Autumn Vacation October 2013

Bill had never been to Yosemite, so back in April we planned a trip there for late October. But when the time arrived and we headed out, so did a big storm that dropped snow in the Sierra.

We attempted to venture to Sequoia and King's Canyon, but were turned back when we tried to claim our reservations there.

OK, so Plan B - we turned around, got lost in Fresno (not fun), and stayed overnight near the Yosemite south entrance, thinking that once the storm passed and the sun appeared, we could enter the park. Yes, the storm passed, and yes, the sun appeared. But unless we were willing to carry chains or lie about having them, we couldn't enter. 

We considered our options and decided to bag the planned vacation and instead go to my favorite spot on the coast - Morro Bay.

Bill and Raven in front of Morro Rock and Pacific Ocean

En route, we saw lots of produce in the San Juaquin Valley, and my idea of CA - the golden rolling hills, spotted with oaks.

No, it wasn't the vacation that we had planned, but it was a great trip. And great to be back home.

Oregon trip Sep 2013

I first went to Bend to visit with my long-time friend Cynthia, her husband John, and their dog Lizzie.

Here are Cyn and me at dinner

Cyn, Lizzie, and I went to Gearhart at the coast to meet up with Carol, whom I hadn't seen for many years. Among other things, we went to the Farmer's Market in Astoria, where we saw some exceptional produce and crafts.

The next day, we stopped at Warrenton (near Astoria) to buy some fab fish, and have a group photo - and even color coordinated!

We stopped somewhere en route for a stretch break, and to capture these pics

Flag vacation July 2013

Thanks to some friends who gifted us with a week in their timeshare, we enjoyed a week's vacation in Flagstaff. In addition to enjoying cooler temperatures, we visited places in the area. Here are some pics.

We first went to a meadow and pond on the AZ SnowBowl Road.

Here's Bill looking at flowers at the start of the hike.

A view of San Francisco Peaks

And here's the first view of the meadow.

A close-up of the pond.

Wildflowers were blooming!

Butterflies on thistle

When we were heading back to Flag, we saw elk on HWY 180.

Another day, we went to the Grand Canyon. 

Here's Lookout Studio, where Bill used to work.

Here's a great view of the storm on the North Rim

View of canyon from one of the many overlooks.

And the Watchtower

Our final trip was to Walnut Canyon, home of 300+ ancient dwellings, like these. The challenge here was going down then up 300 stairs. The reward was being able to walk into one of the dwellings.