back on the train.
I have to say that the buildings were good to see & I kept trying to see if I recognised any from the tv!
Roy on a bench in Bandon Old Town
Seattle - cold but at least it stayed dry.
The space needle in Seattle
Will have lots to tell you next time as we'll be in Vancouver for 5 days.
TTFN xxx
Woke just after 7 & it's not raining YET. Cloudy & grey though.After we'd packed we walked up to the small harbour to see the seals on the pontoons. Some were swimming around in the sea & they were all very noisy.
We set off on our trip to Eugene & stopped at an old town called Bandon on the way to stretch our legs & have something to eat. What a great place, really friendly people & all along the front there were large carved sea creatures & hand carved benches dedicated to people. No graffitti or damage to anything - wonder how long they'd have stayed that way in the UK?
We went into Lloyd's Old Town Tavern & had hot sandwiches with THE MOST DELICIOUS CRISPS I've ever eaten (& I've eaten a few!) They were freshly made by the chef. I've been spoiled now.
On the rest of the drive we went through the most picturesque scenery yet, forests often going right down to the sea, rivers, creeks & lakes all along & the coastline was amazing. Everywhere is so green too, they say they have a lot of rain but it's stayed fine for us.
Another stop on the way was at Winchester Bay for an icecream. The woman in the shop wasn't as friendly as the ones in Bandon.
By some fluke, as we'd gone a different way so the instructions didn't match up to the way we drove in, we found our hotel & checked in, this time the girl was lovely & friendly but we didn't have a coffee/ tea maker, never mind it's only for 1 night.
Did the ironing & watched an old Judy Garland film on the tv.
Day 53 Eugene to Portland, Oregon 06.06.12
Had a very disturbed nights sleep as some sort of horns / blowers kept going off all through the night. When we went down for breakfast I asked the guy on the desk & he thought it might have been the trains but said he didn't hear anything. He wasn't very friendly or chatty at all! For the 2nd morning in a row we've had no cereals - it must be an Oregon thing! Set off at 11.00am as we've only got 130 miles to go so we need to stretch out the journey. Never mind stretching out the journey - we stretched my stomach again with some strawberry puppies from Denny's!
Carried on to the Aladdin Inn in Portland & put the heating on. It's hard to believe that just a couple of weeks ago we were roasting & now it's COLD!
We did have a laugh at the tv - it was made in february 1987! We've chucked out newer ones than that.
Had some sad news today - My Ex Father in Law, Arthur passed away today. He was in hospital & will be sadly missed by many people.
We lazed around & then popped out to Starbucks for a hot drink, no coffee / tes making facilities again.
Day 54 Portlant to Seattle 07.06.12
Woke to rain this morning & it's cold again. Breakfast was basic to say the least & we packed up & left about 10.00am. The girl on reception wasn't very pleasant either.
On the way it rained so much we could hardly see where we were going, & still some cars didn't have their lights on! We arrived at the Georgetown Inn just outside Seattle about 2.00pm & checked in. Nice room but again no coffee / tea maker! Starbucks opposite so guess we'll be going there again.
By about 4.00pm it looked as if the rain had stopped for a while so we braved it & drove into Seattle. Being unfamiliar with the roads etc it was a bit of an ordeal but we found a carpark right next to the space needle & the monorail. Had a look at the needle but didn't really have time to go up it & it was $20 each so got the monorail into the main bit of town. We'd been told to visit Pike Place Market which we did. It's a fish, fresh fruit, flower & craft market & was great to walk around even though by that time some of the stalls were packing up. The size of the fish & seafood & variety was amazing.
Then we walked to the waterfront but that wasn't anything flash & we had to make our way over a very busy road to get near it. Then we walked back to the metro station, had some food & got back on the train.
I have to say that the buildings were good to see & I kept trying to see if I recognised any from the tv!
Roy on a bench in Bandon Old Town
Will have lots to tell you next time as we'll be in Vancouver for 5 days.
TTFN xxx
Monday, 4 June 2012
Day 48 - 51 San Francisco to Crescent City 01 - 04.06.12
Day 48 Bootjack to San Francisco 01.06.12
We've got 200 miles to drive today so had showers, breakfast, packed & got on our way. Bootjack is a beautiful area with all of the trees & forests & hills. We've had a lovely 2 day stay here at Judy's B & B. Arrived early so went for a drink in Inn N Out. Had a good journey with no issues.
