Tuesday 28 September 2010
Petrified Forest & Flagstaff, Arizona
Grand Canyon-bound, but it's a good journey to South Rim from Gallup, NM, so decide to stay overnight at Flagstaff, an attractive railroad town again situated on Route 66 and some two hours and 80 miles away from our intended destination.
Travelling towards it on Interstate 40 Chris spots sign for Petrified Forest National Park. We hadn't planned on detour at this stage - only to see Winslow, Arizona ('such a fine sight to see' according to The Eagles classic Take It Easy - but are glad we did.
The Petrified Forest isn't scary - just one of Arizona's stranger NPs. Forget the Jurassic Age, this area dates back to the Triassic Pre-Dinosaur Age where millions of years ago rivers swept trees into a vast swamp. You can still see parts of those very same trees today, but they have literally turned to stone - orange, red, brown quartz stone logs with crystals helping to keep them preserved.
The Park is also home to The Painted Desert - a vast wilderness stretching as far as the eye can see to the east side of the Grand Canyon. It is also refered to as Badlands for its inhospitable terrain. Despite its starkness, this desert, whose rocks change from reds to blues and greens depending on the time of day, has an eerie beauty all of its own. Glad we checked it out.
On to Winslow then to see the monument of the man 'standing on the corner' in that Eagles song. Uh, sadly not. A very sleepy Chris, who has been doing a great job in the navigator's seat, nods off (no surprise considering the length of our journey and the heat in The Painted Desert) - and I somehow manage to miss the three Winslow exits (where were the signposts?), so we don't get to see that famous corner after all. Nothing to do with 'seven women on my mind' either, I hasten to add.
Never mind, we pull into Flag, as the locals call it, earlier than expected and drive past The Museum Club - an old timber roadhouse where the long deceased Hank Williams and the very much alive Willie Nelson have performed. Built in 1931, it has been a regular venue for country musicians travelling the road.
Right next door is a motel. Perfect stop then for a night of honky-tonkin at 'The Zoo' - The Museum Club was once a taxidermist's by all accounts, hence the nickname. When prohibition ceased it took on new lease of life - and is still going strong.
Anyway, we're in luck - a band called Von Cotton are playing - and a mighty fine alt.country band they turn out to be too, giving a storming set over three hours plus.
The place itself is straight out of John Travolta's Urban Cowboy movie - guys in stetsons and gals in tigh-fitting denim jeans swilling Bud and doing the two-step. We decide to get into the party mood (when in Rome, or rather Flag) - but forget the dancing, we'll stick to the Bud.
What a great people-watching place. Amanda's at the Langland Bay Hotel on Thursday nights (now I'm showing my age) was never like this.
Anyway a great night had by all - it's 2am and we're exhausted. Back to the motel for a good night's sleep. Well that's the plan. Not a chance. Right across the road is the Santa Fe railroad and the freight trains - they have up to 90 wagons - are still roaring down the tracks, with those 'foghorns' of theirs blasting into the wee small hours.
Okay, so e didn't do our homework on this one, but a sleepless night was a sacrifice worth making for a night at 'The Zoo' with Von Cotton and those friendly Bud-swilling cowpokes and cowgals. Yipee.
Travelling towards it on Interstate 40 Chris spots sign for Petrified Forest National Park. We hadn't planned on detour at this stage - only to see Winslow, Arizona ('such a fine sight to see' according to The Eagles classic Take It Easy - but are glad we did.
The Petrified Forest isn't scary - just one of Arizona's stranger NPs. Forget the Jurassic Age, this area dates back to the Triassic Pre-Dinosaur Age where millions of years ago rivers swept trees into a vast swamp. You can still see parts of those very same trees today, but they have literally turned to stone - orange, red, brown quartz stone logs with crystals helping to keep them preserved.
The Park is also home to The Painted Desert - a vast wilderness stretching as far as the eye can see to the east side of the Grand Canyon. It is also refered to as Badlands for its inhospitable terrain. Despite its starkness, this desert, whose rocks change from reds to blues and greens depending on the time of day, has an eerie beauty all of its own. Glad we checked it out.
On to Winslow then to see the monument of the man 'standing on the corner' in that Eagles song. Uh, sadly not. A very sleepy Chris, who has been doing a great job in the navigator's seat, nods off (no surprise considering the length of our journey and the heat in The Painted Desert) - and I somehow manage to miss the three Winslow exits (where were the signposts?), so we don't get to see that famous corner after all. Nothing to do with 'seven women on my mind' either, I hasten to add.
Never mind, we pull into Flag, as the locals call it, earlier than expected and drive past The Museum Club - an old timber roadhouse where the long deceased Hank Williams and the very much alive Willie Nelson have performed. Built in 1931, it has been a regular venue for country musicians travelling the road.
Right next door is a motel. Perfect stop then for a night of honky-tonkin at 'The Zoo' - The Museum Club was once a taxidermist's by all accounts, hence the nickname. When prohibition ceased it took on new lease of life - and is still going strong.
