Green Grow The Rushes

I come from a place where the hills turn brown in the summer and it can go for months without rain. It’s not a mythical land, it’s California.

I’m amazed to discover places that are very, very green. Dad sometimes complains about the humidity in the eastern U.S., but I think it’s beautiful. The color is restful to the eyes. Also, don’t forget that forests are the “lungs” of the planet.

I’ll Have Everything

It’s a rainy day on New Hampshire’s Kancamagus Highway. It’s very scenic as it winds through the White Mountains.

So, why not stop for coffee (just for Dad) and bagels? Mine was “everything” I hoped it would be (get it?).

High Points Galore

We “bagged” two state high points in as many days. The first was (appropriately named) High Point (1,804 ft.). The second was Mount Greylock (3,489 ft.). They are the highest points in New Jersey and Massachusetts, respectively. The Appalachian Trail crosses both, too. I now have a total of five state high points under my belt.

Full disclosure: you can drive a car to the top of both, which we did.

Alice’s Restaurant

You can get anything you want at Alice’s Restaurant…

We made a pilgrimage to the former site of Alice’s Restaurant in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It was made famous by a song written in 1967 by Arlo Guthrie, even though the song is not really about a restaurant. According to a newspaper clipping we saw in the window, 18 year-old Arlo was one of the “youths” arrested for illegally dumping garbage on Thanksgiving. The song tells the tale in a funny and exaggerated way. But really, it’s an anti-Vietnam War draft song.

It kind of made local restaurateur Alice Brock (1941-2024) famous. It’s also one of my stepmom Pam’s favorites.

Hospitality

I would like to thank Dad’s stepbrother Mike, his wife Dania, and their son Corey. We spent the night at their home in New Jersey and had some really great company (and pizza). I slept in Corey’s bedroom surrounded by Pokémon characters.

Thanks a million, you guys!

Jersey Shore

Did I mention that I like ferry rides? Did you know you can drive your car onto a ferry? I used to be scared of boats, but now I think they’re lots of fun.

We took a ferry from Lewes, Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey. It was a beautiful calm morning and I explored the entire watercraft (at least the parts where passengers are allowed). The most interesting thing for me was watching the seabirds following in the wake of the ship. I think they were feeding on fish that were being churned up by the motors.

When we arrived on dry land, we headed north through the pine barrens of southern New Jersey. It was a little bit spooky because, according to popular culture, this is the place where the mafia goes when they have a body disposal problem. Who knows, maybe it’s true. The biggest threat we faced were ticks. Dad flicked one off his leg as we were walking around.

Atlantic

Despite leaving on this trip from California, this is the first time we’ve seen an ocean so far. We camped at Cape Henlopen in Delaware and got up to see the sun rise over the water.

In case you were wondering, I’m more accustomed to ocean sunsets.

My Opening Farewell

I have spent a nice week at Dad and Pam’s new home in Silver Spring, Maryland and now it’s time to move on to new adventures.

To honor our departure, Pam put on a beautiful breakfast spread for me, Dad and some of my new family members. She sure is talented in the kitchen, and I do love food. I’m meeting these guys here for the first time. In the picture you’ll see my step cousin Aidan, step sister-in-law Erin, stepbrother Ethan, Pam, and me.

(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville

I spent a week with Dad and my stepmom Pam at their home in Silver Spring, Maryland. The idea was to take a break from camping and rest up for the return leg of our journey. However, there was a lot of stuff to take care of. One thing we did was to buy a new washing machine in Rockville, Maryland.

This may be unfair, but I came away with the impression that Rockville is one big ol’ strip mall. I’ll probably take R.E.M.’s advice and stay away.

The Walking

Despite the flooding caused by Hurricane Helene last September, Asheville, North Carolina is looking pretty good. We had lunch in the downtown area and walked around checking out the shops. We stopped by at the Blue Ridge Hiking Co. store. It was founded by Jennifer Pharr Davis, a woman who once held the record for the fastest time hiking the Appalachian Trail. Later, she went for a 600 mile hike during her third trimester of pregnancy, which I find to be much more badass.