Popped into Walmart which is just down the road from our hotel, the Hilton Garden Hotel in San Lorenzo & bought some leggings & Roy a tee shirt then checked into our hotel. It's very nice & we're on the 4th (top) floor. No breakfast at this one but they do a $10.95 buffet downstairs so we'll try that out. Had a quiet night as we're tired from yesterday & the long drive today.
Day 49 San Francisco 02.06.12
Had our buffet breakfast & they've got loads of choice. I had cereal, OJ, coffee, 2 eggs, bacon & breakfast potatoes with toast & a delicious blueberry muffin. (Took a banana for later!) Stocking up for our trip to Alcatraz. At the kind recommendation of 3 people we booked it a couple of weeks ago. Drove into town & managed to find a proper car park for $10 all day, no parking tickets today! We walked past all of the piers to Pier 33 where you get on the ferry & got our tickets for the 11.30am one. Good job we booked as you could only buy tickets for tomorrow! After a dull, misty start the sun has come out & apart from the sea breeze it's nice & warm.
Sat on the top deck of the ferry which was nice as long as you kept away from the rail, the breeze almost froze you if you ventured near it! We got off the ferry at the island & listened to a short talk then watched the video about the history of the island. Walked up to the cell block & took the audio tour where you have your own headphones & recorder & listen to it as they guide you around, pausing it if you need to. It was excellent - very interesting with lots of displays etc. I'd thoroughly recommend it for anyone going to SF.
We had a good walk around but couldn't go on the south side of the island as the sea birds are nesting. Very windy in the exercise yard! We bought some souvenirs in the gift shop & got the 2.45pm ferry back. Brilliant!
When we got off the boat we walked up to Fisherman's Wharf & went on Pier 39 which is a very busy, vibrant area with lots of shops, booths & restaurants. There's also several floating pontoons covered in very noisy sealions!
We decided to go on the trolley car up & down the steep hills so we bought some tickets & then waited for an hour to get on one. It was an experience but when we got off we were frozen to the bone & had to find a Starbucks for a coffee to thaw out. We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge & were amazed at how half of it was shrouded in very low cloud / mist & the other half was in sunshine. Strange! You can also see the mist moving across really fast, it's bizarre, I've never seen anything like that ever before.
By this time it was getting late so we found our way back to the car & drove back to the hotel via a pizza parlour. A great day.
I was surprised at how many real down & outs there were in town, they all looked cold, what a place to be on the streets.
Day 50 SF to Fortuna 03.06.12
Had another breakfast in the hotel as we've got 260 miles to drive today & need a good start.
There were loads of vineyards on the way, also pistachio trees & when we got to Willetts it changed to pine forests & huge trees. Very lovely to drive through. This is one of the things I was looking forward to, seeing all of the different scenery.
When we started out the temp was 85 degrees & it dropped to 60. We arrived at the Super 8 in Fortuna, friendly staff & a nice room, Roy did a load of washing & I made a cuppa. We went to the Eel River pub right next to the hotel & had a great meal, I had salmon & Roy had a chicken, fish & shrimp combo. 10% off because of staying at the hotel, can't be bad.
Day 51 Fortuna to Crescent City 04.06.12
Our last stay over in California. Quite dull today & rain has been forecast. Had our breakfast & set off on a short journey of 100 miles. We'll be driving through the Redwood parks & along the coast.
It started to rain but only a bit so we made a detour to the Ladybird Johnson Grove & went for the mile walk through the huge redwoods. Luckily we wore our rain coats & trainers, unluckily it didn't stop our trousers from getting so wet you could have rung them out! We had to change in the car before we could carry on to the hotel! We had planned to stop off at the trees of mystery & go up on the sky trail but it's too wet & misty.
Staying at the Anchor Beach hotel & we've got a sea view, however it's still raining so no walks on the beach for us. Instead we drove into town to Safeway & bought some food, wine & chocolate gateau. Roy went for a little walk & got caught in the rain again, I watched tv! Who's the smart one?
