Coming from Paxson, one can read about in the New York Times online and see in one's own stock portfolios the economic tumble our country has taken, but in the wilderness it's pretty hard to notice the effect on the wider world. In Europe we didn't notice any particularly distressing signs. Not until I got to Phoenix did I see the rows of empty storefronts, and in Oregon the many, many hitchhikers and homeless. More than usual. Every store in Scottsdale and Phoenix seemed to be having a 75% off sale, and while disturbed by this trend, I was also selfishly gladdened by all of this. When you only go shopping once a year, it's pretty fantastic to have sales everywhere you visit. Let's just say I definitely did my part as a consumer to try to keep the economy afloat!
Above is Captain Jack, one of my Mom's two new kittens, exploring the fascinating world of typewriter keys. This is my beloved portable typewriter, that I bought actually only a few years ago when I was going through a particularly acute Luddite phase. I love the strong thawump! of the keys when I type, and it actually dings when I get to the end of a row. I also love that it doesn't automatically return to the beginning of the next row, but I must stop typing and give the carriage a satisfying whack to return. I still use it on occasion, and sometimes my writing performs better with the loud clickity-clack-clack.
A pretty amazing jellyfish exhibit...
and a great live shorebird aviary, with a very realistic tide that would go in and out.
We were lucky with no fog and a relatively clear day to get good shots of the bridge. We then continued....guess which way: north!....through the wine country of Sonoma to the lovely little town of Sebastopol, where my Aunt Janet and Uncle Harry live. Our first stop was to Janet's extraordinarily beautiful and well-done shop, the Silk Moon Gallery, full of textiles, jewelry, and wonderful gifts from her extensive travels throughout SouthEast Asia. I'm so proud of my aunt and this gorgeous gallery she has created from the ground up. Below is a picture of Mom shopping at Silk Moon Gallery:
Harry rode his bike into town to meet the three of us for a long, leisurely lunch. We timed our visit just right: Harry had just returned the night before from a trip to Australia, and while suffering from jet-lag, at least we got to see him! And Janet was extraordinarily busy, getting ready to leave in a few days for a three week shopping trip to Cambodia. I always miss not living closer to my family: reunions for me are always bittersweet, wonderfully happy to see them again, and then so sad to have to leave!
The main reason I drove this route to Seattle from Arizona was to visit family I hadn't seen in a couple of years. Very important for me. An added bonus of driving the coastal route of California was to finally....finally!....visit the Redwoods. Audie advised me that the redwood experience in Humboldt Park is better than in the Redwoods Park, so Mom and I made a point to drive the scenic drive through Humboldt and allow a few hours for hiking and tree-gazing. That's me in the pic above. The weather was perfect for us here: dappled sunshine, not too cold, and few other tourists so all we heard was the wind in the giant trees. This was a very special stop for me, and I'm sure for Mom too.
And then on to the Oregon coast! Audie and I drove about half the coast a few years back, and I wanted Mom to see what I think is the most spectacular stretch of coastline in the US (sorry, California). Mom and I ended up driving the entire length of the coast, from the southern border all the way to Astoria in the north. We drove leisurely too, only 300 miles or so a day, so lots of time to get out and explore beaches.
And above is a picture of one of the most amazing wildlife encounters I've ever had and, besides reconnecting with family, my favorite memory of the trip: the Sea Lion Cave, near Florence. Audie and I stopped here on our trip a few years ago, but upon walking into the office which is a pretty tacky gift shop, Audie and I marched right out again, thinking it a tourist trap. How wrong we were. Once Mom and I got past the tacky gift shop, and descended in the elevator to the cave, I knew we were in for something special. Upon exiting the elevator, there was a strange noise, like some weird piped-in music that was supposed to sound like sea lions cavorting. How strange, I thought, until we turned the corner in the cave, heard the crashing waves and peered through the wire screen to see the view in the pic above. Hundreds, hundreds, of sea lions grunting away in satisfied sea lion fashion. The sound accompanied by the waves, amplified by the cave, was incredible. I'll never forget it. The smell was of wet rock and wet sea lion bodies. And the view: undisturbed, close-up viewing of sea lions in their natural habitat. Apparently this is the only such cave on the western seaboard and the world's largest, and with the seas rough that day, many sea lions were taking a break. Snoozing, climbing over each other, grooming, contemplating. Two almost got in a fight! And some had climbed rock probably two stories high! It was awesome just to watch them, listen, be a part of their world. I can easily say this is definitely one of the most awesome wildlife viewing experiences I've ever had. I'm still gushing about it to anyone who will listen, and I can't wait to go back.
Mom loved the Oregon coast, as I knew she would. Our last stop before hitting Seattle was to stay the night with her friend Gloria in southern Washington, girlfriends since they were both in the seventh grade. We had a nice time with her and meeting some of her extended family and grandkids. And then on to Seattle, driving interstate freeway for the first time since a short stretch in southern California. I hate interstates, preferring backroads and local highways and byways, like Highway 1 and 101. But we were in a rush to get to Seattle to pick Audie up at the airport! We had just pulled into town, got some pizza for lunch, when Audie called to say he caught an even earlier flight. Good timing again! We picked him up, and headed back to my brother Dan's house, where we celebrated with piscos and Thai food.
