JodockWorldTravel

Spent Sunday visiting our friends, Michelle (Munk) and Brian Nichols.  Munk and Pam have been friends for 25 years (!).  Had a great time catching up, watching football (of course – it was Sunday, after all!), and hanging out at one of the Nichols’ favorite eateries.

Meanwhile, on the home front, our oldest grandson, Dillon, played in his first tournament with his competitive LaCross team and killed it.  He plays goalie and had four saves in the first game alone.  They played a total of three and he was awesome start to finish.  Go, Big D!!!

Our youngest granddaughter, Bobbiann, is becoming a ballerina, and our youngest grandson, Levi just had a Narwahl birthday!

Life is good!!!

What an excellent day in College Station, TX at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library.  Most of those reading our blog are familiar with our 41st President, his background first as a Texas oil man, then as a member of the House of Representatives, Ambassador to the U.N. and Director of the CIA before becoming Ronald Reagan’s Vice President and then President Himself.  There is a large part of the museum dedicated to his and Barbara Bush’s families, with heavy emphasis on the values their parents demonstrated to them.  Both lived very privileged lives, but President Bush says about his father, “We were never aware of our father’s wealth; only his achievement and respect.”  And his mother was all about teamwork and service to others.  President Bush was quite the athlete and recalls calling home to tell her about four scores he made during a particular game.  “That’s nice, George,” she said, “but how did the team do?”  If he was telling her a story about his day she might say, “There were too many Is in that sentence, George.”

We found it ironic that during his tenure as U.N. Ambassador, after the murder of the Israeli athletes during the start of the 1972 Olympics, it was then Ambassador Bush who argued that terrorism was fast becoming an international problem that needed to be addressed by the governments of many nations, not just one.  Thirty years later his son would be president when terrorism hit his own homeland.

Bush was Director of the CIA during Watergate, and writes about the emotional toll that took on him.  He had had a close relationship with Nixon, admired and respected him.  When the tape indicting Nixon was released, he felt it his duty as a friend to be honest with Nixon and wrote him a letter encouraging him to resign.

About Ronald Reagan, Bush says, “I learned a lot about common decency and honor from President Reagan. I admired him tremendously.”

For us, one of the coolest things in the library is a gift from the Saudi people.  It is in the photo on this post just before the portraits of the First Lady and the President.  It is a Gate of Kuwait, presented in 1993 to then Former President George Bush in acknowledgement of his great involvement in freeing Kuwait from Iraqi occupation and aggression and as an expression of his place in the hearts of the Kuwaiti people.  The door is over 100 years old.  It’s frame has gold plaques on each side inscribed with the names of the American service men and women who died in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.  Part of the dedication reads, “There is an old Kuwaiti proverb:  “When a man gives you the key to his home it means that you are the best and most valuable friend to him, and when a man gives you the door of his home it means you are one of his family.”

Had a great day hanging out in Houston and catching up with Ken’s nephew, Zach, and his fiancé, Carly.  Spent the morning updating the blog (we’re just sure those of you who follow us were thrilled with all those email notices), then enjoyed a leisurely walk through a local neighborhood.  We were surprised to find this beautiful peacock had the same idea.  No clue where he came from, but there he was, wandering the neighborhood, checking things out just like us!

The guys who let us borrow their baseball caps yesterday told us recommended the Armadillo Palace while we’re in Houston, so that’s where Carly and Zach agreed to meet us.  Really fun place, with that giant armadillo out front, good food and great service.  Had a terrific visit with Zach and Carly, and scored the most scrumptious cookies!  Carly works at Tiff’s Treats, a local and very popular bakery.  She was kind enough to bring us a variety box of cookies that made our waitress jealous.  Having tasted one a little bit ago we totally understand why!

As we were making our way from Dallas to Houston we were wondering what there might be to do in the area, besides visit George H.W. Bush’s Presidential Library (which we are going to do).  Then it hit us – oh yeah!  There’s a baseball game going on there, right?  Houston Astros?  Boston Red Sox?  Game 5 of the ALCS?  Hmmm….wonder if we can get tickets?  Wonder if we can afford tickets?  The answer, obviously, was yes to both!

We had a great time hanging out at the bar across the street waiting for the stadium to open, and met some super friendly people.  No question about it, some of the friendliest people in the U.S. are from Houston!  We found two brothers who were headed to the game, one in support of Houston, the other Boston.  They agreed to let us borrow their hat for a picture.

The Astros have a couple of traditions you won’t find anywhere else.  First, they have a train in the upper rafter level of the stadium.  A real train, manned by a real human being.  Any time the Astros hit a home run that train runs from one end of the track to the other, blowing its whistle in celebration.  Although the Astros lost the game (sealing the Red Sox’s place in the World Series), they did manage to hit one home run so we wer able to witness the train in action.

