On The Road Again

After a 10-day stop-over in Ashland, we're on the move again. We are on the longer leg of our 5 month road-trip, this leg taking us through Colorado to the Midwest (mostly Chicago and Wisconsin) and then on to the South (Georgia and North Carolina) and up the East Coast for fall colors in New England in late-September through mid-October. We stopped in Ashland mostly because Erin had her annual gig up in the Greensprings, providing massage for the participants of a contemplative retreat, but it was also a good opportunity to see friends and neighbors, recharge our batteries and check in on Dallas. We were very happy to see that Dallas has adapted quite well (too well?) to the capable care of Shel and Paula. They've taken to dog ownership remarkably well and Dallas appears happy, healthy and well-fed (although not too well-fed, as they are much more disciplined than I am about giving table scraps) . . .

Dallas mesmerized by the contents of my food bowl

Derek is doing well in Sweden with his girlfriend, Bella. They're staying with Bella's parents in the suburbs of Stockholm and taking occasional trips into the city, to Denmark and other points throughout Sweden. They'll be flying back in to Chicago in mid-August when we're there and they'll be there for ten days before flying on to Portland, where they're moving (they were down in Santa Barbara, California before). Bella will attend a college up there (on a student Visa) and Derek will be doing clothing design for Aedion, a skateboard company.

Bella and Derek

So anyhoo, Erin and I took one of our favorite drives on our way down to Durango, Colorado -- Highway 50, the so-called "Loneliest Road in America," which runs right through the center of Nevada (west to east), close to the old Pony Express Trail in the Basin and Range province of the Great Basin. It's an infrequently traveled road that runs through a sparse and, to us, awesomely beautiful and captivating, desert landscape. The road climbs over numerous passes (ranging from 4,000 to 7,500 feet in elevation) and down into a seemingly endless succession of broad, arid valleys. It's probably not for everybody -- I've talked to a few people who think that it's mind-numbingly tedious -- but Erin and I were in a fairly constant state of awe and delight. Here's the Wiki-link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_50_in_Nevada.

A ribbon of glistening highway beckons us towards the horizon

And a short video of the typical landscape outside my window:

Special Smores Addendum

Here are two smores-making videos we made at our Washington campsite. For those sad souls who have never eaten a smore, it's a campfire-charred marshmallow (a lighter doesn't count Ely!) resting atop a piece of melting chocolate (Erin likes dark chocolate) and lovingly embraced by two pieces of crispy graham cracker. A caution: resist the urge to lick the residual marshmallow goo off your metal skewer or suffer the blistering consequences.

Sweet, gooey, charred pillow betwixt two crumbly wafers, I am powerless to resist you.

Random Road Images

Wanted to post a smattering of pictures that didn't make the cut in the blog earlier before I shut down my file from our first leg of our trip:

The Victoria Parliament Building Rotunda

Me and John up at Paulina Falls by the Sunriver Resort

Erin at the base of the Astoria column

The Astoria Column

"I must down to the sea again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by . . ."

"Pass" (but I like the character)

Wacky (and awesome) beach sculpture

Coming 

. . . and going

One ring to rule them all . . .

My precious

Lake Chelan in central Washington

Heating up

Our last stop in Eugene to see Claire before heading home

Bonus picture:

The Trempealeau Gang

 Back Home!!! (for 10 days)

The view yesterday of the Siskiyou Mountains from Erin's studio over the top of our house

Our deck up here -- not too painful

After 2,600 miles, 4 weeks of travel, half a dozen campsites, a vacation resort, one hotel room and an apartment in Victoria, we're back in Erin's studio (on the second floor of the coach house). It feels at once as if we just left and we've been gone for ages. Perhaps one of the oddest feelings now that we're back is that we aren't in our house. It's a strange sensation returning home, but not really home. I liken it to heading back home after an extended trip and stopping at your neighbor's house, just shy of your ultimate destination. I keep repeating to myself my mantra for this journey: "When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge."

