Tuesday, July 27th, 2010--California limbo

Today was in between day--baseball tournament over, Peter arrived in town, one more day until we begin our trip northward up the coast. Most of the day was spent near the swimming pool at the Holiday Inn--Peter and Patrick, Max and the rest of the baseball team swam at long length through a warm Los Angeles afternoon. Alice was finishing up The Girl Who Played with Fire, the second of the Swedish thriller series, and making good progress. I'm reading the Mike Davis book City of Quartz, a book written in the early 1990's about the growth of LA--still relevant today and one of the favorite books of Bruce Diamond I remember from my post-Oberlin days.

We had several possible plans in the works for today, including trips to Pasedena or Claremont/McKenna, but none of them came to pass. Instead, it was mostly the pool and a late afternoon trip back to Walnut to see the finals of the tournment between Walnut and Simi Valley. Peter, Patrick, Max, and several others including Gary and Owen's mom Kierstyn played a whiffle ball tournament just prior to watching the game. The championship game was not very exciting, though it was nice to have a hometown element, as Walnut provided many of the fans for the game. Simi Valley was the better team and pulled away at the end to win by 6 or 7 runs.

Later that evening, we went to a Thai restaurant that we had heard was pretty good called the Banana Bay restaurant. Although it was just a few miles down the road from the hotel, the neighborhood was distinctly different--nearly every sign was in Korean or Chinese or Japanese. The restaurant itself was very good--spacious, crowded and very lively. The portions were very big, and they had a candy store and a giant fishtank in the lobby, as well as a Japanese cooking show on tv. Sean was reluctant to give straight answers to most questions. The fried taro was not so good, but the pad thai lasted until another evening.

Afterwards we walked around the faux village--a facade of french quarter style buildings and Alice discovered a Japanese-style photo booth arcade. We couldn't understand the directions for how to operate the machine, and got into a few debates about how to use it, however in the end--45 minutes too late--we got a set of family photos that will not be replicated. Back to the hotel and get ready to travel!

Thursday, August 5th, 2010--Lukens Lake

On our first day we made a trip to Lukens Lake--driving a few miles up the road, but not all the way to Tioga Rd.

Sunday, August 8th--Taking it easy in camp

After our eventful hike and evening yesterday, we decided to keep it simple and stay in camp most of the day today. A good thing, too, as the clouds which were to our northeast yesterday crept closer today--some low morning clouds and a touch more humidity in the air.

Wednesday August 11th--on to Mono Lake and Reno

Saturday August 14th--Ashland to Olympia

Sunday August 15th--back home!

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010--Hollywood!

Today we loaded up our Subaru and hit the road after another Holiday Inn breakfast. We headed toward Ventura where we would spend the night en route to the Channel Islands. Our first stop was Hollywood Goodwill to search for cast offs of the stars, which weren't to be found, although Peter found some interesting shoes, and Patrick some sunglasses. In the distance we could see the Hollywood sign as well as "Live Cheetah Girls" across the street. We made a quick pass by Dodger stadium but couldn't see much of the stadium.

Our next stop was Hollywood blvd, where Alice dropped off Peter and Patrick and I, and we walked on the avenue of the Stars--looking down at various known and unknown celebrity names--from Jayne Mansfield to Godzilla, Sam Cooke to Michael Jackson. A couple of cups of coffee and some yogurt and we were off to Beverly Hills. Thanks to the iPad we were able to navigate into Beverly Hills, and thanks to a map provided (for $10) by a woman under an umbrella who looked like she may have been a would-be star some years ago, giving us the locations of various celebrity mansions. We drove past Michael Jackson's mansion, Gene Kelly's estate, Quincy Jones' ravine top home. We passed Peter Falk's house, as well as attempted to find Jack Black's house, without much success. We had a lunch at the Beverly Hills park--a nice creekside park with a playground where we were told that the nannies of the stars come to play with their charges. Alice closely observed one such luminary, who seemed mostly to be a generic star--long golden locks, sunglasses, and someone who appeared to be a keeper. Meanwhile, Peter and Patrick and I played catch with our green football, veteran of many of our trips.