Anyway, we're in luck - a band called Von Cotton are playing - and a mighty fine alt.country band they turn out to be too, giving a storming set over three hours plus.
The place itself is straight out of John Travolta's Urban Cowboy movie - guys in stetsons and gals in tigh-fitting denim jeans swilling Bud and doing the two-step. We decide to get into the party mood (when in Rome, or rather Flag) - but forget the dancing, we'll stick to the Bud.
What a great people-watching place. Amanda's at the Langland Bay Hotel on Thursday nights (now I'm showing my age) was never like this.
Anyway a great night had by all - it's 2am and we're exhausted. Back to the motel for a good night's sleep. Well that's the plan. Not a chance. Right across the road is the Santa Fe railroad and the freight trains - they have up to 90 wagons - are still roaring down the tracks, with those 'foghorns' of theirs blasting into the wee small hours.
Okay, so e didn't do our homework on this one, but a sleepless night was a sacrifice worth making for a night at 'The Zoo' with Von Cotton and those friendly Bud-swilling cowpokes and cowgals. Yipee.
Monday 27 September 2010
Sunday 26 September 2010
New Mexico
They say it never rains in Southern California. Maybe not, but it does in Colorado - and New Mexico, too, for that matter. Lucky we took that train ride when we did - it was a drop dead gorgeous day. Saturday proves a different kettle of fish - it's pouring as we head out of Durango for a long journey to Taos, NM. Drive up and over 10,000 elevation known as Los Brawos (not Los Bravos as we originally thought) Pass. Lonely road surrounded either side by forest.
Ryan, the barman we met in Durango, told us he had driven it at night and seen no cars on the road for 45 minutes, but that his headlights had picked out countless eyes of wild animals - it's elk, deer and coyote country - in those deep and dark woods. We see very little in the heavy rain and worse is to come because as we climb and climb, the fog comes down.
Still chucking it down as we descend and cross into NM over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Fog still with us, so can't see what's below - maybe just as well as this is the second highest suspension bridge in the US. Gorge plunges 650ft either side to Rio Grande below. Me, I'm keeping my two hands on the wheel and eyes straight ahead.
Make it Taos after hairy drive and spend evening there. It's a small town - a centre for the arts and 'new agers'. Head for Taos Inn and the Adobe Bar. Past customers have included Greta Garbo and D.H. Lawrence. More recently, Robert Redford has dropped in, but The Sundance Kid wasn't there when we called so we had to buy our own drinks. Never mind, next time perhaps - and a good proper Mexican meal made up for the disappointment! (Chris, however, still coming to terms with not meeting RR). Get over it girl.
Sun back out next morning (rain a very rare occurrence in summer according to locals) and it's onto lovely Santa Fe which sits 7,000ft up on a high plateau surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Like Taos, rich in culture and the arts, but on the expensive side. Breakfast in local cafe costs us a few dollars more than we are used to paying. Beautiful place, though - adobe-style architecture with cathedrals and churches the colour of sand. It's a fusion of Spanish, Native American and Anglo - the mix works well. Wished we could have stayed longer, but are heading back west towards Grand Canyon.
Break journey with a stop-over at Gallup on iconic Route 66, spending night at El Rancho hotel & motel. Between 40s and 50s many film stars stayed here. Hundreds of autographed photos adorn wall in lounge, including Robert Mitchum, Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. Former US president Ronald Regan was also a patron.
It's heyday has long gone (we picked up a room cheap), but charming El Rancho still retains a faded grandeur - and they do a breakfast to die for. Fresh fruit, French toast with bacon on the side and steaming hot coffee the best yet. Places like this have been knocked down in the past to make way for some hideous modern monstrosities. El Rancho oozes history & heritage, so thank God no developer has got his hands on it. Long may it run.
Ryan, the barman we met in Durango, told us he had driven it at night and seen no cars on the road for 45 minutes, but that his headlights had picked out countless eyes of wild animals - it's elk, deer and coyote country - in those deep and dark woods. We see very little in the heavy rain and worse is to come because as we climb and climb, the fog comes down.
Still chucking it down as we descend and cross into NM over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Fog still with us, so can't see what's below - maybe just as well as this is the second highest suspension bridge in the US. Gorge plunges 650ft either side to Rio Grande below. Me, I'm keeping my two hands on the wheel and eyes straight ahead.
Make it Taos after hairy drive and spend evening there. It's a small town - a centre for the arts and 'new agers'. Head for Taos Inn and the Adobe Bar. Past customers have included Greta Garbo and D.H. Lawrence. More recently, Robert Redford has dropped in, but The Sundance Kid wasn't there when we called so we had to buy our own drinks. Never mind, next time perhaps - and a good proper Mexican meal made up for the disappointment! (Chris, however, still coming to terms with not meeting RR). Get over it girl.
