Monday 21st
Earlyish, well off by 9am, start to go to the North Rim which as I previously mentioned is approx 12 miles north of where we started but some 230 miles by road. The canyon or rather the Colorado River and tributaries make going in a straight line a little difficult. We would have walked it! but we had the rv.
Again the majority of the journey was hot and dusty with desert scrub plateau scenery being the norm.
Stopped at Cameron Trading post where we bought an Indian Clown, they were traditionally clowns who taught by fooling around and showing how stupid it was to do such things in normal life i.e. eat a whole water melon in one go.
Crossed the Colorado river on the replica bridge built alongside the Navajo bridge built in 1927, I think the first bridge across the Colorado from there onward and upward to the North Rim.
As we got higher and over 6500 to 7000ft the scenery changed quite dramatically and started to become alpine in nature with tree both pines and aspen and long large fertile pastured valleys. Quite open grassed area and all very relaxing after a lot of desert. The area was all national park so uninhabited
and completely non commercialised. Huge forest fires had taken out large areas at the beginning of the road into the North rim and after 5 years this was starting to regenerate. Aspen first which like open damp areas to grow followed by the pines which require the shade of the aspen to start growing.
The aspen is a lovely tree shining white bark and super yellow green leaves, tall 100ft or more but the early spring leaves on the smaller trees were gorgeous shimmering and whispering in the sun and breezes.
North rim is much quieter than the south, one hotel or lodge and one campground. Many dedicated walkers in the area which is obviously more temperate than the south rim and we walked some four miles along the edges of the canyon from camp to Lodge and back. With the different flora and fauna the north rim has far fewer points to view the canyon and apart from around the lodge you have to travel some 20 miles by car for other dedicated views. I have no doubt the brave can scramble through trees and bushes to other vantage points on the edge but hidden dangers are stressed advising against this occupation. As with all national parks there is no commercialism so you bring your own food drink etc where ever you go, we are ok with the rv as it is all self contained.
North v South we enjoyed the north as it was more restful and softer scenery, more European I suppose but the canyon was missing a lot of the time. To see the whole scope of the canyon the South is the definite starting place with some 12 miles or so of direct views out over the rim so for limited time the south has the vote but visit the north later if possible.
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Sunday 27 May 2012
Las Vegas in a jumbled collage
click or double click on picture to increase size
16th MAY
Left Las Vegas by the state road 93 reached negotiating the vast freeway system around LV which is itself being constantly enlarged and rebuilt. We heard someone say Las Vegas is expanding at the rate of one new full school, primary through secondary, a month probably not but it is growing that cannot be argued.
The 93 took us past the Hoover Dam but we somehow missed it! Lake Mead which it enlarged is gigantic and seems to spread all over the place filling many valleys and no doubt covering many peoples dwellings. The Hoover dam unmissable at 760 ft high, or it was until a new road swished us past it without a backwoods glance, provides significant resources and work for the whole of this area of the south west usa an area that is as dry as a bone and very much desert plateaux and landscape.
We toiled on to join the interstate highway 40 a road which replace part of the famed Highway 66 and you see references to it all the way along at least to Flagstaff where we stopped to spend the night at Fort Tuthill(Cononino Country Park) Pine Forest. Little difficult to find due to abysmal signposting around Flagstaff but we did and set up in a pine forest, many pitches but only six rv on the whole area. Quiet and pleasant disturbed only by the murmur of the trees which reacted to the slightest of breeze.
Centre of Flagstaff highlighted as a major route 66 highlight was only found by putting a hotel name in the sat nav as though the town and area are proud of route 66 no signs told us how to find it or how to find the town centre.
Nice little centre of two or three blocks square nothing really out of the ordinary. Coffee at the Hotel sitting on the main street was a good way of taking in the relaxed and slow pace of the area.
Onward now via the 180 and the 84 to The Grand Canyon South Rim Village. The approach the whole way from Flagstaff was slowly upward with the surroundings again being sagebush uninhabited and uncultivated desert. The final approach of some 30 odd miles is across a blank plateau rising gradually, it is all pretty flat, barren and featureless.
I don't really know what I expected but it was not this sort of drab monotonous landscape I suppose I expected some craggy stuff and a bit of drama- not so.
Entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park was via the usual payment booths and then some 15 mile to our Trailer RV Park near the centre of the "Village" via an outskirts close to the payment booths which included a small airport, various commercial outlets and Imax theatre which appeared to show nothing. Oh well I thought let's wait and see perhaps it is all over hyped. Parked up and vaguely sorted out the shuttlebus system, very good it was too, we strode off to the rim. Height at village and rim around 7500ft.
There it was or part of it. Pictures I have seen but the reality took my breath away it is incredible, a huge gap in the land which literally drops vertically away from you as you stand at a rail or close to the edge. The drop is over 3500ft or a mile and is staggering makes you feel quite weak even with railings in front of you.
The gap, chasm is a much better word at this point ranges from about 10 mile across to probably 20 miles and is filled with the most unearthly rock formations which are beyond imagination. The rock formations are all distinct, each layer of different rock being laid down parallel and horizontal so you can see rock form virtually the present day right down to the bottom layer 2 billion years old so old in act it contains no fossils as it dates back to a time before life which could be fossilised had started.
A wonderful, weird fascinating, rugged and dangerous place. The Colorado River is largely responsible for the depth of the Canyon but its width is caused by multiple streams and rivers flash floods and extremes of heat and cold. There are in this section of the canyon only two trails down which take one day to get to the bottom, the river and a minimum of two days to get back up, Crossing to the North rim would take about five days.
We had four night here so really thee and a half days to explore. The free shuttle buses took us to what ever place you wanted to star from and we then walked, looked sat drank coffee or whatever we felt like doing. Every few steps along the rim, and we must have covered about ten miles of it on foot and looked out from various fixed lookout point, gave you a different aspect and changing scene, a bit like a vast chameleon changing to adapt each view different both in texture and colour. Colours mainly reds and Amber's were ever changing and the best time to see this was at or just before sunset when the light did not drown out but high lighted the myriad hues within the rocks.
I cannot imagine the horror of early explores pushing inland northwards in this are suddenly finding the earth has dropped away from you and literally stopped you in your tracks. This is what the Canyon does one moment your fed up with plateau desert climbing slowly uphill next moment nothing but a mile deep and miles wide vertical hole. Around 300 mile long it certainly represented and still represents a huge barrier in this area of the SW. Later we travelled to the north rim 12 mile across the Canyon and it took a road trip of 238 miles. The earliest explorers estimated the Colorado River to be about 6mtrs wide, it averages 100mtrs wide and a good if difficult place to get water. An advance party sent down to get water arrived back four days later with no water not having reached the river nor being able to get anywhere near it.
The whole South Rim Village area is well controlled and has to be with the huge volume of visitors, Americas NO 1 Visitors attraction crawling with people all the time. It is still possible to find quite space and just look.
We even had an annular eclipse of the sun that is where the moon leaves a little ring of sun all the way round. This occurs about every 5 years.
I've missed a lot out but the size and complexity of the Canyon is really beyond description. We are glad we have seen it and experienced it, in younger days we would have tackled some or part of the trails down but at 7500ft even twenty stairs take the breath away.
Sorry I have gone on a bit about this and that but not said much, the history of the area , the Indian inhabitants over thousands of years has not been touched upon but this is not a history lesson or an all encompassing tome just a few notes as we pass through lucky as we are.
Left Las Vegas by the state road 93 reached negotiating the vast freeway system around LV which is itself being constantly enlarged and rebuilt. We heard someone say Las Vegas is expanding at the rate of one new full school, primary through secondary, a month probably not but it is growing that cannot be argued.
The 93 took us past the Hoover Dam but we somehow missed it! Lake Mead which it enlarged is gigantic and seems to spread all over the place filling many valleys and no doubt covering many peoples dwellings. The Hoover dam unmissable at 760 ft high, or it was until a new road swished us past it without a backwoods glance, provides significant resources and work for the whole of this area of the south west usa an area that is as dry as a bone and very much desert plateaux and landscape.
