A Little More Time

We moved our youngest son into his apartment at college this weekend. All of his worldly possessions were neatly packed into boxes. His books, iMac, TV, CDs/DVDs, electric guitar, clothes, a few pots and pans, toiletries, and a hand-me-down bookcase case were all loaded into two vehicles for the short drive. He's attending a college within half an hour's distance, but the program he's in requires he live on campus the first year.

Our oldest son moved out a couple of months ago, but due to the economy and severe cuts in his hours at work, he moved BACK home this weekend. He has one year of college left and hopes to get married next summer, so he decided it would be better to be somewhere a little cheaper (free rent) so he can save some money. I'm good with it.

At the end of the emotional day--on several levels--I was thinking how fast the last 20+ years had flown by and how things were going to be quite a bit different. The youngest will come home most weekends; how much we'll see of him during that time is still up for debate. The oldest already had a pattern of coming and going as he pleased before he left, and I'm sure that's how it will be now. They don't depend on us near as much as they used to. They have grown up; they have very distinct personalities, talents, beliefs, etc. They are--and have been for a while--pretty independent fellas. They are both quite talented musically. Both of them have a warped/unique sense of humor (don't know where they got THAT!), and they inherited the "height" gene that apparently missed their mother and I.

We're proud of them both. The youngest told us once: "You guys got off easy," and you know what? He's right. Both of them have participated in their share of mischievous acts, but for the most part, they have been really "good kids"...now young men.

Yep. It'll be different not having them both around all the time. Not hearing them laughing in their rooms at some stupid video or post they've read on the internet. It will be quieter; it could become a little unnerving when they both broke out the guitars and keyboards and began playing...in two separate rooms and two completely different tunes!!! I'll miss having them come into the living room, paying no attention to what's going on and immediately just start talking, reading something THEY think is funny, or playing a new tune they've figured out without any regard for the fact their mother and I are in the middle of a conversation or trying to watch something on TV.

I'll miss waiting on them to show up for dinner on time. I'll miss telling them for the 1 millionth time to "pick that crap up and put it in your room." I'll miss hearing them say: "Mom, I'm gonna be in college and you won't know what I'm doing all the time there. Why do I have to text you, now?" There are lots of other things I'll miss, but you get the point.

I'm also going to miss the things I wanted to do with them, but never got around to. I got busy, they got busy. We didn't have the money. We didn't have the time. The oldest and I planned on riding Oklahoma FreeWheel together, but it never happened. I planned on taking them both white-water rafting. I planned on taking them both deep-sea fishing. I planned on us renting an RV and just getting away for a week. I wanted to take them to a Shepherds' Conference. I meant to spend more time with them, doing things they enjoyed, talking about all kinds of things, picking their brains, giving them some "fatherly advice." I meant to do all that stuff and more...but it didn't happen.

I wish I'd had a little more time...

I did what I could within the time I had, and all-in-all, they didn't turn out bad. They don't seem to be too upset about the things we didn't do, so just maybe, things will be alright. And you know what, God willing, we still may get the opportunity to do some of those things...as long as it doesn't interfere with school!

Sabbatical

Wow! It's been a while since I've posted anything here. It's been a busy summer and I've had lots of things on my mind, but never took the time to write them down.

Church
We left the church we've been attending for the past five years. I really thought this one was going to work for us, but the pastor went "dog day afternoon" on us, i.e. starting bullying from the pulpit, became argumentative with anyone that didn't see things his way, etc. There were some situations/conversations where he wasn't completely truthful and frankly, I don't need that in a pastor or a church.

We have visited several different congregations in the area and have been attending one in particular for the past few weeks. I worked real hard not to sway the decision-making process this time, since I was the one that picked the last church that didn't work out. Dana seems to like this one and has made comments to that effect the past couple of weeks. We know quite a few people there already, so the transition hasn't been too bad. I don't anticipate us placing our membership anywhere right now; maybe not for a long time. I've always said, church would be a great place if you didn't have to deal with people...myself included.

Alaska
We went to Alaska this summer; our second time. The first trip was for our 20th wedding anniversary. This time we took the boys and celebrated our 30th anniversary. We took a flight-seeing tour of the Misty Fjords in Ketchikan and went whale watching in Juneau. Absolutely gorgeous! Here's a few of the pictures I took (culled from over 1000!)