Sun back out next morning (rain a very rare occurrence in summer according to locals) and it's onto lovely Santa Fe which sits 7,000ft up on a high plateau surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Like Taos, rich in culture and the arts, but on the expensive side. Breakfast in local cafe costs us a few dollars more than we are used to paying. Beautiful place, though - adobe-style architecture with cathedrals and churches the colour of sand. It's a fusion of Spanish, Native American and Anglo - the mix works well. Wished we could have stayed longer, but are heading back west towards Grand Canyon.
Break journey with a stop-over at Gallup on iconic Route 66, spending night at El Rancho hotel & motel. Between 40s and 50s many film stars stayed here. Hundreds of autographed photos adorn wall in lounge, including Robert Mitchum, Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. Former US president Ronald Regan was also a patron.
It's heyday has long gone (we picked up a room cheap), but charming El Rancho still retains a faded grandeur - and they do a breakfast to die for. Fresh fruit, French toast with bacon on the side and steaming hot coffee the best yet. Places like this have been knocked down in the past to make way for some hideous modern monstrosities. El Rancho oozes history & heritage, so thank God no developer has got his hands on it. Long may it run.
Saturday 25 September 2010
Durango Colorado
Farewell Monument Valley and Four Corners - it's been around about 90F at both - we head for exotic-sounding Cortez. It's not very exotic at all actually, but a bar called Blondies - yes our waitress was blonde (she was happy, all smiles and genuine with it, none of this fake 'have a nice day' stuff) - served good fish 'n' chips. The pub grub and a couple of Coronas (not the pop, but the Mexican beer) hit the spot.
Refreshed, it's off to Durango and a two-night stopover. Quaint little town on the banks of Animas River and famous for the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which is regarded as one of the most scenic train rides in the US. After travelling on it, who are we to disagree.
We board coal-fired steam train (think the one in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid) from Silverton - a 19th century mining town not only well-known in its heyday for its silver, but saloons, gambling and brothels too. Boom days long gone, now it's as all as nice as apple pie - and probably half (no make that about one-eighth) of the fun.
ST is set high in the Colorado peaks and fine to wander around for a couple of hours - but it's the three-and-half hour journey back to Durango that proves the highlight. We ride the open 'gondola' cars which offer spectacular but 'hairy' views as train turns, twists and loops its way up and down 7,000-ft of mountains, making its way over impossibly steep gorges with sheer drops either side and river hundreds of feet below. Those of a nervous disposition look away now!
Summer turning to autumn here and the aspen from yellow to gold. It covers the mountains (picture postcard fare). Beautiful days, but nights much cooler as The Fall starts to kick in. Sad to leave Durango - have met some nice people, 'Cowboy Bruce', Tom, who knows a thing or two about Welsh sheepdogs (border collies), and bartender Ryan, among them.
South to New Mexico next - where the sun always shines. So where did we go wrong? Watch this space.
Refreshed, it's off to Durango and a two-night stopover. Quaint little town on the banks of Animas River and famous for the Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, which is regarded as one of the most scenic train rides in the US. After travelling on it, who are we to disagree.
We board coal-fired steam train (think the one in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid) from Silverton - a 19th century mining town not only well-known in its heyday for its silver, but saloons, gambling and brothels too. Boom days long gone, now it's as all as nice as apple pie - and probably half (no make that about one-eighth) of the fun.
ST is set high in the Colorado peaks and fine to wander around for a couple of hours - but it's the three-and-half hour journey back to Durango that proves the highlight. We ride the open 'gondola' cars which offer spectacular but 'hairy' views as train turns, twists and loops its way up and down 7,000-ft of mountains, making its way over impossibly steep gorges with sheer drops either side and river hundreds of feet below. Those of a nervous disposition look away now!
Summer turning to autumn here and the aspen from yellow to gold. It covers the mountains (picture postcard fare). Beautiful days, but nights much cooler as The Fall starts to kick in. Sad to leave Durango - have met some nice people, 'Cowboy Bruce', Tom, who knows a thing or two about Welsh sheepdogs (border collies), and bartender Ryan, among them.
South to New Mexico next - where the sun always shines. So where did we go wrong? Watch this space.
Four Corners
Did silly tourist thing (well, you've got to now and again). Four corners are quite literally that - a spot where you can put each of your hands and feet in four states - Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico at the Four Corners Monument. It's the only place in the US (don't know if it happens anywhere else in the world (roundabout outside Hen Dderwen in Sketty Park perhaps, emails or blog messages please if you know) where four states meet. Strange, but true. Arthur C Clarke eat your heart out. Scruffy, tacky spot, but a bit of a laugh too. Some folk took it a tad seriously. Okay place, but not worth going out of the way for, which we did. Daft Brits.
Monument Valley
Goodbye Moab, hello Monument Valley, where sandstone buttes and mesas (towering rock formations, sometimes yellow, gold, crimson red, even shades of blue depending on time of day - colours change constantly) dominate. These ancient peaks that rise up from dusty desert plains seem so familiar - not surprising considered they have been used as the backdrop for so many Western movies - John Wayne's classic Stagecoach to name just one. The great film director John Ford was the man who put MV on the map for cinema fans worldwide, setting nine movies here and making a young Wayne a star. Now another JW has been here, though his 'star' hasn't quite shone so brightly (still hoping). Where's John Ford when a man needs him? The OK Corral maybe, with Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday.
