Tour of the Rockies 2006

[TObject]

We had breakfast in the motel, and got on the road around 9 AM. As we approached Slat Lake City around 11:30, we called Mark, and he graciously offered to give us a tour of the city.

As planned we wanted to see the Tabernacle Hall, and headed to the Temple Square. Unfortunately the Tabernacle Hall is currently under construction, so we couldn?t go in, however the new Conference Center was open, and we?ve taken a tour. The center is housed in an impressive building containing, among other things, a 21-thouthand seat rounded multi-level auditorium built with no support columns and a special audio system for clear sound.

After some souvenir shopping at the Crossroads Mall we slightly altered our initial lunch plan, and first headed to the Red Rock Brewing Company, and then settled for the Caf? Pierpont Mexican food place. I had Caramel Halibut, and Matt tried Horchata for the first time. Matt approves Horchata, and on the scale of 1 to 10 gives it 8 and a half. The place is lively, serves a good selection of Mexican bears including Negra Modelo, and features a salsa bar.

On the way out of Slat Lake City an excavator working on the side of the road threw some dirt in our windshield, other that that the trip to Boise, Idaho was uneventful, with a possible exception of stopping for ice cream nearby Twin Falls.

Now we are sitting down with Don and Rita, and chatting about everything. We had a great pizza dinner, and having a good time. Tomorrow we?ll be exploring various interesting places, starting with Baker City, Oregon.

[Matt Pascoe]

Sorry 'bout the hijack Sergey

Originally posted by mbryson
Angies...... The Factory...... Where's the small farm? West side, I assume, but south or north end? What's the last name?

The farm is in South West Smithfield and has been in his wifes family for a LONG time. I don't know her maiden name though. My wifes dad, Dennis Greene, and Sister (Tim and Tam Vitalle) all still live in Smithfield.

[mbryson]

Originally posted by Matt Pascoe
Sorry 'bout the hijack Sergey



The farm is in South West Smithfield and has been in his wifes family for a LONG time. I don't know her maiden name though. My wifes dad, Dennis Greene, and Sister (Tim and Tam Vitalle) all still live in Smithfield.

Wow.... South west Smithfield. That's totally my neck of the woods. Trying to think of someone that runs an alignment shop and has a small farm and can't come up with anything.

Give a shout next time you wander this way. Does the Jeep come with you and are you able to break away for some wheelin'?

[TObject]

Our first destination of the third day of the tour was the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City, Oregon. This is a great museum complex that offers insight into the life defining event of the early settlers from the 1800?s that ventured West on the treacherous journey over land in their wagons.

The center features grand interactive displays of the migrants, their animals and equipment. The displays are done with great attention to detail, and the materials presented are of the highest quality. A lot of information offered to the visitors is taken directly from journals of the early travelers.

In the Center?s auditorium we were lucky to catch a Living History interpretation of the story of a girl from Chicago, who has read a newspaper article praising Oregon, and went on to marry the author, after exchanging letters and joining a group of families traveling the Oregon Train. The monolog is called ?Mail Order Bride,? and the performance was mesmerizing: great props, costumes, and of-course talented actress ? an intern of the Center.

For lunch we headed to downtown Baker City, and found ?Charley's Ice Cream Parlor? by the intersection of Broadway and Main. That place offers a selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches. The staff is very nice, and the patrons are very friendly and eager to talk to visitors. There is also a great selection of Blue Bunny brand ice cream; the locals recommend all the flavors: including Rocky Road, peanut butter, cookie dough, chocolate, and many others. Matt had a large ice cream cone with Amazon Storm in the bottom and Huckleberry with Blueberry accent on the top.

After lunch we headed to the Oregon Trail Regional Museum in Baker City. This is a more traditional museum with a great deal of various things in size from tiny to huge. Fire department horse drawn equipment, a couple of old cars, huge collection of rocks and minerals, including a darkroom for viewing fluorescent stones of multiple colors, print press equipment, old office Dictaphone, typewriters, groceries along with an old store display setup, old refrigerators and stoves, medical supplies, diesel engines, antique bathing suits ? the variety of things on display in the museum is surely impressive.