Another Project
When we bought the home we're currently living in, there was an 8 ft x 12 ft portable storage building in the back yard. Over the years, it started to deteriorate, so this summer I decided I would tear it down and replace it. After removing the roof and walls, I discovered that the floor was actually in pretty good shape, so rather than trashing the whole thing, I simply added on. The building is now 12 ft x 20 ft! I've completed all of the construction, just need to paint it. You can take a look at the finished product here

Reunion
I'm attending my high school's homecoming this weekend. We're throwing an "all 70s classes" reunion, i.e. all classmates from classes 1970 through 1979. I graduated in 1976. Should be fun. There are some people attending I haven't seen in over 30 years. I'm sure I look the same!

Hopefully, I won't be so long between posts this time.

Vacation

The past few years, Dana and I have taken the opportunity to go on vacation by ourselves while our youngest son is at church camp. This year, we decided to spend a few days in Branson, MO then drive down to the Buffalo River below Harrison, AR and spend a few days there. We got up Monday morning (07/06), saw the boy off to camp, threw our stuff in the pickup and hit the road!

In Branson, we stayed in a cabin at the Westgate Resort. Rather than staying in the lodge at the resort, we found some cabins located on the property that were owned by private individuals. We chose one of the cabins owned by Ron and Linda Blevins. We didn't know the Blevins nor did we know anyone that had rented from them, but the online reviews were all positive, the cabins looked nice...so we took a chance.

The Blevin's cabin we stayed in was A3 and it was PERFECT! Full-size kitchen, flat panel TV with DVD player, screened-in back porch complete with another TV and porch swing...and the piece de resistance--a king size Sleep Number ® bed! There was also a juccuzi tub. The cabin was tastefully decorated (as far as cabin decorations go) and furnished with the basic cooking utensils, plates, etc. We didn't cook, but did make use of the coffee maker. Even though we were inside the resort, we felt like we were off somewhere in the Ozark mountains; very private and quiet. Just what we were looking for. The really nice thing is the resort is located just off the "blue route"/Shepherd of the Hills Expressway in Branson which gave us very easy access to all the attractions we wanted to see, without having to drive on Hwy 76! You know what I'm talking about if you've been there. We stayed two nights in this cabin.

Tuesday we went to Silver Dollar City--west of Branson. SDC is like stepping back in time, when things were a little simpler and less hectic. The park features over 50 different crafts shops from wood carvings to candles to homemade candies and blown glass. The "town" is designed to look like a typical 1880's mountain settlement with the shop owners/craftworkers dressed in period clothing. There are 30 rides and attractions for kids of all ages. You won't get hungry there either--there's plenty of food! We spent the day just enjoying the various shops; no standing in line for rides for us this trip. We did make sure we bought some of the made from scratch candy and a bag of pork rinds!

Wednesday was spent in Dogwood Canyon, south of Branson. We had heard about the park from family members and friends. The canyon/park was created by Bass Pro Shop owner, John Morris, and encompasses over 2000 acres of streams, waterfalls and pools teeming with brown and rainbow trout. The park also boasts herds of elk, deer and North American bison. The hiking/bike trail(s) in the park are paved and cover a little of 7 miles that wind through the canyon. You can see more of the pictures I took here. We rented bikes and rode some of the trails, took a break for a picnic lunch we had packed, then took their tram tour through the canyon and mountain ranch where the big animals were. A long day, but well worth it. I'd like to go back in the Fall and get some more pictures. That evening, we drove down to Ponca, AR and our cabin at Buffalo Outdoor Center.

Buffalo Outdoor Center (BOC) was started in 1976 by Mike Mills as a canoeing operation. Mike and his wife, Rhonda, have since added 18 cabins and a lodge. Area activities include canoeing, hiking, wildlife watching and camping. We like BOC because of its remote location and the shear beauty of the area. On our way to BOC, we stopped and picked up some steaks for grilling and a few other groceries for our two day stay. We had booked a cabin in the valley this time--we stayed at BOC in 2006 in their Mountain Sunrise cabin and figured we would try something different this time. The thing we really like about BOC is the quiet and solitude. There is no TV reception in Ponca and our cell phones had no service...it was GREAT! We took some books, some DVDs (the cabins do have TVs and DVD players) and left work at home! They steaks were GREAT, by the way.

