Our 40th Wedding Anniversary Trip
Day 1 – June 3, 2005 Wichita, Kansas to Grand Junction, Colorado
Can it really be 40 years? It just doesn’t possibly seem that long. Perhaps it has only been 20 or 25 years. No, I am 60 and Linda is going to be 58 in July. We got married at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City on June 5, 1965. We have three daughters and five grandchildren. We have owned our own business, worked for others and worked for the Catholic Church and been hurt badly. We aren’t alone in that matter though and better than most as we have survived. We have survived the Military, our families and even each other for 40 years. This marriage is the best thing I have ever done and both Linda and I would begin it again in an heartbeat. We can’t afford to take this journey that we are about to take but we are on our way.
We could not sleep well as we were anxious to begin and so around 3AM on Friday, June 3rd we began with the firm agreement not to drive too long or too far. We drove to Grand Junction, Colorado, only 800 plus miles through rain storms, heat and traffic. We drove with our top down and with it up, in the rain and in the sun. We left with the top down in a beautiful clear morning night sky with thousands of stars above us. The sounds of Elvis filed our night and we sang along with gusto. Before we reached Salina, Kansas, lightning began to light up the sky and we stopped and put up our top – just in time as the heavens opened up and we were in hail, lightning and thunder. We struggled through and in Hays the rain let up and we happily drove on to Denver where we intended to get a motel and stop for the night.
We reached Denver before noon and decided to go to the Mile High Flea Market. Of course we missed the turn and went across town on the wrong road. Once we figured out where we were going, we turned around and headed back the other way. The interesting thing is we had passed a huge traffic jam and declared we were greatly pleased to have missed it. On the other hand when we turned around, well, we drove right through it. We reached to Flea Market and found it was open on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday but not Friday. It was getting really hot so we left and drove on west.
We came up and over the mountain, through the tunnel and there on the side of the road was a herd of Big Horn Sheep. They were so close we could have almost touched them except there was no stopping on a 75 mile per hour speedway so we kept going. By the way Linda was driving but it would not have mattered as we were driving to protect ourselves from being run over. A little further and two ambulances tore past us. Further yet we passed a train stopped with both ambulances pulled up to the train. Wonder what that was about.
We reached Grand Junction, got a nice room and I noticed how badly our front two tires were worn. We went to a Big O tire store and negotiated the price of replacing the two tires and getting a 4 wheel alignment down to about $108 dollars. While that was being done we had a great Carl’s Junior Cheeseburger. That night we decided to set up a new web site and began to do so with the help of Start Logic. At about 11PM Mountain Time, we fell asleep. Strangely enough, it was a great day as Linda and I talked, held hands and acted as though we were newly married.
Linda
Started the day at 3:00am when we left. The top was down and there were so many stars-----until ---- the lightening could be seen behind the clouds which told us we just might run into some rain. Oh Boy! The rain, the hail and all before 5:30am. We finally got to Denver and decided that we would go to the Mile High Flea Market. They were closed, so off we went down the road. It was beautiful driving through the mountains. We drove with the top down even when it began to rain. It’s amazing that you really don’t get wet as long as you keep driving fast. Don’t slow down or you get really wet. We saw deer, antelope, and even more amazing we saw mountain sheep right along the interstate, but I was going down hill at 70 miles an hour with all kinds of big trucks on my backside so we couldn’t even pull over to take pictures. Stop in Grand Junction, Colorado for the evening after 800 miles only to discover that we needed two front tires and an alignment. We ate a burger at Carl’s Jr. which we don’t have in Wichita and it was pretty good. Headed for the movies but they only had single seats left and after 40 years with John we decided that we still liked sitting next to each other, so we left and are going to relax back at our motel for the evening. Pretty good day even if it was pretty long.
John
We drove too long and too far and yet, it was a wonderful day. Linda covered the details so I will just say that we held hands and talked all day even to the point of not knowing exactly where we were. In Denver we took the wrong road on the way to a flea market we like and saw a traffic backup which we were determined to avoid at all cost…so of course we turn around and of course we end up in the middle of it. The Bighorn Sheep were magnificent and so was the drive. Think about it, we drive 800 miles, Stop at 4PM, get two tires and an alignment done, see deer, bighorn sheep, and antelope, and are in our room before 8 and we also began to set up this web site which will be somewhat amateurish until we get home. We also said our daily prayers and read scripture aloud as is our habit. We talked with our children who are wonderful many times during the day. I pray for more days like this only less driving! It is very hard for us to slow down and yet we are trying. We also saw a train derailed in the Rockies. Hope no one was hurt too bad!