We toiled on to join the interstate highway 40 a road which replace part of the famed Highway 66 and you see references to it all the way along at least to Flagstaff where we stopped to spend the night at Fort Tuthill(Cononino Country Park) Pine Forest. Little difficult to find due to abysmal signposting around Flagstaff but we did and set up in a pine forest, many pitches but only six rv on the whole area. Quiet and pleasant disturbed only by the murmur of the trees which reacted to the slightest of breeze.
Centre of Flagstaff highlighted as a major route 66 highlight was only found by putting a hotel name in the sat nav as though the town and area are proud of route 66 no signs told us how to find it or how to find the town centre.
Nice little centre of two or three blocks square nothing really out of the ordinary. Coffee at the Hotel sitting on the main street was a good way of taking in the relaxed and slow pace of the area.
Onward now via the 180 and the 84 to The Grand Canyon South Rim Village. The approach the whole way from Flagstaff was slowly upward with the surroundings again being sagebush uninhabited and uncultivated desert. The final approach of some 30 odd miles is across a blank plateau rising gradually, it is all pretty flat, barren and featureless.
I don't really know what I expected but it was not this sort of drab monotonous landscape I suppose I expected some craggy stuff and a bit of drama- not so.
Entrance to the Grand Canyon National Park was via the usual payment booths and then some 15 mile to our Trailer RV Park near the centre of the "Village" via an outskirts close to the payment booths which included a small airport, various commercial outlets and Imax theatre which appeared to show nothing. Oh well I thought let's wait and see perhaps it is all over hyped. Parked up and vaguely sorted out the shuttlebus system, very good it was too, we strode off to the rim. Height at village and rim around 7500ft.
There it was or part of it. Pictures I have seen but the reality took my breath away it is incredible, a huge gap in the land which literally drops vertically away from you as you stand at a rail or close to the edge. The drop is over 3500ft or a mile and is staggering makes you feel quite weak even with railings in front of you.
The gap, chasm is a much better word at this point ranges from about 10 mile across to probably 20 miles and is filled with the most unearthly rock formations which are beyond imagination. The rock formations are all distinct, each layer of different rock being laid down parallel and horizontal so you can see rock form virtually the present day right down to the bottom layer 2 billion years old so old in act it contains no fossils as it dates back to a time before life which could be fossilised had started.
A wonderful, weird fascinating, rugged and dangerous place. The Colorado River is largely responsible for the depth of the Canyon but its width is caused by multiple streams and rivers flash floods and extremes of heat and cold. There are in this section of the canyon only two trails down which take one day to get to the bottom, the river and a minimum of two days to get back up, Crossing to the North rim would take about five days.
We had four night here so really thee and a half days to explore. The free shuttle buses took us to what ever place you wanted to star from and we then walked, looked sat drank coffee or whatever we felt like doing. Every few steps along the rim, and we must have covered about ten miles of it on foot and looked out from various fixed lookout point, gave you a different aspect and changing scene, a bit like a vast chameleon changing to adapt each view different both in texture and colour. Colours mainly reds and Amber's were ever changing and the best time to see this was at or just before sunset when the light did not drown out but high lighted the myriad hues within the rocks.
I cannot imagine the horror of early explores pushing inland northwards in this are suddenly finding the earth has dropped away from you and literally stopped you in your tracks. This is what the Canyon does one moment your fed up with plateau desert climbing slowly uphill next moment nothing but a mile deep and miles wide vertical hole. Around 300 mile long it certainly represented and still represents a huge barrier in this area of the SW. Later we travelled to the north rim 12 mile across the Canyon and it took a road trip of 238 miles. The earliest explorers estimated the Colorado River to be about 6mtrs wide, it averages 100mtrs wide and a good if difficult place to get water. An advance party sent down to get water arrived back four days later with no water not having reached the river nor being able to get anywhere near it.
The whole South Rim Village area is well controlled and has to be with the huge volume of visitors, Americas NO 1 Visitors attraction crawling with people all the time. It is still possible to find quite space and just look.
We even had an annular eclipse of the sun that is where the moon leaves a little ring of sun all the way round. This occurs about every 5 years.
I've missed a lot out but the size and complexity of the Canyon is really beyond description. We are glad we have seen it and experienced it, in younger days we would have tackled some or part of the trails down but at 7500ft even twenty stairs take the breath away.
Sorry I have gone on a bit about this and that but not said much, the history of the area , the Indian inhabitants over thousands of years has not been touched upon but this is not a history lesson or an all encompassing tome just a few notes as we pass through lucky as we are.
Sunday 20 May 2012
Las Vegas
Death Valley continue inc. night of 12th May
I've probably been a bit harsh on Death Valley as it is in reality a harsh place. It has a long history and has been occupied for thousands of years by the Shoshone Indians. In more recent history prospectors and miners have made an attempt but nothing much has lasted longer than 10 years. The most money has been made from Borax and talk but the extreme conditions and lack of decent transportation doomed 98% of these small industries. Today limited mining is undertaken.
We were going to stay the night at Furnace Creek the only habitable area at about -100ft which has two hotels, shops, well souvenier and store combined, a couple of restaurants, rangers tourist office very large and the' piece de resistance ' a manicured extreemly well kept lush green 18 hole golf course, obviously water at Furnace Creek but a golf course. As I said we were going to stay at 1 of the two RV campgrounds but the day temperature 0f 103F or 40C falling to a cool 93F in the evening was a promise we declined as with no power hook ups we could not use our air conditioning. We came ot of the Valley and up 2500 ft to an Casino RV park called Longstreet Inn Casino and Rv park just 100yds into Nevada on the 127 going north from Death Valley Junction into the Amargosa Desert.. Dinner that night in the Casino with live band 26$ for salad, large steak and chips etc quite good value for a change. I suppose at every position you enter Nevada you will find a Casino they must as a state make huge monies from the Casinos.
The following morning we went back to death Valley Junction, a virtual ghost town apart from a hotel and Opera House. The opera house is very well known and was saved and created by Marta Becket in or from 1967 onwards a well known artist, dancer, pianist and opera singer who fell in love with the rundown hotel and large club room some years ago and has been renovating and using it ever since. Performances were given many times each yearand she performed in all of them, she gave her last one man show and her last retirement show in February of this year. She with her husband and later her partner did all the restoration and painting of the Opera house and hotel themselves. The Opera house took her four years solid to paint with the murals, she painted the ceiling standing on a ladder paining above her head the whole time. A gifted eccentric woman.
This whole area east of the high sierra mountains appartevrything around, is actually desert. High mountain desert, plateau desert, low Death Valley Desert, one or two better than average towns but no much . The area covered by not much except scrub and nothing else probably is the size of Europe it is huge and desolate punctured by places of total unreality such as the Canyons and of course our next stop.
Chalk and cheese or rags and riches 13thMay to 15th inclusive
You could not get two more different areas if you tried than the swift transition from Death Valley to Las Vegas. Little or nothing to probably the greatest excess of money in pursuit of money the the world can see and it is here right in your face.
We stayed in the KAO site at Circus Circus about half a mile walk to the "Strip" so were very well placed to wander at will.
Las Vegas 1900 population 30, railroad arrived 1905, now defunct, but land sold off formed the start of a small town of single street style. 1931 Nevada legalised gambling and the Hoover Dam 30 miles away was being built. Workers flocked to Las Vegas where there were one or two gambling places to spend their pay packets. An abundance of cheap water and electricity from the dam amounted to a huge fedral subsidy and Vegas was up and running and has not stopped since, faltered maybe but not stopped.