Thursday morning we slept in--8:30 AM! We had tickets to Noah - The Musical in Branson for that afternoon, which wasn't a really good plan since we had already been there earlier in the week, but that's just how the schedule/ticket availability worked out. The show was really good, even though I'm really not a "musical" guy. The stage sets/props were very impressive and they did a pretty good job of sticking with the Biblical text...for the most part. I won't spoil it for you by telling you if they made it off the boat or not. 8^)>

Friday morning we got up early in order to beat the heat for our hike to Hawksbill Crag aka Whitaker Point. The dirt road off the highway is a 12-mile trek up a sometimes very narrow dirt road just to get to the trail head. The hike into the crag is fairly easy and about 1.5 miles through the woods. The view from the crag is breathtaking. We sat out there for quite a while just enjoying the view of the valley and enjoying the cool breeze. The hike back--although the same distance--was a little tougher since (a) the temperature had risen probably 10 to 15 degrees since we started in on the trail (b) our water wasn't cold any more, but we were glad to have it (c) the return trip is more uphill. Needless to say, we were sweaty messes by the time we made it back to the truck.

All-in-all, a great week--just the two of us. I love these kinds of trips where we can go at our own pace, stop whenever we want (or not), actually carry on a conversation without being interrupted, and eat at restaurants WE like. I also love trips like this that commemorate important stages in our lives--this was our "29th wedding anniversary trip." Who would would have "thunk" it?!

Northern California Trip - Pt 5

From the beginning, our intentions for this trip had been to see all or as many of the lighthouses along Hwy 1 as possible and to visit the Redwood National Forest north of Eureka. After a few days into our trip, we realized things probably weren't going to work out as we had planned. First of all, we hadn't counted on the amount of time required to get from Point A to Point B. A distance of 20 miles back home means about 20 minutes driving. Along the California coast? Double or triple that, due to the narrow highway, the enormous number of turns and switchbacks. Second, there's all of the breathtaking turnouts that overlook the Pacific ocean. You HAVE to stop! By mid-week we gave into the notion that we weren't going to make the National Forest, so we spent a little more time than planned on the Avenue of the Giants (see previous post).

Another factor in our "shortened" trip were the brush fires that had inendated Northern California. We saw lots of firetrucks on the highways, but had yet to really see any of the fires or their effects--except for a few areas that were a bit hazey. It wasn't until we moved over to Highway 101 heading into Eureka that we could actually smell smoke. We had planned on spending the day in the Eureka/Arcata area, then cutting across to Interstate 5 Saturday morning, then on in to Sacramento for our flight home. Friday morning we discovered that Hwy 299 was closed to traffic in a couple of places due to the fires. Our best bet was to backtrack on 101 to just below Fort Bragg--where we had been two days before--then cut across on Hwy 20. So, in light of circumstances, we decided to make a quick tour through downtown Eureka, hop up to Arcata and then start heading south.

Eureka, California was founded in 1850 as a shipping center for the Trinty gold mines. The town is said to be one of the finest and largest collections of Victorian homes in the world. One of the most unique is the former home of William Carson, built in 1885. The Ingomar Club purchased the building in 1950. To my knowledge, the Club is not open to the public for tours.

We spent about two hours walking around the "Old Town/Boardwalk" area. Lots of shops, art galleries, etc. and just enjoying the cool breeze coming of Humboldt Bay. Heading north, we made the short trip to Arcata--home of Humboldt State University. Arcata has been described as "California's northern hippie outpost," which became obvious to us as we made out way to the town's square. The square is a very nice little "park" surrounded by all kinds of novelty shops and galleries. The abundance of "Obama '08" signs let us know that we were in foreign territory. We sat on a park bench in the square and just watched the people, many of whom appeared to be in a 70's time warp based on their dress/hairstyles. One individual--we never could really determine the gender--entertained us with his/her version of some type of interpretive dance. We saw all we cared to see in Arcata and began the trek toward Sacramento...and home.

It took us the remainder of the day to drive from Arcata to Williams, CA which is about 45 minutes north of Sacramento. We hit several places where traffic was near stand-still due to smoke on the highway. We also passed a couple of "fire camps" where firefighters were staying. The smoke was so thick at one point that you could barely see 25-35 feet in front of the car.

Saturday morning, we made our way to Sacramento. Since our plane didn't leave until late afternoon, we drove to the "Old Sacramento" area of downtown. Located on the banks of the Sacramento River, this 28-acre Historic Landmark District features plenty of shops, restaurants, and attractions such as the Wells Fargo History museum and the California State Railroad museum. We spent a couple hours and a few more dollars on last-minute souvenirs in the area. After lunch at Joe's Crab Shack, we headed to the airport.

Our flight home was delayed about 4 hours, but we finally landed at Tulsa International around 1:00 AM! It was a GREAT week. Dana and I got to spend some much needed time together and we got to see a part of the country that neither of us had ever seen. Some day, I hope we can return to Northern California and visit Yosemite National Park.

Northern California Trip - Pt 4

Sunrises in Shelter Cove are just as awesome as the sunsets. We opened the window facing the beach and listend to the ocean all night long. What a way to fall asleep!

