Yosemite Part 2 - Sandy Goes to the Doctor

When we woke up Sandy was still feeling poorly and was still not able to eat very much, so we decided to go to the clinic there in Yosemite Valley. As we made a little breakfast at our campsite we saw several large deer with at least 6 points, and a large bird fly in and out of our camp. As it swooped by you could hear the sound of its wings in the wind! Never heard anything like it! At the clinic Sandy was seen by a very nice Nurse Practioner who prescribed some antibiotics that are already helping her to feel a little better. We then got into the van and headed towards Glacier Point. Sandy had read about a short hike that led to a beautiful view of half-dome and more. When we arrived there Sandy was feeling very weak, but she was determined and made it the entire way!!! It was an easy hike, but we take for granted how much our bodies do for us! Sandy was so glad she made the hike, because the view was spectacular! We then drove down towards Yosemite Village. Back near El Capitan we stopped to watch a large Coyote try and catch a couple of squirrels! We then took off on Hwy 140 towards Merced River and out of the park. This was a beautiful drive as well! All of the leaves changing, the river winding right next to the road…just so blessed to witness this beauty! We send our love to everyone back home and hope all is well!!! XOXO XOXO XOXO!!!! Namate!!!

Emily’s Baby Arrives, Yosemite, and the Bears!

So we when we woke up this morning (October 22) we received a phone call from our good friend Sarah telling us that our good friend Emily had just HAD HER BABY GIRL!!!! It’s hard not to be there in person with you all as you celebrate the introduction of this Beautiful Being into the world, but we hope you can feel us there in Spirit. You tell her that her crazy aunts will be home soon!!! We love you Emily and Rusty! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Sarah and Bryan…your time is coming = )
So we hit the road towards Tioga Pass (Hwy 120) into Yosemite. The drive towards Yosemite was beautiful and we had a feeling that it was only a preview of what was to come, and we were right. Yosemite is gorgeous!!!! We took our time, stopping to take photographs and to take in this place. At one point we stopped to watch two small black bears cross a creek and then the road. We stopped at places such as Lake Ellery which is located at an elevation over 9,000 ft. We put our feet in the water at Tenaya Lake, saw El Capitan, Half Dome in the distance, meadows, rivers…We were lucky and stopped near Yosemite Valley to check for a campsite. Some people make reservations a year in advance. We were able to get a site at the Upper Pines campground in Curry Village. We drove just a short bit into Yosemite Village store to buy some firewood and a fishing license. Turns out everything in that store is expensive = ) We bought some wood, but the fishing license was twice the cost of a campsite. So no fishing here. We then went to our campsite and put all items with any type of scent into the bear bins. I then decided to go for a quick run before the sun went down. When I was almost finished I was going to run part of the bike path to where our campground was, but I heard someone banging on pots and pans. I decided to run away from the banging and cut just ever so slightly off the path onto the road. I then saw a teenager with a backpack running down the path, and then I looked right behind him and there it was…A BLACK BEAR = ) Not sure how close I was to it, 20 ft I would say. I did not stay to chat. When the bear looked the other way I took off sprinting across the road, through a shut down campground, to our campground. All kinds of adrenaline was running through me.
When I returned I told Sandy about it, we made dinner, cleaned up our mess, and then sat by the fire for a while. However our site is on the edge of the woods, so we would frequently shine the flashlight out into the darkness to check and see if we had any friends coming to visit = ). It’s time to rest now, and we will get up and explore the park some more tomorrow. To ALL of our loved ones back home, and to all the new friends we have made along the way. We pray that you are healthy and at peace. We send our love and may you have beautiful dreams this evening! NAMASTE!

