Category: USA Page 1 of 2

Fishing and Chilling

On July 17, 2023

We thought it would be a shame to stay in Calgary and not see any of the surrounding countryside. Therefore, we have booked a couple of nights in Fernie, where Paul has also booked a fishing guide. Instead of driving directly to Fernie, we decide it would be good to detour to Banff and Lake Louise. Dan says Lake Louise has become a tourist mecca and should be avoided but we should like to see for ourselves. We set off in a sensible SUV this time. It is a Jeep Laredo and, after the Mustang, has the power of a snail and handles like a blancmange, but on the upside it is spacious. It also, we discover, has an engine fault which spasmodically limits any form of acceleration. No matter – it is only for 2 days and we do not have the time to waste in getting it sorted.

Initially the terrain is flat but then gives way to The Rockies which are quite splendid. The rivers are turquoise as a result of the mineral content in the water.

It turns out that Dan was absolutely correct about Lake Louise. Parking is almost impossible and the only way to access the actual lake is by the resort transport. We do not have the time for this so make do with just admiring the mountain terrain as we pass through. As we approach Fernie the sky darkens and we encounter heavy cloudbursts.

The temperature drops from 86F to 59F in a matter of minutes. Fernie is a lovely town. We have booked a ski apartment so shall be able to self-cater which will be a treat after the mainly very American and pretty unhealthy menu for the past few weeks. We stop off for provisioning at the supermarket. It does not sell alcohol so we also have to locate a liquor store. We buy adequate quantities of wine and as we leave the store the weather really deteriorates. The rain is torrential and huge hailstones deluge us. We park up as it is almost impossible to see the road ahead.

Next day we are going fishing on the Elk River. As we eat breakfast it is still raining and looks pretty unpleasant, but then the clouds start to lift and the rain abates. Nevertheless we put on lots of layers. It is still only about 60F but with a keen wind blowing.

We shall be fly-fishing from a drift boat. Our guide, Andres, tows the boat to our launch site and preps everything.

He then gives me a fly-fishing lesson and fully explains what I need to do. I am however rather apprehensive. I have only practised casting on the lawn with no fly and am concerned that I shall hook Paul and the guide. I am totally correct with this assumption and manage to catch them numerous times and find myself abjectly apologising throughout the day. For a novice the conditions were difficult with a strong wind and the river was fast flowing and interspersed with rapids that Andres skilfully navigated. There are loads of trout in the river and Paul seems to catch something nearly every time he casts. I find it more tricky, but I do finally land a large cut-throat trout as my first fish and it is the biggest one of the day at 19” long.

This was the only bad weather we had on the trip. When we get up in the morning the skies have cleared and it turns into a lovely day. We drive back to Calgary where we drop off the hire car and go to stay the night with Paul’s friend Dan, who has also kindly said he will take us to the airport in the morning. This is really kind of him as we need to leave at 04.30 a.m! He and his partner cook us a great meal and are excellent hosts.

We end our trip staying on the shores of Lake Michigan with Paul’s very good fishing friend Don and his wife Nodine. They ensure we have a thoroughly relaxing stay and our main pastime is visiting quirky bars and eating at excellent restaurants.

We visit the marina at Harbor Springs where we eat a superb lunch on the water’s edge and admire some very handsome yachts…

We visit Michilimackinac State Park and cross the Mackinac Bridge which is very similar to the Golden Gate Bridge…

…and test the beer at Legs Inn and the Micro Brewery in the tiny town of Cross Village where they live.

Don and Nodine are also lucky enough to have a resident chipmunk family and some slightly elusive hummingbirds.

All too soon it is time to fly home. We have had an amazing adventure and been hosted royally. We have driven 3700 miles and seen much of California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Michigan. What a trip! We even have a great view of Chicago as we fly in from Traverse City.