Another difference is the 7th inning stretch.  Houston fans begin the stretch with the Star Spangled Banner, then sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game, and finish with Deep in the Heart of Texas.  A lot of fun!

We were fortunate enough to spend Tuesday and Wednesday, October 16th and 17th, with our friends, John and Lisa Barrett in Dallas.  Once again we were having so much fun hanging out with them we failed to take pictures for most of the visit.  Included in the visit was a stop at iFly Indoor Skydiving and an introduction to Top Golf.  We totally spaced getting pictures at Top Golf – let us just say that despite the freezing cold wind and rain that left icicles in poor Lisa’s blood it was a total blast.  If you have one near you and haven’t checked it out, you might think about it.  You don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy it.

We did, however, remember to memorialize our first indoor skydiving experience.  Unfortunately, Pam was ineligible to fly because of her bum wing.  The fake shoulder won’t let her raise her arm high enough to effectively navigate the wind thrusts in the flight tunnel (good news is that the flight instructor said these same conditions don’t exist when you do the real thing and he cleared her for doing a real life buddy jump!).  Lisa has had rotator cuff surgery and wasn’t anxious to relive that, so the guys had to enjoy the thrill for all of us.  It was a blast!

Thanks, John and Lisa for a memorable and enjoyable visit!

The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is a very different experience than LBJ’s.  As turbulent as the times may have been for those of us who lived through George W’s presidency, it was nothing compared to all that was happening at home and around the world in the 60’s.  The main focus in George W.’s Library is remembering 9/11 and all that came after it, and understanding his guiding principles.  Unlike in LBJ’s Library, visitors to George W.’s can enter the replica of the Oval Office, and sit at his desk.

They also have a cool hands-on area called the Decision Points Theater.  Visitors sit at personal kiosks and vote on one of several presidential decision-making scenarios George W. actually faced.  Majority rules.  The scenario is explained and you have the opportunity to receive briefings from the Secretary of Defense, the military, etc. to help you decide what course of action you think the President should take.  You have less than five minutes to make a decision, and you keep getting interrupted with breaking news.  It’s a great demonstration of what it’s like to be in that kind of pressure cooker situation with no crystal ball to tell you which decision is the correct one.

Throughout the library there are original letters the President received on any number of topics.  The most touching for Pam were those addressing US engagement in Iraq.  There were letters in support of and opposition to our involvement, including letters from service members themselves and Gold Star parents.  It’s pretty cool to know that ordinary citizens like you and me can write to the person who holdest what many view as the most powerful office in the world and he/she may actually read our letter!

Another really poignant letter to President Bush came from his daughter, Jenna.  We’ve included it here for our more sentimental friends.

And for those of you who may be wondering what ol’ George is up to these days, the last picture shares information about the Institute he has created.  He lives just down the road from the Library and Museum and we’re told he’s very involved with the Institute.

What an educational day! Ken is old enough to remember LBJ’s presidency, but Pam was just a baby when he became president. She was quite surprised and touched to learn how much of her life has been touched and shaped by this man who was so committed to the advancement of civil rights, public safety, and the preservation of our park systems. We’re told LBJ was quite the communicator, very fond of talking on the telephone, so there are phones everywhere in the library, each of which will connect you to a series of recorded phone calls. One of those calls is between LBJ and the recently widowed Jackie Kennedy who is expressing appreciation for the way he has treated her in recent days. The warmth in that exchange speaks volumes about their relationship.

LBJ was one of only four individuals to have served in all four elected positions – the House, the Senate, the Vice Presidency and the Presidency.  He was Senate Majority Whip and Senate Majority Leader, the position he held when JFK first became a senator.  When WWII broke out, he was the first Member of Congress to volunteer for military duty, serving in the Navy.

Johnson had “…an unmatched ability to persuade people to his point of view. He used a mixture of charm, intimidation, logic, kindness, cajolery, and horse-trading to get the deals he wanted.” It describes how he would often get very close to the person he was talking to to make his point, often pushing his face into that of his listener, leaning over a shorter man or thrusting his finger into their chest. This was known as the Johnson Treatment, and it is what is happening to Ken in the photo above.

It is unfortunate that LBJ’s presidency is so defined by our engagement in Vietnam. There was so much more to the man and his presidency – and his legacy. We are so glad we visited his library, and so grateful for all that he did to move our nation forward, including the Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, Fair Housing, immigration, clean air and seatbelt laws, the Education Act, Vietnam Veterans, bills…the list goes on.

As you can tell from the attire, today is Seahawk Sunday!  It was pouring rain as we made our way from Albuquerque to Fort Stockton, TX, and we drove through some very interesting territory to get there (notorious drug trafficking corridor tour, anyone?) , but by the time we arrived at Carlsbad Caverns, the sun was shining.  What an amazing geological find!