The next day we did touristy things! I've been to Seattle to visit Dan and his wife Tilly many, many times and have done many touristy things there, Audie's been to Seattle many times and almost never done touristy things there, and Mom had never been to Seattle before, so off we went to Pike's Place Market, which is great, no matter how many times you've been! That's Mom in the pic above, with Dan and Tilly with their backs to the camera to the left. After shopping in the market, we explored more and inevitably ended up at Elliot Bay Bookstore, which is my favorite bookstore on the planet. I wanted Mom to see it and its wonderfully creaky wooden floors.
And it was a fantastic day there. Sun, no rain, no wind. Perfect Seattle weather.
The next day Mom was flying back to Phoenix, and Audie and I driving up to Bellingham to catch the Alaska Ferry. That's Lucy, my Subaru, above, in Dan's driveway, loaded to the gills. But not too loaded: after we dropped Mom off at the airport, we made one last run to Trader Joe's and still managed to stuff 13 boxes of Charles Shaw wine in her!
Above is Captain Jack, one of my Mom's two new kittens, exploring the fascinating world of typewriter keys. This is my beloved portable typewriter, that I bought actually only a few years ago when I was going through a particularly acute Luddite phase. I love the strong thawump! of the keys when I type, and it actually dings when I get to the end of a row. I also love that it doesn't automatically return to the beginning of the next row, but I must stop typing and give the carriage a satisfying whack to return. I still use it on occasion, and sometimes my writing performs better with the loud clickity-clack-clack. Captain Jack and her other kitty Hitch, both less than 8 months old, did a wonderful job of helping me pack, being the official box-packing inspectors, needing to check out every item leaving Arizona for Alaska.
After a week of packing and shopping and sunbathing, Mom and I and Lucy started to roll, traveling north through Wickenburg (my old hometown) and on through the fantastic Joshua Tree forests south of Kingman and on to California. Our first night was in Tehachapi, where we just had pulled into our hotel room when it started to snow! A leisurely drive the following day through vineyard country landed us in Monterey, where we quickly met up with my Aunt Peggy. We did a nice walking tour of the wharfs, and had a great homecooked dinner with her and my cousin Thor. A beautiful star-filled night led us to Pebble Beach, where we searched for constellations and enjoyed the crash of the waves.
The next day started with a leisurely breakfast by the ocean with lots of family stories and reminiscences, beach walking and bird watching, exploring Pebble Beach, driving around to view family real estate projects, and then on to the Monterey Aquarium, where I took these pics:
A pretty amazing jellyfish exhibit...
and a great live shorebird aviary, with a very realistic tide that would go in and out.We had a wonderful visit with Peggy, who is quite the naturalist. I so want her and Audie to meet someday soon as I know they would have a lot to talk about! That late afternoon we continued driving a little ways north to spend the night at my cousin Heidi's house in Los Gatos. We had a wonderful dinner with her and her husband and two marvelous kids, and Heidi and I stayed up late, sharing stories and a bottle of wine, and doing some great cousin re-connecting.
The next day Mom and I continued north, along the coast on Highway 1, through San Francisco, and then over the Golden Gate Bridge! This was my first time to San Francisco...I've visited friends at Stanford U., and in San Jose before, and family on the Montery Peninsula a few years ago, but this was new and exciting to drive through San Francisco! I have to admit I was a bit nervous about it, coming from Paxson where rush hour is one car an hour, and when suddenly I was in an eight-lane freeway I did let out a gasp,...but I did OK!
We were lucky with no fog and a relatively clear day to get good shots of the bridge. We then continued....guess which way: north!....through the wine country of Sonoma to the lovely little town of Sebastopol, where my Aunt Janet and Uncle Harry live. Our first stop was to Janet's extraordinarily beautiful and well-done shop, the Silk Moon Gallery, full of textiles, jewelry, and wonderful gifts from her extensive travels throughout SouthEast Asia. I'm so proud of my aunt and this gorgeous gallery she has created from the ground up. Below is a picture of Mom shopping at Silk Moon Gallery:
Harry rode his bike into town to meet the three of us for a long, leisurely lunch. We timed our visit just right: Harry had just returned the night before from a trip to Australia, and while suffering from jet-lag, at least we got to see him! And Janet was extraordinarily busy, getting ready to leave in a few days for a three week shopping trip to Cambodia. I always miss not living closer to my family: reunions for me are always bittersweet, wonderfully happy to see them again, and then so sad to have to leave! 