I don't know why, but I just can't "sleep in" like Dana does. Every day of our trip--except for Tuesday--I was up, wide awake by 6:00-6:30 AM. I normally get up around 5:30 AM, so I guess that's sorta like sleeping in. Anyway, this morning, I made coffee, sat out on the balcony, read my book (vacation is about the only time I have to read just for enjoyment. This trip I took David Baldacci's The Whole Truth) and watched the sun rise while several pelicans flew back and forth over the cove.

We had picked up some donuts and granola bars the day before, so after a quick breakfast, we packed the car and began the drive out of Shelter Cove. As I mentioned in the previous post, the descent was pretty steep, which meant the "climb out" would be equally as precarious and SLOW. On our way out, we stopped to watch several deer and their fawns as they calmly grazed right next to the road. Forty-five minutes later, we were back on Highway 101, heading toward our day's destination--"The Avenue of the Giants."

Northern California, just above Trinidad, boasts the Redwood National Forest, but southern Humboldt county is home to the "Avenue of the Giants" (AOTG), a stretch of highway that parallels Highway 101. The 31-mile road is lined with over 51,000 acres of giant redwoods, actually cutting through Humbolt Redwoods State Park. There are several small towns along the way, as well as various turn-outs and picnic/camping areas. There are also more than enough "souvenir" stops featuring anything you can imagine made of redwood (or not made of redwood) with "California" or "Redwoods" stamped or screen-printed on it.

We picked up several brochures about the AOTG that suggested certain stops, but we decided we would just drive and stop whenever something caught our attention. The first thing that hits you as you drive among the giant redwoods is just how GIANT they are! It's amazing to think that some of the trees are hundreds, if not over 1000 years old and standing more than 300 feet tall! The Dyerville Giant, located in Founders Grove, is no longer standing, but when measured in 1972, stood 362 feet with a circumference of 52 feet. The tree fell in March of 1991. The picture at the left is Dana standing at the base of the Dyerville Giant.

We took our time driving through "The Avenue;" sometimes our speed was 35 mph or less. When you're driving through the redwoods, you just want to take your time and take in the magnificence of the forest. We stopped in Miranda at Korbly Woodworks. Bernie Korbly has been in the same location for over 30 years, designing and crafting all kinds of furniture, carvings, etc. from redwood. Being an amatuer woodworker myself, I couldn't resist the opportunity to just stop breathe in the aroma of this old woodshop.

We also stopped in Myers Flat and drove through the "Shrine Drive Thru Tree." Just north of there, we got out of the car and walked one of the trails along the highway. It was amazing how quiet and peaceful it was. As we walked through the dense forest, I was reminded of Psalm 46:10--"Be still and know that I am God..." In the stillness and beauty of the redwoods, we were awestruck by the wonderfully fascinating creation God has made for us to enjoy. I asked Dana: "If we think THIS is beautiful, can you even begin to imagine what the "new earth" (Rev 21:1) will look like?!" At the end of the AOTG, we stopped and ate lunch under the redwoods. I don't think we've ever had a picnic in such beautiful surroundings.

From the AOTG, we made our way to Ferndale, CA. Ferndale is a old victorian town, featuring plenty of bed and breakfast inns and specialty shops. One particular "feature" of the town is the cemetary which is built on the side of a wooded hill. We spent a couple of hours window shopping and admiring the victorian architecture, then made our way to Eureka up the road.

Eureka is similar to Ferndale in regard to the victorian influence, but bigger. "Old Town" Eureka sits on the edge of Humboldt Bay and provides plenty of shopping and eating opportunities. We still had quite a bit of daylight left, so we checked into our motel (first night we didn't spend on the coast) and decided to hit downtown Eureka the next day, opting instead for a quick trip up the highway to Trinidad and Trinidad Bay--home of the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse. The Memorial Lighthouse is a replica of the lighthouse located on Trindad Head; The Trinidad Head lighthouse is still active, but not open to the public. The Memorial Lighthouse sits above the beach, which the best I could tell, was several hundred yards DOWN a steep path that had been fashioned from 8" x 8" timbers, about 4 feet wide. I walked down about a third of the way, then began thinking about he trip BACK UP...I gave up opting to admire the view from the top of the memorial.

Returning to Eureka, we decided it was time to eat. We headed across Humbolt Bay to Woodley Island and Cafe' Marina. Since we had arrived a little earlier in the evening, we were able to be seated right away. We opted for an inside table looking out over the marina. Dana had fish and chips; I had a "fried platter" with prawns, scallops, and oysters. Good stuff! After dinner, we walked along the edge of the marina, looking at the boats. It had been a long day, so we headed back to the motel. Tomorrow: downtown Eureka and then start heading back toward Sacramento.

