West Marin County

Wow, Marin County. What a wonderful place. Mary lived here in the late 80s and left because it had gotten too crowded and expensive. It’s even more so now, but it’s still beautiful. We’ve spent the past 9 nights in Western Marin in Olema, near Pt. Reyes. The hills are green and rolling, with little stands of lovely trees. There are cows and horses on the hills and deer and other wildlife everywhere. Oh, to find a real deal on some property here……this area is so special. Just 10 miles from Hwy 101, but quiet and rural.

We have had a great time visiting lots of Mary’s old friends and family. Today we went to the Marine Mammal Center for a sea lion release, that brought back fond memories of Mary’s 4 years there. We even managed a few days of sun between the rain squalls. We had some superb hiking on Mt. Tamalpais and also in Pt. Reyes National Sea Shore. If the weather was better, we would probably stay a month!

Pt. Reyes

Wow, what a difference a day makes. We battled our way to the coast through wind and rain yesterday and landed in Olema, near Pt. Reyes. It’s so quiet and green and beautiful. The RV park has a lot of flooding and there are only about 5 sites occupied.

Spent the day at the Pt. Reyes National Seashore where we had several close encounters with elephant seals on the beach. There were over 500 seals on one beach including120 pups. We came across a group of about a dozen elephant seals near a dock and saw a tiny pup who had been born that day (a sea gull was eating the afterbirth). There was mist and rain on and off, but there was also SUN!! And RAINBOWS! It was a fantastic day after all the storms. And it’s so nice to be way out in the country, even if the cell coverage is dismal.

Big Storms

We spent the last four days in Auburn, in the Gold Country, NE of Sacramento in the middle of huge storms. Driving rain, howling winds, flooding and snowing in areas. The wind was blowing so hard that we pulled the slides in like a turtle for two days. Not much fun in that tiny space, but we spent a lot of time with Bob’s brother Tim and his family. It was terrific to see them. We also drove down to Sacramento and Lodi to visit friends of Mary’s.

Winter travel great
parks empty,
roads too.
Winter travel bad
parks closed,
weather crummy.
What to do?

WiFi

When trying to chose a good place to stay, WiFi is always a big plus and generally it's free. About half the time, you get what you pay for, and spend hours of frustration trying to get online to check emails or send out a blog. If you don't find anything posted for a week or more, just know that we have landed in an internet black hole. We will be back.......eventually. This last stop was one of those "challenging" places.

SupercalifragilisticexpeCalistoga!

After surviving the heavy rain and wind in the Redwoods, we headed south and spent a night near Humbolt Redwoods Park. Mary drove for an hour and a half on 101 and all the way through the Eureka city center. At one intersection, a man drove up next to us and gave her the thumbs up. We had a good laugh over that.

We arrived in Calistoga on the 13th and set up at the Napa County Fairgrounds. Not the most scenic site in America, but we do have a golf course out the living room window. The couple camped next to us are from Anacortes! Since the weather was good, we visited Calistoga’s Petrified Forest and Old Faithful Geyser.

Napa Valley is a gorgeous area, with rolling hills, a few rocky cliffs and thousands of vineyards. Yes, thousands – there are so many more now than in years past. They run all the way north to Ukiah. The weather has been good, so we managed a hike on Mt. St. Helena, which gave us some spectacular views of the valley. Bicycled for ten miles today and met a dozen turkey vultures that were hanging out on a fence. We also visited a communicator friend of Mary’s, Marta Williams. She lives an hour from Calistoga on a wonderful 32 acre ranch. It was great to meet her horses, cats and dog and to catch up in general.

This area is also famous for it’s geothermal features. You see steam rising from fields and Calistoga is full of spas and mineral bathhouses. We had to try something, so we soaked in a pool one evening and last night Bob had a massage while Mary had a mud bath. That was quite an experience, to be covered completely in hot mud, but it was very relaxing (except for the little burn on the inner thigh – ouch).

Visited Jack London State Park in Sonoma County, and were surprised to find that he died when he was only 40. The park was his home for many years, and several of the buildings are still in good shape. He had quite a full life of adventures and was a prolific writer. His estate is absolutely gorgeous, quiet and filled with trees, a lake and rolling hills. We could definitely live there.

Photos are Mt. St. Helena with vineyards in the foreground and mustard in the vineyards.

Redwoods

We made our first trip into the redwoods today and spent about 5 hours. It was so quiet that we whispered most of the time. We rarely even heard a bird and never saw an animal, not even a slug. The trees are amazing, huge and tall - up to 300 feet. They grow so straight. We truly felt as if we were in a cathedral.

Mary had a chat with a large redwood in Stout Grove (see Mary on right in photo). Here's a bit of what he had to say. "I felt the quake yesterday and I feel them all the time. I really like them, the way they move me around. Little moves me. I chose to incarnate in a redwood to be of service to the planet. I love working with the energy and stabilizing it, as well as converting CO2. I am part of a community of redwoods who are all interconnected. This area was a power center when we had many large trees, but now it is weaker. The air is cleaner now than it was in years past." He was very friendly and kind.

The air in the redwood forest is so clear and clean. We couldn't pick up any normal forest smells. Although we looked, and called, no Sasquatch appeared. Maybe tomorrow.

