ZOE HAVING LUNCH ON THE WINE TRAIN 

A STOP IN THE WINE COUNTRY

Because of the heavy rains in California, flowers are blooming everywhere. They are not only along side the road but fields are gold and hills are reddish with wildflower. The vines in the Napa area are also looking lush. We had fun riding the Wine Train past the vineyards and of course, we had to lunch at the famous French Laundry restaurant. The meal was very good but I don't think they lived up to the claim of best restaurant in the US.
We left the RV in the park and drove US 1 along the coast to the Albion River Inn. What a wonderful view from our room and we enjoyed the coziness of the fireplace in the evening. On the way, we stopped at Bodega Bay for the blessing of the boats for the opening of salmon fishing. The boats were all decorated for a watery parade. The drive was beautiful along the ocean and then the drive back through the redwoods was equally lovely.

THE VIEW FROM OUR ROOM AT ALBION INN 

Us having lunch near the river in front of our rig 

JUST LEFT THE WONDERFUL SACRAMENTO RIVER

We just left the Sacramento River and our dear friend Captain Toni. She always has friends for us to meet and we love staying on the grass on the river. As usual, Toni showed us more of the delta that we had no idea existed.

Captain Toni and Zoe on the Sacramento River in front of where our RV is parked 

Zoe and the General Grant Redwood 

The visitor's center at Grant's Grove in Sequoia, April 7, 2005 

Me in a fallen redwood tree on a hike in the snow at Grant's Grove, Sequoia. 

SNOWED OUT OF OUR LODGE IN SEQUOIA

We got snowed out of Sequoia. The furthest we could get was Grant’s Grove in Sequoia National Park. We spent a few days in Visalia, which, if you were wondering, has become a major town…a great place to get mail and supplies.

Zoe and her brother John on a back country trip with the Mt. Whitney in the background. 

OUR 5 DAYS AT MAMMOTH

We took the only logical road out of the Park west to go to Zoe’s brother John’s ranch in Olancha, California. And oh what a road! The nine percent grades for over ten miles was bad enough but then came the 20 mph hairpin turns and more steep grades. Zoe did a fantastic job of getting us over the mountain. She concentrated on the road while I peeked at the 1000-foot drop with no guardrails.

What a refreshing stop at John’s ranch. It is at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and quiet with clear, crisp breezes. He gave us a tour of his ranch and horses and then for tours up into the mountains in his new Rubicon jeep. He is a charming host and his housekeeper, Fary, cooked us a couple of delicious dinners. Her husband did a wonderful job of washing our car and the front of our rig, They really needed it after their desert sojourn.

Here we are riding in a Gondola taking pictures of skiers in Mammoth.There are no words...just pictures 

This is the view from our RV park 

TOO MUCH FUN

We have been here at the Sunset Campground, 200 feet below sea level, for five days without any hookups of any kind (boondocking). Our unit has performed beautifully since we replaced our batteries. Between the batteries and the generator we are able to run all of our equipment. We have watched Suns basketball games and movies without hookups.

We stopped at the lowest spot in the Western Hemisphere (290 feet below sea level).
We took a hike in Gold Canyon with its beautiful colors. Artist’s Palette Road was closed because of the heavy flooding that rushed through here. Likewise, the road we could have taken to see the lowest spot here and Mt. Whitney in the distance at the same time was closed as well. The views from our campsite more than made up for it.

This is Golden Canyon. Yes, we do hike. This one is a 10 mile round trip. We didn't do it all. 

The flowers were are in full bloorm as far as the eye can see 

THE GLORY OF DEATH VALLEY

Words cannot describe Death Valley but I’ll try. The heavy rains have left the valley covered with green and wildflowers. The golden carpet of flowers in the valley lends a perfect accent to the variegated hills beyond. I have never seen so many different strata and colors in a single hill and there are hundreds of them, each unique. The sharp white of the salt flats and the borax veins in the hills add another dimension. Everywhere you look is another amazing vista.