Totems and Tinned Salmon 10.6.08

Hi here is my latest very overdue ramble. but better later then never as they say. One day I will catch up and keep up ;-) :-)

I hope you are all well and enjoying what ever you are doing, My Jack and Alex are in OZ! so I hope they are having a great time.

May 22^nd 2008

The journey is so lovely the road follows the mountain forests of tall pine with snowy mountains, raging rivers, many beautiful lakes, we stop to watch the wild life I am becoming quite a good bird watcher - I am Les' star student! Osprey and Bald Eagles flying overhead, we also stop just to admire the amazing scenery the outstanding variety of greens in the forests. Parking up for the night at the side of Burns lake we were able to watch Beavers doing what Beavers do, fascinating watched them through the binoculars. Les has a problem with his powered steering a bolt had fallen off he was able to get this fixed reasonably easily.

May 24^th 2008

We were able to visit a reconstructed Gitxsan (first nation) Village “Ksan”. This village is committed to demonstrate the richness of the Gitxsan culture and heritage. We had a superb guide, he was a member of the “Eagle House” we were able to visit the “Frog House” which focuses on the life style of the people before contact with the outside world. “Fireweed House” displayed an amazing variety of “regalia” the ceremonial clothing is still used for special times. The description and information our guide gave us was excellent.

There is also an excellent display of “Totem Poles” each of the poles tells a story of the history of the clan, some tell stories much the same as our written stories, some factual, some not (fairy stories)

Check out the web site www.ksan.org to learn more about their amazing history.

Today I am wondering about Mikie and J who we met on route to Moab then spent a great weekend with them at the Moab Folk Festival, they are coming to Alaska this summer, I wonder if they made it, where are they. We stop to admire the view and take a couple of photos a guy comes over for a chat, a motor bike races past and skids to a holt. Turns around with a very loud “whoop” its “J” (Mikie did not come after all) much hugging, laughing and talking followed, we are all going to Prince Rupert so decide we will park up together for the night Les ‘n M and myself pooled our food and made a 3 course meal plus wine, which we ate outside whilst chasing mosquitoes away, after eating we all retired to L’nMs truck, where the mosquitoes bomb barded the fly screen but could not get us!! it was a great evening. We will meet up with “J” again in Prince Rupert he is going on a different boat to us, he has a ticket we do not, everyone keeps telling us the boats are booked months in advance :-(

However we managed to get tickets on the dates and times we wanted !

Spent some time with “J” until his boat left, then went to explore the town, there are several very good and interesting “Totems” we can read them a little, only a little!

The visitors centre is in “Cow Bay” so called because a pioneer unloaded his herd of cows here it is a very amusing little bay with black and white spotted décor everywhere one of the restaurants is called “Smiles Seafood” because the lady who opened it in 1934 had a lovely smile! but they make awful tea!

26^th May 2008

Laundry day, van cleaning, a visit to the museum and a couple more “Totem’s” we then drove out to Prince Edward, stayed on a campsite had a lovely hot hot shower.

27^th May 2008

We went to the Salmon canning plant; this is an original plant, built when everything was done by hand which must have been a terrible job wet, slimy and smelly. Later some of this work became mechanized, but I don’t think conditions improved much. It has now been taken over by “Parks Canada” and is a very interesting historical site. Helps in the learning of how Canada developed. It could however put you off tinned salmon for life !!

Workers came from all over the world for the season, living and working on site, all of which was company owned. Japanese and Chinese had to pay a tax just to work here, this tax was then taken from their pay cheque along with the price of their food and any goods purchased from the company shop (there was no other shop) what was left was sent to their homes, so they never really knew what they earned!! I guess this happened all over the world when you were at the bottom of the heap it was hard to climb up!

This afternoon we leave Canada go through customs onto the ferry into the USA and the Alaska Marine Highway. The boat is very comfortable I had lovely Clam Chowder for my tea. We left the boat around midnight at Ketchikan and found a Wal Mart for the night! I meet a lovely couple Cub and Kathy from Escondido California, like so many Americans we have met so warm and friendly I felt I had known Kathy for ever.