Earthquake

We left Coos Bay and headed down the coast in the rain today and stopped at the West Coast Game Park in Bandon. As soon as we got inside, it was obvious that we'd made a mistake. Distraught chimps banging the walls, big cats and lions in small cages, but since we were there, we spent some time talking with the animals and thanking them for their sacrifice (and apologizing too). We got to hold and play with two 4 week old leopard cubs that were very wiggly - see photo of Mary with one.

We are now camped right next to Redwoods National Park. Soon after we arrived, we were in a store and Mary thought she felt an earthquake. An hour later, our friend Jane called to tell us there had been a 6.5 quake in Eureka, only 80 miles south. Fortunately there were no fatalities and it sounds like the roads are all functional, so it shouldn't affect us when we head south.

Rain, Rain, Rain

We’ve already sampled the three different styles of RV camping – upscale RV resort, State Park, and mom and pop RV park. There’s something good about each of them. Tonight we’re in a small private park near Coos Bay, OR, and we can hear the ocean from inside our home. It’s just over the dune out back. So great to walk 50 yards to the beach. Before this we were in a State Park in Newport, where we could hear sea lions from our site.

While we are surrounded by nature, the rain has really cut down on our enjoyment and close contact. It has been a deluge all week. This has given us time to sort out and organize things and to really settle into our new home. Moving from a three-bedroom house into a studio apartment on wheels is challenging, but it’s very cozy and functional.

We checked out our cable TV connection and first thing we know we are watching a report on whales in California and Pet Psychic Encounters on Animal Planet. Yes, Sonia is back with a great show, and on our first day on the road, we are watching animal communication sessions!

The Oregon Coast is beautiful and inhabited by many pinnipeds that we’ve encountered every day. Today we observed Steller and California sea lions, harbor and elephant seals all at one location.

We're Off

01/02/2010 -

We are finally off on our extended journey........spending our first overnight out of the driveway. The 175 mile trip down I-5 was uneventful - which is good. We are outside Salem, Oregon, on Highway 22 at the Premier RV Resort.

Pulled in at dusk in a light mist. Got everything hooked-up OK, and checked out the facilities at the park - First time in many years that either of us have played billiards or ping-pong.

We are finally starting to relax...just too much to do over the last few months to really reflect on what we are doing, but after saying good-bye to the dogs and cats today it is starting to sink in.

Tomorrow we are heading for Newport on the Oregon Coast. It'll be our first taste of getting a chance to relax and open ourselves to the possibilities and potentials of our adventure.

After all the logistical hassles of the last few months we began to question why we are doing this at all. A couple of weeks ago we sat down and tried to describe our visions for this adventure. This is what we came up with:

Zen and the Art of RV Cruising…..Connecting with the harmony of the natural world while traveling for a year in a well equipped self-contained insulated box filled with artificial amenities.

Why are we doing this? To take a break from our driven work schedule, and see what it's like not to have any fixed schedule. To see if there is another place we might like to live. To experience the many scenic and spiritual places in this country. To do those things we never have time to do - read, meditate, hike, bike, just sit and BE.


What do we hope to accomplish?
Spiritually – Incorporate a spiritual element in each and every day, spend time in silence and in meditation, especially out in nature. Increase our connection to nature and ourselves. Visit many diverse spiritual places and communities. Practice emotional healing techniques like Ho’oponopono, EFT and the Emotion Code. We hope to find that place of peace within, a sense of calm and happiness that isn't dependent upon anything.

Relationship wise – Walk through each day arm-in-arm appreciating each other and the wonderful world of nature and civilization that surrounds us. Love each other as if every day is our first and our last. We hope that we will become even closer and find even more ways to have fun together.

Knowledge – Learn about the different regions of the country, the geology, geography, history, culture and the flora and fauna of unique areas. We would also like to learn the constellations and what's up in the sky.

Wisdom – Come to really know that everything and everyone is different, and exactly the same all at once.

Experiences – Hot/cold/dry/wet/high/low/lush/barren – Create deep connections with nature, animals and new beings. We would like to see what kind of orb photos we can take and to communicate with those beings. We would like to visit all the national parks.

Adventure – We will try new things. We won’t make decisions based on fear – OK to make preparations based on what might go wrong, but don’t let fear keep us from experiencing adventure and exhilaration.

Fun - Spend time hiking, biking, and out in nature. Visit odd roadside attractions. Do some volunteer work at animal sanctuaries or parks.

Freedom – Be free from schedules and planned obligations. Accept the responsibility for being in control of our time, place and activity. Make sure that we do not waste time or squander the freedom.

What will give us meaning or a sense of purpose? - Opening Minds and Hearts (ours and others). Helping people to see the world in a new way. Connecting with people who are unaware of telepathy, animal communication, the consciousness of everything and the inherent intelligence in nature and giving them something new to think about. Orbs, dolphins, whales, fairies - the whole spectrum.

Ask at the end of each day – Was my mind or heart opened today? Did we open someone else’s mind or heart today? Did we eat healthy today? Did we do some physical activity today? What are we grateful for today? What did we accomplish today?