May 30 - Crater Lake

Bet you never heard of Crater Lake.  We never did until today.  As the web page says "Like No Place Else On Earth".  We first heard about Crater Lake at the  information kiosk as we crossed into Oregon.  We met a very enthusiastic lady who said that people come from all over the world to see Crater Lake.  Only problem was that we would only be able to view the lake from one spot, since they had just received 8 inches of snow and the road north around the lake was closed. We decided to go in any event and are we glad that we did.   The road re-opened just before our arrival, but it was apparent that they had received a lot of snow. What a magnificent site. For us a real bonus as we were not expecting so much.  Take a minute to read the link above.  Incredible!

We have attached some photos (another photographer's dream)
Crater Lake, Oregon 

Here is our travel map the last couple of days: 
Northern Cal. to Oregon

May 28 - Yosemite

We're back!   After a couple of days of driving and locations without internet connections, I  guess you all thought we were lost.


We decided that telling the story of our day in Yosemite would just not cut it, so,  if a picture is worth a thousand words, then here are our pictures on video. This is for you, Erin. 

(Turn up your speakers and double click for full screen.)

May 27 - Death Valley

We loaded up our cooler with ice and water, filled up with gas and we were off to Death Valley early this morning. Death Valley is straight east of Lone Pine.  You need to cross two mountain ranges before you go down to the valley. Both mountain ranges were around 5000 foot climbs and descents.  On the way up you have to kill your air conditioner and as you get closer to Death Valley, it does get warmer - a lot warmer.  Drive over from Lone Pine was about 100 miles with about 60 of it in the mountains.  Death valley is absolutely worth going to. 

It would be hard to find too many places where conditions change so dramatically over the course of an hour or two of driving.  We explored about a quarter of Death Valley and went to about half of the recommended sites.  Among  a few of the spots we stopped at were:  The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes (hottest beach I've ever been on), Badwater Basin (The lowest point in North America at -282 feet), Zabriskie

Point (Death Valley's most spectacular views) and Artist's Drive a single road, one way drive of 15 Km, great for photography.  We found a great spot for lunch and began our return trip across the salt flats, over the two mountain ranges and down into our little valley at Lone Pine.  You do worry about your car a bit on a trip like this.  Outside temps are around 100F at this time of year and reach 116F in July. We didn't see a lot of service vehicles and our neat little 4G Hotspot stopped working for the first time (ie - no internet/no phones)  In any event, we made it and sure glad we went. A few pics: Death Valley

Here is a a long over due map update: Phoenix to LA to Death Valley

Tomorrow - Yosemite!

May 26 - My Turn

With LA in the rear-view mirror we took off for Lone Pine, about a 200 mile trek. Bob at the wheel and me navigating. And there it is - the 395 sign, our main highway to Seattle. I wish I had taken better notes if I had known I'd be writing this post!

 Along the way we saw some engineering feats - the LA Aqueduct (a 675km water delivery system) and the largest wind farm in America (which generates enough electricity for 600,000 homes). We keep the AC blasting to keep our gadgets from overheating but in return you can look up these types of facts when we need them!

 With the wind farm at our back we arrive in Lone Pine. LA was fast-paced and happening - Lone Pine is exactly the opposite. However, it happens to be perfect place for us to be for 2 nights as it is a junction for two contradictory sights - the highest mountain in the US (Mt Whitney - more below) AND the lowest point in North America (Death Valley).

 Driving up Mount Whitney was a thrill and over a span of 20 min we ascended 4000 feet to the highest drivable point - 8500 feet. When we couldn't go any further we got out at base camp where many hikers/campers were stationed.
We're drivers though (gas is our granola), so we took some scenic pics, jumped back in the car and rode down in 2nd gear. . . 

 Packing our supplies tonight and heading for Death Valley tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Here's our pics for today: My Turn

May 25 - Tinseltown

Well. it's like this, I decided to go for a walk over to Beverly Hills, just to see a few friends, AND  you'll never guess who I "discovered".  That's right - Warren Duffy, small world eh?  I asked him what he was doing and he said he came to meet his uncle, but got lost.  I said, why don't you hook up with me.  He said he liked the  idea; knew a few spots around town, so let's get going.

