 |
| Finding reminders of home in odd places! |
•
travelled 6589 miles,
(10604 km)
•
been in 4 US states –
California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon
•
explored 7 National
Parks - Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite, Golden Gate Alcatraz,
Lassen Volcanic, Redwoods
•
visited 7 State Parks
- Big Sur, Salton Sea, San Jacinto Mountain, Hearst Castle, Red Rock, Red Rock Canyon,
Humboldt Redwoods
•
National Forests; 4 Sequoia, Sierra, Tahoe, Lassen
•
slept in 18 beds; 6
hotels/inns, 5 motels and 6
timeshare units, 1 private home (make it 24 with Bahamas)
•
ate Ben & Jerry
ice-cream, 7, Cherry Garcia, Chunky Monkey, Triple Caramel Chunk, New
York Super Fudge Chunk, Americone Dream, Cheesecake Brownie, Everything but
the…
•
added 37 birds to my
US bird list which is now 201 and my world list is 1484, top bird Roadrunner
•
popped into 4 museums,
Palm Springs Art, Cable Car (SF), De Young (SF), Maritime Museum (Lake Tahoe)
•
farmers markets, 2; Oakhurst, Ferry Building (SF)
•
decaprio 3 movie catch-up, Aviator, Gatsby and
Departed
•
Oscar 5 movie catch-up, Dallas Buyers Club, Nebraska, August: Osage
County, Zero Dark Thirty, Charlie Wilson’s War
•
relished organic extra
virgin olive oil, 3 farms
•
walked 159 miles;
beaches, mountain trails, coastal meadow, high altitude lake, golf courses,
climbing red rocks, canyon rim, valley trail, desert paths, Las Vegas Strip,
mountain hikes, many city blocks
•
walking well ahead of schedule, 27
miles credit, (for each 50 miles driven we want to walk 1
mile)
•
longest hike 10 miles on Four Mile Trail with 3200’ climb on steep switchbacks
•
took a bike, cycled along
the Truckee River for 16 miles, (26
km)
•
watched 7 episodes of
Game of Thrones, season 4
•
lowest driving elevation, 214’ below sea-level at Furnace Creek
Golf Course, Death Valley
•
highest driving elevation, 9945’ Tioga Pass, Tioga Road, Yosemite
•
got cold at the lowest
temperature below 40 degrees F in Tehachapi (3 degrees C)
•
was hot at the highest
temperature of 115 degrees F while walking in Death Valley (46 degrees
C). Car registered 125 degrees F at one point – over 50 degrees C
•
wine tasting, 2 at
Tablas Winery, Paso Robles and Souza Family Vineyard
•
modes of transport, 8, helicopter over the Grand Canyon,
ferry to Alcatraz, cable car, bus, metro, streetcar, bicycle, paddle boat on
Tahoe
•
shows/events, 5, in Las Vegas, O Cirque du Soleil; in San Francisco, Beach Blanket Babylon, SF
Giants baseball in San Francisco; in Reno, Extreme Bull Riding; in Reno, Rodeo
 |
| Delicate beauty among the huge redwoods |
 |
| Fred almost a tree-hugger, he loved the redwoods and the experience of their majesty. |
