Las Vegas

Las Vegas is an adult's Disney Land; lots of sights and sounds; great people watching; free entertainment; and many thousands of steps each day (ouch). The mimes are great!

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park is a study in contrasts, from colorful rugged mountains to sand dunes to salt flats to "Bad Water" Basin, at an altitude of 282 feet below sea level.

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park has such unique scenery, from bald granite mountains to Giant Sequoia trees.

 

Redwoods

We drove to Crescent City, California, and saw the harbor, lighthouse, and noisy seals. We then drove through the Redwoods National and State Parks. When driving through the parks, it is like a cathedral in the trees. The sense is quietness and reverence. The trees are majestic.

Crater Lake, in southern Oregon, is amazing. It's actually a collapsed caldera formed from several volcanoes. After the caldera collapsed, another, smaller volcano erupted in the caldera and formed Wizard Island. Several other volcanoes erupted in the caldera but are below the surface of the water. The lake is the deepest fresh water lake in the United States and has an intense blue color.

southern Oregon

After leaving the southern coast of Oregon, we drove east, where it's much drier. The canyons are beautiful.

Oregon coast

We drove along highway 101 on the Oregon coast. A low pressure weather system off the coast caused fog and mist. We stopped for lunch at Mo's, in Lincoln City, OR (http://www.moschowder.com/lincoln-city.php; the place was really busy, even at 1:30). We met a biker in the waiting line and invited him to eat with us. His wife died this Spring and he recently was laid off, but is starting a new job as a logger. We saw elk, seals, and numerous logging trucks. The beaches can vary from sand to lava (?) and from a gentle slope to cliffs. Some of the leaves are just beginning to change color.