Ice - and Bryce ... Canyon

Can you see Christina between the trees....

This morning, after finding a laundromat, and David having an early morning skate on Lake Panguitch, we headed off toward Bryce Canyon.  We had been there about 24 years ago and remembered it as being pretty specular.  On the way we passed through Red Canyon.  In the morning light, the red colour was stunning.  The road went through two rock arches and the contrast between the red rock, snow and green of the trees was beautiful.  It was tempting to spend time wandering around the rocks, but Bryce Canyon awaited
Since we last visited, the area has clearly become well known as a tourist destination.  At the entrance to the Canyon, Bryce City (2007) has been built.  At this time of year it was relatively quiet, but I am sure that Summer would be quite different.  Once again, the contrast between the softer orange/pink of Bryce Canyon, the snow and trees was wonderful.  We drove to Rainbow Point at the far end of the Canyon and then slowly made our way back.  Lots of amazing photo opportunities and picnic lunch overlooking the Canyon.  As it is winter, we were os fortunate to experience this wonderful environment without hoards of tourists.
At Sunset Point we headed off down the Navajo Loop trail.  As part of this track was closed due to ice and snow, we then followed the trail further down the Canyon and looped back up through Queen's Garden to Sunset Point and followed the rim trail back to the car.  The downward trail was a steep and, in places, very muddy path.  Being amongst the rocks gave some idea of the grandeur of the place.
Once at the bottom of the trail, we walked through the trees and then began a gradual climb back up the Canyon.  We did think that this was an easier climb, but it was still a long haul, but well worth the effort.  A camera couldn't capture what we were able to see and experience.
Once back at the motel, we stood out on the deck and watched the sunset and the stunning super moon.  What a day!

Panguitch Lake

Red Canyon

New state..

We enjoyed our stopover in Las Vegas and it will certainly make it easier on Friday when we arrive for the concert, as we know where we are staying and where the venue is.  Sadly I didn't make my fortune, actually lost $10.00 at my first experience of gambling!
Today was another spectacular journey. We drove across the dessert to the Arizona/Utah boarder.  It was fascinating to see a whole new town , Mesquite, that had been built just inside the Nevada state line, I guess to make use of the  more relaxed gambling laws.  It was like an oasis in the desert with palm trees, green grass on the golf courses and large new homes.  We went to Walmart to stock up on food and it is clearly a popular place for retirees, very different from Vegas.
Once in Utah the atmosphere changed, as did the time zone (+ one hour) again with the towns seeming to be much wider and better cared for.  Travelling though St George we saw a stunning cathedral, its white exterior contrasted against the red cliffs behind it.
We arrived at Zion National Park early afternoon and stopped in a delightful picnic area for lunch, where we were able to watch elks wandering around, some with their babies.  We had forgotten how stunning Zion is with the different colours in the rocks and the soaring cliffs.  We drove to the end of the canyon and noticed a significant drop in the temperature - from shorts and sandals to longs, shoes and socks.  The late afternoon light highlighted the granduer of the environment.  As we meandered our way out of the canyon, we stopped and did a short walk to the Weeping Rock' where water  squeezed out of the rock and drips down to create a curtain of drops.  It was interesting to see maiden hair fern growing as the temperatures are pretty extreme.  An absolute highlight was seeing and hearing a woodpecker going about its business.
Leaving the Park we drove up a windy, steep, zig zag road and then through a tunnel that was 1.1 miles long.  There were no lights and only the occasional whole in the rock to prove ventilation.  It was a relief to get out the other end without any earthquakes or other mishaps!  The other side of the tunnel provided some amazing views of still more incredible rock formations.
As we drove though the dusk we saw more elk crossing the road and grazing on either side.  We travelled to Penguitch which is near the turn off to Bryce Canyon, our destination for tomorrow.  The town was pretty much closed for winter but we did find a small supermarket which provided dinner.  Ready for bed in our cosy, warm motel.

