This is where we made our west coast trip a three-country affair. We began in Tijuana, MX then we drove and ferried all the way north in to Canada, entering via Victoria and exiting south of Vancouver.
Hold on to your hat because the crazy-fast pace isn’t slowing yet! In the next twelve hours we entered Canada, ferried across two bodies of water, drove 180 miles, and toured two cities before reentering the U.S. Where we done then? No! We still had sixty miles to drive till we reached our hotel!
We awoke in Port Angeles very early to get in line for the 8:00AM ferry but thankfully I was able to get Starbucks coffee to help me pass the time in line. As we pulled away from the dock I looked back to see the town and rising quickly behind it the Olympic Mountains. An awesome site.
Kelsey took this shot as we gorged on an oversized banana split made with Ghirardelli goodness. The food and entertainment along Fishermans Wharf were both quite memorable and the chocolate...delicious!
This day could have set a record. Since I had recently visited San Francisco as a tourist and spent 10 days getting to know the city, I was able to give Kelsey an intense overview in just a day. For most people our agenda would have been considered ridiculously overburdened but not Kelsey. We started our tear around San Francisco at 8:00 AM on Saturday and except for sleeping we didn’t slow down till the next morning.
Stanford University
We started the day with a drive around Apple’s campus at 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino and continued on to a tour of Stanford University’s campus in Palo Alto. These are a company and a university which we both admire and wanted to see first-hand. We visited both these icons in one morning. The day had only begun!
I bought this bike with the hopes of getting some use of it on this trip. Little did I know it would take me on some of the best rides of my life. Here it rests after having just conquered the Golden Gate Bridge.
I’d driven enough of the Marin Headlands to piece together a bike ride in case the weather cooperated … and it did! This area on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge consists of federal parks and the town of Sausalito. All of it perfectly beautiful and all funneling into the Golden Gate Bridge. Why not bike it all and then across the bridge and back? Why not!
There’s no good reason to include this picture so I’ll tell you the selfish reason. It’s taken from Travis Sailing Center on the grounds of the Presidio Yacht Club. ‘Round these parts, my name isn’t rare.
I woke and scampered to catch the Golden Gate Bridge at dawn. The day before had been terrible but that often clears the air. Though air polution isn’t a problem that stays around in this windy city, a rain and a cooling can reduce humidity. What I found didn’t match my expectations but it was beautiful.
I spent the day sitting still for a change but was drawn outside by what turned into a nice day. Driving around the Marin Headlands was going to be useful to get my bearings and help me plan my time. Turns out it was also beneficial for seeing the bridge in a different, mid-day light.
You drive across it but unless you make the point to step out and look at it, you don’t properly appreciate its beauty. This bridge crosses Cataract Canyon over the Colorado River near Hite.
The title of this post is adapted from my favorite National Parks T-shirt. The pun is obvious; this is the world’s mecca of red rock landscapes. The circuit of the entire set of red rock parks in this region is known as the Grand Circle.
Famous for the high path it travels and for its steam locomotion, I knew the C&T was idle for the season. Regardless, I had hoped to drive the route. No go. The pass was closed to all traffic due to snow.
My plan was to drive west along the far north of New Mexico to Farmington. The remarkably useful NMroads.com showed snow had closed many roads. I couldn’t do the Enchanted Circle. I couldn’t drive north from Chama. Neither could I go along a key stretch of scenic route as I had hoped to. However, as evidenced by the fact that I’m typing this in Farmington, with patience and lots of detours I arrived and the day was a success.
Taos to Farmington
I drove through snow, hail, rain, and sun. I drove over ice, packed snow, slush, and dry pavement. The changes in weather and elevation and sunlight brought delight to the photographer in me. Never did I feel endangered but I always remained cautious. Today I drove through a picturesque New Mexico Weather Wonderland!
A horse in a pasture of fresh white snow. It’s one of those scenes I half expected to see here. All the pictures on this page were taken on my drive from Santa Fe taking the High Road to Taos..
My visit to New Mexico is to try to figure it out. Unlike other areas of the country, it’s history is seeped in a Spanish and Mexican experience and doesn’t appear to have later been overwhelmed by the British or French influences. Mingled with the ways of the indigenous, a distinct character emerged.
You see this character everywhere in the form of an aesthetic. Adobe is everywhere. The native style touches everything from architecture to landscaping to art and to anything that can be given a local touch. Even national brands adopt the local look. McDonalds has adobe restaurants, Starbucks adopts a local art theme, and Best Western takes on a rancho look.
Today was only a start but tootling around Santa Fe and Taos is giving me a sense. The snow storm reduced my day’s agenda but I still managed to come away feeling pretty fulfilled … and in one piece!
It thrills me to find structures in the U.S. which are hundreds of years old. This bridge along National Pike dates back to the early 1800s. If this were in Europe I wouldn’t be moved.
The home stretch and I started the day in a major town along the nation’s first federally funded road. Washington was one of the major roads along the Pennsylvania stretch of the National Pike. Starting in Baltimore, it initially was only 175 miles long to Cumberland, MD but eventually grew to 620 miles. In the end it connected the Potomac and Ohio rivers with a land road.
I’d been on this road a few times in the past. It’s character always caused me to want to learn more. This was my chance. I saw original tollbooths and mileage markers along the way. I visited Fort Necessity where preconceptions of George Washington were shattered: here he was a young officer, here he was a British soldier, here he fought and lost! Fascinating. We’re talking very early U.S. history in these parts.
Range lights allow ships to head straight into port. By navigating a course where the two lights are aligned, one atop another, they know their heading is true. Low tech aid of great value to mariners.
Why do I chase these things? Why are most people intrigued by lighthouses? They’re usually remote and always isolated. Most structures are unique if only by variation on a theme. Lighthouses are always near the water and usually in distinct settings. They serve an exotic purpose, guiding ships away from danger. The lifestyle of keepers was one of loneliness and monotony, yet in the worst of weather their commitment to duty was most important. The fact that theirs is a disappearing way of life only adds to make the mix a big draw. Somewhere in all this is why I chase lighthouses.
So around Lake Michigan I went hunting. Not fixated on numbers this time, I just enjoyed getting to those that I could and paying particular attention to the noteworthy. Along 3/5th of Lake Michigan’s coastline I visited 24 of the 118 total lights. It was fun.
The Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance to Yellowstone was dedicated by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1903. He happened to be vacationing in the park at the time and came to lay the cornerstone of this now-famous gateway.
By the time I arrived at Grand Teton National Park it was getting dark but the peaks and the clouds cast a mood worthy of shooting. This disappointed me somewhat as I know from previous visits how beautiful these mountains can be. No matter, I planned on spending lots of time in the area over the following day. Little did I know that road construction would prevent me from getting back to these commanding peaks.
Like a man on a mission I shot north through the Tetons, inched along the Rockefeller Parkway (which was being resurfaced) and wound my way through Yellowstone National Park in pitch darkness to the north entrance. My mission? To get some sleep, some food and some gas. When I finally got to Gardiner, MT I checked in to my motel and found food and gas at the only store open in town, five minutes before it closed. Whew!
I love Yellowstone and wanted to see as much as possible. The road network in the park is shaped like a figure “8” with radials heading off to five different entrances. During a very long day I covered it all save one road segment and one entrance which were both closed due to road construction. Though I didn’t do much hiking, I did see a lot, and it reinforced in me a feeling of awe. By late evening I had made it out the east entrance, through Cody WY and to my hotel in Billings, MT.
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Like a man on a mission I shot north through the Tetons, inched along the Rockefeller Parkway (which was being resurfaced) and wound my way through