The area around the caves was once part of an enormous inland sea.  Limestone deposits created by skeletal remains of marine animals left over time were slowly eroded away by naturally occurring sulfuric acid to create one of the world’s largest cave systems.  Usually caves are formed as carbonic acid, found in surface water like lakes and streams, dissolves limestone, but at Carlsbad it was/is hydrogen sulfide from nearby oil deposits combined with ground water and microbes that have carved out and continue to carve out the cave system, along cracks in the limestone.  Over time, continental shifts pushed this region higher up in the earth’s crust, causing the acid water to drain away, and leaving the caves.

Ken got some great photos of the various formations – so glad we got the camera!

An 18-hour day that was TOTALLY worth it!  We rose at 3:30 a.m. to attend the morning ascension activities and stayed through the final ceremonies.  The day started out a bit cloudy, but there was no rain and the balloons were cleared for take-off (we were lucky to be there on Saturday; we heard from others that the Sunday attendees were not so lucky – rain kept the balloons from taking off that day).  You wouldn’t believe the number and variety of balloons!  This was the 47th year for the Fiesta, and they were expecting 500 balloons this year, 100 of which had special themes.  In addition to those you see in the photos below we say a ginormous cow, a pig, penguins, a kitty, a wolf…and every balloon is carrying passengers, anywhere from 4 to 10 people.  It is magical to see them all taking shape and quietly lifting off the ground.  Each balloon has its own team, as as the balloons take flight you can hear cheers of joy erupting all around you.  It’s pretty cool.

There’s a large gap in time between the morning ascension and the Afterglow Party.  A lot of people leave and come back, but we chose to stay put for the day.  We visited all of the vendor tents, enjoyed some yummy (and not-so-healthy) fair food, and hung out in the beer garden (of course!) with our ever-handy games until it was time for the music part of the festivities.  We missed the first band, but the last two were terrific!  We saw Michael Ray and Old Dominion.  For those country music fans out there, if you aren’t familiar with Old Dominion you should check them out – there were fantastic!  And if you’re not a country music fan now, check them out and you just might become one!

It was during the music festival we began to notice how seriously the Fiesta folks take security.  We saw bomb squads positioned on hills surrounding the Fiesta grounds, pedestrian patrols, and the mounted police you see in the photo below.  We also saw military personnel ready to assist.  It was pretty impressive.

The final pictures of today’s blog are of the Afterglow Party.  The balloons return to the grounds and wait until it is dusk.  The begin to fill the “envelope” of their balloons with hot air, but they are not preparing for take off.  They are simply inflating the balloons enough to stand upright.  As darkness falls, a command is given and all of the balloons turn their burners up full blast at the same time.  It’s really cool.  This goes on for about 30-45 minutes.  Sometimes it’s a sustained burn, sometimes staccato…it’s beautiful.

Another perfect day!

Friday, October 12 was a travel day for us.  After a very comfortable night at the Twin Arrows Casino in Flagstaff, AZ, we headed south to New Mexico for the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta.  As we drove along I-40 in New Mexico we kept seeing long train after long train after long train, which, of course, made Pam curious.  Thank goodness for Google!  Turns out this is one of the busiest train corridors in the U.S.  Ninety-two trains  per day travel alongside I-40.  The average train is 8,000 feet – nearly 1.5 miles – long!  How would you like to have to wait to cross the tracks for one of those puppies?

Another item of interest was a huge field of solar panels in Gallup, New Mexico.  Google to the rescue again!  Standard Solar, a solar energy company, is financing and operating a 31-acre solar farm that is expected to generate enough electricity to power 2,500 homes in Gallup, saving the city about $785,000/year and providing almost 10% of its total energy.  There are 28,896 panels.  The really big deal is that it is anticipated that this solar farm will reduce the city’s carbon footprint by 3.5 million pounds/year!

So even when all you’re doing is riding along in your automobile there are things to be learned!

What a day!  We left Brian’s Head, UT just ahead of the snow – roads were clear when we left, but Ken drove through a pretty heavy snowfall the first hour or so on the road.  First stop  – Johnson Canyon, where we came across a flock (?) of wild turkeys fattening themselves up for Thanksgiving, what’s left of the set of the 1950’s TV series, Gunsmoke, and enjoyed beautiful scenery, including views of the Grand Staircase in the distance.  Along the way we also met up with some new friends, cows who were not particularly interested in letting us through!

A little further down the road we paid a visit to the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, where we got some great pictures of Lake Powell and the impressive Glen Canyon Dam.

