The Map
We have a great map of the US in the Careyvan and we've been slowly documenting our travels across the land and we'll periodically update it on this page.
SUCCESS!
On Wednesday, May 25th, our 2015-2016 Careyvan adventure formally ended with the camper being parked up in Torrington, CT, and listed for sale on Craigslist (any interest out there? anyone!?!). With apologies to those people and states that we missed visiting during our trip (no offense, Kansas), we feel so fortunate to have been able to explore our great country this year and are already planning our next roadtrip adventure. Just kidding, sort of .... Europe, anyone?
All of our travel posts and map updates will be finished below and shifted into chronological order. Just give us a couple of days to reorder it all!
Semester 2: Central America (Nicaragua and Mexico) & The Southwest of the US
Okay, our schedule changed a little bit! Instead of driving down to Central America, we decided to fly down to Nicaragua and start from there to maximize our time. With the Bumble and the Careyvan safely tucked away in Austin and Houston, we traveled for two 1/2 months in Nicaragua and Mexico before heading back in April to Texas to resume our odyssey across America's Southwest (NM, AZ, UT and CO).
Okay, our schedule changed a little bit! Instead of driving down to Central America, we decided to fly down to Nicaragua and start from there to maximize our time. With the Bumble and the Careyvan safely tucked away in Austin and Houston, we traveled for two 1/2 months in Nicaragua and Mexico before heading back in April to Texas to resume our odyssey across America's Southwest (NM, AZ, UT and CO).
The first week: January 23rd - January 31st
Please excuse the maps but we forgot to get one before we left and these will have to do momentarily until we find a decent one to use. The good thing is that you can quietly remind yourself where Nicaragua is without having to tell anyone else you forgot where Nicaragua is located!
Well, we landed at 12:30 AM on January 23rd in Managua and were picked up by the driver from our language school for the 2 1/2 hour drive down to San Juan Del Sur. Located on the Pacific Ocean in the southwestern region of Nicaragua, San Juan Del Sur is a sleepy little fishing village that has been in a transformation into a traveller's jumping off point for the surrounding region. This has its good and bad aspects, but as we are living just outside of town in a local home-stay, it's nice to wander into town to get a little tourist feel whenever we need it. We spent the first weekend getting acquainted with the town and local surf spots and then started a week of language course at Veronica's Spanish Language School. After a full week of classes, we were ready to try out what we learned, so we headed north to the colonial city of Granada on the northwestern shores of Lake Nicaragua and visited an active volcano, beautiful churches and nearby islands. A great first week!
Well, we landed at 12:30 AM on January 23rd in Managua and were picked up by the driver from our language school for the 2 1/2 hour drive down to San Juan Del Sur. Located on the Pacific Ocean in the southwestern region of Nicaragua, San Juan Del Sur is a sleepy little fishing village that has been in a transformation into a traveller's jumping off point for the surrounding region. This has its good and bad aspects, but as we are living just outside of town in a local home-stay, it's nice to wander into town to get a little tourist feel whenever we need it. We spent the first weekend getting acquainted with the town and local surf spots and then started a week of language course at Veronica's Spanish Language School. After a full week of classes, we were ready to try out what we learned, so we headed north to the colonial city of Granada on the northwestern shores of Lake Nicaragua and visited an active volcano, beautiful churches and nearby islands. A great first week!
Week 2: February 1st - February 6th
Hitting our groove as we entered our second week in Nicaragua, we spent our mornings visiting different surf breaks and our afternoons at language school. It is amazing what four hours of 1-on-1 classes will do for you in terms of learning a second language. Sure, we were making mistakes all the time but our conversations were becoming more fluid (if limited) as we put our learning to practice!
The main surf breaks we visited were not only our favorite from the first week, Playa Maderas, but also Playa Hermosa and the family favorite, Playa Remanso (not on the map but the line just north of Hermosa). So, not much travel this week as we focused on finishing our respective courses and getting ready for our move further north up the coast to the little surf town of Popoyo.
Hitting our groove as we entered our second week in Nicaragua, we spent our mornings visiting different surf breaks and our afternoons at language school. It is amazing what four hours of 1-on-1 classes will do for you in terms of learning a second language. Sure, we were making mistakes all the time but our conversations were becoming more fluid (if limited) as we put our learning to practice!
The main surf breaks we visited were not only our favorite from the first week, Playa Maderas, but also Playa Hermosa and the family favorite, Playa Remanso (not on the map but the line just north of Hermosa). So, not much travel this week as we focused on finishing our respective courses and getting ready for our move further north up the coast to the little surf town of Popoyo.
Weeks 3, 4 and 5: February 7th - February 27th
Popoyo. It's hard to imagine but we spent four straight weeks in this little surf town on the Pacific side of Nicaragua. Famed for its namesake break, the little 'town' of Popoyo is literally at the end of a dirt road and we lived at the far northern end. This meant about a 25-30 minute walk each day just to get to the main break, and, since we were in the 'windy season', it was quite a haul, especially when your surfboard catches the wind and wants to fly out of your arms!