A day in Vegas

Having decided to stay an extra night in Las Vegas we decided to brave one of the outlet malls.  Dressmart NZ it was not!!  Every imaginable designer store was in the mall which stretched for miles.  Ella would have been in heaven.  We did manage to waste several hours without much to show for it though David did buy a bargain leather jacket and I bought a winter coat.  We also visited REI a shop - similar to Kathmandu but with a wider range.  Due to the limitations of air travel, we had to curb our desire to buy lots of camping and outdoor gear.  We were also surprised to find some interesting architecture away from the main part of town

The Brown’s went to visit the Hoover Dam and it sounds like there have been significant changes since we were there last. Thankfully we all managed to negotiate the crazy traffic and return safely.

I walked down to the Strip to get few things for Ella, before we leave tomorrow.  I made the mistake of going into Macy’s Department Store.  I had to ask three different people how to get out and then, once out, it took me ages to navigate my way through the mall back to the street.  I am definitely not designed for shopping!

All feeling a bit exhausted tonight, we walked across the road to a Denny’s restaurant for dinner.  Think we are all looking forward to an early night before exiting Vegas in the morning.

Valley to Vegas ...

We were out and about in Las Vegas until late last night, thus I am writing this a little late.

Waiting for Van

Yesterday morning we moved on from Ridgecrest, 100 miles from anywhere, as the sign on the outskirts of the town said.  We avoided the main route to Death Valley and drove through Trona, where there a two factories extracting the potash and borax from the lakebed that produced the Trona Pinnacles.  It is hard to describe how different the town is to anything we have in New Zealand.  It would appear that as Ridgecrest has developed, Trona has become less popular and is rapidly falling inn a state of disrepair.  Many of the houses were derelict, there was just dust, no lawns or gardens and the few shops there looks uninviting.  We compared it to Kawerau, as a town based on the local industry, but that was where the comparison ended.  One of the strangest things was the Catholic church, as concrete building with a cross on the top and two double doors - no windows at all.  It would have been really interesting to see what it was like inside.

We connected up with the main road to Death Valley and climbed over a pass that was almost 5000 feet before dropping down into the valley’s lowest point of around 280 feet below sea level.  There has been quite a bit of development since we were there last and, as with all of the National Parks, a $US30 fee to enter, even if you are just driving through.  As we are intending to visit other parks, it was cheaper to purchase an annual entrance card so, if you know of anyone travelling to the US who would like it, let us know.  Wonderful names - Stovepipe Wells, Badwater.

Once again travelling the less popular route, we drove down the eastern side of the valley, climbed trough the mountains and dropped down into Nevada.  When we crossed the state line the contrasts were instantaneous.  Massive billboard advertising fireworks, palm readings, a variety of churches, pawn shops and instant loans.  Talk about contradictions!

Arriving in Los Vegas was a bit of a shock having been in less populated places and because it seems to have expanded hugely since we were last here.  Driving on massively fast roads in the dark didn’t help but thankfully GPS did and we safely arrived at Royal Resort, just off Las Vegas Boulevard - The Strip.  Funny that wifi was free in Ridgecrest which here it is $US10 per device, per day.  Guess they have to make money somehow!

We walked The Strip and had a delicious meal at a foodcourt in one of the malls.  Discovered that the pirate ship show outside Treasure Island stopped in 2013, but we did see the erupting volcano at the Mirage and a delightful dancing waterfall.  It is interesting to visit but Los Vegas really is quite bizarre and more than a little sad.

Dat's Bad Water man...