Northern California Trip - Pt 3/Friday Photo

Friday Photo

Woodley Island Marina in Eureka, CA.

Continuing Up Highway One
The morning of our third day in Northern California, we were still in Fort Bragg. Once a booming logging town, Fort Bragg is the largest town between San Francisco and Eureka California, so besides "Capt'n Flint's," we figured there must other things to see and/or do there. As we were finishing breakfast that morning at Denny's, we asked our waitress if there was anything "unique" in Fort Bragg (other than the Skunk Train) we should see before leaving town. "Have you been to 'Glass Beach'?," she asked. "No," I answered, "How do we get there?" She gave us directions (turned out we were actually sitting at the main road to the beach) and told us were the best area was "that hadn't been picked over." I wasn't sure what she meant, but we thanked her, paid our bill and headed out.

We knew very little about "Glass Beach," before going there, but had heard that it was quite unique in that rather than a sand beach, this beach was made up of glass pebbles (click the picture for a better view). We drove to the end of a road and parked our car. Walking down a dirth path about 100 yards, we came to a fork. "Take the path to the left," our waitress had told us. We did and very quickly we were standing on the edge of a cliff overlooking the beach. From where we were standing, we could tell this was no ordinary beach. Emerald, ocher, amber, and ruby colors sparkled in the morning sun. We climbed/walked a precarious path about 30 to 40 feet down to the beach and found ourselves standing on--exactly as the name implies--a beach of GLASS! It was amazing! The whole beach is covered with small "rocks" of glass that have been smoothed over by the ocean tide. "How and why is this stuff here?," we wondered.

According to one source:

Early in the 20th century, residents of Fort Bragg pitched their household waste -- glass, kitchen appliances, and sometimes whole cars -- over these cliffs, then owned by Union Lumber Company and known locally as "The Dumps." Wilbur Lawson, 83, of the Fort Bragg-Mendocino Coast Historical Society, remembers poking around the junkyard as a kid during the 1930s. "There was always a fire lit in order to reduce the trash pile," he says, which might explain how that chinaware melded into a slab of solid rock. "This was a playground for us," he recalls...

Fort Bragg's leaders wised up in 1967 and closed the area. The pounding surf began to heal the shore over the next several decades, grinding the castoffs into the glittering treasure that now covers the beach. Since then, the place has become a beachcombers' paradise and a living science lesson in one. Curious visitors and occasional school groups sift through sandy crevices, filling buckets, pockets, and purses with colorful finds...

According to Wilbur, automobile companies started making car taillights out of plastic instead of glass after World War II. Consequently, red sea glass is a rarity.

There were other people on the beach; one gentleman said he had been coming to Glass Beach for years. He explained the different colors: "The green glass is probably 7-Up or Mountain Dew bottles, amber is probably beer or root beer bottles, and the blue glass is most likely the old 'milk of magnesia' or 'Geritol' bottles. The clear or white glass--who knows." We spent about an hour and a half scouring the beach for some of the rarer colors of glass and found some. When you think about it, it's kinda funny--and gross--that we spent that much time, walking on and picking through other people's GARBAGE! Glass Beach is pretty in a strange sort of way, but sad in that it's existence is due to the human race's indifference to the effects of massive litter. I'm not a "tree-hugger," but I think we can come up with better ways to deal with our waste/trash.

Leaving Fort Bragg, we continued north on Highway One, gradually vearing toward the east and merging into Hwy 101 around Legget, CA. At Garberville (about 475 feet elevation), we turned back to the west and begin our decent down to Shelter Cove and our lodging for the evening, The Tides Inn. The 20-mile descent equals about 45 minutes on some of the steepest, narrowest road we had seen to date. There are switchbacks along the way that definitely define the term "hairpin curve!" I would NOT want to drive that road at night. We arrived safely--brakes stinking to high heaven.

The view from The Tides Inn at Shelter Cove is breath-taking! Julie, our hostess, had assigned us a room on the second floor, with a balcony that overlooked the ocean. I'm pretty sure all of the rooms at The Tides had an ocean view. As with our rooms in Bodega Bay and Fort Bragg, there was no AC, but you just didn't need it. The ocean breeze was more than enough to keep the room quite comfortable.

