Oregon trip, going very well so far. First night Hampton Inn Red Bluff, CA. Then the very beautiful 153 mile drive from Red Bluff to the coast on State Rd 36. First hour on met one other car from 7-8 AM. Spent last night at the Gold Beach Inn. From the Lanai.
Ping me when you're in town, Gary.
Will do that looking forward to seeing you and your wife.
Those rhododendron photos are nice; thanks for sharing! I have fond memories of Jessie M Honeyman park, south of Florence. We walked and/or rode our bikes to Florence several times during our stays there.
The little cottage ("Alsea") where we stayed was just south of Newport.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
I think they are sea lions. I consider them vermin when they take over the beaches in So CA. They can also ruin a good day out fishing. They take your bait and tear up your fishing gear. Mainly a nuisance unless you train them to juggle a ball.
A similar conundrum turned up in California recently. In that case, however, the geniuses decided that cutting up the carcass and taking it to the landfill was the best course of action.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
When I was a kid, our vacations were always a road trip to various state and national parks. All seven of us slept in my Dad's canvas tent that was only meant for four people. We had most of our meals at the campsite prepared over a wood fire or the camp stove. It was an inexpensive and fun time, even if my brother's feet always ended up in my face by morning.
Now? Who can afford the luxury of a road trip with gas prices pushing towards $5 a gallon? What are your vacation plans this summer?
You are so right. In the olden times, I used to love to go with my family for road trips. It was the time we all be like ourselves without the worries of cities hussle-buzzle. But now, when my friends talks to me about going on trips, I feel so lazy, partly due to thinking about the expenses and also due to my laziness because of my Internet addiction. Damn, technology has kept us away from nature and enjoyment.
The "nice" thing about getting way off the beaten path is that your cell connection no longer works so you really are cut off. But even those dead spots are getting filled in.
Connected devices really are an addiction for many (if not most, I daresay) people. I flat refuse to have a cellphone (smart-phone, handheld computer, whatever you want to call it). Just having an internet connection is bad enough at times. One really has to be conscientious about managing it. Still, though, anyone who "gets away from it all" really appreciates it. In that regard, perhaps it is good that we have these insidious distractions all the time, as what used to illicit feelings of boredom now equate to feelings of freedom and a connection to the world around you.
LOL
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Another road trip coming up over Memorial Day weekend. Going to my Niece's High School graduation in Traverse City. Hope my passport shows up, otherwise add another 100 miles to the trip each way. Still trying to figure out how I roped into this.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Here at the Village Green Resort in Cottage Grove, OR. We love these grounds.This is the view from our window. Of course this is the perfect time for many of the flowers such as Rhododendron, Iris, Clematis and many with names I cannot pronounce or remember.
The weather has been lovely in the PNW for the past few days.
I've been on the road a bit the past several days, too. The coast was nice and clear yesterday, driving around the old neighborhood. I know I am getting older when I can drive by the house I lived in and school I attended ~30 years back, and it seems like maybe last week. Mercifully well kept area of town, I love the lack of traffic and cheap sometimes lovely old houses, sadly, the economy doesn't make it viable for most:
The wife's car has the satellite radio, so the presets are hers. I do what the founding fathers did and turn the tuning knob I would need WAY more presets.
On road trips, I'll settle on 40's Junction for extended periods, but I'm all over the place
Summer is here - having to use the solar shade. Nice up at Cloudcroft in the mountains (70°) but hit 91° passing White Sands Nat. Monument. It's about a 1.5 hour drive from here.
For this year's road trips I'm redoubling my efforts to *keep right*, especially to pass. Leave the leftmost lane for the tailgators and other aggressive drivers.
Unless it's NJ or someplace else where passing on the right is illegal, if the right lane is sufficiently clear, that is where I'll be passing your non-right-lane-driving-vehicle... I'll be passing you safely and with plenty of time for you to take the right lane if you so choose...
planned destinations so far: Vero Beach, St Pete Beach, Faribault MN, Omaha NE .