Turns out Warren knows this town pretty well.  We started out at  .....  ya you guessed it Rodeo Drive.  Got a hunch Amelia and Erin might get into this place a little more than us, but still pretty cool.
After getting some new blinds, a couple ties and an LA hoodie, we moved on.  I thought, man this guy is pretty cool.  (Got a few bucks too)

Warren, then said, I wanna take you over to the Beverly Hills Hotel, just a few blocks away.  Might be nice to have a cool drink before our next destination.  Never realized Warren was such a man about town.  Seems like everyone knew him.  I'm sure glad he decided to hook up with me.

Next thing you know, Warren is telling me that a few of his pals have their names carved out on the street in a part of town

called Grauman's Chinese Theatre.  We go over there and it's just like going to the carnival.  There's every type of person over there.  Even saw Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. Warren said he knew lots of these people, but we didn't catch up to them. 

So how do you top off a day like this.  Warren said he knew a nice little spot down in Santa  Monica (on the beach) where we could have some real nice seafood.  We went to Enterprise Seafood Co. Great spot!  Nice sunset!  What a day! Sure glad I ran into my nephew.

Thought you might enjoy a few pics: Our Day in Tinseltown

May 24 - California

After the US plains, Rocky Mountains, Arizona desert, driving into LA is a bit of  a change and a unique experience.   Especially on a Friday afternoon of Memorial Day weekend. Those of us who live in the GTA have 401/QEW experience, which I suppose in some small way prepares you for LA.  First of all, the heavy traffic started up around the San Bernardino Mountains, which was about 65 miles from my destination. Lots of stop and go, lane changing and intense sign reading and GPS scrutiny.  Your brain (fortunately) seems to click into a higher gear, knowing that your normal functioning self is never going to get you through this. It seems that virtually every vehicle around you knows exactly where they are going and that you may be the only one who is trying to figure out where to go. When I got on the Ventura Highway,

I got that song in my brain and still can't get rid of it.  Throughout this wonderful experience, I saw only one accident and never once heard a horn blow.  These people really know how to drive and I saw a lot of courteous driving.  Finished up on the Santa Monica Freeway, found my hotel (another euphoric rush) and immediately had a couple of stiff rum and cokes - just another day's work.  Tomorrow, I will show Warren, how I really know my way around this town.  Look out LA - You Da Man !!

May 21 - Three Days in the Desert

We arrived at Mesa Friday May 17 and headed over to our friend's home Saturday.  Garry and June Cooney have a wonderful home in Scotsdale.  Some of you will know that Garry, Bill and I go back over 40 years at Dearborn.  Garry and I were sales reps in Ottawa and Bill was our Area Manager.  Today Garry is a VP at GE Water &

Energy with global responsibilities for Corporate Accounts.  We could have stayed a week and not run out of old Dearborn stories but we might have overstayed our welcome. At the very least this old gang getting together after all these years has been a highlight of my trip so far. 

Of course you don't go to Phoenix without playing golf. Garry arranged a foursome with two of his regular group.  Bill had his own cart, kept score and gave advise as required.  Turns out not much advise was required and for only the second time in my golf history, I

witnessed a hole in one.  Garry's friend Sal Imparato had the hole in one, which was his second.  Sal being the gentleman that he is, understood his responsibilities back at the club house. Sal is second from the right and Garry's other friend in the group is Joe Mancuso. Good guys, fun day!

So when you go to the Valley Of the Sun
expect it to be warm. Each day was around 95-97F which apparently was a little cool.  This week temps will go over 100. I picked up an annoying cold and decided to head out a day early to give June & Garry a little break.  I am now over in Laughlin, Nevada and will hole up here for a day or two and try to get healthy. Bill departed for LA on Monday morning and I am beginning to organize for Trek 2 with Warren.  BTW the Tioga trail into Yosemite opened last week, so we will get to experience this great drive.  That's all for today folks and probably won't have too much news until the weekend once Warren arrives.  

Look out California - " I'm Picking Up Good Vibrations "

 

May 17 - Apache Trail - Wow !!

We drove the Apache Trail today, which is not for the faint of heart.  The trail is 44 miles across from Roosevelt Dam to Apache Junction and follows the Salt River. 

