Back Home

Well.

We got home last night, safe and sound, and tired after a long day on the road.  The car was waiting in long term parking at JFK, and started right up.  I don't think I've ever been as relieved to both see my car, and to have it start.  

It's hard to believe after all the planning, all the scheduling, all the packing (and unpacking), and all the driving, that the trip is actually over.  It's been in the future for such a long time, and it took so much work to organize and execute.  While some might call it a let-down, I don't really feel that way.  Of course, there is the emptiness in the day which used to be occupied by planning - both the longer-term planning for the entire trip, and the shorter-term "what do we do tomorrow?" type.  

A few key statistics (all ignoring air travel):

Days away: 30
Miles driven: 3,850

Hotels: 14 
Bottles of wine consumed: "several"

11 unique states passed through (in order: NJ, NY, CO, WY, SD, WY, MN, WY, ID, UT, AZ, NE, CA, NY, NJ)

7 states stayed in (CO, WY, SD, MN, UT, NE, CA)

2,699 images captured, requiring 49 GB of storage
Highest high: >10,400 feet (Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, CA; Charleston Mtn, CO, maybe others)
Lowest low: -282 feet (Badwater, Death Valley, CA)
Weather experienced: Snow, rain, hail, cold, extreme heat, sun, wind
Approximate temperature range: +119F (Death Valley) to +35F (Yellowstone)

None of these capture the experience.  Along the way, and more towards the end of the trip, we discussed which of the stops were most memorable, which were the most (or least) enjoyable, which we would like to return to.  Not surprisingly, we agreed on many of these things and disagreed on a relative few.  We both agreed that Yosemite was in many ways the "best" of the Parks, whatever that means.  We both agreed that Las Vegas and the Wynn were just over the top.  We both couldn't wait to exit Death Valley.  


But I think, for me, the individual stops were not the point of the trip.  They were just a means to an end, and that end was: to spend a month on the road.  To see what it's like to be on the road, with no direction known, a complete unknown, like a rolling stone.  Well not exactly, but you know what I mean. To somehow get away from our wonderful life back in New Jersey and see what it's like to do something we had never done before.  A month is a long time.


And while we didn't plan it that way, we happened to spend the month leading up to our 40th Anniversary on the road, together.  It's almost certainly more time than we've spent continuously together, without family and friends, or jobs and children, or the other distractions of daily living, ever.  Period.  We never did the travel cross country- or backpack through Europe- thing when we were young; we always had a plan, a career, a family plan, or something else that kept us near home.  


So what does it all mean?  Actually, I don't think it "means" anything.  I think this was a journey of experience, of existentialism, of being in-the-moment.  This blog, and the 2,699 images I captured throughout the month, will help us remember the details in the future.  But what I hope that I remember the gestalt of the the trip - the feeling of waking up in a new bed, with a new set of experiences in front of me that day, with a degree of uncertainty as to where we will go and what it will be like, of not having any of the regular distractions of living to get in the way of enjoying the world.  Of planning one day at a time, and making the most of that day.  Of each day being for enjoyment, of not making a job out of accomplishing something.


Thanks for reading and looking at a few of the pictures.  It made it easier for me to focus on the experience.

Farewell, Lunch Wagon

 

Leaving the Ritz, June 2012

Well, The journey is almost over. We're on the plane at SFO, heading for JFK. The Lunch Wagon is returned to it's home at Hertz.

As always, some excitement getting here. I played the idiot this time, leaving a personalized Swiss Army Knife in my carry on. So I had to go back out through security, mail it, then talk my way to the front of the line. Then the rush though the airport, looking for some food in case all the airplane food is poisoned with garlic. But we made it, we're in our seats, the carry-ons are stowed, and we're ready to go.

A key collection, June 2012

Next stop: New Jersey. And we don't get a plastic key at check-in.

 

The last supper (actually, the whole day)

Too cute for words, June 2012

For our last day we played tourist again. No, no more cable cars. I'm done riding them. They are cuteness personified, but I try to avoid modes of transportation that artificially inconvenience their customers. Oh wait, does that mean I can't fly home tomorrow? Damn.

