So here we are, last early morning call to fly back home.
•
travelled 10993 miles,
(17590 km)
•
northern most point of the
road trip, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, 47 degrees 41’ N
•
southern most point of the
road trip, Salton Sea, California, 33 degrees 31’ N
•
been in 10 US states
– California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming,
Utah, New York
•
explored 13 National
Parks - Joshua Tree, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite, Golden Gate Alcatraz,
Lassen Volcanic, Redwoods, Lava Beds, Crater Lake, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Bryce
Canyon, Zion
•
visited 8 State Parks
- Big Sur, Salton Sea, San Jacinto Mountain, Hearst Castle, Red Rock, Red Rock Canyon,
Humboldt Redwoods, Valley of Fire
•
National Forests; 7 Sequoia, Sierra, Tahoe, Lassen,
Fremont Winema. Mt Hood, Gallatin
•
slept in 24 beds; 7
hotels/inns, 8 motels and 8
timeshare units, 1 private home (make it 30 with Bahamas)
•
Shawni and Craig joined us
for nights 10 nights
•
ate Ben & Jerry
ice-cream, 13, Cherry Garcia; Chunky Monkey; Triple Caramel Chunk; New
York Super Fudge Chunk; Americone Dream; Cheesecake Brownie; Everything but
the….; Coffee. Coffee Buzz Buzz!; FroYo, Half Baked; Pistachio, Pistachio;
That’s my Jam, Core; Red Velvet Cake; Scotchy Scotch Scotch
•
added 55 birds to my
US bird list which is now 219 and my world list is 1502, top bird Roadrunner
•
popped into 5 museums,
Palm Springs Art, Cable Car (SF), De Young (SF), Maritime Museum (Lake Tahoe),
Latimer Quilt and Textile
•
farmers markets, 3; Oakhurst, Ferry Building (SF),
Portland
•
decaprio 4 movie catch-up, Aviator, Gatsby, Departed,
J Edgar
•
Oscar 6 movie catch-up, Dallas Buyers Club; Nebraska; August: Osage
County; Zero Dark Thirty; Charlie Wilson’s War; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
•
relished organic extra
virgin olive oil, 3 farms
•
walked 222 miles;
beaches, mountain trails, coastal meadow, high altitude lakes, golf courses,
climbing red rocks, national park trails, canyon rim, canyon trails, valley
trail, river trail, desert paths, Las Vegas Strip, mountain hikes, many city
blocks, Central Park
•
walking on schedule, no ways we were not going to meet this goal, so walked
12 miles in New York to ‘beat’ the car (for each 50 miles driven we want
to walk 1 mile)
•
longest hike 10 miles on Four Mile Trail, Yosemite with 3200’ climb on steep switchbacks
•
took a bike, cycled along
the Truckee River for 16 miles, (26 km)
•
canoed 9 miles along the Upper Klamath Canoe Trail
•
rode a horse on a high
altitude trail, Big Sky, Montana, for 4 miles
•
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, 14, helicopter over the Grand Canyon,
ferry to Alcatraz, cable car, bus, metro, streetcar, bicycle, paddle boat on
Tahoe, canoe, Big Pink Trolley in Portland, ski-lift at Timberline, Mt Hood,
horse, taxi, subway
•
shows/events, 6, 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;
in New York, Kinky Boots
…what a trip...
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| A sweltering, humid NYC, but still fun to be walking familiar and unfamiliar places. |
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| Walking Central Park to 'beat' the car. |