In fact, though, there was something rather therapeutic about our place and the walk as we got into a daily rhythm of watching tides, scheduling further language classes (around the swell), surfing, walking to the nearby tidal pool, walking into 'town' for dinner - really walking everywhere. At one point, we finally rented a car for a couple of days to explore nearby surf breaks and a turtle reserve and we realized that we hadn't driven a car in the last 5 weeks and we actually hadn't even been in a car for more than 3 1/2 weeks!
Additionally, as time went on we started to become a little more of a known quantity with the surfistas community and locals, and it was great to talk with different people in the water, see them about 'town' and get to know them a little bit more than if we were just a typical group of surfers passing through. It'll be great to reconnect with everyone at the end of March.
Popoyo. It's hard to imagine but we spent four straight weeks in this little surf town on the Pacific side of Nicaragua. Famed for its namesake break, the little 'town' of Popoyo is literally at the end of a dirt road and we lived at the far northern end. This meant about a 25-30 minute walk each day just to get to the main break, and, since we were in the 'windy season', it was quite a haul, especially when your surfboard catches the wind and wants to fly out of your arms!
In fact, though, there was something rather therapeutic about our place and the walk as we got into a daily rhythm of watching tides, scheduling further language classes (around the swell), surfing, walking to the nearby tidal pool, walking into 'town' for dinner - really walking everywhere. At one point, we finally rented a car for a couple of days to explore nearby surf breaks and a turtle reserve and we realized that we hadn't driven a car in the last 5 weeks and we actually hadn't even been in a car for more than 3 1/2 weeks!
Additionally, as time went on we started to become a little more of a known quantity with the surfistas community and locals, and it was great to talk with different people in the water, see them about 'town' and get to know them a little bit more than if we were just a typical group of surfers passing through. It'll be great to reconnect with everyone at the end of March.
Week 6: February 28th - March 5th
During our final week staying in Popoyo we decided to try again to visit the island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua. We had originally planned to visit the island our second weekend in Nicaragua, but the winds were so strong that the government shut down the ferry service and we opted to head north to Granada (a great choice!). This time, though, things went smoothly and we found ourselves watching the twin volcanoes of Ometepe, Concepción and Maderas, loom larger and larger as we neared San Jose del Sur. Two days of volcano hiking later (to a waterfall on the side of Maderas and up into the clouds on Concepción) and we headed back to our old haunts in Popoyo, glad to get a few more days of surf in before heading to the Yucatan Peninsula. |
Week 7: March 6th - March 12th
The Yucatan Peninsula has been on the family list since we started researching Central America and realized that we wanted to learn more about the region from historical, cultural and geographical perspectives. Basing ourselves out of Puerto Morelos, we explored the Mexican state of Quintana Roo's various cenotes (Jardin del Eden and Dos Ojos) and Mayan archaeological sites (El Rey and El Meco) before gearing up for our more extensive travel into the states of Yucatan and Campeche. The laidback atmosphere of Puerto Morelos was perfect for us to ease into the Mexican rhythm and get our legs under us, especially after Ethan and Grant's epic 12-hour 'sickness debacle' the night before we flew to Cancun (they both were pretty stoic about it), and besides the raging wind that stopped us from snorkeling during this first week, we had enough to do as we hiked through underground caves, snorkeled/SCUBA-dived in cenotes and held crocodiles!
The Yucatan Peninsula has been on the family list since we started researching Central America and realized that we wanted to learn more about the region from historical, cultural and geographical perspectives. Basing ourselves out of Puerto Morelos, we explored the Mexican state of Quintana Roo's various cenotes (Jardin del Eden and Dos Ojos) and Mayan archaeological sites (El Rey and El Meco) before gearing up for our more extensive travel into the states of Yucatan and Campeche. The laidback atmosphere of Puerto Morelos was perfect for us to ease into the Mexican rhythm and get our legs under us, especially after Ethan and Grant's epic 12-hour 'sickness debacle' the night before we flew to Cancun (they both were pretty stoic about it), and besides the raging wind that stopped us from snorkeling during this first week, we had enough to do as we hiked through underground caves, snorkeled/SCUBA-dived in cenotes and held crocodiles!
Week 8: March 13th - March 20th
For the second week in Mexico we travelled west into the heart of the peninsula.
For the second week in Mexico we travelled west into the heart of the peninsula.
Week 9: March 21st - March 27th
Flying back to Nicaragua, we opted to travel for about a week before setting ourselves back up in Popoyo.
Flying back to Nicaragua, we opted to travel for about a week before setting ourselves back up in Popoyo.
Weeks 10 & 11: March 28th - April 6th
As fun as it was exploring different parts of Nicaragua, we all couldn't stop the smiles erupting on our faces as we landed back in Popoyo for the final week and a half of our Central American adventure. Two special things to look forward to was being joined in Popoyo by John Williams and Kate Ferguson and the news that a big swell was on its way!