Day 2 – Saturday – June 4, 2005 Grand Junction, Colorado to Ely, Nevada
Well we woke up and lay in bed for about an hour until we both were ready to go. We got up and discussed visiting the Colorado Monument but never saw any signs for it so went on our way west. We drove through some beautiful country. Linda had an ear ache so I was just a little concerned. We started the day with our top up and continued later as she felt better with the top down. We drove through Green River, Utah which held some sort of fascination for me. It was ok but not as I remembered. We took a short cut to I25 and stopped for gas at a gas station where a young woman told me she was a Mormon. She also said her dad had been kicked out of the Church. I reminded her that her dad was loved by God and that God doesn’t kick people out. She made us great cheeseburgers and we also met a woman traveling with her grandchildren. She was headed the same direction as we were and told us about a cave that was a neat place to visit. We reached Great Basin National Park fairly early and stopped. It was a tiny park or at least the visitor center was small. We took the long walking tour of Lehman Cave which was located there. It was a wonderful cave unlike Mammoth and Carlsbad which we have visited several times. At the end of the tour, the ranger told us to listen for the heartbeat of the National Park. He then shut the door very solidly as we were in the exit tunnel. The resounding sound was easily that of a real heartbeat. It was pretty neat. It was good to stretch our legs. We went into Ely, Nevada which is a unique gambling, mining town. We finally got the last room in a motel and had a fine prime rib dinner at the casino.
John
Wow we ONLY drove 490 miles today. We drove across the Capital Reef NP, into the Great Basin NP where we stopped and took the Lehman Cave tour. We
Took the longest tour which was 90 minutes. It was not very strenuous but very enjoyable. The Cave is quite lovely although the damage done deliberately by groups of people in the past was unusually horrible. People breaking formations so their needs would be met in the cave. We stayed Ely Nevada, a mining and gambling town tonight. There were sand bags next to most of the downtown casinos as they had been flooded a few weeks earlier. Ely kind of sits at the bottom of mountains. Had a decent dinner and went to bed. It was a nice day with a very nice ending!
Linda
We
started the day with our top up on the car because I have been battling an ear
ache. We drove through some very pretty places and as the afternoon got warmer
we finally put the top down. A pretty day. We went to the Great Basin National
Park and took the Lehman Cave Tour. We have seen a lot of caves and this one
has some of the neatest formations. Not a very big cave but very nice. We
drove to Ely, Utah which is a town of motels and casinos. We were lucky to get
a room as most of them were full. Strange to see a town out in the middle of
nowhere that is so full of people. Had a nice dinner and went back to get a
good nights sleep. Nice day!
Day 3, June 5, 2005 – Our 40th Wedding Anniversary – Ely, Nevada to Angels Camp, California
Wow! 40 years and it really seems so much less, at the most 20 years but then we have three daughters of which the youngest is 27 and the oldest is almost 39. Thank You God for this time together. It truly doesn’t seem possible, No question but I got the very best of this deal!
We left Ely after a nice morning which I will not go into too much detail…still it was nice and special! We drove out of Ely past dry lakes with white sand hills. We took a back road into Fallon, Nevada past the Salt Wells house of prostitution – a trailer behind a relatively open fence. We found a neat roadside café at the intersection of two lonely roads - one of which is called “the loneliest highway in America” – highway 50. The ceilings of this café were plastered with one, two and three dollar bills all signed by the person who put it there. We assumed the three dollar bills were fake – maybe one’s changed to read three. A nice woman named Frieda, cooked up cheeseburgers for us and we spoke with “bikers” about the best way into Yosemite National Park. We discovered the road we wanted to take was covered by seven feet of snow. We went through Ebb its Pass and over the Iceberg Highway into Angel’s Camp. We stopped at the most glorious crystal alpine lake and had our pictures taken by a nice couple. We found a great motel in Angel’s Camp after our son in law, Tim, tried to find us a room. To Tim’s credit, we lost our connection with him just as he was about to find a room. We had a great Pizza and spoke with locals about the horrible rise in real estate prices in this area. They couldn’t afford to sell and yet there weren’t many jobs. It was a story we would hear often. We fell asleep after a very nice day!
Linda
Today is our 40th anniversary. It doesn’t seem that long. We took a beautiful drive through the Carson Ice Wilderness route across the mountains. It was a very narrow, winding, steep drive. Lots of snow left on the ground at the summit. We had a great time at a strange café stop just before we entered the pass. It had all kinds of dollar bills with people’s names and messages stuck all over the ceiling and it was a great place to take a break. After the pass drive we decided that we were done driving for the day and stayed in a little town call Angel Camp. We went to the pizza place for dinner, good pizza. This was not like our first day of marriage but I believe it was so much better. This is a trip that we have talked about and wanted to take just incase health keeps us from doing this in the future. It’s a great way to spend an anniversary.