Thirty six miles of the trail is rugged and  unpaved.  For the main part the road is rough and is not short on hairpin curves, steep ledges and breathtaking views (absolutely no railings anywhere) At one point you arrive at the Fish Creek Hill.  You can see up the side of the mountain if anyone is coming and then go for it. The hill is literally cut into the side of the mountain, rises 1000 feet at 15-17% grade for about two miles.  

You hug the edge (passenger side) all the way.  We passed two cars and a guy towing a house trailer on the way down (unbelievable).  There is a great feeling of euphoria when you reach the top and for me I may never again feel challenged by any drive (Warren, we need to find another one like this).  Here are our pics driving across this incredible road:  Apache Trail

Prior to arriving at the Apache Trail, we traversed some beautiful ground up to the Roosevelt Dam
Here are some additional photos: Roosevelt Lake


This was a great day and we ended up In Mesa, Arizona, where Bill and Kathleen had their winter home for 12 years.  Found a steak house and washed them down with a few beers.  We will be catching up to our old friend Garry Cooney tomorrow.  Lookout, this threesome is trouble !
 

May 16 - Route 66

As the song goes " I get my kicks from Route 66 "   We picked up old Route 66 today and made a few side trips to the Petrified Forest, Painted Desert and the Meteor Crater.  Can you imagine 175 million tons of rock being moved in 10 seconds.  Look at this another way.  This would take 35 million truck loads and we just calaculated  that it would take about 400 years to move that much rock.  Check out the attached web site!

Plan to see more of Route 66 as I head north from Phoenix next week to Nevada and across the desert to LA.  Some of you may remember the old Route 66 TV show, Tod and Buz and their various adventures travelling across the country.  

Time to update our travel map: Bryce Canyon to Phoenix
Here are some pics from our travels today Along Rt 66

May 15 - Grand Canyon

Many people who have visited the Grand Canyon have said that this is one place that just does not disappoint you and it is so true.  This is my 2nd trip to the canyon and Bill's 6th plus trip.  Although in many respects one could say that The Arches and Bryce Canyon have more natural beauty, the Grand Canyon stands in a class of its own in sheer immensity. 
 
Our visit to the Grand Canyon had us travelling about 25 miles east to west along the south rim.  We arrived quite early in the morning to begin our journey.  When we left the park at noon, there were huge line ups.  We were able to make numerous stops at observation points, which also offered hiking trails (in one location to the bottom of the canyon which was a 5000 foot descent)  

We hope our pictures will tell the rest of the story.  Grand Canyon

Sorry for the mess up yesterday.  We lost our internet service just in the middle of posting our pics.  Internet services were out for most of northern Arizona and did not return until midday today. Photos are now uploaded to yesterday's May 14 blog

 

May 14 - Bryce Canyon

Not sure if these places are meant to compete with each other, but Bryce Canyon is right up there with The Arches. Out of this world is an understatement.  Breathtaking views with magnificent colours.  Bryce Canyon is a must see for anyone travelling in the Utah/Arizona area.  Similar to yesterday, you can do your own tour at your own speed.  Lots of incredible photo opportunities and as much hiking as you like.

We had a funny incident (at least we thought it was funny)  Standing beside a middle age lady, and with a straight face Bill enquired as to how long it took them to do this work.  The lady stared at Bill in total disbelief and walked away. We think she thought there would be no place to begin to answer his question. Twenty years from now she will be telling her grandchildren about the idiot she met at the Bryce Canyon.

From Bryce Canyon we travelled south and east crossing the San Francisco mountains at almost 8000 feet, before descending into the Colorado River Canyon and our final 30 miles to the south rim of the Grand Canyon tomorrow.

Here are some photos from  Bryce Canyon

May 13 - The Arches

From Moab, Utah, we went over to Arches National Park this morning and spent  a few hours driving the canyons.  To say the least, this place is sensational.  For sure it is a hikers haven and photographers dream. There are 76,000 acres and you have the option of driving upwards of 50 miles of breathtaking roads, with many hiking trails available for short and long treks.  We did a little of both, covering about 40 miles and several short hikes.

For Lois and Bev, you could spend a week at this place and never cover it all. This was also a great weather day with temperatures in the range of 25-30C and mostly clear skies. We both feel very fortunate to have experienced this place.

