The Plan...of course it's written in the sand at low tide....

The Plan...of course it's written in the sand at low tide....

Monday, May 27, 2013

California

Weds. May 15th, 2013 - 11:00 a.m. finally off for Alaska First stop Napa, CA to visit Don, Amanda, and our little Miss Ruby Belle. We stayed at the Skyline Wilderness Park a nice campground on the outskirts of Napa. First test of leaving the puppies in the trailer alone,after 3 1/2 hours they did great! We had fun playing with Ruby...............she is so active but when it was time to leave so loving....we had at least three big hugs and kisses each, what a way to start a trip. Thursday May 16th - Leaving Napa for Benbow RV Park Our goal for the first part of the trip was to take Hwy 101 all the way up through California, Oregon, and Washington to Canada stopping at all those places we didn't have time for when we were off on some other adventure. One stop I always wanted to make was along the way at the roadside carving stands. Friday May 17th - Brunch at the Benbow Inn The Benbow RV Park was nice but I always wanted to stay at the Benbow Inn (est. in 1926). Well I still haven't stayed in one of the rooms but we had a nice brunch and got to walk around the Inn and gardens. Saturday May 18th - Headed North to the Klamath River Next stop was the Klamath River with Alan's chance to go and explore Fern Canyon. Along the way we left Hwy 101 and drove up the Ave. of the Giants, again it seems like you never take the time....so glad we did. The drive was beautiful. We got into Kamp Klamath and got camp set up then headed for the lookout to watch the mother whales taking their calves up the coast. It was kind of cold but we never get tired of watching mother nature at it's best. Sun. May 19th - Took the Fern Canyon Hike Off to Fern Canyon. The canyon was created millions of years ago...the retreating sea left the coastal bluffs behind. Waters draining to the ocean sculpted the rocky formations of the canyon walls. Some of the ferns climbing the walls are ancient species who's ancestry can be traced back 325 million years. It was a bit tricky at times navigating the stream and logs (I gave up and figured my feet were going to get wet anyway so I forgot the logs and just trudged trough the stream.) but the walk was well worth the effort and breath taking. The pictures do not do it justice. On the way back to Hwy 101 from Fern Canyon we got to see a herd of Elk. We pulled over to watch and some walked right behind the truck. When we got back to camp we relaxed and Alan played guitar. The camp owner stopped by and asked if he wanted to have a little "Jam Session" later and of course the answer was yes. Douglas, the owner, also played guitar and harmonica and another camp guest played the base tub. Never actually played with a base tub before but it was fun. We had about 15 people all gathered around the camp fire and enjoying some good conversation and music. What a nice way to spend our last night in California. ***Note...first time using the new "Blog Spot" format...not happy with picture layouts but got tired of messing with it. Hopefully before the trip is over I'll get better at the posts. P.S. You can click on any picture to make it larger.

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