Monday 20 September 2010
Salt Lake City to Moab
Lovely kip at Super 8 motel. Feeling much more refreshed. Leaving big city - and four-lane highway out of it (trucks coming at you from either side) for little Moab, hub for exploring some of US's greatest national parks. Outdoor pursuits capital for many 20-somethings (mountain biking, rock climbing, extreme sports of all sorts). Wishing we were young again! Okay, no bungee jumps or white water rafting on Grade 4-5 rivers for us, but we take a look at the mighty Colorado River on 60-mile scenic drive - one of only a few where you can actually get so close to one of nature's rawest forces.
Turn inland to visit Arches NP - name does not disappoint. It boasts higherst number of natural stone arches - some 80 - in the world, all formed millions of years ago. Watch these wonders against a setting sun. (Nearly beats sunset over Loughor Estuary from Cefn Bryn, but not quite because that's a sight for sore eyes in its very own right).
Next up our favourite so far - Canyonlands NP where the Colorado (source Rockies) and Green (Wyoming) Rivers converge, cutting their ways through rocky canyons thousands of feet high. Realise how insignificant we are against this awesome landscape - 500 sq miles of wild country at an elevation of some 6,000 ft. We are standing on canyon edges looking down 1,000 ft to ledges where rivers snake 1,000ft further below again. Also make out (just) dirt track roads (4x4s take two days to travel 100 miles across them). Areas of Canyonlands known as Island in The Sky, The Needles and The Maze. These places only for the hardiest of adventurers.
After what happened to Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Saradon) - they drove off the edge of a cliff here called Dead Horse Point in classic 80s road movie - we decide to cut our losses and head back to safety of Moab and a beer or three in local tavern the Slickrock Cafe. Back from Canyonlands in one piece, unlike T and L!
Turn inland to visit Arches NP - name does not disappoint. It boasts higherst number of natural stone arches - some 80 - in the world, all formed millions of years ago. Watch these wonders against a setting sun. (Nearly beats sunset over Loughor Estuary from Cefn Bryn, but not quite because that's a sight for sore eyes in its very own right).
Next up our favourite so far - Canyonlands NP where the Colorado (source Rockies) and Green (Wyoming) Rivers converge, cutting their ways through rocky canyons thousands of feet high. Realise how insignificant we are against this awesome landscape - 500 sq miles of wild country at an elevation of some 6,000 ft. We are standing on canyon edges looking down 1,000 ft to ledges where rivers snake 1,000ft further below again. Also make out (just) dirt track roads (4x4s take two days to travel 100 miles across them). Areas of Canyonlands known as Island in The Sky, The Needles and The Maze. These places only for the hardiest of adventurers.
After what happened to Thelma (Geena Davis) and Louise (Susan Saradon) - they drove off the edge of a cliff here called Dead Horse Point in classic 80s road movie - we decide to cut our losses and head back to safety of Moab and a beer or three in local tavern the Slickrock Cafe. Back from Canyonlands in one piece, unlike T and L!
Lake Tahoe to Salt Lake City
Truly starting to feel we are on US road trip after marathon 10-hour journey across Interstate 80 taking in three states - California, Nevada and Utah. Left lush and verdant Lake Tahoe for drier and more desert-like conditions of Nevada, passing through gambling city of Reno. Hours of driving before reaching middle-of-nowhere Winnemucca - lots of casinos, motels, McDonalds etc. Friendly enough place, but not a place to linger for us. Onwards and upwards - and that's how we feel - sort of on a high plateau with the world below us. Eerie, almost surreal, landscape all the way now. So little traffic on I-80 - sort of feel it's a lost highway - barren wastelands, huge salt plains and great basins which were once lakes (many US land speed records have been set here). Horizons seem to stretch as far as eye can see as road cuts through this weird world. Vast desert, empty space, but with strange twisted rock formations on either side. Imagine a lunar landscape, walking on the surface of the moon perhaps! Capricorn One springs to mind. Descend at last into Salt Lake City at dusk. At least this lake has yet to dry up. Surrounded by water as we drive in and islands in middle of it - a bit Tolkienesque. Mind a bit scrambled, perhaps from all the driving. Need motel and a good night's sleep.
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Oregon Interior & Northern California
Have left the coast at long last - spent much longer there than anticipated such is its beauty - to be greeted by giant redwoods in dense forests. Trees are ancient and massive - standing as silent sentinels in a peaceful world. Interior is a world of rivers and lakes too - and well worth exploring.
Time to get wet and wild on jet boat excursion up the Rogur River, following in the footsteps of Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon, who filmed The River Wild here. Along the way saw salmon up to 30lb being caught by local fishermen, while the sky also held wonders - Bald Eagles and Ospreys, the feathered kind not Ryan Jones, Mike Phillips or even Shane. Indeed, so quick was one, swooping down to pluck a fish out of the water, that he reminded us of the Welsh wing wizard.
