Purple ZR-1 Road Trip to Yellowstone and the Pacific Northwest

[QB93Z]

Hello from West Branch, Michigan. Lyndi and I are on the road again. For the next 32 days we will travel across the country and back in our 1995 Dark Purple ZR-1.

On Tuesday morning we left Westminster:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0001.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0001.jpg.html)

We took I-70 West to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I-76. Traffic was moderate and we made good time across PA and Ohio and then turned North to Michigan:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0093.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0093.jpg.html)

Some of the trucks on I-75 were tailgating pretty close:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0084.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0084.jpg.html)

After about 12 hours of driving and 650 miles for our first day, we stopped in West Branch, MI for the night. We found a giant lumberjack to welcome us:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0197.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0197.jpg.html)

We found a nice neighborhood pub called The Tipsy Bear Bistro and celebrated our first evening on the road:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0234.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0234.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0219.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0219.jpg.html)

[-=Jeff=-]

you taking the car ferry to wisconsin? or going up through the the UP?

[We Gone]

I'm looking forward to following your trip as I have the others. Enjoy living the dream and and travel safe.

[diamond zr1]

If you make it out highway 90 to Idaho/Washington border give a shout and we will put something on the barby Q

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Hey Jim,

Thanks for sharing and have a safe trip. AWESOME!!

[Demps]

Jim,
You need to see Glacier Park. My most beautiful place to date.

Safe travels!
Ted

[A26B]

Jim,
You need to see Glacier Park. My most beautiful place to date.

Safe travels!
Ted

One of my favorites too and the drive "over the top" is interesting to say the least!
Also on my list is Bryce Canyon & Zion in Utah. Amazing geology! Better than the Grand Canyon to me. As avid art & photography folks, you must see both of these places.

As a nuclear guy, look up EBR-1 in Idaho, just north of Atomic City (now a ghost town). If you decide to spend the night in Pocatello,ID we highly recommend the Black Swan Hotel. Definitely an artist appreciation site. Most unusual and all hand crafted by the owner.

Enjoy your trip!

[FU]

Thank's for the pictures and enjoy Jim :cheers:

[Vette73]

Hats off....They were meant to be driven....Safe trip...

[Paul Workman]

Looking forward to your pix! (We really need to get serious about a Rocky Mtn Run!!)

[PhillipsLT5]

Nice, keep em coming

[B17 Crew]

I always look forward to reading about your road trips and the great photos!

I hope Ohio was hospitable. Be safe in your travels.

B17 Crew
:hello:

[93 Vette]

Have a great trip Jim! I look forward to your updates.

Matt

[QB93Z]

Thank you for your comments and suggestions. The day before departure was very hectic, so I didn't get a chance to post up the trip plan. I have been planning this trip for about 18 months. In order to get reservations at the National Park Lodging, reservations had to be made a year in advance. The basic itinerary was formulated in March 2014. Here is the big picture of our route:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/Big%20Picture%20-%20Part%201.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/Big%20Picture%20-%20Part%201.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/Big%20Picture%20-%20Part%202.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/Big%20Picture%20-%20Part%202.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/Big%20Picture%20-%20Part%203.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/Big%20Picture%20-%20Part%203.jpg.html)

We will visit Yellowstone NP, Grand Tetons NP, Craters of the Moon, Hells Canyon, Mt Rainier, North Cascades NP, Olympic NP, parts of the Pacific Coast Highway, Mt St Helens, Mt Hood, Redwood NP and CA state parks, San Francisco, Yosemite NP, Park City, UT, and Rocky Mountain NP.

The trip will be 32 days and about 9,000 miles.

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Wednesday, we left West Branch, Michigan early to get an start on a long day of sight seeing and driving. North of West Branch we crossed the 45th parallel, marking a spot on the earth that is half way between the Equator and the North Pole:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0052.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0052.jpg.html)

We had to stop and get a photo with the PurpleZ in front of this gigantic beer "bottle":

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0035.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0035.jpg.html)

We proceeded north about 2 hours to Mackinaw City at the very tip of the Michigan "glove". We found some more got-to-do photo ops with a large bear and a large hot dog and the American flag proudly flying:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0102.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0102.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0107.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0107.jpg.html)

In Mackinaw City we visited two lighthouses. First was Old Mackinaw Point Lighthouse with the Mackinac Bridge in the background:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0133.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0133.jpg.html)

Then we visited McGulpin Point Lighthouse:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0205.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0205.jpg.html)

to be continued...

[QB93Z]

We crossed the Mackinac Bridge across the channel between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0293.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0293.jpg.html)

Lyndi got a nice Rear View Mirror Shot:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0310.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0310.jpg.html)


http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0351.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0351.jpg.html)

The Mackinac Bridge took us to the Upper Peninsula which is known as the U.P. People who live on the UP are known as Yoopers. Say it out loud and it makes sense.

We headed West across the UP on Rt-2 which runs along the south shore of Lake Superior.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0415.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0415.jpg.html)

Here is a nice view of a sailboat near Munising, MI:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0486.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0486.jpg.html)

to be continued...

[QB93Z]

We continued west and crossed the border into Wisconsin:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0546.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0546.jpg.html)

and then into Minnesota near Duluth:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0600.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0600.jpg.html)

After 14 hours of driving and sightseeing, we stopped in Grand Rapids, Minnesota just as the sun was setting:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0618.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0618.jpg.html)

Jim

[Racinfan83]

Awesome! I would love to do a trip like that. Will never happen though - for several reasons. So I will enjoy following your journey... :cheers:

[Dynomite]

Great Photos and Notes Jim :thumbsup:
Added to Solutions Post #7 (Road Trips)

[Paul Workman]

WOW! Some beautiful shots!! I like the rear-view mirror shot especially; the photo "artsy-fartsy" in me I guess.

Looking forward to the next installment with eager anticipation!:dancing

[Vette73]

Impressive.....Looks like your getting some good weather so far...I have to ask-that sucker is radar equipped right? I'm sure it is...Which one are you using? Report back to us on its effectiveness, I'm looking to purchase one..
Enjoy !!!

[JThomas]

Jim:

Glad to hear you had safe travels through Michigan. On your return, if you pass through, give me a shout and the beer is on me. :cheers:

[batchman]

Fabulous, another road trip. That is wonderful.

If you've not been before, Yellowstone is absolutely unreal and wonderful. I hope you have significant time booked there - many many pictures wait to be taken!

Safe travels,
- Jeff

[PhillipsLT5]

Estes Park To Evergreen looks good as is the rest

[QB93Z]

On Thursday, we left Grand Rapids, MN, but first we photographed some areas that captured our attention. Grand Rapids is the birth place of actress Judy Garland, and we found a large mural paying tribute to Garland in The Wizard of OZ:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0041.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0041.jpg.html)


Near our motel we were surprised to discover the Mississippi River where it is about 10 feet wide:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0015.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0015.jpg.html)

We headed west to North Dakota. The drive across central Minnesota showed a variety of environments. First we found a giant American Eagle and a life sized Paul Bunyon:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0081.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0081.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0135.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0135.jpg.html)

Central Minnesota is heavily wooded with some boggy areas:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0089.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0089.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0098.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0098.jpg.html)

[QB93Z]

We crossed North Dakota on I-94, basically a straight line for 350 miles:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0239.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0239.jpg.html)

The eastern portion of North Dakota is heavily agricultural. The are many very productive farms:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0167.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0167.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0249.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0249.jpg.html)

to be continued.....

[QB93Z]

In western North Dakota, we visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We toured the Southern Unit of the Park, an extensive Badlands area.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0775.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0775.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0630.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0630.jpg.html)

Since we were limited in the time available to visit the park, we drove the 35 mile loop tour of the badlands. We spotted some buffalo grazing on a hillside pasture:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0509.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0509.jpg.html)


We were greeted by a very large community of Prairie Dogs:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0444.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0444.jpg.html)


The power of nature to shape a landscape was dramatically on display in every area of the park:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0750.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0750.jpg.html)


We finished our trip across North Dakota and stopped in Glendive, Montana for the night.

Jim

[C4Ray]

Enjoy your trip and be safe.

[Paul Workman]

The power of nature to shape a landscape was dramatically on display in every area of the park:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0750.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0750.jpg.html)


Jim

Thrilling pix, you two!

A "factoid" you may already know, but the "badlands" is the result of ash from an ancient "super volcano(s)" which have punched through the earth's crust, marching to the northeast, beginning in southern Utah, some 2.1 million years ago, IIRC. The northern end of the string of 3 eruptions, and the location of its latest caldera, is Yellowstone Park.

Ash from the eruptions covers (especially) the western portions North and South Dakota and Wyoming and parts of Montana; the deepest deposits forming the white, gritty, (very slippery when wet!!) "badlands" resulting form the erosion of the ash, leaving spires capped with harder volcanic rocks as the softer ash eroded from under them (See Lyndi with formations in the background). Just in case anyone likes geological history...like me!

[GOLDCYLON]

http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

Posted so you keep an eye on the wildland fires in your planned road trip route. GC

[PhillipsLT5]

As usual GREAT pics!

[KILLSHOTS]

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0081.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0081.jpg.html)


Jim is a MONSTER! Look how far he can push the rear end of Purple Z down with only his fingertips!

[QB93Z]

Hello from Yellowstone National Park. We had a problem getting working WiFi here in the wilderness. I am back on line and will be uploading some more pictures soon.

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Friday morning, we left Glendive, Montana and headed west on I-94 to Billings, MT where we got on I-90 West. As we drove southwest, the land got hillier, but there was still a lot of farming and ranching.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0214.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0214.jpg.html)


East of Billings we happened upon Pompey's Pillar National Monument:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0248.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0248.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0283.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0283.jpg.html)


Pompey's Pillar is a large stone feature that had been marked with petroglyphs by Native Americans for hundreds of years ago. It was discovered that in 1806, William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition engraved his name on the stone to mark the location of one of their camps. The carving is one of very few permanent records of the Expedition that is known to exist.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0257.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0257.jpg.html)


In our journeys, we have come across some vintage gas pumps. We found this one in the Tiger Gas Trailer Park Gas Station and Laundromat. This one had no credit card device:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0312.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0312.jpg.html)


When we were in Glendive a woman in the hotel suggested that we enter Yellow from the northeast entrance instead of going all the way to Livingston, MT and entering at Gardner. She said the road from Red Lodge, MT to Wyoming was much more picturesque. So, we took that route and boy was she correct:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0462.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0462.jpg.html)


to be continued...

