San Francisco

Getting ready to cross the bridge.

A view from the ferry on our way to San Francisco.

Mikayla's new man that we found at the restaurant at the Pier.

The automatic toilet in San Fran, Mikalya is in the toilet right now and didn't know that I was taking this.

Okay, the internet in the middle of nowhere is good for some things but it really doesn't like to upload pics so we will try that another day. :) Sorry:(

Today we started by heading out to Sausalito. We talked to Charla last night and she said that you can take a ferry across the bay and then I wouldn't have to worry about parking down there. I wasn't too keen on the idea of driving through San Fran so the ferry sounded perfect.

Once we got there we had to wait about 30 minutes for the next ferry and it was great to be able to see the bridge from the drive as well as Alcatraz. The only down fall was we came into the bay at Pier 1 and we needed to go to Pier 39. So a little walking this morning felt good and it was our exercise for the day or at least part of it.

We got down to the pier and started wondering around. It is so great just to people watch and see all the interesting people and what they are doing. Mikayla got her first glimpse of some street performs at their best. Pretty good education for her. :0) That was her look a lot of times.

We had lunch down at the pier and got to watch the end of a soccer game and had some really great nachos and beer (at least one of us did).

We wanted to head back across the bay at about 2 but the next ferry wasn't until 3:20. So guess what? We found some ice cream to have. It was great but this time we actually shared one.

By the time we got back to Sausalito it was a little after 4 o'clock and then we headed to go over the bridge. It was so amazing to see up close and personal.

But then we got to go on the Bay Bridge also and that bridge is about 5 miles long and a double decker bridge. The only sad part was that we were on the bottom level and didn't get to enjoy the wonderful view as much. Still a very cool bridge to go over.

I truly feel blessed every time that we go some place else and I get to see such great works done by man or by nature.

We got stuck in some wonderful San Fran rush hour traffic and it really reminds me why I don't like to drive in California. It is hard when you aren't really sure where to go and your navigator doesn't either. I think that it made for a little stressful time but we made it through.

We started heading east to Yosemite and have landed in Groveland, CA for the night. The camp site is probably our least favorite so far. It is really slanted and every time that we walk anywhere we both feel like we are falling. But at least we are in for the night and you get to hear all about it.

Redwood Forest

Just a great shot with the sunlight coming through.

Getting a hug from the huge trees.

A tree with a hollow in it from a fire. It was cool that I could sit in it like that.

This was a fallen tree and it was so big that Mikayla could stand up in it.


Today was all about exploring the Redwoods. We started up in Crescent City and started working our way down Highway 101. We got our stamp for our passport books before the office even opened. The rangers were nice enough to talk to us and let us get our stamps. It was 10 till 9 and they didn't open this morning until 9.

We stopped at a couple of pull outs that the ranger suggested and they were very beautiful. There was a ton of fog this morning. Mikayla hasn't had the pleasure of fog before and it was very interesting only being able to see about 200-300 yards in front of you. Going around corners on the highway and just looking for the next car or the road really isn't my idea of fun. But I guess they really like it in California. :)

We spent about 1-2 hours in the park and then headed down just past Eureka to the Avenue of the Giants and spent about 2 hours driving the 31 miles that it encompasses. It was very cool and Mikayla even said that she felt small in amongst the Redwoods. They are truly amazing trees and it just awesome to be with them.

We kept thinking that we felt as though we were in a scene from Jurassic Park. Everything was so big and it felt like a dinosaur might just jump out at you at any second. I don't think that it helped that I kept making noises last night and almost made Mikayla have nightmares.:) It was fun though!!!!!

After that we kept driving down Highway 101 and have found a KOA in Cloverdale. (Can you believe it Charla:) It was an adventure getting to this one but it is very nice. It is only 6 o'clock and the office attendants have already left for the night so we will have to pay for the place tomorrow.

I think that we are about 100 miles outside of San Francisco, I haven't decided if we are going to stay on the 101 or try and go to a highway that will be faster. I like the 101 but it does get pretty slow at times and I want to see more things.

I will try and post some pictures later of the Redwoods otherwise you might have to wait until tomorrow.

Love you all and we love to see what you guys have to say. Just about a week and we should be home, can you believe that we have already been in 10 states:) When we start talking about where we have been we start mixing up our days and it really has gone by fast. Maybe too fast but it sure has been a blast!!!!!