Facts:- It boasts 19 of the worlds largest 25 hotels, 140,000 motel and hotel rooms needing reservation if toy want to stay in town over the weekend. 220,000 visitors every weekend, 37 million tourists each year. Most of the casios on the "Strip" have 2000 or more bedrooms one or two 4000 and two of them have over 5000 rooms
The casinos are all themed, as is the current trend, so you have PARIS created in intricate detail with an eiffel tower standing about six stories high and correct in proportions etc, inside it is all French and not bad. NEW YORK NEW YORK a complete recreation of Manhatten. CEASARS PALACE all Roman with the Forum, Trevi Fountain and so on. THE VENETIAN and PALAZZO as the name suggests recreates six major venetian buildings and Rialto Bridge with canals and gondolars with singing gondoliers at street level and the Grand Canal recreated at first floor level again with Gondolars and gondoliers. As the guide book says "at first floor level it's upstairs for God's sake! And so it goes on and on.
The buildings are on an enormous scale covering acres of land, most have outside or street level entertainment of some sort to attract and entice you in. By street entertainment think fountain displays swooshing up 200ft or complete enactment of Pirates trying to beat the Sirens, quite ludicrous but the full scale pirate ship actually sinks every half hour in the battle and the sirens using music and flames win every time. We watche from about 75 yards away across a six lane highway, the Strip, and the heat from the flames used was amazing it must have shocked those much closer. The buildings and their lighting of of a very high standard of design and construction as each tries to outdo each other as they continually re invent themselves and rebuild in many cases from the ground upwards. All is not a bed of roses as there are some huge blocks of bare land near the Centre of The Strip which were to be the next upward reinvention of the newest Casinos some are partially built some not started but the finacial crisis of recent times has halted all these development.
What of Vegas, its very glitzy but quite refined and certainly the Strip is not downmarket in any way. Ultimately the Casinos are there for one thing only, your money. All despite their individual themes are the same inside, ground floor packed with every gambling machine and table imaginable, probably millions of them, bigger casinos have shopping malls of very very high quality shops again every designer lable you could think of and these in virtually every casino it seems impossible that they can all make money but they are there nonetheless.
A couple of days in and out looking is enough as it begins to look samey after a while.
We went to a show LOVE by Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage Casino a tribute to the Beatles using their music for a dance show mainly in the air on trapezes, high wires and amazing set pieces with amazingly costumed artists apearing via wire from the roof some 100ft or more above us. An amazing experience and very well presented though the amount of equipment and the split second timing beggars belief. This was all dance style though no flying through the air and catching but a lot of flying . A good evening.
We rounded off our stay by going to the Freemont Street area where Las Vegas first started now called Downtown, here are the original Casinos or whats left and a five block section has been roofed over and updated as the area tries to grab back some of the tourists from the Strip.
It was crowded but it is much more what one might have expected to see or it is more like ones old ideas of Las Vegas. Much more out on the street, three major street bandstands with multi piece band playing at the cross intersections of the blocks. Five blocks about one mile long. an ariel wire with people wizing overhead runs for half the distance. Fancy dresse,d weirdly dressed, mostly undressed persons around for you to have your photo taken with and so on. A much more downmarket and basic area but quite a lot of fun with possibly more atmosphere than The Main road running through The Strip.
Pleased to have been yes- go back no. Temperature throughout stay around 90 degrees humidity 4 too hot and dry, it is after all in the middle of the desert.
I've probably been a bit harsh on Death Valley as it is in reality a harsh place. It has a long history and has been occupied for thousands of years by the Shoshone Indians. In more recent history prospectors and miners have made an attempt but nothing much has lasted longer than 10 years. The most money has been made from Borax and talk but the extreme conditions and lack of decent transportation doomed 98% of these small industries. Today limited mining is undertaken.
We were going to stay the night at Furnace Creek the only habitable area at about -100ft which has two hotels, shops, well souvenier and store combined, a couple of restaurants, rangers tourist office very large and the' piece de resistance ' a manicured extreemly well kept lush green 18 hole golf course, obviously water at Furnace Creek but a golf course. As I said we were going to stay at 1 of the two RV campgrounds but the day temperature 0f 103F or 40C falling to a cool 93F in the evening was a promise we declined as with no power hook ups we could not use our air conditioning. We came ot of the Valley and up 2500 ft to an Casino RV park called Longstreet Inn Casino and Rv park just 100yds into Nevada on the 127 going north from Death Valley Junction into the Amargosa Desert.. Dinner that night in the Casino with live band 26$ for salad, large steak and chips etc quite good value for a change. I suppose at every position you enter Nevada you will find a Casino they must as a state make huge monies from the Casinos.
The following morning we went back to death Valley Junction, a virtual ghost town apart from a hotel and Opera House. The opera house is very well known and was saved and created by Marta Becket in or from 1967 onwards a well known artist, dancer, pianist and opera singer who fell in love with the rundown hotel and large club room some years ago and has been renovating and using it ever since. Performances were given many times each yearand she performed in all of them, she gave her last one man show and her last retirement show in February of this year. She with her husband and later her partner did all the restoration and painting of the Opera house and hotel themselves. The Opera house took her four years solid to paint with the murals, she painted the ceiling standing on a ladder paining above her head the whole time. A gifted eccentric woman.
This whole area east of the high sierra mountains appartevrything around, is actually desert. High mountain desert, plateau desert, low Death Valley Desert, one or two better than average towns but no much . The area covered by not much except scrub and nothing else probably is the size of Europe it is huge and desolate punctured by places of total unreality such as the Canyons and of course our next stop.
Chalk and cheese or rags and riches 13thMay to 15th inclusive
You could not get two more different areas if you tried than the swift transition from Death Valley to Las Vegas. Little or nothing to probably the greatest excess of money in pursuit of money the the world can see and it is here right in your face.
We stayed in the KAO site at Circus Circus about half a mile walk to the "Strip" so were very well placed to wander at will.
Las Vegas 1900 population 30, railroad arrived 1905, now defunct, but land sold off formed the start of a small town of single street style. 1931 Nevada legalised gambling and the Hoover Dam 30 miles away was being built. Workers flocked to Las Vegas where there were one or two gambling places to spend their pay packets. An abundance of cheap water and electricity from the dam amounted to a huge fedral subsidy and Vegas was up and running and has not stopped since, faltered maybe but not stopped.
Facts:- It boasts 19 of the worlds largest 25 hotels, 140,000 motel and hotel rooms needing reservation if toy want to stay in town over the weekend. 220,000 visitors every weekend, 37 million tourists each year. Most of the casios on the "Strip" have 2000 or more bedrooms one or two 4000 and two of them have over 5000 rooms
The casinos are all themed, as is the current trend, so you have PARIS created in intricate detail with an eiffel tower standing about six stories high and correct in proportions etc, inside it is all French and not bad. NEW YORK NEW YORK a complete recreation of Manhatten. CEASARS PALACE all Roman with the Forum, Trevi Fountain and so on. THE VENETIAN and PALAZZO as the name suggests recreates six major venetian buildings and Rialto Bridge with canals and gondolars with singing gondoliers at street level and the Grand Canal recreated at first floor level again with Gondolars and gondoliers. As the guide book says "at first floor level it's upstairs for God's sake! And so it goes on and on.
The buildings are on an enormous scale covering acres of land, most have outside or street level entertainment of some sort to attract and entice you in. By street entertainment think fountain displays swooshing up 200ft or complete enactment of Pirates trying to beat the Sirens, quite ludicrous but the full scale pirate ship actually sinks every half hour in the battle and the sirens using music and flames win every time. We watche from about 75 yards away across a six lane highway, the Strip, and the heat from the flames used was amazing it must have shocked those much closer. The buildings and their lighting of of a very high standard of design and construction as each tries to outdo each other as they continually re invent themselves and rebuild in many cases from the ground upwards. All is not a bed of roses as there are some huge blocks of bare land near the Centre of The Strip which were to be the next upward reinvention of the newest Casinos some are partially built some not started but the finacial crisis of recent times has halted all these development.