As fun as it was exploring different parts of Nicaragua, we all couldn't stop the smiles erupting on our faces as we landed back in Popoyo for the final week and a half of our Central American adventure. Two special things to look forward to was being joined in Popoyo by John Williams and Kate Ferguson and the news that a big swell was on its way!
Week 12: April 7th - April 15th
Flying back into Houston, our biggest initial surprise (and relief) was being able to drink tap water … anywhere! After being away 11 weeks it was great getting back in The Bumble, attaching The Careyvan and organizing ourselves for our next adventure. We had a great brisket BBQ with Uncle Joe and his Austin crew before heading down to San Antonio to catch up with the Nat, Abigail and Thaxter Cram for a couple days of exploring the city and surrounding Spanish Missions. Then we did our longest distance drive of the trip from San Antonio, TX, to Santa Fe, NM, - 716.7 miles - stopping for a dinner in Roswell, NM. Long but perfect to get ourselves back into “road-trip mode”.
Flying back into Houston, our biggest initial surprise (and relief) was being able to drink tap water … anywhere! After being away 11 weeks it was great getting back in The Bumble, attaching The Careyvan and organizing ourselves for our next adventure. We had a great brisket BBQ with Uncle Joe and his Austin crew before heading down to San Antonio to catch up with the Nat, Abigail and Thaxter Cram for a couple days of exploring the city and surrounding Spanish Missions. Then we did our longest distance drive of the trip from San Antonio, TX, to Santa Fe, NM, - 716.7 miles - stopping for a dinner in Roswell, NM. Long but perfect to get ourselves back into “road-trip mode”.
We spent three days in Santa Fe with an itinerary slightly modified by the weather. Having rain squalls move through and with clouds (and snow) still on the mountains that we had intended to climb, we opted to explore Santa Fe for our first day, walking through the old district, visiting the Georgia O’Keeffe museum and attending mass at the Basilica Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi. The following day we took a terrific bike ride south of town in the Galiesto Basin Preserve and came back to have an impromptu jam session at Rancheros de Santa Fe RV Park with a former professional musician playing electric bass and a road weary blues harpist. Leaving Santa Fe, we heading west to Jemez Pueblo, hiked Battleship Rock, soaked (briefly) in McCauley Warm Springs, but had to backtrack to Rt. 550 after finding out that the back road to Cuba, Rt. 126, turned to a muddy, dirt track. Hmmmm…. We eventually camped for two nights at a BLM campground at Angel Peak Scenic Park, toured the Anasazi Ruins in nearby Chaco Canyon before making another long drive to Flagstaff, AZ, to prepare for a three day trip down the San Juan River between Bluff and Mexican Hat. We arrived in Flagstaff and were greeted with the beginning of a snowstorm and temperatures hovering around 30. Perfect temps and weather to organize gear outside!
Week 13: April 16th - April 23rd
I think we all were a little skeptical about leaving for a river trip in this weather but our permit was from the 16th - 18th, so off we went. Driving through northern Arizona and Monument Valley in intermittent rain and snow squalls, we hoped that as we dropped in elevation that we would escape a little of the weather. Our put in south of Bluff was cloudy and a little warmer as we rigged the boats, bundled up, and pushed off. Three days on the river was fantastic with Martos and Diane rowing one raft, Carl and Jane Bigler on another, and the boys (Kai, EJ, Grant and Ethan) paddling a third. Amy and I switched between rowing with the Hoffmans and paddling with the boy’s boat. Getting back to Flagstaff we decided to regroup a bit, help clean and de-rig the gear, and take a couple of mt. bike rides along parts of the AZ Trail before heading north to Lee’s Ferry. With temperatures now in the upper 80s/low 90s, our hike down Cathedral Wash to Marble Canyon was finished with a great (quick) dip in the Colorado River. From there we heading across the Vermillion Cliffs, up the Kaibab Plateau to drop in Kanab and head over past Zion and Bryce to Kodachrome Basin, with fantastic views and mt. biking in the park, boondocking on nearby Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument.
I think we all were a little skeptical about leaving for a river trip in this weather but our permit was from the 16th - 18th, so off we went. Driving through northern Arizona and Monument Valley in intermittent rain and snow squalls, we hoped that as we dropped in elevation that we would escape a little of the weather. Our put in south of Bluff was cloudy and a little warmer as we rigged the boats, bundled up, and pushed off. Three days on the river was fantastic with Martos and Diane rowing one raft, Carl and Jane Bigler on another, and the boys (Kai, EJ, Grant and Ethan) paddling a third. Amy and I switched between rowing with the Hoffmans and paddling with the boy’s boat. Getting back to Flagstaff we decided to regroup a bit, help clean and de-rig the gear, and take a couple of mt. bike rides along parts of the AZ Trail before heading north to Lee’s Ferry. With temperatures now in the upper 80s/low 90s, our hike down Cathedral Wash to Marble Canyon was finished with a great (quick) dip in the Colorado River. From there we heading across the Vermillion Cliffs, up the Kaibab Plateau to drop in Kanab and head over past Zion and Bryce to Kodachrome Basin, with fantastic views and mt. biking in the park, boondocking on nearby Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument.
