Monthly Archives: May 2013

Leaving Portland, our intent was to follow the Columbia River Gorge for several hours driving the Historic Columbia River Highway, which was the first scenic roadway in America. We had stopped at the Albertson’s(grocery store) in Troutdale to get fixings … Continue reading →

When my husband first decided to join me for a week on my adventure, I mentioned that much of the week would be focused on following the Lewis & Clark’s trail. Years ago I had read Stephen Ambrose’s book Undaunted … Continue reading →

Mount Shasta in Northern California stayed in our view for the first hour when we left Redding. It lies between the towns of Weed and Dunsmuir. You can imagine all the signs, t-shirts and paraphernalia that a place named Weed … Continue reading →

My husband joined me in San Francisco and I was very pleased to have his company for a week of the trip. The plan was to head north from San Francisco towards Portland, Oregon and then start the journey east … Continue reading →

“Beat L-A” was the chant we heard for nine innings at AT&T Park. The San Francisco Giants game against their rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers, was the highlight of two days spent in San Francisco. It was the bottom of … Continue reading →

As a middle schooler and high schooler, I read many of the works of John Steinbeck, so Cannery Row in Monterey and Salinas, his hometown were a must see on this trip. He is probably my favorite American author, although … Continue reading →

My time in So Cal was a well needed break; I spent time with friends and took care of the car. The oil change that was needed turned into some coolant issues. The car spent another day at a dealership, … Continue reading →

As I drove across the California desert, singing the refrain from that old song, “California, Here I Come”, I was amazed at how much my 51-year self loved The Golden State. When I was younger living in one of the … Continue reading →

Leaving the Grand Canyon, we were headed for Las Vegas and the airport where my pal would return to life in Nashville. I was headed for three days in Carlsbad, California to rest and visit some old friends from New … Continue reading →

“The most remarkable and unique feature of the Grand Canyon is the clarity and simplicity of the earth’s history as recorded by the layers in it’s walls-comparable to the pages and chapters of a book.” Those were the well-said words … Continue reading →