Trip stopped at lodge for brunch before descening into Hellgate Canyon - wild water territory. Journey back up river involved some jet boat spins and turns at high speed ensuring the return of two very wet but thrilled Welsh folk. Had told Chris earlier to sit in row 3 of boat as it was driest place to be, knowing from past experience that nothing could be further from the truth. We got a real soaking, but that's the fun of it - and she has since forgiven me.
From Grants Pass, Central Oregon, it's south to Ashland - famous for its Shakespeare Festival and celebrating 75 years of putting on the Bard's works. To enter into the spirit of things - and to prove that we are not totally culturally dead - we see a production of The Merchant of Venice under the stars in open-air theatre based on The Globe in London. John manages to stay awake throughout!
Next up a 90-mile journey to Crater Lake - the deepest lake in the US formed after a volcanic eruption more than half-a-million years ago. Dazzling 'Kodak blue' colour - almost impossible to describe such is its intensity.
We must bid Oregon farewell - and it's south now and a day's journey to Truckee - a former pioneer town - just 13 miles away from our next destination Lake Tahoe. Truckee turns out to be a fun place - good eating places and a host of decent bars, while Lake Tahoe - the stateline between California and Nevada runs through it - staggers us with its beauty. A 70-mile road runs around the lake - the second deepest in America after Crater Lake, but at 6,000ft-plus the highest in terms of elevation. Film buffs may remember a scene from The Godfather II where Fredo (Freddy) Corleone meets his untimely death in a boat on a lake. It - and he - was shot on Lake Tahoe. Poor Freddy, but what a place to pop your clogs if you must!
Time to get wet and wild on jet boat excursion up the Rogur River, following in the footsteps of Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon, who filmed The River Wild here. Along the way saw salmon up to 30lb being caught by local fishermen, while the sky also held wonders - Bald Eagles and Ospreys, the feathered kind not Ryan Jones, Mike Phillips or even Shane. Indeed, so quick was one, swooping down to pluck a fish out of the water, that he reminded us of the Welsh wing wizard.
Trip stopped at lodge for brunch before descening into Hellgate Canyon - wild water territory. Journey back up river involved some jet boat spins and turns at high speed ensuring the return of two very wet but thrilled Welsh folk. Had told Chris earlier to sit in row 3 of boat as it was driest place to be, knowing from past experience that nothing could be further from the truth. We got a real soaking, but that's the fun of it - and she has since forgiven me.
From Grants Pass, Central Oregon, it's south to Ashland - famous for its Shakespeare Festival and celebrating 75 years of putting on the Bard's works. To enter into the spirit of things - and to prove that we are not totally culturally dead - we see a production of The Merchant of Venice under the stars in open-air theatre based on The Globe in London. John manages to stay awake throughout!
Next up a 90-mile journey to Crater Lake - the deepest lake in the US formed after a volcanic eruption more than half-a-million years ago. Dazzling 'Kodak blue' colour - almost impossible to describe such is its intensity.
We must bid Oregon farewell - and it's south now and a day's journey to Truckee - a former pioneer town - just 13 miles away from our next destination Lake Tahoe. Truckee turns out to be a fun place - good eating places and a host of decent bars, while Lake Tahoe - the stateline between California and Nevada runs through it - staggers us with its beauty. A 70-mile road runs around the lake - the second deepest in America after Crater Lake, but at 6,000ft-plus the highest in terms of elevation. Film buffs may remember a scene from The Godfather II where Fredo (Freddy) Corleone meets his untimely death in a boat on a lake. It - and he - was shot on Lake Tahoe. Poor Freddy, but what a place to pop your clogs if you must!
Tuesday 7 September 2010
Oregon Coast
Farewell to Vancouver and our wonderful friends and hosts Malcolm & Anita - we could not have wished for a better start to our adventure. Enjoyed a ''last supper'' with them at Italian restaurant in North Vancouver and received a nice surprise when George, Adrian and Janis dropped in for a couple of 'adios' drinks. Nice one, folks. Early start next day, with Malcolm driving us to airport to catch flight to Portland. Thanks again, buddy.
Great flight - stunning clear day. Flew right over Mt St Helens volcano which literally blew its top back in 1980. Found Portland fascinating - it's called the city of roses. Should be renamed city of bridges, there are so many of them. Stumbled across an exhibition 'The Welsh in America.' Learned much about Land of My Fathers that we didn't know.
Picked up rental car next day - a Dodge - and headed for the ocean. Stopped at Cannon Beach and stayed at little motel with fabulous view of coastline. Beautiful place to be on our 29th anniversary. Walked section of the Lewis & Clark trail through Ecola State Park. Challenging, but rewarding. Saw herds of elk close up.