What of Vegas, its very glitzy but quite refined and certainly the Strip is not downmarket in any way. Ultimately the Casinos are there for one thing only, your money. All despite their individual themes are the same inside, ground floor packed with every gambling machine and table imaginable, probably millions of them, bigger casinos have shopping malls of very very high quality shops again every designer lable you could think of and these in virtually every casino it seems impossible that they can all make money but they are there nonetheless.
A couple of days in and out looking is enough as it begins to look samey after a while.
We went to a show LOVE by Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage Casino a tribute to the Beatles using their music for a dance show mainly in the air on trapezes, high wires and amazing set pieces with amazingly costumed artists apearing via wire from the roof some 100ft or more above us. An amazing experience and very well presented though the amount of equipment and the split second timing beggars belief. This was all dance style though no flying through the air and catching but a lot of flying . A good evening.
We rounded off our stay by going to the Freemont Street area where Las Vegas first started now called Downtown, here are the original Casinos or whats left and a five block section has been roofed over and updated as the area tries to grab back some of the tourists from the Strip.
It was crowded but it is much more what one might have expected to see or it is more like ones old ideas of Las Vegas. Much more out on the street, three major street bandstands with multi piece band playing at the cross intersections of the blocks. Five blocks about one mile long. an ariel wire with people wizing overhead runs for half the distance. Fancy dresse,d weirdly dressed, mostly undressed persons around for you to have your photo taken with and so on. A much more downmarket and basic area but quite a lot of fun with possibly more atmosphere than The Main road running through The Strip.
Pleased to have been yes- go back no. Temperature throughout stay around 90 degrees humidity 4 too hot and dry, it is after all in the middle of the desert.
Tuesday 15 May 2012
Death Valley
Entry to or enroute to Death Valley
12 May Death Valley
The name conjours up everthing, it does not like me as I have just lost a page of pure description by a master by pressing something I know not what.
Across two mountain ranges from Lone Pine and 100 miles away lies the valley of Death Valley. Up to 7500ft down to 4000ft up again then down many roads straight down for 8 miles at 1 in 14 undulating but that is quite steep in a straight line other sections twisting round everything.
Scenery on way in is barren mountain rock and rubble type rock plus dessert scrub quite souless and indeed sections could well be from Dante Inferno.
Hot oh so hot it just drains your soul away, at least thats how it felt 103 degrees no shade, thats 40 degrees C if you have finally given up on Farenheight. Some people seemed impervious to it but they are all probably suffering sunstroke now! At base level -258ft we saw a scummy looking pool of poisenous water vaste expanses of arid nothingness and little e In fairness to the Valley the mountain rock formations are distinctive and like nothing we had seen before. Many many different types of rock created by different enviromental factors mainly earth quakes which still occur and wich are gradually lowering the valley floorand . The valley sits between two tectonic plates both pushing upwards and separated by the width of the valley 5 to miles as the two plates push up they force the floor downwide. The colours in the rock faces are best described as an artist's pallet with drives called the artists' way etc. Our monster was unfrotunately too big to go down some of these but most could be seen from the mainish road in the Valley.
12 May Death Valley
The name conjours up everthing, it does not like me as I have just lost a page of pure description by a master by pressing something I know not what.
Across two mountain ranges from Lone Pine and 100 miles away lies the valley of Death Valley. Up to 7500ft down to 4000ft up again then down many roads straight down for 8 miles at 1 in 14 undulating but that is quite steep in a straight line other sections twisting round everything.
Scenery on way in is barren mountain rock and rubble type rock plus dessert scrub quite souless and indeed sections could well be from Dante Inferno.
Hot oh so hot it just drains your soul away, at least thats how it felt 103 degrees no shade, thats 40 degrees C if you have finally given up on Farenheight. Some people seemed impervious to it but they are all probably suffering sunstroke now! At base level -258ft we saw a scummy looking pool of poisenous water vaste expanses of arid nothingness and little e In fairness to the Valley the mountain rock formations are distinctive and like nothing we had seen before. Many many different types of rock created by different enviromental factors mainly earth quakes which still occur and wich are gradually lowering the valley floorand . The valley sits between two tectonic plates both pushing upwards and separated by the width of the valley 5 to miles as the two plates push up they force the floor downwide. The colours in the rock faces are best described as an artist's pallet with drives called the artists' way etc. Our monster was unfrotunately too big to go down some of these but most could be seen from the mainish road in the Valley. 12 May Death Valley
The name conjours up everthing, it does not like me as I have just lost a page of pure description by a master by pressing something I know not what.
Across two mountain ranges from Lone Pine and 100 miles away lies the valley of Death Valley. Up to 7500ft down to 4000ft up again then down many roads straight down for 8 miles at 1 in 14 undulating but that is quite steep in a straight line other sections twisting round everything.
Scenery on way in is barren mountain rock and rubble type rock plus dessert scrub quite souless and indeed sections could well be from Dante Inferno.
Hot oh so hot it just drains your soul away, at least thats how it felt 103 degrees no shade, thats 40 degrees C if you have finally given up on Farenheight. Some people seemed impervious to it but they are all probably suffering sunstroke now! At base level -258ft we saw a scummy looking pool of poisenous water vaste expanses of arid nothingness and little e In fairness to the Valley the mountain rock formations are distinctive and like nothing we had seen before. Many many different types of rock created by different enviromental factors mainly earth quakes which still occur and wich are gradually lowering the valley floorand . The valley sits between two tectonic plates both pushing upwards and separated by the width of the valley 5 to miles as the two plates push up they force the floor downwide. The colours in the rock faces are best described as an artist's pallet with drives called the artists' way etc. Our monster was unfrotunately too big to go down some of these but most could be seen from the mainish road in the Valley. 12 May Death Valley
The name conjours up everthing, it does not like me as I have just lost a page of pure description by a master by pressing something I know not what.
Across two mountain ranges from Lone Pine and 100 miles away lies the valley of Death Valley. Up to 7500ft down to 4000ft up again then down many roads straight down for 8 miles at 1 in 14 undulating but that is quite steep in a straight line other sections twisting round everything.
Scenery on way in is barren mountain rock and rubble type rock plus dessert scrub quite souless and indeed sections could well be from Dante Inferno.
Hot oh so hot it just drains your soul away, at least thats how it felt 103 degrees no shade, thats 40 degrees C if you have finally given up on Farenheight. Some people seemed impervious to it but they are all probably suffering sunstroke now! At base level -258ft we saw a scummy looking pool of poisenous water vaste expanses of arid nothingness and little e In fairness to the Valley the mountain rock formations are distinctive and like nothing we had seen before. Many many different types of rock created by different enviromental factors mainly earth quakes which still occur and wich are gradually lowering the valley floorand . The valley sits between two tectonic plates both pushing upwards and separated by the width of the valley 5 to miles as the two plates push up they force the floor downwide. The colours in the rock faces are best described as an artist's pallet with drives called the artists' way etc. Our monster was unfrotunately too big to go down some of these but most could be seen from the mainish road in the Valley.
En route downwards to Mammoth Lake
10th May
Out over the mountains up to7500ft and then down towards Carson City to pick up the 395 again to work our way south for the stretch including Death Valley, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.
Reaching the 395 after coming down to around 4000ft we trundled though I suppose a high valley which ran a long way and which looked very wet and marshy though probably good agricultural land. Lots of available water.
Coffee at Bridgeport, keep forgetting the ge, where the scenery started changing and here politics and water rule the roost.
Los Angeles City bought in 1904 the whole of Owens Valley probably some 200 miles long with the 395 running through it or the fledgling road running through it. The purchase was rather dubious but legal. Other areas were also purchased various reasons being given but water was the reason and probably never mentioned. An aqueduct/viaduct /channels etc was constructed some 250 gravity fed all the way down to Los Angeles, main streams and mountain rivers were diverted into the channels and later many more minor streams went that way. Result the whole area was transformed, at the head Mono Lake possibly the oldest lake in the USA certainly one that had survived two ice ages and the creation of mountain ranges in the area has been virtually destroyed in one generation. Water levels down 50ft bird life of all types of over 5 million a year 98 % disappeared etc. Further down we stayed at Lone Pine where the lake which was 50ft deep and many miles square has gone leaving a surface of silica dust which blows everywhere and is a long term health hazard. Talks and agreements go on with LA but not too much ground is given by them it's really 17 million people v limited areas of environment, wild life and a few thousand people. Where is the right and wrong, easy to side with the environment but we moan at hosepipe bans, the ultimate answer I suppose will be the sea once it becomes cost effective with the desalination plants.