Great Explorations

By Maggie

On July 8, 2023

In Oregon, USA

We have a long journey today but the scenery should be interesting and varied. Initially we drive across wide open high plains. Not much of interest here except for the immensity of the terrain and the length of the trains.

The scenery changes as we approach the huge Columbia River which has cut a canyon through the high plateau.

Dams have been built along much of the river creating huge string lakes. The outflow from the dams is powerful and impressive.

Windfarms have been setup along the ridges.

As we continue, we get our first glimpse of Mt Hood, which rises majestically in the distance.

Our plan is to stay at a campsite just outside Hood River, but as we approach we see smoke in the distance. There is a forest fire on the far side of the river and smoke is filling the valley. We think it wise to drive past the chosen campsite.

However, after driving 10 miles or so we find that there are not many other options close by so we decide to stay with our original camp. It is exceptionally hot. The vacant sites near the river are in full sun and sit on scorched grass. We head back to the entrance site where the pitches have been watered and there are trees. It is much cooler and we choose a shaded pitch which is nice except for the fact that the pitches are pretty close together. We erect the tent and then, on the recommendation of the camp host, we go to Grateful Winery for lunch. There is a spectacular view of Mt Hood.

We sit at a table under a canopy eating pizza and nicely chilled bottle of Grateful Vineyard pinot gris. There is a singer/guitarist who was versatile and good.

As we drive back we can see planes dropping water on the fire which seems to be subsiding. We snack on cheese and biscuits and enjoy a local bottle of pinot noir at campsite. We sleep surprisingly well.

Today we have a much shorter drive to Mcminnville, which is in the heart of wine country. We have wonderful views of Mt Hood on our way there.

We are planning taking it easier. Our main target is to sample a good selection of the local wines. We stop in the small town of Carlton, where every other building is a winery with tasting rooms. We select Ken Wright Winery which is very comfortable with a large terrace. We settle on the taster flight, accompanied by a cheese and charcuterie plate for lunch.

We drive the 7 miles to McMinnville where we have booked into the McMinnville Inn which is a motel but better than others we have stayed at. It is actually very hospitable and the room and bathroom are large. We luxuriate in the space, wash clothes and ourselves and dress up a bit for dinner. Paul has found an upmarket Cypriot Restaurant imaginatively named Cyprus. The food is good and we have a lovely evening.

We were going to head for the coast but realise it is 4 July – Independence Day so the roads will be busy. We decide to stay for a second night and head into Carlton for more wine tasting. This was a brilliant plan with one small flaw. Everything is closed. We walk around the town testing every door. Persistence pays off and we find one tasting room that is open – Bibliotec.

We force ourselves to sample another tasting flight and end up buying a bottle of the chardonnay and the exceptionally good pinot noir. I would not describe these as bargain buys however!

We decide to eat in McMinnville at an Italian that was closed yesterday. Annoyingly it is still closed as is every other restaurant in town. Disaster – we are hungry and thirsty. It is very hot. Eventually we find a bar that serves food but there is an hour’s wait. We sit at a table and order drinks and are pleased to discover that we can actually eat almost immediately. We were definitely lucky as most people were turned away.

After a good night’s sleep we set off north for Cape Disappointment. We stop off at the Lewis & Clark National Historical Park in Astoria. I knew nothing of these explorers who were commissioned by Thomas Jefferson in 1803 to explore the newly acquired western territory. They made the most extraordinary journey and I shall definitely read more about the expedition when I return home. We listen to a talk which is very interesting and visit a reconstruction of Fort Clatsop where the American presence was finally established in November 1805.

We head north and cross the Columbia River which is big. The traffic going south is horrendous, following on from the July 4 celebrations. We definitely made the right choice in not going to the coast yesterday. The jam has to be 10 miles long …or more.

We finally make it to Cape Disapppointment, named by Lewis and Clark, following a bitterly cold and hard stay before being abandoned in favour of Fort Clatsop.