Anyway, what we did do was Alcatraz - The Rock. It's a National Park, and I added the stamp to my National Park Passport, right along side of Death Valley. There's some symmetry there. We walked over to the pier, as it was a nice day and it's all downhill from the hotel up here on Nob Hill to the waterfront. Chinatown is very different during the day, when it is really a community with real people doing real things. At night it's all tourists eating in restaurants.

Real people, real life, June 2012

We had been to Alcatraz years ago, and I remembered much about it, but not that it was only a Federal prison for a very short time: about 30 years. During that time it hosted some of the most notorious criminals of the 20th century, including Al Capone.

View from the Rock, June 2012

Coincidentally, yesterday was the 59th anniversary of the "Escape from Alcatraz" which was immortalized in the 1979 Clint Eastwood movie. It's pretty amazing, although was almost certainly not successful in the end. Three inmates dug through their cells walls with spoons, left paper mâché' dummies in their cells, and used an inflatable raft made from raincoats to get off the island. The boat was found on another island in the bay, but no trace of the three was ever found again. The best assumption is that they drowned.

Dummy in the cell, real men climb pipes, June 2012

Dinner tonight is at the Ritz, courtesy of the wife. She managed to talk the hotel into comping us another meal (some very real inadequacy on the part of the housecleaning staff). I think we may not actually use all of the food & beverage credits we have here.

San Francisco is a cool city. It's not really accessible for walking, as it's pretty spread out and the hills are killers. But it's got a nice vibe, with a lot of real neighborhoods, very touristy spots, great natural and man-made scenery, and a moderate climate. We've had unusually pleasant weather, around 70 each afternoon. Marin County, with it's hilly terrain and bayside towns is a bike ride away. Napa Valley is 90 minutes. Even Yosemite is only four or so hours. I may come back some day.

City by the Bay. June 2012

 

San Francisco Days

Today we did all the touristy stuff one does in San Francisco. Starting with the cable cars, which are clearly a mode of transportation which has passed its sell-by date. Their only value now is as a ride for tourists (like us), although it is interesting to see the crude technology still in use. The cars themselves, of course, are completely unpowered and the operator uses mammoth levers to grab or release the cable running continually below the street to move the thing. The track switches and turntables to turn the cars around at the end of the line are similarly operated solely by human muscles - no electricity or other power at all.

The guy on the left was rude; the guy on the right was brusque; June 2012

They also apparently have archaic work rules for the operators, as hundreds of people waited on line while they all took a break this afternoon (we waited over an hour and a half in total for our two rides). Still, it's worth doing once. But not twice.

At the end of the line is Fisherman's Wharf and Girardelli Square. The Wharf area, one of several piers and wharfs and surrounding streets that have been converted to big restaurant/t-shirt shop/trinkets, was very busy - and this is a Monday in June. I can only imagine what the weekend is like. There are also some interesting old boats and ships which are restored and picturesque.

Fisherman's Wharf Sights, June 2012

Ghirardelli Square is much simpler - the primary feature is Ghirardelli and their chocolates. We had their ice cream. Good, but not special.

Chocolate, Anyone?, June 2012

After a gourmet dinner of garlic-free pizza, I went to shoot some sunset shots at a place called Baker Beach, which is on the Pacific side of the Golden Gate. The spot is beautiful; at least four or five couples were having wedding or engagement pictures taken in the evening's glow. Other people were just enjoying the view. And I was moving around trying to take some interesting pictures.

Eyes on the sunset, June 2012

Birds on the wing, June 2012

Sunset on the Point Bonita Light, June 2012

 

Here comes the sun

It finally reached the west coast. ...

Golden Gate Bridge, June 2012

 

San Francisco Here We Come

We left Napa Valley and the Mercedes fleet at the last possible minute - checkout was noon, the last bag left our room at 11:59:59 am. We really loafed, with a late breakfast and leisurely packing. As usual, I used their fitness room. It's a really nice room, with the weight equipment outside on the deck and the aerobic machines sitting inside looking through picture windows.

You make exercise fun, June 2012

We stopped in Sausalito on the way down. It's just north of San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and seemed like a good lunch stop. We walked around a bit; it was very crowded as it's an unseasonably warm and sunny Sunday around here today.