Our next stop was the Santa Monica pier, via Rodeo drive and Sunset Blvd. The Santa Monica pier was a nice suprise--a large pier with several rides including a roller coaster that P, P S rode, the thrill of falling enhanced by the height above the crashing waves--twice through! Peter jumped into the waves and Patrick waded--the only chance we had really to swim at the beach during this trip to SoCal. From the pier we headed north on a sunlight sunset drive through Malibu--which is on a peninsula north of Santa Monica. We grew jealous of the students at Pepperdine, located just uphill on the peninsula. We made it to Ventura just after sunset. Peter and Patrick and I went out on the Ventura pier to try our hand at surffishing, to little avail, but at least we gave it a try! Dinner from the corner fish and chips stand and a swim put us to bed, while Alice did laundry in a seedy part of Ventura, approached by a gentleman or two who recently visited the liquor store next door. Later in our trip we met a mental health profesional from Oxnard who told us that the Vagabond Inn and environs was the default mental health housing for that part of the county. We fit in just fine.

Thursday, July 29th, 2010--trip to Channel Islands

Today we woke up early and made a short drive to the Ventura Harbor to catch our shuttle boat to the Channel Islands for two nights of camping courtesy Island Packers. The boat was medium sized boat, our gear stashed below. From the deck as we pulled out of the Harbor we saw a buoy with sea lions stacked one atop the other. As the shoreline pulled away and we came to mid-channel, we were accompanied by a huge congregation of common dolphins and bottlenosed dolphins. They dipped on all sides of the boats, but especially seemed to enjoy swimming just in front of the boat, some of which were mother and child dolphin pairs swimming in tandem. We also passed several oil drilling rigs in mid-channel. There are several Channel Island, we passed one on our left--a narrow island with a distintive arch at its central point. Santa Cruz island, where we stayed, was a long island--100 square miles or so, with 2/3 of the island set aside for the the nature conservancy. When we arrived, fire drilling our gear from the boat, we hiked about a mile to our campsite--at the very far end of the camping area, a pleasant almost level hike.

Our campsite abutted a meadow, populated by large, fragrant eucalyptus trees. Soon we noticed some visitors--an endemic species of fox--smallish with pointed snouts and mongoose like behaviour. They appeared to be very cute, but we had been forewarned that they were quite capable scavengers. We arrived just after 11 am, and hiked up the crest of the valley--a dry and brush valley, from the top of which we could see 500 feet straight down --the island had few beaches, but many dramatic cliffs. Peter and Patrick were warned not to throw rocks since many kayakers and divers circled the island. Smuggler's Cove was the name of the trail. After returned from our hike, we explored the dry creek bed near our tent and made a suprising find: a cormorant waddling around the stones, appearing a little disoriented and weak. We couldn't quite tell its age, but it seemed young. It hid in the shade next to the creek, about a mile from the ocean. Alice Peter and Patrick brought water to it, and it appeared to want to drink it. They dropped water onto its head and feet--setting out a metal pan for it to stand in, which it did for several minutes.

After some deliberation, we decided to take the cormorant back to the water, figuring that perhaps it was a lost young bird, and that the foxes would have their way with it in short order if we didn't--in fact we already saw some lurking in the bushes. We noticed that the bird followed us around when we put it on the ground, so we supposed that it liked us; however we doubted that it could make the 1 mile hike on its own. Alice first tried carrying it in the yellow camping blanket, but quickly noted that tens of small lice quickly made jumped from the bird to the towel, making a quick and queasy migration. Eventually we settled on grabbing the bird with a ziplock bag, and stealthily walked past the other campers and rangers, not knowing what they would think. When we dropped it back in the water, it dabbled around in the shallows, then took off to deeper waters, and we hope, was reunited with it cormorant clan hanging out a few hundred yards offshore on some rocky outcroppings.

While we were at the beach, we managed to strike up a conversation with a kayak guide and arranged to tentatively take a guided tour the following day. We went back to the camp for a dinner with some of our freeze dried foods--beef stroganoff, past due and not so good, mexican rice really good. We enjoyed our first wilderness night in the cool ocean air, but clear skies. We continued with our concentrated reading of the hobbit after putting all of our foodstuff securely away, on our own great adventure!