We put our things away and set out to see the sites, specifically the BEACH and the Mendocino Lighthouse which was relocated to the Cove in 1999. As we walked along the beach, we saw seagulls, starfish, crabs, pelicans and sea lions. We sat and watched the sea lions playing in the water and sunning themselves on a group of rocks about 25 yards from the shore. We also saw several deer and fawns as we walked and drove around the area.

Shelter Cove is an interesting community and one of the last places you can actually buy a lot on the ocean. The homes range from tents to multi-million dollar sea-side retreats. According to some literature we picked up, lots range from $80k and up. One brochure stated it was "difficult to find a home under $300k." Along with the B&B's or ocean front lodges, there are three restaurants and one deli; only ONE--Costa Cocina Pizza--was open the day we were there. The Cove has a private air strip, a nine-hole golf course and a campground (that's were the tents are). The main attractions of Shelter Cove?: the seclusion and the unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean. Cell phones don't work well there either...which really wasn't a big deal to us--we were on VACATION!

This was our view of the sunset from our balcony.

Northern California Trip - Pt 2

We woke up Tuesday morning to a clear blue sky; temperature in the mid to high 50s. We grabbed bagels and coffee at the motel office (Bodega Harbour Inn) and had breakfast on the patio of our room. Before we left Bodega Bay, we stopped at a little grocery store next to the motel and bought stuff for a picnic later along the coast.

Highway One is a two-lane road that runs right along the coast, with some places a straight drop-off into the Pacific Ocean. It is absolutely beautiful! If you're driving, it's difficult to do much sight-seeing because the road has very few straight sections. We drove most of the day at a top speed of 30-35 MPH because of all the sharp turns and "switchbacks." There were several places where the grade was anywhere from 7-15%…uphill and downhill. We drove with the windows down so we could enjoy the cool ocean air. I don't think we had a single day over 70-75 degrees while we were driving the coast. In fact, the three nights we stayed on the coast, our rooms didn't even have AC; we didn't need it…IN JULY!

Not too far outside of Bodega Bay, we stopped at Salmon Creek State Park and walked down to the beach. The waves crashing against the rocks were SO LOUD! The beaches in Northern California are so different from the beaches we've been to in Ft. Walton/Destin Florida. The beaches in Northern California are broken up with lots of large rocks and tidepools; the waves also look much bigger than the waves in Florida. When the waves hit the beach/rocks, the noise is a crashing BOOM, then the water shoots straight up and sprays everywhere. We spent about an hour just walking the beach and climbing the rocks. We had hoped to find lots of shells, but the few we found where busted up and not worth picking up. Another thing about the California beaches we saw was the sand was almost black- a stark contrast to the Destin FL beaches.

We stopped in Jenner to top off the gas tank since we weren't sure when we would find "services" again. We paid $4.75 per gallon for regular unleaded. Up the highway, we stopped at Salt Point State Park for lunch. Dana and I were the only people in the area where we stopped. After lunch, we walked down to the beach.

Point Arena Lighthouse was our next destination. Point Arena tower is the only Pacific West coast lighthouse of significant height (115 feet) that you can climb to the top! However, much to our disappointment, the lighthouse and museum were recently closed for renovation; we were still able to get a few pictures. There were several sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks and playing in the surf below the lighthouse. We spent about 45 minutes just enjoying the spectacular view, then continued on to our stop for the night, Fort Bragg where we had reservations at the Surf and Sand Lodge.

The lodge is on the north end of town and sits about 50 yards from the ocean's edge. Our room was on the second floor and had a balcony that overlooked the Pacific ocean. After moving our luggage, etc. from the car to the room, we headed into town for dinner. The desk clerk at the lodge recommended a local "bistro," so we figured we would give it a try. Shortly after we were seated, we began to notice: "It's HOT in here!" The restaurant had NO air conditioning. When we asked about the AC, our waiter told us that they weren't ALLOWED to have AC in the buildings that sat on the coast. We didn't ask why. We apologized for any inconvenience we may have caused and informed him that we couldn't enjoy our meal under the circumstances and we left. He apologized to us...but I have a feeling he just thought we were country bumpkins that really couldn't afford to eat there and were embarrassed to say so. (Pssst. The prices were a little steep.)

Now, what to do for dinner? We had purchased one of those "tour books" and Dana had previously read about a restaurant down by the docks on Noyo Harbor named "Capt'n Flint's." The reviewer said the fish and chips were good and the prices reasonable, so we figured- why not? Unknown to us at the time, Capt'n Flint's (and several other locations in Fort Bragg) had been used in filming the movie Overboard with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. In fact, Capt'n Flint's is where they go out for Goldie's character's birthday. The sign on the door states: "We don't take credit cards, debit cards or personal checks. CASH ONLY." Apparently, they didn't spend much of the cash on decor, but what Capt'n Flint's lacks in atmosphere--actually, it looks exactly like something you'd find on a fishing dock, and smells like it too--they make up for in the food. Dana had the fish and chips; I had the prawns and chips, along with a cup of clam chowder. No complaints! The food was really good.