[QB93Z]

The Beartooth Pass Highway, US-212, runs from Red Lodge, Montana, across the mountains to the Northeast Gate of Yellowstone National Park. The road is two-lane black top with most of it curves and embankments protected with guard rails. The road is in very good condition.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0505.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0505.jpg.html)

The Beartooth Pass highway climbs quickly into the mountains:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0515.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0515.jpg.html)


http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0541.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0541.jpg.html)


http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0547.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0547.jpg.html)


Near the crest of the Beartooth Pass, we crossed from Montana into Wyoming:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0559.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0559.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0569.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0569.jpg.html)

to be continued...

[QB93Z]

The summit of Beartooh Pass is 10,097 feet. At the summit there is a souvenir truck and a porta-potty. To use the ports-potty, you have to buy a souvenir. We thought it was a fair arrangement:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0593.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0593.jpg.html)

Here are some more pictures of the Beartooh Pass Highway:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0597.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0597.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0614.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0614.jpg.html)

Here is an interesting shot of a switchback:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0633.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0633.jpg.html)


About halfway down the west side of the mountains, we found this snow removal equipment cleaned up and ready for the next snow:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0708.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0708.jpg.html)


More PurpleZ with mountains in the background:

[/URL][URL=http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0854.jpg.html]http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0854.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0708.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

Near the western end of the Beartooth Pass Highway, in the "town" of Beartooth, we found another interesting gas pump. This one is fairly old and is surrounded with snow plow markers because the snow routinely covers the pump.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0876.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0876.jpg.html)


After crossing back into southwestern Montana, we reached the Northeast Entrance gate to Yellowstone National Park:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0962.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0962.jpg.html)

Just inside the gate we were greeted by the welcoming Committee:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0967.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0967.jpg.html)

After another hour and a half drive, we reached our destination at the Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone NP. We hiked a short distance from our cabin to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0044.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0044.jpg.html)

On the way back to the cabin, we met another local resident:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0051.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0051.jpg.html)

The trip to Yellowstone took us 4 days of driving to cover over 2,500 miles. The PurpleZ is running great and gets comments and attention from many people.

Jim

[C4Ray]

Living in Florida where it's all flat and wooded, it's easy to forget how beautiful the Mid-Western states are. Pics like these make me want to re-locate there.

[efnfast]

Thanks Jim.

[QB93Z]

On Saturday, we took the Yellowstone Rim of Fire Bus Tour. Since we were first-timers at Yellowstone, the eight-hour tour that covers the highlights of the whole park seemed to be a good choice.

Within ten minutes of leaving our lodge, we spotted a black bear with two cubs in a pasture area near the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. The bear was distant and the cubs were too short to be photographed, but Lyndi got the Mama bear:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0016.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0016.jpg.html)


Here is a early morning picture of the Yellowstone River Upper Falls:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0028.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0028.jpg.html)


The Yellowstone River Lower Falls is the largest waterfall in the park, and this view of the Canyon was painted in 1870 by Moran, and presented to Congress the next year. By 1872, Congress passed a law establishing Yellowstone as a National Park. It was the first "National" park in the world.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0051_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0051_1.jpg.html)


As we left the Lower Falls area we came across a bison crossing a stream:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0105.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0105.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0124.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0124.jpg.html)


When he got to the far side, he climbed the bank, shook himself off and went back to grazing:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0143.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0143.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

As we continued our tour through Hayden Valley on the east side of the Grand Loop Road, we encountered a large group of Bison. Lyndi got a good action shot of this male taking a "dust Bath"

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0239_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0239_1.jpg.html)


The tour bus that we rode on is a 1975 International Motor Coach owned by the National Park Service. The bus has over two million miles on it, and was completely refurbished in 2009.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0297.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0297.jpg.html)


Here is a nice view of Yellowstone Lake from the Lake Lodge:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0301.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0301.jpg.html)


In the West Thumb area of Yellowstone Lake we observed some of the weird geological features that make Yellowstone so special. Here is a gas vent:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/DSC_0374.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/DSC_0374.jpg.html)



Another weird feature is this gas vent that rose from the lake shoreline and created a 190 degree pool at the edge of the lake. Rumor has it that fishermen use to stand on the edge of the vent and when they caught a fish, they would drop it in the hot pool to cook it.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/DSC_0456.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/DSC_0456.jpg.html)



Here is a photo of Kepler Falls. There are said to be over 1,000 waterfalls in Yellowstone.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/DSC_0582.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/DSC_0582.jpg.html)


to be continued....

[QB93Z]

In the Norris Geyser Basin area we saw some examples of the colorful hot springs. The colors come from minerals in the hot water refracting the light and from heat adapted microorganisms.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0739.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0739.jpg.html)


Here is a picture of Gibbons Falls:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0869.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0869.jpg.html)


And no tour of Yellowstone would be complete without a picture of Old Faithful:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0622.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0622.jpg.html)


Jim

[QB93Z]

On Sunday, we set out early to explore Yellowstone Park before the crowds arrived. Our first stop was Tower Falls in the North East part of Grand Loop Road. We hiked a short distance from the parking lot to see the falls:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0085.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0085.jpg.html)


Here is a view of the Yellowstone River in the Tower Falls area, down stream (north) of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0093_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0093_1.jpg.html)


We decided to try a hike down to the river on an old trail from the Tower Falls viewing spot. The trail was abandoned but passable. Here is a view from part way down:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0105_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0105_1.jpg.html)


And after some scrambling and sliding the last 20 feet, we reached the river:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0111.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0111.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0192.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0192.jpg.html)


to be continued....

[QB93Z]

Continuing our exploration of the Yellowstone River area, we drove north along the river:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0341.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0341.jpg.html)


At the next overlook we had a nice view of the river:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0366.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0366.jpg.html)


The interesting part of that view is seen at the waters edge where there are steam vents:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0415_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0415_1.jpg.html)


The Grand Loop Road turns west and heads the Roosevelt Lodge area. We stopped for gas, and when I tried to start the car, it would start but stall in 2 seconds. I suspected a failed fuel pump. I installed my Fuel Pump Emergency Jumper and was good to go in about 7 minutes. While I was fixing the Z, Lyndi found some deer to photograph:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0481.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0481.jpg.html)

I have a spare fuel pump on board, but I plan to not try to install the new pump until I leave Grand Teton National Park in two more days. I want to have an auto store near by in case I run into difficulties. The fuel pump that failed has only been in the car for about 3 months.


We proceeded on with our exploration, stopping at Udine Falls:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0760.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0760.jpg.html)


to be continued...

[G-Sting]

Absolutely gorgeous photos. One can almost smell the fresh, misty waterfall air through the screen.

[ZR-1 Franz]

Fantastic pictures :dancing, thank you very much for sharing.
Good luck and have a great time.
Best wishes from Switzerland,

Franz :handshak:

[B17 Crew]

I’m in awe of how beautiful Yellowstone is, thank you for taking the time to add the descriptions to accompany the incredible images. Hope the pump issue is an easy fix.

B17 Crew
:hello:

[tf95ZR1]

Yes, thank you, Jim (& Lyndi!) for your write-up and pictures.
Just amazingly beautiful. Being here in the heart of a BIG city
it is refreshing to escape to the greenery (very dry brown here
in CA) and bountiful water.

Can you think of any down-side running on the secondary pump
all the time? And specifics on the pump that FAILED?

Thanks again,
Ted

[QB93Z]

Hello from the road. As we continued our visit to Yellowstone NP, we drove to the north end of the Park to the Mammoth Springs Area:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0931.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0931.jpg.html)


Here is a picture of the mineral terraces in one of the hot springs that has been flowing for many years:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0970.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0970.jpg.html)

Next we drove south on Grand Loop Road to the area called Artist Paint Pots. We hiked in about 1/3 mile and came upon a large collection of several different types of thermal features. This is a close-up of feature where microorganisms convert hydrogen sulfide, which rises from deep in the earth, into sulfuric acid, which dissolves the surrounding rock into clay, which mixes with the rising steam to form mud:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0766.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0766.jpg.html)


Here Lyndi is standing next to a colorful hot spring:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0968.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0968.jpg.html)


On the way back to the parking area Lyndi walked into an area with many fallen Lodge Pole Pine trees:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0943.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0943.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Monday, departed from our cabin at the Canyon Lodge in Yellowstone and headed to the Upper Falls area for one more look at the falls.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0001_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0001_1.jpg.html)


In the parking lot we were greeted by a large elk:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0037.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0037.jpg.html)

These are the best pictures we have ever gotten of an elk:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0080.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0080.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0096.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0096.jpg.html)


In the early morning the chances of see wildlife is much greater. Lyndi got this nice picture of a pair of Mountain Bluebirds:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0455.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0455.jpg.html)


We stopped along the Yellowstone River to see these fumaroles:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0531.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0531.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Monday, after leaving Yellowstone, we drove south and entered Grand Teton National Park. The PurpleZ has gotten very dirty in all the miles we have driven and from the 10-mile construction zone we had to drive through on the Grand Loop Road.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0772.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0772.jpg.html)


Here is a nice view of the Grand Teton Mountains from the Coulter Bay area:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0878.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0878.jpg.html)


Another pic of the very beautiful Teton Moutains:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0945.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0945.jpg.html)


We drove south to the Jenny Lake area to do some hiking. While we were in the parking lot we were treated to a fly-over by the Blue Angles:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0024.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0024.jpg.html)


We hiked up the mountain to Inspiration Point:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0085_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0085_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0129.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0129.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Tuesday, we arose to a cold morning. There was ice on the PurpleZ:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0003.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0003.jpg.html)

The hotel desk said it got down to 34 degrees over night. After we got on the road we saw 36:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0233.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0233.jpg.html)


The morning clouds were hanging on the Teton Mountains:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0106.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0106.jpg.html)


We drove south through Jackson, WY and went west over the Teton Pass and crossed into Idaho:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0453_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0453_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0459.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0459.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Jim,

Thanks for sharing your journey with your family. You are living the American dream my brother. Have a safe one!:handshak:

[QB93Z]

We drove through Idaho Falls to Arco, Idaho. We stopped at ERB-1, a National Historic Site at the location of the Worlds first Nuclear reactor that produced usable electrical power.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0820.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0820.jpg.html)

The site is a remarkably preserved reactor plant with all the parts present except the fuel.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0838.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0838.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0886.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0886.jpg.html)


In 1955, the plant was taken critical and generated steam to turn a turbine and light a string of lights. In later days, the reactor supplied power for the site. The ERB-1 was a breeder reactor which means that not only did it generate power, it also used the neutron flux of the fission reaction to create Plutonium 239 from Uranium 238, which could used as reactor fuel or in the construction of nuclear weapons.

