Back in the Northwest

I did a lot of driving today.  It was such a relief returning to the cooler temperatures of the Pacific Northwest.  Leaving Paradise, CA, I headed north and only stopped briefly for lunch.  But, I had time in the afternoon to visit one interesting place.  The Cascades Raptor Center in Eugene, OR provides refuge to birds of prey that are unable to return to the wild due to illness, injury or human interaction.  The facility rehabilitates the birds, and educates the general public to appreciate these magnificent animals.  Visitors can freely walk among the enclosures to look at the raptors. Taking photos was a bit of a challenge due to the protective grating forming the walls of the enclosures.  Still, I had some success.  Here are photos of northern spotted owl, barred owl, great horned owl and burrowing owl.

Many of the birds at the center have injured wings that prevent them from flying properly.  Others had eyes removed due to damage caused by accidents.  Birds that cannot fly or are blind can never been released into the wild.  There were several falcons on display...peregrine, prairie and gyrfalcon.

The peregrine falcon once had a private owner, but can't be set free because it's too imprinted on humans.  The facility also has eagles and hawks, like this northern harrier.  I really enjoyed looking at the beautiful birds, although it's sad that they will live their lives in captivity.

Well, my road trip has just about come to an end.  Tomorrow, is my last day and I'll spend it driving home.  It's been fun and I had a great vacation.  After I settle back into the old routine, I might find the motivation to post some additional facts and tidbits from this trip. 

Winter's last gasp

When I left my hotel in Paradise, CA this morning it was a bit overcast with a brisk chilly breeze.  I had seen on the TV weather report there might be rain or snow in the area, but there was none of either.  Just a couple of miles out of town, I drove on a gravel and dirt road to Travertine Hot Springs.  I had read it there were natural hot springs which was also popular for soaking in.  When I got there, there was no one around...no surprise since it was early morning and cold.  In other words, I didn't have to worry about finding naked people in the springs...I had read about that, too.  Warm water bubbled out of a small hole and filled the soaking pool next to the road.  I think there were other pools, but I didn't look for them. 

 

As I surveyed the surrounding area, there was evidence that the single bubbling spring had not been the only geothermal activity.  In the distance, I could see it had snowed up in the mountains, and there were still some ominous looking clouds in the sky.  

I left the hot springs and drove north, then west.  As I climbed into the Sierra Nevadas, a few flakes of snow fell from the skies.  It turned to a little rain drizzle, but nothing big.  But, as I turned onto U.S. Hwy 50, everything changed.  The snow was coming down, and I immediately came to a checkpoint.  Chains required or 4WD with snow tires.  I had the latter, so I was waved through, but there were other vehicles including semi-trucks chaining up.  The speed limit was only 25 mph, and as I joined the caravan climbing up to the summit, the scenery turned white...on the ground and on the trees.  The road was not too bad, though, and after descending, the snow turned into a steady rain.  I stopped for gas in Kyburz, and also cleaned snow off my Blazer that had accumulated on my front lights and below my wipers.

When I reached Placerville, I had what would probably be my last In N Out burger of my road trip.  Then, I traveled a short distance to Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park.  This park tells the story of how James Marshall discovered gold in the area, sparking the famous California Gold Rush.  I walked through the grounds, looking at the outdoor exhibits including an example of a prospector's cabin.

One of the reasons I put this park on my itinerary was because it had a designated area along the American River to pan for gold.  I had even bought a gold panning kit for this purpose.  Unfortunately, it was raining pretty good, and although I had a rain coat it wouldn't have prevented the rest of me from getting wet.  And, it hard to use a gold pan holding an umbrella.  So, reluctantly, I left the park disappointed.  Tomorrow is my last full day of my road trip.  I'll be doing a lot of driving, with one item on the agenda if things work out.  I can't wait to see my cat and sleep in my own bed again! 

Walking among the tufas

Today I said goodbye to L.A.  Everyday was fun, driving was not.  I certainly won't miss the stress of negotiating the roads there.  Before leaving, I made a quick stop to grab a tasty breakfast from a place I had heard about on Food Network.  The Donut Man in Glendora is famous for their fresh fruit donuts.  In season right now, their fresh strawberry donut.  It was delicious! 