Stay tuned -- I plan on posting some more of my book.

A hike up to Colchuck Lake

The bottom of a waterfall just below the lake

Erin and I hiked up to Colchuck Lake on our last day before breaking camp and leaving ("Colchuck" derives from the Chinook language, meaning "cold water" -- very appropriate). It's in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the Northern Cascades, accessible by a fairly grueling 8.2 mile round-trip hike, which may not sound like a lot, but with the 2,200 feet of elevation gain over 4.1 miles of rocks, roots, boulders and scree (mostly at the top half of the hike), it easily felt like twice the distance. The reward was the unparalleled views up at the mile-high Lake:

Colchuck Lake's cobalt waters (as "blue as Paul Newman's eyes," according to Erin)

Another view of the granite bathtub called Colchuck Lake

The snowy Enchantment Peaks

Erin amidst the boulders

The bridge at Mountaineer Creek:

Colchuck Lake:

A well-deserved (and anonymous) rest back at our campsite

Leavenworth, Washington

We're not in Kansas anymore . . . or America, for that matter. It's a little slice of Bavaria in the Northern Cascades. Here's a few pictures and a little video:

 

 

 

 

A blogger's work is never done

Camping high up in the Northern Cascades

Erin, just watching the river flow

Erin and I have finally found our dream campsite for an extended stay. It’s in the Northern Cascades, along Icicle Creek above the town of Leavenworth. The town itself is worth its own blog posting. It’s a Bavarian-themed tourist town nestled amidst the mountains, which maybe sounds a bit too precious, but it’s actually quite well done. But back to the campsite. We’ve been hankering for just such a place: next to a river, fairly private and high enough in the mountains to escape the heat that’s been plaguing the the area, as well as the entire country. Fortunately for us, there had been forecasts of thunderstorms, so it kept enough people from Seattle home (several hours away, but close enough for a weekend escape). We had a bit of rain yesterday, and some lightening, but with our new bigger tent – it’s maiden voyage -- we brought our chairs inside for a bit and stayed dry. 

A short video of our campsite:

 The Icicle Creek (actually a raging river) next to our campsite:

Not a very good snapshot, but it gets the idea across of the beauty surrounding us

Erin roasting weenies -- so awesome it inspired a song . . .

Erin does a lot more than cook here, but I just loved this picture of her making pancakes

Back in the US

We changed our plans and dropped into eastern Washington yesterday. Originally we were going to go up to Banff (in the Rockies) in B.C., but since we stayed a few extra days in Victoria, we decided that it would be too much driving for the more limited amount of time we had. Then we encountered hot temperatures (mid- to upper-90s) and residual smoke in the Cascades so we went looking for water and found it at scenic Lake Chelan, were we camped last night and will one more.

The very definition of "Happy Camper"

Hike over Lake Chelan

A cold one after a hot day

A quick post from Vancouver (city) . . .

First hotel bed of the trip (thanks Hot Wire)

A city of awesome architecture

Erin at a Marina in Coal Harbour

The War of 1812 -- if not for the Treaty of Ghent, Canadians would be speaking American right now

Farewell Vancouver Island

Erin and I on the car ferry back to the mainland (our car is parked below)

. . .

Kidding . . . the ferry from Sidney to Tsawwassen, B.C. on a gorgeous day

Passing another (much smaller) ferry -- there are ferries servicing dozens of these islands

Erin and I are on our way back to the mainland. It was hard to say goodbye to Victoria after a week and a half visit. Quite simply, we were blown away by this lovely city. We're not sure when, but we'll be back. Here's a video from a scenic overlook on the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island, just outside Victoria:

Our favorite things about Victoria: the people, the gardens, the stunning views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, saying the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the breathtaking views of the snow-capped Olympic mountains, the architecture, the public parks, the walking trails and the food. When we come back I would like to spend some time on the water, whether kayaking or sailing, travel to Tofino on the west coast and do some serious hiking/camping up north.