We pitch our tent behind the trees 50 yards or so from the beach. It is much cooler here – the Pacific effect and there is a strong wind blowing.

We walk along the beach and just sit and take in the view and sound of the surf. It’s a pretty nice spot. We try to find somewhere for supper but there is a limited choice in town and both restaurants are closed. We head for the next town to buy takeaway pizza. It is delicious – prawn and smoked oyster with extra olives. It goes down very well with a local bottle of pinot noir.

When we wake up we find that there has been light drizzle during the night. The fly sheet is sodden but the tent is dry and the wind has dropped so it feels warmer. We want to get close to Seattle so we have an easy drive to our airport hotel and to drop off the hire car. We stop for coffee at South Bend on the Willapa River. It’s a cosy little place with good coffee and exceedingly good lemon and blueberry scones.

Sometimes road trips can provide surprises. We encounter the charming little town of Elbe. We had been hoping to see Mt Rainier but it was drizzly and overcast. A rather apt name – rainier. Elbe is home to the Mt Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum. Blink and you might miss it but an interesting diversion on our journey.

Once we were away from the coast the weather started to improve. The countryside is green and in places quite UK like.

We drive to Mossyrock and find a campsite on the shores of Lake Riffe. It is very hot. The temperature changes on this trip, in the space of half an hour, can be quite astonishing. There is a dam on the lake and Paul thinks it will be worth exploring the fishing possibilities downstream. The stream looks wonderful but has steep banks and is not accessible.

We have a huge pitch under the trees but there is a very steep gravel slope up to it, which tests the Mustang’s road holding capabilities. Having erected the tent we drive to Mossyrock for food and are very pleasantly surprised. The quality of food on offer is great. We can buy vegetables, fruit and salad. Trust me – this has not been the norm on our journey. We buy beef, salads, wine and have a lovely supper at the campsite. I take a walk down to the lakeshore. People are swimming but the shore is rocky. It holds limited appeal for me and I clamber back up the steep path to our pitch. It is however quite scenic.

The morning is cooler and cloudy. We head off to Seattle, check into the airport hotel, dump the luggage and then drop off the car at the airport. It is a short walk back to hotel so we do not need a shuttle, which simplifies life. We decide to eat next door at the Crowne Plaza. We sit at the bar with a G&T which was divine. Absence makes the heart grow fonder!

We follow that with a good meal and a soupçon of wine. Civilization sometimes has an upside.

Oregon Splendour

By Maggie

On July 2, 2023

In Oregon, USA

We are about to say good-bye to California but we cannot depart without a visit to Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park to see the giant coastal redwoods. They really are very impressive and grow surprisingly close together. This park was used as a film location for Star Wars: Return of The Jedi. It absolutely feels like an unearthly forest.

We leave the park and head north, shortly crossing into Oregon. It all seems more cared for than California. We have a very long drive today. There are vast open spaces and we drive for miles without passing through many settlements. Roadside cafes are few and far between in both California and Oregon. We finally spot somewhere on the highway. Randomly there is lots of old agricultural equipment lined up outside along the verge.

We stop for a beer and share a sandwich. We have learned that portions are enormous and packed with carbs. It is incredibly difficult to find something healthy to eat and this place is no exception.

There are not many campsites in the area that we are planning to stay overnight. We are nervous about finding a campsite so stop at the first one we find off the main road – Rogue Elk Campground. It is a lovely site and just unfortunate that there is some traffic noise from the adjacent road. The river banks are pretty. Wild sweet peas abound.

In the morning we make the short drive to Crater Lake, which sits at 6178ft. As we climb the air cools and snow sits amongst the conifers.

Crater Lake is on our must see list and it does not disappoint. We are so lucky with the weather. Our first view….

…. is surreal and breathtaking. It is difficult for our brains to process what is sky and what is lake. The water is impossibly blue and calm, reflecting the sky perfectly. Wow! We are able to drive around the west rim road. The east rim is still closed due to snow. Each view makes us gasp with its beauty.