Boats on the dock of the bay

Although we could almost see our hotel across the Bay from Sausalito, Sunday afternoon coming-back-from-the-country traffic made the 13 mile trip about 40 minutes. Not that it was a problem; we're on vacation and have no time schedule, remember?

The hotel is quite nice, but the Ritz-Carlton suffers from a la carte disease: everything is extra on top of a hefty room price. But as the wife always says, don't sweat the small stuff. So we just left the car with the valet and I'll re-mortgage the house next month to pay off the parking fee.

Putting on the Ritz, June 2012

Dinner was easy and nearby: Chinatown. The Ritz is technically in Chinatown, not that you could tell. But we walked a few blocks (and one very big hill) and had a very nice meal.

 

Chinatown, June 2012

 

Sally & Me

Sally & Me

We took a sailing ship

On a long long trip

We sailed across the sea

It was just Sally and me

And when we reached the shore

Couldn't go any more

We found some space

And made our place




As the years went by

There were some tears and some cryin'

We never let it last

We always got on past

But we're older now

And the scars they show

From the wounds we made

But I wouldn't want it any other way




Sally and me

Together we're free

Sally and me.




Sitting in our old blue jeans

We look across the yard and see our dreams

We see the choices that we never made

We see the joy and we see the pain

And as the days go by

We hug each other and we never cry

'Cause we know this is what will be


It will always be Sally and me.




Sally and me

Together we're free

Sally and me.




Happy anniversary, Sally.

 

Sorry?

The wife and I were chatting in the Mercedes this afternoon about not looking forward to leaving Napa Valley tomorrow (Leave a Benz E550 convertible and free breakfast? Who would be happy about that?). She idly wondered which places we had each been sorry to leave on this trip. Before you jump in, I'll admit that I wasn't sorry to leave Death Valley. But once you get past that, I really enjoyed each of our stops, including the en-route 1-nighters: Billings, Salt Lake City, Bishop. Denver, not really; it was truly a place to stay because we just couldn't get there early enough to drive to Rapid City that night. Bishop turned into two nights, which I enjoyed.

Each of the National parks (counting Rapid City in this category) was unique in its own way. In some cases, I was anxious to move on because of what was upcoming, but in no case was I happy to leave. Well, maybe Grand Teton given the completely uncooperative weather which I'm sure got much better after we left. Yosemite was the star; Yellowstone the most bazaar. Zion could have used another day at least; Yosemite another month. Bryce perhaps another day, perhaps not. It's really a beautiful and unique one-trick pony.

Vegas I could have skipped, but we're a team and the wife loved it. Napa Valley appeals to both of us. San Francisco, where we go tomorrow, is kind of a decompression stop to ready us for our return to the East.

-------------

Today was a bit of another day like yesterday: hit the gym, have a leisurely breakfast overlooking the Valley on the Terrace, visit a winery, gourmet lunch, another winery, then dinner. In the morning we visited Robert Mondavi. A beautiful building on beautiful grounds, and a very nice tour culminating in a sit-down tasting in a wine celler room. Very classy.

All You Need to Know About Great Wine, June 2012

Here's all you need to know about lunch at Mustard's:

I bet you can't eat the whole thing, June 2012

After lunch we went up to the Sterling winery. As befits the wine, the tour was a little more mass-market than Mondavi. But the winery is on top of a hill with nice views looking down the Valley.

Bottle of red, bottle of white, June 2012

All in, another pleasant day.

Included

There are hotels which are bad, and there are hotels which are great. Both kinds can further be divided into those which add on charges for wifi, for water, for the mini bar, for parking your car. And then there are those that simply charge a fair price and include everything. Two extremes are the Wynn in Las Vegas and the Creekside in Bishop. We actually paid extra to be in the "Tower" side of the hotel, which gives access to certain amenities and includes a number of others that "Resort" side rooms have to pay extra for, such as the fitness center, parking and wifi. Or you can buy them ala carte. The Creekside, although far simpler, included wifi, parking, breakfast and the guest washer/dryer. At the Wynn, if you so much as jostle the bottles in the minibar, it is sensed and automatically added to your bill. And as I wrote, there are so many overlapping packages one can get with various amenities that the wife spent a couple hours while we were there sorting it all out. The Wynn was literally 5x in price than the Creekside, and on an absolute basis, much nicer. But it's nice to have everything included.