Headed south next day on Highway 101 and wanted to stop at nearly every bend to take in the stupendous views. No wonder journey taking so long! Stopped in little coastal village Yachats on central coast for couple of nights - good grub, live music and Guinness on tap in Drift Inn. Chris reads about dune buggying (careering around sand dunes on 350cc quad bikes) and gets it into her head she wants to do it. John not convinced. We do it!! Brilliant, but scary as hell. To get up these sand mountains you have to accelerate like crazy, otherwise risk sliding back down and tipping over. Made it down to the beach after miles of trails through dunes and forests right down to edge of Pacific. Mad moment over (when's the next one, Chris?) we get back in the Dodge (boring!) Still heading south - this time to Bandon and Sunset Beach State Park. Wildlife incredible - sea lions basking (and barking) on offshore rocks, seals and a couple of frisky minks up close and personal dining out in a harbour on the local crab.
Great flight - stunning clear day. Flew right over Mt St Helens volcano which literally blew its top back in 1980. Found Portland fascinating - it's called the city of roses. Should be renamed city of bridges, there are so many of them. Stumbled across an exhibition 'The Welsh in America.' Learned much about Land of My Fathers that we didn't know.
Picked up rental car next day - a Dodge - and headed for the ocean. Stopped at Cannon Beach and stayed at little motel with fabulous view of coastline. Beautiful place to be on our 29th anniversary. Walked section of the Lewis & Clark trail through Ecola State Park. Challenging, but rewarding. Saw herds of elk close up.
Headed south next day on Highway 101 and wanted to stop at nearly every bend to take in the stupendous views. No wonder journey taking so long! Stopped in little coastal village Yachats on central coast for couple of nights - good grub, live music and Guinness on tap in Drift Inn. Chris reads about dune buggying (careering around sand dunes on 350cc quad bikes) and gets it into her head she wants to do it. John not convinced. We do it!! Brilliant, but scary as hell. To get up these sand mountains you have to accelerate like crazy, otherwise risk sliding back down and tipping over. Made it down to the beach after miles of trails through dunes and forests right down to edge of Pacific. Mad moment over (when's the next one, Chris?) we get back in the Dodge (boring!) Still heading south - this time to Bandon and Sunset Beach State Park. Wildlife incredible - sea lions basking (and barking) on offshore rocks, seals and a couple of frisky minks up close and personal dining out in a harbour on the local crab.
Thursday 2 September 2010
Wednesday 1 September 2010
On Tour
August 24 - The big day is 24 hours away after what seems months & months of preparation - letting the house, moving into Pauline's (Chris's mum) home, organising travel arrangements. So many wonderful send-offs from family & friends. Lots of telephone calls, messages, emails and texts. Thanks everyone. Out to dinner with Pauline, Hannah, Emma and Em's boyfriend, Jack, at Langland Brasserie. Lovely evening, with the tide right in and a full moon on the bay. Super food & company before emotional goodbyes. Lots of hugs & kisses & a few tears too.
August 25 - Our great friends Arwel & Joan drive us up the M4 to Heathrow - thanks both (the curry in Chutneys will be on us on our return, promise!). It's Terminal 5 for take-off. More good wishes texted. Feeling chilled but excited after dropping off bags for check-in. John takes one last look at Evening Post (sad, but true!) only to find Chris Clark quoted and pictured in Vox Pop. Nice picture, Chris (Can't keep a good man down). Fine flight into Vancouver, with spectacular views over Rockies. Arrive at approx 18.45 to temperature of early 70s. Malcolm & Anita greet Chris with beautiful bunch of roses (where were the ones for John?) Never mind, he'll settle for a beer later. Drove back to M & A's gorgeous home in North Vancouver a stone's throw from idyllic Deep Cove. Spent the evening catching up with all the news - ours and theirs - over a great pasta cooked by M and a couple of nice bottles of wine. Such a warm evening we sat on their balcony which overlooks their swimming pool and out across the bay to the inlet of Indian Arm. It doesn't get much better. Location a stunning one.
August 26 - Blowing away the cobwebs day walking along the West Vancouver shoreline at English Bay on the Pacific Ocean. Enjoyed lunch at restaurant where M & A's eldest daughter Sophie works, then back to M & A's home to laze around pool and hot tub. Malcolm takes John to meet his buddies at his golf club - the Seymour Golf & Country Club where George, M's 'best friend', introduces John as 'Malcolm's second best friend.' Day winds up with dinner at the Arms Reach bistro at Deep Cove and then movies in M's basement (it's like a cinema there). Boys being boys stay up till 3am drinking wine and watching Rod Stewart DVD. Some things just never change.
August 27 - Chris & Anita walk M & A's dog Bonnie in Cate's Park before lateish breakfast (John has had a lie-in) before hitting the road for tour of Vancouver. Head downtown and walk to see Olympic flame, then to waterfront and across to Stanley Park for photos looking across to Lions Gate bridge. Great lunch at Greek restaurant - delicious Mousakka - then to bustling Granville Island. Girls split up from boys - just temporary, honest. Girls go shopping in the market on the quay. Boys go for drinks on the deck at Bridges. Oganagan pear cider gets big thumbs-up from John, the sangria a big thumbs-down from Malcolm, so he switches to a beer and is soon grinning again. Back for a walk in the woods and a swim. Late dinner & more DVDs - this time of our 1997 holiday in Maine. Turned in for an early night - midnight!