Tillamook Cheese Factory

Just at a pull off point along the way, but it was on the coast and was beautiful.

Mikayla with the frying pan in Long Beach. Yes, Scott and John we were being tourists when we left you on Saturday.

This is the bridge that we crossed to get from Washington to Oregon. It was a great sight when you were out in the middle and looking at the Columbia River.

Tillamook Cheese factory, great cheese but also great ice cream. You have to go and try it and don't forget to pick up some squeaky cheese. It is delicious.


Today we left Scott and John after another great morning with them. We got to explore some more of Long Beach and I truly understand why they love going there so much. It is a great place to go and visit and everyone makes you feel at home.

We headed south and got to cross a really long bridge to get to Astoria, OR. It was a beautiful sight. We drove for about 100 miles along the coast until we got to Tillamook. We took a tour of the cheese factory and it was great. I loved the squeaky cheese and got some to bring home. But the best part was the ice cream. (Thanks for telling us John:) It is really cool to see a factory up close and personal.
Kendra would have been in heaven because there were so many cows here. They had souvenirs of every kind that had a cow on it. She wouldn't have know what to buy first. :)
When we left there we started to head in land more so that we could get moving a little more. We ended up staying in National Park by Cottage Grove. It was just south of Eugene, OR.

On to the Oregon Caves.

Oregon Caves

This was in a small room that we had to climb 45 stairs up to. It was covered in this flow stone and looked like a whole bunch of jelly fish. It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful rooms in the cave. We both really liked it and then had to climb the 45 stairs to get back down. :(

This is the biggest column in this cave. They said that there was actually a couple that got married by this column at one time. That is why it is called the chapel room.

Outside of the cave in the area by a gift shop and coffee shot there is this little waterfall and pool around it. Very pretty to sit by and have ice cream.

A heart formation that is located in the cave. I don't remember what type of formation it is.


We headed out this morning and went looking for the Oregon Caves. You would think that when you put something into the Garmin that it will take you there, especially when it has the address and everything.

Well needless to say it was definitely an adventure. We ended up on some Forest Roads and were driving next to some logging equipment. I don't think that Mikayla or I said anything to each other the entire time that we were on that road. Luckily it is Sunday and I don't think that any of the loggers were working today. The road was pretty quiet, we only had two other cars pass us going the other way. (Maybe they were having issues with their Garmin as well.)

Eventually we finally made it to the Oregon Caves and went on the tour that lasted about 90 minutes and had about 500 stairs all together in it. They said that it was moderately strenuous and I can see why. There were a couple of times that we were glad that the ranger stopped so that we could catch our breathe. :) It was really cool to see another cave and this one you could hear the river around you when you first went in. The average temperature of the this cave was only 44 degrees so we needed to bring out jackets again. Bummer:(

When we got done with the caves, we had lunch in the parking lot. It was about an hour drive back to a main highway. And then we took off for California and Crescent City. We stopped tonight at a KOA that is about a mile north of Crescent City and are doing laundry for the 3rd and we hope last time of the trip.

Tomorrow we are hoping to see the Redwoods and to do the drive that is called the Avenue of the Giants that is just south of Eureka, CA.

On the drive to our campsite we stopped along the road because we have already caught a glimpse of the Redwoods. They are huge but I just can't wait to see them tomorrow in all their glory.

Long Beach, WA

The really big fish, see I wasn't making it up. Just turn your computer, I'm not sure why it is this way because I fixed it in iphoto. Sorry:(


Today we left Seattle at about 10:30. We actually slept in and then got on the road. It was overcast and sprinkling just a little when we left. So we got very lucky to have such a wonderful sunny day yesterday in Seattle. It was perfect to get to see everything.

We drove down to Long Beach to see Scott and John. They are staying here for the weekend and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see them when we were so close already.

Long Beach is a very quaint small town right on the ocean. We took a walk along the beach and watched Stevie play with a stick and then go lay in the ocean. It was very cute!

They took us on a drive to a couple of other little towns (Ilwaco and Sea View) along the coast and saw some really big fish that were caught. I really don't know what they were called but they were big. (Sounds like a fishing story but truly it isn't). Trust me. :)

This town is very cute and is adorable, I can see why they love to come down here to get away from the city.