The Auberge du Soleil in Napa is in a different league entirely.

Minibar? Included (no alcohol, but lots of beverages and snacks).

Wifi? Included.

Fresh fruit in the room everyday? Included.

Fitness room? Included.

Yoga classes? Included.

Toiletries? Included (including "Intimacy aids" - ask me when the children aren't present).

Breakfast? Included.

Use of one of their fleet of Mercedes? Included.

Not the Lunch Wagon, June 2012

We're liking it here.

After breakfast we went for a ride in a MB SLK (a two-seat convertible for you out of the loop). A little different than the Lunch Wagon, eh? But then, it wouldn't accomodate our Stuff. Stopped at one winery, but decided $20 each for a wine tasting at 11:00 was not really what we wanted, so we headed into St. Helena to see what there is to see. A charming little town; think Southhampton with mountains rather than ocean and you get it.

Grandma will explain the facts of life, June 2012

Oils, Vinegars and Sauces, June 2012

The wife bought a pair of shoes she really likes. After working up an appetite we went looking for a basic American lunch, and found it at Gott's. A real old-fashioned summer burger joint - walk up to the window outside, order, then take your food to a picnic table under an umbrella in the back. This really hit the spot.

It's Gott's to be good, June 2012

Finally, we checked out the SLK's handling on a twisty mountain road which was very much the long way to a winery we wanted to check out. Not because we expected to be wow'ed by the wine, but because it was a yet-unfinished real castle being built in the middle of the Napa Valley. The wines were ok, but the existence of the castle was interesting.

Wine Seller in the Castle, June 2012

Finally, dinner at the Rutherford Grill, on the corner of Rutherford Road in Rutherford. The wife started going through the garlic routine with the waitress, and a minute later the manager arrived. He couldn't be friendlier, more helpful or more pleasant to talk to. After all was said and cooked, we had a great meal - fried shrimp for the wife, which she said was the best she ever had, and an Ahi Tuna burger for moi which was the best I've ever had (full disclosure: the only one I've ever had). We had a Frogs Leap Merlot, which is pretty cool since the winery is right down the street.

Ribbit ribbit, June 2012

And the vintner has a good sense of humor.



 

Three sides now

Another day of contrasts.

We woke this morning in our cabin in Yosemite after a pleasant evening seeing a few more sights and having a relaxed and casual dinner at the Yosemite Lodge. Before dinner, we drove around the Valley to make sure we got a good look at all the stuff: El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Bridalveil Falls. It must have been official Rainbow Day at Yosemite: a rainbow at Vernal Falls in the morning, and one at Bridalveil in the evening.

Rainbow @ Sunset @ Bridalveil, June 2012

The one major place I've never made it to in my three prior visits to Yosemite is Glacier Point, which sits high above the Valley and is about an hour by car. Or 5 miles by foot, if you want to climb 3,200'. So I got up and out early and drove up. Morning is not the best time for photography from the Point; Once the sun gets up (I got there around 7:15), the major falls in the Valley are all in shadow, but the upper rocks like Half Dome are all fully lit so you have too much contrast overall yet lots of glare in the high areas. But while I was leaving the Valley I spied the moon setting over the valley wall.

Moonset in Yosemite, June 2012

Here's a shot that gives a sense of the scale of the Valley and some of the features. From Glacier Point, you are about eye-level with Half Dome. Down on the right, you can see the curved shape of Nevada Falls. If you follow the glinting Merced River as it flows down from Nevada, you can see a small patch of white which is Vernal Falls. Refer back to yesterday for a shot of Vernal and how big and powerful it is up close.

Looking up the Valley, June 2012

But unfortunately we had to go. I always hate leaving great places, and I've always hated leaving Yosemite. Our travels today took us all the way back to (almost) the Pacific coast; we're now ensconced in the Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley. This is one of the wife's exquisite selections of great places to stay - just a little different than the lodging in the National Parks. And the last hour or two of the ride out here wasn't so great as we transitioned from mountain wilderness to industrial farming to San Francisco metro traffic (and Napa Valley traffic) to this oasis in the hills overlooking yet another Valley.