Church in Trona

Porterville to Ridgecrest

Trona Pinnacles as the sun sets 

Another suitcase in an another hall..... (not quite!)
Left Porterville this morning and had an amazing drive across the state.  We saw huge areas of orchards, vegetable growing, oil fields, solar farms and wind farms.  It was absolutely fascinating to see the variety and magnitude of the industry on the Californian plains.  We were also amazed by the number and size of RVs, both on the road and in RV parks.  It makes our 16 foot Oxford caravan look like a baby!  Since we were here 25 years ago, the roading networks seemed to have become more extensive and the cities more sprawling.
After talking to the friendly maintenance man at the motel in Porterville, we decided to drive through Red Rock Canyon.  It was a small state park with interesting land formations and a camp ground nestled amongst the rocks.  It was interesting to see how many people were camping even though it must be really cold at night.  The colours were quite startling and the rock formations looked like ancient Roman ruins.
We travelled across the Mojave Desert and saw the place where airplanes go to die.  We did try to get close enough for a really good look, but it was well and truly secure.
From there we drove to Ridgecrest a town of about 27,000 in the middle of the Mojave Desert, with a naval base!  Apparently this is the area for airborne testing and weapons range.  There is a lot of new development, including a new Walmart, and seems relatively wealthy, probably due to the impact of the Naval base.
This afternoon we drove half an hour to Trona Pinnacles.  This is another area with interesting land formations, formed by underwater geothermal activity, when the lake water receded, it left behind tall stacks.  Apart from these, there is also a salt lake where they mine borax and potash.  The landscape is so varied and so interesting.
Tonight we are staying at A Night's Inn Motel.  From the outside it looks like a bit of a dive, but inside it is like a grand hotel room caught in a time warp.  Not bad for $US56 for the night!

Red Rock Canyon

Shadows at Trona Pinnacles

Sequoia National Park

We packed up the cars and with more than a little sadness, we left Mariposa, gateway to Yosemite National Park.  The predicted storm had passed through overnight and we awoke to blue skies.  Our journey took us over a pass with a dusting of snow and down to the plains, bypassing Fresno.  Apparently Fresno was known for the fact that it had the highest number of gunshot deaths in the country.  We managed to escape unscathed!

From there we drove through miles of citrus orchards and the occasional dairy farm.  It was tempting to stop and pick oranges straight off the trees, but we thought that the farmer may have a gun.

Next stop was at Three Rivers, at the base the mountains and the entrance to Sequoia National Park.  The storm had left enough snow for us to require chains on the access road.  We left Craig and Annette’s car at Three Rivers and began our winding journey in to visit the giant sequoias.  We were very surprised at how far you have to travel to reach the forest, 6,400 feet on an incredibly windy road.  Unfortunately my stomach did not cope well and it wasn’t pretty!  For those of you who have travelled over the Crown Range with me, you will get the picture.  We had to fit chains, even with AWD, as there was quite a bit of snow on the road.

Even though the snow made the trip slower, the effect of it made for an absolute fairy wonderland.  The giant trees, with their red bark, surrounded by snow was spectacular.  We did a short walk to General Sherman, the largest (by mass) tree in the world and were thankful for our snow spikes attached to our shoes.

As we left, the snow started falling again but, being the eternal optimists, decided to stop on the way down and do another giant trees walk.  By the time we had parked and checked out the distances, the snow was falling steadily and starting to settle on the road.  Back into the car and off down the windy road where, by now, the snow was starting to settle.  Thankfully we made it back to Three Rivers without incident and boy was I glad to get off that road.  

We had planned to stay at Three Rivers but there wasn’t much happening, so we decided to continue south.  We ended up in Porterville, as small town of 60,000 people with agriculture as its main industry.  We are staying in a Motel 6, beside the freeway, just like you see in the movies!