Baker City is a great place with very friendly folk; we?ve made new friends there and wished could stay longer but it was time to head back to Idaho.

On the way to Boise, we made a detour to the Van Orman battle site, and then a quick stop by the Snake River at the Farewell Bend, the place where Oregon Trail travelers would make decision which way to go and say farewells to families going the other direction.

At Don?s and Rita?s house we were in for a treat of huge Rib eye steaks and potatoes. After dinner we got to play with radio-controlled jeeps some more, exchanged pictures, talked, and shared stories into the night.

Tomorrow we are going to Elk City.

[Tumbleweed]

We got Matt and Sergey sent off on the next leg of the trip. It was sure great to see them again, and get to spend a bit of time together.

[TObject]

The Camas Cafe closed due to owner getting a divorce. We had lunch at Barb's accross the street. There are impressive agricultural burns around here.

[TObject]

We said our farewells to Don and Rita and departed Boise. Our first stop was at a fruit stand about 3 miles South of Weiser. We purchased 3 apples and 2 peaches for $1.47 total.

One rest stop we made before Midvale at a place where prehistoric men stayed and crafted stone tools. Now that place is populated by storms of crickets ? favorite food of local snakes.

Then we drove past the Frontier Hotel & RV Park where the owner has a hilarious sign out front about types of visitors he is getting. We?ll post the picture up when we return.

We also were in the area of Mesa Orchards, the largest orchard for about 50 years starting 1910. Then at the town of Council we got out to take a look at a couple of old tractors on display. There is also a museum in Council, and a sight of an ambitious historical railroad that was supposed to go high up the mountain, but was never completed, nearby.

Then we saw a cool looking suspension bridge over Salmon River, so we had to stop for that too. The Hells Canyon Recreation Area is very scenic. At one place we stopped to learn about some gold mining that was done on the banks of the river.

We had been looking forward to visit the highly recommended Camas Caf?. Unfortunately, July 5th was the last day the caf? was opened. People who worked there lost their jobs and are very unhappy about it.

For the night we are staying at Prospector Cabins near Elk City. The accommodations here are topnotch. After checking in, we went back to Elk City: visited several places there, including the Outpost store, where we got bear deterrent spray. Then we went for a drive around to look for wildlife, and found a big bird walking on the ground. I think I have an idea what bid it was, but we?ll identify it exactly later on, we took pictures. The bird looked tasty, and we were hungry; we went to the Elk City Stackhouse, and had Elk Burgers with fries. Elk is a fine meal.

Now we are sitting in the cabin, writing, and drinking Moose drool. Tomorrow we are heading to the Lolo Motorway.

[TObject]

The cabin we spent last night in was so comfortable that we allowed ourselves to sleep in an extra hour or so. Then we packed our things and talked to one of the owners about our planned route; she informed us that the way we wanted to travel we would encounter some closed roads. We choose a new route, and after going back to Elk City to drop off some postcards and top off on diesel we were on our way.

Driving twisty gravel roads through woods and mountains we came upon a variety of animals: a whitetail dear, various squirrels and mice, an eagle taking off right in front of us, little and medium size tasty looking birds, and a pack of three wolfs or coyotes. Some of the animals we got on camera, others were too quick to catch.

Portions of the Lolo Motorway are closed, and when we reached the opened part it was 15:22, and 80.6 miles away from the Elk City Outpost. We came by the way of forest road 101 (Smith Creek Road).

The Lolo motorway is a well maintained dirt road; so far we haven?t had any problems navigating the road with our 2-wheel drive truck. We stopped at several Lewis and Clark related historical points of interest along the way, and now we are camping near the Rocky Ridge Lake. The campground is very comfy, and we have a curious chipmunk friend.

For dinner we decided not to bother with any fancy food preparations and had MREs. Matt liked his and wished he could bring some home to Australia. I am now sitting with my laptop writing this story and listening to a little radio, and Matt is chopping wood for the fire.

