Destinations

Oregon 2025 – Back to CA – Sacramento

Posted on July 24, 2025 by JimG

State Capitol building

Friday, July 24th, 2025

We got up and had breakfast and I did a little bit of work before we packed up and started heading to Southern CA.   I really enjoyed the hotel and could of spent a few more days hanging out and reading a book on the alpine chairs in front of the lodge or the rocking chairs on our porch. We weren’t going to make the drive in one day, we were going to stop in Sacramento, which I have never been before and then stop in Visalia to visit Sophon’s Aunt.

I love Arby’s and there aren’t any of them close to me in Los Angeles, I was glad to see along the freeway that there is an Arby’s at almost every freeway exit.   We stopped at the one that we stopped at on our way up.

We arrived in Sacramento, and we went looking around.  We had dinner in old town, at the Bear and Crow Saloon.   It was OK but I have to admit, I wasn’t impressed with Sacramento, especially old town There were plenty of psychics, candy stores and saloons, but overall, it wasn’t a very interesting place to visit.   The only things missing were a Guy Fieri restaurant and the Bubba Gumps, which I am sad to say would have probably made it better.

As I drove around the state’s Capitol, I kept looking at people thinking, so are these the people responsible for the mess that this state is in?  Don’t get me wrong, I love CA, most people I know love CA, but when it comes to politics, I think almost all of us can agree, we don’t agree with it.

I don’t see myself coming back to Sacramento.  If there is some hidden treasures in this area, please let me know! Continue reading →

Categories: California | Leave a comment

Oregon 2025 – Grants Pass

Posted on July 23, 2025 by JimG

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

When I plan a trip,  I like to leave time to explore or just hang out.   This was one of those days that I didn’t plan anything,  but I did have a few ideas.

I had seen that there was something called “Wildlife Images” which specializes in helping animals rehabilitate.   As we drove to the facility, we passed Rogue Creamery, a dairy farm which makes cheese and serves grilled cheese sandwiches.   This was going to be our lunch stop after Wildlife Images.

Animal and ocean parks talk about conservation, research and education but I am generally opposed to using animals as entertainment.   I also question how much parks are driven by profit and at what point do we exploit animals.   I love going to a zoo and seeing the animals, but I cannot help but think, would these animals be happier in the wild?

There were plenty of animals to see at this stop – wolves, bears, eagles, vultures, owls and many more.  I think I spent the better part of an hour watching the bear play in its pool.  It seemed to be having a great time. Continue reading →

Categories: Oregon | Leave a comment

Oregon 2025 – Hanging out in Grants Pass

Posted on July 22, 2025 by JimG

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

We had breakfast in the main lodge and then went back to the room to take care of a few work-related items.  We then headed into Grants Pass.

We had driven through Grants Pass so I didn’t go with a lot of expectations.  I wanted to get a picture of the bridge over the Rogue River and to walk around the historic part of the town.

As we drove into the park, I couldn’t help but feel as if I could have been back in my hometown.  The John Deer mower was mowing the lawn; a bunch of moms were gathered at a gazebo where they were doing an event for the children. As we approached the river, there as a large group of Canadian geese.  I knew better than to mess with them; I also know that they make a mess wherever they go.  I was also glad to see mallard ducks.   It sounded and smelled like summer.

We then drove into town to walk around.  There was plenty of parking.  It is a cute town.  We found a couple of antique shops which were fun to look at as well as a gourmet store filled with kitchen gadgets.

Continue reading →

Categories: Oregon | Leave a comment

Oregon 2025 – Crater Lake!

Posted on July 21, 2025 by JimG

Monday, July 21st, 2025

I am really enjoying my stay at the Weaksu Inn, last night they had appetizers and later freshly baked cookies.  This morning, they had breakfast.  It is so peaceful and compared to where I am from, it is very green.   I feel like I could sit on the deck of the main lodge or in the alpine chairs on the lawn for hours.

After breakfast, we headed out to the Crater National Park.  Earlier this year, I bought a national park pass. It was the first time I had purchased one and I am making it a point to visit and enjoy our national parks and forests.

Crater lake is the only national park in Oregon and was about a 2-hour drive.  A portion of it was through a national forest.  As we got close to the park, we started the Guide Along App, which provided an excellent tour through the park. Continue reading →

Categories: Oregon | Leave a comment

Oregon 2025 – Weaksu Inn

Posted on July 20, 2025 by JimG

Weaksu Inn

Sunday, July 20, 2025

Yesterday, we headed to Grants Pass, Oregon.  Our first stop was to have lunch with Sophon’s aunt who lives in Visalia, CA.  In honor of our upcoming birthdays, she took us to a very nice lunch at a restaurant called the Vintage Press.  Even before Sophon’s Aunt said that the restaurant had been around a long time, I could tell.  It felt old school; the waiters were dressed in uniforms, the tables had white tablecloths, they brought out bread and butter before the meal.  It was very nice.

We continued to Sacramento where we spent the night.  I drive fast but I like to take my time and stop along with way and I don’t like a long day of driving. Continue reading →

Categories: Oregon | Leave a comment

The Redwoods 2025 – Pea Soup Andersen’s

Posted on June 25, 2025 by JimG

Wedenesday, June 25th, 2025

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.   We headed back to Visalia to visit Sophon’s aunt and then back home. Unfortunately, we ran into construction and the traffic around San Francisco was horrible.

I couldn’t help but notice that when we were up in Oregon and Northern CA, people were considerate when it came to driving and generally, used the left lane for passing.  One we were south of Eureka, CA, there were a lot of self-entitled fast lane campers with passing done in the right-hand lane.  It says a lot about CA.