We finished out the evening walking the beach in front of the lodge, then sitting on our balcony and watching the sun set. We left the sliding door to the balcony open all night and let the crashing waves lull us to sleep. Dana already wants to move to northern California.

Northern California Trip - Pt 1

A couple of months ago, Dana and I were talking about where we might go on vacation this summer. Ryon, our oldest, was planning on taking a summer course at the community college and Alex, our youngest, wasn't interested in a vacation (I think we burned him out last year at the Grand Canyon). He was going to church camp for a week in July, so we decided we would go somewhere during the church camp week. Destination: Northern California's coast, specifically, Highway One. I have been to southern California several times, but neither of us had ever been to the northern part of the state. We had been reading that there were several lighthouses along the route--none of which are operating, but they still sounded neat--so we bought plane tickets to Sacramento on ExpressJet (they fly nonstop from Tulsa), booked a rental car, and began scouring the web for places to see and stay along the way.

Day One: Four o'clock in the morning is EARLY! We had to be at the airport for our 7:00 flight to Sacramento by 5:30 AM. A quick stop at McDonald's and we were on our way. We sailed through ExpressJet's check-in and then stood in line at Airport security for about 20 minutes, which really isn't bad for a Monday morning at Tulsa International. I think everyone else was flying American Airlines to Dallas.

We arrived in Sacramento about 20 minutes ahead of schedule, but ended up spending that time waiting for our luggage. After a short shuttle ride to the Car Rental area, we picked up our PT Cruiser, and hit the road. I bought a Garmin Nuvi 260W (GPS) several months ago and took the time before we left to enter several of our destinations which, in San Francisco, was a lifesaver!

It took us about an hour to drive from the Sacramento airport to our first stop: Fisherman's Wharf. What a tourist trap! If you can slap "San Francisco" on it, people will buy it. Put it in the shape of a cable car, and you've got yourself a sure-fire winner. Actually, once you get past all the T-shirt/souvenir stores, the wharf is a pretty neat area. We had heard about the seals (sea lions?) at Pier 39- they congregate there (for some reason) by the hundreds. But not today. A sign at the pier stated they had left on their "summer migration" or something like that.

We ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp; pretty good. We sat at the back of the restaurant looking out over the Bay and watched the tour boats, many of them headed to Alcatraz Island. There are quite a variety of birds that hang around the wharf; one particular group/flock/herd of pelicans continuously circled the area. They're huge!

After Bubba Gump's, we walked around the pier, looking for souvenirs- I may "complain" about it, but I felt like I needed to do my share to help the local economy. A couple of hours of Fisherman's Wharf was enough for us though, so we continued on toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

We stopped at Chrissy Park/Beach, just east of the bridge to take a few pictures, then we got back on I-80 and crossed the Golden Gate, stopping on the north side for more pictures and a stroll back across to the halfway point. It was EXTREMELY windy on the bridge. It probably seemed worse than it really was with the cars zipping by at 60+ MPH!

From SF, we headed north on Highway 1 (CA-1) toward Bodega Bay. One of the many vistas we stopped at on our trip was Muir Beach Overlook just outside of SF. It was really our first unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean, and it was/is breathtaking! CA-1 runs RIGHT ALONG THE EDGE of the ocean for the most part which makes it really difficult to keep your eyes on the road if you're driving.

We spent our first night at Bodega Harbour Inn (in Bodega Bay). Our room was quaint and clean (always a plus); the woman at the office (I didn't catch her name) was very friendly and eager to welcome us. The bay was across the highway, and had an obstructed view. Dana read somewhere that part of Hitchfork's The Birds was filmed in Bodega Bay. (You can read more about that here.)

The woman at the motel recommended Lucas' Wharf for dinner. The food and service was good, but a little pricey in my opinion. We were really tired after being up so early, then driving all afternoon, plus the time change, so we ended up going to bed early - 9:00 PM (11:00 PM Oklahoma time).

Checkin' In

I've been out of town the past week, driving Hwy One in Northern CA with my wife. I'll be posting pics soon.

Friday Photo (Early)

*** NOTICE ***

I hate to do this, but I have to be away for several days. I will be unable to "monitor" comments during this time--keeping the idiotic rants deleted on one of the posts that has gotten somewhat out of hand--so effective immediately, comments will be closed. Comments will be re-opened May 7.