Alcatraz island
Glad I was only a visitor!
Roy will never again complain that a hotel room is small!
On Pier 39
Getting soaked in amongst the Redwoods!
Hope you like the photos.
TTFN xxx
We've got 200 miles to drive today so had showers, breakfast, packed & got on our way. Bootjack is a beautiful area with all of the trees & forests & hills. We've had a lovely 2 day stay here at Judy's B & B. Arrived early so went for a drink in Inn N Out. Had a good journey with no issues.
Popped into Walmart which is just down the road from our hotel, the Hilton Garden Hotel in San Lorenzo & bought some leggings & Roy a tee shirt then checked into our hotel. It's very nice & we're on the 4th (top) floor. No breakfast at this one but they do a $10.95 buffet downstairs so we'll try that out. Had a quiet night as we're tired from yesterday & the long drive today.
Day 49 San Francisco 02.06.12
Had our buffet breakfast & they've got loads of choice. I had cereal, OJ, coffee, 2 eggs, bacon & breakfast potatoes with toast & a delicious blueberry muffin. (Took a banana for later!) Stocking up for our trip to Alcatraz. At the kind recommendation of 3 people we booked it a couple of weeks ago. Drove into town & managed to find a proper car park for $10 all day, no parking tickets today! We walked past all of the piers to Pier 33 where you get on the ferry & got our tickets for the 11.30am one. Good job we booked as you could only buy tickets for tomorrow! After a dull, misty start the sun has come out & apart from the sea breeze it's nice & warm.
Sat on the top deck of the ferry which was nice as long as you kept away from the rail, the breeze almost froze you if you ventured near it! We got off the ferry at the island & listened to a short talk then watched the video about the history of the island. Walked up to the cell block & took the audio tour where you have your own headphones & recorder & listen to it as they guide you around, pausing it if you need to. It was excellent - very interesting with lots of displays etc. I'd thoroughly recommend it for anyone going to SF.
We had a good walk around but couldn't go on the south side of the island as the sea birds are nesting. Very windy in the exercise yard! We bought some souvenirs in the gift shop & got the 2.45pm ferry back. Brilliant!
When we got off the boat we walked up to Fisherman's Wharf & went on Pier 39 which is a very busy, vibrant area with lots of shops, booths & restaurants. There's also several floating pontoons covered in very noisy sealions!
We decided to go on the trolley car up & down the steep hills so we bought some tickets & then waited for an hour to get on one. It was an experience but when we got off we were frozen to the bone & had to find a Starbucks for a coffee to thaw out. We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge & were amazed at how half of it was shrouded in very low cloud / mist & the other half was in sunshine. Strange! You can also see the mist moving across really fast, it's bizarre, I've never seen anything like that ever before.
By this time it was getting late so we found our way back to the car & drove back to the hotel via a pizza parlour. A great day.
I was surprised at how many real down & outs there were in town, they all looked cold, what a place to be on the streets.
Day 50 SF to Fortuna 03.06.12
Had another breakfast in the hotel as we've got 260 miles to drive today & need a good start.
There were loads of vineyards on the way, also pistachio trees & when we got to Willetts it changed to pine forests & huge trees. Very lovely to drive through. This is one of the things I was looking forward to, seeing all of the different scenery.
When we started out the temp was 85 degrees & it dropped to 60. We arrived at the Super 8 in Fortuna, friendly staff & a nice room, Roy did a load of washing & I made a cuppa. We went to the Eel River pub right next to the hotel & had a great meal, I had salmon & Roy had a chicken, fish & shrimp combo. 10% off because of staying at the hotel, can't be bad.
Day 51 Fortuna to Crescent City 04.06.12
Our last stay over in California. Quite dull today & rain has been forecast. Had our breakfast & set off on a short journey of 100 miles. We'll be driving through the Redwood parks & along the coast.
It started to rain but only a bit so we made a detour to the Ladybird Johnson Grove & went for the mile walk through the huge redwoods. Luckily we wore our rain coats & trainers, unluckily it didn't stop our trousers from getting so wet you could have rung them out! We had to change in the car before we could carry on to the hotel! We had planned to stop off at the trees of mystery & go up on the sky trail but it's too wet & misty.