John
Linda
and I were married 40 years ago today. She is my entire life and I have no
regrets for that. Nothing else is close! We drove over the Carson Ice Wilderness
this afternoon. It was beautiful. We had lunch at a great place with dollar
bills hung on the ceiling. We stopped early and the night is still young. I
thank God for these 40 years and I have no regrets about taking this trip as who
knows if we will ever be able to do something like this again. Age and health
are factors that weigh on my mind.
Day 4, June 6, 2005 – Angel’s Camp, California to Yosemite National Park, California
We
left kind of early. I think we were both eager to get started to Yosemite. We
drove through Sonora and stopped at a Wal-Mart where we bought some fruit and a
couple of clearance lightweight jackets. There was traffic and the roads were
steep going into Yosemite. We saw gas for $2.89 a gallon but out of loyalty to
Tim and Gigi who had provided us with a gas card we kept on driving until we had
no choice but to put some $2.73 a gallon gas in. Their kindness and love are
what made this trip possible.
Once there, we headed for the valley. At a stop sign just
before the valley, in heavy traffic, Linda noticed our car was steaming. The
heat was off the wall. We turned right because we were in stop and go and by
turning we could be moving. It would have easy to panic. In my not to younger
days I would have been screaming and yelling and it would have ruined
everything. Today God blessed me with some calmness although the urge was there
to yell and shout. Instead we pulled over at the Tunnel Overview and rather
calmly opened the hood and immediately saw that the radiator hose had a pretty
fair hole in it. We dried it off and my wonderful wife, found a roll of duct
tape she had brilliantly brought. We taped the hole and then considered our
possibilities…which were up the hills and mountains for 35 miles or 7 miles
downhill to the valley where a garage was. The downhill trip would be traffic
jammed so we weren’t sure what to do. We found the telephone number of the
garage in the valley and called them and they assured us they had our hose. We
left for the valley and got to the send stop sign before the tape gave way. We
drove to the right with only a half mile to go when the traffic came to a halt.
We could see a ranger directing traffic so Linda got out and went toward the
ranger and at this moment a tour bus turns toward us. I made a sudden decision
to go around the traffic and through the ranger on the wrong side of the road. I
yelled at the ranger, “My radiator hose has burst, where is the garage ?” He
gestured around the corner and off I went and sure enough, a quarter of a mile
and I was there. Wow and yet the garage fixed the car and we were only there
about an hour and the cost was less than $35…wow!!!! God has a way of looking
out for us!
A little on the weary side we left and drove out through
the valley back up to the Tunnel Overview. We thanked the ranger for helping us
with the garage telephone number. We then took everyone’s advice and went to
Glacier Point. It was 36 miles one way up a very steep mountain and still it was
worth it. The view was perfect and the people were nice. We met a family having
a reunion there and took their pictures and they took ours.
We drove slowly out of the park into a state forest campground where we pitched our tent and again met a very nice couple traveling on a Honda Motorcycle. We walked around the park and slept very well until we began to freeze. It was the only uncomfortable night of the trip. We woke up a got into the car and tried to keep warm without much luck.
John
Wow what an incredible day! We are spending the night in a National forest Campground just south of Yosemite. We only drove 175 miles this day but what a drive. We lost a radiator hose about 9 miles from a garage in the Yosemite Valley, got there somehow and got it replaced and it cost only about $35 and took only a couple of hours. Linda and I are going to take a hike in a few minutes. We both thought Glacier Point was wonderful.
Linda
We started the day with a trip to Wal-Mart where we decided to buy a couple of light weight jackets and some bottled water. We headed into Yosemite which is very pretty. The roads where some what twisty but beautiful. We sprang a leak in a water hose but we had duct tape and bottled water which helped get us to the repair shop in Yosemite village. We went to Glacier Point which was absolutely magnificent. Found a camp ground, went for a walk and had a very nice day.
Day 5, June 7, 2005 – Yosemite NP to Sequoia NP
We were freezing so we broke camp very quickly and drove into Fresno where we visited a friendly Wal-Mart and purchased two warm sleeping bags and some munchies. We headed up into Kings Canyon fairly early and filled up at $2.19 a gallon at a fruit stand just before we left for the Canyon. We stopped at a huge grove of Sequoias and walked around. We walked through a giant downed tree and Linda took my picture. We met a nice family who owned a gas and general store close to there.
We then drove down into King’s Canyon on a very curvy road. We stopped for a very pleasant interlude at a remote picnic site next to a raging river. Our daughters would cry out…too much information…hey it is our anniversary trip and the neat thing is..We still not only love each other, but like each other and impossible but true, we find each other still attractive…different than 40 years ago but better in many ways.