Eastside of Lake Tahoe, Mono Lake, Mammoth Lake - A Rest

So we had slept in a Walmart parking lot in Crescent City, Nevada. I should say we TRIED to sleep. Sandy just started feeling worse and worse. She thinks she developed a sinus infection, and her throat was just raw. She has not been able to eat much for the last couple of days. We were not sleeping, so around 5:30am I went in to the store to get her some different medicine, then I ate some breakfast and we decided since we couldn’t sleep we might as well get on the road. We drove down the east side of Lake Tahoe, past Mono Lake, the Sierra mountain range, and to Mammoth Lake where we got a cheap room so Sandy could really get some rest. I cleaned out the van really well and reorganized our things. Sandy rested as much as she could, but still was having trouble sleeping. The rest was much needed for both of us, and we appreciated not having to get out of the van into the cold to use the bathroom = ) and a shower of our very own!!!! Oh the things we take for granted! We always miss our loved ones and being home, but it’s at times when we are not feeling well that it is hardest! But we continuously feel love from all of you and that helps so much! Goodnight and have beautiful dreams!

Reno and Virgina City

Well we woke up in a wonderful Wal-mart parking lot again this morning. Sam cooked oatmeal for breakfast and we checked the oil in Lenny. And then I received a phone call from an old friend!!!I was super excited because I had not seen her in probably over five years and she now resides in Reno, NV. I had emailed her a couple of days ago and told her that we would be in the area so we got together for lunch and she was gracious enough to let us take showers at her house. It was an amazing shower and thanks for lunch Kelly!!!We played catch up and had a lot of good conversation. It was nice to just hang out and talk!!!Thanks again!!!!You always have been an extraordiary being....keep on keeping on; it's working for you!! After we left Kelly's house we drove through downtown Reno to check it out and then we decided to drive to Virgina City which is an old Ghost Town that Kelly had told us about. It was a delightful surprise!!!So much history in this town.We visited the cemetery, saloons and shops. It was an old mining town which is now an historial monument. We stopped in a shop called Virgina City Gallery where we met the owners Jim and Shelia. They were so helpful and great. They told us about the history of the town and they are opening a museum in the town as well. I bought a brass belt buckle from the store with my name on it!!:)Thanks Jim and Shelia!!These people are truly doing great things by keeping history alive!!!They have fascinating stories with the artifacts to go with it. It has been a great day and as we were driving into Carson City we watched the most amazing sunset...the clouds were breathetakingly bizarre. I think they are called venticular clouds. We are learning so much on this trip...something new everyday. Well that is all for now...we send our love to everyone and know that we miss you dearly. Keep in touch and take care. Namaste.

Placerville, CA...Lake Tahoe

Well today has been quite eventful!!! I mean everyday is eventful when one lives out of a van but that is besides the point. Today we woke up in a hospital parking lot and drove to a Safeway which is a grocery store to get on line and eat breakfast when Samantha noticed that her face was just not working right. This had been coming up for a couple of days but she took some benedryl thinking that it was just an allergic reaction to something…..but today her smile wouldn’t work:( So I had remembered that one of my teacher’s in school had similar symptoms and it was called Bell’s Palsy; we begin to search the internet about it and finally decided to go to the ER. We met an interesting doctor and he seemed very thorough. She had to get blood test and a CT of her brain to make sure it was not a tumor and low and behold it was Bell’s Palsy. No one is really quite sure of the cause but he gave us a couple of prescriptions and we went on our way. He compared it to a cold or flu which has really no immediate cure…just have to wait it out. So she is taking anti-viral medication and he said it could last up to six weeks and she has to tape her eye shut nightly so that it won't dry out. We will see!!! We headed down the road and started discussing how grateful we really are in this world and all of the simple things that we take for granted e.g. smiling or being able to blink and close our eyes. Samantha is taking it in stride and with great attitude and wants to continue our travels at this time. So we drove the western side of Lake Tahoe which is phenomenal. We stopped at Taylor Creek and saw tons of salmon laying their eggs and then they die!!!Crazy! We then continued on to Reno, NV to find a Wal-mart. We have become experts on concrete camping and doing things on a minimal budget. It has been really hard for me because I love my "fancy" coffee and dark chocolate but I have cut back and realize that those are not needs in life. I am also writing this blog for the benefit of my sister because she gave me a guilt trip yesterday about not writing. What can I say somethings I just cannot articulate well!!!We have seen exquisite places and have met extraordinary people and sometimes I just want to sit with that!!!But I love you ENA and everyone else reading this!!!And sometimes I do miss the comforts of home but I believe this experience has opened my eyes in so many ways and is helping my development as a human being. It really has been extraordinary!!!So goodnight to all and namaste.....