Mono lake had some interesting tufas being sort of stalacmite like things which grow up under water and are caused by calcium bearing freshwater bubbling up under the carbonate laden lake to form limestone in weird shapes below water, these are seen today as the lake dries out. ( work out the chemistry there).
Further down the road to Mammoth Lakes for a night stop at Mammoth Mountain RV park, expensive and very poor value. The town says it vies with Whistler in Canada as the best skying ever, can't say about the skiing though it appears to have many runs and some skiing was still going on however, the town or part we saw was not a patch on Whistler. Actually bought 4 shirts here so must be some good though I am judging by Edinburgh Woollen Mill standards!
11th May
Short run today down to Lone Pine a pleasent little town which has one claim to fame- The Alabama range of mini mountains fronting the highest peak of the High Sierra Mountain Mount Whitney14495 ft. The claim to fame is that virtually every cowboy film from the silent movies to the late 1950s and then the tv series of the 60s were all made here. Every actor I can name and many I have never heard of worked here. 450 Feature films, Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, The Cissco Kid to name but a few. Science fiction movies are no using the area for sequences requirng out of this world landscape. The newish film museum here has all this on display and we drove round the area and all these fims were made, quite illuminating really though you can also see how the camera lies and how a tiny shot out of context can seem much bigger, what's new you can see it every day in the TV news.
Site here the Boulder Creek RV Resort was quite the best we have been on even provided free coffee and muffins twixt 7 and 9 in the morning, had to get up early for that!
Out over the mountains up to7500ft and then down towards Carson City to pick up the 395 again to work our way south for the stretch including Death Valley, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.
Reaching the 395 after coming down to around 4000ft we trundled though I suppose a high valley which ran a long way and which looked very wet and marshy though probably good agricultural land. Lots of available water.
Coffee at Bridgeport, keep forgetting the ge, where the scenery started changing and here politics and water rule the roost.
Los Angeles City bought in 1904 the whole of Owens Valley probably some 200 miles long with the 395 running through it or the fledgling road running through it. The purchase was rather dubious but legal. Other areas were also purchased various reasons being given but water was the reason and probably never mentioned. An aqueduct/viaduct /channels etc was constructed some 250 gravity fed all the way down to Los Angeles, main streams and mountain rivers were diverted into the channels and later many more minor streams went that way. Result the whole area was transformed, at the head Mono Lake possibly the oldest lake in the USA certainly one that had survived two ice ages and the creation of mountain ranges in the area has been virtually destroyed in one generation. Water levels down 50ft bird life of all types of over 5 million a year 98 % disappeared etc. Further down we stayed at Lone Pine where the lake which was 50ft deep and many miles square has gone leaving a surface of silica dust which blows everywhere and is a long term health hazard. Talks and agreements go on with LA but not too much ground is given by them it's really 17 million people v limited areas of environment, wild life and a few thousand people. Where is the right and wrong, easy to side with the environment but we moan at hosepipe bans, the ultimate answer I suppose will be the sea once it becomes cost effective with the desalination plants.
Mono lake had some interesting tufas being sort of stalacmite like things which grow up under water and are caused by calcium bearing freshwater bubbling up under the carbonate laden lake to form limestone in weird shapes below water, these are seen today as the lake dries out. ( work out the chemistry there).
Further down the road to Mammoth Lakes for a night stop at Mammoth Mountain RV park, expensive and very poor value. The town says it vies with Whistler in Canada as the best skying ever, can't say about the skiing though it appears to have many runs and some skiing was still going on however, the town or part we saw was not a patch on Whistler. Actually bought 4 shirts here so must be some good though I am judging by Edinburgh Woollen Mill standards!
11th May
Short run today down to Lone Pine a pleasent little town which has one claim to fame- The Alabama range of mini mountains fronting the highest peak of the High Sierra Mountain Mount Whitney14495 ft. The claim to fame is that virtually every cowboy film from the silent movies to the late 1950s and then the tv series of the 60s were all made here. Every actor I can name and many I have never heard of worked here. 450 Feature films, Hopalong Cassidy, The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, The Cissco Kid to name but a few. Science fiction movies are no using the area for sequences requirng out of this world landscape. The newish film museum here has all this on display and we drove round the area and all these fims were made, quite illuminating really though you can also see how the camera lies and how a tiny shot out of context can seem much bigger, what's new you can see it every day in the TV news.
Site here the Boulder Creek RV Resort was quite the best we have been on even provided free coffee and muffins twixt 7 and 9 in the morning, had to get up early for that!
Monday 14 May 2012
Lake Tahoe Pictures
8th to 10th May
Taken from doorway of van at Bridgeport campsite.
Lake Tahoe never freezes max summer temperature 60F
Taken from doorway of van at Bridgeport campsite.
Lake Tahoe never freezes max summer temperature 60F
Lake Tahoe
Leaving Yosemite and the Tioga Pass we stopped off for the night at a wayside town called Bridgeport.
Stayed the night on the Reservoir rv and Marina park owned by an extreemly enthusiatic proprietor who had one volume to his voice, a loud shout., his grand parents came from , a noisy, Isle of Man.
The site was a mixture of tiny marina, rv, tents, horse stabling and pasture and on the edge of a reservoir with great views. A quiet backwater until lorries kept coming past after seven oclock and on a slbbed concrete road these made a noise and could be felt in the van 75 yards away. Where on earth were they going too and how was this little road qite so busy. Mistery solved next day. Main road 395 closed 7pm to 7am for months whilst rebuilding by a slippage into a lake is sorted, up to 20mins delay during the day. Our little road was the divert.
A great drive over more mountains with vast views in all directions ushered us into the town called South Lake Tahoe, an inelegant name for a inelegant town.
Many sites in ths area closed so not much choice. We stayed at Tahoe Valley Campground, vast pricey but open well parts of it. about 20 vans and 500 odd pitches it seems the season starts late her though we had high daytime temperatures.
The Lake is beatiful and huge, 75 miles round. Lake side anywhere almost impossible to get to and where accessible privately owned. One or two small public beaches which must be jam packed when busy. The road round the lake had great vies on the western side but little on the eastern side. We spotted a road down with parking at the base so nipped down for lunch 2$ for 15 minute when we arriced at the shore!
Expensive area, South Lake Tahoe had nothing going for it at all, dreadful planning no centre just a main road with a junble of tat along it actually quite typical of many towns so far.
The lake at 6000ft is 1600ft deep and holds enough water to cover the whole of California to a depth of 14inches, useless fact of the day.
Stayed the night on the Reservoir rv and Marina park owned by an extreemly enthusiatic proprietor who had one volume to his voice, a loud shout., his grand parents came from , a noisy, Isle of Man.
The site was a mixture of tiny marina, rv, tents, horse stabling and pasture and on the edge of a reservoir with great views. A quiet backwater until lorries kept coming past after seven oclock and on a slbbed concrete road these made a noise and could be felt in the van 75 yards away. Where on earth were they going too and how was this little road qite so busy. Mistery solved next day. Main road 395 closed 7pm to 7am for months whilst rebuilding by a slippage into a lake is sorted, up to 20mins delay during the day. Our little road was the divert.
A great drive over more mountains with vast views in all directions ushered us into the town called South Lake Tahoe, an inelegant name for a inelegant town.
Many sites in ths area closed so not much choice. We stayed at Tahoe Valley Campground, vast pricey but open well parts of it. about 20 vans and 500 odd pitches it seems the season starts late her though we had high daytime temperatures.