Next came a stop at the breathtakingly beautiful Horseshoe Bend Overlook – that’s the picture with the turquoise-colored water surrounding the giant rock feature.  It’s a little less than a mile from the parking lot to the ridge, over some pretty steep terrain, but it was totally worth the effort.  That’s the Colorado River flowing through the Glen Canyon.

Finally, we took one last detour before heading to our final destination of the day, Flagstaff, AZ.  The final three pictures were taken in the Vermillion Cliffs area of Utah.

We’re seeing such beautiful country on this drive.  This is the perfect area of the country to bring your kids to get them interested in geology, or to help you fall in love with this great land of ours.  And it’s a humbling reminder that no matter how great the masterpiece man creates, nothing beats the work of God.

As we drove Zion National Park today the one word that kept repeating itself over and over again in Pam’s head was “phenomenal.”  The rock formations are massive, and the variations in architectural design made Pam desperately wish she could remember everything she ever learned in 8th grade earth science.  We know that the mountains have a story to tell us, and if we knew our geology, we’d be better able to understand that story and share it with you.  Alas, we do not.  We have only these beautiful images to share…and Google.

We began our day in the warm glow of Salt Lake City, UT and ended it here, in the mountains of Brian’s Head, UT, where they’ve received 8-10″ of snow over the last three days.  We weren’t looking for this when we booked tonight’s hotel (generally speaking we wait until the morning of to decide where we’re going to spend the night, then use the Hotel Tonight app to find the best deal), and had no idea this is what we were getting into; we were just looking for a good deal.  And $43/night for a Diamond Resort sounded like a good deal to us!

As we left Bryce Canyon we found ourselves climbing…and climbing….and climbing some more, with the snow going from a sprinkling here and there to a winter wonderland.  Elevation Gain:  approximately 5500 feet.

OMG!  The beauty of Bryce Canyon, UT is beyond words.  This was our first visit to the area, and we were duly impressed!  Bryce Canyon is part of The Grand Staircase, the world’s most complete sequence of sedimentary rocks – rocks formed over vast timespans from sediments built up in lakes, inland seas, swamps, deserts, and forests.  The Staircase spans from the Grand Canyon (at the bottom), through Zion National Park in the middle, to Bryce Canyon National Park near the top.  The Staircase has preserved a history of 525 million years of rock formation.  We visited the Grand Canyon several years ago and will be visiting Zion tomorrow, so we will have had the good fortune of having traveled the full length of the Grand Staircase.  Thank you, God!

Driving from Salt Lake City to Bryce Canyon we made an unexpected discovery.  Did you know that Utah claims Butch Cassidy as one of its own?  No kidding!  He and his family lived in this little cabin when Butch (real name Robert Leroy Parker) was between the ages of 14 and 18.  Wanna really blow your mind?  Eight people lived in this little cabin – Robert, his mother and father and five of his siblings.  His parents would eventually go on to have 13 kids.  We don’t know if they had them all while living in this location (Butch left when he was 18, but his parents continued to live here), but no matter where you live that’s a big family!

Took a little time off the road to visit with our good friends, the Arpin and Sprague families, near Salt Lake City, UT.  We had so much fun visiting that we almost forgot to take pictures!  Unfortunately, visitors to our blog won’t get to see how tall and good looking those younger Arpin boys are, but you do get to see the smiling faces of their wonderful parents, Joe and Jamie, and the beautiful Sprague family, including their newest edition.

The Arpin’s were so generous in their hospitality they even taught Ken a new version of Phase 10!

Part of the fun of traveling the U.S. is experiencing new restaurants. Part of deciding where we will spend the night is determining where we will go for dinner. When possible, we’re trying to avoid chain restaurants and check out local institutions. In Elko, we were able to do just that, visiting the Star Hotel and Bar. OMG! What an amazing experience!!

The Star Hotel was created in 1910 to provide a familiar place for Basque sheepherders to spend their winter months while they were in between shepherding jobs. It began with 11 rooms, one bathroom and wood heat. You could get room and board for $1.00, and, get this, 8-10 drinks at the bar for $1.00. It has a great story, including having served its community as a dance hall, a matchmaking location, a place for expectant women to come in from remote shepherd villages to stay and deliver their babies, a hospital….always providing that famous Basque hospitality.

The current owner has been in place for 14 years and continues many of the traditions created by the original owners, including hosting the annual Sheepherders’ Ball. He and his girlfriend tend the bar and provide amazing service and some really generous pours. The restaurant was filled with hunters and kids dressed for prom, and it was packed. We had to wait 45 minutes for a table and it was totally worth it. Meals are served family style, with strangers siting elbow-to-elbow, and the staff work their tails off, but seem so happy to be here! If you come, bring your appetite. All dinners include soup, salad, homemade bread, green beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans and French fries. And the Star Hotel’s idea of petite? Their smallest steak is 14 ounces!!! Ken ordered an amazing prime rib and got 16 full ounces of deliciousness.