Following our visit to the Arches, we drove about 4 hours to within 25 miles of Bryce Canyon, our destination for tomorrow.  Our only hiccup today was a sad ending to a great Leaf season.

Here is our map update  Denver to Bryce Canyon
Here are some photos from today  The Arches 
 

May 12 - Rocky Mountain High

We started the day knowing we had to finish crossing the Colorado Rockies, traverse the high desert of Utah and find our way to Moab.   We had to do this in time to find a suitable bar to watch our beloved Leafs.  And sure glad we made it  - just. 

We met a great bartender Rob in a place called Rio, a sports bar.  He arranged for us to have our own 48 inch flatscreen, adjusted the audio to our liking, re-arranged a ton of furniture and kept us served all evening.  We walked out of there with a $12.00 bill - only in America - EH!  Couldn't imagine getting this service at home. 

We enjoyed a few refreshments this evenings and have now found our hotel.  With game 7 tomorrow at 5:00 PM Mountain Time, we need to squeeze a liitle tourism (actually planning a visit to Arches National Park) in the morning and travel about 300 miles to Bryce Canyon.  Once again we will need to find a suitable venue to enjoy the demise of the Boston Bruins.  GO LEAFS GO!

We froze our butts yesterday and today we saw 92F (33C) as we drove into Moab.  Unbelievable how much the terrain can change. We have gone from snow capped mountains to high desert and our now in mesa country.

We are including some pics from the last couple of days.
 Rocky Mountain High

Hasta Manana 

May 11 - Rocky Mountains

Willy arrived right on schedule at Denver airport due in part to daughter Elaine and friend Anne delivering him to the Buffalo Airport.   We took a few hours to head into the mountains and settled into a little town called Edwards, about 15 miles west of Vail.  Don't need to drive too long from Denver to be in the mountains.  Denver elevation is around 5500 feet (Mile High City) and before you know it you are driving through winding peaks at 11,000 feet.  On the way you pass a host of ski resorts, names that you have heard before, but never knew where they were.  It takes a little getting used to this type of driving,  climbing huge mountains and then hitting incredible

speeds(trying not to brake too much) as you descend, before going up again.  We drove through rain, sleet and fog leaving Denver and then hit the snow around 10,000 feet.  Fortunately the snow did not last too long. From 9000 feet onward, the ground was snow covered. All the ski resorts appeared closed, but there was no shortage of snow covering the slopes.  We stopped at a look out at around 11,200 feet and froze  our butts for a few pics. Temp was around 1-2 C.

My Turn, not sure why Bob gets to do all the writing.  It is indeed gratifying to have the team of B & B back together again. At one time we were team F F but now just a couple of buddies enjoying wide open spaces and each others company. This is so reminiscent of trips through the Yukon, Alaska &  British Columbia. A new magnificent view at every turn of the road. 

Tomorrow, we are off to Moag, about 235 miles of Alpine driving. At Moag, we will decide on the white water rafting plan and search out a place to catch the Leafs/Bruins game six at  5:00 PM Mountain Time.  Stay tuned.    Aufwiedersehen

May 10 - Dodge City

Get out of my town !! 

Couldn't resist being Wyatt Earp for a day.  Ever notice in virtually all old photos that no one ever smiles.  Saw a thousand pictures today from the 1860's forward and not a smile.

Spent a few hours in Dodge City and visited the Boot Hill Museum, which includes the original Boot Hill Cemetary. This is where Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson and others first became famous in cleaning up Dodge.  Earp eventually moved on to Arizona to avenge the murder of his brother and gained  notoriety for the shoot out at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona.  Dodge is a little off the beaten path but sure worth seeing if you are passing through Kansas.
Here are a few pics from Dodge: Boot Hill

Moving into the mountains tomorrow and will have my first friend on board  ..  Giddyup
Go Leafs Go

May 9 - Cowboy Country

Drove out of Missouri and across a good part of Kansas today  Had a peek at Kansas City and good long-distance wave at Junction City (Danielle) and will go into Witchita tomorrow. Most of  southern Kansas reminds me of southern Alberta.  Some grain/wheat etc, but mostly cattle.  Had a chance to take one of the American Scenic By-Ways through very  rural areas and ended up tonight in a little town called Hesston.   Looks like Hesston is most famous for it's school Hesston College.   Here's what my journey looks like for the past two days:  Days 2 & 3

Tomorrow, I plan to go over to Dodge City and check out a little history on Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterton and other famous cowboys and maybe even get to Boot Hill. Hoping to get to Tombstone in Arizona next week, home of the famous OK Corral shootout.  Plan to get close to Denver Friday night to pick up my pal Bill on Saturday. I forgot my cowboy boots and have been feeling a little out of place, but I did pick up a co-op cap to try to fit in a little.  Love this place! 