On display on the ERB-1 Site is the reactor and turbo fan engine that was design to power a nuclear powered airplane. In the late 1950's, it was hoped that nuclear strategic bombers carrying nuclear weapons would be a part of our nations deterrent force. The planes were never built and the program was cancelled in 1961.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0787.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0787.jpg.html)

We drove about 20 miles to the actual town of Arco to stop at Pickle's Place, a restaurant from the 1950's that was famous for their Atomic Burger. We had lunch, and then burger was very good.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0930.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0930.jpg.html)

Across the street from Pickle's Place is the Idaho Science Museum. On display is the submarine sail from the USS Hawkbill SSN-666. The USS Hawkbill was a 637 Class Nuclear Fast Attack Submarine that served proudly and honorably during the Cold War:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0988.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0988.jpg.html)

I served as Engineer Officer on the Hawkbill's sister ship, the USS L Mendel Rivers SSN-686. It was a very moving experience to see the sail.

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

After visiting Arco, ID, we drove to Craters of the Moon National Monument. It was a twenty minute drive west. The name is confusing because there aren't any craters here. By that, I mean meteorite strikes. In fact, the surreal landscapes are the result of lava flows and nearby volcanic eruption. The entire Snake River Canyon area of Idaho, which is in the lower third of the state, is a series of ancient volcanic activity. There is a stationary magma chamber in the earth's mantle under the North American plate. The plate, which is the earth's crust, is moving west a few inches a year for the last sixty million years. The magma chamber is now under Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. About 2,000 years ago, volcanic activity on the western edge of the magma chamber shaped the landscape of Arco. The lava flows and minor eruptions covered the area with lava, volcanic ash, cinders, and large basalt chunks.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0196.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0196.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0240.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0240.jpg.html)

Here is a picture of a large cinder cone:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0232.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0232.jpg.html)


Some of the lava and cinder areas have been taken over by vegetation and the Park is interesting because the transformation from volcanic wasteland to prairie is clearly evident:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0228.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0228.jpg.html)


Next we arrived in Twin Falls, Idaho and saw the Perrine Bridge:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0460.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0460.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Thursday morning, we returned to the Perrine Bridge to watch the early morning BASE jumpers:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0066.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0066.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0067.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0067.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0068.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0068.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0069.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0069.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0076.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0076.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0088.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0088.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

After seeing the BASE Jumpers safely to the ground, we left Twin Falls and drove west in I-84.

We stopped in Mountain Home, ID. We stopped at the Mural Made of 1,000's of Pennies. The creation is on the side wall of Kurley's Bar:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0203.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0203.jpg.html)


On the way out of town, we stopped at a car wash to spray some of the grime off the Purple Z:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0238.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0238.jpg.html)

Continuing west, we stopped in Boise, ID and visited Zoo Boise, a nice small city zoo. As with most zoos, the mid-day heat had the animals sleeping in their displays. We did enjoy the butterfly exhibit. I spent quite a while trying to get a photo of a beautiful Blue Morpho butterfly:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0088.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0088.jpg.html)

We enjoyed watching this stork carefully arrange two eggs before finally sitting on them:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0160.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0160.jpg.html)


The arid landscape of eastern Idaho is not at all what I expected. The rolling hills have very little vegetation and the only agriculture is on irrigated land:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0230.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0230.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

We crossed the border into Oregon:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0219_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0219_1.jpg.html)


We stopped for the day in Baker City, Oregon. Baker City is a old-time small western town. We found the town very interesting. The buildings are historic and time capsules of the past. There were several art galleries and stores.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0373.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0373.jpg.html)


We visited the US Bank where one of the largest gold nuggets ever found was on display:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0287.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0287.jpg.html)


We stayed at the Geyser Grand Hotel, a beautifully restored posh hotel:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0292.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0292.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0390.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0390.jpg.html)


We relaxed in the vintage lounge and celebrated a successful day of traveling:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0398.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0398.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Friday morning, we left Baker City, OR and drove northeast to visit Hells Canyon. We followed the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway and drove through Halfway, OR and into Idaho to follow the Snake River to the Hells Canyon Dam.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0484.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0484.jpg.html)


Hells Canyon is in the Hells Canyon National Forest.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0569_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0569_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0638.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0638.jpg.html)

Here I am on the top of the dam with the view below the dam (looking north in the Snake River Canyon):

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0666.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0666.jpg.html)

At it's deepest point, Hells Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon. Below the dam, at the end of the canyon road, there is a very nice Visitor Center:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0715.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0715.jpg.html)

The road into the canyon is in excellent condition and the scenery is striking:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0816.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0816.jpg.html)


After leaving Hells Canyon we continued on the Byway to Le Grande, OR.

Jim

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Got to envy what you are doing and your experience. I wish you were passing through NorCal so we could meet up!

[nelson007]

While your out west count how many times you cross the Snake River.

Nelson

[IMZZ]

Welcome to Oregon!!

[B17 Crew]

This is an incredibly scenic journey! Really enjoy the photos and descriptions. Do you use a mix of lenses for your photography? I also wanted to ask what type of camera you are using? There is definitely a creative eye behind the lens, the photos are outstanding.

B17 Crew
:hello:

[PhillipsLT5]

WOW, see the usa in your chevrolet

[ZR-1 Franz]

:fahne:I would say: "ZR-1, a better way to see the :usa:!"

Best wishes from Switzerland and have a safe trip,

Franz

[WARP TEN]

Hi Jim--Lyndi's and your photos are great. Out of curiosity, what radio did you install with the nav feature? Or did you just stick a Garmin on the old one with some double sided tape? Thanks, Bob
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0233.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0233.jpg.html)

[Racinfan83]

Awesome as usual! Still running on the secondary fuel pump? How is that working?

[QB93Z]

Posting by phone. Still doing well, had a delay fixing a fuel pump problem. In Seatle now. Thanks for the nice comments. More later.

Jim

[-=Jeff=-]

Second pump go bad? what brand were they?

[QB93Z]

This is an incredibly scenic journey! Really enjoy the photos and descriptions. Do you use a mix of lenses for your photography? I also wanted to ask what type of camera you are using? There is definitely a creative eye behind the lens, the photos are outstanding.

B17 Crew
:hello:

Lyndi is the photographer. She is also an artist and says thank you for the compliments.

The main camera we use is a Nikon D5200 with a Nikor (Nikon brand) 18-300mm lens. We bought this camera body while we were on the Grand Canyon trip last year and our Nikon D5100 camera quit. We bought the camera on line from Adorama.com and had it shipped to the Grand Canyon Lodge. We have been using the 18-300 lens since the Alaska trip in 2012. It has taken about 75,000 photos.

Jim

[QB93Z]

Hi Bob,

I replaced the Bose system with a Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX in-dash Navigation System. It is the latest model of the Pioneer Double-DIN nav/audio systems. I have used four of the Pioneer systems.

The AVIC-8100NEX is advertised as being able to run CarPlay which supposedly offers full integration with iPhone (and Android) phones. In my experience, the CarPlay has not been integrated yet and is promised for late 2015 release.

The system is well integrated with my phone so hands-free calling is easy.

The Navigation system is satisfactory, but has a different interface than previous models. The Places of Interest data base is very limited. I guess because the cell phone integration was supposed to provide search capability.

I also don't like that the navigation screen cannot be zoomed or panned while navigating.

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Friday, we left La Grande, Oregon and headed for Mt Rainier National Park. We were surprised at the dry and barren areas of north central Oregon:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0012.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0012.jpg.html)


We stopped in Pendleton, Oregon and visited the Woolen Mills factory and store. We bought a few souvenirs. Pendleton is a nice prosperous city.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0094.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0094.jpg.html)


Continuing north, we crossed into Washington:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0124_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0124_1.jpg.html)

Entering Washington completed a very significant Bucket List item for me. I have now driven a C4 Corvette in all 50 states. 49 of the states I drove a ZR-1 and in Hawaii, I drove my brother's 1988 C4, the car that started the Corvette hobby for me. I highly recommend getting out and taking a road trip in your ZR-1.

Like Oregon, western Washington has a desert like terrain:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0138.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0138.jpg.html)


In Kennewick, Washington, we stopped at the Southridge Sports and Events Complex to visit the Carousel Of Dreams.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0252.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0252.jpg.html)


When we arrived, it was a hour before the carousel would be open, but the Manager of the facility saw us with our noses pressed to the glass, and let us in for a personal tour. The Carousel is a project of a non-profit organization I Kennewick. It is a very successful project. We were very impressed by the professionalism of the managers. We even got a private ride on the horses of our choice:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0247.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0247.jpg.html)

to be continued...

[QB93Z]

We continued northwest through Yakima, Washington towards Mt Rainier. While driving on Route 12 west of Naches, WA, the engine died and I coasted to a stop in a turnout. The engine restarted immediately and I drove to a gas station to fill up. I figured that maybe the fuel was low enough that the secondary fuel pump was getting starved. The car started so I drove around the block and the car ran fine, so we continued west. About 10 miles later, the engine stopped and would not restart.

