Cherry, Woodrow, Susan and Sargon Elias
The last day, we fly home today. We are in San Francisco at the moment. We handed back our RV yesterday, a bit strange after having spent so long in it to hand it back. We spent the morning cleaning it out and throwing lots of stuff away so that we could fit everything in our bags. We didn’t have to clean the outside and it was very dirty compared to the others at the rental depot. 10 weeks dirt dust and mud and a lot of dead bugs.
Since last time we drove up the coast from Malibu and stayed at Pismo Beach, Morro Bay and Carmel. For the last few days we have been in San Francisco area. We went into the Napa wine valley and saw some petrified trees and a geyser. Not had time to upload all the pictures yet, but will try to get round that when I get back.
Saturday 18 October 2003 – Malibu Beach
We are on a hill overlooking Malibu beach just north of Los Angeles. Since the last update just over a week ago in San Diego, we moved back up the California Coast to visit Legoland California. We then drove inland to the Grand Canyon. It took a couple of days to get there across the Mojave desert. We stayed at a place called Needles on the way there and back and stayed at the Grand Canyon for a day walking along the south rim.
We then came back to the coast via route 66 which took us past some spectacular caverns. We arrived here in Malibu on Thursday. We went to a great raw food restaurant in just down the coast in Santa Monica yesterday.
October 9, San Diago California
Getting Internet access has been very terrible, you would imagine that in high tech California the heart of so many internet technologies everybody would have high speed internet access and the camp sites would all have wireless hubs. Most sites have no access or just one phone line for which you need some local telephone calling card which are imposbale to get. At one place there was a data port on the pay phone, so you had to sit outside next to the pay phone and put change into the phone. What with all the noise from the hand set all I managed to get was 28Kps connection, however but at least I did get on-line. However one site did had wireless hub and a high speed connection which was great, we could just sit by the RV and acces the internet at near normal speeds.
4 October - Willits Northern California
After leaving Willits in Northern California we drove across to Yosemite Park, where we stayed for a few days. The main visitor centre area was very busy despite it being mid week in the autumn. However once we left the main area it was quiet and very beautiful, we drove through the mountains and left the park on the east side.
We followed the Sierra Nevada mountain range south into the Mohave dessert. We stayed there last night about 100 miles from Los Angeles. Today we drove to our current location San Diego. As we passed Los Angeles on the interstate we were enveloped in a heavy smog, luckily this cleared as we climbed over some mountains half way to San Diego. We are about 8 miles from the Mexican border here.
Today is Saturday 4 October
, we are about 150 miles north of San Francisco in a small town called Willits California. The Camp site here by chance is having a cowboy theme weekend so it is completely full. This is unusual as since labour day the campsites have been quiet. Since last time we have zigzagged a couple of times between the coast and the mountains on our way south.
Since last time at Waldport we moved down the coast to Coos Bay where they have large dunes which are open for ATV (Quad Bikes) riding. We hired a couple of ATVs and spent some time driving through the dunes. After that we headed back inland towards the mountains and Crater lake, a spectacular lake in the cone of an old volcano, after passing lake Klamath, we headed back to the coast and crossed the state line into Northern California. We drove on the red wood high way through the forest and are now staying in a small town just as the red forest ends. The landscape is noticeable dryer around here although along the coasts there is a lot of mist and fog.
28 September - at Waldport on the Oregan Coast
We are back in the US. We took the ferry to Vancouver Island where we stayed on the west coast. It was a small mountain road to cross the island and the only way to this particular beach. In Washington we stayed near the mount St Helens volcano. We are now heading south towards California and staying on the Coast in Oregon.
23 September - Vancouver Island
We reached the Pacific Ocean today so we have crossed the whole continent. We are staying in Vancouver at the moment, and went into the city today. Since our last update from Winnipeg, we have crossed the prairies, been through a snow storm and crossed the Rocky Mountains. Internet access has not been good and this is the first time since Winnipeg that we have been able to get on-line.
The mountains were stunningly beautiful. We went from 22ºc on the prairies one day to snow storm the next. The weather started improving in the mountains and it’s warm again here in Vancouver.
14 September - Winnipeg Canada
Managed to get some internet access again, so here is another update. Its three weeks today since we left England, we reached Winnipeg in Manatoba yesterday about midday after driving from Thunderbay stopping overnight at Falcon lake on the way, it was a long drive about 650Km. We have now reached the great plains after leaving the lakes behind. We saw a bear at Falcon lake camp ground in the play ground by the beach, we ran back and told the person in the shop, but they didnt seem that concerend although he said that a bear trap had been set up in the car park. The lady behind us in the queue said it was the time of year for them.
Since we left Niagra, where we were on Labour day, the camp sites have been getting quieter and quieter. The weather is also becoming cooler and there is an autumnal feel about the place or fall as they say here. Tommorow we are heading for the state of Saskatchewan aso until next time all the best.
| Saturday August 23 2003 |
Start - fly to Boston | |
| August 26 2003 | Boston |  |
| August 27 2003 | Adirondack |  |
| August 28 2003 | Ausable Chasm and High Falls |  |
| September 2 2003 | Niagra Falls |  |
| September 4 2003 | Toronto and Algonquin park |  |
| September 7 2003 | Parry Sound |  |
| September 11 2003 | ThunderBay |  |
| September 14 2003 | Winnipeg |  |
| September 17 2003 | The Priaries |  |
| September 20 2003 | Rocky Mountains |  |
| September 22 2003 | Vancouver |  |
| September 27 2003 | Vancouver Island |  |
| September 28 2003 | Mount St Helens |  |
| October 1 2003 | Oregan |  |
| October 3 2003 | California Red Woods |  |
| October 8 2003 | Yosemite |  |
| October 10 2003 | San Diego |  |
| October 14 2003 | Legoland |  |
| October 17 2003 | Grand Canyon |  |
| October 18 2003 | Malibu |  |
| October 20 2003 | Universal Studios |  |
| October 24 2003 | Carmel |  |
| October 26 2003 | San Francisco |  |
| October 30 2003 | Going Home |  |