Balancing rocks and falling water

I forgot to mention in yesterday's blog post that my Outback reached 100,000 miles on the odometer. In a little over four years! That's what happens when you take long road trips! I left Portland, OR this morning traveling on US 26 through Mt Hood National Forest and the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. The sky soon took on a smoky haze due to prescribed burning...it was not pleasant to drive through! Thankfully, when I got to Cove Palisades State Park, I left the worst of it behind. Driving along the Crooked River, crossing over a narrow bridge that took me to an even narrower bridge over the Deschutes River, I continued on in my quest for the very unusual.

As the paved road ended, I had a moment of uncertainty...was I going the right way? It's tough when Google Maps Streetview doesn't go everywhere. I continued on the gravel road a short way and there it was...the little turnoff that I was looking for! The trail head for Balancing Rocks! These cool geologic wonders were formed by different volcanic eruptions, with erosion doing the rest. The softer stuff underneath wore away, leaving the more durable rocks above seemingly balancing and teetering precariously.

That's Mt Jefferson that you can barely see through the haze. After I was done admiring the rocks, I returned to Cove Palisades State Park for a leisurely picnic lunch. There were some pretty nice views there, too.

In the afternoon, I drove down to Bend to visit one of their most popular tourist attractions... Tumalo Falls. I had to negotiate an even longer...and rougher...gravel road to reach the falls. I took in the best view of the falls right off the parking lot, then hiked the 1/4 mile trail to the top. As I walked along the trail, my eagle eyes spotted a tiny, furry sentinel perched on a tree stump and surveying the gorge below. I'm pretty sure it was a golden-mantled ground squirrel.

Before leaving the vicinity of the falls, I spotted a bit of fall color. Not much, but it was pretty nonetheless.

After driving up and down the gravel road, my car was now covered with dust...I mean totally! Using my trusty GPS, I found a car wash, which turned out to be exactly what I needed...inexpensive and automatic. Tomorrow, I'll continue my theme of enjoying nature's beauty as I travel south to California.

Time to hit the road again!

I'm taking my road trip a little later than usual this fall. At first, it was because I kinda had to...earlier vacation slots were already taken up at work. But, it soon worked out for the better because of a short Five for Fighting string quartet tour in October. I certainly can't miss that, right? Then, I added two more days to my time off to attend a SYML concert...one of my other favorite artists. So, I'll be going to a total of four shows this month. Of course, my road trip will be much, much more than going to musical concerts. Many park visits, checking out unique scenery and museums!

I made sure to play with my cat Hoshi before I left home this morning. I wasn't able to properly say goodbye to her because she promptly hid when I started loading the last of my stuff in the car. I think Hoshi thought she would also be going in the car and to the vet! I didn't leave home too early because I didn't want to get caught in Seattle rush hour traffic. I dropped in Uwajimaya in Bellevue to grab something for lunch, plus more food for tomorrow's meals, and road trip snacks.

After a couple more hours of driving, I took in a brief visit to Columbia Springs in Vancouver, WA. This facility serves as a community environmental center and also contains a trout fish hatchery. After spending a good part of my day driving, it was nice to stretch my legs and snap a few photos.

Tonight, I'm spending the night in Portland, OR, but I won't be traveling TOO far tomorrow.  I'll be doing a little hiking and checking out some cool natural sights. Time to get this show started...

A day for the birds...uh, squirrels

When I left Reno, NV this morning, it was chilly...mid-30s. And, it stayed in the mid-40s as I traveled north on Interstate 80. As I continued north on US 95, the temps warmed into the mid-50s. I stopped for lunch at a rest stop in Orovado. I had a nice view of the snow topped mountains...that's Santa Rosa Peak on the left and Paradise Peak on the right.

Adjacent to the rest area was acres and acres of native grasslands. And, there were dozens and dozens...and I would imagine hundreds...of ground squirrels frolicking in the fields. It was hard to get pictures because they moved around quite a bit, even while they were feeding.

When I arrived at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, OR, the temps were in the mid-60s...perfect weather. I picked up a few brochures at the visitor center and noticed there were many ground squirrels in the lawn. I'm pretty sure they were Belding's ground squirrels, and I'm also pretty sure those were the same type of squirrels near the rest area.

