Big Sur

Exploring Morro Bay, California,  just before reaching Big Sur.

Many vistas down to the sea.

Elephant Seals at rest.  These represent only a few of the thousands that live in the area.  Many are out to sea.

They seem quite undisturbed by the many onlookers.

Pull-overs are common along the 90 mile stretch of coastal highway.

Looking down at the fog engulfing the Pacific. 

Many travel California Highway One through Big Sur.  An abundance of languages is heard at each stop.

El Pais Grande del Sur was the name given to the once unexplored wilderness south of Monterey, California.  Today, Big Sur refers to the 90-mile stretch of coastline between Carmel and San Simeon.  Electricity still does not extend the length of this coast.

An abundance of wildflowers, mountains, rocks, sea and sky.

The highway itself is a destination.

More pics to come!

Southern California

Hello from Southern California! We have been staying in state parks with no wi-fi access so haven't been able to make a blog post for a while.  Here are some highlights from the last two weeks.  Also, we are changing our route and instead of going to Alaska will go through the Canadian Rockies.  This will make for a more leisurely end to our trip!

One last swim in the southern Arizona desert before heading into California.

Southeastern California desert near the Imperial Valley.  We head northwest from Rt. 10,  to a small county park with a natural spring.  We don't know what to expect.

These windmills in the desert bring to mind science fiction giants on a distant planet.

We encounter dry desert mountains.

Our campground turns out to be a lovely desert oasis, lush compared with its surroundings, with warm mineral spring pools, rabbits, many species of birds and bats swooping in at times to drink the spring's water.

Neal says "you gotta' come see this" and we walk up a near-by overlook at dusk.

Our first view of the Pacific in Carlsbad.

On to Carlsbad State Park where Gwen finds a tree to climb.

Crystal Cove State Park, near Laguna Beach, south of LA.  We see whales, kelp, and sea anemones.

Playing in the waves at Crystal Cove

Our campsite is on the cliffs above the beach.

This is the view a few yards from the RV.

On to LA where we meet up with Neal's friends.  We spend a morning at the Getty Museum overlooking LA.

We see a Vermeer on loan and then walk the gardens.

At a State Park north of LA, Gwen makes friends and learns how to ride a scooter.   We'll continue to make our way north along the coast.

Bisbee, Tombstone, and the Southern Arizona Desert

Heading west in southern Arizona, we stop in the hill town of Bisbee, once a mining town, now transformed into a quaint,  tourist destination and artists' mecca.  Exploring the city we stumble upon  part of a street transformed by outsider art.

We stop to gawk and wonder.

Tombstone, Arizona, is a real place with many of its original buildings remaining from its brief heyday in the 1880s.   It was famously named  by it's founder, a prospector, who was told that "the only stone you'll find out there is your own tombstone."  When he discovered silver, and founded the town, he named it appropriately, Tombstone.  The OK Corral gunfight took place right here and they now  have campy but good spirited re-enactments daily.

Both Bisbee and Tombstone rest among southern Arizona's mountains, seen here.

This woman seems to have brought this herd animal into the middle of Tombstone, just so kids could pet it.  Gwen, of course, was fascinated.

The haze and heat as we move west intensifies.  We are in the far southwest of Arizona, here, among the Castle Dome Mountains.

Flowers at a desert oasis. While Canada and the northern US are cold, snow birds, including many Canadians, come to this area.  Flowers, palm trees and pools abound.

There are some farms and crop dusters located nearby.  You can get a sense of the heat and haze at days end. 

The best place to be is in the pool when the temperature
 reaches record breaking mid-90's every day.  Phillip is loving the warm water.

From City of Rocks to Chiricahua

After leaving City of Rocks, we head north to Silver City, New Mexico.  Unexpectedly, as we travel up the mountain we see cars covered in snow coming down the mountain, and then we run into snow ourselves.

We pass Billy the Kid's home in Silver City.  Crime obviously didn't pay.

We spend a morning exploring Silver City in the snow and then head Southwest.

A quintessential southwestern scene, big sky, dessert, mountains, and trains.

Along Rt 80, southbound, Chiricahua National Monument comes into view.  

Chiricahua Peak rises 9795 feet.

Peloncillo mountains to our east  as we continue southbound.

We find a campground near the Chiricahua Mountains.  Gwen explores the pond filled with ducks and geese.  The names of little towns around here include Portal, Paradise and Rodeo.

Gwen stops for a picture.

Sun, snow and rain across the Chiricahua.

Quiet nature

Sunset.  In a few days we will head west into Arizona

Las Cruces to the City of Rocks

Route 10 to 180,  rain appears in squals over the desert.

Sun and Clouds

City of Rocks.  These rocks are formed from a volcanic eruption and millions of years of erosion.

Kids love to climb, RVs in the distance.

Enjoying a moment together.

Gwen, at the summit of a rock formation.

"Stan, I'm getting that feeling again, like we're being watched."