May 8 - Only in America Eh!

Found my way through Indiana, Illinois, across the Mississippi and into Missouri, the Show Me state.  Kinda neat crossing the Mississippi, because I also crossed the Mississippi (many times) in 2009 during my By-Ways of America trip (Sorry Kev - no Old Man River this time)  Got into Shelbina, Missouri just in time to catch the Leafs game.  Just couldn't make it to Kansas today.  Weather was a little rough and ran into a couple of great storms (The kind you like Er) 
I will update a progress map tomorrow

So here's a little of the Letterman top 10.  How do you know you are in the United States?

• At the end of the day your pockets are full of pennies and your wallet is full with one dollar bills.
•  When you drive into a small town, the largest, most majestic building is nearly always a bank.
•  You can buy a great hot meal for $5.00 and have a hard time finishing it.
• This might be the pot calling the kettle black - but there is no shortage of quite large people everywhere you go.   
• Everyone uses cruise control.  Sometimes it takes ten minutes for someone to pass you, because their cruise control is a quarter mph faster than yours. You can almost have a conversation with them as they roar by.
•  Tailgating is rather rare.  Last tailgater I had was on the 401
• There always seems to be some issues in getting gas.
• Weird all the motorcyclists without helmets.
•  No shortage of lawyers (Billboards)  available to help you should you have an accident.  One road side sign I saw today said  "While you are out of work, I'm working for you"
• NRA messages beginning to show up on billboards (This is new)
• Turn on your radio and you will always find a Bible Thumper 24/7 .  Praise the lord!

That's all for today folks.  Heading over to Kansas/Witchita tomorrow.  Looks rainy

May 7 - Return to Zug Island

Not only do I have the hockey game tonight (Ottawa/Montreal), CNBC uses the CBC feed.  Don't have the big flatscreen, but this is OK with me.  Looks like I might get the Leafs game tomorrow night. Made it to Warren, Indiana, which is a little south of Fort Wayne.  Here's what it looks like:  Day 1

Crossing the Ambassador bridge from Windsor to Detroit today  brought back memories of my one and only trip to Zug Island.  This place creeped me out like no other and apparently 40 plus years later,  is still creeping people out. When I first joined Dearborn, as a trainee, I had the job of servicing the CSL (Canada Steamship Lines) boats at the various ports that they entered.  For the main part this was Hamilton (Stelco), Sault Ste Marie and Toronto.  There were about 30 boats in the fleet and our contract called for two calls per boat each season.  Problem was catching up with all of them and by December there were always a few errant boats.  That’s how I got stuck with Zug Island.

My boss told me I had to go to Zug Island where one of our errant boats was docking overnight. I crossed the bridge on a cold, dark and rainy evening, at least happy with the thought I had found my boat and in a couple of hours would be back to Windsor. Ya I wish!  First of all, I couldn’t find Zug Island.  Back in those days, Detroit was a pretty crazy place and asking for help along that waterfront was out of the question.  Every corner there were people standing around fire barrels trying to get warm.  As I slowly passed by, they would stare and for sure must have been saying  “ What the F.. is that guy doing here ”   I just figured if I kept near the waterfront, sooner or later would find something – anything that said Zug Island and I did.  I crossed a narrow little one lane bridge to a gatehouse where a guard directed me (sort of) to my boat.  What you need to understand is that this was a large steel mill and my boat was delivering coal.  There is coal dust on everything and in the rain, wipers on high, my windshield was a myriad of colours.  There were huge trucks driving in every direction honking their horns, trains moving around the complex and every so often, I had the sense I was driving on railway tracks.  I was thick in coal/ore slop and just praying to see my CSL boat. (all this for $650 a month)   I finally found my boat, only to discover they had no gangway.  At least I had been warned about this minor detail.  My equipment was sent up on a pully and I ascended on a rope ladder. Many hours later, I was back in Windsor, job done and just happy to be alive.