[TObject]

The night was surprisingly warm, and we didn?t have to use extra sleeping bags we had prepared. No wind and no annoying insects: very nice, tough later on we passed some grassy campgrounds, such as one by Weitas Medows, which may had been even nicer than camping in the dust.

We departed the Rocky Ridge Lake at about 10:11 AM, and continued West on the Historic Lolo Motorway. The Motorway parallels the route traveled by explorers Lewis and Clark 200 years ago. There are multiple points of interest such as camps where Lewis and Clark stayed. There are also some old fire lookout towers, to which off-shoot roads lead. We visited one closed tower (Weitas Bute), and one operational cabin (Castle Bute).

One thing we realized is that we scheduled way too little time for the Lolo Motorway. Just one night is not enough to enjoy the trail to its potential; I would do a 3-night minimum trip the next time. To keep on schedule, we had to skip some of the interesting places and get off of the Motorway earlier by the way of the route 107 from Saddle Camp.

While we were driving the gravel road back to highway 12, one of the front wheels on the truck started to make horrible noises. We took the wheel off and found a little marble-size rock stuck between the disk and the brake shield. We removed the rock, put everything back together, and everything went back to normal, except we were now way behind the schedule.

We drove to Missoula, had lunch at KFC, filled up on diesel, and continued North. When we got to Bigfork, Montana, we grabbed the last room in the Timbers motel. We are still behind the schedule, but we are catching up.

Tomorrow, instead of the driving around the Glacier National park, and then crossing it, we will enter the park at the West Entrance Station, drive to the Continental Divide and then turn back on the Going to the Sun highway at some point. This will save us some time, and allow spending more quality time at less number of places in Glacier. Or that?s the plan.

[TObject]

After quick breakfast in the motel we got on the road by 9 AM and proceeded to the Glacier National Park West Entrance.

In Glacier we decided to go to the Logan Pass visitor center first, as the parking there is limited and we had a better chance finding a spot earlier on. When we arrived, Matt had gone to the Hidden Lake overview nature trail and saw Camouflaged Birds (White-tailed Ptarmigan), some numerous Columbian Ground Squirrels, Goats, and Hoary Marmots. I hung around the visitor?s center with my camera.

From Logan Pass we proceeded down the Eastern Slope and went as far as the Sun Point. At Sun Point we took our time to have lunch and explore the area around. There is a lake (Saint Marry) with amazingly clear blue-green water. From way up top you can see fishes swimming in the lake. The Sun Point is surrounded by peaks; some are around 9500 feet tall.

On the way back we stopped at multiple pullouts to read the information billboards and take pictures of scenic places, glaciers, peaks, and waterfalls. By one waterfall gashing on the side of the road we actually went to stand nearly below it and got wet.

Another interesting spot we?ve been to is the Cedars Nature Trail by the Avalanche Creek. Matt tried to see something in the creek, and promptly fell into the water ass first; that was hilarious.

For the night we are staying in the Apgar campground, which means we caught up to our plan. Tomorrow we are going to drive through Idaho, Washington, then picking up a friend in Pasco, Oregon, and hopefully drive to Condon, where the next night stop is scheduled.

[NAILER341]

those are some great stories, sergey

[DanB98TJ]

Sounds like a fun trip!

Hwy 199, especially once you cross into California before hitting Crescent City, is beautiful...but a bit narrow in spots. If you plan on camping in or near Crescent City, Mill Creek Campground, on Hwy 1 about six or eight miles south of town, is one of the nicest campgrounds I've ever stayed at. If it hasn't shut down for the season it's worth stopping at.

[TObject]

We packed our things and left the campground, then spent some time at the Apgar gift shop and Visitor Center, and finally were on our way out of the Glacier National Park.

As we were driving past the Glacier International Airport we learned from the radio about the tragic death of Steve Ervin. That news set a pretty gloomy mood for the day.

For breakfast we stopped at a hotdog stand in Paradise, Montana. We had buffalo dogs, huckleberry lemonade; Matt also had huckleberry sundae. Nearby up the road, every Labor Day weekend people come from everywhere to the Plains town fair, with demolition derby, rodeo, and other fun activities. On these days the town population swells from one thousand to between forty and fifty thousand of people.