If life brings you this way, don’t miss The Star Hotel!

What a beautiful day!  Not only were we in a beautiful location, we were blessed with perfect weather.  Thank you, God!  Today was our longest day on the road, driving from Vacaville, CA to Elko, NV, and it was all about the incomparable Lake Tahoe.  No need for words on this one – the pictures speak for themselves.

What a fun day in wine country!  Took a 6-hour ride on the Napa Valley Wine Train that included 3 one-hour stops at local wineries and a delicious four-course meal.  First stop Robert Mondavi, 2nd stop Charles Krug and final stop V Sattui.  Never heard of the last one?  Probably because they do not distribute their wine – it can only be purchased at the winery or direct from the winery via the Internet.  It was an educational and fun day, and the food and service on the train were first-rate.  Highly recommend to anyone looking to spend time in Napa Valley.

These were the coolest steps!  Pam read about them before we left for our trip, and made them a “must see” on our itinerary.  These 163 steps are located in the Golden Heights neighborhood, between 15th and 16th streets.  The local community was looking for a way to connect the beauty of their neighborhood with the one below and were inspired by a similar stair project in Caltagirone, Italy.  The project was paid for through donations from the neighbors – each of them sponsored different handmade named tiles in the shapes of animals, fish and shells within the mosaic, then set aside time to participate in actually putting the tiles together.  It took them two years to complete the project.  The result is a beautiful piece of art depicting a sea to stars theme.

You can’t go to San Francisco and not visit Alcatraz.  Ken had been there before, but Pam had not and it wasn’t quite what she expected.  Alcatraz wasn’t so much a place for the worst of the worst criminals – it was more like detention hall for bad prisoners.  Prisoners who misbehaved or refused to follow the rules elsewhere were sent to Alcatraz.  A prisoner might serve four years, fifteen years or a life sentence – being at Alcatraz did not necessarily mean you were serving a life sentence.  There were 14 escape attempts during Alcatraz’s 30-year history, only one potentially successful.  The old timers reading this will remember the movie based on this effort, “Escape From Alcatraz.”  To this day, no one knows what happened to the three men who made that attempt.

In the pictures below you see Alcatraz from a distance, as we are approaching from the mainland, photos of the prisoners whose voices are included in the self-guided audio tour, the public showers prisoners used (there are 40 shower heads for an average prison population of 287 men – prisoners showered twice a week), a row of cell blocks, and some individual cells.  The first cell Pam is standing in front of and the next are of the “standard” cells.  In the last picture she is in one of the solitary confinement cells.  If she doesn’t look happy, it’s because this is not a happy place.

Note to selves:  San Francisco cannot be done in a day!!!  San Francisco is a great city, full of beautiful Victorian and Edwardian architecture, museums, parks, mansions, theaters…so much to see ad do!  Below are pictures of the city scape, famous trolly cars and world renowned Golden Gate Bridge.

It’s not the fastest route, but it is an adventurous one. Rather than taking the “destination bound” I-5 or even Highway 101 from Seattle to San Francisco we chose State Route 1. We looked for opportunities to show you just how steep and windy it is, but couldn’t find one. For those of you who have never traveled it, it is full of steep grades and hairpin turns. You find yourself going 15 mph much more often than 35, and rarely do you hit the posted speed limit of 45 mph – at least not in a big truck!
The scenery has been beautiful, and today it included LOTS of heavy fog. In the first picture of this post you see what looks like fog over the mountain, but as you’ll see in the next picture, it was really right along the coast. We took the first picture, then waited a little less than 10 minutes for the fog to dissipate and took the second one, where you can see the waves lapping the rocks. Pretty cool.

A little further down the road we came upon the Fort Ross State Park.  Fort Ross was originally a Russian outpost built to supplement and supply Russian fur trade operations in Alaska. How many of you students of history knew that in the late 1700s and 1800s Russians attempted to establish a strong hold on what is now the west coast of the US? They began with fur trade operations in Alaska before moving into California and negotiating with Mexicans for property there. For a variety of reasons they ultimately abandoned these efforts, but the Fort plays witness to this piece of American history. There was a group of private school elementary kids enjoying a field trip while we were there. It was fun to see the kids and chaperones all dressed in period garb, preparing what would have been a traditional meal for the original residents, using the same cooking methods they would have.

Driving along Hwy 101 we came upon the original tiny house.  The house was crafted in 1946 out of a single 2100-year-old redwood tree.  It took two men 8 months to hollow out the inside (creating enough wood chips to build a 5 room house!).  The finished product is 7′ high and 32′ long, and includes a kitchen, sleeping area, and living area.  The only thing missing is a bathroom.  We couldn’t find any information about why the original owner made the house, or if anyone has ever actually lived in it, but you totally could.  It was really cool!