We
drove past a tourist cave and into the valley. We stopped at a ranger station
and inquired about the river which was raging way too much to raft. We went on
to Sequoia stopping to take pictures of a beautiful meadow and ending at the
main Sequoia campground where a couple of senor citizen type rangers assigned us
a great camping spot. We set up our tent and went looking for bears which we
found right away. It was a beautiful animal and we took pictures. We drove on to
a Circle meadow past a mother bear and two cubs, one black and one brown. Again
we took pictures. We walked about .8 mile one way to a beautiful meadow, sat a
while and walked back. There were deer next to our car when we got back to the
parking area. We went to sleep and we were warm and cozy and it was a great day!
John
Wow! It was cold…we got up and went to the little car to try to get warm…not a chance! We drove to King’s Canyon NP where we had never been. We drove down to the bottom of the canyon. The road was very steep and windy but beautiful. Linda and I stopped and had a special moment at a secluded spot overlooking a fabulous river. After 40 years I think it is wonderful we can still enjoy each other. The trees though beautiful were not as large as I had remembered. The Bears were perfect. We took a 1.75 mile walk in Sequoia and then had a nice early night.
Linda
We got up after a very cold night and decided that we would be better prepared for tonight. It got down to about 23 degrees and it was cold. We spent the day driving to some of the most beautiful places in this country. We went to Kings Canyon over 32 miles of really curvy roads. It was a beautiful drive. Got to our camp in Sequoia and set up camp and went looking for animals. We found one bear and then we found a bear with 2 cubs. Great! The giant trees were awesome, too hard to describe. Got back to camp and found that it was supposed to be in the 20’s again but this time we were prepared. Played cards and went to sleep early. Nice day.
Day 6, June 8, 2005 – Sequoia NP to Moro Bay, California
We got up and went looking for bears again and we found one just by ourselves. We had this beautiful bear alone until another car came up and we shared our animal. We drove toward Moro Bay and went via San Miguel and San Luis Obispo. We called Gigi and had her look for a motel. She was looking very hard in Santa Maria and could not find a room… we realized later that was because of the Michael Jackson trial. We had a preppy lunch in San Luis Obispo and correctly decided to go on to Moro Bay where we found a nice room not too unreasonable. We had the best single dinner of the trip at the Great American Fish Company located right on the harbor. We had a harbor seat and watched a sea lion play as we ate a super meal. We drove up toward San Simeon and saw the Sea Lions on the beach and they were magnificent. We took many pictures and finally went back to motel where we worked until very late getting our web site up to date with pictures of the trip to date. Still it was a most interesting and very nice day….the drive across the middle of California was hot and long.
3
Linda
Today we got up early, broke camp and drove around to look for bear. We found one all by ourselves. It was beautiful. We headed across the barren part of California to the coast. We got a room in Moro Bay and went looking for the sea lions up near San Simeon. There were hundreds of them and they were so great. Saw some wind surfers and headed back to the motel and a nice dinner at the Great American Fish Company. It was really good and fresh fish. Spent until about 3 am working on this web page. It is looking good
Day 7, June 9, 2005 , Moro Bay to Vision Quest Ranch, Salinas, California
We left Moro Bay in a very good mood looking forward to Vision Quest Ranch. We stopped at a local store and Linda bought the very best muffins we have had in a very long time. A brief word on 2005 Mustang convertibles. We counted over two dozen in this short drive today. Every rental on the coast of California must have been a 2005 Ford Mustang Convertible. They were great as were the muffins. We stopped in San Simeon and the Sea Lions were out in force. We drove up the California coast but it was foggy and dreary so we took only a few pictures. The entrance to Vision Quest ranch was closed temporarily due to a gas leak so of course we almost got lost. We called the ranch with the help of our daughter via the ever present cell phone, and the owner called us back and personally assured us we not miss anything and gave us instructions on how to get there.
We and learned of Vision Quest Ranch, a wildlife refuge where animals are trained for use in movies, commercials and other reasons, in Newsweek. It looked really interesting and too expensive for us but we knew it was something we would really like to do. Our oldest daughter, Gigi, learned about our desire to visit and stay at the place and without hesitation, arranged for us to have a night there.
We arrived to a very warm greeting. The young ladies showed us to our “tent”…a 5 star hotel in canvas. It was great. The room was decorated in a Zebra motif. After looking the room over and settling in, we went back to the main building where we were given an almost private tour of all the animals. There were only a young brother and sister on the tour with us. We saw all the animals and learned of their fame and background. It was very, very hot but really neat.
Early that evening which was beautiful, while sitting on our “veranda” which included a wonderful view not only of the countryside, but of the elephant area, two handlers brought us a Kinkachew(sp) which we were allowed to hold and play with for almost 30 minutes. Later they brought a lynx right up close only this animal did not want to be touched, still it was neat to have such a beautiful wild animal that close. Later we watched as the elephants ran and frolicked in the water.
