Friday, October 17, 2008 As we were driving into Eureka last night, we could see quite a fog had rolled in. This morning, even though reports said the fog would lift, it didn’t. We were quite disappointed not to see more of the ocean. However, this was to be a big tree day, and that meant not worrying too much about the fog. It was clear, sunny and warm where the redwoods were, so that’s where we went. As we were walking among the giants in the Lady Bird Johnson Grove of Redwood National Park, we were reminded of several times on Vancouver Island when we drove the considerable distance on rough teeth-jarring logging roads for several hours, then hiked for some considerable distance, usually in the pouring rain, just to see the big trees in ... read more

Wednesday, October 15, 2008 Eureka NV welcomed us last night without frost. But today we want some California warmth. So we plan a 320 mile drive west across Nevada, bypass Reno and onto Susanville, CA. Not that we know anything about what’s at Susanville. Highway 50 stayed true to its character of: surveyor straight, little to zero traffic and gray green sage bush. The highway planners decided not to run the route through the Clan Alpine Mountains because of the significant elevation and route finding. Instead they did a end run south around the Clan Alpine and we came out between Sand Mountain and a large salt flat near Fallon, NV. Since BC does not have salt flats, a stop and several pictures satisfied our curiosity. Then we hurried onto Reno on Interstate 80. Reno had ... read more

Monday October 13, 2008 Today was Canadian Thanksgiving, and Columbus Day in the US. We celebrated by doing something that was on Kayla’s ‘must do’ list - a slot canyon. Antelope is one of the most famous and most photographed, so we had lots of company. But we didn’t care and had a great time. Getting there was half the fun. We were shuttled in by a Navajo driver in the back of an open-air truck designed for lots of power in soft sand, much like the tour in Monument Valley. It only took about 20 minutes to get from the town of Page to the canyon entrance. Slipping and sliding in the soft pink sand, we were jostled about and whipped by very cold winds, since it was only 12 C (54 F) today, even ... read more

Saturday October 11, 2008 Can it get any colder? In Arizona, you say? Still no snow, but this morning, it was frigid and we swore it was well below freezing, with continued ferocious winds all night that wouldn’t quit. We had the heat on all night. Some time during the night, Kayla got up and noticed a bright moon shining through the bathroom vent. How nice, she thought, that we have a clear vent cover to see the sky. Also during the night, Richard got up and noticed the stars through the same vent. But he also noticed how unusually cold the bathroom was. Morning light brought the grim reality that we had indeed sustained damage during the windstorm that almost blew us off the road on the drive yesterday, and the bathroom vent was now ... read more

Thursday, October 9, 2008 We awoke to increasing winds, lower temperatures, and a forecast of snow by the weekend, a sure indication that the winter closure of the North Rim was not far away. Being northerners used to just about any kind of weather, and delighted at the clear blue sky, we grabbed more layers of clothes and headed for a day of sight seeing, photography and walking along the accessible parts of the North Rim. The great thing about many of the National Parks we have visited is that they are well prepared for the crowds that visit, with many opportunities for short walks and longer hikes, cycling, and just about any other activity a visitor may wish to undertake. And there are displays about historical use of the land, ruins of early inhabitants, many ... read more