As we descend we can see for miles across the high plains which are punctuated by volcanic peaks.

The conifer forests continue for mile after mile. That is pretty much all we see for 100 miles or so.

Eventually the road flattens and we enter drier terrain with some big towns. The traffic through Bend is dire. When we come to Prineville we see an absolutely enormous building. It turns out to be one of Facebook’s databases. I looked it up – it is 4.2 million sq ft and cost $2billion!

Then we continue east to Dayville and the John Day Fossil Beds. This is desert and it is searingly hot. We have our first glimpse of the amazing landscape.

Accommodation of any sort seems non-existent. We were looking for a campsite but in view of the heat, a motel seems more sensible. Google maps shows one place in Dayville called the Fish Inn Hotel. It is quirky to say the least, but has a definite rustic charm. This is reception!

Furthermore we are in luck as they have a room! We are not expecting much but it is really cute, cosy and comfortable. It far exceeds our expectations. We drink beer, followed by wine, cheese and biscuits. Simple fare but perfect sitting outside on the seeringly hot evening heat.

Across the road is this lovely old building which is apparently now an Airbnb.

Next day we visit the Thomas Condon Palaeontology Centre. Along route we pass through desert that is punctuated with irrigated areas that are starkly green against the arid desert.

We watch a 20 minute film which is very interesting. It makes sense of how the rock layers were formed. They contain vast quantities of fossils from plants to carnivores. We visit Foree which is within the John Day Fossil Beds and walk the short trail. There are other much longer trails but it is so hot and only 09.00.

We pass through Prairie City (below)…

on our way to Baker City. Why these places are called cities is beyond me. False optimism by the founders I feel! Most are barely villages.

We were keen to see Oregon Trail Visitor Centre at Baker City. We are not in luck – it was shut. Super annoying but at least we get to see the terrain and the impressive closed gates had to be worth the detour….

Yosemite to Crescent City

By Maggie

On June 29, 2023

In California, USA

We left the hotel at 06.30 and drove into Yosemite Park very early at 07.00. The Merced River was in full flow and impressive. The traffic was also in full flow and impressive for different reasons. So many people!!

We decide not to stop but just to drive through as there were controlled burns. The smoke was unpleasant and ruined any good photo opportunities. I do not know how people could bear to camp overnight with the smoke. In the half an hour we were there I could already feel a headache developing from the toxins. The view of Yosemite was better from a distance, but you can still see the smoke hanging over the valley.

We drive to Jamestown for breakfast, which is good, although the restaurant was lacking charisma. There are some lovely old buildings.

We plan to do a spot of gold panning and collect a few tiny grains of gold dust. It was a fun thing to do.

The good news for us is that the Sonora Pass is now open. It was not last week due to the record snowfall this year. This means we shall be able to cross the Sierra Nevada mountains to Bridgeport, which will be our base for the night, giving easy access to the ghost town of Bodie. The views are spectacular and it is a great road to drive along, particularly in a convertible with the roof down.

As we approach Bridgeport the scenery changes. We are on a high plateau with different stunning views.

We arrive at 14.30 at our motel. It is a cabin type room – clean and functional, but nothing special. We eat dinner down the road at the Bridgeport Hotel. They are serving prime rib which Paul loves. We share coconut prawns for a starter which are divine but the prime rib is disappointing. Prior to dinner we have time to explore. The town is small and has some interesting historic buildings.

The reason we came here was to visit Bodie, a deserted gold-mining town. I was looking forward to taking some iconic shots there. However, it turns out that Bodie is completely inaccessible due to the roads being washed away by the excessive snow melt. This is disappointing, but on the upside, if we had not have come here, we would not have experienced the wonderful landscapes.