Washout

Camping out is fun, but it’s not always fun and games. We spent most of our time in Great Smoky Mountains National Park drying out our gear after a torrential thunderstorm that lasted all night.

Not fun.

The Crooked Road

Southwest Virginia is a very special place because it’s a crucible of American music. Bluegrass music was born here, and some even say that country music itself originated here. The Carter Family and the Stanley Brothers came from these parts, to name a few. It’s not surprising that an identified “music trail” has been established to help tourists like us find our way around.

We visited the Ralph Stanley Museum in Clintwood, Virginia on a rainy day and enjoyed it very much. It told the story of the bluegrass legend who started playing with his brother Carter and continued for many decades as the leader of the Clinch Mountain Boys after his brother’s death in 1966. Ralph played banjo in the “clawhammer” style and was a great vocalist, achieving the “high lonesome” sound of traditional mountain music. He was greatly respected by musicians of all types.

This is just one of the stops on The Crooked Road. Check it out: https://thecrookedroadva.com/

New Morning

We camped at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia. I believe it’s the United States’ newest national park (it’s 27 years younger than me). That’s funny because judging from the depth of the gorge, I’ll bet that this river is geologically very old.

It’s very pretty here, but in the photo I’m wearing my “Dad woke me up at 6:00 AM” face.

Seneca Rocks

Seneca Rocks is probably the most famous landmark in West Virginia. It’s easily seen from the highway and they have a really good visitor center there. It’s known as the El Capitan of the East Coast due to the multitude of technical climbs people can do here on the cliffs.

One thing I’m confused about is how it was named after the Seneca people whose homeland is several hundred miles from here.

Be Kind

This is the name of a song written and recorded by my uncle.

I think it’s very good advice.

I Studied Juggling At MIT

For the 4th of July we went to Cambridge, Massachusetts to celebrate and watch fireworks from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus lawn. There was a whole scene of jugglers there, many of whom were Elena’s friends (she’s a juggler). Luckily, one of the old buildings was open to the public so I had a place to retreat to. You see, I’m very scared of fireworks, so Dad and I watched them from inside through large windows. That worked for me and I enjoyed the show. I also did a great job of riding on a crowded subway car.

MIT has a reputation for academic excellence. But do they offer a PhD in juggling?

More Family

We arrived in Massachusetts to be with family in the aftermath of Dad’s mother-in-law’s passing. I got the chance to meet new family members for the first time. Namely, my step-sister Elena and my step-aunt Elizabeth. They and my stepmom Pam have been very nice to me and Dad. I think they appreciate the effort we made to get here.

Basket Of Explorables

From the sacred to the profane, Newark, Ohio has it all.

We decided to check out the Longaberger Basket Building. It’s one of my favorite pieces of American roadside kitsch. It’s the former headquarters of a company that manufactures picnic baskets. It has the reputation of being the world’s largest basket (seven stories high). The building has apparently fallen on hard times. It’s uninhabited now and the parking lot is empty with weeds growing up through the pavement. I guess its future is unclear, so I’m glad we got to see it.

I’ve heard the phrase “He’s no picnic” before. I’m not sure what it means, but it doesn’t sound good. After much self-reflection, I have decided that despite my flaws, I am a picnic!

I Feel The Earth Move

Well, this is an interesting place. We stopped by the Newark Earthworks in Ohio to check it out. It’s part of a series of large scale earthen structures (mounds, moats, and the like) built by the Hopewell culture 2,000 years ago. It turns out these were for ceremonial purposes, not defensive or residential as some first thought. For a while, after European settlement, it became the local county fairgrounds.

Archaeology is controversial here. On the one hand, messing with sacred spaces is offensive to many folks, especially Indigenous people. On the other, it helps to understand and appreciate the past. As one person put it: “How would you like it if I took a backhoe to the wall of the Sistine Chapel to find out how old it is?”