Week 14: April 24th - April 30th
Heading east/northeast on Rt. 12 from Kodachrome Basin, we stopped at Escalante Petrified Wood State Park for a hike among more petrified wood than we had ever seen. The colors were mesmerizing and some logs looked like they had just fallen instead of having been turned to stone over the past 80 million years! After a great greasy spoon lunch at Nemo’s in Escalante, we headed through one of the most scenic and unbelievably beautiful drives we have yet encountered on the way to Torrey, Utah. The landscape was vast, imposing and constantly shifting between desert plateaus and vistas over improbable distances, dropping into tight rock canyons, and rising to literally ride along the ridge crest before finally climbing relentlessly up the side of Boulder Mountain to the height of 9,600’ with stands of snowbound pine and Aspen. Arriving in Torrey, we drove towards the border with Capitol Reef National Park and set up at a great boondocking spot just before another stormy rain squall lashed the camper.
Heading east/northeast on Rt. 12 from Kodachrome Basin, we stopped at Escalante Petrified Wood State Park for a hike among more petrified wood than we had ever seen. The colors were mesmerizing and some logs looked like they had just fallen instead of having been turned to stone over the past 80 million years! After a great greasy spoon lunch at Nemo’s in Escalante, we headed through one of the most scenic and unbelievably beautiful drives we have yet encountered on the way to Torrey, Utah. The landscape was vast, imposing and constantly shifting between desert plateaus and vistas over improbable distances, dropping into tight rock canyons, and rising to literally ride along the ridge crest before finally climbing relentlessly up the side of Boulder Mountain to the height of 9,600’ with stands of snowbound pine and Aspen. Arriving in Torrey, we drove towards the border with Capitol Reef National Park and set up at a great boondocking spot just before another stormy rain squall lashed the camper.
Week 15: May 1st - May 7th
Week 16: May 8th -
Semester 1: The Western United States
The first two weeks: Sept 1st - Sept 13th
The first two weeks: Sept 1st - Sept 13th
The first five days was a push across almost 2/3 of the country as we went from Deerwood to Cleveland, Ohio, to Indianapolis, Indiana to St. Louis, Missouri, to Tabor, Iowa, and to Mitchell, South Dakota. It was in southwestern South Dakota that we finally settled down in Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park to explore the region a bit more and make a bunch of "squiggles", as Ethan calls them, on the map as we ventured through Custer State Park, Cathedral Spires and the competing monuments of the Black Hills: Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. The little foray in northeastern Wyoming was to visit Devil's Tower.
Week 3: Sept 14th - Sept 20th
After doubling back into Sturgis, South Dakota, from Devil's Tower to secure a South Dakota license plate for the camper, here's where we had our first big decision: how to fit in Yellowstone, Jackson and Glacier National Park. The geographic equivalent of a 7-10 split (if there was a mythical third pin between them), we ultimately decided to follow our continued studies of the interaction, clash and conflict between Native American tribes and the ever-expanding United States by venturing northwest towards the battle site of Little Bighorn in eastern Montana. From there we based ourselves out of Big Sky, Montana, and did day trips into Yellowstone National Park. Finally, we drove through the park itself, entered Teton National Park for a hike to Delta Lake with John Williams and headed on down to Jackson, Wyoming.
After doubling back into Sturgis, South Dakota, from Devil's Tower to secure a South Dakota license plate for the camper, here's where we had our first big decision: how to fit in Yellowstone, Jackson and Glacier National Park. The geographic equivalent of a 7-10 split (if there was a mythical third pin between them), we ultimately decided to follow our continued studies of the interaction, clash and conflict between Native American tribes and the ever-expanding United States by venturing northwest towards the battle site of Little Bighorn in eastern Montana. From there we based ourselves out of Big Sky, Montana, and did day trips into Yellowstone National Park. Finally, we drove through the park itself, entered Teton National Park for a hike to Delta Lake with John Williams and headed on down to Jackson, Wyoming.
Week 4: Sept 21st - Sept 27th
From Jackson we headed southeast to Daniel, Wyoming, and Kevin and Amy Warren. From there we snuck a hike into the headwaters of the Green River in the Wind River Range/Bridger Wilderness and then went west into Idaho following the Snake River until Idaho Falls, where we turned almost due north to Missoula, Montana. In Missoula we stayed with Carolyn and Eric and then picked up Amy's cousin (and wildlife biologist) Marcel Huijser to head north to hike and explore Glacier National Park.