Five days ago, I had a primary fuel pump failure that I bypassed with an emergency jumper. Now I was faced with the possibility that the Secondary Fuel pump had failed. Route 12 runs through a very undeveloped part of the Washington. I decided to change to fuel pump to install the spare that I was carrying. It took about 20 minutes to replace the pump. However, after the replacement, the engine would not start. I checked the fuel rail pressure by removing the cap from the test fitting on the passenger side fuel rail, and found no pressure.

Facing the possibility that the problem was electrical, and not the pumps, we called AAA and waited 1.5 hours in 103 degree heat.

I had the ZR-1 taken back to Yakima where the driver dropped me at an O'Riley's Auto Parts Store with a motel near by. I worked in 100 degree heat in the parking lot until after dark trying to isolate the electrical problem.

I have to send THANKS to Phil and Yun for their unfailing phone tech support by send be photos of tech manual pages and trouble shooting suggestions late into the night on the East Coast.

We cancelled our room reservations at Mt Rainier, and booked a room in Yakima. I thought I isolated the problem to a faulty Primary Fuel Pump Relay. It took a while to remove the interior panels and find the relay. The engine still wouldn't start.

After a short night's sleep, I decided that the problem had to be in a wiring connector between the relay under the dash and the fuel pumps. I removed the fuel pump assembly and found that the wiring connector on the tank side of the fuel pump plate had failed.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/IMG_0502.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/IMG_0502.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/IMG_0509.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/IMG_0509.jpg.html)


Apparently the connector is loose on the pins and the current flow over-heated the pin. When I used the jumper to shift to the secondary pump, that pin over-heated as well.

I cleaned up the pins and applied a slight bend to the pins to hold then more securely in the male portion of the connector. I adjusted the metal clip that secures the connector. I reassembled the fuel pump assembly, got a jump start (the battery had been drained during 10 hours of trouble shooting), and the car started. I put everything back together and we got back on the road.

In retrospect, I made some extra work for myself because in the heat and dark, I was having trouble reading voltage on the fuse connectors in the fuse panel. It was hard to get reliable readings with the volt meter I bought and I thought I wasn't getting voltage at the fuse.

I have to say a big Thank You to my wife Lyndi. She supported me completely during the whole ordeal. She brought me cold water and cookies and handled all the logistics of changing reservations. She was patient and understanding. I am a lucky guy!!!

Jim

[QB93Z]

After we got the car running, we drove north west to I-5 and north to Seattle and on to North Cascades National Park:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0670.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0670.jpg.html)


North Cascades National Park is a very large park on the northern border of Washington. The Northern Cascades Mountains contain more glaciers than Glacier National Park. The views and vistas in the Ross Lake area are fantastic:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0762.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0762.jpg.html)

We drove to the Washington Pass , the highest overlook in the park, for this beautiful view:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0960.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0960.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Sunday we left Marblemount, Washington and headed for sightseeing in Seattle, WA. On the way out of town, I stopped for gas and was surprised to find the service lacking:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0002.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0002.jpg.html)


In Seattle, our first stop was at the Pike Street Market and the seafood and farm markets. Here Lyndi is standing with some crabs that are much larger than Maryland Blue crabs:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0137.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0137.jpg.html)

We got a view of the Seattle Space Needle with the Purple Z in the foreground:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0389.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0389.jpg.html)

We visited the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. The displays are very beautiful:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0296.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0296.jpg.html)


We decided on the spur of the moment to take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island instead of driving all the way south to Tacoma and then north to Bangor.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0432.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0432.jpg.html)


The ferry was very convenient and fun. It leaves from directly downtown and was loaded and underway promptly.

From the ferry we got a wonderful view of the Seattle waterfront with a tugboat giving a fire cannon salute to two visiting USN Frigates:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0487.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0487.jpg.html)


We drove on to the US Navy Submarine Base Kitsap in Bangor, WA.

Jim

[HIZNHRZ]

Jim,

Very sorry to read about your problems on the road. Yes, you are certainly blessed with a wife that not only enjoys making the trips with you but also stands by you when problems are encountered. It’s hard enough to diagnose and repair electrical issues in a comfortable garage much less in 100+ degree heat on the side of the road or in a parking lot. You should be proud of your knowledge of the ZR-1, your trouble-shooting and repair skills, and your patience. I’m sure I’m not the only one who wishing you and Lyndi Godspeed through the balance of your trip and the hope you are able to complete it without further inconveniences. As usual, your pictures are amazing!

Best regards.

[Paul Workman]

Lots of memories in the Great NW for me too! I remember the water cannon salute we received when visiting Seattle when I was in "Uncle Sam's Haze-gray Yacht Club". The pier we tied up to was packed with towns people, welcoming us as tho they were family and we were returning to home base after a "West-Pac" cruise! After "a few" of a different kind of receptions we'd gotten in SE Asia (circa late 60s & early 70s), it left a lasting - almost tearful - experience in my heart.

Arrrrgghhh! Sorry to hear about the continuing fuel pump saga! Good that you've extended your routine of a sub-mariner "qualification" to include the ZR-1, huh? Hmmm.... Fuel pump (related) issues...again...eh? I think it would be worth while (for me, anyway) to add relay(s) and a spare fuel pump and gen up a jumper for the "ready bag", and to inspect that fuel-side connector before venturing out on a long trip. Glad you were able to wring it out, and having a support crew member there to bring you cold water and support...priceless!

Hats off to Lyndi too for the stunning photography! That 18-300 Nikkor lens is "to die for"! I have an "ED" Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 that practically retired a cadre of (fixed focal length) lenses to "ballast duty" in my bag. I can only imagine the freedom that 18-300 affords (color me envious!). I keep saying I want to move to a D52 (my brother has one too) and Lyndi's photos are giving me that "itch" once again.;)

Well, again, thank you and Lyndi for including us on your adventure. Can't wait to see the next installment of Lyndi's photolog. And, here's hoping the unplanned "oh-shitz" are behind you now for good! :cheers:

[XfireZ51]

Jim,

In some other thread, it would be really helpful if you were to outline the preparation you go through for one of these trips. In particular, deciding what mechanical/electrical contingencies you try to anticipate. What tools do you pack?

[B17 Crew]

Thank you for relaying the camera and lens you and Lyndi use for the photography. The Adorama site is a nice resource that I did not know about.

My hat is off to you as I read about the conditions in which you diagnosed the fuel pump problem. I hope that the rest of your trip is trouble-free and that all of your travels are safe. Thank you for bringing the beauty of this country to those of us hoping to make a trip like this one day!

B17 Crew
:hello:

[Jagdpanzer]

Lots of memories in the Great NW for me too! I remember the water cannon salute we received when visiting Seattle when I was in "Uncle Sam's Haze-gray Yacht Club".

Paul,
What ship or ships did you sail on?
I was aboard the USS Dennis J. Buckley DD808 and USS Sterett DLG31 (both out of San Diago) about the same time frame. Did two Westpacs then took the Starett through a much needed overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard.

[QB93Z]

On Monday morning we left the Trident Submarine Base in Bangor, Washington and got on the Pacific Coast Highway:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0094_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0094_1.jpg.html)


We drove up the Olympic Peninsula to Olympic National Park and decided to drive up to the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0107_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0107_1.jpg.html)


On the way up the mountain we came upon a young deer walking alone on the shoulder:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0161.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0161.jpg.html)

The deer approached me on the drivers side:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0215.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0215.jpg.html)


...and came right up to the window:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0220.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0220.jpg.html)


Since I didn't lower my window, the deer went around the back of the Z:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0234_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0234_1.jpg.html)


...then decided we were not going to feed it so it headed down the hill.

to be continued......

[QB93Z]

The Olympic Range Mountains are beautiful. The road to Hurricane ridge was well maintained and had numerous turn outs to allow viewing the spectacular scenes:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0241.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0241.jpg.html)


There was a wider variety of evergreen trees on the road up to the Visitor Center than we saw in Yellowstone and Hells Canyon. There were also many more large, older pine trees indicating that some of the areas we drove through had not seen forest fires for a long time.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0249_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0249_1.jpg.html)


When we reached the Visitor Center, there were wonderful views of the mountain peaks:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0380.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0380.jpg.html)


From the northern ridge we could see Port Angeles, the Strait of Juan De Fuca, and Vancouver Island (Canada) in the distance:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0474.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0474.jpg.html)


We came down the mountain and continued west on the PCH. During the day we saw many logging trucks:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0669.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0669.jpg.html)


As we passed Crescent Lake, we stopped to enjoy the beautiful views:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0687.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0687.jpg.html)

to be continued.....

[QB93Z]

Our next stop was on the western side of the Olympic NP in the town of Forks, claiming the title of Logging Capital of the World:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0801.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0801.jpg.html)


After some lunch, we headed out to the beach to see the Pacific Ocean. We drove west to Rialto Beach which is a part of Olympic National Park:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0810.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0810.jpg.html)


We were absolutely floored by what we found at the beach. The shoreline was covered with thousands of logs of all sizes and with millions of rounded stones:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0814.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0814.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0829.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0829.jpg.html)


The logs, which are really fallen trees, have been washed to the beach from the mountain side to the east. Hundreds of years of erosion of the river valley has transported the logs and stumps to the beach. Some of the logs are 4 to 5 feet in diameter. It is an amazing landscape:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0844.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0844.jpg.html)


http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0968_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0968_1.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

This is a picture of the river that has been carving the mountain and transporting the logs to the beach:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0993.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0993.jpg.html)


Lyndi asked me to drive over to put the Z in front of one of the larger logs for a photo. I tried, but the stones turned out to be an unsatisfactory surface. The stones don't grip and I got stuck. We had to get help from a group of Czech hikers to push me back to firm footing:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0011.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0011.jpg.html)


We left the Olympic NP area and drove south on the PCH to Grays Harbor near Aberdeen, WA. We got a photo of the Lighthouse there. It is the tallest lighthouse in Washington:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0164.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0164.jpg.html)


Jim

[Paul Workman]

Wow! Such beauty! I see now why friends that moved to that area have tried so over the years to get me to move there. Hmmmm.....

[jcruz]

Great trip! Thanks for having us along ;)

[QB93Z]

On Tuesday morning, we left Aberdeen and drove to Mt St Helens. The roads from I-5 to the Mt St Helen National Volcanic Monument are in excellent condition. There are two Visitor Centers and a Forest Information Center.

