http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/J---J/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from J J en-us Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:53:01 +0000 Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:53:01 +0000 Didn't have to go far to see this. The Annual Hash House Harriers Red Dress Fun Run was last night and the 500 runners went right past the beach house after a beer stop at the Mission Bay Woman's Club. Why isn't it called Women's Club Hash House Harriers is a world wide drinking club with a running problem and they have several runs a week and has members of all ages. This Red Dress Ru http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Diego/Pacific-Beach/blog-408191.html We just returned from another week long sea kayaking trip with the Mar y Adventuras located in La Paz Baja CA Sur. This was Joe's fifth and my second Baja kayak trip with this company. This website describes this particular trip. httpwww.kayakbaja.comtripsbaja.html Five years ago we went on their Island Hopping kayak trip which focused a little more on seeing different cultural si http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Baja-California-Sur/Loreto/blog-398266.html We began a 7 day houseboat trip on March 19 on Lake Powell in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. I was looking forward to this trip because the plans were to spend the majority of the time in the Escalante arm an area of the lake I'd never seen. We camped the first night near the Cookie Jar formation in Padre Bay then three nights in Willow Creek in Escalante one night in Oak Canyon and http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Arizona/Lake-Powell/blog-385166.html March 10 2009Everybody else was up early but I slept in until almost nine missing a good part of another sunny calm morning. We were all out in front of the flagpole at ten for our official tour of the Piedras Blancas area. Our guide was a retired college professor from Cambria and his specialty was soil so he knew a lot about the flora of the area. For over two hours we were educated in lig http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Simeon/blog-381202.html March 9 2009What fun to take our time drinking coffee and eating breakfast with good friends We finally decided to get outside to take advantage of the CALM sunny morning. We climbed the lighthouse and then ventured down to the ridge overlooking the elephant seals' hangout. And there we sat with the sun on our backs for at least an hour our eyes glued to the scene below us. There were six http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/San-Simeon/blog-381017.html March 8 2009Carmel has to be one of the most charming towns in the country. I believe the shops and homes on the hilly treelined streets have jumped out of some fairy tale. We had breakfast with Frank and Gloria and Frankrsquos Fresno high school buddies at the popular Katyrsquos Place. Joe and I shared the Swedish pancakes crepes filled with berries and if we would be so lucky to live http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Big-Sur/blog-381010.html They don't call the Salinas River Valley the Salad Bowl of the World for no reason. I just had to touch and smell that dark brown soil for myself today. It seems just about anything will grow here and every inch of land is used for something. I was astonished to read that farmland here goes for 35000 an acre that's a bit of a difference than Kansas farmland. We've seen thousands of acres of http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Salinas/blog-379806.html We arrived in Monterey last night and are happy with our 59 a night hotel. This is a slow time of year for the area and there are good deals to be had in nice places. Our drive up started out slow with bumper to bumper traffic through L.A. but after that it was all wonderful. I loved Santa Barbara wish we could have spent some time there. Dave we drove through Goleta but didn't have time t http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Monterey/blog-379560.html Auckland Airport Day 76 December 16 2008 I am sitting here bored in the Auckland airport waiting for our flight to Tokyo. The TV is on and Irsquom seeing that there is a rainy weather forecast for the next week for most of NZ. That helps ease the sorrowful pangs of leaving. We saw a lot in our 33 days in NZ so no regrets other than wishing it could have been 63 days. We are leaving with g http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Santa-Ana/blog-354894.html Auckland Day 75 December 15 2008We had a casual day in Auckland. Our taxi driver drove us up to the top of Mt. Eden to a city overlook. It was a cloudy day so the ldquowow factorrdquo wasnrsquot quite there. It was interesting to see the crater of a volcano right there at the overlook. We walked around the wharf and the central business district and had a nice lunch in a Polynesian caf http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/Central/blog-354882.html Goat Island and Auckland Bye to Jucy Day 74December 14 2008We woke up to gray skies but no rain. No matter the morning was spent cleaning out the van and giving away salt pepper butter and laundry detergent. We managed to eat all the food we had in the van so little was wasted. The beach here at Paihia started getting lively early with people swimming and little kids running around. We http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Auckland/Central/blog-354879.html The Bay of Islands Day 73December 13 2008Wersquove got this place a little more figured out now. In my opinion the Bay of Islands is one big water park for tourists and Kiwis on vacation. There are about 150 small mostly uninhabited islands to explore nice beaches lots of nifty accommodations shops cafes golf courses hiking tracks the warmest climate in NZ and itrsquos pretty. Th http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Bay-of-Islands/Paihia/blog-354874.html Another ldquoEnd of the RoadrdquoDecember 12 2008I donrsquot know why we feel compelled to do these things We left our lovely Kauri Forest camp this morning to drive as far north as one can drive in New Zealand. But first we had to stop in Waipoua Forest and pay homage to Tane Majuta the biggest Kauri tree in the world. He has a nice place not far from the road. He certainly is big a http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/blog-353797.html Somewhere North of Dargaville in Trounson Kauri ParkDecember 11 2008We were up early but had to hang around Coromandel town until the Coromandel Smoking Company opened so we could buy smoked mussels incredibly delicious and addicting for me and three different kinds of smoked fish for the both of us. It was inexpensive and now we wish we had bought more. The numerous pohutukawa trees on Coroma http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Dargaville/blog-353796.html Coromandel PeninsulaDecember 10 2008We are now in the upper right section of the North Island the Coromandel Peninsula and I want to live here. There are many more people living on the North Island than the South Island but this part has an easy laidback atmosphere that I like. We didnrsquot plan on coming here but our bus driver from the ldquoTamakirdquo experience the other night sugg http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Coromandel/blog-353795.html Hello EveryoneSomehow this entry never got published...this was back on Dec. 7. Don't know what happened.Joe and Judy vs. the VolcanoesDecember 7 2008My tootsies hurt tonight The Tangariro Alpine Crossing may not be the ldquogreatest day hike in the worldrdquo but it has to be one of them. The shuttle bus picked us up at our hotel door promptly at 545 and delivered us to the trail near http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Tongariro-National-Park/blog-352809.html Worms Birds and a Good Hot SoakDecember 9 2008Rotorua may not have the best thermal features in the world but itrsquos a good place to get an oil leak fixed. Our caravan camp manager sent us off to the nicest mechanic in NZ who found a ldquowee hole in the oil filterrdquo and had us off in no time. The Jucy company paid for that of course. On the way out of Rotorua we stopped at the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/blog-353080.html Kia ora December 8 2008 After a solid nightrsquos sleep after a rough day of hiking yesterday in Tongariro NP I dragged myself out of bed and Joe said I might want to comb my hair first thing. I asked ldquoIs it really that badrdquo He sweetly answered ldquoMy apologies to Leonard Cohen but you are a sleepy golden storm.rdquo Folding our sore bodies into the van seats Joe men http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Rotorua/blog-353078.html Whanganui River Road and Tongariro NPDecember 6 2008We had so much fun today We decided we had seen enough of Wellington to satisfy us. I know that many tourists stay a week there and we walked around for only four hours. But we have such a short time on the North Island that we felt the need to get a move on. There is a town called Wanganui and a river called Whanganui long story why they http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wanganui/blog-352804.html Marlborough Sounds Interislander Ferry and WellingtonDecember 5 2008Joe was busy early this morning helping the Havelock women lug boxes of junk for a charity garage sale. He saw they needed help as we walked out of the bakery after our coffee and muffin. We really like this little town. It would be a great place to keep a boat to explore the Marlborough Sounds. I donrsquot think a boater http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Wellington/blog-352801.html