The Lake is beatiful and huge, 75 miles round. Lake side anywhere almost impossible to get to and where accessible privately owned. One or two small public beaches which must be jam packed when busy. The road round the lake had great vies on the western side but little on the eastern side. We spotted a road down with parking at the base so nipped down for lunch 2$ for 15 minute when we arriced at the shore!
Expensive area, South Lake Tahoe had nothing going for it at all, dreadful planning no centre just a main road with a junble of tat along it actually quite typical of many towns so far.
The lake at 6000ft is 1600ft deep and holds enough water to cover the whole of California to a depth of 14inches, useless fact of the day.
Thursday 10 May 2012
Yosemite Pictures
Yosemite falls
valley view
mountain after mountan as I've said all rising from the valley base some sheer.
pictures do not do the area much favours and it is remarkable how few decent
postcards there are, not one that we saw. It is just too vast to capture.
That inobstrusive motorhome, rv, again
I'm going to try a collage of photos so I will just post this.
Alcatraz Pictures at last
Foreground shows officers and their families quarters,prison on top of island.
full families lived their lives on the island children went to school on mainland by boat each day
centre out of reach of the inmates, no armed guards patrolled the cell
areas, armed guards were house in caged off balconies at each end of the
cell rows at first floor level out of reach of anyprisoner and controlling
the whole area 24 hours per day with minimum of four armed guards at
any one time.
Wednesday 9 May 2012
Yosemite Bound
3rd May 2012
Time to leave the trials and tribulations of the big city and coastal life of southern California to head inland to warmer/colder weather depending on elevation.
Left San Francisco across the Bay Bridge on interstate I expected a pleasant drive once out of the city environs. America likes ribbon development, appalling main road design and surfaces and believe it or not these extended at least 75 miles inland from the coast. Biased? obviously but what a mess. This area serves ' silicone valley ' world beaters in every sense in the technology industry but they certainly lag miles behind in infrastructure, everything is dated and comes out of the 50s and 60s and has not been touched or serviced since.
The reoccurring grouse over we fast forwarded, well slow actually as the roads became increasingly steep and winding. We climbed over passes at 6000ft and trundled our way onwards. Having moaned I have to say these non state highways are in good order climbing steadily where necessary but to date no hairpin bends and great cambers on the roads all the way along.
Yosemite national park is huge, the part everyone hears about is the central valley Known as Yosemite Valley which has Yosemite Village and all the infrastructure for the four million plus visitors who come here each year. It is strictly controlled and in fact very well run and all buildings blend in and can only be seen from close to due to the vast numbers of trees, mostly pines and American Oak.
The valley itself is about a mile wide with a river ambling through. it is a flat area. each side of the valley and at its head are mountains rising up to 3500ft from the valley floor,quite astounding.
Large numbers of waterfalls falling incredible distances and jagged mountain peaks make up the scene.
A walkers and climbers paradise, some climbes take 3 to 4 days from valley to the top and you sleep in a hamock which is held by what ever means to the face of the rock with a sheer drop of hundreds or thosands of feet beneath you. Most climbs have no ledges the whole way up. The topography ment for us experienced layabouts there were only two short walks of a couple of miles or so which were tackled with out too much difficulty. A four mile walk was noted but was foind to be rated severe
and anyway it was four miles there and four miles back time suggested 8 hours as the path rose 3250 ft with it said fabulous views from the top. All other walks including the many long distant walks had to first get up and out of the valley, No doubt many people are fit enough to do them.
There is enough to do and see wandering around in the Valley for a couple of days, free shuttle buses give access to most areas and cars and rvs stay put in there parking lots or camp grounds.
The camp grounds are large, no electric hook ups but space for quite a few thousand when higher level sites outside the valley are open. Booking is another matter as each month can be booked six months in advance i.e May2012 could be booked up from the 1st November2011 and by 12 noon on that day virtually the whole of May will be booked out and so on fall all other months the park is open, We obviously had no luck, there were odd days so we got one night for Sunday 6 May but had to spend the other two nights in Oakhurst 50 mile south of the Village and 25 miles south of the yosemite southern entrance . We drove in twice along route 41 from High Sierra Rv resort which was in fact a very nice site with a pitch river side.
We enjoyed Yosemite and it certainly has a lot going for it visually but to really sample it I fear one must be either younger or a deal fitter than we are. I put the height of the park at about 4000ft as my excuse.
Tioga Pass Route 120 which had caused a re arrangement of routes as it closes in November and is reopened mid May or as weather permits which can be up to July was to our delight opened for traffic at 12 noon on Monday 7th May one of its earlier openings. Of we went at 12.45 up this route which climbs over a 9450ft pass, higher I think than I have ever driven. Wonderous views at times, trees at other times and at all times I claimed the double yellow centre lines to keep away from edges.
Time to leave the trials and tribulations of the big city and coastal life of southern California to head inland to warmer/colder weather depending on elevation.
Left San Francisco across the Bay Bridge on interstate I expected a pleasant drive once out of the city environs. America likes ribbon development, appalling main road design and surfaces and believe it or not these extended at least 75 miles inland from the coast. Biased? obviously but what a mess. This area serves ' silicone valley ' world beaters in every sense in the technology industry but they certainly lag miles behind in infrastructure, everything is dated and comes out of the 50s and 60s and has not been touched or serviced since.
The reoccurring grouse over we fast forwarded, well slow actually as the roads became increasingly steep and winding. We climbed over passes at 6000ft and trundled our way onwards. Having moaned I have to say these non state highways are in good order climbing steadily where necessary but to date no hairpin bends and great cambers on the roads all the way along.
Yosemite national park is huge, the part everyone hears about is the central valley Known as Yosemite Valley which has Yosemite Village and all the infrastructure for the four million plus visitors who come here each year. It is strictly controlled and in fact very well run and all buildings blend in and can only be seen from close to due to the vast numbers of trees, mostly pines and American Oak.
The valley itself is about a mile wide with a river ambling through. it is a flat area. each side of the valley and at its head are mountains rising up to 3500ft from the valley floor,quite astounding.
Large numbers of waterfalls falling incredible distances and jagged mountain peaks make up the scene.
A walkers and climbers paradise, some climbes take 3 to 4 days from valley to the top and you sleep in a hamock which is held by what ever means to the face of the rock with a sheer drop of hundreds or thosands of feet beneath you. Most climbs have no ledges the whole way up. The topography ment for us experienced layabouts there were only two short walks of a couple of miles or so which were tackled with out too much difficulty. A four mile walk was noted but was foind to be rated severe
and anyway it was four miles there and four miles back time suggested 8 hours as the path rose 3250 ft with it said fabulous views from the top. All other walks including the many long distant walks had to first get up and out of the valley, No doubt many people are fit enough to do them.
There is enough to do and see wandering around in the Valley for a couple of days, free shuttle buses give access to most areas and cars and rvs stay put in there parking lots or camp grounds.
The camp grounds are large, no electric hook ups but space for quite a few thousand when higher level sites outside the valley are open. Booking is another matter as each month can be booked six months in advance i.e May2012 could be booked up from the 1st November2011 and by 12 noon on that day virtually the whole of May will be booked out and so on fall all other months the park is open, We obviously had no luck, there were odd days so we got one night for Sunday 6 May but had to spend the other two nights in Oakhurst 50 mile south of the Village and 25 miles south of the yosemite southern entrance . We drove in twice along route 41 from High Sierra Rv resort which was in fact a very nice site with a pitch river side.
We enjoyed Yosemite and it certainly has a lot going for it visually but to really sample it I fear one must be either younger or a deal fitter than we are. I put the height of the park at about 4000ft as my excuse.
Tioga Pass Route 120 which had caused a re arrangement of routes as it closes in November and is reopened mid May or as weather permits which can be up to July was to our delight opened for traffic at 12 noon on Monday 7th May one of its earlier openings. Of we went at 12.45 up this route which climbs over a 9450ft pass, higher I think than I have ever driven. Wonderous views at times, trees at other times and at all times I claimed the double yellow centre lines to keep away from edges.