Staying at the Anchor Beach hotel & we've got a sea view, however it's still raining so no walks on the beach for us. Instead we drove into town to Safeway & bought some food, wine & chocolate gateau. Roy went for a little walk & got caught in the rain again, I watched tv! Who's the smart one?
Alcatraz island
TTFN xxx
Friday, 1 June 2012
Day 44 - 47 Pacific Coastal Highway to San Francisco 28 - 31.05.12 -
Day 44 - Morro Bay, California 28.05.12
Memorial Day here in the States, so a national holiday. We're moving on, up the Pacific Coastal Highway, to Morro Bay. We set off along the coast, happy to be moving on to a smaller hotel, & stopped off in Santa Barbara for something to eat. What a lovely, seaside place. It seems very up market but in a nice way. The beach is beautiful, as is the Wharf (pier to us) & everywhere looks well cared for.
After having fish & chips sitting outside on the wharf - very nice they were to - we returned to the car which we'd managed to park in a side street with 90 minutes free parking. However, we found a parking ticket on the windscreen telling us we were facing the wrong way & had to pay the fine. After asking 2 men where the Police Station was we managed to find it &, although the Police Officer was very nice, were told it would be best to pay it as to contest it on the grounds we were from another country could take time & correspondence, which we would be unable to do as we are travelling. So, the fish & chips cost us an extra $48! One lesson learned - don't park facing the opposite way on any street in America!
Anyway, after that we carried on our journey to Morro Bay & checked into the Morro Shores Inn & Suites. Sounds posh doesn't it? Think again. The guy on the desk couldn't be bothered with us, Roy had to go back to find out the wi fi code & he didn't mention breakfast or anything else either. Luckily we've stayed at a few hotels now & know what to look for. The room was dark & in need of an update, but we could cope for 1 night.We went for a walk to the sea & it was so windy but we braved it & walked along the beach for about 3 minutes!
A bit later we drove down to see the rock, which is a lava plug & very big & we saw about 8 or 9 sea otters playing about in the sea, which was great.
Day 45 Monterey 29.05.12
Breakfast was as bad as expected, very basic, in a souless room with no staff involvement whatsoever!
When we checked out he just told us to leave the room cards on the desk, didn't say that he hoped we'd had a good stay or anything. Methinks he needs the push!!!!!!!!!
We've only got 120 miles to go today so are planning several stops along the way - always parking correctly, of course! First stop at a view point & it feels like the middle of winter with the wind blowing but we did see a dozen seals on a rock. Roy changed into long trousers & a jumper but I refuse to, the sun is still shining so I'll make do with popping my coat on. I am from Rugeley after all!
A bit further along the road we stopped at Elephant Seal Vista Point & were not ready for the sight of about 200 to 300 female & young seals on the sand. The males were all about 3,000 miles away for a few months at sea. It was great watching them, they weren't doing much, throwing sand over themselves, a few of the young males having a bit of an argument with each other & a few in the sea but it was fascinating. A volunteer called George Larson came to talk to us & told us all about them. Thanks George!
Next stop was Ragged Point as there might be a chance to view some Whales. No chance as it was very choppy out to sea but we had a nice walk around & the weakest cup of tea in the history of the world. I'll stick to coffee from now on! The Americans CANNOT make a cup of tea & have no concept of the fact we want milk in it!!!!
We drove through Carmel but, again, didn't see Clint Eastwood! Then to Monterey Super 8. At least we know what to expect here & it can't be as bad as yesterday. The girl who checked us in was very welcoming & the room was brighter too.
After we unpacked we drove to find a Ford dealer to buy an oil filter as the oil will need changing in the next few hundred miles as it was a new car. Notice I say 'was?' Roy was amazed that he got the filter & the oil for about the same cost as the filter on it's own would be at home.
Then we carried on into Monterey to Fisherman's Wharf (again a pier.) Had a walk around, still freezing, & happened upon a street market selling all sorts of food, fresh fruit & veg & crafts. It was lovely & the food looked tempting but we were too cold to eat outside. Lo & behold there was an English Pub slap bang in the middle of it all so we had to go in. Had a beer, sausage & mash & chicken pie, yummy! Then as we walked back through the market we couldn't resist $5 worth of hot mini donuts just cooked. Well I have got to do the ironing when I get back so deserve a little treat.