The life of luxury we deserve, June 2012

We've already tasted 4 or 5 different wines and we haven't yet left the hotel area, nor actually paid for any of them. I could like this ...

So there you have three parts to the day: the magnificence of Yosemite, the brutality of the highways within 40 miles of SF, and the tranquility and elegance of Auberge du Soleil.

 

Yosemite

As planned, I hiked up to Vernal Falls this morning. It's a pretty hard hike, and I'm in decent shape, but an awful lot of people do it. Fortunately, I left early so the trail was not crowded on my way up. I was curious to see what the photo opportunity was like at the Falls in the morning. When I was last here, it was afternoon and the sun was behind me. Sure enough, the first views on the way up had the sun in front of me and too much glare to be interesting. But after I passed the misty part of the Mist Trail (so-called because the spray from the waterfalls continually soaks the trail, which is a steep stairway), I found myself between the sun and a huge mist - perfect conditions for a rainbow.

Mist + Sun = Rainbow, June 2012

After continuing to the top and heading down, I returned to a great vantage point sticking into the Merced River to shoot. By now, the sun had moved sufficiently that glare was no longer a problem.

Vernal Falls from the shooting rock, June 2012

After lunch, the wife and I went out to see some of the sights easily reached from the Valley. Yosemite Falls, of course, is visible from many vantage points. Here's a shot from the meadow. It just seems like it should be as Ansel would have shot it, black & white

Classic Yosemite Falls, June 2012

Finally we walked up to Mirror Lake. Not much of a lake was there, even though it's only June. I guess the winter was dry here as well. However, the Tenaya River was flowing well and I got some nice moving water shots.

I get a rush from Tenaya, June 2012

I couldn't decide, can you?, June 2012

We're back in the room now, relaxing for a bit before going out again to maybe see a few more things and to get some dinner.



 

The Road to Paradise

We left Bishop this morning, and I think we were both sorry to leave. The Creekside hotel was simple but very comfy, the staff was extremely pleasant, and the buffet just what we wanted. But greater wonders await us - today we head to Yosemite.

The trip takes us past Mono Lake, where the drop in water levels starting 70 years ago as Los Angeles started drinking it exposed the phenomena know as "tufa". They were originally formed by mineral-rich underground springs raising through the lake bed, but were submerged until the water level dropped.

Mono Lake in the Wind, June 2012

After lunch at the Mobil station in Lee Vining, we took off over the Tioga Pass to Yosemite. But not before a bit of a scare. There was a storm in the region last night which dropped snow in the higher elevations, and which resulted in the Tioga Pass - which crosses the Sierra Nevadas from the Owens Valley into Yosemite - being closed most of the morning. It was opened by the time we got there, but we were already thinking about the extra miles needed to drive up and around the mountains via Tahoe.

Yosemite is just awesome. Here's our first look down the Valley from Olmstead Point:

The back of Half Dome, June 2012

(Note to the photogs reading: the last image is straight out of the camera.)

Olmstead looks west down to the Valley from its Eastern end. To actually get into the Valley, you have to either hike down from Olmstead (maybe 10 miles) or drive around to the west end and enter the Valley on the only road in (perhaps 50 miles). We opted for the latter due to the amount of luggage we had. And the 10 mile hike down 4,000 feet.

Yosemite Falls and the Merced River, June 2012

After checking into the Ahwahnee, we went for a stroll up to the viewpoint at the bottom of Lower Yosemite Falls. Along the way we saw both Upper Yosemite and both Falls. These images are cliches, but still just get me. We stopped in the Ansel Adams gallery, where I am always reminded that I am an amateur who can't hold a candle to the master.

Tomorrow morning I plan to hike up to Vernal Falls. Can't wait.





 

Three weeks

We've been on the road for three weeks today. As you know, we had a change of plans and are in Bishop today rather than Death Valley. The Creekside is bright, comfy and has a great buffet breakfast. Well, maybe not up to the over-the-top Buffet at the Wynn, but it's got everything I need.