So what’s so creepy about Zug Island today.  Check this out :

 The Windsor Hum

As the song goes: Going to Kansas City; Kansas City Here I Come.  That's the plan for tomorrow.  Gonna get out my coveralls. See y'all tomorrow.

May 1 - Prologue

A nice little detour! I have always liked to drive. Doesn't really matter where; if I can take the SUV, then I would rather drive than fly. Why, you might ask? There is a certain freedom to driving. You can go when you want, stay as long (as you are welcome) and return when you want. You can go fast and you can go slow. You can bring everything you need or travel light. You can take detours; turn down a road and see what's there. You can find many ways to go to the same place and you can go to many places the same way. For sure you can get lost! You can turn the music up, yell at your GPS and these days, pull over and book a hotel or the next golf course on your tablet.


Shh, I'm napping

You can take a little time to think about things. It's always nice to stop at the local diner for breakfast or lunch and learn what's going on.  You just need to be a little inquisitive. You can pull over and have a little nap  ..  anytime you want. No need to rush.

In the past, I have taken this type of  journey by myself, but for this adventure, I plan to share my time with three special people. Here's where we plan to go:

Bob's & Friends 2013

Joining me in Denver, Colorado on May 11 is my long time friend, former boss and mentor Bill Foskett. Willy and I will take 8 days to travel through the American Rockies. There might be a few 'White Knuckle' roads to navigate, before we reach the desert and Phoenix. Along the way we plan to see both the Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon. We are planning stops at Monument Valley, the Petrified Forest, Meteor Crater, Roosevelt Dam and Apache Junction. The trip from Roosevelt Dam to Apache Junction  will follow the Old Appache Trail down through the valleys of the Superstition Mountains.  Bill wants to go white water rafting in Moab. Sure hope they are prepared for a couple little guys like us! Here's a link to see where we will travel:
 Denver to Phoenix

Once in Phoenix, we will hook up with an old friend and colleague Garry Cooney for a couple of days. Willy will then head over to California to see his brother. I will stay on in Phoenix for a couple of days of golf with Garry.

Trek 2 starts in Los Angeles May 25 where I will meet up with my nephew Warren Duffy. Warren will fly to LA from Toronto. Warren needs to keep me young for this next leg of our journey. These 9 days will be a little less structured and a little tougher going. Warren and I will travel old Hwy 395 from just east of LA to almost the Canadian border.Our trip looks like this:
Old Rte 395 

This is the original North/South in-land route and is still considered one of the great US Bi-Ways. For this journey, it will be important to have plenty of gas, food, water etc.  as these items will be hard to come by for some of our route. We will drive through the Sierra Madre Mountains, Death Valley desert and hopefully traverse the famous Tioga Road through Yosemite National Park. This road only opens (due to winter conditions) in late May each year, so with a little luck we may get through. We'll catch our breath for a night in Reno and then back into the wilderness.  From there we will follow old Rte 395 through Oregon and Washington with a pass by Mt. St Helans and into Seattle. 

The final leg of my trip will be spent with my buddy from Ottawa Dave Lefebvre.  Dave and I have been friends for 50 years, which takes us back to grade 9.  Our connection these days is through golf.  We have played golf in Florida now for many years each winter and my cottage golf in the Gatineau almost always includes Dave.  Dave will fly out to Vancouver, spend some time with friends and family and we will hook up in Seattle around June 3.

We plan to take US#2 - The Great Northern from Seattle to Ontario, playing golf everyday.  Best I can tell there are around 170 golf courses along the way.  We only plan to play around 9-10 of them.  We'll also take in a few sights through the Rocky Mountains (one more time), the Great Northern Plains, down through Minnesota to the Great Lakes and home. We'll probably find the odd country bar or western saloon for periodic refreshments and a tasty cigar.  This oughta be a blast! 

So friends/family - come join Bill, Warren, Dave and me.  You can visit my blog and live vicariously through our journey.   I (we) will try to post each day (for sure every other day)  There will be lots of photos, possibly some videos, some music to capture the mood and a little commentary.  Will try hard to keep it interesting.  Want the readership to go up - not out the door!  Stay tuned and look for us starting May 7/8  ..  Bob