Day 46 Bootjack 30.05.12
Officially starting the second half of our trip today.
Had breakfast & for the first time so far discovered watered down orange juice - yuk!
Packed & set off through flat farmland growing all sorts of fruit & veg & many, many vineyards & pistachio trees. Made a nice change from mountains & scrub land. We stopped by a reservoir to stretch our legs & carried on into Mariposa & then to our first Bed & Breakfast at 'Inn the Country.' A lovely house down a dirt track run by Judy, who was very welcoming. Our room is the 'deer room' & clean, bright & cosy with our own balcony to sit on if we want to. A change from hotels.
We got ready & drove to Yosemite National Park to see the giant sequoia trees & they are truly massive. $20 for a weeks pass to get in. Saw a tree called 'the big grizzly' & one with a hole you can walk through big enough for a bus to get through, also some deer, chipmunks & squirrels. it was a good taster for tomorrows trip.
Went back to our room, had some tea & marvelled at how very quiet it is, not a sound.
Day 47 - Bootjack 31.05.12
Possibly because it was so quiet I didn't sleep as well as before - kept waking up.
Got ready & went down for our continental breakfast. Like the UK, people running guest houses here have to do courses to allow them to prepare food & Judy hasn't done hers yet. We did have a very acceptable continental breakfast though to send us on our way to Yosemite.
We entered by a different gate today as it's so big you couldn't see everything in one visit. Today it's the waterfalls & the scenery is magnificent. Pine trees, steep sided hills with trees growing up them, rivers & waterfalls. It makes you feel very small! We drove around & had a few stop offs to take photos & film then parked at Curry Village to begin our trek. There are loads of camp sites in the park & plastic huts for people to stay in as well as proper hotels. It caters for all budgets. It's very hot today so we're armed with drinks & hats & ate a banana each before we set off, making sure we used the bear safe trash can to put our skins in. There are signs all over the place about bears & making sure your food is safe from them, what to do if you see one or a mountain lion! I doubt we'll see anything but squirrels & lizards!
Anyway, off we set towards the 'mist trail' to Vernal Fall. 3 miles round trip. OMG, the first bit was bad enough as you go up so fast that you have to keep stopping to rest, at least we did. Roy said we had to be tortoises & not hares & he was spot on!
The falls were gorgeous & didn't look that far away. THINK AGAIN! The 'steps' were lumps of rock of all shapes & sizes, some 3 feet high, others 6 inches high, some missing, all uneven & they got worse & worse as we got higher & higher. Then we came to the mist bit which was very welcome at this point as I was boiling! We were soaked within seconds & the 'steps' were so slippery. Also imagine that people were coming down as we were going up & sometimes there was only room for 1 at a time. Terrifying!!! I had to sit down after the wet bit as my knees were so wobbly & I was worried I couldn't carry on but I was determined to & the thought of going straight back down was more terrifying than carrying on up!
There were some lovely views on the way up but I could only look when we stopped not while we were climbing. The last bit actually had a handrail but it was practically vertical! Was I glad when we got to the top? THE VIEW WAS AMAZING! Looking over the waterfall & all the way down was worth it but then I started to think about the descent.
Have I told you I'm terrified of heights? I even had vertigo when we went to the O2 to see Barry Manilow!!!
Coming down was much worse than going up although it was a bit faster. I only got down with Roy's help as he held my hand all the way as I focussed on each step, not looking beyond 2 or 3 steps in front. When we got to the bottom my legs were so wobbly I didn't think they would ever recover. It took us over 3 hours in all.
I bet Jennie thinks I'm a wimp but I feel very pleased that we made it all the way up & back & we have the fridge magnet to prove it!!
We started walking back to Curry Village & with a mile to go the shuttle bus stopped & we hopped on. Phew, that was a lucky break. When we got back the first thing we did was look for an icecream & had a double scoop of the most delicious icecream in the world.