Ugh. Fire season... it definitely has me worried this year! This is the earliest I can recall an 80-degree day. We had one about a week later than this a couple times, but usually not until June. Heck, even green up was good two weeks earlier than most years.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Oregon has had some 90 degree weather this Spring. Even the Oregon Coast has hit in the 80s. It was 82 May 1st when we got there. It was absolutely great. The people living in Bandon, Gold Beach and Coos Bay were loving the clear warm weather. I would kid them and ask if it was like this all the time. It got some good laughs. Back home in San Diego and we are in a cold mist at 54 degrees. Did not make it to 60 today.
We are heading to Traverse City Michigan at the end of the week for my niece's high school graduation. My wife wants to take the MKC and stop at her sisters o the way back. I kind of think it is to show off the NKC. Her sister has a Cadillac SRX.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
Too early for the cherries (assuming they don't have to import a bunch from wherever they get them - Romania?). Be fun anyway and it's always fun sitting back and enjoying some sibling rivalry.
My sister in law has a newer, nicer Odyssey but she doesn't have power sliders, so I make a point of showing them off frequently.
Road trip! Just returned from one, that was a mix of flying and driving. We flew to Detroit, MI, rented a car, drove it 1,240 miles, and flew home via Baltimore. Not my preference (flying), but definitely better suited to limited time windows.
The rental was pretty decent - a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The space was fantastic, it was a very nice cruiser with a soft ride but tight suspension, but its little four-cylinder turbo was pretty out-matched by the size of the car. If you really spooled it up, it would move, but you really had to coax it. My son loved all the tech in it. He spent the first couple of days reading the owners manual (the big one, not the quick reference guide). Fuel economy was solid; we used about 37 gallons over that distance, which is pretty extraordinary given the size of the car (with a full load of people/cargo).
Overall, we bisected Pennsylvania before we zipped east to the airport yesterday.
I don't have many photos on hand right now, but here's one of the falls on the Youghiogheny River at Ohiopyle, PA.
Nice, always wanted to do the run that starts just below the falls but never made it to the Yough. "Busiest section of whitewater east of the Mississippi River".
Nice, always wanted to do the run that starts just below the falls but never made it to the Yough. "Busiest section of whitewater east of the Mississippi River".
Oh, yes, I can believe that! And, for good reason, too. It's a beautiful place (and it has pretty decent water, too). Here's our campsite while we were there:
Unfortunately, our rafting trip down the middle Yough was canceled due to high water, but there were many rafters and other boaters using the river during that time. We had a "family friendly" run scheduled, though, and they felt the high water made for too rough/fast of a ride for young boaters. Instead, we did a lot of biking and hiking over those two days.
xwesxOverall, we bisected Pennsylvania before we zipped east to the airport yesterday.
Great shots. I was born in PA, only back once for a very short trip to visit my grandmother before she passed away. I can see I missed a lot of beautiful country. Was this just a camping trip or family visits???
We have canoed the Delaware Water Gap - nice country over that way to be so close to NYC. Gifford Pinchot's home is around there somewhere; got a tour from a NPS friend while they were renovating it. Ah, Grey Towers in Milford.
If you haven't driven around the northeast; I think people who just fly into LaGuardia don't realize how beautiful some of the areas are out there. Maybe not as rugged and overwhelming as areas in the west, but still quite impressive in my book.
September 1999 we spent 10 days in Rochester NY. Went up into the Adirondacks for a couple days. It was still early as the trees were just starting to turn. I really liked the grape country in that part of NY. The Eastman house was well worth the time spent. I would like to see more of rural New England. Fall leaves on water.
Great shots. I was born in PA, only back once for a very short trip to visit my grandmother before she passed away. I can see I missed a lot of beautiful country. Was this just a camping trip or family visits???
It ended up being both. We stuffed a lot of activities into eight days, yet it really didn't feel rushed at all. My wife is from NW PA, so we were mostly visiting her family, but we saw a friend of hers in MI, then her brother in OH (Conneaut, if that even counts as OH!), then camped in PA just south of Erie where we visited several family and friends over the next three days. We even spend a whole (rainy) afternoon at Waldemeer park in Erie, which was just a total blast.
After that, we went south where we visited her 99-year-old friend in Brookville, and then capped off the trip with a recreational jaunt at Ohiopyle (no friends or family w/ us) on Monday and Tuesday. Overall, we stayed at a hotel one night (first night in), camped in Erie the next four nights, then camped "overlooking" Ohiopyle the next three nights.