Mt St Helens erupted in May, 1980 and caused extensive damage to the surrounding area of the Cascade Mountains. The newly constructed Johnston Ridge Visitor Center provides an excellent vantage point to study the mountain. Here is a view of the mountain today:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0307.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0307.jpg.html)


The eruption reduced the mountains height by over 1,000 feet. This picture of an information sign shows the contour of the peak before the eruption:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0276.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0276.jpg.html)

The power of the blast can still be seen on the surrounding mountain slopes:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0312_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0312_1.jpg.html)

Several miles away this sign marks the extent of the blast zone:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0646.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0646.jpg.html)


The valley below the peak was filled with ash, lava, and chunks of the mountain. The power of erosion is very visible:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0318.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0318.jpg.html)


Lyndi got one more shot of the mountain as we drove away:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0581.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0581.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

We left Mt St Helens behind and drove back into Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge. We drove along the historic "old" gorge highway and hiked out to Bridal Veil Falls:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0819.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0819.jpg.html)


The well-known attractions in the gorge were very crowded. The parking areas were full and overflowing. It was hard to get from one place to another. We did get to see the Multnomah Falls and the Bridge of the Gods at Cascade Locks:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0858.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0858.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0888.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0888.jpg.html)

We drove further east and turned south on the Mt Hood Scenic Parkway. Soon we were able to see Mt Hood to the west:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0935.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0935.jpg.html)

We drove around the south side of the mountain and then up the mountain to the Timberline Lodge. The Lodge was built in the 1930's by the Work Projects Administration to provide jobs for the unemployed during the Great Depression. The lodge is amazing and is very well preserved:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0104.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0104.jpg.html)


Above the Lodge, there is a nice view of the top of My Hood:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0073.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0073.jpg.html)


We then drove back down the mountain to our room at a Best Western because we did not have a room at the Lodge.


Jim

[IMZZ]

You should tryout the Toll Gate Inn. It's got a lot of history about the area and good food.

[QB93Z]

On Wednesday morning we awoke to some mountain fog and cool temperatures.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0004.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0004.jpg.html)


On the way down the mountain we stopped for a photo of Lyndi:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0017.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0017.jpg.html)


The Pacific Northwest has been very dry this summer. The fire danger is extreme. In fact, while we were in Olympic NP, there was a fire burning in a remote section of the park. The fire didn't affect us except for some smoke haze.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0040.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0040.jpg.html)


There are many claims that the PNW is the home of Sasquatch (Big Foot). The local communities seem to help that rumor:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0048.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0048.jpg.html)


For the second time this trip, we were able to mark our passage across the 45th Parallel, halfway from the equator to the North Pole:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0074.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0074.jpg.html)


We headed south and bid farewell to Mt Hood:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0183.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0183.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

We continued south and stopped at Smith Rock State Park. All of the park facilities are in good condition and there were volunteers working to keep the a nice place to visit.

The park offers views and hiking trails around the remains of an ancient volcano and the Crooked River that eroded the lava rock leaving the core:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0418.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0418.jpg.html)


As we headed down toward the stream, we were greeted by a small lizard:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0460_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0460_1.jpg.html)


We stopped for a photo in an eroded rock formed into a small cave:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0530.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0530.jpg.html)


We climbed up to the cliff base and found a large slab of rock that had fractured from the wall. Lyndi did her part to prevent further collapse:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0540.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0540.jpg.html)

A pleasant view looking down stream:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0544.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0544.jpg.html)


On the way back up the trail to the parking lot, Lyndi points out our goal:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0588.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0588.jpg.html)


Jim

[QB93Z]

There was a question about what tools and supplies I carry when we travel so I will try to list the things I have pack.

I put my tools and parts in the storage compartment behind the passenger seat. In the 1995 (and in a 1994) the jack is stored there. I removed the jack and the Styrofoam block that holds it. I double-wrapped the jack in plastic and put it in the spare tire. I leave the plastic "bucket" at home.

The compartment also has a radio receiver and control unit Velcro-ed to the side. Because I installed an after-market nav system/stereo, that unit in removed.

For spare parts I loaded: alternator, fuel pump, serpentine belt, idler pulley, 5/16 inch coolant hose and hose clamps, ignition coil and a fuel pump jumper connector.

For supplies I carry brake/clutch fluid (Dot 3), spare fuses (three sizes), and an oil filter if the trip will be long enough to require an oil change on the road.

My philosophy for replacement parts to carry is to recover from a failure that will disable the car and can reasonably be replaced with on the road or in a parking lot. I would be able to pull the plenum for repairs.

For tools I carry: 1/4" drive socket set with sockets 7mm to 13 and 1/4 to 9/16", ratchet handle and extension, socket u-joint, two standard and two phillips screw drivers, Torx bit socket set, long T-40 and T-15 wrenches, various small pliers, vise grip wrench, crescent wrench, six-in-one multi tool, medium and large arc joint pliers, wire stripper/crimper with lugs and unions, scraper, small pry bar, zip ties, siphon tubing and a bulb, flashlights, multimeter with leads and jumper wires, magnetic pickup tool.

I also carry jumper cables under the passenger seat and a first aid kit under the driver's seat.

In the future, I will add plenum gaskets to my supply.

I am working from memory so I probably missed some.

Jim

[Paul Workman]

Very comprehensive "kit". Thanks, Jim.

My kit wasn't nearly as complete. But, I"m going to use your list to augment mine prior to my next trip. You didn't mention your excellent technical support team back home, which supplants carrying an FSM. I carry the electrical portion - for what that is worth (thinking about Steve's watered out switches/connectors at the BG gathering).

Very helpful! (I saved a copy of it):thumbsup:

[8cam]

I just love your threads, and this one is fantastic. Please keep posting! I have been trying to talk my wife into doing a similar trip, but she's just not a road-tripper. She's about the destination, not the journey. I tried to tell her trips like this, the journey IS the destination, but that didn't fly. Oh well.

[ghlkal]

Awesome. I appreciate you guys sharing your adventure with us.

:dancing


Is the Z in your license plate just coincidence?

[Racinfan83]

I just love your threads, and this one is fantastic. Please keep posting! I have been trying to talk my wife into doing a similar trip, but she's just not a road-tripper. She's about the destination, not the journey. I tried to tell her trips like this, the journey IS the destination, but that didn't fly. Oh well.

Sounds like my wife. Anything over 2 hours in a car and she ain't happy.. I'm one of those who could drive a lap around the country and be lovin it. I don't think I would want to do it in my Z though. Not enough room for stuff... :o

[QB93Z]

On Wednesday, after visiting Smith Rock State Park, we stopped in Bend, Oregon for a Road Trip Maintenance Day (RTMD). I took the PurpleZ to a Jiffy Lube and supervised an oil change, mailed home a box of souvenirs, and washed the Z. Lyndi did the laundry, and repacked all our clothes.

On Thursday morning, we left Bend early and headed south. Our first stop was Lava Lands at the Newberry Volcanic National Monument. Lava Lands is run by the Department of Agriculture. We arrived at about 6:45 AM and found the roads gated and the Visitor Center closed. We had to look over the gates and wonder at what we would have seen:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0029.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0029.jpg.html)


Our experience has been that the National Parks that are run by the National Park Service (Department of the Interior) are always open to some extent.

Next, based on a suggestion from a man I met at the Jiffy Lube, we visited Sunriver Lodge. The lodge is in the community of Sunriver, Oregon. The lodge is a beautiful pine construction building built before World War II and used by the Army as a training post for soldiers destined to fight in extreme cold weather. Today the Lodge is privately owned, and it's beauty is still visible:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0052_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0052_1.jpg.html)


We continued south and turned onto the Volcanic Legacy Oregon Scenic Byway, heading for Crater Lake National Park. The road to the north entrance to the park runs straight as an arrow for most of the way to the park:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0103.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0103.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0115.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0115.jpg.html)


We drove up the side on the mountain and got our first look at Crater Lake:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0192_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0192_1.jpg.html)


Lyndi took a picture of me next to a stone that clearly shows the scrape marks left by the glaciers that covered the top of the mountain before a catastrophic eruption about 10,000 years:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0209.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0209.jpg.html)


to be continued....

[XfireZ51]

Jim,

Have you made it to the Oregon Coast. Astoria, Newport, Ecola Park?

[QB93Z]

From the top of the mountain looking west, we could clearly see two major forest fires burning:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0145.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0145.jpg.html)


We watched a hawk circling over the lake. Lyndi got this beautiful photo of hawk's wings:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0263.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0263.jpg.html)


We took some glamor shots of the PurpleZ with the blue water behind it in the morning sun:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0355.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0355.jpg.html)


We climbed the trail to the top of Watchman Peak for the high-level view of the lake:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0545.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0545.jpg.html)


Then I took a picture looking down at the parking lot:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0536.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0536.jpg.html)


We drove around the rim road, and stopped at the Crater Lake Lodge area. With the sun higher in the sky, the views of the lake were even more stunning:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0692.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0692.jpg.html)


to be continued...

[QB93Z]

We left Crater Lake NP and headed south west on OR-62 and the air was showing the effects of the forest fires we saw and a larger fire near Prospect, OR:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0734.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0734.jpg.html)

After all of the driving up and down the mountain at Crater Lake, I was in need of a fill up. There are not very many gas stations in this part of Oregon, so we were glad to see a station. However,

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0729.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0729.jpg.html)


A little later we found another gas station. The didn't have premium, but they did have an ice cream bar:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0737.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0737.jpg.html)


The haze continued. We found out later that were had been about 15 miles from the Prospect fire:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0745.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0745.jpg.html)


By the time we got to Grants Pass, OR, we drove out of the haze for the evening.


Jim

[C4Ray]

I have been trying to talk my wife into doing a similar trip, but she's not a road-tripper. She's about the destination, not the journey. I tried to tell her trips like this, the journey IS the destination, but that didn't fly.