From Jackson we headed southeast to Daniel, Wyoming, and Kevin and Amy Warren. From there we snuck a hike into the headwaters of the Green River in the Wind River Range/Bridger Wilderness and then went west into Idaho following the Snake River until Idaho Falls, where we turned almost due north to Missoula, Montana. In Missoula we stayed with Carolyn and Eric and then picked up Amy's cousin (and wildlife biologist) Marcel Huijser to head north to hike and explore Glacier National Park.
Week 5: Sept 28th - October 4th
After three nights in Glacier and one fantastic day hike in the Many Glacier area of the park where we saw 7 bears (6 black and 1 brown), 1 moose, at least 50 bighorn sheep and a beautiful waterfall, we headed back to Missoula, spent a day biking around the town and doing schoolwork in the public library and then headed off to Lolo Mountain pass and the hot springs of Weir Creek. Continuing a path following Lewis and Clark, we caught back up to the Snake River and followed it to Palouse Falls in eastern Washington. The scablands of eastern Washington were such a contrast from previous locations yet eerily similar to the plains with whom they, interestingly, have very little in common.
After three nights in Glacier and one fantastic day hike in the Many Glacier area of the park where we saw 7 bears (6 black and 1 brown), 1 moose, at least 50 bighorn sheep and a beautiful waterfall, we headed back to Missoula, spent a day biking around the town and doing schoolwork in the public library and then headed off to Lolo Mountain pass and the hot springs of Weir Creek. Continuing a path following Lewis and Clark, we caught back up to the Snake River and followed it to Palouse Falls in eastern Washington. The scablands of eastern Washington were such a contrast from previous locations yet eerily similar to the plains with whom they, interestingly, have very little in common.
Week 6: October 5th - October 11th
The natural next stop on the journey to the Pacific coast is the beautiful and awesome Mt. Rainier National Park. We had terrific weather for our hike up on the southern flank of the mountain and even snuck in another bike ride to the Grove of the Patriarchs. From there we landed at Vicki and Amir Salim's house in Olympia, took a quick trip to see the Andersons in Issaquah, WA and then ventured out into the Olympic peninsula and Olympic National Park which houses a fantastical temperate rain forest.
The natural next stop on the journey to the Pacific coast is the beautiful and awesome Mt. Rainier National Park. We had terrific weather for our hike up on the southern flank of the mountain and even snuck in another bike ride to the Grove of the Patriarchs. From there we landed at Vicki and Amir Salim's house in Olympia, took a quick trip to see the Andersons in Issaquah, WA and then ventured out into the Olympic peninsula and Olympic National Park which houses a fantastical temperate rain forest.
Week 7: October 12th - October 18th
Driving down from Port Angeles back to Olympia we stopped off at Wolf Haven, an informative center and care site for wolves, and then to a great farm with Vicki to sample apple fritters. On the road again, we visited Mt. St. Helens National Volcano Monument to learn about that fateful day in 1980 and to see what has changed in the last 35 years. Then snuck in a great (yet quick) dinner and visit to Portland to see the Muirs and Stevens 'on the way' to Bend, OR. Two full days at Smith Rock of rock climbing and biking just north of Bend and a few great nights with Margo MacDonald and we were off to see Shannon and Geoff in Corvallis and their two children, Ash and Ayla.
Driving down from Port Angeles back to Olympia we stopped off at Wolf Haven, an informative center and care site for wolves, and then to a great farm with Vicki to sample apple fritters. On the road again, we visited Mt. St. Helens National Volcano Monument to learn about that fateful day in 1980 and to see what has changed in the last 35 years. Then snuck in a great (yet quick) dinner and visit to Portland to see the Muirs and Stevens 'on the way' to Bend, OR. Two full days at Smith Rock of rock climbing and biking just north of Bend and a few great nights with Margo MacDonald and we were off to see Shannon and Geoff in Corvallis and their two children, Ash and Ayla.
Week 8: October 19th - October 26th
After a great weekend in Corvallis, we were on the road again - down to Crater Lake National Park and the beautiful Umpqua River valley that we followed almost all the way back west to the coast. Tony's Crab Shack was a great little place to refuel in Bandon, OR, as we stayed a couple of days exploring around Cape Blanco before making it into California to spend some time amongst the tallest living things on Earth: Coastal Redwoods. A highlight was quietly lying down on the forest floor staring up at the redwoods after searching for and eventually finding a rare albino redwood in the Avenue of Giants. We then continued driving down the 101 to Nicasio Valley in Marin County to visit John and Michelle Rutledge, and their children Dylan and Cassidy. A weekend of catching up, biking along the Bolinas Ridge Trail, spending John's birthday at Point Reyes National Seashore (as Meg and Tom came up from San Jose), and, of course, playing the 'nouns/salad bowl' game capped off the week as we also snuck in a dinner with Annie and Andy Mathieson.
