One of my personal favorites from the trip, below, the poor sourdough turtle. Before dissection! The "face" on the turtle looks so sad, like it knew what was going to happen.
Below. Getting ready to leave the Best Western in Ritzville, Washington. Our route was the "fastest" according to the car's GPS, so the 90W to the 395S then the 84W, 97S, I-5S, 505, 80W, 680S and on and on! I'm getting some tea before we leave.
Along the way we finally stopped to finally check out the Rolling Hills Casino near Corning, California, on the West side of I-5. We've driven by it many times over the years but never stopped until this trip.
It turned out to be a very nice place! So nice I had decided we'd stop on the way back if at all possible. And we did, I gave it 5 stars in Trip Advisor after we stayed. And would easily stay there again!
Above, as Natalie's one year birthday was going to happen while they were all in Europe. Sandy wanted to have a early birthday party so we could be there for it. Natalie was well in the process of annihilating her small cake by this photo.
She had fun, I guess.
Shortly she's wearing most of it and there was a substantial debris field with those flying hands. Sandy said this is some kind of new tradition that many parents she knows are doing for their young kids, get or make them a cake and let them tear it apart bare handed.
Above and below, from a cove at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, Ca. The tide was out so it was neat to walk around the tide pools and see the life.
The photo below is what the "sand" at this Glass Beach looked like (there are several beaches you can go and see) with all the bits of sand, rocks, and driftwood but mostly bits of smoothed over broken glass and heavy plastics after years of dumping trash in the sea in the area. Of course it is no longer done, legal trash dumping, but the results are something to see! I'd go back to see this again! Wert from the ocean, the "Glass" really was beautiful, after it dries out, it's nice but nowhere near as pretty.
Above, after Glass Beach we took the short drive to Mendocino.
This was the downtown main intersection.
During the long drive after the mornings explorations, we stopped at a nice pullout in a section of the Redwoods on Highway 1, inland from the ocean. We walked down to a stream and explored the area. Except for a bunch of trash others had left it was nice.
The evening before our ride, and after the day long drive, we'd checked out the Fort Bragg "Skunk Train" depot. Above, Stacy and Justine are walking by a car with Sandy carrying Natalie and taking her photos in the back. Although the depot was closed we could walk around and see the train on this end of the line. Unfortunately there is currently no Fort Bragg to Willits line due to a massive tunnel collapse on the section blocking the way across. Maybe someday it will be open all the way again and make a full day train ride like it used to be. Stacy had been on it when she was younger and had the day ride, it was my first time on the ride though and I enjoyed it, even if it was only 3 hours long.
Finally on the train! Above and below, Stacy with Natalie and then with Justine. Justine is already pretty soaked from going out to the open observation car, as seen in the last photo below.
Comments