What an amazing day!  We began with a 6-mile round-trip hike on the Boy Scout Trail of the Jedediah Smith National Park.  We knew it was going to be a great day when we were greeted by two elk as soon as we entered the park.  Pam wanted Ken to get out of the truck for a selfie, but he wasn’t too keen on the idea.  Having the elk just outside our truck window was close enough for Ken!

We were awestruck by the breadth and height of the wondrous redwoods, and impressed with how lush and full the undergrowth of the park is.  And we began at the perfect time of day, just as the mist was lifting and the rising sun was filtering its light through the trees.

After our invigorating hike we made our way to the drive-through redwood tree where our Dodge Ram 1500 barely made it through!

Our cross country U.S. tour begins

We officially began our southern US road trip yesterday, heading west towards Astoria, Oregon from Olympia, and then continuing south on US 101, enjoying the familiar Oregon coast. We covered familiar and sentimental territory this first day – passing by the Blue Buoy where Pam and her friend would always stop for salmon jerky and crab on their frequent visits from Portland to Canon Beach, driving through Canon Beach and Haystack rock, recalling our visit there with the Jenn and Michael and the grandkids two summers ago, into Tillamook where no trip is complete without a trek into the Tillamook Creamery for ice cream and squeaky cheese – so we didn’t make a lot of stops or take pictures. We did, however, make time to stop by a Tillamook sports bar to watch the Seahawks squeak out a (literal) last minute victory (speaking of squeaky) over the Arizona Cardinals.

After spending the night in Florence, OR, we continued south to Crescent City, CA. This has been a trip down memory lane for Ken, visiting areas he managed as Frito District Manager in Southern Oregon. Some cool things we saw along the way today:

a natural bridge near Brookings,

Checkout these great rock formations along Gold Beach, and

a really cool lighthouse here in Crescent City. You can only access the lighthouse during low tide. If you look closely at the picture you’ll see why. The lighthouse is situated on an island. To access it from the mainland you have to cross an area that becomes flooded – and I mean deeply flooded – during high tide.

48 hours in and we’re having a GREAT time. Tomorrow it’s off to visit the redwoods in the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park!

Just when we didn’t think our accommodations could get any grander – this!  We’re staying at the Karatu Manor Lodge, situated on a large coffee plantation.  The original owner was Swiss German, and the architecture reflects that influence.  Its’ a beautiful place, offering everything from a quiet place to sit quietly with your thoughts, enjoy a drink with friends, piano, billiards or croquette, and even a stable of horses for your riding pleasure.  It is absolutely beautiful – and our “room” was overwhelming – a 3 bedroom/3 bath HOUSE, with a wraparound patio.  We are running out of verbs to describe these incredible experiences!

People at Pioneer Camp are wonderful.  All of our hosts have been very warm and welcoming, but at this camp in particular we are treated like well-loved family.  The managers, Godson and Justin, are very conscientious, and our “butler,” Amery, is hilarious.  Mali Mali and Eliyah are two other staff favorites.  

09/08

As we were finishing dinner last night Amery invited us on a special walking safari before breakfast this morning.  We were concerned about finishing in time to eat and meet Salim at the appointed time, but Amery assured us that if we met him at 6:25 a.m. we’d be fine.  We eagerly agreed.

Walking safari?  There’s no walking safari!  It was a surprise special breakfast!  Africa was formed by volcanic activity and the area Pioneer Camp is located in has a ton of really cool boulder formations.  We were admiring a large one of those just below the Pioneer Camp lounge area.  As we rounded the corner of the boulder we looked up and there it was….

They thought of everything – and had to begin setting up at 5:45 a.m. to pull off their surprise.  One small problem….as they rounded the corner with their wheelbarrow of supplies they saw two lions drinking water from a small pool near the picnic area.  Oops!  They had to wait for the lions to leave before they could continue carrying out their plans!  Breakfast was also cut a little short when a group of water buffalos let us know they, too, would like to drink from that little bowl.  Popular spot!

We were very sad to leave Pioneer Camp behind today but look forward to keeping in touch with the new friends we have made here.  Thank goodness for internet!  😊

Saw our first male lion today – surrounded by SEVEN lionesses!  And then saw several more as the day continued.  They are very impressive animals, especially when they walk.  Definitely command your attention.

We left camp early today for a better chance at witnessing the migration of the wildebeests across the river.  By the time we arrived the bulk of the animals had crossed, but we did get to see some make the trek.