With all due respect and I'm gonna try and make this as short as I can because this is a great thread with all the amazing images provided by the honorable OP Jim. About your wife and her resistance to your wishes... What about you-as the faithful and hard working husband? Why don't you take that once in a lifetime trip without her? Because if your wife loves you for you, then she will accept your gracious once in a lifetime opportunity invitation to travel all over America in a Corvette! Only in America would a woman complain and decline when a loving husband invites her to travel all over the USA and the husband drives! I must say, I am so disappointed why we men tolerate such spoiled women. It is just simply beyond me.

Jim - Great thread...amazing pics and drive safely! :dancing

[C4Ray]

Sounds like my wife. Anything over 2 hours in a car and she ain't happy...

Here we again... Racinfan83, what about what makes you happy sir? I say leave your wife at home and take that trip! Make a strong stand and do what you want for a change? Some of you may or may not know but compared to the rest of the world, American men are seen as wonderful and faithful husbands. On the hand American women have a very unfavorable reputation. Just sayin'. :cheers:

Jim: Beautiful topic and thread ... Enjoy your amazing trip! =D>

[QB93Z]

On Friday, We left Grants Pass and headed southwest to the coast of Northern California:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0019.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0019.jpg.html)


We entered the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park. We stopped to make a quick stop at the Visitor Center, but it was closed. It seems we have gotten used to traveling too earlier in the day. We drove to Crescent City, CA on the Howland Hills Drive through the Grove of Titans:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0214_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0214_1.jpg.html)


We stopped in Crescent City to get a picture of Battery Point Lighthouse:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0236.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0236.jpg.html)

We continued south on US-101 and enjoyed seeing all of the giant redwood trees. We even drove thru a Redwood:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0811.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0811.jpg.html)


We drove through the Del Norte Redwood State Park and more giant trees:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0867.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0867.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0866.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0866.jpg.html)

to be continued.....

[QB93Z]

Another big tree picture:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0880.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0880.jpg.html)

We stopped for lunch and get some gas. Once again, the options were limited. The big tank behind the old pump holds the gas:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0925.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0925.jpg.html)


We stopped in Trinidad, CA and enjoyed the unusual harbor:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0992.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0992.jpg.html)



The forest fires that are burning in north central California have caused us to change our plans. Instead of driving from the Pacific coast inland to Lassen Volcanic National Park. We have decided to stay on the coast and drive south on CA-1, the Shoreline Highway. Will still get to San Francisco on schedule and avoid the potential delays and bad air quality.

Jim

[QB93Z]

Jim,

Have you made it to the Oregon Coast. Astoria, Newport, Ecola Park?

Hi Dom, We did not visit the Oregon coast. I choose the "inland" route because I wanted to visit Mt St Helens and Crater Lake, and there are only so many days available in this trip.

As we travel, our bucket list gets bigger. We are compiling places to see that will last us a lifetime.

Jim

[XfireZ51]

Hi Dom, We did not visit the Oregon coast. I choose the "inland" route because I wanted to visit Mt St Helens and Crater Lake, and there are only so many days available in this trip.

As we travel, our bucket list gets bigger. We are compiling places to see that will last us a lifetime.

Jim

I know, the Northwest has tremendous number of choices. We lived in Portland for 2 years and visited the coast several times. Just breathtaking. Put it on your bucket list.
My wife and I would love to do a run up the coast from Portland to Seattle and then Vancouver BC

[QB93Z]

On Saturday, we left Arcata, CA and drove south on US-101. We didn't want to drive east and risk being affected by the fires so we abandoned or plans to visit Lassen Volcanic National Park. We stopped at the Avenue of the Giants in Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The park road is in excellent and the trees are amazing.

It is very hard to describe or photograph the magnificence of the giant redwood trees. It was like a special privilege to be in the presence of these trees:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0066_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0066_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0467.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0467.jpg.html)


We moved the PurpleZ near the root mass of a fallen giant to demonstrate the size:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0225.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0225.jpg.html)


We left the Redwood Groves and headed for the Pacific Coast. We took CA-1, the Shoreline Highway, from Leggett to Rockport. The highway is 22 miles of turns and grades. The Shoreline Highway rivals the Tail of the Dragon that we drove during the Mountain Run last May.

We stopped at a little grocery store along the coast and got a picnic lunch then sat on a rock overlooking the rocky Pacific coast and enjoyed the view:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0091.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0091.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0020.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0020.jpg.html)


We drove as far south on CA-1 as Mendocino and went out to the headlands :

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0308.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0308.jpg.html)

Jim

[C4Ray]

Jim: So far in your trip, what is your favorite city?

[QB93Z]

Jim: So far in your trip, what is your favorite city?

I liked Baker City, Oregon. It is a retirement town where a lot of the residents are well settled. It is a small town, with an agricultural background. Baker City is trying hard to re-invent itself as a tourist destination. We stayed at the Geyser Grand Hotel where we had the best steak dinner of the trip.

Jim

[8cam]

With all due respect and I'm gonna try and make this as short as I can because this is a great thread with all the amazing images provided by the honorable OP Jim. About your wife and her resistance to your wishes... What about you-as the faithful and hard working husband? Why don't you take that once in a lifetime trip without her? Because if your wife loves you for you, then she will accept your gracious once in a lifetime opportunity invitation to travel all over America in a Corvette! Only in America would a woman complain and decline when a loving husband invites her to travel all over the USA and the husband drives! I must say, I am so disappointed why we men tolerate such spoiled women. It is just simply beyond me.

Jim - Great thread...amazing pics and drive safely! :dancing

I understand what you're trying to say, but you are wrong. She's most definitely not spoiled, just a very active person who cannot stand to be stuck in a car for long periods of time. That's ok with me, since we have a lot of fun in other ways - mountain drives, visiting wineries, autocrosses, etc. Just no long road trips. Back to the thread, loving the travelog!

[8cam]

We drove as far south on CA-1 as Mendocino and went out to the headlands

I have driven hwy 1 from Stewarts Point all the way down past Laguna Beach, so most of the state, and it's absolutely stunning and hugely varied. When we did the north end, we were in Sonoma, and the road from Geyserville to Stewarts Point was one of the most amazing drives I've ever made.

We'll be out there again in September, and my wife and I will make the drive from San Francisco down to LA over a 3 day trip (hey that's a road trip!), with stops in Monterey, Santa Barbara, and Santa Monica before flying home. She's never made that drive and is really looking forward to it. Beautiful area of the country.

I'll also take her to San Simeon and Hearst castle. FWIW I am a Comstock and that should be my house! There's a long story....

[Racinfan83]

Here we again... Racinfan83, what about what makes you happy sir? I say leave your wife at home and take that trip! Make a strong stand and do what you want for a change? Some of you may or may not know but compared to the rest of the world, American men are seen as wonderful and faithful husbands. On the hand American women have a very unfavorable reputation. Just sayin'. :cheers:

Jim: Beautiful topic and thread ... Enjoy your amazing trip! =D>

Actually, being with my wife makes me happy. If I had the time off (which I don't) and the money (which I don't) - she wouldn't have a problem with me going. We've been together for 30 years, work about 110-120 hours a week between us, volunteer for a cat rescue group AND a pet rescue food bank, and still have all our home responsibilities. Not to mention my parents live 250 miles away and one is in Veterans home and other can barely manage on her own. So we are dealing with that too.
She would go on a road trip if I forced the issue. However - I wouldn't do that unless I was sure she was OK with it. I would really much rather do it with her then without her. She is my best friend, my rock, my everything. Not ashamed to say it either. She doesn't like riding in a car for a long time and driving for a long time even less. I've been a truck driver, and love road trips. We're different. But we are awesome together. :cheers:

Jim - LOVE your trip diary and pics! Awesome that you take the time to share with the rest of us - it is very much appreciated! :saluting:

[BlackSheepz]

I just read all 12 pages of this to catch up. Then I went and read the road trip where you picked up the Purple Z.

Thanks for Sharing Jim greatly looking forward to vicariously living the rest of your journey through Forum pictures!

[ZR-1 Franz]

Hello from Switzerland,

Thank you again, to you and Lyndi for these great pictures.:worship:
The "tree-pictures" are amazing. I love redwoods, they are majestic
trees. As an architect and gardener, we design, build and maintain
gardens. I am very interested in these trees. We have one in our garden,
a baby compared to these giants. I planted it about 30 years ago,
and nevertheless it is about 45 - 50 feet high. I love this tree.
Those that you visited now are not the same kind we have.
They are coast redwoods (Sequoiadendron sempervirens). I would like
to have one of them too, but it would die during wintertime here in
Switzerland. The one we have is a Sequoiadendron giganteum and
I hope we shall see pictures of them during your trip, when you will visit Yosemite
National Park, where they are native to.

Best greetings from Switzerland and have a safe trip,

Franz

[QB93Z]

On Sunday we got a very early start and drove to San Francisco. We got to the Marin Headlands National Park on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. The morning fog had not lifted so even though the sun was up, the bridge was not very photogenic. Lyndi got this interesting photo of Alcatraz:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0164_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0164_1.jpg.html)


We drove to the next overlook and the SF skyline was revealed beyond the Golden Gate Bridge:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0367.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0367.jpg.html)


Since we were at the Marin Headlands National Park before the Visitor Center opened, we explored the coastline of the headland. The sea lions were basking in the morning sun:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0352.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0352.jpg.html)


We sat on a bench and watched some surfers enjoying the mild waves:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0528.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0528.jpg.html)


We crossed the bridge and headed for Fort Point.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0695.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0695.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0742.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0742.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

Fort Point was built starting in 1852 and is under the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Fort is park of the Golden Gate National Park and is well preserved. We enjoyed exploring the Fort and getting interesting perspectives on the bridge:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0809.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0809.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0037_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0037_1.jpg.html)


We drove into San Francisco and spent the rest of the day seeing some of the sights. We visited Alamo Square and found the "Painted Ladies", a row beautiful houses:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0395.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0395.jpg.html)

to be continued.....

[QB93Z]

We really enjoyed visiting Fisherman's Wharf. It is a vibrant bustling part of the city:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0524.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0524.jpg.html)


The line of people waiting to ride a cable car was daunting so we opted for the quick photo on one of these icons of San Francisco:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0491.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0491.jpg.html)


There are lots of tours available in San Francisco. Even though we didn't take a tour, we especially liked the niche business of a tour conducted in a real 1955 Fire Engine:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0513.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0513.jpg.html)

San Francisco is a hard city to drive in. There are a lot of bicyclists and pedestrians, and foreign tourists that are not very familiar with the normal driving conventions of American Cities. The hilly streets add to the adventure.