The main reason I drove this route to Seattle from Arizona was to visit family I hadn't seen in a couple of years. Very important for me. An added bonus of driving the coastal route of California was to finally....finally!....visit the Redwoods. Audie advised me that the redwood experience in Humboldt Park is better than in the Redwoods Park, so Mom and I made a point to drive the scenic drive through Humboldt and allow a few hours for hiking and tree-gazing. That's me in the pic above. The weather was perfect for us here: dappled sunshine, not too cold, and few other tourists so all we heard was the wind in the giant trees. This was a very special stop for me, and I'm sure for Mom too. 
And then on to the Oregon coast! Audie and I drove about half the coast a few years back, and I wanted Mom to see what I think is the most spectacular stretch of coastline in the US (sorry, California). Mom and I ended up driving the entire length of the coast, from the southern border all the way to Astoria in the north. We drove leisurely too, only 300 miles or so a day, so lots of time to get out and explore beaches. 
And above is a picture of one of the most amazing wildlife encounters I've ever had and, besides reconnecting with family, my favorite memory of the trip: the Sea Lion Cave, near Florence. Audie and I stopped here on our trip a few years ago, but upon walking into the office which is a pretty tacky gift shop, Audie and I marched right out again, thinking it a tourist trap. How wrong we were. Once Mom and I got past the tacky gift shop, and descended in the elevator to the cave, I knew we were in for something special. Upon exiting the elevator, there was a strange noise, like some weird piped-in music that was supposed to sound like sea lions cavorting. How strange, I thought, until we turned the corner in the cave, heard the crashing waves and peered through the wire screen to see the view in the pic above. Hundreds, hundreds, of sea lions grunting away in satisfied sea lion fashion. The sound accompanied by the waves, amplified by the cave, was incredible. I'll never forget it. The smell was of wet rock and wet sea lion bodies. And the view: undisturbed, close-up viewing of sea lions in their natural habitat. Apparently this is the only such cave on the western seaboard and the world's largest, and with the seas rough that day, many sea lions were taking a break. Snoozing, climbing over each other, grooming, contemplating. Two almost got in a fight! And some had climbed rock probably two stories high! It was awesome just to watch them, listen, be a part of their world. I can easily say this is definitely one of the most awesome wildlife viewing experiences I've ever had. I'm still gushing about it to anyone who will listen, and I can't wait to go back. 
Mom loved the Oregon coast, as I knew she would. Our last stop before hitting Seattle was to stay the night with her friend Gloria in southern Washington, girlfriends since they were both in the seventh grade. We had a nice time with her and meeting some of her extended family and grandkids. And then on to Seattle, driving interstate freeway for the first time since a short stretch in southern California. I hate interstates, preferring backroads and local highways and byways, like Highway 1 and 101. But we were in a rush to get to Seattle to pick Audie up at the airport! We had just pulled into town, got some pizza for lunch, when Audie called to say he caught an even earlier flight. Good timing again! We picked him up, and headed back to my brother Dan's house, where we celebrated with piscos and Thai food.
The next day we did touristy things! I've been to Seattle to visit Dan and his wife Tilly many, many times and have done many touristy things there, Audie's been to Seattle many times and almost never done touristy things there, and Mom had never been to Seattle before, so off we went to Pike's Place Market, which is great, no matter how many times you've been! That's Mom in the pic above, with Dan and Tilly with their backs to the camera to the left. After shopping in the market, we explored more and inevitably ended up at Elliot Bay Bookstore, which is my favorite bookstore on the planet. I wanted Mom to see it and its wonderfully creaky wooden floors.
And it was a fantastic day there. Sun, no rain, no wind. Perfect Seattle weather.
The next day Mom was flying back to Phoenix, and Audie and I driving up to Bellingham to catch the Alaska Ferry. That's Lucy, my Subaru, above, in Dan's driveway, loaded to the gills. But not too loaded: after we dropped Mom off at the airport, we made one last run to Trader Joe's and still managed to stuff 13 boxes of Charles Shaw wine in her! Next entry: the Inside Passage!
6 comments:
How perfect to see our trip written about so nicely and all the perfect pictures to go with it! It certainly was a great trip and so much fun! I agree that the sea lion cave was definitely the big highlight of the Oregon coast and also such fun to see everyone along the way too! (Plus the darling little picture of Capt. Jack!)
Ugh...13 cases! Good thing the ferry does not charge by weight!
oh, but my poor car's butt was really sagging after those 13 boxes were in! We bottomed out a few times on the frost heaves in the Yukon!
Hey... no trip up the Pacific Coast would be complete without toting wine home!
There used to be a "creaky-floored" bookstore where my Dad lives but sadly, the elderly lady that ran it passed away. Now it's a real estate office. Such a bummer.
I'm looking forward to reading about the rest of the trip, and as usual... I've learned some new things! (Seriously... I always have the dictionary and/or Internet search engine ready to go!)
It's good to read that you had such a wonderful time!
What a fantastic trip! I had forgotten to keep tabs on this blog of yours and I'm glad I finally looked! Must get to see the sea lion cave sometime, I love the Oregon coast. And your mother looks so young! I hope I get a chance to meet her sometime.
I"ll have to show my mom your comment, Maddi! She'll be so flattered... :)
Post a Comment