This is not the Wynn, June 2012

Did I mention it's cool?

I think it's going to be a slow day today, taking advantage of having gotten here a day early to recharge a bit. But anything we do want to do is a drive away, so we will be spending time in the car today. We passed 3,000 miles yesterday. That is slightly further than driving from our home in NJ to San Francisco. Our valiant chariot (AKA the Lunch Wagon) is performing well - the seats are comfortable, the A/C held up to the worst of Death Valley while the heater was great in Yellowstone and Grand Teton, it holds our ridiculous quantity of luggage and supplies, and even plays our tunes thru the stereo when we want.


Anyway, being in Bishop, we went to see two of my favorite spots. The first is the Alabama Hills, some foothills strategically located in the Owens Valley below the Sierra Nevadas. This is where many of the "red rock" Hollywood westerns were filmed, and it's a wonderful jumble of rocks and boulders. The iconic image is of Mt. Whitney (highest peak in the lower 48) as seen through a 17' natural arch at sunrise. It's pretty awesome that it just lines up, with the arch - a great image on it's own - neatly framing the peak.

Mt. Whitney behind an Arch, June 2012

We didn't get there at sunrise; it's about 1:15 from the hotel and sunrise is 5:30 am these days, and I wasn't getting up at 3:45 am. So you'll have to deal with Mt. Whitney being a a bit washed out. Also, in case you think getting the shot framed is a piece of cake, check out this shot of my tripod: the photographer was similarly wedged in between the two rocks, and it was pretty windy. The things one must do for their art ...

Balancing act, June 2012

After a tasty lunch in the Lunch Wagon, we proceeded to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. There you find these most amazingly shaped trees, many of them sculpted by literally thousands of years of wind and weather. In fact, the oldest of them in this grove at 9,500' is estimated to be about 4,500 years old. That would mean the tree was over 1,000 years old when Moses lead the Israelites out of Egypt!

Old friend, June 2012

Here are two - the first is an old friend my my visit here last fall, and the second making a heroic pose against the sky while flanked by his attendants. Note that the tree in the middle is very much alive. There's a trunk coming up to the left (hard to pick out in this view) which is in full bloom.

Proud, June 2011

And the best news of the day - another pizza shop which is garlic-safe! Pizza and a bottle of wine for dinner. A perfect end to a great day.

 

Death Valley Day

Our original plan was to stay in Death Valley for two nights, spending the day in between sightseeing, and relaxing in the room the second night before heading to Bishop, CA and the Eastern Sierras. After spending the first evening in the room with the A/C barely keeping up, we decided we couldn't spend another night in the hot, dark, cramped room. So we decided to revise the schedule and get out of Dodge. We would tour the park until mid-afternoon, and spend the evening in Bishop instead.

Not as nice as it looks: 7:00 am and already 90 degrees, June 2012

Death Valley is aptly named. It really is a harsh environment - hotter than hot, virtually no water, sand and rocks everywhere. Much of the ground water is literally "bad water" - contaminated with metals and salts that make it undrinkable.

Did I mention it's hot? The forecast for today was 118-120 degrees.

Badwater, Death Valley NP, June 2012

After Badwater, which is south of Furnace Creek, we headed up north. We found some more examples of just how desolate and difficult this place is.

Everything looks dead, June 2012

Lunch wagon, June 2012

We made an aborted attempt to buy lunch in some bar, only to discover they pretty much coat the entire kitchen in garlic powder. So we settled for PB&J in the car again. Then it was off to Scotty's Castle. To make a long story short, a hustler befriended a wealthy business man who built a mansion in the hills in the northern reaches of what is now the Park. Scotty, the hustler, wound up living there pretty much full time as a guest, and finally died there in 1954. The place is really magnificent, with attention to details and very advanced technology for the 1920s, when it was built. The estimated cost to build was $1-$2 million - in 1925 dollars!

Scotty was here, June 2012

Anyway, we're in Bishop tonight. The room is light, large, and cool. We get free breakfast and cookies & coffee in the evening. Did I mention the room is cool?