If you have ever driven up the 101 or the I-5 you would have seen signs for Pea Soup Andersen’s which were roadside icons with a Windmill and Danish cookies in the gift shop.  They are known for their split pea soup which isn’t high on my list of things that sound good, but I have to admit, their pea soup is good!

I enjoy going to Pea Soup, it reminds me of when I was young and my parents would pile us into the back of the station wagon to take us on a road trip.   We loved a good road stop and you can tell, Pea Soup Andersen’s is from that era.   am not sure if my parents ever stopped at Pea Soup Andersen’s when they drove through California, but they would have loved it. Continue reading →

Categories: California | Leave a comment

Redwoods 2025 – Fern Canyon

Posted on June 24, 2025 by JimG

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

After my previous trip, I learned that there was an area called “Fern Canyon”, it is where they filmed scenes from Jurassic Park II in it. It was on my list of places I wanted to see.  Unfortunately, I should have done my homework.  I learned that you needed a special parking permit and when I checked the website, there were no passes available for months.  The only other way of seeing the area was to hike to it, an 8-mile hike.

However, I read that they released additional parking passes the day before.   The morning before, I checked the website right at 9:00 AM and sure enough, I scored a parking pass for the following day.  I lucked out!

I finally did a bit of homework, and I began to get concerned.  There were various message boards that talked about how the rough drive and how you had to pass through two streams.   Was it worth risking my car?

They also talked about having water shoes and I wondered, what exactly are water shoes?  I debated if we should go or not and finally decided that at any point, if I felt like I was putting my car at risk, we could always turn back.

It was a long bumpy drive and there were a few streams but it wasn’t a raging river.  I have seen more rain rushing down the street than I did in those streams.  We arrived and headed to Fern Valley.  It was worth the trip. This was a highlight and you don’t have to be a Jurassic Park fan to appreciate the gully lined with ferns.

And no, we were able to walk across the streams on planks and my shoes got a little wet but not soaked.

It was gorgeous and it was the highlight of the day.  As we left the park, we saw elk!

For dinner we at the Irish pub close to the hotel.  We really like that place.

Categories: Del Norte County | Leave a comment

Redwoods 2025 – The Redwoods

Posted on June 24, 2025 by JimG

Tuesday, June 24th, 2025

It wouldn’t be a trip to the redwoods without seeing the redwoods.  After breakfast we headed to the CA redwoods and my first thought was, it doesn’t matter if the last hike looked just like the hike I was on, there is something about the redwoods which takes your breath away.    These trees were around when Caeser was ruling Rome.  There is a woodsy smell, a dampness to the coastal air and the size of the trees are amazing.

We didn’t have the Guide Along app on our last trip to the redwoods, a lot of the places we were headed to we saw before but we enjoyed seeing it all again.   Along the way we learned a lot about the area and the conservation of the redwoods.  It is sad that only a small percentage of the original redwood forests still exist.  The area that the Ewok village along with the area where the final shots of ET were filmed are gone, the areas were logged.

The last time I was here, knowing that the trees date back to biblical times, I felt as if I was in an area that was timeless.  If my grandparents had driven through the park, they would have seen the same trees and it wouldn’t have looked much different.

At one stop, after we parked, two classic 50s cars pulled up and I thought, yes, we are in an area that is timeless! Not too long after that, we saw a car that was even older. Continue reading →

Categories: Del Norte County | Leave a comment

Redwoods 2025 – The Oregon Coast

Posted on June 23, 2025 by JimG

Monday, June 23, 2025

We woke up early and went down to have breakfast at the hotel. As we walked to to the main building, I was suprrised at how cold it was.  Along the coast, it rarely gets hot and at night, the temps drop downinto the 50s.  Although it is summer, the highs for the day were in the 60s.   That doesn’t stop vacationers from dressing as if it were summer, we walked by a family in shorts and bathing suits headed towards teh pool.

After breakfast, we decided to head North to see more of the Oregon Coast. Our Guide Along Audio or the Oregon Coastline started further north.   We made stops along the way to view the coast.   We had lunch in Florence, Oregon, a very picturesque old town.

As we headed north, our Guide Along tour kicked in and the tour guide started talking about how that Florence was the home of the first viral video and it happened long before the internet came about. Continue reading →

Categories: Oregon | Leave a comment

Redwoods 2025 – Another trip up the West Coast!

Posted on June 21, 2025 by JimG

Lady Bird Johnson Grove

Saturday, June 21, 2025

We left around 8:00 AM in the morning.  I wasn’t going to attempt the entire drive; the plan was to visit Sophon’s Aunt in Visalia for lunch and then continue to Ukiah where we would spend the night.  We would then venture into Eureka, CA and into Redwood Tree territory.

Everything went as planned.  It was nice to Sophon’s Aunt, and she was excited to see us.  We are planning on spending more time with her on our way back.  Visalia is close to the Sequoia National Park which we also wanted to see.

Visalia is in Central CA and it isn’t close to a big city.  We made it appoint to bring Thai specialties from the Thai market along with some baked goods we picked up from our favorite bakery.

After lunch we headed to an REI in Frenso to pick up an Annual National Park pass. As I purchased it, I found myself thinking that this is the first time I have purchased an annual park pass and I plan on using it!

We arrived in Ukiah, found a place to eat, filled the car up with gas and turned in for the day. Continue reading →

Categories: California, Del Norte County | Leave a comment

Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: Adventure Journal by Contexture International.