After that we drove back through the park & to Mariposa where we stopped at Burger King for some food. There was another couple in there who looked as shattered as we did so they must have been to the Park too! What a day, but we wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Elephant seals on the beach on the Pacific Coastal Highway
Whale watching? We wish!
Some of the coast we drove along to Monterey
Yosemite National Park
At the top of Vernal Falls - can you see my knees knocking?
At the bottom of Vernal Falls.
Hope you enjoyed it. TTFN xxx
Memorial Day here in the States, so a national holiday. We're moving on, up the Pacific Coastal Highway, to Morro Bay. We set off along the coast, happy to be moving on to a smaller hotel, & stopped off in Santa Barbara for something to eat. What a lovely, seaside place. It seems very up market but in a nice way. The beach is beautiful, as is the Wharf (pier to us) & everywhere looks well cared for.
After having fish & chips sitting outside on the wharf - very nice they were to - we returned to the car which we'd managed to park in a side street with 90 minutes free parking. However, we found a parking ticket on the windscreen telling us we were facing the wrong way & had to pay the fine. After asking 2 men where the Police Station was we managed to find it &, although the Police Officer was very nice, were told it would be best to pay it as to contest it on the grounds we were from another country could take time & correspondence, which we would be unable to do as we are travelling. So, the fish & chips cost us an extra $48! One lesson learned - don't park facing the opposite way on any street in America!
Anyway, after that we carried on our journey to Morro Bay & checked into the Morro Shores Inn & Suites. Sounds posh doesn't it? Think again. The guy on the desk couldn't be bothered with us, Roy had to go back to find out the wi fi code & he didn't mention breakfast or anything else either. Luckily we've stayed at a few hotels now & know what to look for. The room was dark & in need of an update, but we could cope for 1 night.We went for a walk to the sea & it was so windy but we braved it & walked along the beach for about 3 minutes!
A bit later we drove down to see the rock, which is a lava plug & very big & we saw about 8 or 9 sea otters playing about in the sea, which was great.
Day 45 Monterey 29.05.12
Breakfast was as bad as expected, very basic, in a souless room with no staff involvement whatsoever!
When we checked out he just told us to leave the room cards on the desk, didn't say that he hoped we'd had a good stay or anything. Methinks he needs the push!!!!!!!!!
We've only got 120 miles to go today so are planning several stops along the way - always parking correctly, of course! First stop at a view point & it feels like the middle of winter with the wind blowing but we did see a dozen seals on a rock. Roy changed into long trousers & a jumper but I refuse to, the sun is still shining so I'll make do with popping my coat on. I am from Rugeley after all!
A bit further along the road we stopped at Elephant Seal Vista Point & were not ready for the sight of about 200 to 300 female & young seals on the sand. The males were all about 3,000 miles away for a few months at sea. It was great watching them, they weren't doing much, throwing sand over themselves, a few of the young males having a bit of an argument with each other & a few in the sea but it was fascinating. A volunteer called George Larson came to talk to us & told us all about them. Thanks George!
Next stop was Ragged Point as there might be a chance to view some Whales. No chance as it was very choppy out to sea but we had a nice walk around & the weakest cup of tea in the history of the world. I'll stick to coffee from now on! The Americans CANNOT make a cup of tea & have no concept of the fact we want milk in it!!!!
We drove through Carmel but, again, didn't see Clint Eastwood! Then to Monterey Super 8. At least we know what to expect here & it can't be as bad as yesterday. The girl who checked us in was very welcoming & the room was brighter too.
After we unpacked we drove to find a Ford dealer to buy an oil filter as the oil will need changing in the next few hundred miles as it was a new car. Notice I say 'was?' Roy was amazed that he got the filter & the oil for about the same cost as the filter on it's own would be at home.
Then we carried on into Monterey to Fisherman's Wharf (again a pier.) Had a walk around, still freezing, & happened upon a street market selling all sorts of food, fresh fruit & veg & crafts. It was lovely & the food looked tempting but we were too cold to eat outside. Lo & behold there was an English Pub slap bang in the middle of it all so we had to go in. Had a beer, sausage & mash & chicken pie, yummy! Then as we walked back through the market we couldn't resist $5 worth of hot mini donuts just cooked. Well I have got to do the ironing when I get back so deserve a little treat.