Flying and camping on the same trip is rather interesting, but we were able to take the basics (tent and sleeping bags) with us, so it worked out okay. We really weren't "camping" per se, since all we did was use it for sleeping. We were gone at around 0730 each day and did not return until around 2100.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Yeah, you don't have to get far out of the cities for some really gorgeous country! When I was at USMA, we went on a huey ride during beast - the contrasting countryside was just incredible.
Oh, I forgot to mention that when we went hiking on Tuesday morning (last), the cicada brood had just emerged that night/morning. There were cicadas EVERYWHERE on the grasses, twigs, signposts, everything. There must have been many many thousand of them just along the first fifty yards of trail! Many were still emerging from their exo-skeletons, so they were all just sitting around letting their wings dry (and bodies harden?). When we walked back through in the afternoon, nearly all were gone except those latecomers.
I was expecting to hear the overwhelming drone of their noise that night, but I guess that's something they do later in the season? Anyhow, we got a lot of photos of those (some really good ones, too), but I don't have them available to me at this location. I'll see if I can remember to upload one at some point.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Any of you like old churches? Stone Church in Meadville, PA is rather impressive (about 200 yo):
They even had this little bowling "alley" tucked away deep in the basement. It's a mini bowling thing, the pins are set up by hand and both they and the balls are about half-size. I think the balls and pins were wooden, and everything was very, very old.....
I wondered about the camping since flying/camping means you have to check bags and I haven't done that for years - for a Na Pali Coast hike iirc. Kind of a PITA. You can rent stuff at some REIs, but guess that's not an option in PA.
I don't suppose you checked out the place I was born in Erie? I must make a trip back there. The Church glass is beautiful. We love checking out old churches also. I think I will camp at the Hampton Inn or similar. Love the waffle makers.
Steve, we did check bags. On the way out, we checked one large duffel that had our tent, a couple sleeping bags, and some other odds and ends, as well as a separate check of my daughter's booster seat. On the way back, we checked both of the kids' bags after listening to them whining about how heavy they were on the trip to Detroit!
For us, there were no fees for checked bags (one each), so that made it easier. Although, I did have to convince the agent at the counter in Baltimore that there was no fee. I even brought up the policy on their website, but by then another employee came over to rescue her, so it became a non-issue.
Gary, I'm going to have to guess that we did not (specifically) check out your birthplace! Though, I'm sure it is significant for that very reason. We did visit the Perry Monument, were at the public library for a "comicon," and sorta tooled all over that place. We had a great breakfast at a busy little restaurant on the east side.
And, that place where we stayed on the first night? Hampton Inn - love the waffle makers!
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
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2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Those rhododendron photos are nice; thanks for sharing! I have fond memories of Jessie M Honeyman park, south of Florence. We walked and/or rode our bikes to Florence several times during our stays there.
The little cottage ("Alsea") where we stayed was just south of Newport.
A similar conundrum turned up in California recently. In that case, however, the geniuses decided that cutting up the carcass and taking it to the landfill was the best course of action.
But now, when my friends talks to me about going on trips, I feel so lazy, partly due to thinking about the expenses and also due to my laziness because of my Internet addiction. Damn, technology has kept us away from nature and enjoyment.
The "nice" thing about getting way off the beaten path is that your cell connection no longer works so you really are cut off. But even those dead spots are getting filled in.
Welcome to the Blue Highways btw.
LOL
Going to my Niece's High School graduation in Traverse City.
Hope my passport shows up, otherwise add another 100 miles to the trip each way.
Still trying to figure out how I roped into this.
I've been on the road a bit the past several days, too. The coast was nice and clear yesterday, driving around the old neighborhood. I know I am getting older when I can drive by the house I lived in and school I attended ~30 years back, and it seems like maybe last week. Mercifully well kept area of town, I love the lack of traffic and cheap sometimes lovely old houses, sadly, the economy doesn't make it viable for most:
Driving back this morning, cloudier, still little traffic even on the highway:
Once one reaches I5, traffic increases significantly and the sun is hiding (and the only WSP I spotted the whole trip back):
Flowing freely through Tacoma, nice:
Almost home, back to traffic traffic and clouds:
Some nice 'Tears for Fears' in the first vid.
