A dozen years ago, we drove through Death Valley National Park on our way to somewhere else. We were pulling our little Bigfoot trailer (our previous rig), and when we finally made it across the park, Eric said, “I am never doing that again.” The unrelenting steep grades, sharp curves, and the rollercoaster two-lane road […]
Archive for California
Every year, in late fall after a visit to our hometown in Southern Oregon, we begin again our journey across the country. It is a long way from Oregon to Florida, and honestly, it can feel a bit daunting when we consider the long road ahead. Inertia is a real thing—it truly is easier to […]
Bidding farewell to the Central Coast, our journey from San Diego to Tucson was a whirlwind tour of time with family and friends. We were looking forward to seeing family in San Diego; when we discovered that no less than four of our favorite full-time RVing buddies were also in the area, our dance card […]
I doubt there’s anyplace more alluring than the Central Coast of California. We’ve traveled sections of the coast many times, but there’s always something more to discover in this enchanting stretch of ruggedly beautiful landscapes and charming towns. There’s even a castle, which I thought might be weird, but turned out to be fascinating. In […]
John Steinbeck christened it the Mother Road, and everyone from Nat King Cole to Van Morrison has crooned the catchy tune celebrating the 2400 mile cross-country journey on this most famous of highways. Route 66 is tenacious. Almost 90 years after its creation and three decades after it was declared obsolete, the old road lives […]
We never intended to spend quite so much time traveling along 395. It’s not that we didn’t want to, but we needed to get to Florida by Thanksgiving, and with only six weeks to make the cross-country trip we didn’t have the luxury of lingering. But there was one more stop along 395 that we […]
Twelve years ago, we embarked on our first hike in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The trailhead was at 9,300 feet, and we immediately launched into a series of steep switchbacks—our goal a beautiful mountain lake several miles up the trail. We started off enthusiastically at a brisk stride but soon slowed to a snail’s pace. […]
If there’s only one hike that you do in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in eastern California, make it this one. You’ll walk through forests of sweetly scented Ponderosa pines, boulder hop over rushing mountain creeks, cross meadows while gazing up at 13,000-foot mountain peaks, and meander past no less than seven glacial-carved lakes reflecting the […]
Night before: “I want to shoot Mono Lake at sunrise.” “No, you don’t.” “What do you mean? Of course, I do!” “I don’t think you really want to. It’s going to be below freezing in the morning.” “Yes, I do want to. I really do.” Next morning: “It’s 5:00! Time to get up!” “Uh-uh.” Burrow […]
A picture-postcard landscape of jagged granite mountain peaks, glacial lakes, and groves of golden aspen splashed among stately Ponderosa pines and junipers, the Sierra Nevada mountain range offers an escape into the wilderness that challenges the body and nourishes the spirit. This was sacred ground to John Muir, the philosophical environmentalist who mused: “Another glorious […]
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If you enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, birding, art, music, quirky towns, good food, and good friends—you'll enjoy traveling with us. Join us as we explore the backroads of North America—we love company and comments!