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Published: September 14th 2009
My 6-month stay in Shanghai was thrilling, but one thing I really missed was "greenery" and blue skies. How wonderful it was, then, to return to the U.S. West this past summer! It's such a beautiful part of the country, as I hope the photos of landscapes I took will illustrate. You will also see some "cityscapes", as well as quite a few photos of friends and relations.
As it turned out, I so enjoyed being back in the U.S. that I've decided to stay on in Berkeley, California, where I ended my journey, until the end of December. My "home" for the next four months will be a little two-room apartment I've rented on the top floor of a house near the U.C. campus. Having already lived in Berkeley for 5 months (I was a "visiting scholar" at the University) about seven years ago, and being originally from San Francisco, I'm lucky enough to have a lot of friends in the area. I hope to get back to writing while I'm here and, hopefully, start a third book. Luckily, I'll be able to use the U.C. Library, since I've been accepted again as a "visiting scholar".
Here
are a few details about my trip this summer. It began in Los Angeles, California--or rather, in Valley Village (in the San Fernando Valley). This is where my father and his wife live. From L.A., I took an Amtrak train down to Oceanside to visit my friend Ruth. Oceanside is a rather "funky" coastal town just south of Fort Pendleton, the big Marine base. Ruth drove me to the airport in San Diego, and from there I flew to Salt Lake City, Utah. I visited Salt Lake over two days, but I was based for about a week at my cousin Jack's place in Park City. From Salt Lake, I took a Greyhound bus to a town near Moab (Utah), where a friend picked me up, and we drove together to Albuquerque, via Dead Horse Point and Arches national parks in Utah and Mesa Verde in Colorado. After spending 2 nights in Alburquerque, I flew to Denver, Colorado, where my cousin Eric picked me up at the airport and drove me to his "condo" in Boulder. The University of Colorado is in Boulder, and it's a great university town at the foot of the Rockies. After Boulder, I spent a
few nights in Denver, first at my aunt's, then at my brother's. From Denver, I flew to Portland, Oregon, to visit my son Eric, who is a musician there. We also spent some time in Bend, where my friends Nancy and Dennis hosted us for two nights. I then flew to Seattle, Washington, to visit my friend Linda. I fell in love with Seattle, mostly because of its location on Puget Sound, but it seems I was really lucky because the weather was sunny and warm! Two days after my arrival in Seattle, our mutual friend, Lana, who lives in New York, flew out to join us. The three of us then drove to Whitefish, Montana, where we spent 6 nights at an "Elderhostel." Together with other hikers from the Elderhostel, we were able to visit and explore Glacier National Park, the western entrance of which is an hour's drive away from Whitefish. When our 6 nights were over, we drove to Missoula, Montana, visiting Kalispell and admiring some gorgeous countryside along the way. Linda's cousins in Missoula hosted us one night. We then drove to Grand Coulee Dam in eastern Washington and were able to take in the laser
Ruth in Oceanside diner
touch of Americana: shakes and burgersshow there that night. After that, it was back to Seattle via gorgous Lake Coeur d'Alene. The next day (August 26), I left Seattle and flew down to the San Francisco Bay Area, where I have been ever since.
Whew! That's it folks. Hope to hear from you.
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Tessa
non-member comment
You do get around!
Hilary - an impressive journey. I followed much the samish route last May - San Diego, Phoenix, Santa Fe (via Albuquerque) but I didn't get to denver, where my last 'missing' classmate was. I am fascinated by your photos of Salt Lake City. Must visit some time. Keep posting - it's always fun to see your pictures.