A new day and time for fishing. Paul knows a good spot, just out of town, on the far side of a reservoir. We park up and set off through the scrubby brush. The river is running way too fast to catch anything. We go back to the car and try further downstream. We turn off the highway and encounter a very pot-holed and rocky track that the Mustang is completely unsuited to. We abandon the car and explore on foot. This proves abortive too. The bush is just too dense without a machete or chainsaw. C’est la vie. We set off for our overnight stop in Truckee. It is not a great place but will be convenient for our onward route. We drive to South Lake Tahoe with the intention of a coffee and mid-morning snack. This also proves abortive. The town is large with loads of traffic, people and it is crammed with Macdonalds and the like. We do not stop and decide the west side of the lake should be better. It is certainly less developed but there is very little in the way of places to stop. There is a lot of fire destruction but there are also beautiful views.

We end up driving all the way to Truckee where our motel is located and find that the room will not be ready until 16.00. Plan B – we have a beer and sandwich in a little micro brewery next door and then go to Reno to purchase camping gear. We go to Walmart and buy 2 sleeping bags, 2 air beds, 2 pillows and bits and pieces for $93. Total bargain and a small element of success in an otherwise rather lacklustre day.

A new day and a new plan. We are going to drive to Mt Lassen National park to see the sulphur springs and bubbling mud thermal springs. The scenery is varied. Pretty woods where wild lupins and yellow daisy like flowers abound…

…interesting bridges

…vast areas devastated by fire

…alpine meadows and brooding thunder heads

Surprise – after a long drive we arrive at the park to be turned back. We cannot drive through – there is still too much snow. So we have a very long detour to now make it to our destination of Hat Creek. Yet again it provides us with scenery that would have been missed. We pass through a former burned out area that is coming back to life. Wild ceanothus abound filling the air with their perfume and turning the hillsides lilac.

We stop for a burger, provisioning and to purchase a fishing licence at Hat Creek RV. It took forever to get the fishing licence as the lady had not ticked the international box and therefore could not enter a UK postcode. We got there in the end and missed a heavy thunderstorm in the process. We then had our first camping experience and managed to setup the tent just before the rain set in again. The method of payment for our pitch was not obvious. I had to ask a fellow camper. Apparently you take an envelope (which is well hidden) on entry, place your money in it with your site and car details and deposit it in a drop-box. We have a nice site near the creek and I spend time photographing woodpeckers that are nesting in a nearby tree-stump.

There was a huge thunderstorm during the night but the tent stayed dry, the sleeping equipment was very comfortable and we slept well.

We wake to sunshine and set off on a proper fishing trip. The location is just stunning.

Paul tries casting in various locations along the river. There are trout there. He has a few bites but nothing stays on the line. I concentrate on the wildlife..

…and see fresh bear poo that is apparently attractive to butterflies..

…and spot a bald eagle!

It is very hot. We walk back to the car for the hour long drive to Redding and to find somewhere for lunch. There were lots of roadworks so the drive actually took double that. We had to wait 20 minutes at one set of lights as they had blocked off 2 miles just for line painting. Big slow lorries take a long time to drive two miles. Bonkers! We bought supper supplies at Safeway and then tried to find a campsite nearby. There were a few small campgrounds in the area but everywhere was full. We finally gave up and decided to use a motel at Douglas City. When we saw the motel are hearts sank. It looked dire. But hang on…. behind it was a campground… and it was perfect. We found an amazing pitch next to a creek with beautiful views and deer strolling past the tent. The best yet and only $10 per night with running water and flush loos!

Apparently there is also a high risk of bear encounters as we have a bear-proof food locker.

Next morning we take the long winding road along the Trinity River

and along the coast to Crescent City. The coast is much cooler and cloudy.

As we approach Crescent City we enter the coastal redwood forests that are intermittently shrouded in cloud and mist.

We arrive at about 14.00 and just pick a random hotel on the seafront. We are in luck. We get the last room, can check-in immediately and it proves to be very comfortable. We luxuriate in getting clean. Bliss after camping. We have an early supper at Crescent Seafood on the pier. I have clam chowder and coconut prawns, Paul has crab cocktail (which is almost entirely a huge tub of white crab meat) and grilled halibut. It was all exceptionally delicious – so fresh.