August 28 - Malcolm's birthday. He's 21 with 27 years experience. Wake to sunshine again. All help to prepare for birthday bash. Mid-day and M opens presents from Sophie and youngest daughter Laura, Anita & ourselves accompanied by bottle of champagne and ice-cream birthday cake. Guests start to arrive 3pm onwards - last leave at around 2am. Great bunch of people, lots of laughs & tall tales. One of Malcolm's buddies, Adrian (don't know whether he's 'third, fourth or fifth best friend') has us in stitches with his stories of past adventures. Adrian you should have been a stand up comic. Billy Connolly eat your heart out! 3am and Malcolm falls asleep in hot tub. Yawn!!
August 29 - Lazy, lazy morning before a fabulous afternoon out of Deep Cove on George's cabin cruiser up Indian Arm. Felt like James Bond! George was 'Capt Pugwash' and the crew consisted of Malcolm, John, Chris, Adrian and his wife Janis. Janis and Chris lay on the sunbed up on deck at the front of the boat, while the boys did all the hard work in the cabin drinking beer and eating fried chicken! Fun trip with stunning scenery all the way up to Wigwam Inn - a place with a lot of history. Just sea, mountains and silence along the way, apart from the noise we were making of course. Couple of hours on the water before heading back into Deep Cove, viewing all the beautiful waterfront homes. Anita joins us on board later for more drinks after we dock. Huge thanks to skipper George and first mate Adrian. Stay thirsty, my friends.
August 30 - Early start for 'Sea to Sky' highway journey north to Whistler, centre-piece of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Clear stunning sunny day, so fabulous views of snow-capped peaks and blue-green sea all the way two hours north. Staying just outside the village with Brett and Lynn, good friends of M & A's. Lynn takes us, M & A into Whistler and we ride the Peak2Peak cable car between the two mountains Whistler and Blackcomb some 8,000 ft up, It's the longest cable car in the world between two mountains. Breath-taking vistas all around and we spot a black bear. Also head up to summit of Whistler in open ski chair - glad we took Brett's advice to wear a few extra layers - it's cold, cold up there. This part of ski lift steep & a bit scary, but views so amazing that it's well worth getting over those initial nerves. Chris admits to shutting her eyes briefly on the way back down as ski chair takeyou over a sheer drop with nothing but snow and ice a couple of hundred ft below. Returned to catch up with Brett & Lynn at their magnificent home overlooking a lovely lake brimfull of fresh trout. Chatted over drinks on their patio before dinner at The Rimrock. Outstanding does not even begin to cover this restaurant. It's reputation as one of the finest in North America is richly deserved. We are being spoilt rotten. Returned to spend a wonderful night's sleep overlooking the lake and forest, but did not catch a glimpse of 'Eddison' the eagle which often comes to take up residence in the woods at the back of Brett and Lynn's home. Thanks to Brett and Lynn for your hospitality. Wonderful couple and new friends who made us so welcome and so at home in their home.
August 31 - From a stunning day to a sopping & soggy one - the wettest day in Vancouver's history in 100 years. Just as well we did Whistler and Blackcomb the day before. How lucky was that! Spent a couple of hours looking around Whistler village, then visited the Olympic Park where they held the cross-country biathlon and ski-jumping events in 2010. Spectacular place. Brett helped built it, so we had our own personal tour guide (We forgot to tip him!). Sorry, Brett, Dinner on us in the UK. Back to Van with a stop in Squamish for pub lunch - Wild Salmon burger and yam fries, we kid you not. Rain does not relent, so it's a night in back in M's 'cinema' to watch The Hangover and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Early night? Not a chance.
August 25 - Our great friends Arwel & Joan drive us up the M4 to Heathrow - thanks both (the curry in Chutneys will be on us on our return, promise!). It's Terminal 5 for take-off. More good wishes texted. Feeling chilled but excited after dropping off bags for check-in. John takes one last look at Evening Post (sad, but true!) only to find Chris Clark quoted and pictured in Vox Pop. Nice picture, Chris (Can't keep a good man down). Fine flight into Vancouver, with spectacular views over Rockies. Arrive at approx 18.45 to temperature of early 70s. Malcolm & Anita greet Chris with beautiful bunch of roses (where were the ones for John?) Never mind, he'll settle for a beer later. Drove back to M & A's gorgeous home in North Vancouver a stone's throw from idyllic Deep Cove. Spent the evening catching up with all the news - ours and theirs - over a great pasta cooked by M and a couple of nice bottles of wine. Such a warm evening we sat on their balcony which overlooks their swimming pool and out across the bay to the inlet of Indian Arm. It doesn't get much better. Location a stunning one.