We are now back in the good ol’ USofA………………………………

Canada, Friends, Rain, Garage, 23.5.08

Hi, here I am at last driving to Alaska we are on the long hike to Prince Rupert. Les has a breakdown - his powered steering has lost a bolt!!!

Today the weather is lovely and sunny!!

We arrived in Vancouver British Columbia, Canada, at our friends Mary and Carl on Saturday 26^th April; it was so lovely to see them and we had a great weekend, on Monday we went to a Mercedes Garage that Carl had found for us at Fort Langley about an hour from their house, the trucks were inspected and an appointment made for next Monday 7am, (we will arrive Sunday night), we then went to another work shop that Carl had used for Big Foot (his truck) I would like the spare wheels taken from the inside of my “shed” and put on the back doors, the guy said he could do it but Mercedes have said NO! I will have to try and come up with another plan! The wheels are so big and heavy as you can imagine and they live at the back of the shed I cannot manhandle them (or even lady handle them) there is also so much of my and some of L n M’s dross in front of them, if I had a “P” it is a nightmare and very hard work. So any ideas of how to store 2 large tyres in my shed will be gratefully received!

While at Carl and Mary’s we met lots of their friends all with travel stories also their lovely family, one of their grandchildren is the same age as the lovely Alex which made me feel home sick! We also had a fair drop of rain. Because we have to wait until next Monday we decided to go over to Vancouver Island paying a visit to my friends Cathy and John whom I met in Blanding Utah last year www.singingquilter.com check out the web site its lovely, we had a really nice visit with them, they took us to an English pub that sold English beer, best pint since I left home! they also sold English food. In fact thus far Vancouver, British Columbia is very very English no one pays any attention to our accent, the other day we went to an English butcher and got PORK PIE it was very good I also got Robertson’s Ginger Jam (jelly) but drew the line at £4 for a jar of Branston Pickle - decided I didn’t really miss it!!

We spent a couple of days driving into the Island and The Pacific Rim National Park, the weather is very damp! On our second day it rained the whole day none stop - am I at home? I wonder, I thought the weather was only this awful in England! We did have a wonderful walk in the Temperate Rain Forest, all the animals were in hiding, the walk was very enjoyable and we were very soggy at the end of it, did not feel up to putting our soggy things back on for a walk in the bog - hopefully tomorrow it will not be raining.

No rain so we walked the bog which is very interesting, there were more birds and insects around it is so amazing that all this and the rain forest all work together to make this wonderful place. We have to head back to the ferry and the Garage for Monday. I went on my own because before I leave Vancouver Island I am going to a quilt show, this for me was a wonderful, I also met up with John and Cathy for lunch - 2 treats in one day.

On returning to the garage it was decided that I really needed a complete set of new rear brakes which had to come from England!! this would take a week and cost £600 postage. Les needs some body mounts so they will all come together. We have all the other work done that is needed then head back to Mary’s we spend another weekend with her, take the dog for a walks, Les is having problems with his laptop he has bugs, Trojans or such like it is serious some one has stolen his address book, awesome!!

Monday 12^th May we head back to the garage Les has a couple more jobs done on the way. Oh! It’s raining, it rains all day today, all day tomorrow and all day Wednesday, this is worse than at home.

Les and Margaret have an unwanted passenger a mouse!

The parts arrive on Wednesday, I am in the garage by Thursday 6am, the truck is sorted all new brakes every thing done and the sun is shining its a beautiful evening I sit out!

Friday 16^th May Les is in the garage, got fixed and we are back at Mary’s for the night, we hope to leave tomorrow.

Unable to leave Les’s computer still infected, I went to the beach with Mary and her friend Ann whose daughter is on a visit from Manchester, it was lovely, I so love the beach.