Sunday August 1st, 2010--Big Sur

Left early from Ventura. Ate breakfast at Santa Barbara IHOP with fig trees in atrium. went to the outdoors shop for repair kit for Peter's ridge rest, got more dried food and an eggshell mattress.

Talked to Catherine midtown Santa Barbara and travelled around the mission area--wished we had more time.

Started long uncertain drive to hopeful campsites in Big Sur, past Hearst mansion and elephant seal conclave.

Big Sur drive windy and long, impressive and beautiful swooping cliffs, but no campsites anywhere, which dampened our enthusiasm.

Made the full drive to Monterrey to stay at Knight's Inn.

Monday August 2nd--Monterrey Aquarium

Tuesday, August 3rd--Monterrey to Merced

Today we spent the morning in Monterrey--finding a truly nice area to just to the north of Monterrey called Pacific Grove--a neighborhood of houses and a small downtown right on the shores of Monterrey Bay with a walkway and road that traced the coastline, a few 10 to 15 feet below. I found it first in the morning, then went back early to get Alice, and finally after some coffee and a walk we both went back to get the kids. Borg's motel near Lover's Rock seems like a place that we'll return to eventually. The kids climbed down near the water to search the small tide pools and watch the seals and sea otters on the nearby rocks.

We continued our trip around the peninsula past Asilomar, where Alice visited as a youth and continued to Point Lobos Natural preserve where we spend several hours on the rugged shoreline at various points looking for lizards and birds, and touring an old whaling museum. Peter and Patrick climbed down for a shore walk at one point, while I hiked up a knoll for a broader lookout, all surrounded by Poison Oak, and signs warning about Poison Oak. Across the bay Pebble Beach golf course was visible in the far distance.

We travelled lengthwise across the state, north past Santa Cruz across the coast range and into the hot central valley, stopping at an enterprisingly developed, but not very satisfying road venue called Casa de Oro, or some such. Many treats, and a few good fruits, but otherwise seeming like a bit of a fraud. Passing into the valley we lost touch with the cooling clouds of the coast, and the greenery there in favor of short dry grasses and wide vistas overlooking the valley.

We travelled until early evening and made landfall at a place where we had been before--the Motel 8 that Alice had liked, but that I was lukewarm about. Nonetheless, it provided a nice overnight stopping point with a very warm pool and the sultry slow cool of the valley overnight. Before sleeping we went to an In and Out Burger to continue our love affair with their animal fries and burgers--trains loudly whistling past us on the nearby train tracks.

Friday July 30th, 2010--Hiking and Kayaking on the Channel Islands

Today, we woke up slowly after our first camping night. The skies were cloudy, as is typical for an ocean island, and a little cool. Today our plan was to hike out to Smuggler's Cove--which we thought might be a swimmable beach on this cliff-laden island. We knew the hike was about 7 miles total, but we weren't quite prepared for the elevation gain, and eventually the strong sunshine the beat down with very little relief as the island had few trees.

The hike went south and west on the island--and mostly uphill for the first section of the hike--maybe the first 2.5 miles, even with the shortcuts. The topography was interesting but a little monotonous. The trail led steeply down to Smugglers cove, though an old Olive tree grove, making it seem quite mediterrean in flavor. We were very tired and overheated when we arrived at the cove, and quickly disappointed at the lack of beach. Small but frequent waves crashed against the rocky cove, cobbled with agates, and not good for swimming due to the pull of the waves and the chilliness of the water. Beachcombing, we found a frond of a palm tree that appeared to be an ancient, weathered bone, as well as a well presevered squashed lizard, and several agates. However, we quickly took back to the trail--up the steep first section then onward with a slow descent.

We decided to have only Peter and Alice go on the kayak trip--Patrick was tired, and our sense was that the trip wouldn't be as enjoyed, given Peter's enthusiasm. Their guide's name was John, a fellow about our age who led kayak trips on the island and lived in Lone Pine, California. They learned a lot about the island on the trip, most particularly how to ride into a sea cave, leaning back instead of forward. They saw a flying fish while paddling out to the many cliffs and caves on the island. The first island was a rookery for gulls and cormorants. The first was the Green Room, a tunnel that went through the entire island. The ceiling started high but got narrower when paddling through.