Yosemite Day Two

It is hard to describe the granduer of Yosemite - wow doesn't really do it justice.  We drove back to the National Park from Mariposa this morning.  There was a bit of high cloud which increased during the day, but we were still able to enjoy the natural environment without being too cold.  Temperatures were still low but, as long as you kept moving, it wasn't uncomfortable.
Decided to do an easier walk today, after the exhaustion of yesterday.  We went to the Mirror Lake, about a 40 minute walk and much easier than the strenuous one of yesterday.  The path wound it's way along side the river with trees, rocks covered in moss and the absolute highlight of a squirrel 'performing' for us.  It was so cute and seemed to just want to pose for the camera.
Mirror Lake did not disappoint and well and truly lived up to its name.  Once again we encountered some interesting people along the trail, including more Australians.
We visited the the Yosemite Village Store, didn't buy anything but enjoyed looking anyway.
Then on to the walk to the Yosemite Waterfall, the highest waterfall in America.  On the way there, we encountered a school group from the local school.  Of course we started talking to the teacher - school has 30 (primary)students and the teacher told us that she pinches herself every day when she thinks of the amazing environment that she works in every day.  It would have been great to visit the school, but the opportunity didn't arise.  We also had the chance to catch some very friendly deer who again were happy to pose for the camera.
Back to Mariposa and a wander around the quaint little town.  Dave was keen to purchase a chainsaw but we convinced him that, even though it was really good value, it wasn't really an option.  Imagine arriving as customs in Auckland with a chainsaw!
Dinner was an opportunity to eat up all of the leftover food, before we pack up and more on tomorrow.  Snow predicted overnight so, no doubt, there will be more adventures ahead.

Yosmite National Park

After a very comfortable night at Bear Park Retreat, we packed up a picnic and drove to Yosmite National Park, about 50 km away.  The temperature was around zero when we left and didn't climb much higher throughout the day.
As the forecast was for the weather to be fine and clear today, we decided to attempt a big walk today and explore some of the smaller trails tomorrow.  Unfortuatley some trails were closed due to ice and rockfall risks so we decided on the trail that went between the Nevada and Vernal waterfalls.  We walked about 11 kms and climbed to over 1600 metres and it was amazing!  The trail zig-zagged its way up the cliff face and the climb was relentless, but well worth the effort.
Talked with some interesting people along the way, including a couple who live in New Hampshire, close to Prince Edward Island (Anne of Green Gables).  Ever since I first read the books as a child, I have always wanted to visit and it was so cool to talk to people who know the area well - one day.
The rock formations and vegetation were fascinating.  We saw deer and large black crows, but sadly, no bears in sight.
We did think about another walk before heading out of the park, but it was getting late so will leave that for tomorrow.  Our $30.00 entrance fee lasts for a week.  It was surprising how may people live and work in the park compared to New Zealand's National Parks, where there is hardly anyone.
The boys cooked dinner on the BBQ, in the dark, using head torches, and it was delicious.  I think we will all sleep well tonight.

Goodbye San Francisco

Today is Annette's birthday so we walked down Lombard Street to Mel's Dinner, complete with juke box and retro interior, for breakfast.  It felt like we sere on the set of Happy Days.

Mel's Diner - Birthday Breakfast for Annette

We loaded up the cars, set the GPS and headed East.  We wove our way though the CBD crawling through the traffic and regularly commenting 'how did we ever manage in the days of only having a map to navigate by?'.  Once we finally left the outskirts of San Fran, the stress levels reduced dramatically. Roads were  still busy, but at least the traffic was moving at a reasonable speed.
We stopped in Merced for our first Walmart experience.  It's amazing how much time you can waste looking at piles of useless junk!  We did stock up on a few supplies before heading to Mariposa and our 'home' for the next few days.  It had rained overnight and there were a few showers, but the weather cleared along the way.
We are staying at Bear Park Retreat.  It is an Airbnb and doesn't look much on the outside.  Inside is a whole world of bears - mats, lampshades, light fitting, bedding, photos, you name it, it has bears on it.  Kind of weird, but certainly shows commitment to a passion for bears!  The boys were a little disappointed that there were no beers in the fridge.  I would love to see a real one, but apparently they are asleep for the winter.
We were going to go out for Annette's birthday, but ended up making use of a kitchen to prepare our own delicious dinner, including cherry pie for dessert.  Only problem was that we catered for about double the number of people.  Guess there will be plenty of leftovers to make a picnic lunch tomorrow.
We are off to Yosemite National Park in the morning.  Weather is looking good for the next couple of days so we might even stay for another night to make the most of the walks.  Thankfully, the Federal Budget has been approved for the next couple of weeks, so should be able to get to visit the Parks as we had planned.

Bears and Beers

Birthday Dinner.....