We finally leave on Sunday 18^th May 2008 heading north

Monday 19^th May 2008

You will not believe what to day is in Canada - a holiday for Queen Victoria’s Birthday!! Can you believe that, we do not even have a holiday for Queen Elizabeth 11. There are more Union Jacks' flying here than there ever is at home, Canada is more English then England! People who have lived here years still seem to keep their accent.

We drive through Cariboo Country along highway 97 as it follows the Goldrush Trail passing a series of small towns with such names as 100 mile house; there are historical road houses, with names depicting a different distance like 70 mile house and so on. In Canada the metric measurement is used so the sign post will say 60K to 150 mile house!!

Tuesday 20^th May 2008

We continue along highway 97 or Cariboo Road which is the name given to the rolling uplands of the interior plateau - on the west the coast mountains and the east the cariboo mountain range, with the Frazer river winding its way on the plateau floor, this is gold rush country rich with forestry and ranching, there are many traces of the thousand of prospectors that arrived here in the 1860’s along the road side, we are heading for Barkerville this is now the finest example of a gold rush town in Canada, there were more then 10,000 inhabitants, in 1868 it was burnt to the ground but was substantially rebuilt but by the 1930’s had almost faded away

On the ride here we past many frozen rivers and ponds/small lakes, the rivers not frozen were in flood and very fast flowing carrying logs and other debris down stream we also saw 2 beaver dams. AND a very rare trumpet Swan all alone, they are so rare that they are now being reintroduced into the area, very impressed with this.

We have parked up for the night in the car park of Barkerville, which is now a historical site, there is a very lot of snow around and it is raining!

Wednesday 21^st May 2008

The town is open at 8.30, we will be the first visitors, it has rained all night, it is very cold and is now snowing as well, we are going to be walking round an outdoor museum!! But you know what they say, “you have no fun if you only go out on sunny days”

And what a fun day we had.

The town has its own theatre group with its own Victorian Theatre Royal where such delights as The Gold Rush Revue, Diller’s Luck and An Evening of British Music Hall are played.

The wonderful professional (these is no Am Dram’s) actors and actresses also perform around the town all day playing Barkerville residents of the late 1800’s early 1900’s

Telling and acting out stories of big gold finds, disappointments, love stories and murder tales, the joys and hardships of living on the frontier.

On the tour of the town we had an actress as our guide who was in the present time. Walking around the town we meet up with people in costume going about their daily tasks, they would then stop and interact with the guide, telling stories and what life was like, i.e. the outside toilets are frozen up, I did not wish to know any more then that!! but this all made everything much more interesting and a lot of fun. We went to the court house where Judge Begbe and his clerk reminisced about justice in the early days of BC again with stories and how the judicial actually worked. The best for me was the Cornish Water Wheel where 2 guys acted out as a mine owner trying to con investment out of us, a group of “green” investors and his works engineer/manager. With much laughter we had a very good geology lesson and an excellent demonstration of the Cornish Wheel.

We also had an interesting tour of China town, this is the oldest China town in Canada, most of the Chinese who came here were male and from the River Pearl delta, (we did learn that in San Francisco) we were also told a lot about the Chee Kung Tong (secret organisation) who helped the Chinese to get here from their village and helped them once here. We ended a great day with a superb Chinese meal.

It rained on and off most of the day; the ground was very muddy as there was no tarmac in 1860!!!! Puddles everywhere also small rivers running down Main Street!!! But it was a very good and fun day.

We drove back towards highway 97 on the way we saw a “Grizzly Bear” not as large as I thought they would be, however it was on all fours and I was inside my big truck, I did not get out.

Tomorrow we head for Prince Rupert which is some 800K………………………………..

Trees and Snow 10.5.08

Hi,

I am now in Canada waiting for new brakes to arrive from England postage 600pounds :-( Les is waiting for body mounts!!! I offered my bra :-)

enjoy

Friday 18^th April 2008

After spending a couple of days in the garage while Les had his truck repaired we head north for Canada and Alaska. Yesterday we had the most delicious Indian meal, superb; we had a doggie bag for lunch tomorrow.

We are on the motorway (freeway) all day getting to Sacramento and route 16, parked at the casino for the night, free and very quiet.

