California Coast Highway One

Tuesday, June 24, 2014:  It is our 42nd anniversary today.  We are driving Highway One up the California coast.......destination: Westport.  After driving about an hour, just past Jenner, an overturned truck was blocking the road.  We were informed that the road would be closed most of the day.  Amazingly, we were able to do a u-turn on the narrow road.  We had two alternatives:  take an alternate route or stay at a nearby campground.  We decided to stay in Duncan Mills at Cassini Ranch Campground on the Russian River.  After setting up camp, we took a walk on a coastal beach where the Russian River empties into the ocean.  Harbor seals and their pups congregate at the mouth of the river.  It was cold and extremely windy!  We stopped at a local bakery for coffee, hot chocolate, and a gluten free cookie.  Later in the day, we headed into town for dinner at the Blue Heron, only to find out they stopped serving for the evening as they ran out of food.  They were kind enough to refer us to a nearby restaurant, The River's End, with good for and an ocean view.  Unfortunately, they had closed earlier in the day since Highway One was closed down.  So, we postponed our anniversary dinner for another day.

Bodega Bay, California

Monday, June 23, 2014:  Today we reached the Pacific Coast!  We stayed at a small campground on the bay.  The temperature was 55 degrees when we arrived in Bodega Bay, which was fifty degrees cooler than Chowchilla.  We explored the area, bought some yummy organic dark chocolate ice cream, and watched the sunset on the coast.  Some of the scenes in Alfred Hitchcock's movie, "The Birds", were filmed in Bodega Bay.

More One Night Stops

June 20-21, 2014:  We stayed for two nights in Bakersfield, California, at A Country RV Resort.  This is a family owned, gated park with cement pads and full hook ups. By staying an extra day, we were able to stock up at Trader Joe's, do laundry, clean, reorganize, and rest.  

June 22, 2014:  On our way to the coast north of San Francisco, we stopped for one night in Chowchilla, California, at The Lakes RV and Golf Resort.  It is a well groomed, gated, and clean park.  These are great for one night stops. 

One Night Stops

June 18, 2014, we stayed at Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel just outside of Kingman, Arizona.  The owners were great, the park was clean, and it was an easy pull through site.  As usual, we met other friendly rvers.

June 19, 2014, we stayed at a regional park campground in Calico Ghost Town in Yermo, California. The campground is rocky (picture) and hot this time of year.  You can tour the ghost town, which was a booming silver mining town during the 1880's.  We stopped for breakfast at Peggy Sue's 50's Diner on our way out of town.

Grand Canyon National Park

June 12-18, 2014:  During our canyon stay we hiked the 13 miles of south rim trails and the Bright Angel Trail, which descends into the canyon.  Since we travel with our dog, Skipper, we cannot do some of the activities that require longer times or overnight stays in the canyon.  We had many elk sightings, including a gang with calves.  We stayed at the Trailer Village Campground in the park for two extra days because of high winds.

Walnut Canyon National Monument

June 8-11, 2014:  We stayed in Flagstaff, Arizona, for a few days before our reservation at the Grand Canyon.  The climate was dry, with daytime temperatures in the 80's and nighttime temperatures in the 50's.  Besides grocery shopping, a hair cut, a bicycle ride through the historic downtown, and an REI trip, we visited the Riordan Mansion State Historical Park and hiked at Walnut Canyon National Monument.  The dwellings there, sheltered by overhanging cliffs, were home to Walnut Canyon's inhabitants more than 800 years ago.  The people today are known as Sinaqua---Spanish for "without water"---a tribute to their ability to turn a dry region into a homeland.  They used plants in the canyon for food and medicinal purposes, farmed, hunted, and collected and stored water from the creek at the base of the canyon when water was flowing.  So much history!