Day 13 - Eureka!

The fun and beautiful part -- driving up the Central Valley to Redding (hot!), then turning toward the coast and winding through the mountains. We checked out the area of Humboldt State (Lew gave Maynard a book on great college for retirees.) Eureka had more folks my age. We wound down the coast driving through redwood forests. They're incredible. We ended at Fort Bragg. Our room backed on a field and the ocean. The waves on the rocks were mesmerizing. Finished the day with a great fish meal.

By the way, the transmission is en flight (I wonder if it's coming by way of Lufthansa).

Turns out the new water pump is leaking like crazy. The Eurovan will be as good as new by the time we get it back -- everything on it will new!

Gotta Transmission?

Maynard thinks the Eurovan prefers flying over driving. It's up on a lift at the moment. And it's new transmission is being shipped in from Germany. The difficulty with the process isn't the time on the airplane; it's US Customs. So, this rather essential part may arrive in four days or ten. (If it takes ten, I'll fly home in order to be in time for an appointment with Penelope.)

So, it's just as well that we hauled all the way to Sacramento yesterday. After consigning the Eurovan to its new lodging at the Niell VW service department, we rented a small car and headed for Lake Tahoe. The drive from the north to south ends of the lake is stunning; the drives to and from Sacramento (especially returning to the city on route 50) gave Maynard lots of tight turns.

We're open about our adventure tomorrow; the day after (Wednesday) is the start of the SP Convention here in Sacramento. I'll tell you tomorrow what we ended up doing.

Day 12 - We Two Geezers

Discovered this morning that we had the days of the week wrong. Yesterday wasn't Sunday, after all! Complete Geezer moment.

Watched some more trains at different points of Tehachapi Loop before heading to Sequoia National Park. The twisting road up is spectacular, as the terrain changes from Central Valley floor to hills to sharp mountains. Giant Sequoias only grow around 7,000 feet. They dwarf everything around them; it felt like the elves' forest in The Hobbit.

Then the Engine Light came on. (The coolant light had intermittently signaled since yesterday.) Might be the transmission or the computer or broken sensors or, most likely, SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF. Anyway, we hobbled up to Sacramento, as the Eurovan decided that 3rd gear was its highest setting. Tomorrow we'll visit a VW dealer. (Drum roll.)

Day 11 - Dawn

We hadn't planned to watch the sunrise over the canyon, but we woke early, so we drove to an eastern pulloff and watched the strobelight of sun light up bits of the canyon, slowly. We'd seen many turkey vultures previously; today we saw flocks on the move. (A good story: a guide said that the best place to see condor's is at busy Canyon Village in early afternoon. After all, these birds are looking for masses of fat mammals all tending precariously close to a cliff edge.)

Driving out of the canyon and west, we've left AZ for CA. The coolant light was/is flashing, but we faced the Mojave Desert successfully. (Hope to get the oil changed in Sacramento, AND hope the light only means a broken sensor.) Maynard took me to the cool photo stops of Tehachapi Loop this afternoon. The color of the golden hills dotted with live oaks is lovely, as is their undulating form. Maynard likes the train part = tracks that wind around hills or through tunnels or in twists. The engines almost loop back on the cars.

Day 10 - more Grand Canyon

We ended up staying 3 nights at the Grand Canyon (we'd planned on 2). There are many trails and view points; the canyon is a lot to take in. Then there's the geology and the history of the area as well. The Eurovan was fun to camp in, too. I like the fact that the Grand Canyon is set up with shuttle buses. Today we retraced our steps to Powell's Point on the west side before heading out to Mather Point and eastern viewpoints.

Day 9 - Walked 8 miles of the rim trail

I'd always wanted to see the Grand Canyon. The pics are always stunning, but they're nothing like the real thing. We walked from the campground out to the rim trail, wandered off towards the bus to the Hermit's Rest (the west end of the rim in the park of the south canyon), then walked most of the way back. By the end of the day, we were tired (hey, we're old and out of shape!), but we'd seen fantastic views.

Day 8 - Meteor Crater and into the Grand Canyon

A giant meteor fell into the earth's atmosphere and ripped a huge hole into the earth in Arizona. Don't believe me? Check out the picture of Maynard posing in front of Meteor Crater. Now to the more mundane: We'd stopped in a Navajo attraction to see the canyon of the Little Colorado. These dogs appreciated the shade of the Eurovan.