After breakfast we got fuel in Saint Regis, then drove to Idaho, and then to Washington. Near Sprague Lake we saw a road sign advertising a Wi-Fi Hotspot in the rest area. We decided to stop and check the Internet. But we only wasted our time, they wanted us to register and pay for Internet access.

In Pasco we picked up our Australian friend Noodle from the Big Apple. She flew in to join us on the trip.

After that we crossed the Columbia River we found ourselves in Oregon. At Arlington we got out of the truck to take some pictures, and then went south, to Condon, crossing the Historic Oregon Trail on the way. Unfortunately a flock of quails flew right in front of our truck and we killed one. That was bad karma and we got a flat tire shortly. The tire was not fit for fixing, so we put a spare one on.

Then we checked in the Hotel Condon. Without a doubt Hotel Condon is excellent. The furnishings are great, and the staff is very friendly. We made ourselves comfortable in the hotel bar lounge, and toasted some beers to Steve Ervin talking into the night.

[TObject]

Breakfast in the hotel was all right, and as we were checking out we met a lady who graciously offered to take us on a guided tour of Fossil and surrounding areas. The lady?s name was Glena and her knowledge of the region, its people, and history was impressive. She showed us a place where visitors can dig for fossils, a notable sculpture of Willy the Woolly mammoth, her mom?s place filled with interesting things, fossils and artifacts such as agricultural equipment, the horn tree made of numerous deer horns, snake skins, gold dust bags. Finally, we saw a mounted albino porcupine.

Outside of Mitchell we made a side trip to the Painted Hills unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Painted hills are beautiful formations colored by iron and magnesium oxides and metamorphic ceramics.

At Bend we visited the America?s Tire and got a replacement for the tire we destroyed the day before. Then we went for a very good lunch at an Italian restaurant. Just South of Bend we wanted to checkout volcanic formed Lava Butte and Lava Cave, but unfortunately, those places are fenced up, fee based, and close early; as the result we were denied access to these natural wonders.

Our final destination for the day was the Crater Lake National Park. We drove the road that goes over 78-hundred feet of elevation on the rim of the lake. The views were magnificent. At one place we got out to play with snow, and then went to the Mazama Campground for the night.

[TObject]

This day was a travel day. After packing up the camp and doing some shopping at the Crater Lake gift shop, we headed towards California by the way of Grants Pass where we stopped for lunch at Si Casa Flores Mexican restaurant. Before lunch we allowed ourselves only a couple of quick stops along the Rogue river.

As we entered California on highway 199 we found ourselves driving through giant trees. At Crescent City, we spent some time by the ocean and watched Sea Lions. Then we started down 101 for more giant trees goodness interlaced with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, various coves, lagoons, and creeks.

We stopped at the Mystery Trees tourist attraction, where a huge dude whit a blue ox is standing by the side of the road, and then started to look for a place to spend the night. While doing that we found a great meadow to watch Elk.

We checked in to a motel in Eureka after dark, and then went to the local brewing company for the night of beers, pool, and interacting with locals.

[Joe Dillard]

Awesome write-ups.

I look forward to seeing the pics.

[TObject]

Most of this day was spent exploring the Redwoods of California. We?ve done the Avenue of the Giants scenic byway stopping at multiple groves, gift shops, the interpretive center and other points of interest.

On a quick tour of the Drury-Chaney Grow we found a Banana Slug.

At Myers Flat, we went to a place where visitors are allowed to drive cars through a tree. Out truck was too large to drive through the tree, but there was also a log we could drive the truck on to.

We had our lunch at Riverbend Cellars, and then finished our Redwoods exploration with a tour of the Chimney Tree and the adjacent gift store.

Further south we choose to drive the coast by the way of Hwy 1. And we were rewarded with tranquil views of the ocean and many pretty spots on the sides of the curvy road.
For the night we settled in the Surf Motel at Gualala (Indian word for ?water coming down?). Our delicious dinner of bass with shrimp in brie cheese was prepared in Cypress Bar and Grill.