Monday 7 May 2012
Golden Gate Bridge
An iconic landmark of San Francisco which had to be walked over so we did along with many other people and cyclists.
The bridge designed and built in about 3 years 1934to37 spans the harbour entrance to the Pacific Ocean. Designed to swing 21ft and flex up and down 11ft in strong winds or I suppose earthquake was, I am glad to report rock solid with minimal vibration whilst we were on it. Not the first bridge across to San Francisco that was the Bay Bridge which opened 7 months before. Golden Gate goes out north and the Bay Bridge out east. San Francisco itself lies on a peninsular separating about 40 miles south from the mainland thus forming San Francisco Bay. This is the volume of water that flows in and out past Alcatraz creating the currents which are impossible to swim with or against.
Following our walk past to and fro across the bridge, it is very high above the water, we went to and spent a very pleasant couple of hours at Sausalito a small town north of the bridge recommended by Ian, Kate's father in law. Fine views back across to San Francisco but unable to have a gourmet lunch due to all seats with a view being taken we had a burger take away on park bench overlooking the water. More our style I suppose.
Back to site via horrible roads,yet again and to sort out for venturing inland to Yosemite National Park.
The bridge designed and built in about 3 years 1934to37 spans the harbour entrance to the Pacific Ocean. Designed to swing 21ft and flex up and down 11ft in strong winds or I suppose earthquake was, I am glad to report rock solid with minimal vibration whilst we were on it. Not the first bridge across to San Francisco that was the Bay Bridge which opened 7 months before. Golden Gate goes out north and the Bay Bridge out east. San Francisco itself lies on a peninsular separating about 40 miles south from the mainland thus forming San Francisco Bay. This is the volume of water that flows in and out past Alcatraz creating the currents which are impossible to swim with or against.
Following our walk past to and fro across the bridge, it is very high above the water, we went to and spent a very pleasant couple of hours at Sausalito a small town north of the bridge recommended by Ian, Kate's father in law. Fine views back across to San Francisco but unable to have a gourmet lunch due to all seats with a view being taken we had a burger take away on park bench overlooking the water. More our style I suppose.
Back to site via horrible roads,yet again and to sort out for venturing inland to Yosemite National Park.
Saturday 5 May 2012
San Francisco photos or a few of them
 |
| inside cable car |
All gone haywire again I do hate computors. Above shows steep hill about 1 in 5 which is about a mile long.
Bottom picture is the drivers controls note the bag of sand an obvious must.
the published pics showed n writing so middle picture is inside cable car, one is the car being turned and the final one shows, or not, a half mile long hill 1 in5 or thereabouts.
San Francisco 29th April to 3rd May
San Francisco can I say more. Sat nav told us our site was 6 miles away from where we knew it to be from the map, Why, well the site address was San Francisco rv Park 700 Palmetto Drive and there are 3 or four 700 Palmetto Drives or addresses on the same road in different districts. House numbers on roads so far have reached above No 10500 I wonder what is the highest.
Site another parking lot with many residents right on the pacific ocean but no access in fact 25 prime ocean facing pitches had half fallen into the sea as the cliff erodes its way inland.
Centre of city some 15 miles away with access by train from station 3 miles from site. Huge car park $1 per day so no parking problems and we caught the train in both days to the centre. Useful 3 day ticket for most forms of transport so we were set up to go.
,
San Francisco when all said and done is only a city like say London etc and many areas are mentioned in the Rough Guide 150 odd pages on the city. What to do , where to go.
Cable cars are the most obvious feature of the city and we travelled up and down on them and even had to hang on the outside of one coming back to the centre. They really do go up incredibly steep roads but along with other traffic, there 'bus stops' are at flat sections where roads cross the hills at right angles these are invariably traffic lights so the cable car stops in the middle off the junction and off loads and loads passengers regardless of what the light say. Quite fun really. Only two cable car routes now though there were once 8 routes and 120 miles of cable but a lot destroyed in 1905 earthquake. Finally about to be ripped up completely in 1947 but saved by public pressure and now of course the No. one attraction.
An amazing system with the cables underground and the cable cars themselves being upwards of 80 years old At each end of the track the cars go on a turntable and are pushed by hand to turn them around. Driver uses levers and a lot of effort to control the speed of the car and the brake man at the back weighs in with his lever on the steeper downhill sections.
Fisherman's wharf the tripper area was not bad nor quite as tacky as some though it had its moments.
1st MAY
ALCATRAZ perhaps also the No. 1 attraction. Boat trip to the island and audio tour of the prison tied up by one government concession so expensive and busy.
It was a good tour, the prison obviously sanitised but you got some feeling of scale and what the whole meant to both warders and prisoners. Cells tiny, a bed and at its foot a wc 3ft to opposite wall with a collapsible metal table and that's it. Four layers of cells , blacks and whites separated in different parts of the goal as impossible to put both together. 80% white prisoners.
13 prisoners escaped only three have never been accounted for but have never been heard of since.
Icy water and strong currents surround the island and without a boat and outside help impossible to get safely off and away.
Alcatraz first served as a fortress in the mid 1800s then a military prison tnen in 1934 became the civilian prison, abandoned in 1969 as too costly to maintain. The jist of the audio tour was the place was tough and hard, good food apparently the best in any penal institution, but a suitable place for the undoubtedly serious serious criminals kept there. Myth and sensational films have credited the place with attributes that where not really part of the reality.
Site another parking lot with many residents right on the pacific ocean but no access in fact 25 prime ocean facing pitches had half fallen into the sea as the cliff erodes its way inland.
Centre of city some 15 miles away with access by train from station 3 miles from site. Huge car park $1 per day so no parking problems and we caught the train in both days to the centre. Useful 3 day ticket for most forms of transport so we were set up to go.
,
San Francisco when all said and done is only a city like say London etc and many areas are mentioned in the Rough Guide 150 odd pages on the city. What to do , where to go.
Cable cars are the most obvious feature of the city and we travelled up and down on them and even had to hang on the outside of one coming back to the centre. They really do go up incredibly steep roads but along with other traffic, there 'bus stops' are at flat sections where roads cross the hills at right angles these are invariably traffic lights so the cable car stops in the middle off the junction and off loads and loads passengers regardless of what the light say. Quite fun really. Only two cable car routes now though there were once 8 routes and 120 miles of cable but a lot destroyed in 1905 earthquake. Finally about to be ripped up completely in 1947 but saved by public pressure and now of course the No. one attraction.
An amazing system with the cables underground and the cable cars themselves being upwards of 80 years old At each end of the track the cars go on a turntable and are pushed by hand to turn them around. Driver uses levers and a lot of effort to control the speed of the car and the brake man at the back weighs in with his lever on the steeper downhill sections.
Fisherman's wharf the tripper area was not bad nor quite as tacky as some though it had its moments.
1st MAY
ALCATRAZ perhaps also the No. 1 attraction. Boat trip to the island and audio tour of the prison tied up by one government concession so expensive and busy.
It was a good tour, the prison obviously sanitised but you got some feeling of scale and what the whole meant to both warders and prisoners. Cells tiny, a bed and at its foot a wc 3ft to opposite wall with a collapsible metal table and that's it. Four layers of cells , blacks and whites separated in different parts of the goal as impossible to put both together. 80% white prisoners.
13 prisoners escaped only three have never been accounted for but have never been heard of since.
Icy water and strong currents surround the island and without a boat and outside help impossible to get safely off and away.
Alcatraz first served as a fortress in the mid 1800s then a military prison tnen in 1934 became the civilian prison, abandoned in 1969 as too costly to maintain. The jist of the audio tour was the place was tough and hard, good food apparently the best in any penal institution, but a suitable place for the undoubtedly serious serious criminals kept there. Myth and sensational films have credited the place with attributes that where not really part of the reality.
28th April
So onward today via Safeway a decent supermarket over here where we where given a club card,
no strings attached, which gives about 10% of all purchases and more on some individual items.