They learned a great deal about the natural history and peoples of the island--the chumiak. They also about the Spanish explorers who left prickly pear and pigs on each island they visited in the expectation that they would multiply by the time they returned. They also learned about the Russian fur trappers almost decimated the native population in addition to nearly extinguishing the otter population. They also saw harbor seals and keyhole limpets, and lots of sea stars. They travelled many kelp beds, and three other caves--all of which had stories and interesting features--tidal changes that meant that they had to wait. By the time they returned to shore, Patrick and I had dinner cooked on the cool shores, which we enjoyed before returning for our last camping night on the island.

Saturday, July 30th, 2010--back from Channel Island

Today we returned from the Channel Island, decided against a road trip to San Sebastian to camp--instead stayed another night at the Vagabond Inn in Ventura after no luck finding a motel in Santa Barbara--setting us behind a little in our trip up the coast--something that would continue for a few days.

Also: Peter and Patrick snorkled in Santa Cruz kelp bed in scorpion cove.

* found scorpion during canyon hike, but no snakes
* had dinner at fish and chips, swam a little
* Alice did laundry downtown
* had smelly smokers


hotel room.

Tuesday, August 10th--Coyote peaks

Friday August 13th--Up Lassen Peak and on to Ashland

Thursday, August 12th--Reno part 2 plus Child's meadow

Wednesday, August 4th--on to Yosemite

We began our adventure into Yosemite today with a trip from Merced northeastward into the Sierras, barely visible if at all from the valley floor. We were headed to Crane Flat, where we had definite reservations for two nights, but hoping to catch a site at either Tuolumne Meadows or Yosemite Creek, two sites that we'd heard good things about. The trip up from Merced was a very slow gradual climb quickly out of any population centers past grassy yellow foothills and towns like Coutlerville and Greeley Hill--small mountain town with a just passing through look. At a nice supermarket at Greeley Hill we restocked with foods such as eggs, pop tarts, milk, sausage, and other car camping staples. We had been forewarned by others that they had very good sandwiches, so we ordered a couple for the road, as well.

Just prior to then, as we left the Monterey Aquarium, we reached the "why don't we turn back now" phase of the trip--a reliable occurrence on all trips after a certain point where it's possible to go home, and that particular choice seems to be appealing--in our case due to the sheer length of the trip and the hotel trap that CA seemed to have us in, draining money pretty quick. The kids seemed a little tired and we were sympathetic with their missing of the comfort of home and their pets.

Nonetheless, lacking any very good reason to turn back other than discomfort, we carried forward with what would be the most satisfying and interesting part of our vacation--seven days in Yosemite.

By the time we got to Crane Flat it was early afternoon. The ranger told us that Tuolumne Meadows was full, but that Yosemite Creek, a long 4 mile dusty downhill ride from the main road, about 45 minutes away, was typically not full until the weekends. We picked up a Natural History book for the Sierras and were on our way. In the park, the roads gradually inclined, but were well kept and not very crowded headed across the park. Our hearts sank a bit when we got to the spur road--Old Tioga Road--that lead to the campground 4 miles below and read a sign that said "Campground Full". Given the remarks of the ranger, that seemed unlikely, but the rumors were that Yosemite was always crowded, so perhaps it was true.

About a third of the way down the road, already into very rutted dirt and cobble, we ran across a couple in a vanagon who needed some water for their radiator. They said there were many open spots at the campground, not to worry. As we discovered 15 minutes later, they were right--the campground, which spread along the Yosemite Creek as it opened into a small valley between gently pillowed granite bluffs and the trees that lived upon them, had many avaiable spots. Alice traversed the park while the boys and I squatted on the one site that we liked well. She eventually found an even better site near the other end of the campground, right on the creek near a waist deep pool with an easy crossing to the other side of the creek to the granite slopes.

We had found our home for the next week or so! We spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking and climbing around the rocks nearby.

Monday, August 9th--drive into the valley