I didn't see many birds in the pond near the visitor center, so I decided to try my luck elsewhere in the refuge. I drove to the Buena Vista Ponds and up to the overlook. The view was very picturesque, but too far away to see the waterfowl.

As I was leaving the overlook, a bit of movement caught my eye. A small lizard ran from rock to rock, but rather than run completely away, hung around to look at me. A little bit of Googling told me this was a common side-blotched lizard.

With time running short, I decided to try my luck driving along the auto tour route through the ponds, but I saw mostly Canada geese and American coots. Too common and rather unexciting. I was happy to see a pair of Northern Shovelers, though. They get their name from their oversized upper bill, which they use to filter out food from the water.

And, so ends my road trip adventures. Kind of anti-climatic if you ask me. But, I might post one more time with pics that didn't make it into previous blog entries. Until next road trip...

The Donner Experience

When I left my pit stop at Merced, CA this morning and headed north, I got caught in a traffic backup due to an accident on the highway. After bearing with it for about 15 minutes, I asked my GPS to find another route to Modesto and got off at the next exit. I did a little shopping at a nice specialty food store called Rodin's Ranch Farmers' Market, then continued on to Truckee, CA. Rather than travel on the interstate over Donner Pass, I elected to take the scenic route on Old Donner Pass Road. There was still snow on the ground, which made for very pretty pictures. I stopped at a viewpoint and looked up at Donner Peak and down at Donner Lake.

Behind me was School Rock...but not School of Rock. Afterward, I drove over the Donner Summit Bridge, originally built in 1925 and restored in 1995.

Down in the town of Truckee, I visited the Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center. The last time I dropped by the site back in 2008, there was only the memorial statue present. The visitor center has exhibits that tell the story of the ill-fated Donner Party which became trapped at the pass by winter conditions. There were some examples of relics found at the original camp sites, including this tiny salt dish.

Of the 87 people in the group, 48 survived...some by resorting to cannibalism. If you want to read the definitive guide to the Donner Party story, I highly recommend the book, Ordeal By Hunger written by George R. Stewart. I got a used paperback back when I was in college, and I still have it! While I was taking photos of the memorial statue representing the pioneers who made the trek through the Sierra Nevadas, I noticed some golden mantled ground squirrels running around. I took a pic of one particularly well fed specimen.

Tomorrow is my last official day of my road trip...at least the sightseeing part of it. The weather forecast looks perfect for some bird watching! Afterwards, I'll be spending a couple of days with family before heading back to Bellingham.

Where squirrels abound

I said goodbye to Los Angeles this morning and headed north to Bakersfield. After a steakburger and frozen custard lunch at Freddie's, I headed over to the town's California Living Museum (CALM).  I last visited this small zoo back in 2010, but I don't remember it much. This living museum features native California flora and fauna...that's plants and animals...and serves as an educational and conservation facility. I was particularly fascinated with the mountain lions and the zoo grounds were teeming with wild California ground squirrels. I witnessed a cute interaction between a young rabbit and a juvenile squirrel.

There was a cute porcupine sleeping in a tiny tree and a very impressive display of the various types of rattlesnakes. I hope I never get such an up close look outside of a zoo!

There was a small owl sharing an enclosure with tortoises and a lone roadrunner. And, when I walked up to the mule deer, one came over to see if I had any treats. At least I THINK that's why it gave me the look.

Tomorrow, I continue my slow drive north and cooler temps. I'll be heading over the mountains like another infamous group did back in the mid 1800s...but chose winter time to do it!

A Blast at the Bang

Like last Sunday, I had a late return to my hotel, so no blog last night. I'm catching up now. I didn't have the best sleep on the Queen Mary Monday night. First, when it came time to hit the sack, I was reminded that the ship has thin walls. I could hear my next door neighbor's conversation for a good half hour before they either clammed up or I fell asleep. Then, I woke up around 5:00 am to a rather chilly room. Unbeknownst to me, the two porthole windows weren't completely secure and a cold night's wind made it's way in. I checked my travel alarm clock and it said 65 degrees. Since my thin bed covers weren't effective, I put on socks and changed to long sleeves and went back to sleep.  My change in attire was good enough for two more hours of quality sleep.