Sonoma County

Yesterday we took a loop within Sonoma County and drove through beautiful wine coutry, vineyards, small towns. In some places we would both swear the air smelled sweet like wine! The leaves are changing and the colors are so remarkable. The loop took us back briefly to Hwy 1 along the coast line. At a place called Salmon Creek Beach (I think = ) we stopped to walk on the beach and watch probably 30 surfers waitin on waves, catching waves...most were covered from head to toe's in wet suit, yet others would come up out of the water and their hands or feet were so red!!! That water has to be so very cold. We stopped at one family own Vineyard and walked breifly among the rows of grape vines. Sandy brought up the feelings that wine country bring...feelings of earlier days, of family, community...it's a good feeling! We then drove to Berkley, CA and walked up and down Telegraph Aveunue. So many record stores, street venders, unique restaurants, street performers, tarrot card readers, and church groups preaching to the masses from the street corners.It had a big city energy, but was just on this small stretch of street that dead-ended into the university. Very neat place!We made some coffee and a can of soup before we left...right on the sidewalk of Berkley. Now granted this is a town that was once known for it's hippies and homeless community...things however have changed and as always, we recieved a few giggles and many looks = )We are still doing well...last night as we went to find a place we could sleep and not get ran off, I had this thought "I live in a van" and it made me giggle a little! I write this as the sun is coming up and the sky has changed from a pink to a light orange color. I have never watched so many sunrises or sunsets as i have on this trip. We send our love to you all!!! Miss you! What is everyone dressing up as for Halloween? = ) XOXOX

Avenue of the Giants

We woke up and made eggs and toast in the Walmart parking lot = ) The hit the road back towards the coast. It was a road that began with a sign that read “Narrow, winding roads next 140 miles”. It took us over three hours…Sandy drove the whole way and did a great job! We stopped at one point and looked at a store that was full of beautiful rocks. Some polished, some just raw stones, beautiful rock carvings, and more. We continued down the road until we came to the “Avenue of the Giants” Here we picked up an audio tour map/guide and drove through the park. We stopped and hiked the short path at Founders Grove. Here is, what used to be, the tallest tree in the world. When it still stood, it was taller than Niagara Falls, had a diameter of 52 feet, and weighed over one million pounds. We later stopped and went for a jog on one of the nature paths through the forest. So beautiful and so powerful! These trees stood so tall you could not see the tops, so wide it would take ten men or more to get their arms around some of them…truly they are giants. Then to think about how they have been there for hundreds and hundreds of years. That our ancestors walked among these trees… you can not help but talk to God the whole time you ran through them…simply awe struck. After our run we took showers at the near-by state park for 75 cents and then headed down the road. We are staying at the Redwoods River Resort campground very near where Hwy 101 will meet up with the famous Hwy 1 of the California Coast. It dark here, but the stars are plentiful and there is one big redwood right in front of our site, and it feels as if it is keeping guard = ) Well, time to get some sleep, Not sure when we will have internet access again, but I will keep writing and post when I can. Good night, beautiful dreams, and Namaste!