Tomorrow I think that we are heading down the coast until we hit Tillamook. We want to take a tour of the cheese factory and we hear that they have really good ice cream as well.

Seattle:)

View of Seattle harbor from the Space Needle.

View of the Space Needle from the Monorail.

Mikayla on the O Deck of the Space Needle.

See the fish in the air, they were tossing it. Yeah:)

The Public Market.


We got up this morning and started the drive into Seattle. It was about 5 hours today, not bad considering what we did yesterday. We arrived at Scott and John's (Mikayla's uncle's) house at about 2 p.m. They went to the beach but are letting us use the house while we are in town. Very nice of them.

After we got the bikes and the car topper off (just so we would fit in the parking garage) we decided to head down to Pike Place Market. Thank god for the GPS because I don't think we would have made it there. The downtown area is very busy and the streets are crazy and there are a lot of one way streets.

We saw the fish being thrown at the one fish market, which was so cool:) We walked all around the market and got some really delicious mini doughnuts that where recommended to me by one of my student's mom. There were so good that I wanted to get some more but they were already closed by the time that we returned.

After the market we walked over to the monorail. It took us over to Seattle Center so that we could see the Space Needle. It was a great ride up to the O Deck and 520 feet of glory. We walked all the way around and enjoyed the incredible view of Seattle. I got a Scuttlebutt Amber beer while we were up there and it tasted so good at the top of the Needle:) Yummy!!!

After several hours we decided to come back to the house. I didn't mind the drive down to the market but the drive back just about did me in. The road reminds me of the roads in San Francisco and I didn't realize that I would be going almost vertical. I had to use both feet so that I wouldn't roll too far backwards. I really don't know how anyone can get used to that road. Then to top it all off a fire engine started coming from behind us, with its lights and siren going. We were on a one way street and everyone was stopped at the light. No where to go!!! So cars just started going into the intersection and trying to get out of the way. It was nuts. I am very happy that we are back at the house and I can have another adult beverage now!!!!! Mikayla even said that she needed a Coke to calm her nerves after that ride. And it really wasn't even my fault.

Yellowstone

Sunset lake geyser, I think.

Just a very cool shot, I loved how clear the water was here.

Old Faithful shot from the balcony at the Inn.

We finally got a shot of the Continental Divide, we passed it a total of ten times in 3 different locations over the 3 days we were there. It only took until number 7 to finally stop and get the shots.

Cute buffalo on Wednesday morning as we were leaving. The baby looks so cute.

Sorry, I didn't put more on. I have about 300 photos of just Yellowstone that I just put on my computer. I had no idea that I took that many pictures.

We got to Yellowstone on Sunday and left on Wednesday morning.

Has anyone everyone told you that Yellowstone is a very large park? Well they really weren't kidding.

We needed to find a place to stay on Sunday and drove around the park for about 4 hours. The first 3 camps were already full but we found a spot at Indian Creek. After setting up camp we decided to go to Mammoth Hot Springs. It was very cool but windy and the springs smell of sulfur. Very stinky. We then went to the town of Mammoth and saw some elk just sitting in the grass of the little town.

That night we had to put all food and drinks in the car because of bears. A little scary but that is also the fun of Yellowstone. We did hear wolves this night and that was a little freaky for me.

We got up at about 6:30 on Monday morning and closed up camp and went to find a place that was more centrally located. In our frantic, half asleep packing we left the bike lock. Bummer but thanks to Dad we had an extra. (He is always thinking, and we love him for that.)

We got down to Grant Village at about 9 am so it was about and hour and a half from the first place. Grant has just opened on Monday for the season and we were officially the second people to check in. They had a spot for us in Loop H and it was awesome, right next to the bathrooms and there were 2 bear boxes by it as well. We were told when we checked in that a grizzly had been spotted on Saturday at this camp ground. So just be careful about what we were doing and to make sure that you really clean up your camp all the time.

So Monday after setting up camp again, we went down to the Grand Tetons (read that post).