I headed north on US Hwy 395 to the small town of Lone Pine, CA.  After some pretty laid back activities in the past several days, I wanted to get back to walking around.  Just north of town in an area called The Alabama Hills is the Moebius Arch.  A short hike and a small arch, but I was curious to see it.  Paved road turned into dirt, and a couple of miles later, I reached the parking area.  It was pleasantly warm...sunny and mid-70s, and the majestic Mt. Whitney towered in the distance.

It didn't take long to walk to the arch, and I had it all to myself since there wasn't anyone else around at the moment.  Along the way, I spotted a bit of color...a flowering cactis plant.  Once at the arch, I took photos from all angles...here's one of them.

I have driven US 395 quite a few times, passing Mono Lake near Lee Vining but never stopping.  Today, I planned a visit there to see their unusual tufas.  What's a tufa you say?  Mono Lake is extremely alkaline, full of salts and minerals.  Tufas are formed when fresh water springs well up through the alkaline lake water.  The calcium in the spring water combines with carbonate in the lake water, and this repetitive action forms the tufa towers.  I took a paved path/boardwalk at the south end of the lake to walk among the tufas.  It was somewhat cloudy, so my pics aren't as spectacular as they could be.  Still, I got some nice shots of the tufa formations. 

 

I did quite a lot of driving today...tomorrow will be a repeat of that.  But, I'll be sneaking in a couple of places to see.  There's some rain in the forecast...it's been a couple of weeks since I've seen that.  Eager to get home...

Senior Day at the museum...really?

My last day in Los Angeles was a fun one.  I started out with brunch courtesy of the famous Pink's Hot Dogs.  I got a Polish dog with chili, mustard and onions to go, with a regular dog dressed the same for a future meal.  Believe it or not, that chili dog will taste just fine microwaved in a couple of days.

I ate my Polish dog outside the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.  While enjoying my food, I watched as wave upon wave of school kids entered the building.  For one brief moment, I considered doing something else.  I didn't particularly fancy sharing the museum with hordes of precocious children.  But, I figured it was a big enough place, and I could probably avoid being in the same place as most of them. At the admissions desk, I requested one adult ticket.  The young man working there replied back one SENIOR ticket.  Huh?  I may be old, but I don't yet qualify for the senior discount!  I started to question it, but he wanted me to have the discount.  Okay!  I'll go along with it, and thank you! 

I was eager to visit the museum's new Dinosaur Hall.  The last time went to this museum a few years ago, this didn't exist.  The centerpiece of the exhibit is the T-Rex Growth Series...the only one of its kind in the world!  It shows the progression of growth from baby to juvenile to adult.  I think everyone loves to see the Tyrannosaurus Rex!

Being a natural history museum, there were other exhibits besides dinosaurs.  The rocks and minerals room always impresses.  For me, it was the gold display...California is famous for its gold rush...and the unusual minerals, like this one that resembles cotton balls.

Natural history museums typically have their share of taxidermy animals, and this one is no different.  Personally, I like to see live animals, but you have to admire the skill of those who created such displays.

 

My second activity of the day was attending a live taping of the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson...always a favorite of mine when visiting L.A.  While standing in line, I chatted with a father and son from British Columbia.  I told them I lived in Bellingham...just south of the border...and we bonded pretty good and ended up sitting together during the show.  For the first time ever, I scored a front row center seat.  It gave me a great view of Craig, especially during his opening monologue.  Because I was so close to him, I managed to snag a piece of chocolate during his usual ritual of throwing some into the audience after finishing his monologue.  

