Orange County/Los Angeles, CA

After a week of hostels along the Central Coast I was ready for some peace and quite at my Dad and Step-Mom, Mary's home in Irvine. To stay in shape while visiting Mary and I did morning yoga on several occasions and I tried to keep up with my old man on a couple of bike rides around town. October is a brilliant time of year in Orange County. I enjoyed 12 straight days of sunshine and temperatures in the 70's. Here we are at Laguna Beach.


I was also fortunate to get in visits with my cousin Julia who was in town from the East Coast and my cousin Lisa, her husband Jim, and there 5-month old baby, Haley. I stayed with them for a couple of nights in Van Nuys. There was lots of action in a short period of time including a poker night, playing basketball for the first time in 6 months, and an art festival in South Pasadena with a group of Lisa and Jim's friends. The big thrill though was meeting Haley for the first time. It was great spending time with the Boyd's in "Family Land"!



I also got to spend some time my friend Beni who I've kept in touch with since we met in Panama. We had a great dinner in the Koreatown section of Los Angeles and also went mountain biking in Laguna Coast Wilderness Park. Beni's got mad skills on the bike and always makes a huge effort to get together when I'm in town which is much appreciated.

Even with all the time spent with family and friends I still found a couple of interesting places to visit on a day trip. My brother tipped me off about an interesting place in Landers, CA called Integratron. Along with 40-50 other people I had a 30-minute sound bath at the Integratron. No idea what a sound bath is? Do a little reading on the Integratron or better yet take a ride out to Landers and experience it for yourself.


After the sound bath I did a short visit to nearby Joshua Tree National Park. The best time of year to visit Joshua Tree is in the spring with it's wildflowers in full bloom. I found the park to be beautiful this time of year despite the dryness and dust. I'd like to come back to this park again and see more of it. The second picture below is a Joshua Tree up close with many more across the landscape.

Central Coast, CA

Leaving the Bay Area my first stop heading south was the ocean town of Santa Cruz. I spent half the day mountain biking in Wilder Ranch State Park and the other half checking out the restaurants and shops in downtown Santa Cruz. At the state park I started by riding along a series of bluffs overlooking the ocean. After completing this section I crossed Highway 1 and rode up along some of the mountain trails where it was 20-25 degrees warmer than at the ocean.


The following day I made a quick stop to check out Monterey and Carmel. Here's a recognizable albeit hazy shot of Pebble Beach for all the golf fans out there.


The rest of the day was spent winding along highway 1 right along the ocean. It was a slow and sometimes foggy drive but was well worth it. My first stop was Point Lobos State Preserve. The oceanfront was filled with a variety of spectacular geological formations and plant life.

I stopped for a hike to the beach at Andrew Molera State Park and then proceeded on to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. I'd been looking forward to this State Park to see yet another unique waterfall. McWay Falls was a dramatic site with water falling 80 ft. directly onto the sand beach.

I continued on with another couple of hours making it to San Luis Obispo by nightfall. I made the hostel in San Luis Obispo my home base for the week. This was one of the best hostels I stayed at for both its comfortable accomodations and interesting mix of hosts and travelers. Highlights included biking and trail running at Irish Hills, hiking up Bishop's Peak, Mtn. biking and coastal rock formations in Montana de Oro State Park, and the Shine Cafe in nearby Morro Bay. I hiked up Bishops's Peak one morning with Arend from Denmark and Andres from Sweden. An interesting discussion of our different cultures and travel experiences added to the great view overlooking SLO.

The day at Montana de Oro was highlighted by more amazing geological formations, eucalyptus groves, and stunning views of the surrounding mountains and ocean.


Friday I traveled further south to Santa Barbara. Along the way I stopped at La Purisma Mission near Lompoc. Spanish Missions can be found up and down the coast of California. La Purisma was particularly interesting because the of the 1820's style that has been maintained. The city of Lompoc is also known for it's more than 60 painted wall murals. Works of art like this one can be found all over their downtown area.


I also made stops in the wine country towns of Solvang and Los Olivos, hiked up Gaviota Peak for a great view of the ocean & Channel Islands, and payed a visit to the Mtn. Biking trails of Pt. Mugu State Park. I was fortunate to see one beautiful place after another over the course of 7 days along the central coast.

San Francisco Bay Area

On Labor Day my brother and I drove to Marin County to hike and sightsee in the area. After spending a night at the Marin Headlands Hostel we hiked up to the top of Mt. Tamalpais and through Muir Woods. From the top of Mt. Tam we could see a low cloud cover below the city skyline.


In Muir Woods we saw an amazing array of trees the most impressive of which were the coastal redwood sequoias.


After a night at the San Francisco Ft. Mason hostel and Fisherman's Warf I dropped Tom off at the airport. I then headed down to Saratoga to visit my old friend John Gilligan, his wife Lisa, and their two kids Ryan and Casey.