Toto, Where The Heck Are We?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words…

Welcome to Kansas.

Canyonlands

Maybe it’s because I don’t like to get up early in the morning. I’m not sure why I’m frowning in the face of this spectacular scenery. This is the point where you can overlook the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers. In my more ebullient moods I am amazed by the carving that wind and water can do.

Sadly, about a half hour after this photo was taken, we got the news that my grandmother-in-law (Pam’s mom) had passed away in Massachusetts. I never got the chance to meet her. We’re heading east now to be with family.

In-Spire-ational

Utah’s Kodachrome Basin State Park is a geologically fascinating place. There are lots of rock spires throughout the park, including Chimney Rock (in the photo). Scientists aren’t sure about how they are formed, but one theory is that ancient hot springs tossed up hard minerals and then, over many years, the softer rock around them eroded away.

There were some cows grazing nearby when we stopped here. They seemed unimpressed by the scenery.

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (or GSENM) is hard to pronounce. I think I would have called it “Awesome Desert Adventure Place for Travelers” (ADAPT).

Anyway, Dad and I put his new Subaru through its paces and spent a day on Cottonwood Road (40 miles of dirt road) and had a great time. I really enjoyed our hike in Hackberry Canyon with sheer red cliffs on either side.

One thing I have realized is that there is so much to explore in this part of the country that I probably will never do all of it.

White House

No, we’re not in Washington, D.C. (yet). We’re staying at the White House Campground in Utah. It’s named for the white rocks you can see in the picture behind me (although they look different in late afternoon light). This place is the starting point for the Paria River Canyon Trail. If you start here and don’t mind getting your feet wet and are not too scared of flash floods, in three or four days you’ll emerge at the confluence with the Colorado River (where we found the fruit trees).

I think I’ll pass.

Drowned

I have mixed feelings whenever I encounter any of the big dams made by the Bureau of Reclamation back in the 20th century. On the one hand, Glen Canyon Dam and the water in Lake Powell behind it make it possible for people to live in large numbers in places like Arizona (and for me to visit). On the other hand, think of the priceless legacy of side canyons and Native American cultural sites lost underwater. The explorer and advocate for the Southwest, John Wesley Powell (1834-1902), foresaw some of the problems that massive development in the desert would cause and did his best to alert politicians in Washington, D.C. I’m not sure how much they listened.

Speaking of Major Powell, we encountered a four year old boy named Wesley in a coffee shop in Page, Arizona. His mother said he was named after Powell.

Navajo Bridge

Lee’s Ferry used to be the only way to cross the Colorado River in this area. That was the case until the Navajo Bridge was opened in 1929.

It crosses Marble Canyon and if you look over the railing you can see rafters and kayakers below. (The signs warn against throwing rocks.)

It’s also a border of sorts. On the west side of the river you have Arizona, on the east side the Navajo Nation. The interesting thing is that the Navajo Nation observes Daylight Savings Time whereas Arizona remains on Mountain Standard Time all year long. So, when it’s 12:00 on one side of the bridge, it’s 1:00 on the other.

Maybe the Dine people want to make a point that they’re independent and sovereign, distinct from the larger political culture. Speaking of culture, we had dinner in a Navajo-owned restaurant in Page, Arizona. We ate “Navajo tacos” wrapped in fry bread instead of tortillas. Delicious!

Fruit Tree

There’s a neat little historic place near Lee’s Ferry right by the mouth of the Paria River where it meets the Colorado. It’s called the Lonely Dell Ranch. It was founded by Mormon pioneers in the 19th century who carved out a living in a harsh desert environment. They planted an orchard with various kinds of fruit trees that are still here.

The sign said that it’s O.K. for the public to pick ripe fruit. We found a few nice plums.

Rock Of Ages

If I were unfamiliar with this area, I would be traveling south on the Kaibab Plateau thinking that it’s a nice pine forest, but what’s the big deal?

