RODEO!!
The “official” destination on our Epic Road Trip was Joseph, Oregon, for the summer’s Chief Joseph Days. The website humbly proclaims Voted one of the best small outdoor rodeos in the USA! Friends, you may wonder “Thea, why did you drive 3,500 miles away from Texas to attend a rodeo?” It’s a valid question. I … Continue reading
The Oregon Trail (no, really, for serious)
As the sun set behind us on Highway 84 our path intersected with the Trail of legend. At long last, we had reached the Oregon Trail! My Oregonian friends were tickled to no end by the fact that everyone (yes, everyone) played that computer back in the day. All of the informational signs were super-uplifting, containing such … Continue reading
…at last Oregon!
Halfway! We arrived in Oregon in one piece AND on schedule, setting up camp in the lovely Hood River to visit with my traveling companion’s family and take advantage of summer in the Pacific Northwest. I swear, in every town we came to our hosts said “the weather’s never this nice!” “I can’t believe it’s … Continue reading
Redwoods
By the light of day the mystery dissolved from Redwood National Park, or rather more accurately from Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park. The mists, however remained, giving the place a positively prehistoric feel. Moss, ferns, bark, dirt, everything dripped in the fog; the forests distilled to the ur of plant existence: The Woods as … Continue reading
Cali Coast #6: North
We left San Francisco after two beautifully sunny days, finally experiencing the famous soupy fog (I was beginning to think that it didn’t exist!). North of the City we cut over to the coast on Highway 1 and began what was my absolute favorite section of the coastal drive. People faded away and the roads … Continue reading
Cali Coast #5: San Francisco!
San Francisco is awesome. I can’t wait to go back. Good food! Fun people! Monumental architecture! Salsa with a live band! Charming neighborhoods to explore! Fabulous museums! Functional public transportation! Dancing in the Castro! I [heart] urban diversity. The below photograph from the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit succinctly captures the essence of our City experience. … Continue reading
Cali Coast #4: Central
On and on and on we went, past cows, lighthouses, arched bridges, succulents in bloom and 25 mph hairpin turns! We spent a night on the beach just south of Watsonville, stopping by a fruitstand in the California’s agricultural heartland. The highway was bracketed by fields of strawberries, brussels sprouts and tasty tasty artichokes (nearby … Continue reading
Cali Coast #3: Big Sur
Free of the L.A. area traffic, we descended from the mountains of our campground and settled on a picturesque location for breakfast. The Mission Santa Barbara rose garden seemed as good a place as any, so we took our granola and camp cups out onto the manicured lawn and ate among the flowers. Some very … Continue reading
Cali Coast #2: San Diego to Sta. Barbara
Our gracious hostess in San Diego told us that anything “north of the boobs” is generally considered L.A. Perplexed as to what this exactly meant, it became obvious once we passed this giant power plant on I-5. Its hemispherical structured certainly resemble part of female anatomy. So north of the boobs we headed west one … Continue reading
The Oregon Trail Begins
Well, folks, it looks like June did indeed get away from me; working and taking an intensive summer class overshadowed my photographic and writerly ambitions. I’m now officially on vacation, headed west on an Epic Road Trip up the west coast and across to the Rockies. Our first stop was Historic Fort Stockton, TX, home of … Continue reading
Amarga 