Day 7 - Cliff houses, petroglyphs, petrified, & a horse

Well, I don't have a pic of the horse. He was standing at beside a pump at a gas station in Chinle, AZ. He liked the shade.

Navajohs live in Canyon de Chelly growing crops such as peaches. The canyon base has trees and farms. Along the interior cliff sides are houses from the Basketweavers/early Puebloan Indians. Another great site is the Petrified Forest, a very different Badlands from those further north, like the Theodore Roosevelt National Monument. Besides strange formations, there are many petrified trees; the pic shows several which are just appearing from the rock edge. Within the ruins of a pueblo at the park there are pictographs. Tonight we ate an amazing southwestern meal at an old Harvey Hotel, La Posada in Winslow, AZ. (Yep, and there's a mural of "standing at the corner of Winslow, AZ, too.)

Day 6 - Chaco :( but El Morro :)

We tried to drive into the Chaco Culture area from the south, but the road was mostly rock and we decided to turn around. Right then, it started raining, perhaps as a sign of renewal (too much How to Read Literature Like a Professor!). Anyway, we headed instead to El Morro a jutting rock ridge on which history is written. (Though, first, an early people built a pueblo on top.) Anyway, Ancient Ones drew pictographs; Spaniards identified themselves from the 1600s, white English-speaking settlers (including a 12-year-old girl) provided their signatures in the 1800s, as did explorers, soldiers (one brigade came with camels, just pre-Civil War), and railroad surveyors. Finally, the railroad was laid not at the foot of El Morro but 25 miles away, leaving this outpost in the outfield. Besides being pretty easy to recognize at a distance, El Morro boasted a water hole, not spring-fed but naturally filled with rainwater. Everything adds up to a lovely spot to visit. But I've gotta see Chaco Culture next time!

Day 5 - NM - Tucumcari compared to Santa Fe

We happily drove into New Mexico this morning, and saw wildly different cities and topography through the day. Tucumcari's bit of Route 66 includes broken down hotels, partially scrapped trailer parks (with ancient electrical supply apparatus), and remnants of gas stations and souvenir stands. In contrast, Las Vegas is rebuilding itself, trying to make the most of multiple national historic register buildings. By the end of the day we were strolling along the streets of Santa Fe. Fun art, good food. The landscape changed drastically as well. We crossed from high prairie to mesas & buttes before climbing over the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The views were spectacular.

Day 4 600+ miles to Amarillo

From Missouri through Oklahoma to Texas (Amarillo) today. We have now made up the day we lost with the car repair.

Here's the SECOND Baldwin steam loco Maynard has found so far.

Ate at a hilarious Texas steak house -- all cowboy ambiance. If you eat a 72 ounce steak in an hour, it's free. A guy from Ohio was trying to succeed.

Day 3 - Cahokia

The Mississipian Indians from around 900 AD through 1200 AD created a complex culture. In the river bottom land just over the Mississippi River from St. Louis a huge city developed. Cahokia has many mounds of several sorts. Some were used as graves. The large central area (you can see down to it from Monk's Mound) was open for ceremonies and gatherings. Beyond that were many houses. Twenty thousand people lived here at its height. Monk's Mound is 110 feet high. Pretty, cool, huh?

Day 2 - Turning a lemon into a G&T (or nearly)

That drip turned out to be a broken water pump.

Fortunately, friendly people at a Starbuck's included a lady whose drives a VW beetle & whose husband owns a GMC/Buick dealership down the street. While they sent out for a new pump, they lent us an aged LeSabre. Also, a mechanic told us about good train-sighting places along the Sand Patch grade. Grabbed a rope to climb to a bench above the rails where this pic was taken; met the installer of said rope & bench who toodles around in a parachute plane. Lunched in an 18th c tavern which is now run by a Russian Orthodox priest & wife.

Finally hit the road at 3 PM, car repaired. Only made it to Columbus tonight. Needed a drink after all that!

Day 1 - to the SW corner of PA

Tooled down interstates to the Laurel Highlands of PA. Lovely, rolling ridges. The trees are already turning. Camped at Laurel Hill State Park near Somerset. Fun to use the Eurovan, but we brought too much stuff.

Strange dripping from the engine . . .

We're heading out today, pointing towards the Southern Pacific Railroad Convention in Sacramento (it's the weekend of October 2nd). This trip is in the Eurovan and we're camping, hopefully in state and national parks. There won't be internet access, so I may not post things often. I haven't decided what to focus on -- maybe pictures. The Grand Canyon will appear on the way.