I can imagine a newcomer’s jaw dropping when suddenly out of nowhere a massive gash in the earth appears. It’s the Grand Canyon.

One of the cool things about this place is that the rock layers tell the history of millions of years of geology. All the way from the Kaibab Formation to the Vishnu Basement Rocks by the Colorado River. Geologist must love studying this place because you can see the layers so clearly.

Bright Angel

I’ve been to the Grand Canyon several times, but this is my first trip to the North Rim. It’s a good thing that the elevation is higher here because the weather has been very warm.

Dad and I descended into Roaring Springs Canyon on the North Kaibab Trail. It’s incredible to think that this pretty big canyon is a mere side canyon to the main event. We didn’t hike many miles but we lost almost 2,000 vertical feet. The funny thing is that, unlike most hikes, the hard part is returning to the trailhead.

Grand Canyon hikers have a saying: “Going down is optional, coming back up is not.”

Hotter Than Hell

Who in their right mind ventures into the Mojave Desert during the summer? Based on the number of cars bound for Las Vegas on I-15, quite a few. A stop in Baker, California led to a visit to the World’s Largest Thermometer. It’s hard to tell from the photo, but the reading today was 111° F.

Elevation above sea level makes a difference. We camped in the Mojave National Preserve at 5,000 ft. and had a pleasant evening after the sun went down.

Kern River

One of California’s major rivers in the Kern. Its drop is very steep and it can be quite dangerous during high water. The headwaters start on the western slopes of Mt. Whitney (14,505 ft.), the highest peak in the contiguous United States. To be precise, that area feeds the South Fork. We were on the North Fork, but we don’t want to get too technical about it.

Merle Haggard wrote a rather grim song of the same title that recalled the story of his girlfriend drowning in the Kern. Very sad, but it’s also a reminder to be very cautious around swift water.

Land Of The Giants

Did you know that there’s a Giant Sequoia National Monument? It lies in the southern Sierra Nevada and was created by President Bill Clinton’s proclamation in 2000.

We stayed in a nice campground near a grove of these giant trees. They are very big indeed.

Something that advocates for folks with disabilities will appreciate is that the trail through the grove is paved. Two reasons for this. The sequoias have shallow roots which can be damaged by too many feet treading nearby. Secondly, the pathway is accessible to wheelchairs, which means everyone can enjoy the outdoors (at least here).

Marvelous Marble Falls

Sequoia National Park. Many folks don’t realize that this park includes relatively low elevation foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. We thought we’d sample one of trails in this region. Alas, we didn’t make it all the way to the falls due to extreme heat and poor trail conditions.

If I were king of the world I would make sure that our national parks are always fully funded. The reality is that money to maintain these treasures is chronically limited. This leads to a Catch-22. A poorly maintained trail tends to be unpopular with the hiking public. The authorities notice this and put these trails on the deferred maintenance list, further entrenching their unpopularity. We didn’t see a single soul on this hike.

Here In California

Kate Wolf wrote a song in which she pointed out the fact that the hills in California turn brown in the summertime. We found this to be true in our exploration of the Coast Ranges in June.

Family

Family is very important to me. A good way to start out this year’s summer road trip was taking my dad out for a Father’s Day brunch. We followed up with a visit with my paternal grandmother in Berkeley, California.

I hadn’t seen her in ages. I think she was happy to see me and Dad, too.

I love you, Grandmummy.

Praying Hands

Chico, California is kind of an alt-Davis for me and Dad. It has that same college town vibe with really nice creekside hiking opportunities. We took advantage of that yesterday since Dad is back in town for a few days.

We also took care of some business. My passport is up for renewal (I can’t believe it’s been ten years), so we had my picture taken. It’s strange because you’re not supposed to smile, and I always smile for photos. It was hard to change the habit. The guy at the store was very patient with me.

The “praying hands” you see in the picture here are the Chico equivalent of the UC Davis “eggheads.” We visited them too (my old friends).