August 26 - Blowing away the cobwebs day walking along the West Vancouver shoreline at English Bay on the Pacific Ocean. Enjoyed lunch at restaurant where M & A's eldest daughter Sophie works, then back to M & A's home to laze around pool and hot tub. Malcolm takes John to meet his buddies at his golf club - the Seymour Golf & Country Club where George, M's 'best friend', introduces John as 'Malcolm's second best friend.' Day winds up with dinner at the Arms Reach bistro at Deep Cove and then movies in M's basement (it's like a cinema there). Boys being boys stay up till 3am drinking wine and watching Rod Stewart DVD. Some things just never change.
August 27 - Chris & Anita walk M & A's dog Bonnie in Cate's Park before lateish breakfast (John has had a lie-in) before hitting the road for tour of Vancouver. Head downtown and walk to see Olympic flame, then to waterfront and across to Stanley Park for photos looking across to Lions Gate bridge. Great lunch at Greek restaurant - delicious Mousakka - then to bustling Granville Island. Girls split up from boys - just temporary, honest. Girls go shopping in the market on the quay. Boys go for drinks on the deck at Bridges. Oganagan pear cider gets big thumbs-up from John, the sangria a big thumbs-down from Malcolm, so he switches to a beer and is soon grinning again. Back for a walk in the woods and a swim. Late dinner & more DVDs - this time of our 1997 holiday in Maine. Turned in for an early night - midnight!
August 28 - Malcolm's birthday. He's 21 with 27 years experience. Wake to sunshine again. All help to prepare for birthday bash. Mid-day and M opens presents from Sophie and youngest daughter Laura, Anita & ourselves accompanied by bottle of champagne and ice-cream birthday cake. Guests start to arrive 3pm onwards - last leave at around 2am. Great bunch of people, lots of laughs & tall tales. One of Malcolm's buddies, Adrian (don't know whether he's 'third, fourth or fifth best friend') has us in stitches with his stories of past adventures. Adrian you should have been a stand up comic. Billy Connolly eat your heart out! 3am and Malcolm falls asleep in hot tub. Yawn!!
August 29 - Lazy, lazy morning before a fabulous afternoon out of Deep Cove on George's cabin cruiser up Indian Arm. Felt like James Bond! George was 'Capt Pugwash' and the crew consisted of Malcolm, John, Chris, Adrian and his wife Janis. Janis and Chris lay on the sunbed up on deck at the front of the boat, while the boys did all the hard work in the cabin drinking beer and eating fried chicken! Fun trip with stunning scenery all the way up to Wigwam Inn - a place with a lot of history. Just sea, mountains and silence along the way, apart from the noise we were making of course. Couple of hours on the water before heading back into Deep Cove, viewing all the beautiful waterfront homes. Anita joins us on board later for more drinks after we dock. Huge thanks to skipper George and first mate Adrian. Stay thirsty, my friends.
August 30 - Early start for 'Sea to Sky' highway journey north to Whistler, centre-piece of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Clear stunning sunny day, so fabulous views of snow-capped peaks and blue-green sea all the way two hours north. Staying just outside the village with Brett and Lynn, good friends of M & A's. Lynn takes us, M & A into Whistler and we ride the Peak2Peak cable car between the two mountains Whistler and Blackcomb some 8,000 ft up, It's the longest cable car in the world between two mountains. Breath-taking vistas all around and we spot a black bear. Also head up to summit of Whistler in open ski chair - glad we took Brett's advice to wear a few extra layers - it's cold, cold up there. This part of ski lift steep & a bit scary, but views so amazing that it's well worth getting over those initial nerves. Chris admits to shutting her eyes briefly on the way back down as ski chair takeyou over a sheer drop with nothing but snow and ice a couple of hundred ft below. Returned to catch up with Brett & Lynn at their magnificent home overlooking a lovely lake brimfull of fresh trout. Chatted over drinks on their patio before dinner at The Rimrock. Outstanding does not even begin to cover this restaurant. It's reputation as one of the finest in North America is richly deserved. We are being spoilt rotten. Returned to spend a wonderful night's sleep overlooking the lake and forest, but did not catch a glimpse of 'Eddison' the eagle which often comes to take up residence in the woods at the back of Brett and Lynn's home. Thanks to Brett and Lynn for your hospitality. Wonderful couple and new friends who made us so welcome and so at home in their home.
August 31 - From a stunning day to a sopping & soggy one - the wettest day in Vancouver's history in 100 years. Just as well we did Whistler and Blackcomb the day before. How lucky was that! Spent a couple of hours looking around Whistler village, then visited the Olympic Park where they held the cross-country biathlon and ski-jumping events in 2010. Spectacular place. Brett helped built it, so we had our own personal tour guide (We forgot to tip him!). Sorry, Brett, Dinner on us in the UK. Back to Van with a stop in Squamish for pub lunch - Wild Salmon burger and yam fries, we kid you not. Rain does not relent, so it's a night in back in M's 'cinema' to watch The Hangover and Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Early night? Not a chance.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)