After a great weekend in Corvallis, we were on the road again - down to Crater Lake National Park and the beautiful Umpqua River valley that we followed almost all the way back west to the coast. Tony's Crab Shack was a great little place to refuel in Bandon, OR, as we stayed a couple of days exploring around Cape Blanco before making it into California to spend some time amongst the tallest living things on Earth: Coastal Redwoods. A highlight was quietly lying down on the forest floor staring up at the redwoods after searching for and eventually finding a rare albino redwood in the Avenue of Giants. We then continued driving down the 101 to Nicasio Valley in Marin County to visit John and Michelle Rutledge, and their children Dylan and Cassidy. A weekend of catching up, biking along the Bolinas Ridge Trail, spending John's birthday at Point Reyes National Seashore (as Meg and Tom came up from San Jose), and, of course, playing the 'nouns/salad bowl' game capped off the week as we also snuck in a dinner with Annie and Andy Mathieson.
Week 9: October 27th - November 1st
Okay, that's not really a week but it does break down neatly our trip from Marin County to Yosemite. We had planned on going up through Lake Tahoe and then down to Yosemite through Tioga Pass but reviewing the map in route we decided (outside of Sacramento) to spend all of our time in Yosemite. A late night drive, but definitely the right call. A week in Yosemite is not enough but it allowed us to explore 'the Valley', the climbing, and the sheer awe-inspiring sights on foot, by bike, on rope and by car. Highlights included our hike to Glacier Point, standing beneath El Capitan, watching slackliners cross Upper Yosemite Falls, a perfect visit from the Ramsey's (sorry we missed you Abby!), the Lembert Dome scramble, relaxing at Hogdgon Meadows and a double-birthday dinner at The Ahwahnee for Rachael and Amy. With an impending storm on the horizon for Sunday night, we slipped through Tioga Pass going to the Eastern Sierras and drove down below the snow line (6,000') to Bishop, California. With over a foot of snow received on Tioga Pass (the road is now closed for the season) and 2 inches of rain in 'the Valley', we felt pretty lucky to be in the good, if cold, weather of the Owen's Valley.
Okay, that's not really a week but it does break down neatly our trip from Marin County to Yosemite. We had planned on going up through Lake Tahoe and then down to Yosemite through Tioga Pass but reviewing the map in route we decided (outside of Sacramento) to spend all of our time in Yosemite. A late night drive, but definitely the right call. A week in Yosemite is not enough but it allowed us to explore 'the Valley', the climbing, and the sheer awe-inspiring sights on foot, by bike, on rope and by car. Highlights included our hike to Glacier Point, standing beneath El Capitan, watching slackliners cross Upper Yosemite Falls, a perfect visit from the Ramsey's (sorry we missed you Abby!), the Lembert Dome scramble, relaxing at Hogdgon Meadows and a double-birthday dinner at The Ahwahnee for Rachael and Amy. With an impending storm on the horizon for Sunday night, we slipped through Tioga Pass going to the Eastern Sierras and drove down below the snow line (6,000') to Bishop, California. With over a foot of snow received on Tioga Pass (the road is now closed for the season) and 2 inches of rain in 'the Valley', we felt pretty lucky to be in the good, if cold, weather of the Owen's Valley.
Week 10: November 2nd - November 8th
Bishop, California is in not only the heart of the Owen's Valley but also the 'hub' of the Eastern Sierra. Dramatic, beautiful and a land of serious contrasts, this region is home to both the lowest and highest point in the lower 48: Death Valley (-282') and Mt. Whitney (14,505'). The storm brought cold temps but we still had a great time bouldering down at the Happy Boulders (just a short bike ride away from our campsite) and the world-famous Buttermilks. Maybe it was the cold, or the wind, but the Buttermilks had the hardest bouldering grades we had ever seen; good thing it was gorgeous up there. We also took some time to go search for the oldest trees on Earth at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest which was located at almost 10,000' (luckily, we could drive up there to start our 4 mile hike) Finally, we had to leave Bishop and on the way to Joshua Tree we stopped at the site of the WWII Japanese-American internment camp at Manzanar. We meant just to stop by but three hours later we were still there, fascinated and saddened by this ugly chapter in our nation's history. Balanced and informative, the exhibit actually made us all stronger believers in our nation's ideals and to want to make sure we live up to our promises.
Bishop, California is in not only the heart of the Owen's Valley but also the 'hub' of the Eastern Sierra. Dramatic, beautiful and a land of serious contrasts, this region is home to both the lowest and highest point in the lower 48: Death Valley (-282') and Mt. Whitney (14,505'). The storm brought cold temps but we still had a great time bouldering down at the Happy Boulders (just a short bike ride away from our campsite) and the world-famous Buttermilks. Maybe it was the cold, or the wind, but the Buttermilks had the hardest bouldering grades we had ever seen; good thing it was gorgeous up there. We also took some time to go search for the oldest trees on Earth at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest which was located at almost 10,000' (luckily, we could drive up there to start our 4 mile hike) Finally, we had to leave Bishop and on the way to Joshua Tree we stopped at the site of the WWII Japanese-American internment camp at Manzanar. We meant just to stop by but three hours later we were still there, fascinated and saddened by this ugly chapter in our nation's history. Balanced and informative, the exhibit actually made us all stronger believers in our nation's ideals and to want to make sure we live up to our promises.