The guests for this episode were English comedian and actor, Eddie Izzard, and singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett.  Lovett performed Jackson Browne's song, Rosie, which sounded great.  After the show was over, I was involved in a little fun.  The warm-up comedian named Bob had told the audience that if he didn't get everyone to laugh and cheer enough, he wouldn't get paid...jokingly, of course.  And, if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to buy his 3-year-old son a yo-yo for his birthday tomorrow. Well, at the end of the show, the producer approached ME with a brand new yo-yo and asked me to decide if Bob deserved it.  In other words, DID he get the audience to cheer enough?  It was a pretty spontaneous moment, and I had to think quickly.  I told the producer that YES, I thought he deserved it...but, he had to come and get it.  So, Bob came into my row so I could award him the yo-yo!  Afterward, the Canadian son high-fived me because it was such a cool experience for me.  

Before making the drive back to the hotel, I bought take out Brazilian grill from my fave restaurant at the adjacent Original Farmer's Market.  And, my last day in L.A. just wouldn't be complete without experiencing the frustration of one last rush hour.  When I leave tomorrow, I certainly won't miss it.  

The Queen is in the house

I had a fun day today.  Rather than partake from my hotel's continental breakfast, I decided to have something a little nicer.  Not far from my ultimate destination of the day, I went to a Mexican restaurant that served breakfast.  I decided on machaca, which was a dish featuring scrambled eggs cooked with shredded beef and onions.  It came with rice, beans and a couple of flour tortillas.  Nothing fancy, but pretty tasty!

After my filling meal, I drove a short distance to Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, home of The Queen Latifah Show.  I parked in their covered garage, and joined the Priority line, which meant I was guaranteed to get in for today's show.  The nice thing about tickets, they are free!  Everyone was eventually escorted to the sound stage where the show is taped.  I heard that approximately 170 people fill the seating area, and every seat is a good one.  Most of the time, cameras are not allowed when entering the sound stage.  Not so for this operation, which was too bad for me.  I didn't realize they were more lenient with the cameras, so I didn't bring mine.  Which means I didn't get to take photos of the set before taping began.  No matter.  It didn't mean my experience was any less memorable!

I found out a few weeks ago that William Shatner...yes, Star Trek's Captain Kirk himself...was scheduled to appear today.  Sure enough, it was true!  Queen Latifah is a very beautiful and likable personality.  It was so exciting to see her interviewing Mr. Shatner.  As a Star Trek fan, it was a dream come true to see him!  He talked about his one-man Broadway show and his horses.  The high point, though, was his spoken word performance of Queen Latifah's song, Ladies First.  I wasn't familiar with the song, but I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Shatner's unique rendition!  The other guest was actor Josh Dallas from the TV series, Once Upon A Time.  I don't watch the show, thus don't know who he is.

In all, it took about SIX HOURS from the time I arrived till the time I left the studio.  Even though I didn't get any photos from my day, I didn't come away empty handed.  Before we entered the set, everyone got a free bag of Sheila G's Brownie Brittle.  I've eaten it before and it's delicious!  As for the episode taped today, it's scheduled to be aired on Thursday, April 24. 

My drive back to the hotel was typical rush hour madness.  My GPS suggested a route NOT on the freeway, and I took it.  Tomorrow, I have another talk show taping... The Late Show with Craig Ferguson.  I love seeing Craig, and I'm looking forward to more fun! 

Behind the magic

I only had one item on my agenda today...the Paramount Pictures VIP studio tour!  Now, I've done this tour before about three years ago.  I had been hoping to attend the Jimmy Kimmel Show, but I never got past the wait list for a ticket.  So, this tour was my fall back plan.  As usual, I got stuck in some rush hour traffic.  A 15-minute trip in ideal conditions took me a half hour, and that was with my GPS taking me on an alternate route.  When I got to the studios, I was allowed to park on site in their visitor's lot...regular tour attendees have to park outside across the street.

I took the tour with five other people.  There was a family of three from Germany, and two women from Australia and Switzerland, respectively.  Our tour guide Danny was very pleasant.  He started us at the Bronson gate entrance...actor Charles Bronson actually took his stage name from this gate and not vice versa.

Right next to the gate there was a special prop item...one of four benches used in the movie Forrest Gump.  I had just watched that movie last week!

The tour of the studio was pretty typical, although more in depth compared to the regular tour.  We were taken behind the scenes to see the different departments responsible for making TV shows and movies look so real.  Props, wood working, signs, cloth work...a lot of hard working men and women.  Here's the biggest copier you'll ever see!  It can handle items up to two inches thick, such as plywood, and put an image or graphic on it!  