Saturday 19^th April 2008

We continue on route 16 and 20 joining up with route 1 (The Pacific Highway) the ride was so very beautiful, the coast is amazing. Arriving at the coast we thought we may give the trucks a wash, so did a round the block U turn - you know right, right, right, right, then I was stopped by the police again! This time he did not have a smiley face, when I opened the door he said “why do you and your buddies’ think you do not need to stop at a stop sign” this was a bit scary, I am frantically trying to think what stop sign we had not stopped at, in front of us there is a stop light (which we call traffic lights) we did not stop at that but here in the US one can do a right hand turn against a red light, soooo I said nothing, “have you got your drivers licence” says he, which of course I have and gave this to him , the grumps left his face to be replaced with confusion “what are these numbers here for” says he, “my birthday” says I “take a seat mam I will be back” says he. I spoke to L n M on the CB we did not know what stop sign we had been through, after a few minutes the policeman came back with smiles all over his face, “are you from the UK mam?” yes, was my answer (obviously!!), it turned out there was some kind of convention in town, the big white police chief was English, were we her friends I told him no, apologized for myself and my friends for driving through a stop sign but some how this did not matter any more, could he help us in any way told us just to be careful etc., etc., he was by now charming!!! I think the licence saved the day!

Sunday 20^th April 2008

An amazing drive through the giant redwood trees, Les has a leaking hose on the coolant system of his truck. We park up trying to fix this he is able to do a makeshift job of it. We then drive through the Avenue of Giants which is Ancient Redwood trees between 500 and 1000 years old, this area is national park, very well protected, since logging was stopped in the early 1900’s and has become a perfect eco system it takes the fallen trees hundred’s of years to decompose, and in the mean time provides a wonderful home for, plant life, animals and insects. We parked up on a car park at the side of a closed road, (there had been a land slide) in front of The Immortal Tree which is aprox 1000 years old - original height 298ft; current height 248ft; it has survived a lighting strike which took the top off, the loggers axe, a forest fire in 1908, huge flood in 1964. There is enough wood in this single tree to build several houses. We had a very nice quiet sleep it was however very cold in the morning.

Monday 21^st April 2008.

Les got his hose repaired today in Eureka, we were then able to continue our journey through these amazing trees and mountains, we have left the coast and heading east.

It is raining.

Tuesday 22^nd April 2008

It is still raining, we stopped in a nice little town to do our laundry, I was in the launderette reading my book I looked up standing in front of the window was a man in total pure white clothes I thought he was an angel but then he walked past saying good morning mam I then thought he must be an escapee from the South Pacific. He was infact in the US Navy!! it was raining and he was walking about in pure white how did he keep that clean?

We are heading for the Volcanic National Park but the snow is getting thicker and the rain has turned to snow, the trees look beautiful all we need is a robin to make a lovely Christmas scene. The snow gets worse we are in fact driving through a snow storm. The Volcanic Park is closed because of snow as are many of the side roads. We spend the night in a very small town/camp/fishing area named “Old Station”.

Wednesday 23^rd April 2008

More snow another snow storm, the road over the mountain had a lots of snow on the road we turned around once to retrace our steps but, this would mean we had to go through the snow of yesterday plus a full day before we reached another road going into Canada, so after speaking to some road workers who assured us the road infront was ok for our trucks we turned again and continued forward into the breach!!!!. However we did decide to abandon the rest of our trip in the mountains and head for Canada and our friends Mary and Carl; we travelled with them in China.

So taking interstate 5 we head for Canada and Alaska....................................................................

Happy trails!!!!

A Day in the Park 23.4.08

This was such an awesome visit. This country has so much beauty and it is all so huge! my country is so small, but small is beautiful as well. I find the size so amazing. I hope you enjoy my day in the park!

Tuesday 15^th April 2008

YOSEMITE.

WOW! Breathtaking, Magnificent, Stunning, Amazing.