Day 46 Bootjack 30.05.12
Officially starting the second half of our trip today.
Had breakfast & for the first time so far discovered watered down orange juice - yuk!
Packed & set off through flat farmland growing all sorts of fruit & veg & many, many vineyards & pistachio trees. Made a nice change from mountains & scrub land. We stopped by a reservoir to stretch our legs & carried on into Mariposa & then to our first Bed & Breakfast at 'Inn the Country.' A lovely house down a dirt track run by Judy, who was very welcoming. Our room is the 'deer room' & clean, bright & cosy with our own balcony to sit on if we want to. A change from hotels.
We got ready & drove to Yosemite National Park to see the giant sequoia trees & they are truly massive. $20 for a weeks pass to get in. Saw a tree called 'the big grizzly' & one with a hole you can walk through big enough for a bus to get through, also some deer, chipmunks & squirrels. it was a good taster for tomorrows trip.
Went back to our room, had some tea & marvelled at how very quiet it is, not a sound.
Day 47 - Bootjack 31.05.12
Possibly because it was so quiet I didn't sleep as well as before - kept waking up.
Got ready & went down for our continental breakfast. Like the UK, people running guest houses here have to do courses to allow them to prepare food & Judy hasn't done hers yet. We did have a very acceptable continental breakfast though to send us on our way to Yosemite.
We entered by a different gate today as it's so big you couldn't see everything in one visit. Today it's the waterfalls & the scenery is magnificent. Pine trees, steep sided hills with trees growing up them, rivers & waterfalls. It makes you feel very small! We drove around & had a few stop offs to take photos & film then parked at Curry Village to begin our trek. There are loads of camp sites in the park & plastic huts for people to stay in as well as proper hotels. It caters for all budgets. It's very hot today so we're armed with drinks & hats & ate a banana each before we set off, making sure we used the bear safe trash can to put our skins in. There are signs all over the place about bears & making sure your food is safe from them, what to do if you see one or a mountain lion! I doubt we'll see anything but squirrels & lizards!
Anyway, off we set towards the 'mist trail' to Vernal Fall. 3 miles round trip. OMG, the first bit was bad enough as you go up so fast that you have to keep stopping to rest, at least we did. Roy said we had to be tortoises & not hares & he was spot on!
The falls were gorgeous & didn't look that far away. THINK AGAIN! The 'steps' were lumps of rock of all shapes & sizes, some 3 feet high, others 6 inches high, some missing, all uneven & they got worse & worse as we got higher & higher. Then we came to the mist bit which was very welcome at this point as I was boiling! We were soaked within seconds & the 'steps' were so slippery. Also imagine that people were coming down as we were going up & sometimes there was only room for 1 at a time. Terrifying!!! I had to sit down after the wet bit as my knees were so wobbly & I was worried I couldn't carry on but I was determined to & the thought of going straight back down was more terrifying than carrying on up!
There were some lovely views on the way up but I could only look when we stopped not while we were climbing. The last bit actually had a handrail but it was practically vertical! Was I glad when we got to the top? THE VIEW WAS AMAZING! Looking over the waterfall & all the way down was worth it but then I started to think about the descent.
Have I told you I'm terrified of heights? I even had vertigo when we went to the O2 to see Barry Manilow!!!
Coming down was much worse than going up although it was a bit faster. I only got down with Roy's help as he held my hand all the way as I focussed on each step, not looking beyond 2 or 3 steps in front. When we got to the bottom my legs were so wobbly I didn't think they would ever recover. It took us over 3 hours in all.
I bet Jennie thinks I'm a wimp but I feel very pleased that we made it all the way up & back & we have the fridge magnet to prove it!!
We started walking back to Curry Village & with a mile to go the shuttle bus stopped & we hopped on. Phew, that was a lucky break. When we got back the first thing we did was look for an icecream & had a double scoop of the most delicious icecream in the world.
After that we drove back through the park & to Mariposa where we stopped at Burger King for some food. There was another couple in there who looked as shattered as we did so they must have been to the Park too! What a day, but we wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Elephant seals on the beach on the Pacific Coastal Highway
Some of the coast we drove along to Monterey
At the top of Vernal Falls - can you see my knees knocking?
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