When the animals enter the water, it is everyone for his/herself.  Once they safely reach the other side they look around to be sure their mom or baby made it.  It’s kinda cool to watch the celebration as mamas separated from their babies gallop back to the bank and find them.

Downstream from the migration we found hippos and crocodiles – lots of hippos and crocodiles!  Huge crocodiles – one must have been 15-20 feet long.

As we were admiring the hippos and crocs, we noticed one of the wildebeests galloping back to the bank where we’d been earlier, presumably looking for her baby.  When she didn’t find it, she made the decision to swim back across the river to the other side to find it.  She leaped into the water and was making her way across when out of the water popped a crocodile, jaws open and snapping at her heels.  She jumped out of his way just in time.  We watched the scene repeat itself three more times – mama would leap, crocodile would snap, and he would just miss her heels – before she finally landed safely on shore.  It was harrowing!

What an experience Africa has been!  Every day is full of rich adventure and no two days are the same.  We meet Salim between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. and feast on the beauty and wonder that is Tanzania until 6:00 or 7:00 p.m.

Big day today – we saw all the BIG 5 in a single day – elephants, lions, leopard, buffalo and rhinos!  Fantastic!

Began our day with the sighting of a pride of lions enjoying their fresh kill – a water buffalo (this is not the buffalo we’re counting for the Big 5 – we saw lots of live ones, too!).  Driving through the Serengeti we saw acres and acres of elephants, zebras, water buffalo, antelope, wildebeest, baboons…. all grazing together in perfect harmony.  Hakuna matata!  We saw thousands of zebras and wildebeests moving towards their migration points, marching single file with a singular purpose.  Saw several new animals today and did some major 4-wheeling, climbing steep and rocky hills, crossing gullies with huge ruts, and wading through river beds with waterrising up to the hood of the Land Cruiser.  There is an abundance of quartz here and the shimmering stone provides a beautiful accent to the surrounding area.

Late in the day we approached a possible crossing point for the zebras and wildebeests.  While we were waiting for them to decide if this would be the moment of crossing, Salim spotted a leopard lounging on the opposite side of the river.  While repositioning the Land Cruiser to give us a better look we came upon a mama lion laying on a sandbar in the middle of the river with three young cubs playing nearby.

We waited as long as we could for the wildebeests to cross (It is hilarious to watch their indecisiveness – hundreds of them crowd a bluff overlooking the riverbed a short distance below.  They take turns going to the edge of the bluff, first one, then another.  The wildebeest will look down at the river below, start to head down the path, think better of it and turn back.  Then another tries, does the exact same thing.  Then another, and another…it is pretty funny.), but had to move on to make it to our next camp before nightfall.

As we headed towards the camp, we noticed a group of safari vehicles pulled off to the side of the road, watching movement in some bushes.  We joined them and discovered that there was a mama hippo and her baby hiding in those bushes.  We waited and waited and quietly coaxed and prayed until at long last the baby rhino emerged into the clearing.  Yay!  We waited and coaxed and prayed some more and before long, here came mama to join him.  It was soooo cool!  And apparently a very rare thing.  Hippos have been hunted to near extinction and are rarely seen in the Serengeti these days.  The guides were as thrilled as the tourist to see this beautiful site!

We waited to leave until the rhinos retreated to the bushes.  As Salim pulled away from the rhinos we noticed a huge rainbow emerging to the right of the bushes providing cover for the rhinos.  Perfect!

Staying at the Serengeti Pioneer Camp tonight.  It is owned by the same company that runs the Tarangire Tree Top Camp, and although it isn’t quite as luxurious, it is definitely our favorite lodging to date.  The four of us are awestruck that we are camping in the Serengeti – enjoying a 5-star steak dinner and ice cream by candlelight under the stars.  Truly magical.

Each “room” is an individual tent with a sitting area, writing desk and chair, king-sized bed and two night stands, closet space and a fully functional bathroom.  There’s no electricity in the tents, but there is generator powered lighting and a separate group charging station where we can charge cell phones, iPads, etc.  The staff is wonderful, the food is top-rate and the location truly amazing.  We’re told there are two resident male lions (believed to be brothers) we are likely to hear during the night, and a cheetah.  Ken saw two water buck fawns just outside Keith and Kathy’s tent.  We could stay here forever!

Cat day in the Serengeti!  Saw our first lion within minutes of entering the Serengeti, followed by a cheetah sunning itself on a rock in the distance.  Wasn’t long before we came upon a pride of well-fed lions lounging by a tree.

New animal of the day – hippos at Lake Manyara!  Hippos are HUGE!  They spend most of their day under water and forage for food only at night, when it is cooler, and they are safer from predators.  Adults can stay under water for close to 5 minutes.