All things considered, we found San Francisco an enjoyable place to visit and explore. This is an unusual recommendation for us because we usually feel overwhelmed by the crowds in urban areas after being in the wilderness of the National Parks. We will be scheduling a return trip to San Francisco.

We bid farewell to the City by the Bay and crossed the Oakland Bay Bridge
http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0601.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0601.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

Our visit to San Francisco marks the end of the outbound part of our trip. I feel it is appropriate to post a picture the sums up our feelings of pride in this great nation of ours.

We have seen many sights, witnessed the splendor of nature in many ways. But the most impressive things we have seen are the efforts of the men and women who make America safe and strong.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0027.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0027.jpg.html)

Jim and Lyndi

[JFFerner]

I'm taken with some of your photos, such as those of the redwoods. The vertical images seem to go on forever and without any distortion. Special lenses? Photographers' trick?

And so it goes..Jim

[secondchance]

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0601.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0601.jpg.html)

Jim

Great pics!
Remind me to reseat your defroster grille.

[HIZNHRZ]

We continued south on US-101 and enjoyed seeing all of the giant redwood trees. We even drove thru a Redwood:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0811.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0811.jpg.html)



It is very hard to describe or photograph the magnificence of the giant redwood trees. It was like a special privilege to be in the presence of these trees...

Walked, ran, and drove through what looks like the same tree in the same park more than 15 years ago. Well said Jim and you hit the nail on the head. The magnificence of the Redwoods is hard to describe and it does feel like a privilege to be in their presence. Thanks for the beautiful pictures. Drive safe and enjoy...

[QB93Z]

On Monday morning we left Oakland and drove to east to Yosemite National Park. Since we left early in the morning, the sunrise became a pain as I drove into the sun:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0023.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0023.jpg.html)


The good news was that the traffic was much heavier going into Oakland/ SF:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0076_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0076_1.jpg.html)


The drive east was through some very prosperous looking fruit groves. We reached Yosemite with no problems and stopped to take our picture at the entrance sign. We met a nice family from Ocean City, Maryland. They had flown to SF and were planning to visit the parks we had just come from.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0271.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0271.jpg.html)

We are staying at the Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. A nice facilty with a nice view. Unfortunately, the WiFi is poor, so I will be posting slowly.

to be continued...

[QB93Z]

As we continued into Yosemite NP on CA-120, we were greeted with a beautiful vista of the valley floor:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0311.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0311.jpg.html)


We took a drive along the Yosemite Valley floor and stopped for a walk on the rocks of the Merced River:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0430.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0430.jpg.html)


Lyndi snapped this interesting pic of me driving the PurpleZ under a rock overhang:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0490.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0490.jpg.html)


Here is a morning picture of El Capitan in the center and Half Dome on the right side, (rear):

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0551.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0551.jpg.html)


Another shot of Half Dome:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0653.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0653.jpg.html)


Since we always try to get photos of the wildlife, we were pleased to get this squirrel. They are a little smaller than the squirrels we have in Maryland, and have a unique color pattern:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0862.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0862.jpg.html)


to be continued...

[QB93Z]

After a day of sightseeing and hiking, we adjourned to the bar for some dinner and a few beers. The service was great, the food was excellent, and one of the squirrels snuck in and made a quick circle of the lounge looking for tidbits:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0894.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0894.jpg.html)


We walked back to our lodge and I posed next to the large California Cedar that was right next to our patio:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0942.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0942.jpg.html)


Jim

[QB93Z]

We had tried to drive to Glacier Point on the south side of the valley but could not get there because of the crowds. The road to the Point was closed to private vehicles until some cars came down, and a ride on the shuttle bus was a long wait. So on Tuesday morning, we got underway early and drove to the Glacier Point before the crowds. On the way to the mountain, we met this deer grazing along the road side. He was not at all concerned by us watching him:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0098_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0098_1.jpg.html)


We were rewarded for our early drive by having the over-look at Glacier Point almost to ourselves. Behind Lyndi is the north wall of Yosemite Valley:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0295.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0295.jpg.html)


Here is an early morning view of Half Dome just after sunrise:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0133_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0133_1.jpg.html)


In this view you can see the Upper Yosemite Falls and the Lower Yosemite Falls and the area where our lodge is to the left of center. This time of year, in the drought conditions California is experiencing, the Yosemite Falls dry up. During our visit, there was a very tiny flow from the Upper Falls:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0262.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0262.jpg.html)


Here is another photo of Half Dome with more sun, and the smoke haze has cleared some:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0363.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0363.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

Before we left Glacier Point, we saw this Mountain Bluebird on a branch nearby:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0300.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0300.jpg.html)


Glacier Point is not very far from the Yosemite Lodge area of the valley, but the route to get there is about 30 miles:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0422.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0422.jpg.html)


Here is another picture of El Capitan from the valley floor:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0621.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0621.jpg.html)


While driving in the Park, we saw two signs warning of the danger of traffic to the bears. We found out later that each sign was placed at the location of actual car-bear collisions, and some were fatal:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0120.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0120.jpg.html)


During the previous evening and on Tuesday, we had heard a lot of helicopter traffic along the top of the north wall of the valley. We were informed that there was a small forest fire at the top of the Upper Falls. Lyndi got this shot of the helo bringing in a "bucket" of water to help cool down hot spots:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0544_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0544_1.jpg.html)

Jim

[RICKYRJ1]

Hi Jim, thanks for the updates/pics. My boys are following your trip and enjoy the pics very much. :saluting:

[QB93Z]

We left Yosemite Valley on Wednesday morning and drove across the northern part of Yosemite on CA-120, the Tioga Road, and exited to the east gate. For visitors who come and leave by the western access roads to the park are missing some interesting and beautiful parts of the of Yosemite.

At Olmstead Point, we got a nice view of Half Dome and the Yosemite Valley from the east side. The morning sun showed another facet of the unique peak:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0093_2.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0093_2.jpg.html)


Farther along the Tioga Road, we found Tenaya Lake among the pines:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0264.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0264.jpg.html)


We stopped at a smooth rock peak on the north side of the road and had fun climbing up for photos. The the rock has a very polished surface from years of glacial erosion:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0318_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0318_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0310_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0310_1.jpg.html)


The Tioga Pass crests at the Park exit gate at 9,945 feet. It is the highest pass across the Sierra Nevada Mountains:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0442_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0442_1.jpg.html)


The down hill portion of the Tioga Pass was a nice drive:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0590.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0590.jpg.html)


to be continued....

[QB93Z]

On the Eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the terrain is different than Central California. The moist air off the Pacific Ocean drops the moisture as rain and snow as it rises over the mountains, so Nevada is very arid. We stopped at Mono Lake, (pronounced 'mow-no') to see the special features along the lake shore line.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0776.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0776.jpg.html)

Mono Lake has no out flow. The only water loss results from evaporation so the salinity of the lake is 10 times "saltier" than the ocean. The combination of the high salinity and the presence of thermal springs created mineral deposits in remarkable shapes:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0903.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0903.jpg.html)


Continuing north on US-395, we crossed into Nevada and found an interesting eagle sculpture made of metal:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0510.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0510.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0562.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0562.jpg.html)


We continued on to Reno, Nevada. This was the first visit to Reno for both Lyndi and I so we took a quick tour and decided to visit the Atlantis Casino and Resort:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0648.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0648.jpg.html)

The Atlantis was very nice. Although we didn't place any bets, we did enjoy relaxing in the lounge over the highway.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0684.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0684.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Thursday, we started the east-bound portion of our trip:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0203_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0203_1.jpg.html)


I-80 runs in long straight sections across the dry, hilly areas of northern Nevada:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0210.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0210.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0130.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0130.jpg.html)


Lyndi an opportunity to get a reflection image of the PurpleZ at 85 MPH:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0184.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0184.jpg.html)


The bonus for the day for me was that I-80 in Nevada parallels the southern Pacific Railroad tracks, so we saw many trains through out the day:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0316.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0316.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[C4Ray]

Drive safely and have fun.

[QB93Z]

As we continued east on I-80 we came to Wendover, Utah:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0324.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0324.jpg.html)

Wendover is on the western edge of the Bonneville Salt Flats:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0353.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0353.jpg.html)


The Salt Flats are managed by the Department of the Interior. There is a visitor area accessible from I-80:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0417.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0417.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0437.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0437.jpg.html)


I-80 across the Salt Flats runs straight and level for miles and miles:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0552.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0552.jpg.html)

We drove past the Great Salt Lake and Salt Lake City to our destination, Park City, Utah. We will be staying at the Westgate Park City Resort for a few days:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0742_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0742_1.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

Here is the Quiz Question for the day:

What do you notice about Lyndi and I in the above post (Post # 132)?

[We Gone]

Could it be the Blue Registry shirts??

[Paul Workman]

As we continued into Yosemite NP on CA-120, we were greeted with a beautiful vista of the valley floor:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0311.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0311.jpg.html)

Here is a morning picture of El Capitan in the center and Half Dome on the right side, (rear):

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0551.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0551.jpg.html)


Another shot of Half Dome:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0653.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0653.jpg.html)

]to be continued...

Wow! You'd make Ansel Adams proud!

For those non-shutterbugs (or budding photographers) out there, Ansel Adams was a famous photographer who spent a good part of his life making a fascinating black and white photo record portrayal of the stunning scenes that is Yosemite. Breathtaking!

[Jagdpanzer]

Appears to have recently rained

[GOLDCYLON]

Registry T-Shirts

[QB93Z]

Answer to the Quiz Question. Yes, Lyndi and I both have on Blue Registry T-shirts.

Would you believe me if I said it was planned?

I didn't think so.

It was random chance from the set of shirts we each brought. All day we got looks from people from "isn't that cute?" to "Look at the dorks."

We have instituted wardrobe checks to prevent another occurrence.