Santa Cruz, not far up the road was our next port of call. A university town which was full of
young people helped I suppose by it being Saturday. Stopped off in the centre and wandered round a bit before lunching at a kiosk on the main pedestrian area.
California so far has not lived up to anything like the Beach Boys music and I suppose that was all I had to go on, I have also to face the fact I'm not a teenager or early twenties or even thirties any longer and different things might now interest me more.
Beach life to date has appeared none existent, though it has been cold, windy and is only just spring out here.
Today in Santa Cruz it is hotter and we angled towards the beaches renowned for 'sun sand and surf'.
The areas we could see were in fact packed with people, mostly young, playing on volleyball courts as far as you could see. The 'famed 'boardwalk' over half mile long fun fair was overwhelming but packed too. Parking for us and most other cars was impossible in spite of huge car parks. Perhaps this is California Sunshine and beach life. Earlier paragraph obviously applies.
Sea in this area is getting progressively colder and wet suits are a necessity all year round for most people.
.
Santa Cruz rv park was our resting place for the night. All these big rv parks are vaguely similar , smallish pitches, called sites, virtually the whole park being taken up by people living on site. Passable washrooms called rest rooms and little else. The description of extended parking lots with one or two trees springs to mind. We are only staying for one night and living in these sites is not ideal. I suppose some of the sub prime mortgage scandel over here was lending up to 140% of notional value to people on sites such as these, madness.
no strings attached, which gives about 10% of all purchases and more on some individual items.
Santa Cruz, not far up the road was our next port of call. A university town which was full of
young people helped I suppose by it being Saturday. Stopped off in the centre and wandered round a bit before lunching at a kiosk on the main pedestrian area.
California so far has not lived up to anything like the Beach Boys music and I suppose that was all I had to go on, I have also to face the fact I'm not a teenager or early twenties or even thirties any longer and different things might now interest me more.
Beach life to date has appeared none existent, though it has been cold, windy and is only just spring out here.
Today in Santa Cruz it is hotter and we angled towards the beaches renowned for 'sun sand and surf'.
The areas we could see were in fact packed with people, mostly young, playing on volleyball courts as far as you could see. The 'famed 'boardwalk' over half mile long fun fair was overwhelming but packed too. Parking for us and most other cars was impossible in spite of huge car parks. Perhaps this is California Sunshine and beach life. Earlier paragraph obviously applies.
Sea in this area is getting progressively colder and wet suits are a necessity all year round for most people.
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Tuesday 1 May 2012
Following Hearst Castle
We left Hearst Castle just as the promised rain and mists closed in. Easy enough driving for about 10 minutes then in front of us Mountains appeared literally straight out of the flat ground. The Big Sur is what this next area is called about 100 miles to Monterey, one time capital of California.
One of the hardest drives I have done, not helped by a large van now remeasured and found to be 30ft not 26ft as ordered. A coastal road that went up and up and down and down and round bend after bend times 1000. Sea and wild coast on the other side of the road luckily though in reality I saw none of it.
Stopped, at last the night in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park a long rambling site which wound its way round and under huge redwood trees the area being the furthest south these trees are known. These were small ones of around 150 ft or so the big ones up to 370ft are further north. Sequoias and redwoods, same family, can live to 3500 years those up to 1000 years are known as youngsters.
Wonderful trees but its dark and almost threatening skulking around at the bottom of them .Saw a few birds today and have a good bird book quite difficult though as there are a lot of birds here 27 varieties of sparrow for instance and so it goes on. A nice common one though is the blackbird which sports bright red epaulets about 1.5 inches long which give a bright flash when flying and a rather regal poise when grounded as if standing on guard.
Thursday 26th April 2012
We continued onward to Carmel famous for having Clint Eastwood as mayor for one year. An extremely expensive town sitting on the edge of Monterey and 17 mile drive which includes Pebble Beach with properties up to $97million. To be fair the majority of property ranges from $4million to only $25million much of which would be swept away by a decent sized tsunami.
Pleasant site Carmel by the River Rv park but unfortunately accessed by a very narrow iron bridge with iron base sides etc. The bridge about 1 mile from site is approached round a tightish bend with no warning and is just 8ft 6inches wide. I was distracted by a car in the distance and my problem with keeping to far to the right reared its ugly head and I took out the outer rear back tire! Repair man was at site within one hour to change tyre, he loved Antiques Road show.
Collected wheel and new tyre next day $350 and had fridge which was freezing everything repaired in the same town at the same time. That paid for by El Monte was part $21 labour for 5 minutes $120.
Getting a bit mixed up here so will stop. Photos will come but so slow its taking over 1hr to get a single one sorted.
One of the hardest drives I have done, not helped by a large van now remeasured and found to be 30ft not 26ft as ordered. A coastal road that went up and up and down and down and round bend after bend times 1000. Sea and wild coast on the other side of the road luckily though in reality I saw none of it.
Stopped, at last the night in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park a long rambling site which wound its way round and under huge redwood trees the area being the furthest south these trees are known. These were small ones of around 150 ft or so the big ones up to 370ft are further north. Sequoias and redwoods, same family, can live to 3500 years those up to 1000 years are known as youngsters.
Wonderful trees but its dark and almost threatening skulking around at the bottom of them .Saw a few birds today and have a good bird book quite difficult though as there are a lot of birds here 27 varieties of sparrow for instance and so it goes on. A nice common one though is the blackbird which sports bright red epaulets about 1.5 inches long which give a bright flash when flying and a rather regal poise when grounded as if standing on guard.
Thursday 26th April 2012
We continued onward to Carmel famous for having Clint Eastwood as mayor for one year. An extremely expensive town sitting on the edge of Monterey and 17 mile drive which includes Pebble Beach with properties up to $97million. To be fair the majority of property ranges from $4million to only $25million much of which would be swept away by a decent sized tsunami.
Pleasant site Carmel by the River Rv park but unfortunately accessed by a very narrow iron bridge with iron base sides etc. The bridge about 1 mile from site is approached round a tightish bend with no warning and is just 8ft 6inches wide. I was distracted by a car in the distance and my problem with keeping to far to the right reared its ugly head and I took out the outer rear back tire! Repair man was at site within one hour to change tyre, he loved Antiques Road show.
Collected wheel and new tyre next day $350 and had fridge which was freezing everything repaired in the same town at the same time. That paid for by El Monte was part $21 labour for 5 minutes $120.
Getting a bit mixed up here so will stop. Photos will come but so slow its taking over 1hr to get a single one sorted.
Wednesday 25th April 2012
We stayed the night of Tuesday in Morro State Park a good open area with many large trees, well large to us but small by redwood and sequoia standards. Not our van in the picture either!
Onward only a few miles to Hearst Castle to view what can only be described as an upmarket and completed Portmerion..
Randolf Hearst inherited billions of Dollars and had ownership of or interests in just about every business, industry, land and politics one could think of. In fact his estate after selling some land to pay off a $210 million dollar debt to the government in the 90s is now richer than ever. It is reported that the 61 Hearst heirs receive $210 million dollars per year as their share of the currently held interests of Hearst inc.
To the Castle a place Hearst built and loved over the course of 15 to 20 years. He had a great love of Spanish and Italian architecture and artifacts including all internal decoration styles of the Italian Baroque. The main house has a huge number of rooms all furnished in this style and all containing original parts of old collections, church artifacts, parts of monasteries bought and shipped back to usa for incorporation into the main house and three guest houses which themselves are mini mansions.
Built on top of a 'hill' about 3 miles back from the Pacific ocean it commands a 360 degree panorama a truly fabulous position. Building costs who knows, current estimate of value say $5 billion.
Difficult to describe goggle it if you want to. An incredible folly by a gigantic ego of a man who literally had everything and could have anything. An amazing place visited by invitation by just about anybody and everybody one has ever heard of int h 1920s to 50s.
Photos are taking too long tonight to import to blog they will follow.
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