Did I mention how cold Yellowstone is at this time of year? It is in the 60's during the day and at night it is in the low 30's. And yes, we were in a tent. Pretty cold. The only thing that we couldn't keep warm was our feet. On Tuesday night, Mikayla put on 4 pairs of socks and was still cold. I think her circulation might just be bad:) The weather is also very strange, it rained on us everyday that we were there, but sometimes it would only last for a couple of minutes and others it might be for about 30 minutes and then it would be beautiful again. Very weird weather, you truly have to be prepared for anything.

We heard on Tuesday that the bear was sighted on Monday walking across a bridge that we have to drive on to go to and from the campsite. And that we was also seen swimming out to a little peninsula by Loop I. Did I mention that we are at Loop H? Well, needless to say, I am writing this right now so we survived the grizzly bear and made it out of Yellowstone just fine.

Tuesday we decided to spend our time at Old Faithful and around that area. I think that we were gone for about 7 hours that day and that was just one part of the park. Remember this place is huge!!!!

We got to see Old Faithful erupt 3 different times. When we first showed up it went off about 5 minutes after we got there. Our timing was perfect. We then did a whole loop around the Upper Geyser area and that took about an hour and a half and when we were heading back to the visitors center everyone was gathering to watch it again. This time we only had to wait about 10 minutes. We then left the Old Faithful area and started touring the other geysers and paths that are around Geyser Country. We got to see the mud pots that were really cool because it is mud that is just bubbling up. Again, the geysers really smell and you have to turn away to that you don't gag on the smell. It was windy yesterday so we got the steam in our faces quite a bit. On our way back we stopped at Old Faithful again, I really wanted to see Old Faithful Inn. Such a beautiful building, Mikayla was even impressed with it. We got some icecream (huckleberry, our new favorite) and sat on the second floor balcony. And with our luck about 10 minutes later the geyser went off again. It was so cool to see it from 3 different angles and views that it really gives you and appreciation for how great the geyser is.

Overall, we got to see 2 moose, 1 bull elk, several other elk and countless buffalo. The buffalo is my new favorite animal and Mikayla is really attached to the moose.

We definitely agree that we need to come back and spend AT LEAST a week to see some more. We didn't see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone so that is on the list for the next trip.

So that brings me to Wednesday, another day of driving. We were on the road for about 9 hours. We left Yellowstone and headed all the way across Montana and almost across the top part of Idaho. We have stopped for the night in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It is our second hotel and we really need the showers by now. It has been several days, I don't really know if we stink or not but I think we get cleaned up tonight.

Tomorrow we are heading to Seattle, it should take us about 5 hours to get there.

Grand Tetons

One of the mountains that has two waterfalls on it. One is the white line on the right and the second is right below the snow on the top and towards the left a little bit.

Eagle's nest and the eagle is towards the top.

The Grand Tetons.

Before the boat tour with the Tetons in the background.

On Monday we went down to the Grand Tetons. It is only about 45 minutes (plus or minus a few with traffic and construction) from Yellowstone.

We stopped at Colter Bay which has the first visitor center to stop at when entering from the north. (We needed to get our stamp for the passport book) :)

We were going to walk around Jackson Lake and happened upon the marina. They had tours of the lake and it took you right up to the Tetons. We decided to go on the tour, I was happy that I didn't have to drive or do anything but enjoy the scenery for the next hour and a half.

The tour was really cool and we got some really close shots of the Tetons. We even got to see a bald eagle's nest and the eagle was actually there as well. The guides said they can always see the nest but the eagle isn't always there. Very cool:)

The guide (Bitty) that narrated the tour was really funny and told us some pretty interesting animal facts.

1. Moose, bear, and elk have hair that is hollow so it allows them to swim without being pulled down since they weigh so much. Each one is like a little life preserver.

2. Moose can dive under water up to 25 feet in order to reach grass that they eat.

3. Moose can hold their breath for 2-3 minutes.

4. Once they get the food they can eat it while still holding their breath. Now that takes real talent.

5. Bald eagles mate 100 feet in the air and while they are locked together they free fall. They separate just in time before hitting the ground. So you can say that they are truly falling in love. :)

After the tour we went back to the cafe and had a late lunch. Mikayla had a buffalo burger and says that it was the best burger that she has ever had. They even knew how to cook it correctly. She didn't even add any condiments to the burger it was that good. Unfortunately I didn't partake in the buffalo burger but since we were at the Tetons, I had a Teton Amber Beer. And I can say that the beer was also delicious.