Mount Shasta - Panther Meadows

Well, we actually ended up sleeping in a Days Inn parking lot last night…worked out well. No interruptions. We got cleaned up and headed out towards Mount Shasta. You can see the mountain from miles and miles away, but our main destination was Panther Meadows. Panther Meadow’s is not only considered an energy vortex, but is also know for the purest spring water. So we grabbed our water bottles and hit the trail. The trails are outlined by rocks, but in many places you kind of just guess. The Winnemem Wintu Indian tribes consider this place their “church” and do not camp, burn fires, leave offerings…they leave it as natural as possible, and this seems to be respected, for the most part, by other visitors. I will not try to describe the meadow, but have included a picture of it with Mount Shasta in the background. You can see me filling my bottle with the spring water and if you look closely you will see that on my bottle is the word NAMASTE! If anyone has not yet seen the movie “What the Bleep Do We Know”…well I won’t try to explain just watch the movie and pay special attention to the part about the water. Sandy and I then each found a spot to sit, pray and meditate. After we had finished our individual time we sat down next to each other and sent out our combined love and energy to our friend Joey (this being her favorite place and all). When we finished Sandy questioned, “do you think it will get all the way to her?” Only minutes later Sandy received a message on her phone from Joey. = ) We continued to hike the trails and at one point we saw this huge tree that had fallen over, leaving a stump about 12 foot high or so, Sandy laid down on the part of the tree that had fallen and I climbed to the top of the stump where we again just took some time to sit and be with this beautiful place. There is a peace and calming energy in this place and besides the sound of the springs running near your feet, or an occasional wood-pecker there is a beautiful silence. We then headed back to the Van and headed into town. There we explored a store that sells crystals, each crystal carrying a specific healing power. We then went to a local bookstore where we spent time flipping through Hazif and Rumi poetry, or authors like Dr. Seuss, Sark, Tolle, Chopka, and more. It was what I would term “an enlightened book store = ) We drove for a bit to the town of Redding, California where we now sit and will find a place to sleep tonight. Tomorrow it is back to the coast. Hope this finds you all well and at peace. Beautiful Dreams! Namaste!

Cape Blanco into California

We woke up this morning to the sun shining through the trees. We put on our running shoes, spent a little time stretching, then took off on a jog to the beach. It felt so good to run! The sun was shining, the waves were crashing, the wind was blowing…ok now that is just starting to sound cheesy = ) but it was beautiful! After our run we went and ate breakfast and took showers. But not before Sandy made me take a photograph in my cool running outfit this morning. No laughing...ok go ahead = )But anyway we got to use the tri-pod that Della and Don gave to us for the first time (thanks again you!). It was then off for the final stretch of the Oregon Coast Line. We stopped near Gold Beach and had hamburgers and steamed broccoli and mushrooms as we looked at the beautiful view of the ocean and rock formations. I am beginning to realize that I use the words beautiful, amazing, breath-taking, etc so many times that I am annoying myself = ) but unfortunately my vocabulary is not much more developed than that…anyway I will try to find a dictionary to read so that I can use different and perhaps even better descriptive words = ). We stopped at other viewpoints along the coast. At one point I climbed up on top of the van to get a photograph, then decided to do a headstand while up there. Sandy took a picture of that! I guess I am really a big kid, but aren’t we all? It wasn’t long after that when we crossed the border into California. We drove down into the Redwood National Forest, and Sandy even drove us down this long dirt road towards Fern Cannon. There was a great campsite out there, but we paid to camp last night, so have to try and find a free place to park tonight. We have seen some very large Redwoods so far, but know there are many more to come just a bit further down the coast. We will be headed away from the coast tomorrow for a bit. We are going to go visit Mount Shasta and try to hike to Panther Meadows while we are there. Tonight we are going to try to sleep in a hospital parking lot in this little town of Arcata, California. California is a very different place, because you can actually get a ticket and fined for sleeping in your vehicle. It will be much harder to find places to sleep in this state. We will see how it goes = ). Mount Shasta is said to be a very powerful place, and we are both looking forward to visiting it. It’s about time to get some rest, so I will say goodnight for now! So much love to you all and Namaste!