We were shown the studio archives, which stores all the movies ever made by Paramount.  Traditional acetate film, videotape, discs and the newest medium, digital files.

Midway through the tour, we were treated to a catered lunch, provided by the studio's executive chef.  It was pretty tasty...I especially liked the dessert oatmeal raisin cookies!  After our meal break, we were shown the back lot with streets and buildings simulating New York City, Chicago and Boston.  Finally, we visited the prop building, which houses iconic items such as these shoes used in Forrest Gump!  There was also a room full of interesting props from different movies.  See anything you recognize?

Our tour came to an end with a unique view of the Hollywood sign.  Paramount is the only studio that has such a view.  Before I left, I got a free movie poster...I chose Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones.  I also made a purchase in the studio store...a cool Paramount Studios hoodie.  Tomorrow, I have another big day.  I'll be attending The Queen Latifah Show with a particularly special guest.  I can't wait! 

Life under the sea

I didn't get as much sleep as I would have liked last night.  Some of it had to do with me working on my blog...there WAS a lot to say about last night's Five For Fighting benefit concert.  Then, I was still so hyped up and excited about my experiences there, too.  Even though I was tired when I got up this morning, I had places to go and things to do.  Leaving Agoura Hills, I drove south to Manhattan Beach to see their famous pier.  I got there early enough...and got a bit lucky...to score a parking space right next to the beach.  There were people biking, playing volleyball, boogie boarders and surfers...everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Afterward, I drove down to Long Beach to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific.  This aquarium is the fourth most visited in the country, and in some ways, I liked it even better than the Monterey Bay Aquarium. There was a little bit of everything there, from tropical fish, sharks and jellyfish to sea otters, sea birds and lorikeets.  Lorikeets you say?  I don't think lorikeets have anything to do with the ocean, but they ARE fun to feed!  Of course, I couldn't resist and purchased a cup of nectar.  The birds were VERY hungry, and it wasn't hard to coax them to eat.

I was also impressed with their touch tanks.  It was cool to experience contrasting sensations...the softness of the rays, to the rough skin of the sharks.

Tomorrow, I revisit a movie studio to see if I'll experience something new.  Maybe I'll see an actor or two. 

Good food, great cause, awesome music

Big day today!  Driving to Agoura Hills, CA for the Kids Helping Kids benefit concert featuring John Ondrasik...better known as Five For Fighting.  On the way south from my hotel pit stop in King City, I stopped for an early lunch at In N Out Burger.  Boy, that double double (burger) tasted good!

 

I also stopped in Santa Barbara to visit their Saturday farmer's market to pick up some pistachios for my friend who is caring for my cat while I'm road tripping.  He likes pistachios...my cat does not.  I checked into my hotel early so I could freshen up and have dinner before the concert.  Since John lives near Agoura Hills, I figured he could recommend a good, inexpensive restaurant for me.  So I asked him on Twitter, and John was kind enough to suggest Hugo's.  I took his advice and the food WAS good!  I had the grilled salmon with grape tomatoes, turmeric rice, sauteed garlic spinach and a side of tomatillo-avocado sauce. I really enjoyed my dinner.  

Following my meal, I drove to Agoura High School's Performing Arts Education Center, site of tonight's concert.  I was hoping to meet John sometime while I was there.  I had a gift for him...and his wife Carla.  A few years ago, I had given him a bottle of merlot in a UCLA Bruins wine bag.  It was greatly appreciated, especially the unique wine bag...John is a UCLA alumnus.  This time, I didn't have such a fancy bag, but I DID have another nice bottle of wine...British Columbia ice wine!  Before the show, I said HI to my friend Lynne.  She's also a big Five For Fighting fan.  We weren't sitting together, though.  I was front row orchestra, and Lynne was in the upper level.  While I was waiting for the concert to begin, I spotted Carla in the lower level...along with her kids and John's parents.  Great!  Even if I don't get a chance to give the wine to John, I can at least give it to her!  