Today was my last day in Los Angeles, and I was going out with a blast... The Big Bang Theory live taping! Since I had some time in the morning, I spent it at the Los Angeles Police Museum. I had last visited this place ten years ago, and I was glad to see they had added to their exhibits.

The museum is located in what was formerly the Highland Park Police Station. There were exhibits on jail facilities, vehicles, uniforms and badges.

In addition, there were three exhibits on three infamous crimes that took place in the Los Angeles area. The Patricia Hearst kidnapping and battle with the Symbionese Liberation Army, the Onion Field murder case, and the Hollywood bank robbery shootout.

After lunch at Shake Shack, I checked into my hotel early, then headed over to Warner Brothers Studios for The Big Bang Theory taping. When I arrived at the parking structure, I saw a huge group of people waiting to get into the Ellen Show taping. So far, I have been unsuccessful getting a ticket to that show. Instead, I joined about thirty people already in line for TBBT. Half of them had solid tickets and the other half were there on standby. I made quick friends with two individuals at the end of the line...a Jamaican lady who currently lives in Boston and a guy from North Carolina originally from Mexico.

When the Ellen Show attendees vacated the waiting area in the parking garage, TBBT people took their place. I was in the first group escorted into the studio and to the soundstage where the show was taped. As we waited to enter the building, I suddenly heard someone say, "How is everyone doing? Thank you for coming!" I turned to my left, and who should be standing there but actor Jerry O'Connell! I was surprised and thrilled! I said, "Nice to meet you!" as he shook my hand! If it wasn't exciting enough to just be there, this was icing on the cake! Jerry would be guest starring on the show as Sheldon's brother, George.

Inside the soundstage, I sat next to my Jamaican friend. As the audience seating area filled up, we wondered if our NC friend on standby would make it in.  And...he did! There was a stand up comedian guy there to entertain the attendees. He had people doing silly games for cast photos and candy. Before filming started, the main cast members were introduced. As the actors performed, the audience was expected to provide the laugh track. It was wonderful seeing them doing their lines...and sometimes making mistakes. The attendees were given a snack...cold pizza and water. It took about three hours to film what would be about a 20 minute show. After it was all over, the cast and guest stars came out for a curtain call to wild applause. I had a great time, and it was a fitting end to a memorable week in southern California. Tomorrow, I start the slow drive back up to Washington.

Relaxing with the fishes...and the lorikeets!

Today, I decided to take a more low key approach to my day. Since I was heading down to Long Beach anyway to spend the night on the Queen Mary, I decided to do something leisurely and relaxing. It had been four years since I last visited the Aquarium of the Pacific, and I felt the urge to experience it again. Actually, I was really looking forward to feeding the lorikeets again. Yes, of all the animals at the aquarium, I love the Lorikeet Forest. After purchasing a cup of nectar...the sign at the booth said the birds are "Very Hungry"...I entered the bird enclosure. You're supposed to let the birds decide where and when to feed, but it didn't take long for a lorikeet to hop on my hand. It was soon joined by a second bird, after crawling up my shirt onto my shoulder and sitting on my head!

Needless to say, I had so much fun feeding the birds, I went back and got a second cup of nectar to have even more fun! Like the first time, I had two birds sitting on my arm arguing over the nectar. But, this time, only one bird won out.

Of course, I also enjoyed the many sea life exhibits at the aquarium. My favorites included the different types of jellyfish, colorful tropical fish, sea otters and bat rays...yes, I touched the bat rays! Oh, and the puffins were cute, too!

After a couple of hours at the aquarium, I was ready to check into my accommodations for the night.  I had two wonderful stays at the Queen Mary Hotel in the past, and it wasn't hard to decide to replicate those memories. This time around, I upgraded from the standard stateroom and booked a mini suite. The website said that the upper class staterooms were all different, and I was very pleased with mine. Two televisions, one in a separate sitting room and the always nice fridge. I don't really need the two bathrooms, but I'm not complaining!

Tomorrow is my last day in Los Angeles and I'll be going out with a bang, so to speak. A Big Bang. It will be another late night, so no blogging tomorrow night. But, I promise to catch up the next day! Stay tuned...