And we saw our first Bear! Had a very good view for quite a time, he was a Black Bear, the ranger said about 2 years old, he was actually brown and very scruffy looking, he was walking around a meadow area looking for food, it was great, Very exciting.

In Yosemite natural beauty is just all around you, towering granite cliffs, with waterfalls in abundance, because of the time of year the waterfalls were huge with water cascading over the edge of the granite cliffs, I guess in the summer time they are not as spectacular, some of the roads are still closed because of snow. There are more giant Sequoias groves and of course wild flowers everywhere, a new one to me was the Pacific Dogwood,(I think this beautiful flower could have a nicer name) this is white daisy style but so delicate grows on the tree before the leaves come out, the flowers do not last long and then the tree is all green for the rest of the summer.

ps we are seeing them now with leaves on the trees, they are beautiful.

We stayed on a campsite inside the park, each pitch has a metal Bear proof cupboard for all food and drink, any food that is left in sight like on the front seat of a car the bear will wreck your car to get to the food or drink, Bears can smell food from 3 miles away, a notice read “if a bear takes your food do not try and get it back” as if!! Yes Boo Boo you can have my dinner says I !! it is very serious not only for our health and safety but if the bear gets aggressive it has to be put down, So it is up to everyone who visits this amazing place to be “bear responsible” all the trash cans are bear proof as well. I did not dare leave my window open, found it very worrying really, there were folk having BBQ’s how brave were they!

The valley which makes the park was carved out by glaciers in 2 ice ages, at some of the overlooks you can really see the U shape of the valley that the glaciers make as they push and cut their way along the valley floor.

There was also a controlled forest fire as we were leaving the park the smoke was awful made ones eyes sting also did not do my chest much good, but at least there was no danger, just fireman and fire trucks all over the place.

What I haven’t told you about these amazing trees is - the reason they do not die but fall over is because

1) the bark is so thick that insects and bugs etc. cannot reach the inside of the tree and cannot therefore do any damage or cause disease.

2) When there is a fire the bark may be burnt, BUT the clever tree can repair it self,

3) the lower branches fall from the tree; only the big, thick branches which are above all other trees are left, these are of course above the fire line. Some of the trees can be seen with fire scars, when a tree falls the rangers can tell how many fires the tree has survived. Isn’t nature a wonderful thing.

It Just gets Better....18.4.08

Hiya

Well I am still wandering around California having a great time. the WOW factor just gets bigger and bigger it really does.

I hope you are all ok and enjoying what ever it is you are doing.............. let me know

3^rd April 2008

Lake Mono

Our journey continues down route 395, stopping many times to admire the mountains and overlooks, arriving in the Mono Basin which has a very impressive history of volcanic activity, there is also the very unusual Lake Mono which is surrounded on 3 sides by volcanic formations, this lake has no outlet only mountain streams running in to it carrying their minerals. Over the years a problem has arisen, along with evaporation and the fact that Los Angeles has over the years diverted some of the stream water for the use of their ever growing population the lake is now much lower then 150 years ago, the mineral content of the water has risen by 10%. Although no fish can live in these alkaline waters the lake is very productive supporting millions of brine shrimp, alkali flies and migratory birds, birds rest here on their way to South America from Alaska, the sea birds from the coast come here to nest (Les was in bird heaven). Above the surface there are an amazing number of magical shapes called “Tufa” these are formed when fresh water springs containing calcium bubble up through the carbonate-rich lake water, the combining of these waters form calcium carbonate, a whitish lime stone deposit that forms the tufa formation, they are quite beautiful and create quite a fairy land scape.

Lessons have been learnt and the level of this lake is increasing, the levels had come very close to creating an ecological disaster.

Friday 4^th April

To day nearly become a disaster for me! We drove to Mammoth Lakes, there is a very nice town there, I was able to get some cash from the ATM at the bank also to do some shopping in a very good supermarket (Vons). My chest was not good, I did not feel myself; we are very high - well high for my poor old chest!! I didn’t get out of the truck much, we just plodded on, parking up at a casino for the night which had a petrol station I decided to fill up I asked the guy on duty if he would clean my wind screen which was covered in dead fly’s and butterfly’s (‘cause I had no breath) I was then going to give him a tip. NO Wallet!! There was around 600$ in it!! anyway I rang the shop up and would you believe “Yes we have your wallet here” was the reply to my question!! How lucky am I.

