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Category: California

Pacific Coast: Bodega Bay, CA to Port Townsend, WA

Pacific Coast: Bodega Bay, CA to Port Townsend, WA

The trek up the Pacific coast from California to northern Washington never gets old. And to our delight, it continues to hold new finds. Here are some of 2025’s highlights: Making our way to the coastWe left Donner Memorial Park and drove south along Lake Tahoe, which is stunningly beautiful. We landed at a regional park called Rancho Seco, outside of Sacramento. Well, this was kind of so-so as a camp spot. The advertised “lake view” features power plant cooling…

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From Sea to Shining Sea

From Sea to Shining Sea

Well almost. Our starting point for this summer’s journey was North Carolina. We had a great time catching up with relatives in Sparta and Charlotte. Sparta is nestled in the mountains near the Blue Ridge Parkway. Several family members have moved here, attracted by its small town, artsy vibe. We enjoyed an evening of music at the Muddy Creek Cafe. Niece Laura’s partner Patrick is in the Muddy Creek Band, which made it more fun for us. He’s the ultra…

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Bodega Bay to the Prairies

Bodega Bay to the Prairies

Late Summer 2024 With great memories of our visit to Yosemite, we left the park with a promise to return in the future. We turned west and headed to the California coast. We jumped onto the Coastal Highway (Rte 1) at Bodega Bay. Ah, the blue of the Pacific! Further up the coast, we camped at Hendy Woods State Park, one of our favorite parks, near Philo, CA. You camp among the trees, and then you can hike into the…

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East to West: Our Trail to Yosemite

East to West: Our Trail to Yosemite

Yosemite National Park has been on our bucket list for several years. Actually, my interest began in the 1970s, when I got my first 35mm camera and started monkeying around with photography. Ansel Adams’ photos sparked both my desire to capture better images and also to visit the place that so inspired his work. Booking campsite reservations in the National Parks is a high tech sport in itself. On-line reservations for mid-June opened on February 15, at 7am, PST. With…

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Whirlwind Summer Roadtrip

Whirlwind Summer Roadtrip

June – July 2023 Crater Lake We visited Crater Lake on June 20th, one day before the offical start of summer. Surprise! We arrived to find a fresh dusting of snow and frosty temperatures to match. A clear, bright blue sky made the water look dark navy blue. Crater is the deepest and purest lake in the U.S. This mountaintop lake was once a volcano. An eruption 7,700 years ago created the crater and set the stage for this 2,000…

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Redwoods, Wind, and Rain

Redwoods, Wind, and Rain

Pacific Coast, California, Spring 2022 The drive along the Pacific coast is hard to beat for scenic beauty. Every twist and turn of Highway 101 opens onto another vista of rocky cliffs dropping down to meet blue-green waves and foamy surf. Add spring flowers and towering redwoods to the mix, and it’s unbelievably stunning. Last year, this was some of our most memorable scenery and we were looking forward to a repeat visit with more time to explore the redwood…

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Desert to the Ocean

Desert to the Ocean

Arizona to CaliforniaMid to late April 2022 From Albuquerque, we dipped into Arizona to spend a few days at Lake Havasu. We camped at the state park, which turned out to be a much better location than Cattail Cove, where we stayed last year. This park was much closer to Lake Havasu City, with better amenities and things to do. We got the van serviced at the Ram dealership, did some trip planning, and relaxed near the water for a…

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California Coast

California Coast

Mid to late May 2021 We crossed into California and made our way to Salton Sea, a land-locked sea, which looked interesting on the map. At 227 feet below sea level, it’s the state’s lowest geographic point. Sadly, it’s also one of its lowest points in other ways, as well. Although beautiful from a distance, the up close truths of this one-time resort are distressing. The lake is polluted to the point that it’s dangerous to drink, or even touch,…

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