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As do I.
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On road trips, I'll settle on 40's Junction for extended periods, but I'm all over the place
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Unless it's NJ or someplace else where passing on the right is illegal, if the right lane is sufficiently clear, that is where I'll be passing your non-right-lane-driving-vehicle... I'll be passing you safely and with plenty of time for you to take the right lane if you so choose...
planned destinations so far: Vero Beach, St Pete Beach, Faribault MN, Omaha NE .
See you in the rear-view mirror!
My Seward bud was in Kansas today working his way north. Went through Kansas to pick up some airplane parts, naturally.
My wife wants to take the MKC and stop at her sisters o the way back.
I kind of think it is to show off the NKC. Her sister has a Cadillac SRX.
My sister in law has a newer, nicer Odyssey but she doesn't have power sliders, so I make a point of showing them off frequently.
The rental was pretty decent - a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The space was fantastic, it was a very nice cruiser with a soft ride but tight suspension, but its little four-cylinder turbo was pretty out-matched by the size of the car. If you really spooled it up, it would move, but you really had to coax it. My son loved all the tech in it. He spent the first couple of days reading the owners manual (the big one, not the quick reference guide). Fuel economy was solid; we used about 37 gallons over that distance, which is pretty extraordinary given the size of the car (with a full load of people/cargo).
Overall, we bisected Pennsylvania before we zipped east to the airport yesterday.
I don't have many photos on hand right now, but here's one of the falls on the Youghiogheny River at Ohiopyle, PA.
Unfortunately, our rafting trip down the middle Yough was canceled due to high water, but there were many rafters and other boaters using the river during that time. We had a "family friendly" run scheduled, though, and they felt the high water made for too rough/fast of a ride for young boaters. Instead, we did a lot of biking and hiking over those two days.
(What are all those tall green things?)
Great shots. I was born in PA, only back once for a very short trip to visit my grandmother before she passed away. I can see I missed a lot of beautiful country. Was this just a camping trip or family visits???
Fall leaves on water.
After that, we went south where we visited her 99-year-old friend in Brookville, and then capped off the trip with a recreational jaunt at Ohiopyle (no friends or family w/ us) on Monday and Tuesday. Overall, we stayed at a hotel one night (first night in), camped in Erie the next four nights, then camped "overlooking" Ohiopyle the next three nights.
Flying and camping on the same trip is rather interesting, but we were able to take the basics (tent and sleeping bags) with us, so it worked out okay. We really weren't "camping" per se, since all we did was use it for sleeping. We were gone at around 0730 each day and did not return until around 2100.
Oh, I forgot to mention that when we went hiking on Tuesday morning (last), the cicada brood had just emerged that night/morning. There were cicadas EVERYWHERE on the grasses, twigs, signposts, everything. There must have been many many thousand of them just along the first fifty yards of trail! Many were still emerging from their exo-skeletons, so they were all just sitting around letting their wings dry (and bodies harden?). When we walked back through in the afternoon, nearly all were gone except those latecomers.
I was expecting to hear the overwhelming drone of their noise that night, but I guess that's something they do later in the season? Anyhow, we got a lot of photos of those (some really good ones, too), but I don't have them available to me at this location. I'll see if I can remember to upload one at some point.
They even had this little bowling "alley" tucked away deep in the basement. It's a mini bowling thing, the pins are set up by hand and both they and the balls are about half-size. I think the balls and pins were wooden, and everything was very, very old.....
I don't suppose you checked out the place I was born in Erie? I must make a trip back there.
The Church glass is beautiful. We love checking out old churches also. I think I will camp at the Hampton Inn or similar. Love the waffle makers.
For us, there were no fees for checked bags (one each), so that made it easier. Although, I did have to convince the agent at the counter in Baltimore that there was no fee. I even brought up the policy on their website, but by then another employee came over to rescue her, so it became a non-issue.
Gary, I'm going to have to guess that we did not (specifically) check out your birthplace! Though, I'm sure it is significant for that very reason.
And, that place where we stayed on the first night? Hampton Inn - love the waffle makers!