Big Sur and Big Trees

By Maggie

On June 23, 2023

In California, USA

We say a fond farewell to our friends and head south to San Juan Bautista. There is a Spanish mission here which was founded on June 24, 1797 by Fermín Lasuén of the Franciscan order. The mission was the fifteenth of the Spanish missions established in present-day California.

The town is quiet with lovely historic buildings. I also spot a beautiful old Cadillac. We sit and people watch, whilst sharing an exceptional chocolate brownie and very good coffee, at Bliss Blendz.

We then head south to Monterey. We walk around briefly, but it is very commercial and busy, and not to our taste. We do however visit the aquarium, which was worthwhile but very echoey and noisy with kids. The kelp forest tank and the one with hammerheads, tuna and dorado were incredible, as were the beautiful jellyfish tanks.

Next there is a short drive to Carmel. We have selected a hotel in the town centre. It is a good choice and conveniently placed for a very short walk to the numerous bars and restaurants. We have been recommended to visit ‘AW Shucks’ for oysters and cocktails. It does not disappoint. We move on to ‘Giovanni’ for dinner and end with a final cocktail at ‘Hogs Breath’. Dirty Harry tries to keep me in control but does a poor job.

Unsurprisingly we sleep very well indeed.

We make an early start as there is a long journey today. We drive through the town to the beach and then along the seafront. It is cool and cloudy along the coast. The cold Pacific effect.

There are Hansel & Gretel houses and lots of other quirky properties.

We then head off to the Big Sur. The drive does not disappoint. There is magnificent coastal scenery.

We peel off State Route 1 for the two mile narrow road drive to Pfeiffer Beach. Unfortunately it is cloudy, however the tide is out, enabling a walk around to the adjacent bays. It is a pretty special place and worth coming early to avoid the crowds.

Annoyingly, we discover that the road is closed south of Big Sur. We add over an an hour and a half to our already long day and have to retrace our journey all the way back to Monterey and then drive across the Central Valley, which is surprisingly large and completely flat. There is industrial scale irrigation and agriculture. We drive through Castroville – apparently artichoke capital of the world. Who knew? We pass the massive San Luis Reservoir – clearly needed for the intensive crop irrigation.

We head on to Three Rivers and arrive at our hotel at 3ish. The grounds are great, the room rather drab and decorated in shades of dark brown. However, it was a reasonable size and clean with a patio leading out to a nice little pool, where we lazed before heading 10 miles uproad to Exeter for dinner. We ate at Monets where there was a clarinet player and nice ambience. Slightly bizarrely this was bring your cute dog evening and 50% of all wine sales were going to the local dog charity. Fortunately the dogs (and owners) were well behaved. We woke to a beautiful sunny morning and breakfast was quite outstanding; a massive plate of fruit, a choice of pastries – I had the lemon blueberry slice with lemon curd (yummy) and eggs coddled in ham with cherry tomatoes and a pesto dressing. The latter could become an all time breakfast favourite.

After our exceptional breakfast we head up to Kings Canyon to see the giant sequoias. We are advised to take a different route from our chosen one as the road we were going to take is closed due to a landslide. Again we add an hour to the journey time. Kings Canyon is worth the detour. The sequoias are very impressive, you can even walk through the fallen trunk of one…

…and so are the views.

We are unable to drive along the ridge road as it is closed due to snow. This is becoming a common theme! We still enjoy the alternative route.

We wind our way through the mountains and along the Merced River to access Yosemite Park early tomorrow.

It has been a very long drive today, but we understand it will be very busy in the park, so we need to be close by to enter as early as possible. Eventually we make it to Yosemite River View lodge and sit on the balcony with a well deserved bottle of rosé.