Nothing could take away from this day or special night. We had a great pizza brought in and went to sleep listening to Joseph the Lion roar and grunt all night. He sounded as though he was right next to our tent. It was indeed a magical night.
Linda
Today has been an absolutely wonderful day. We started the day by watching the elephant sea lions and they were playing in the water. Great! We finally arrived at Vision Quest Ranch. What a great place. It is like being in Africa. You sit and watch the elephants play in the water from you porch. You hear the lions roar and even that is exciting. What a wonderful gift. The room is so special, just like I would imagine if I were in an African setting. This has been a great day, one to remember and share.
John
What an interesting day! We started at Moro Bay and ended up at Vision Quest Ranch near Salinas Ca. We drove the coastal highway mostly in the fog saw beautiful sea lions and arrived at Vision Quest around 3:30. We were given a private tour of the animals and tonight we had 2 beautiful animals brought up to our 5 star tent…..the tent is amazing…the view of the animals, the sounds of a lion roaring and more. It was a great day!
Day 8, June 10, 2005 – Vision Quest Ranch to San Francisco, California
We woke up early and went out to the veranda and watched across the elephant area as one of the other tents received breakfast delivered by an elephant. We waited and watched with great anticipation until Lisa the elephant brought us breakfast. We fed her with all kinds of fruit. We would have given her more if knew we had it. She was so wonderful and if an animal could be sweet, well Lisa was sweet. She was huge and when we got off the veranda and “played” with her, touching her tusks, her trunk and constantly rubbing her, well it was great. She posed with us and by our little yellow car. The trainer and the helper both were special seemed to understand just how special a morning this was for us. We did not want to leave but we finally did and left for San Francisco where we stopped for the night after a short drive. We found a mom and pop motel on Lombard street where a young man (working for his mom and dad), gave great advice. We left our car and ventured to the Fisherman’s wharf area via the bus. It was adventure and we met many neat people. We had a yucky dinner at the wharf and bought two jackets that were on sale. We took the train to the SF Giants ballpark but miscalculated and ended up walking about 8 blocks to the stadium. We rode with a younger airline pilot and his sister and talked about United and the loss of their pension plan and the case of the two alcohol drinking pilots. He was quite nice and didn’t like the current president any more than we did. In fact no one in California seems to care much for the Iraq war or the President! Along the way we bought two premium lower box seats for $10 less than the face value of $35 each. They were incredible seats only 13 rows behind the Giants dugout. Maybe the best major league seats we have ever had.
On the way to the game, Linda had to go to the bathroom so we stopped at a pastry shop but before we could buy anything, the manager almost shouted at us that the bathrooms were only for customers so…I put a $5 bill on the counter and sent Linda to the bathroom. Actually I was going to buy something anyway but the attitude really was less than friendly so…we paid $5 for her to use the bathroom…it was worth it!
At the game we sat next to the general manager of the CBS station and his family…very nice people! The stadium was beautiful, the game poorly played, and everything very expensive. A 20 ounce diet pop was $4.50. Linda bought me a close out Barry Bonds Bobble head for $12 and I got a free pin commemorating the game which was an Inter league game between Cleveland and SF
After the game we stood in a taxi line with the wife of a musician in a Broadway musical that was having a pre-Broadway run in SF. She and her daughter were from New York and the daughter was very tired. We finally took a taxi back to the motel for $20 which was about the same as it would have cost to park our car a long ways from the game. The taxi driver was great. He said his house was probably worth around a million dollars as he had lived in SF proper for many years. He also was quick to point out that he could not afford to sell and move. He was close to our age and indicated that he would sell only when he retired and that his house was in a big way, his hope of retiring. He gave some great ideas for things to see before we left SF. We went to bed tired but having enjoyed our best day in many years.
Linda
Well, what a wonderful day. We woke up early and watched the birds and then the elephants as they came out of the building for the day. The trainer and Aja (pronounced Asia) brought the elephant Lisa to our tent where we were able to feed her fruit and vegetables. It was really great to be able to pet and play with an elephant. This is not something that you just get to every day. We drove to San Francisco where we found a nice little motel that told us it would be better to park our car early or we might have to park on the street. They let us park in the stripped area because our car was so little. We took a bus to Fisherman’s wharf where we went shopping a bought 2 matching jackets. We took one of the trains to the ball field where we saw a really badly played game but it was fun anyway. We waited for a cab back to the motel (a limo offered to take us back for $25 a person, don’t think so) We had a great cab driver who offered lots of advice for things to do. The family behind us at the ball game suggested that we come to the Black and White affair tomorrow. The man said we should crash it for the experience. He is the general manager of the CBS and UPN stations here. Nice family. This has to be one of the most enjoyable days that we have had in 40 years. Hard to top days like this.