Inbetween saturday morning soccer, shooting hoops in the front yard, and coloring at the kitchen table John and I managed to squeeze in 3 bike rides. The first was a 57-mile road ride from Saratoga to Boulder Creek and back. I thought I had done some tough rides on my trip but 6000 ft. of climbing on this sunny thursday afternoon really pushed my limits. John does these types of hillclimbing rides all the time so he'd typically push ahead and then patiently wait for me to catch up. Saturday and sunday we did 2-3 hours of mtn. biking enjoying some great trails and views in the area. At the end of my visit I left my road bike in the garage and am now travleling with the mtn. bike John generously loaned me.


Next stop was my Aunt Sue's in Hayward. I joined Sue for a visit to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, to see the Richard Avedon exhibit. We also saw the Giants take on the Colorado Rockies in AT&T Park.

On my final night my Aunt's friend Karel joined us for dinner at Souley Vegan in downtown Oakland. We enjoyed some friday night live blues and a huge sample platter of delicous vegan soul food. Here we are pictured with the owner. If you make it to Souley Vegan you must try the yams!

Lotus/Yosemite, CA

I left Oregon back on August August 30th and headed for Lotus, CA home of mom and step-dad, Harry. After 52 days of travel it was a good feeling to unpack the car, sleep in a familiar bed, and eat a home cooked meal. Already visiting were my step-brother Rob and my nephew Parker. The five of us spent a day at the California State Expo enjoyeing various exhibits, motorcycle jumping, fireating jugglers, and interesting food. Parker and Harry downed the heralded zuchcini weenie. This culinary creation is a hollowed out zuchini filled with a hot dog and deep fried in batter similar to a corn dog.


On sunday I took a long bike ride on the American River Trail Bike Path. This trail was probably the best urban trail I've been on the entire trip. The bikepath is smooth, scenic, and doesn't have any car traffic whatsoever. The trail fed me into Old Sacramento and the area near the California State Capitol Building. Tuesday night I made a stop at my Aunt Sue's and had delicious vegetarian dinner with her and a couple of her friends Carol and David in Berkley.


After picking my brother Tom at the airport we headed to Yosemite National Park along with my mom and Harry. The sights were amazing to say the least. The park is filled with glacier carved rock, waterfalls, valleys, giant sequoias, and meadows. We visited for a couple of days with the highlight being the 8-mile hike on the Panorma Trail from Glacier Point back to the valley floor. Pictured below is the signature formation associated with Yosemite, Half Dome.


The picture below was taken from Glacier Point where we started our hike. Nevada Fall and Vernal Fall can both be seen in the picture. We eventually hiked our way to both falls.


Near the end of the hike we were rewarded with a spectacular view of Vernal Fall. Because the water level is low this time of year we saw dozens of smaller waterfalls as opposed to one huge waterfall seen most of the rest of the year.


After returning to Lotus and resting our weary hiking muscles Tom and I ventured out onto the south fork of the American River which runs past my parents property. On a summer weekend day a couple thousand rafters will pass by their home on the river.


Tom headed down the river in a raft while I floated on an innertube. Although this river is fairly tame, there were a few rapid sections along the way and at one point I was tossed off my float into the cold water. Good Fun!



Here's a picture on the back deck of myself, Mom, Harry, and Tom. The next 7 weeks will be spent visiting various parts of California. Updates may be a little less frequent but hopefully just as exciting as the first two months of the trip.

Bend/Crater Lake/Ashland, OR

On sunday I drove from Eugene to Bend. The drive took took me from the lush, green Willamette Valley to the arid high desert of Central Oregon. The Deschutes River gave me the chance to try something I'd seen in a few places on my trip, stand-up paddleboarding. This sport which has been gaining in popularity requires you to stand on a board, similar to a surfboard, and padde in an upright position. It took me about 30 minutes and some advice from a few local paddlers on the river to get the hang of it. Paddleboarding was a lot of fun and something I'll do again in the future. After paddleboarding I did some hiking around Tumalo Falls.


Sunday night I headed to a neighboring town called Sisters to camp in their Municipal Park. I found a good spot at the campsite and started to unload the camping gear when I small problem came up. My tent was missing. I'm not sure if it was lost or stolen but it wasn't there so I didn't have a tent to sleep in. Since I already had a good spot at the campground picked out and it was late at night my solution was simple, sleep in the car. This turned out to be more comfortable than expected and I manged to get a decent night of sleep.
The next night I was in luck as I had a friend of a friend lined up to spend the night with. I stayed with Tannus & Heather Quatre and their 3 kids. Tannus and I did a 2 1/2 hour hike up Mt. Tumalo. The view of the buttes, forests, and surrounding mountains was spectacular. After car camping the night before I was especially grateful for a home cooked meal, warm shower, comfortable bed, and generous hospitality.


Heading south from Bend I stopped at Crater Lake National Park. I squeezed in a hike up to the top of Garfield Peak for a great view of the lake. Crater Lake was a wonder to see with its almost indescribable shade of blue water.