Saturday 5^th April

This was the most interesting of days. We went to “Manzanar National Historical Site” this was one of the relocation or interment camps for the Japanese early in 1942, after the attack on Pearl Harbour December 1941

We had a little lecture from a ranger who showed a complete model of the camp and asked what we thought it looked like, both Les and I said “Auschwitz” which is what the overall model looked like same, same, The ranger said it was a town, which it was - having a better hospital the then local people had access to, he went on to explaine the town - how it worked, there were some very good things and of course some not so good. The Japanese built some beautiful gardens, making their own very small living quarters very nice, the building we were in was the High School. We spent nearly a full day here, looking and reading all the exhibits, then doing a self guided drive tour. This was no concentration camp. Some of the occupants believed it was ok to be here because this would help the Americans with the war effort but of course others did not think like that and condemned America. However in 1943 the US army formed the 442^nd regimental combat team a unit for Japanese Americans who served with 100^th infantry in Europe. In 1952 Japanese aliens could become naturalized citizens and in 1988 an apology along with $20,000 was made to 82,000 former internees.

Our conclusion was that America did the best it could, with what it had, at a very very difficult time, when the whole world had gone crazy, good and interesting day.

SEQUOIA and KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS

7^th 8^th 9^th April 2008

This forest is like nothing you have ever seen these trees are big, huge!

The giant Sequoia has a massive trunk, huge stout branches, with cinnamon-coloured bark, it is sometimes called “Sierra redwood”, its scientific name is Sequoiadendron giganteum. The taller and more slender coast redwood Sequoia sempervirens is more conifer-like in profile.

Sequoias grow naturally only on the west slope of California’s Sierra Nevada range; The Redwoods grow naturally only on the narrow strip along the Pacific Coast.

Redwoods grow to 367 feet aprox weighing in at 1.6 million lbs. Sequoia grow to 311 feet aprox. But weigh in at 2.7 million lbs. The Sequoia is the largest living thing on the planet. The General Sherman Tree is the world’s largest living tree this lives in Sequoia National Park the General Grant Is the Nations Christmas Tree and lives in Kings Canyon Nation Park. Both these trees I can tell you are enormous.

Sequoias do not die of old age, they are very resistant to fire - infact they can repair themselves from fire damage, they die from falling over. When the gold rush of California was happening so many of these wonderful trees were cut down they came very close to being wiped out, a tree would be felled to protect a cabin now they move the cabin to protect the tree. A lot have been damaged by fire because natural fires were put out quickly which allowed the floor of the forest to become clogged with fuel, small trees grew forming ladders which enable the fire to reach the tops of these giants. Now fires are controlled the forest floor is kept clean very small trees do not survive (no ladder) the tops of these wonderful trees are safe from fire also every thing gets more light and nutrients making the whole forest more productive. We have seen a wild Bob Cat sat in a tree, also White Pelicans on a lake we have had three awesome days, it is truly amazing I can not get over the size of these trees. Magnificent.

All good things come to an end on the third day Les has an engine problem we need to find a garage. Found a good Ford garage in Fresno but a part has to be flown out from England, this will take around a week so we will move on, coming back for the repair. Whilst at the garage we did laundry, they have wireless internet.

Friday 11^th April 2008

We drove all day on the motor way (Interstate) boring to the top of Route 49; we will then drive down Route 49 to Yosemite National Park.