John
Well I think this is the very best day we have had yet! We slept the night listening to Lions roar and grunt and it was great. About 9 AM the elephant “Lisa” with the head trainer and a very nice young lady named Aja visited us and we proceeded to feed the elephant by hand fruit. Then we went down from the deck where we proceeded to “play” with the elephant. We rubbed her ears, nose, trunk and her ivory tusk. This lasted about 25 minutes. By the way, the breakfast brought for us by “Lisa” was delicious. We finally left and drove to San Francisco where we had almost as great a time. We found a neat quiet motel on Lombard St. – Best Inn – where a 16 year old young man was super not only in giving us a great room price -$10 less than his mother had quoted us -, but also gave great San Francisco advise. We took a bus to the Wharf where we shopped and had dinner. The dinner was not very good and the service was worse but Linda and I enjoyed the experience of being together. We took a train to the SBC ballpark where on the advice of this fine young man, we bargained with a “huckster” selling tickets for the night’s game. We bought $35 face value tickets for $25 each and sat on row 13 just behind the Giants dugout. A wonderful family sat behind us... Finding out as much as we could about them, another words talking with them a lot, we discovered he was the GM of the CBS station in San Francisco. I was impressed with their family and I just liked them. It also helped that their politics were much the same as mine. Another man and woman sat next to us from Lower California and they were simply nice also. The Giants lost and played poorly but the Stadium is as nice as any new stadium I have seen. We took a cab back to the motel after waiting 30 minutes at a cab stand. While we were there, a young mother with 2 children waited with us. She was visiting from NY. Her husband was a drummer with the show” The Mambo Kings” which was in preview in SF. We finally made it back to the motel after an interesting ride with a nice Cabbie who gave us wonderful suggestions for tomorrow. All in all quite a day!
Day 9, June 11, 2005, San Francisco to Eureka, California
We left the motel fairly early and went on a route the taxi driver had suggested. We drove up an extremely steep hill. We felt we might turn over backwards but did not. We drove through the Height Ash bury district and then to Twin Peaks up even more steep roads. It was worth it as we were able to see all of San Francisco including the Golden Gate Bridge. We drove to the bridge and over it stopping at the northern overlook. There was a group of people singing and dancing, promoting the next World Youth Day we think. We met more neat people and took their picture and they took ours. We drove toward Muir Forest and made a mistake. We never made it to the forest for the people. There was so much traffic we were overwhelmed. We were quite glad to leave that area and go on north toward Eureka and the Red Woods.
We drove up 101 and counted 37 highway patrol cars in a 70 mile stretch and lots of “bikers”. This was near Garberville, California. We stopped and spoke with some of the “bikers” who told us there were 12-15,000 riders in the area for a meet that weekend. It was neat also. There was a bus along the way titled” Veterans against the war in Iraq!” It was from Fort Benning, Georgia. We drove the “Avenue of the Giants” into Eureka where we found a motel and again had pizza and again it was just fine! A nice day.
Linda
Today we went to look over San Francisco by driving up and down some of the steepest streets you could imagine. One street was so steep that I though that the car was going to flip over. We went to Twin Peaks which is like a 360 degree view of San Fran; You could even see the Golden Gate Bridge from there. We drove out and tried to find Muir Woods. Well, we found it but there were so many people that we didn’t even stay. This really did us in because it was on really winding roads. It was Hot outside. Too many people. We took a ride through The Ave of Giant Trees (redwoods). Very impressive. Saw lots of police about 37 in a 70 mile stretch because of a Bikers meet up in the hills at a small town. Had a really good pizza at the hotel and decided not to go to a movie because we were so tired. It was another good day of seeing beautiful places.
John
Today we did not drive quite as far and yet we are tired. We went to the Twin Peaks area of San Fran and it was just an incredible view. We drove up the steepest hills possible. I thought we were going to turn over backwards. We drove out over the Golden Gate Bridge and we took pictures from both sides. We went to the Muier Tree grove and that is what did us in as there were more people than trees. It was a long, hot and very tiresome. We finally got on 101 and drove out to Eureka. We drove the Ave of Trees and I thought it was a nice drive. We are tired tonight though! Still, it was a very good day! O I almost forgot…we saw 37 policemen in 70 miles. A Harley convention of some kink was going on with almost 15,000 bikers.
Day 10, June 12, 2005 Eureka, California to Portland, Oregon
We left when we woke up and moseyed up the Oregon coast. We drove the old coastal highway and took the grave road out to a beautiful point. We saw elk and a town and a bridge that had been destroyed by a huge flood in 1964. It was a beautiful clear day and the ocean was as we had hoped. We met a couple that was almost exactly ten years older than us and married ten years longer. Can you imagine the two of us having 90 years combined married life. I know we aren’t that old. We drove through earthquake and tsunami areas without taking much notice. We arrived in Portland looking at Mt. Hood in wonder and got a nice motel. Linda went to a bar the motel recommended and brought us steak dinners which was great. I stayed at the motel and worked on our web page. We watched TV for a rare hour or so and fell asleep. Another nice day!