The Tetons were very cool and I am glad to have gotten to see it.

Devils Tower

Yeah, we made it to Sturgis. :) I was stoked!!!!

People climbing the tower.

View from our walk around the tower.

Turn your computer sideways, it is the tower.

Last night we made it to Sturgis and yes, I got my beer. We stayed the night in Sturgis and then this morning we went to Deadwood. We were told there would be a pistol shoot out this morning but we couldn't find it. We walked around the town for awhile and found were Wild Bill Hickok was shot. Pretty cool!!

I saw this place on a TV show the week before we left and since it wasn't too far off the original plan I thought we should go.

I am glad that we did. I found out that it is actually our 1st National Monument. We did the loop around the entire tower and saw 5 people climbing it. I can't believe that, there is absolutely no way that I would be going up that tower.

After that we started heading back across Wyoming. We made it as far as Ten Sleep, so tomorrow it looks like we might make it to Yellowstone. The guy here said it is about 2 hours from here. Yeah, I can't wait.

Cosmos Mystery Area

Mikayla leaning forward and then falling backwards into the corner. She couldn't stop laughing.

It was a struggle for her to get to this part of the room.

We were actually leaning and trying to stay up but it doesn't look that way.

Look at the trees, they are curving to the side for some reason.

The Cosmos area was a little different. Mikayla really liked it and it really made me sick. I felt like I was going to throw up and kept getting dizzy. The area has some very weird areas that make you feel like you are going to fall if you don't lean to one side. It is a very strange place that you truly have to experience for yourself. It is very weird and hard to explain. We don't even know if the pictures are going to turn out and then we will just look like fools. Even though we know what we saw and what we felt while we were there.

There are even trees that are growing in a curving form for no apparent reason. Very weird!!!

Mount Rushmore

A view over the amphitheater at the great scenery that surrounds Mount Rushmore.

Mikayla in front of the monument.

The pathway of the flags.

Both of us in front of the monument.

A great shot of the presidents.

An amazing site to see of four of our presidents. I know that it is still a grand site to see but after seeing Crazy Horse it just doesn't see as large as I imagined. We tour the Presidential path that takes you to the base of the monument. It is a wonderful place to have seen and be able to say that I have been there. We ended up spending about 2-3 hours at Mount Rushmore and it really didn't even seem like it.

What a great part of our history and now we can both say that we have been there. It was very breath-taking to be there and to take it all in.

When you are walking up to Mount Rushmore, you walk through the Pathway of Flags. It was spectacular to see the flags from all of our 50 states. It was great to see a tribute to all of the states at this one national monument. Truly a place to put on your bucket list:)

Crazy Horse

A look at how it is currently, you can barely see a yellow construction vehicle on the lower right.

This is a model of what the finished project will look like.

Another shot of what has been done so far.

Oh my god, this was absolutely amazing and so huge. Mikayla was a little bummed when I told her that this monument was not finished yet. But once we got there she understood why it wasn't done yet. The size of crazy horse is astounding. It is going to be magnificent once it is finally finished. I also never knew that the sculptor turned down to different offers to get federal funding for the project. He didn't think that the federal government would actually finish the project. He also wants the project to be funded by the people that want it. So all of the visitors are actually helping to keep the project going.

I really don't know when it will be finished because there is still so much to get done on the project. Spectacular site to see:)

Wind Cave - Natural Entrance Tour

Mikayla listening to the ranger at one of our stops on the tour.

Another example of the popcorn in the cave.

I am standing next to the natural entrance that was first used to explore the cave. It is right next to my right knee and is about the size of one of the ranger's hats. I can't believe that they actually went down it. Cave explorers are a rare breed:)

Friday morning we got up and did another tour at the Wind Caves. We decided on the Natural Entrance because it is very close to where the first natural entrance is located. It also follows the natural path of what they started to take when the first cave explorers entered the cave back in the 1890's. This tour only had about 300 stairs and they were mostly down, we got to take the elevator out of the cave. It was great. This tour still had a lot of the boxwork but on this tour it also contained more water so it was more of what Mikayla and I were used to from our cave experience in Arizona.

This was also a great tour to be on and we couldn't decide what tour we liked better. Overall I think that we liked both of them but for different reasons.