Bandon

We woke up and went to a the Riverfront park in Roseburg, Oregon. I did a few stretches and some light exercising. Then Sandy and I fried some potato’s and a couple of eggs in the cast iron skillet. We also had toast with jam and apple slices. A delicious breakfast! I am going to try to spend more time studying. At night I am reading A New Earth by Echart Tolle and this morning I started reading the book of Luke from the Bible. Sandy allowed me to read out loud and we had some discussion. This journey is one of travel, but I believe it is more so a journey of personal discovery. Anyway… so after we washed dishes we head to a local market where we went to buy a few groceries for the week. We wrote down what we bought and the cost, and after we had gathered everything we wanted we went through and figured out what we needed and what we needed to put back = ) Difficult to do!!!! After we finished we went to get gas, and let me just mention that it is illegal in Oregon to pump your own gas. I got jumped on the other day when I tried to pump my own, and the attendant told me it is a 6000 dollar fine or jail time = ). He said they never passed a law allowing people to pump their own gas…did not know you needed to. Well, we headed down the road and stopped at a place called Bandon. There we went to walk on the beach. We climbed on rocks, looked for unique rocks, and at one point a huge wave came in and we had to run from the water = ) Later Sandy was looking for rocks, and I went to climb up on this large rock formation. As I yelled at her from the top she yelled at me to get down because it looked like rain was coming. As I climbed back down, I was started to see that a baby sea lion was laying right next to the rock where I had climbed up. I quickly took a picture of it with the camera, but was so startled that I did not get a picture on my phone… I just ran away. It was just so unexpected. Felt silly later = ) As Sandy and I began to run back to the van we realized that it was not rain coming in, but the thickest fog we have ever seen. Sandy said it was the kind of fog that surrounded pirates in the movies. We then made it back to the van where we warmed up left over quinoa and chicken with a can of cream of chicken soup, sounds strange but was very tasty! Then it was down the road some more to where we now sit around a campfire: Cape Blanco.On the way here though the sun was setting and mixing with the fog...breathtaking colors, that were just to hard to catch with the camera, but i included on shot of it anyway! It is cheap to camp here and there are showers = )Always a plus!!! I cooked up the beef we had bought earlier into hamburger patties, and we warmed the remainder of our earlier lunch. The MOON is so BIG AND BRIGHT tonight. I think it is full or at least close to it. It makes silhouettes of the trees that tower above us! It feels so good to be sleeping underneath the STARS, somewhere other than a Walmart parking lot = ) We send our love to you ALWAYS! Namaste!

Della and Don - Crater Lake

We woke up and took showers, finished up the laundry, and Della made us breakfast that included 12 grain hot cereal, her homemade bread, with homemade blackberry jam, homemade grape juice, fresh peaches…well needless to say it was a feast. After breakfast Della took me outside to pick a bag full of apples growing from the tree’s in the front yard, she also sent us down the road with a loaf of her bread, some blackberry jam, A Bible, and a copy of the Desire of Ages, and Don gave us one of his Tripods for our camera. This only touches on the many kindnesses that this couple showed us. We want to THANK THEM once again! Before we left they had prayer with us asking for safe travels and further discoveries. We then headed down the way. We were off to Crater Lake. We had considering bypassing this National Park because it was a bit out of the way, but decided while we were here we might as well see it. I am so glad we did! The roads in and out of Crater wind right alongside a beautiful rivers and creeks, and Crater Lake itself is breathtaking. It is the deepest and cleanest lake in the U.S. and one of the deepest in the world. It was a volcano that basically caved in. The water in the lake is from years and years of melted snow. There are the bluest-blues and greenest-greens I have ever seen (Not sure that makes sense = ). We stopped at one of the viewpoints to cook quinoa, chicken, and some spices. We did not eat alone. It started out with one little cute Chipmunk, and then she went and told all her friends and we ended up with at least five very friendly/brave chipmunks! We sat there for a while, I wrote in my journal while taking in the view and the fresh air, and then we headed down the road to do some more winding on the road beside the river. We were headed towards Roseburg, Oregon where we are sleeping tonight. It was so beautiful we stopped several times to take in the views, and finally I just had to stop to play. We parked and while Sandy caught up with her best friend Kate on the phone I went exploring. I climbed a small hill that overlooked the river, collected a few rocks/wood pieces I found interesting or beautiful, I skipped rocks, and really just felt free and like a kid. The water in these rivers were also so clear and the colors so vibrant. The leaves are beginning to change so all the different colors between the water, moss, trees, rocks, red clay, etc…an artist dream! I loved it along these back roads of Oregon! The sound of the river, the wind…The river would be running strong and then you would drive just a short distance and see it had turned into a still body of clear water, small and large rock formations, …I just need to stop because I do not have the words to describe all the beauty that is there. I see and feel God so strongly on there places that we visit, it can almost bring me to tears at times! We are now in Roseburg. We spent some time cleaning up the van, and are going to try and sleep in a near-by hospital parking lot. I cut my finger rinsing out a tin can to recycle, so typing this has been difficult. We hope you all are well and at peace tonight! We love you and miss you!!!