By Land or Sea

5/19

From the Grand Canyon, we headed west to CA - thru Needles. 

 It was so hot  - (107 degrees) that we pushed on to San Bernadino to find a little cooler place to camp.   Going to the coast  -  big Sur area and then up to San Jose next for Memorial Day weekend with the Grandkids.

Stopped at Morro Bay for the night  - A big volcanic plug makes a huge landmark - by land or sea-  Morro rock.  Some fog and 63 degrees.    Effie dipped her feet in the Pacific  - we didn’t let her swim because a  big wet dog in the van isn’t much fun   - except for the dog.  She was happy with all the smells and the  birds and the cool weather and running on the beach.

Walked Effie around the campsite and ended up talking to a couple that had been to Alaska. They  said to go to Dawson City  -as well as Dawson Creek.  On the way back down from Fairbanks, we will probably take the Top of the World Highway and go thru Chicken and then take the little ferry over the Yukon River to Dawson City - and think about Jack London.

5/20

Drove up the Coast highway all day - nice scenery.   Saw a few zebra (!?) mixed in with some cattle. 

 Then we realized we were near the entrance to the Hearst Castle - so we went into the visitors center.    It was a big building with many exhibits and a place where you could get a ticket for a bus ride up to and a tour of the Castle.  The bus part was bigger and nicer than tthe New Bedford bus station.   We decided we didn’t have the time to to do the tour now - but were surprised to see so many people there at 10:30 on a Wed morning.

Went up the coast highway thru Big Sur and a lot of spectacular scenery.  

 I have spent some time furling topsails 80 feet up while standing on the spreaders of an old schooner, but I am still a litle apprehensive about driving along the side of a cliff.   On the schooner, there was something to hold on to and clip on to.   As one sailor said, you would be foolish to let go.

One of the things several of us have threatened to do is wear out harnesses into a waterfront bar and clip in - will still have to do that sometime.

Even in the Grand Canyon  with a rail in front of me, I was thinking about the fact that the Colorado was almost a mile down -and the rock that I was standing on used to have a flat plain in front of it.    At some point in time, I could have walked forward 100 feet or a few miles to  over what is now a few thousand feet of thin air.  Erosion happens.

We had to stop at Elephant Seal Beach.

Got to my daughters house to visit with her, her husband, and three small grandchildren over Memorial Day weekend.  The kids got a big kick out of the van.

It was a good chance to clean out the dusty van and restock a few things.  I realized I would need a hatchet for splitting wood as we got into some of the Canadian and Alaska campsites, so I stopped at Home Depot to pick one up.  Got into the general area and asked the guy where they were.  He said down the aisle on the right .  As I started to walk away, he got out his radio and said “Ax Murderer in Aisle Two.”    I guess he didn’t turn on the radio because security didn’t come…