Thank you for your patience. Looking forward to your comments next week. In the meantime, here's a "Friday Photo" a couple of days early.

Home!

My sons and I just spent the past couple of days in Cleveland, Ohio. Our ultimate destination: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We had a BLAST! More pics and blogging later. I'm tired and glad to be back home.

Grand Canyon Continued

Standin' on a Corner
On our way to the Grand Canyon, we passed through Winslow, AZ, which if you're a fan of the Eagles, is a big deal. We made Winslow a manditory stop on our trip. Finding "the corner in Winslow Arizona" wasn't that difficult--just follow the signs to "historic downtown Winslow." Standin' on the Corner Park, a tribute to the Eagles' tune Take it Easy, consists of a mural depicting the "girl in a flatbed Ford" as well as a statue of an unidentified man and his guitar. Here's the official website. On October 18, 2004 the building on which the mural of the girl driving the "flat bed Ford" was painted was gutted by fire. Only the outside wall remains. Some of the area is still fenced off, but you can still stand on the corner.

The Blue Swallow Motel
We didn't stay there while we were in Tucumcari, but the Blue Swallow Motel is a must see. This unique motel was quite popular in it's "Route 66 heyday." Each room at the motel has it's own garage! Click here for the official website. I think the B/W shot makes the place look more nostalgic.

The Grand Canyon
We spent about two and a half days at the Canyon. I've heard people say: "Oh yeah, we spent half a day (or) one day at the Grand Canyon!" I don't see how they could spend any less than a full day, if not several. We spent the good part of one day doing the "Hermits Rest Route" on the west end of the Canyon Village. Fantastic views! Hopi Point is on this route and is a must see at sunset.

We stayed in the Canyon Village, right on the rim, at the Maswik Lodge (Official Website). We had about a five to ten minute walk from our room to the edge of the Canyon. We only drove our car two times while we were there--once to run into town and another time to go to Yavapai Observation Point. The Grand Canyon Park operates a great shuttle service that takes you to all of the views (points). In fact, personal vehicles are not allowed on the Hermits Rest Route.

We took our last picture of the Grand Canyon at Mather Point. (See previous post for sunrise picture).

Grand Canyon

We've been at the Grand Canyon this past week. The first glimpse of the Canyon is something that simply cannot be described! We spent about two and a half days at the Canyon; stayed in one of the "Canyon Village" lodges--Maswik, which made getting around a lot easier than staying in Flagstaff or nearby Tusayan, AZ.

A couple of things I don't understand:

1) Foreign Travelers - Why do "foreigners" seem to come in droves to see things like the Grand Canyon? (We saw this same "phenomenon" when we went to Alaska several years ago.) During the week, we heard Spanish, French, Italian, English (UK), Japanese, Dutch, German, and I'm sure other languages we could not identify. So many people from other countries coming to the USA to see the Grand Canyon and my first thought was: "How in the heck do you afford to fly over here in the first place and spend the kind of money it takes to enjoy a trip like this?! I also noticed that at least one, if not all of the people in the various "language groups" spoke English--many of them quite well, others just enough to communicate. Maybe it's me, but I can't think of another country I want to see badly enough where I'd be willing to go to the trouble of transcontinental travel, much less learning the native language. There's too much I haven't seen at "home", yet.

2) Why are some people so rude? - We encountered lots of folks that had never heard of "the end of the line" or "waiting your turn." They were getting on that bus or getting that drink, and if you happened to be a casualty of their aggressive/rude behavior, so be it! Sadly, many of those people appeared to be American. We also noticed that many people took no notice of the "Do Not Litter" signs. It's the Grand Canyon for cyin' out loud! It's a NATURAL WONDER, which means it's beauty DOES NOT come from disgarded cigarette butts, candy wrappers, etc. I actually watched one woman and her daughter throw their empty pop cans into a flower bed near one of the buildings on the Canyon Rim! I guess they thought their mother was walking right behind them! (I picked up the cans and threw them away.)

OK. Enough negative. The Canyon was GREAT--probably one of, if not the best vacations I've ever taken. No matter where you stood, you saw something different. You can look at the same view in the morning, midday, and evening and not see the same thing. Simply awesome. We got up early one morning (4:30 AM) so we could watch the sun rise over the Canyon and we made sure we were near the Rim each evening to watch the sun set. Each time, a different experience.

Friday Photo

Sunrise at Mather Point - Grand Canyon

Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. -Psalm 90:2 (NASB)

flickr: Friday Photo Group