Week 11: November 9th - 15th
The drive to Joshua Tree was a bit longer than expected and after a overnight refueling pit-stop in TwentyNine Palms, where we ran into Gilman grad Jay Brooks ('10) at church, we headed into Joshua Tree National Park. Straddling the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, Joshua Tree is not only home to over 2.5 million Joshua Trees but also some of the best climbing in the US. We set up shop at the Jumbo Rocks campsite and then took day excursions to different climbing areas around the park. With the sheer number and diversity of areas to climb, we never had to worry about waiting for a route for even though we were in 'high season', there is always somewhere to go. Our biggest consideration was to make sure our areas had southernly-facing rocks which were protected from the wind. Bouldering around Bishop was a good preparation for climbing in the monzogranite of Joshua Tree but still, the stiff grading system lived up to its name. Finally, we decided to head back up north to Red Rock Canyon State Park outside of Las Vegas. Truly an amazing contrast as at the end of each day you could look down through the valley and see the glow of the city from the darkness of the park. We had two absolutely perfect climbing days in the park, which saw Grant leading a 5.10b (!) and Ethan climbing a 5.10a (!!), met a guide who took us DWS in Oman (Stephen Hyndman), ran into the sister of an old buddy from Gilman (Kirsten/Eric Klimt), and then headed into Las Vegas itself to met Yvonne and Cory Marion who flew down from Calgary to catch up with us! Another storm hit the West Coast and as the wind (and rain) whipped through the city, we felt our timing could not have been any more perfect.
The drive to Joshua Tree was a bit longer than expected and after a overnight refueling pit-stop in TwentyNine Palms, where we ran into Gilman grad Jay Brooks ('10) at church, we headed into Joshua Tree National Park. Straddling the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, Joshua Tree is not only home to over 2.5 million Joshua Trees but also some of the best climbing in the US. We set up shop at the Jumbo Rocks campsite and then took day excursions to different climbing areas around the park. With the sheer number and diversity of areas to climb, we never had to worry about waiting for a route for even though we were in 'high season', there is always somewhere to go. Our biggest consideration was to make sure our areas had southernly-facing rocks which were protected from the wind. Bouldering around Bishop was a good preparation for climbing in the monzogranite of Joshua Tree but still, the stiff grading system lived up to its name. Finally, we decided to head back up north to Red Rock Canyon State Park outside of Las Vegas. Truly an amazing contrast as at the end of each day you could look down through the valley and see the glow of the city from the darkness of the park. We had two absolutely perfect climbing days in the park, which saw Grant leading a 5.10b (!) and Ethan climbing a 5.10a (!!), met a guide who took us DWS in Oman (Stephen Hyndman), ran into the sister of an old buddy from Gilman (Kirsten/Eric Klimt), and then headed into Las Vegas itself to met Yvonne and Cory Marion who flew down from Calgary to catch up with us! Another storm hit the West Coast and as the wind (and rain) whipped through the city, we felt our timing could not have been any more perfect.
Week 12: November 16th - November 23rd
Our stop-over in Las Vegas gave us a few days with the Marions to walk the strip and explore more of the area around Vegas. Our visit and tour of Hoover Dam was impressive (still cannot believe that it was completed in 1935) and we even snuck in a Vegas-style show, watching the illusionist Dirk Arthur's 'Wild Magic'. Then it was on to southwestern Utah after spending a great overnight in the Valley of Fire. Hanging out in Snow Canyon State Park just outside St. George, Utah to recharge, climb and eat some of the best quesadillas we've encountered, we ventured out to Zion National Park and hiked the wildly exposed Angel's Landing Trail. Rumors of another storm on its way pushed us to only a day hike in Bryce Canyon as we tried to drop in latitude and altitude finishing the week in Page, Arizona, just east of Glen Canyon Dam.
Our stop-over in Las Vegas gave us a few days with the Marions to walk the strip and explore more of the area around Vegas. Our visit and tour of Hoover Dam was impressive (still cannot believe that it was completed in 1935) and we even snuck in a Vegas-style show, watching the illusionist Dirk Arthur's 'Wild Magic'. Then it was on to southwestern Utah after spending a great overnight in the Valley of Fire. Hanging out in Snow Canyon State Park just outside St. George, Utah to recharge, climb and eat some of the best quesadillas we've encountered, we ventured out to Zion National Park and hiked the wildly exposed Angel's Landing Trail. Rumors of another storm on its way pushed us to only a day hike in Bryce Canyon as we tried to drop in latitude and altitude finishing the week in Page, Arizona, just east of Glen Canyon Dam.