Saturday 12^th 13th 14^th 2008

Route 49

Along California’s historic highway 49 which is in the Sierra foothills we hope to find many interesting gold mines and old gold towns

In January 1848 A carpenter named James Marshall was building a sawmill for John Sutter (who incidentally purchased Fort Ross from the Russians.) James found several flakes of gold in a stream bed this was the start of the California Gold Rush. This find brought many thousands of people from all over the world to California for Gold, and many more thousands to support the miners, Merchants, doctors, lawyers, gamblers, ministers, Ladies!, everything a miner needs to find his gold and to be relieved of it! Towns grew up over night as gold was found in different places and of course closed just as quick. Within 2 years hordes of 49ers (as they were called) had panned out most of California’s gold bearing streambed. Only a few miners had any real idea that quantities of gold were still locked beneath the surface of the sierra. We visited “The Empire Mines” opened in 1850; it tells the story of hard rock gold mining, this was the oldest, largest and richest gold mine in the Grass Valley area. A lot of the miners here were from Cornwall they were very experienced tin miners, fetching with them their tools, their knowledge, their singing and their pasties!

There was also a MG rally in the car park!

The little town of Coloma where James Marshal found his gold is a Historic State Park with the houses and buildings being renovated or rebuilt to the original plans. We tried to get on a camp site in Coloma as we had not seen everything but the price of $48 each truck was too much for us, did they think we had found gold! Remember we want no facilities - just a parking place. We found a scruffy layby opposite a restaurant parked, up had a lovely meal, the owner gave his permission for us to park there - said his guests used it all the time, we had change!

The other town we payed a visit to was Columbia State Historic Park, this town, founded in March 1850 when gold was found, has never been a ghost town but by the 1940s buildings were very deteriorated until 1945 when a state park restoration began. Columbia now contains the largest single collection of gold rush-era structures which continue to tell the stories of these enterprising miners and merchants

Water is essential for placer mining, when the rains were gone most of the miners left until June 1851 a water company engineered and built a complex system of wooden flumes, pipes and ditches to convey water 20 miles from the Stanislaus river the miners were charged a very high toll to use this water they tried to build another but this failed. Columbia also had a bad fires in 1854 which destroyed six blocks of the town leaving only brick built buildings. A company then constructed seven cisterns beneath the streets to hold water for domestic and fire fighting in the town. It was quickly rebuilt in 1854 using locally made red brick and iron doors so that in 1857 when another fire struck all the brick builds with iron doors were left standing. One merchant doused his building with barrels of vinegar.

We also visited Indian Grinding Rock Historic Park please do not forget that before this mad gold rush Native Americans had lived in peace for centuries in this area. Once the gold rush started the people who came brought illness and disease with them which killed off hundreds of Native Americans, their food and homes were destroyed; when they tried to fight back they were killed and forcibly removed from the place they had known as home for so long. There is a great outcrop of limestone with 1,185 mortar holes these people were called “Miwok” their village and a round house (sacred dancing happens here) have been reconstructed in the middle of this valley were their history is being told.

Beautiful California 10.4.08

Hi,

We still continue in this most beautiful state, meeting some amazing people, I truly did not expect this when I came to America, it is an amazing place, their hospitality is like everything else huge!!!

I am enjoying it so much. Oh, by the way, we are in a garage again. Les has clutch problems with the throw away bearing!! I think that's what they are called so fingers crossed we are not here long. The up side is we have internet cover. so reply's please.

24^th MARCH 2008

We continue along this amazing coast line, it is over 1000 miles long!! Today we found Fort Ross Historical Park which turned out to be very interesting, this was built by Russian fur trappers in 1812 who came here to trap local Seals and Sea Otters for the European fur market, The Russian’s brought people from Alaska to catch the seal and otter, they also trained the local Native American to catch the animals. The fort and workings were closed in 1840 with the near destruction of the Sea Otter. After failing to make a success of farming the Russian’s sold the land, the buildings and left. The fort has now been renovated to the original style using old methods, there is a large Russian grave yard and in a nearby town there is a beautiful Russian Orthodox Church which is now a bed and breakfast. Our next stop was a small park overlooking the sea, this stop was for tea and a spot of Whale watching, met 2 lovely ladies, Carol and Diana, who were with their camper van, very close to the sea bird and whale watching, their camper is very small by American standards, much more like a European van, we were invited inside and had a lovely cup of tea and stayed for a long chat, they gave us lots of tips on where to visit, also where to park up for the night very useful information! We were then invited to visit them at their home in Sebastopol, which we hope to do.

