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A wildlife update is needed methinks.
If I have seen one Californian Condor I have seen a hundred - well I think thats what they are - big wing span, red heads - soaring on thermals all along the coast from California to Oregon ... and there I was on a windy headland looking at some lighthouse when these 4/5 birds almost flew over my head - pelicans I thought. There have been so many stopping off places along the route (I have driven 880 miles since San Fran now) I have lost track of which bit of coast line is which.
I had lovely sunshine + blue skies the first 2 days - and when I say the road hugged the coastline and was bend after bend up and down I mean it - for about 150 miles or more !!!I thought I did bendy roads in New Zealand - this was much more. Of course this enables you to have wonderful views of this craggy coastline - green lush hillsides and then some mountainous cliffs...and all bedecked with lots and lots of wildflowers - including the California poppy - and here in Oregon rhodedendrums and some other
yellow and orange shrubs are in bloom. Maybe some of them are not indiginous brought in by the colonials but who cares - they look so beautiful.
The road from San Fran to Medocino ( town where old drama series Murder she Wrote was filmed) was picture postcard views at every bend - if I had stopped at every lookout I would never have made any headway. Mendocino was a cute little town - wooden house and wooden water towers - and good clam chowder in the old Mendocino Hotel - with interesting decor.
Then I was driving throught Redwood country - well what can I say - VERY TALL TREES and very BIG - beautiful forests for miles and miles - so lush and green with mosses and ferns - and at one place I even paid the $5 entry to drive thru a tree... you know wot a cheapskate I can be ( sometimes!!) but I thought I had come all the way from England - I had to do it!!! There were lots of pulloffs for parking and trails - one of which I walked where one of the tallest trees had actually fallen down.
I am not sure which ones are taller these redwoods or the trees in Western Oz - cos they are pretty tall too. Anyway who cares about how big /tall ??- they are magnificent.
And somewhere along the way a sign said Elk Meadows - so I stopped and there they were in the distance and herd of females basking in a pond in the meadow. Occasionally the fog rolled in and a side trip coastal view on a crappy road was a washout as I then couldn't see the view... but you can't have it always.
So there were warnings about bears and mountain lions in Arizona and Yosemite - and now it was warnings about the Elk ...and next thing I noticed signs saying you are entering or leaving a tsunami hazard zone - that freaks me out a bit - having experienced the Christchurch earthquake I do not want to go for a tsunami experience. I have studied the escape routes and got my fone ,torch and swiss army knife/ box of matches ( in plastic bag) by me at all times...thats about as much of a kit I can muster up . Sorry to
hear about the devastation by the tornado - awful - but glad I am not in that part of the States.
Unfortunately the weather has changed and I woke to rain yesterday and drove all day in it - so the views of the Oregon coast have been somewhat limited - but I can see there are amazing bays with stacks and craggy islands - and one area was miles and miles of huge sand dunes. There are many many State Parks so it must be great living here to be able to camp at these places. I made a few stops and braved the lashing rain and biting wind - thankful that I have packed my fleece although I had expected to be wearing my shorts - and I am back on with the thermal today!!
I stayed at a very nice beachside motel at Bandon and now I am at Rockaway beach for 2 nights to give myself a rest from driving and collect myself a bit before I go to my next stay with Betty Jean in Portland - I am looking forward to meeting her and making new friends. Portland is the city of
roses I am told so maybe some more flower fotos coming next. Restaurants here of course have loads of seafood - so I am stuffing myself with halibut, salmon, scallops and prawns and clam chowder.
Most of the fotos of the coast are not named as I cannot remember which was taken where- but I am sure you wont care.... nice to see about 80-90 folk are reading my blog - that makes it all worthwhile writing it. Keep the comments coming please...love to know what you think...and hello Mick from Spain.
Love to all
Lynne x
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Marilyn
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Stunning photos again. The flowers in California coastal Drive 1 look just like the Alicante weed, perhaps some Hunky Spanish Pirate brought them over? Tel says well done having survival kit close at hand add some chocolate to it. Lol xxxx