[TObject]

If you live your window open for the night at Surf Motel in Gualala, you can fall asleep to the sounds of the ocean; we didn?t, so we felt asleep to the sounds of the refrigerator instead. Nevertheless we were comfortable and liked our stay. Since the room came with the kitchen, we prepared our own breakfast before hitting the road.

We drove down the coast: took some pictures by Russian River, stopped at Goat Rock where a nice view of the Arched Rock opens. Then we quickly zoomed to Sausalito and had lunch in the Spinnaker restaurant, looking at San Francisco downtown through the huge windows.

For the Golden Gate bridge experience we stopped at the visitor?s center on the North-Western side. The weather was very windy, and clouds would hide the tops of the bridge support columns time to time. We also wanted to stop at the Golden Gate Information center on the South end of the bridge, where they have cutaway of one of the bridge main cables on display, but we got lost and ended up in the Marina further East. Not a big loss ? at the Marina we were rewarded with great views of Alcatraz.

As we continued down the Hwy 1, we got to experience San Francisco traffic, in what looked like the Asian district of the city, before getting on the freeway 280.

We drove to San Jose, and went to the Mystery House where the widow of gun manufacturer?s Winchester had carpenters working and remodeling the house for 35 years non-stop. We purchased a guided tour, and got to see this extraordinary place and learn its history.

Then we decided to put some miles under our belt and drove all the way to Salinas. In Salinas we decided to get picky and rejected several motels before settling for a suite in Comfort Inn.

[TObject]

All good things come to an end, and the day 13 was the last day of the NoNo Lolo Tour of the Rockies 2006.

Our first stop was at the Mission San Miguel Archangel. The place is beautiful; unfortunately it is in a sorry condition, with a lot of damage received during the Earthquake of December 22nd, 2003.

Then we decided to go to some famous wineries. We visited Eberle Winery, where we toured the caves full of wine in barrels. Then the Arciero Estate Vineyards, where they have racing vehicles on display. And finally we went to the Meridian Vineyards.

For lunch I wanted to take my friends to an In and Out burger, and I vaguely remembered that there had been one somewhere off of I-5 in the area. But the first one we run across was all the way in Santa Clarita, so by the time we got there we were pretty hungry; good thing we got to put our orders in before the local cheerleaders team had arrived.

Then we drove to the LAX, where we said our farewells to Noodle, our amazing Australian friend from New York. The only thing for me left to do was drop Matt off in Yorba Linda, and then head home to San Diego.

[Paradiddle]

Was this trip sponsored by the Food Network?

All you guys did was eat ice cream and drink things with the word Huckleberry in it...

Sounds like a great trip my friends - glad you two are home safe.

PS - did you stab any bears?

Jeff

[TObject]

The trip was not sponsored by the Food Network, but it was food inspired in some aspects. Men gotta eat, you know.

The weirdest thing we ate was probably Oregon-grape growing near public toilets on the side of the road. The shrub berries caused light sense of euphoria and dizziness. But mostly, we packed our stomachs at respectful restraints and cafes, as well as with food we brought with us, which featured such feasts of culinary as Salmon Jerky and Canned Tuna Salad.

Unfortunately ? or fortunately ? we did not see any bears through the duration of our trip. I am still scratching my head on this one, as we traveled through bear populated areas pretty much for the whole time.

[TObject]

I am still working on my pictures, but our incredible busy-bee friend Noodle, who joined us on the second part of the trip, has already started posting her pictures. Here is a link to that album:

http://flickr.com/photos/noodle/sets/72157594280295570/

[Tumbleweed]

I didn't see Sergey stab any bears. But, I did see him single handedly go to the cashier and with his bare hands mind you- pay for a buffalo head hat.

[TObject]

In words of NAILER341: "Chicks dig the hat."

Anywhere I was wearing the hat I got amazing amount of attention, and I was asked to pose for a photograph several times.

[TObject]

I am sorry for such a long delay, but I posted an album with some of my pictures from the trip. Please follow this link:

http://www.expeditionsaustralia.com/...olo/index.html

If you?d like to see more, PM me your snail mail address, I?ll send you a copy of the slideshow DVD with my pictures and with pictures Matt took.