Week 13: November 24th - November 29th
Okay, admittedly another 'short week' but there was a lot going on in those six days! From touring Grand Canyon on a blustery day, catching up with great family friends, the Hoffman's in Flagstaff, AZ, and then driving down into Sedona for Thanksgiving with part of the Thomsen clan (Pete, LB, BT and Julie to be exact), we had a great 'homecoming' at Verde Valley School where we started our teaching careers almost 20 years ago. Thankfully, not much had changed in Sedona and our hikes with the Thomsen's, dinner with the Masons, and sheer joy on the faces of the boys as they ran, jumped, biked and climbed all over the desert terrain, rekindled our love for the region. The weather did eventually clear, though with the cold settling in, we decided to move even further south and ventured down to Saguaro National Park outside of Tucson, AZ for the end of the Thanksgiving weekend.
Okay, admittedly another 'short week' but there was a lot going on in those six days! From touring Grand Canyon on a blustery day, catching up with great family friends, the Hoffman's in Flagstaff, AZ, and then driving down into Sedona for Thanksgiving with part of the Thomsen clan (Pete, LB, BT and Julie to be exact), we had a great 'homecoming' at Verde Valley School where we started our teaching careers almost 20 years ago. Thankfully, not much had changed in Sedona and our hikes with the Thomsen's, dinner with the Masons, and sheer joy on the faces of the boys as they ran, jumped, biked and climbed all over the desert terrain, rekindled our love for the region. The weather did eventually clear, though with the cold settling in, we decided to move even further south and ventured down to Saguaro National Park outside of Tucson, AZ for the end of the Thanksgiving weekend.
Week 14: November 30th-December 7th
Having an extra day in Saguaro National Park was well worth it as we were able to explore a bit more, actually play some music and literally get everything charged up before we headed even further into southeastern Arizona. Our destination was the West Stronghold region of the Cochise Mountains, an area so named because of the famous Chiricahua Apache leader for a few days of dispersed camping, climbing the granite domes and mt biking in the region (kind of a theme of our trip if you've been following along!). Probably one of our favorite areas, it was hard to leave but we eventually did, traveling through Tombstone (yes, it is still a real town) and Bisbee, Arizona before sneaking a peak at the Chiricahua National Monument (we'll be back in April) as we headed off to Silver City, in southwestern New Mexico. As we travelled into Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, briefly soaked in the Lightfeather Hot Springs on the edge of the Gila Wilderness, ordered take-out burritos (why not?!?) and biked in the Fort Bayard NF, New Mexico astounded us and we have only experienced one little slice. Our next slice is what is underground at the Carlsbad Caverns....
Having an extra day in Saguaro National Park was well worth it as we were able to explore a bit more, actually play some music and literally get everything charged up before we headed even further into southeastern Arizona. Our destination was the West Stronghold region of the Cochise Mountains, an area so named because of the famous Chiricahua Apache leader for a few days of dispersed camping, climbing the granite domes and mt biking in the region (kind of a theme of our trip if you've been following along!). Probably one of our favorite areas, it was hard to leave but we eventually did, traveling through Tombstone (yes, it is still a real town) and Bisbee, Arizona before sneaking a peak at the Chiricahua National Monument (we'll be back in April) as we headed off to Silver City, in southwestern New Mexico. As we travelled into Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument, briefly soaked in the Lightfeather Hot Springs on the edge of the Gila Wilderness, ordered take-out burritos (why not?!?) and biked in the Fort Bayard NF, New Mexico astounded us and we have only experienced one little slice. Our next slice is what is underground at the Carlsbad Caverns....
Week 15: December 8th-December 14th
Of course to get to Carlsbad Caverns we had to put some miles down and sneak into Texas. What this allowed us to do was to experience Guadalupe Mountains National Park and understand a little more about the geography and geology of the region. It was wild to learn that the Guadalupe Mountains and the Carlsbad Caverns are actually part of the same fossilized reef system, the same reef that bordered the ancient inland sea now called the Permian Basin. What looked like endless open plain during the day lit up at night as the thousands of flare fires from the wells served to remind us of the traditional economy of West Texas: oil. This didn't take away from the vast beauty of the plains as we drove further south and away from the oil fields into Big Bend National Park and spent three days along the Rio Grande. From there we made a single push to Austin and a great visit with Uncle Joe Kelly to finish the first section of our year's journey.
Of course to get to Carlsbad Caverns we had to put some miles down and sneak into Texas. What this allowed us to do was to experience Guadalupe Mountains National Park and understand a little more about the geography and geology of the region. It was wild to learn that the Guadalupe Mountains and the Carlsbad Caverns are actually part of the same fossilized reef system, the same reef that bordered the ancient inland sea now called the Permian Basin. What looked like endless open plain during the day lit up at night as the thousands of flare fires from the wells served to remind us of the traditional economy of West Texas: oil. This didn't take away from the vast beauty of the plains as we drove further south and away from the oil fields into Big Bend National Park and spent three days along the Rio Grande. From there we made a single push to Austin and a great visit with Uncle Joe Kelly to finish the first section of our year's journey.