The night included videos explaining what Kids Helping Kids was all about, and performances by Austin Armstrong and Clay Priskorn...both former Agoura Hills students.  During the intermission, I got a chance to talk to Carla.  I presented her with the wine, and told Carla about my road trip.  It was nice to talk to her...it had been a few years since I had last seen her at a Five For Fighting show.  Then, the main event!  Now, I had heard cameras were not allowed in the auditorium.  But, once John started his performance, I noticed a couple of people in the front row sneaking video with their smartphones.  So, I joined them, trying to sneak some photos.  I wasn't really successful, but that was OK.  I was there to see John sing!  After three years, I was eager to see him do his thing!  

What makes John so great a performer is not only his music, but his STORIES!  The stories behind the music...what inspires him, how his music affects people and how his songs are used by others in bigger and better ways.  One of the high points of the night was when John's daughter Olivia took the stage.  She sang, and John played the piano...and sang a little backup, too!  Here is John's playlist for the concert:

100 Years (piano)

Chances (guitar)

'65 Mustang (guitar)

What If (piano)

Superman (piano)

Stand Up (piano)

I God Made You (guitar)

I Just Love You (piano)

Count On Me (piano); Bruno Mars cover performed by Olivia Ondrasik

World (piano)

 

It was a fantastic night of music, and for a great cause.  I hung around afterward, and Carla told me John would be coming out to say HI.  I was happy to hear that!  I got a chance to talk to Olivia, and I complimented her on her great singing!  When he finally showed up, we had a nice chat and I got a much appreciated photo with John.  In all, I had a awesome time, and it was so nice to meet Carla and John again.  

Before I left, I inquired about the banner used to advertise the benefit concert.  It had a big photo of John on it, and I wanted it for my Five For Fighting collection.  There was one still attached to a table in the silent auction area.  Actually, Carla surprised me by snagging the other one that had been on a wall in the lobby.  Carla said she used such posters to decorate walls at home!  One of the event organizers agreed to let me have it if I made a donation at the kid's charity site...I promised I would!  This is what the banner looks like...it's a pretty big one, too!  Now, I'll have to figure out which wall I will display it on! 

Tomorrow is Easter, and my friend Lynne invited me to her house for dinner, which was very sweet of her!  I'll be changing my itinerary to accommodate the get together, but it's a good change! 

A birder's paradise

San Francisco is such a great city...if you don't have to drive.  When I left this morning, I got caught up in rush hour trying to get out of town.  About an hour later, I found myself at Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto.  I had read this was one of the best places on the West Coast to see birds, especially waterfowl.  No sooner did I step out on one of the trails, I spotted swallows flying around.  They all seemed to be congregating at a nearby building.  As I approached, I realized they were building their mud nests under an overhang.  It was cool watching the birds diligently working at their task.

 

I ended up seeing quite a lot of wild birds in the hour I spent at the preserve.  Some were pretty common, like mallards, various sea gulls, Canada geese and rock doves, better known as pigeons.  There were some species I had seen before in the past, not counting those in zoos.  Included on that list are ruddy duck, northern shoveler,  green-winged teal and American coot.

I was even more excited to see the birds I knew about, but had never seen before.  A few that I added to my life list today were the swan goose, American avocet and black-necked stilt.  It was interesting to watch the avocets and stilts searching for food in the marsh.

Next, I drove to the nearby Moffett Field to check out their small air museum.  The museum consisted of exhibits and displays of the air field's wartime history.  The facility was best known for housing two large air ships or dirigibles, as well as smaller blimps throughout the years.  In the afternoon, I visited the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Felton.  As I walked along the easy path through the redwood grove, I found myself continually in amazement.  I was touching trees over a 1000 years old!  There aren't many living things on this earth as old as the redwoods, the rest are probably trees, too. 

Well, tomorrow is the big day!  I'll be making the last push south to Agoura Hills for the Five For Fighting benefit show.  I'm SO excited!  It's been three years since I've last seen John Ondrasik perform, and it seems like an eternity.  Looking forward to a night of awesome music...as usual!