John
Today we drove from Eureka, Ca. to Portland, Or.
We drove through the Redwoods National park, along the Coastal Highway and up the entire Oregon Coast. We saw Elk, Deer and maybe a whale. It was a very long ways away. We made some important decisions such as forgoing
Banff and Jasper and spending the next 2 days in the Seattle area, and then on to Glacier, Yellowstone, the Tetons. and home in about 10 days. It was a good day. We met a couple almost exactly 10 years older than us who were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and that was amazing!
Linda
Today we drove along the coast of Oregon. There were some really beautiful spots and we took a side trip that got us up high to look down on the ocean. We found a bridge that had to be rebuilt in a different spot because a flood took out the bridge in 1964. It was a neat bridge that had bears guarding each side. When we arrived in Portland one of the first things that we saw was Mt. Hood and then looked the other direction and saw Mt. Saint Helens. Two very beautiful mountains. Going out to get dinner and bring it back to the room as we are pretty tired. Didn’t drive as many miles as we have in the past but these were on up and down roads that were only two lanes. This can make you tired early. It was a beautiful day.
Day 11, June 12,2005 Portland to Seattle, Washington
A fairly slow day for us. We drove through nice countryside the short distance to Seattle where we got a motel and went to the wharf area and had a fantastic dinner. The food was piled on the table and you ate with your hands. Linda had a “Blue Teusumi” drink. I teased her about it and took her picture with it. She took my picture eating. We went to the motel and went to bed early.
Linda
We decided to take our time and left the motel late. We had a nice drive to Seattle, got a nice motel and drove down to the wharf. There are lots of shops and we ate at a restaurant that puts your meal no the table without plates, just a big bowl to put the shells etc in. John bought me a drink called a Tsunami which was served in a wine carafe. It was pretty good seeing I have not had an alcoholic drink in years. We battled the traffic and then decided to so see “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” It was a nice day
John
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We drove from Portland to Seattle. The drive was nice and we left late. We left
in serious clouds and arrived in a beautiful day. We had dinner at a favorite
place – the Crab Shack – where dinner is served on a piece of paper on the
table. We went to a movie and called it quits! Good day…enjoyed talking with
children and grandchildren while driving.
Day 12, June 13, 2005 Seattle to Bellingham to Friday Island to North Bend, Washington
Well we got up and drove to Bellingham to go whale watching. We took a day long trip which included a stop at Friday Harbor. We walked around there and had lunch at a Lavender restaurant. The food was fair but the ambiance was great. We saw great whales that afternoon and shared our boat with Karen and Steve Yokom and their two grandchildren. We drove back into Seattle but could not find a motel so drove into a little town, North Bend where we not only got a motel but also the 2nd best dinner on the trip at a local Mexican diner. It was a very nice day!
We stopped writing daily from this point as we ran out of notebook battery. We have great memories though of each day!
Day 13, June 14, 2005 North Bend, Washington to Butte, Montana
We took a long drive to Butte, Montana today. The ride was pretty but it was also long. We knew it would be and were fine with it. We arrived in Butte where we got an oil change for our car, had the owner of a local laundry wash and fold our clothes, had a decent dinner, washed our car, and tried to take pictures of a giant statue of Our Lady on the top of a mountain. We drove through and past Coeur de Lane Idaho and it was beautiful’
Day 14 and 15, June 15 and June 16 2005 Butte, Montana to Slough Creek, Yellowstone NP
We drove at a slow and enjoyable pace into Yellowstone NP. We went to Slough Creek which is near the Lamar Valley and got the most wonderful camp site right on the roaring creek. We saw bear and much more. In the early evening we came upon Big Horn Sheep very close to the road. We took many pictures and left. As we stopped at a gas station, we met a family that had not seen any animals so of course we took them back to the Sheep and they were so appreciative. We saw a grizzly bear feeding in the Yellowstone Rive from quite a distance. Buffalo were everywhere. We took many many pictures.
The next morning we watched a buffalo swim across the roaring river and come out right beside our camp. We were so in awe we did not even take his picture. We did get his picture with our tent in the picture prior to his crossing. We drove the entire circular route of Yellowstone in a slow and delicious manner today. We stopped and had lunch at the Old Faithful Inn and watched Old Faithful from the same place. That night we saw coyote cubs, wolves (the Slough Creek Pack), Deer, wonderful close up pictures of male elk, and more bear.
There were private moments each day that will be remembered and cherished forever. It was two of really nice days doing only what we had hoped to.