From Crater Lake I headed down to Ashland, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. I stayed at the Ashland Hostel which was conveniently within walking distance of the festival, Lithia Park, the Ashland Co-Op, and everything else in downtown Ashland. Wednesday afternoon I biked the Bear Creek Greenway up to Medford and back. In the evening I checked out a free concert given by the Portland Cello Project and saw an exciting presentation of Macbeth in the Angus Bowmer Theater.

Eugene, OR & Oregon Dunes

Eugene was a lot like Portland only much smaller and more emphasis on the local school, the University of Oregon. T-shirts, hats, and flags could be seen everywhere supporting the Oregon Ducks. I stayed at the Whiteaker Hostel which is located in a artsy neighborhood about 10 minutes from campus. Similar to other places I've visisted I took to my bike to explore the city and surrounding areas. Once again bike lanes and bike paths made getting around very easy especially along the scenic McKenzie River and U of O. Here's a hidden urban garden I found on the U of O campus.


Something I've wanted to do on the trip but hadn't gotten around to was to see a minor league baseball game. Eugene presented the perfect opportunity to see a game for the low price of $5.50, cheaper than a movie. I saw the hometown Emeralds take on the Vancouver Canadians and score a 4-2 victory in front of 2,900 fans. Eugene plays their home games in Civic Stadium which was built in 1938. Seeing a game in an old-time ballpark added to the experience for me.


Friday afternoon I took a trip to the Pacific Coast to check out the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. This area stretches about 40 miles along the Pacific Coast south from the town of Florence. I took a hike through Carter Dunes that took me to a path leading right to the beach along the Pacific Ocean. I got lucky and had a beautiful sunny day to walk the beach, breathe the fresh ocean air, and enjoy a bit of solitude.




The big weekly event in town is the Eugene Saturday Market. This is more than just fresh produce from local farms, it's local crafts, food & drink vendors, and live music. I met my friend Dion who I met while staying at the Port Angeles hostel at the market for lunch and travel disucssion. We enjoyed a good conversation, excellent lunch, and some live music which included several kid rock bands. These kids had gone to summer rock camp and were now performing the top songs they learned while at camp. The crowd got bigger when the kids started playing and for good reason.


On the way back from the market I passed a building wall with a good message to remember courtesy of Bob Marley and the artist who painted this.

Portland, OR

After several cool days in the 60's in Port Angels and the San Juan Islands I was looking forward to getting back to summertime temperatures in the 70's and 80's. Portland provided sunshine, a vibrant city with distinct neighborhoods, and great opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. I got a spot in the centrally located Northwest Hostel. My first day there I took in the Portland State University saturday farmer's market. It was the biggest farmers market I'd seen yet filled with tons of local produce. The area specializes in various berries so I bought a bunch to eat during my stay in Portland. From there I walked 45 minutes to Washington Park. Washington Park is huge with many attractions the most famous of which is their Internationally acclaimed
Rose Test Garden. It was not only impressive because of it's size but also the variety of colors and types of roses it had.


Sunday was a day I'd been working towards for several weeks. The main event for sunday was the Portland Century Bike Ride. I'd completed a few 100-mile rides before but this one posed something a little different than what I've experienced in the past, climbing. This ride had plenty of rollings hills and a couple of 700 ft. climbs which made the food/rest stops even more enjoyable than usual.


The course took us from Portland out into the country and then along the scenic Columbia River Gorge. The last leg brought us back through the city for an energized final 10 miles. Here I am on the Broadway Bridge with less than 5 miles left. It was a great ride and a really enjoyable way to see the area.


While in Portland I got together with a friend of a friend, Chris Rennie, who's spent the last 14 years in Oregon after growing up in Michigan. We hit an art/music festival in one of Portland Northeast neighborhoods on saturday afternoon and then I joined Chris and his wife Jen for an enjoyable dinner on their balcony one night during the week.


On tuesday afternoon I drove out to Multnomah Falls, about 40 minutes east of Portland. The Falls, Columbia River Gorge, and surrounding area provided one of the most scenic hikes I'd taken on the entire trip. I did the Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop which had about 10 different waterfalls along the way. Some of the Falls were tucked back between mountain sides providing about a 15 degree temperature drop. On a hot day like tuesday it provided a few short "air conditioning" breaks.




I found Portland to be a vegetarian's heaven. The city had great farmers markets, several grocery co-ops, and a couple dozen vegetarian restaurants. I didn't have time to try them all but I really enjoyed Bye and Bye, Blossoming Lotus, Black & Red Cafe, and Papa G's Vegan Organic Deli. While the only time I rode a bike in Portland was the century ride I do have to say Portland is a super bike friendly city. Wide, well-marked bike lanes can be found everywhere and I ran into several people who do not own a car and use their bike as their primary means of transportation. All in all Portland was a great stop with friendly people, great food, beautiful scenery, abundant sunshine, and lots things to do outdoors.