Yesterday I mentioned the Baobab tree. They are also referred to as “upside down” trees. These are huge trees with massive trunks that go so far up the branches almost look more like roots sticking up in the air. The elephants like to rub against them to get parasites off their skin. The trees also have water inside them, and during the dry season the elephants will use their tusks to tear into the bark of the trees to access the moisture they hold. Those elephants can do some pretty serious damage.

Within minutes of leaving Tree Top our traveling companion, Keith, spotted a group of hyenas. Salim was able to get us within 20 or so feet of them and we saw that they were feasting on what was left of a zebra. Salim explained that hyenas are scavengers – they don’t kill their food; they eat the left-overs from other animals. They eat every part of the carcass, including the bones. They are fast eaters – within minutes of hyenas arriving on the scene there will be no evidence that there was ever an animal there. This doesn’t mean they don’t hunt – they do. And they have a 100% success rate. But when a hyena hunts, it does not kill its prey. It injures it and begins the meal…you get the idea.
Another fun fact about hyenas – they never pass up a meal. If their bellies are full and they come upon more food, they make themselves throw up and go have another meal. Ewww!!!!
The hyenas were joined by a jackal, a small dog-like animal. Jackals are also scavengers who tend to hang around in the background with lions and hyenas. The jackal waits for the others to finish their meal (or at least begin to slow down!), then slides in for a share of his own. The jackal doesn’t contribute anything to the lives or well-being of those he hangs with, but he’s not a bother and doesn’t eat enough to be a threat, so they let him stick around.

We found a new friend Victor who gave us a tour of the local resort and garden area. he was amazing. with knowledge of plants and even found a Chameleon for Pam to play with.

Tarangire Tree Top Lodge – OMG!  The lodging they are providing us is AMAZING!  A reception area built around a 1,000 year old hollow Baobab tree (pronounced Bobo); huge and luxurious rooms situated (literally) in the tree tops, complete with full porches, and padlocked zippers and trap doors to protect you from animal invasions; and an elegant lodge that looks out over the Tarangire National Wildlife Preserve and a watering hole not more than 100 yards away where we saw elephants, zebras, wildebeest, hyenas and jackals drinking.

One of the great treats at Tree Top is the nightly flight of the bats.  The hollow Baobab tree is home to more than 500 bats.  Each night as the sun goes down the bats begin flying out of the tree in groups of 30-50 at a time, circling the tree before exiting out into the night to rid the skies of mosquitos and other pesky insects.  It is the coolest things…a symphony of motion.

The lodge is located – quite literally – in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!  As we were driving out we were all beginning to wonder if there really was a lodge, or if we were just being driven off the face of the earth.  When it comes into view, it is breathtaking.  The owners have considered everything for our comfort, but at the end of the day, we are lodging with lions and leopards and elephants (oh my!), there are dangers inherent in that environment. Guests are not allowed to walk alone in the dark to and from their tree house.  We were accompanied by Maasai men in traditional garb.  The walls of our tree house were roll-up canvases with floor-to-ceiling zippered screens (but we did have a wooden entry door), and the zippers had padlocks on them to keep the monkeys from unzipping the screens and letting themselves in (remember the monkey that stole Ken’s muffin?  It could happen!).  The tree house is accessed by climbing a winding staircase from the ground to the top of the tree, and accessing a platform through a trap door.  After the Maasai walked us to our room, they close and secure the trap door, again so the monkeys and monkeys will not be there to greet us when we wake.

During the night we could hear lions and zebras “chatting” nearby (did you know that zebras bark like dogs?).  As we enjoyed breakfast the next morning we watched a parade of elephants walk through the trees in front of us, trunk to tail, just like the images you see in figurines, heading for their morning drink.

A truly magical visit!

We came upon this den of lions as they were prepared to hunt Zebra. as you will see in the photos they were crouched low to ground as the zebra began to walk by. Suddenly, one of the lions sprang forward and began to give chase. It was great to watch as she did her best to catch her prey. The other lions waited to see the results and when she came back empty handed, they all huddled together, relaxed in preparation for the next hunt. Enjoy!

This Leopard just finished a kill before we arrived. Leopards prefer not to eat their prey on the ground where other predators may steal it, sop they bring it up a tree and eat it there. They will feed off this prey for days as other predators can rarely climb as high as the Leopard. We were amazed to get so close.

Keith and Kathy Snider joined us on the Safari through Tanzania and the Serengeti Pam found a Chameleon, and the little monkey stole this food off my plate!

Found these guys wandering the Serengeti while on a walk with Pam and an armed guide.

Arusha National Park is home to TONS of these beautiful creatures.  They are so calm and laid back, and have no issues sharing their domain with humans.  We were amazed at how close they allowed us to get to them – almost close enough to touch.  When they felt we’d gotten close enough they would just casually meander a little further away from us.