Days 16 and 17, June 17 and 18, 2005 Yellowstone NP to Grand Teton NP – Jenny Lake Campground
We slowly drove out from Yellowstone down to Jenny lake Campground in the Grand Teton National Park where we camped in another glorious site for the next two nights. We visited Oxbow Bend, one of our most favorite places. In fact Linda and I both have said many times we would like to be cremated when we die and have our ashes spread at the Oxbow Bend. We drove into Jackson and made arrangements to go white watering the next day. We also had a hot lunch. We saw a new animal today…the most beautiful bird, a Sand hill Crane and got two fairly nice photo’s. We met a family from Kansas City who was visiting their mother who owned a beautiful home near Pilgrim Road near the Oxbow.
The next morning we got up and after some small indecision on Linda’s part due to her knees hurting, we went white watering on the Snake River. It was fun but the water was a little high and the rapids not what we remember. Still it was fun except for the long hot walk up to the buses at the end of the trip. That night we finally found a bull moose. It was late and too dark for good pictures. There were some people from England we had visited with who were watching for moose also. They had not seen any. We rushed back t them and took them to see the Bull Moose. They were almost in tears they were so happy. They hugged and thanked us profusely. We met the director of human resources of the Jackson Lake Lodge and spoke with him about RVing on a permanent basis. We had a glorious moon of which we got many pictures and a wonderful sunset. It was romantic.
Time to go home…Day 18, June 19, 2005 Jenny Lake to Fort Collins, Colorado
We headed out to Ft. Collins. But first we drove the scenic Jenny Lake drive around 7AM and we saw a grizzly bear up too close followed by two more moose, some elk, deer, buffalo and a coyote as we left and all before 8AM. Wow! What a way to leave a National park.
We drove out through Lander where we had lunch and then to Rawlings where we filled up with gas at $2.15 a gallon. We took a scenic route to the Poudre River Valley road (US14) to Fort Collins. We drove along the Snowy Range and saw more glorious alpine lakes and much snow. After the hot sun of Rawlings and Lander, it was a great relief. We found a little town named Albany, Wyoming. The bar, diner, gift shop and gas station was really modern and neat. The bar tender told us that 4 wheel driving, snowmobiles and “chicks” were the economy. We bought Tim a shot glass from there. Tim collects shot glasses. We also offered we would get remarried in an instant to the crowd there. It was an interesting interlude.
We drove the back roads ending up on the Laramie River Road back t 14 and then into Fort Collins. We got tired of the gravel road and were glad to get a motel and quit for the night.
Day 19, June 20,2005…One final vacation day Ft. Collins to Denver
We got an early motel in Denver and went shopping, (didn’t buy much only some “croc’s” for Linda, and had a great Mexican lunch dinner at Casa Bonita a Mexican Restaurant with a waterfall inside, and finally went to two art movies that we knew would never make it to Wichita. Mysterous Skin was a very hard and difficult movie about child abuse and it’s effects but still pretty good. The other movie was lighter but forgettable except for a cameo by Johnny Dept. it was in French with English subs.
We went to bed and prepared for our drive home.
Day 20, June 21, 2005 Denver to home in Wichita…
Well we got up and went to the Mile High Flea Market but found nothing of note so left and drove home listening to an audio book on 8 cd’s by Nelson DeMille. It was ok and we had a pleasant and safe end to our trip.
Some reflections:
John
I will never forget the special moments, in our tent, the picnic area in King’s Canyon, and other times. I especially remember holding Linda’s hand as we drove and the time I woke up from a short nap as we were driving and thought we were about to run off a cliff – we weren’t but it did wake me up – Vision Quest Ranch was almost like a 2nd honeymoon and that was great…We saw so much yet each moment of each day was just perfect! Thank you God and Linda and Gigi and Jamie for taking care of our Pretty Girl!
Linda
There were so many things on this trip that made it wonderful. We started this trip by driving over 800 miles which is something that we said that we didn’t want to do, but it made the trip get off to a great start. From a freezing night where we tried hard to use each others body warmth to the days where we found we looked like bright red lobsters we had time to talk with each other. We made so much of each day. What memories we have to look forward too. This was the kind of trip that we did not need or really want to watch TV or even go to the movies. Our evening at Vision Quest Ranch was so relaxing and easy. It was like we were newly married. What a great feeling! We meet some nice people on our trip, like the couple standing out on a beach. They were exactly 10 years older than us and had been married 50 years. Forty years, doesn’t seem like it has been that long. One of the greatest things about our 40 years is our desire to see and experience new people, places or things. This could not have been a better way to spend a 40th anniversary. This trip symbolizes our love of seeing and experiencing everything out there that we could and hopefully instilling that desire, to see just what is over the next hill, to our children and especially to our grandchildren. I am grateful to God for the ability to spend this time with the love of my life, my husband John and to my children who always find ways to make us feel so good about the people, places, and things that we see and do.