Westward Wanderlust Day 20 Zion National Park, Utah July 29th, 2012 After a night in our comfortable king bed at the Majestic View , we woke rested and ready for our Zion adventure. It was 82 degrees at 9:00 am. The canyon walls soared skyward, displaying their colorful rock layers. These beautiful bands of stone … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 19 Death Valley National Park, CA July 28th, 2012 We woke to an intensely bright morning light and a cloudless blue sky. The sparkling spectacle of the Death Valley night had long since been scorched by the merciless desert sun and we quickly became acquainted with the true nature of the beast. … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 18 Azalea Campground, Kings Canyon National Park, CA July 27th, 2012 We woke among brambling manzanitas, pleasantly shaded by towering pines. We had slept on a slight incline, and had positioned our tent in such a way that tall sugar pines shaded us from most of the morning sun, and our tent … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 17 Fire Road 15564, near Yosemite National Park, CA July 26th, 2012 Waking up camping is one of my favorite moments in life. I often experience that momentary “Wait – where am I?” feeling as the stratums of sleep are peeled away. But instead of panic following this flash of obscurity, it … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 16 Rest stop somewhere near Whiskeytown, CA July 25th, 2012 The crow of concealed rooster woke us at dawn. The rest stop we spent the night in was nothing more than a small asphalt island, marooned between the sheer walls of red and brown rock. Hwy 299 appeared to the west, drew … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 15 Mill Creek Campground, Redwood National Park, CA July 24th, 2012 The shrill squawks of a band of Steller’s blue jays woke us early. Not the most courteous or delicate of an alarm clock to be sure, but still much better than the early morning shriek of police siren or the rumbling … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 14 Crater Lake, OR July 23rd, 2012 Snow is a surprising sight at 7:00am in July. Last night we parked along the east rim of Crater Lake, near Llao Rock. We woke facing a rather rocky snow-covered terrain and the snow-capped Grouse Hill in the distance. As we enjoyed our coffee, we … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 13 Portland, OR July 22th, 2012 I awoke feeling like I had not slept. Last night’s experience can be summed up with the following phrases: “Where the hell is the highway?” and “You have GOT to be kidding me!” I shall explain. After our delicious meal at Hopworks Urban Brewery, we debated … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 12 Mount Rainier National Park, WA July 21st, 2012 The morning was saturated with the rich scent of burnt wood, remnants of the cedar logs that had smoldered late into the night. The cozy fireplace had made the atmosphere in Oak Cabin complete. We probably stayed up later than we needed … Continue reading
Westward Wanderlust Day 11 Fire Lane near Olympic National Park, WA July 20th, 2012 The morning seemed exceedingly bright. Not the golden, luminous, bright light of a sunny day, but the strong, concentrated shine of white light. It was intense, and slightly harsh coming out of the dull dark of sleep. The sky was completely … Continue reading