25^th March 2008

Continuing our drive we arrive at Mendocino, we are told this is the prettiest village/town on the Californian coast with its New England style clapboard houses, a former lumber port, it is now a charming village/town with quaint shops and buildings, peaceful and unhurried, the Mendocino coast line is a great winter whale watching spot, It is also a setting for many films and TV series, I think the best known being “Murder She Wrote”

After lunch we turn south to go inland to the Wine areas of Napa and Sonoma Valley’s

We again meet up with Carol and Diana, who renew their invitation to visit, we will try and do this within a couple of days, but first some wine!!!!!

On our drive inland we have been driving through a Red Wood Forest. These trees are huge I believe they are the biggest trees in the World one tree is 362 feet tall and 1600 years old, there are also two tree’s over 360 feet tall and 17 feet in diameter, this is comparable to a 30 storey building. I guess this at least puts them up there with the biggest (I have now been to Sequoia N.P. Sooooo more about trees later)

26^th March 2008

There are over 500 wineries in Napa and Sonoma Counties; we did not sample them all !! our friends from Encinitas had highlighted a few for us to visit, following their advice we spent a very enjoyable day and a half tasting all the reds in each winery, We do however think the wine is very expensive here, we felt they were all very over priced; really, most of what we had at home would cost maybe £5-£7, but for me nothing came up to the OPOL winery where I paid £20 a bottle I will bring this home!! I only got one bottle from Sonoma Valley @ £10

In the early evening of the 27^th we went over to Sebastopol to spend a couple of days with Carol and Diana. This was so lovely, again we have been made so welcome into the home of such nice people, their hospitality is enormous and their shower is great!!! Their house is so homely, beautiful outlook at the back with great a deck and hot tub! At the front of the house there is a porch AND a swing seat! Carol and Diana are going to Alaska in the summer so we look forward to meeting up with them again, I do hope so. It is always sad when we leave such new friends whilst we are on the road because you feel we may never see them again but this time may be we will!! In Oregon I hope to meet up with some one I met in St Petersburg, Russia. I am looking forward to that.

30^th March 2008

Today we drive to Sacramento to meet up with a couple who have joined the Silk Route Club, Linda and Tommy, we spent the whole day sat in deck chairs talking, then we went to Wal Mart for the night and talked some more.

1^st April 2008

Lake Tahoe.

Totally amazing, for me this is the very best time of year to visit, enough snow to make the mountains so very beautiful, enough snow in the trees, houses and towns to give a very good impression of how much snow has fallen over the winter, the roads are clear, well, the ones we drove were, several are closed, not 1000’s of people - apparently in the spring and summer every where is packed. For me it was perfect!

I have never seen so many huge piles of snow, the houses that were obviously for summer use were just covered with snow, the drive, garden, just a roof. Some of the houses that are in use were just covered at the front with a drive cleared, garage and walk to the back, the thing that amused me the most, some house that had the front cleared had a veranda which was just full of snow even covering the windows. I guess when that much snow falls clearing is a big job, so you would only clear were you needed to, wouldn’t you? I was also puzzled to see the sides of the road which had been ploughed were black not just dirty but black. Well today we found out, the volcanic rock/cinder is mined and crushed then used for the iced and slippery roads, better for your car than the road salt we use.

Had a great view of a Bald Eagle soaring high in a very clear sky! The trees around the lake are Pine Ponderosa and Jackson they are described as twins, the difference is so slight.

We have had morning temperatures well below zero with warm and sunny days; we seem to spend the day changing clothes taking off layers and swapping thick and thin trousers, apparently this can still happen in June!! The weather in this country has such extremes unlike ours which is just bits and bobs and down the middle, rarely do we have extremes of any kind of weather, an American once said to me in the UK we do not have weather only samples, I understand that now.