Jim

[Gunny]

For the sake of a really good photo, you should both wear the maroon t-shirts & pose with the car. Weren't those the 20th anniv. shirts?

btw, dorky would be if you wore the maroon shirts & each carried a stuffed Barney (no offense, Hib)

[C4Ray]

Fyi- You can hike / climb up to the top of Half Dome! ;)

[QB93Z]

On Friday, we spent a relaxing day not driving anywhere in particular. Instead we stayed in the Park City area.

The first order of business was to wash the PurpleZ:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0040_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0040_1.jpg.html)


Then we drove a little further up the mountain to the historic district of Park City:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0117.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0117.jpg.html)


We had a nice lunch at the 412 Bistro on Main Street:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0107_2.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0107_2.jpg.html)


After a look around at some art galleries, we went to the other side on the canyon and spent the afternoon riding the Alpine Slide and the Alpine Roller Coaster. It was a blast.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0150.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0150.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0147.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0147.jpg.html)

The Park City area has several separate ski areas and in the Winter, it must be a busy, vibrant place. Even in the Summer there is a lot to do.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0160_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0160_1.jpg.html)


Jim

[QB93Z]

Park City was the site of the Alpine Events for the 2002 Winter Olympics that were held in Salt Lake City. The site has been maintained as an active training facility for the US Olympic Ski Team, the Utah Olympic Park.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0705.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0705.jpg.html)


The Utah Olympic Park is open to the public and it is an amazing facility. The Olympic Freestyle Pool is a state of the art training location:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0026.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0026.jpg.html)


There are seven different slopes and a world-class rock climbing wall:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0482.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0482.jpg.html)


The facility is also the home of The Flying Aces, a group of skiers who put on a ski jumping show at the facility and around the world. The show was well attended and we enjoyed it a lot:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0111_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0111_1.jpg.html)


The facility does not have escalators so the skiers get a workout climbing stairs for each jump:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0033.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0033.jpg.html)

to be continued.....

[QB93Z]

Here are some pictures of the skiers in action:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0613.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0613.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0402.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0402.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0399.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0399.jpg.html)


During the Show there was also a rock climbing demonstration:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0415_2.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0415_2.jpg.html)

to be continued......

[B17 Crew]

What and incredible (and educational) thread! Have been sharing it with my family just about every night. The photos of the Purple Z with the redwoods put the scale of those magnificent trees into perspective.

Have fun and safe travels.
B17 Crew
:hello:

[QB93Z]

Lyndi really showed off her photographic skills by catching the skiers in the action. In this sequence, an 8-year Olympic hopeful shows his stuff:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0257_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0257_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0258.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0258.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0259.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0259.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0260.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0260.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0261.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0261.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0264_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0264_1.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

Here is another jump sequence of a skier executing a double-double jump. That is two rotations and two twists:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0158.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0158.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0159.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0159.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0161_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0161_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0162_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0162_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0166.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0166.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0168.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0168.jpg.html)

to be continued......

[QB93Z]

After enjoying the Utah Olympic Park, we went to a shopping center near I-80 to stock up on supplies for rest of the trip.

We were pleasantly surprised to find a Mustang Car Show:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0734_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0734_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0741.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0741.jpg.html)


We returned to our resort and enjoyed the Indoor-Outdoor Pool:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0769.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0769.jpg.html)


Jim

[QB93Z]

On Sunday, we bid farewell to Park City, UT and drove southeast on US-40, heading for Steam Boat Springs, Colorado and then on to Golden, Colorado (near Denver).

South of Park City, in the early morning, we saw this interesting scene. I believe that the small stream that was making the mist was fed by a warm spring and the larger lake was cooler than the surrounding air:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0129_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0129_1.jpg.html)

The terrain of eastern Utah was rolling hills with not much vegetation. As we passed through Colorado, the landscape became more rugged and then mountainous:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0417_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0417_1.jpg.html)


We became a two Corvette caravan when we were joined by this yellow C-6:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0730.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0730.jpg.html)


We arrived in Steamboat Springs, CO around mid-day. We browsed an Art Show along the river:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0813.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0813.jpg.html)


Then we had lunch in a nice local pub:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0816_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0816_1.jpg.html)

Steamboat Springs used to be primarily known for hot springs and mineral springs. Now it is a ski town. There are many lodges and the slopes are impressive:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0832.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0832.jpg.html)

We continued south and got on I-70 to cross the Rocky Mountains. The traffic on I-70 was very slow in the east-bound direction and our arrival in Golden was delayed about an hour.

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Monday, we drove north from Golden, Colorado to Estes Park, Colorado to visit Rocky Mountain National Park. We had a good trip and enjoyed driving on Trail Ridge Road.

Unfortunately the WiFi service in our hotel is blocking data upload so I am having trouble loading pictures tonight.

I did get one picture uploaded. As we drove north on CO-119, north of I-70, we found snow on the shoulder:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0101.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0101.jpg.html)


More to follow when I can.

Jim

[WARP TEN]

I lived in Evergreen and Denver Colorado for four years when we first got married. Great state and lots of great driving. Loved Steamboat and Breckenridge. I'm curious about your trip Jim--how much of the driving does Lyndi do? I'm not sure I could get Dede to drive much if at all on a long trip like that, even in the BMW. --Bob

[QB93Z]

Hi Bob,

Lyndi does not drive the ZR-1 when we are traveling. We have an equitable arrangement. I drive and she rides.

Jim

[QB93Z]

I gave up on the Hotel WiFi and used my Verizon WiFi Hotspot.

We drove north from Golden on the mountain route to Estes Park. We stopped at the small town of Nederland, CO:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0192_2.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0192_2.jpg.html)

Nederland is a fascinating place. Some of the streets aren't paved and some of the buildings are unused, but there is a ski resort nearby and they seem to be doing OK. They have a music festival in the summer and a Frozen Dead Guy Celebration in the winter:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0185.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0185.jpg.html)

The festival celebrates winter and was started after a local resident had his cryogenically preserved uncle shipped to Nederland.


There is a nice steam power museum so we got a photo with a steam shovel that was used in construction of the Panama Canal. Why the steam shovel ended in Nederland was not revealed:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0169.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0169.jpg.html)

This sign had us wondering who the target audience is:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0197_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0197_1.jpg.html)

After we worked our way through the Colorado mountains, we reached our destination:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0319.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0319.jpg.html)

to be continued...

[QB93Z]

We spent Monday afternoon touring Rocky Mountain National Park. At one of the overlooks, there were chipmunks and birds entertaining the visitors by eating the food that the visitors are not supposed to be feeding the wild life. Lyndi caught this Clark Nutcracker in flight:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0387.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0387.jpg.html)


We drove up the Trail Ridge Road to the Alpine Visitor Center. At 11,796 feet elevation, the Visitor Center near the top of the mountain. While we were there, we were surprised by a surprise snow storm:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0582.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0582.jpg.html)

We continued on towards Grand Lake. In a meadow we were able to photograph two elk grazing:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0737_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0737_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0699.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0699.jpg.html)

We crossed the Continental Divide near Milner Pass:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0761.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0761.jpg.html)


There were many over-looks that allowed us to stop for a view and a photo:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0771.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0771.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

While we continued our visit to Rocky Mountain National Park, our travel companion, Army Man, got his photo with the mountains in the background. Army Man join us while were traveling on the Glenn Highway near Anchorage, Alaska in 2012:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0485.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0485.jpg.html)


The views from the Trail Ridge Road were amazing. The road was built from 1926 to 1932 and takes drivers to the top of the Rocky Mountains. The Trail Ridge Road is the highest continuously paved road in North America with the peak elevation of 12,183 feet:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0153.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0153.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0286.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0286.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0294.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0294.jpg.html)

As we returned to the lower elevations the pine forests were beautiful:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0509_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0509_1.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Tuesday, we returned to Rocky Mountain National Park to do some hiking and to try to see and photograph a moose. We went to Lilly Lake where Moose had been seen a few days ago. The lake was beautiful, but there were no moose:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0012_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0012_1.jpg.html)


We also visited Bear Lake:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0150_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0150_1.jpg.html)


We drove the Trail Ridge Road for a second day to see the views again and to reach some hike trailheads we were interested in. The Trail Ridge Road is the center piece of the adventure in Rocky Mountain National Park. It 53 miles of well constructed two-lane road. It is in excellent condition. On many parts of the road, one side is a sheer drop off of thousands of feet. Near the peak, the road appears to go to the sky:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0353_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0353_1.jpg.html)

Near the summit, we stopped, and I used my phone to measure the altitude:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0933.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0933.jpg.html)

Several places on the road are marked with a simple sign:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0595.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0595.jpg.html)


We hiked a trail across a meadow and reached the head waters of the Colorado River. It was fun to stand at the beginning of the river that carved the Grand Canyon:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0465.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0465.jpg.html)

Rocky Mountain National Park is a wonderful place. The beauty and grandeur of the Rocky Mountains is hard to describe. It was fascinating to spend two days at elevations of 7,500 feet and above. For a lot of our visit we were above 10,000 feet. We adapted well to the altitude and enjoyed our visit.

Jim

[WARP TEN]

Hi Bob,

Lyndi does not drive the ZR-1 when we are traveling. We have an equitable arrangement. I drive and she rides.

Jim
Pretty much my arrangement also, although in a pinch she will take over if I am too tired. --Bob

[efnfast]

Jim, how are you, Lyndi and the purple Z doing at 2 miles above sea level?

[PhillipsLT5]

As usual AWESOME Pics, unlike performance at 12,000 foot, 1 reason road in good shape, closed for winter, onto Golden for tasting at Coors?

[QB93Z]

Lyndi and I have done OK at these elevations. We have been above 7,000 feet most of the time for the last 11 days. We didn't do any strenuous hikes, though. The ZR-1 has been running fine. It pulled well on the long up grades.

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Wednesday, we left Estes Park, CO and began our trip home to Maryland. We drove east on US-34 through the Big Thompson River Canyon. If you are ever driving around the Estes Park area, I highly recommend US-34. It is about 20 miles along the river in a deep rock-wall canyon. We were greeted by two female Big Horn Sheep grazing on the roadside:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0067_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0067_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0099.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0099.jpg.html)


We turned north on I-25 and entered Wyoming:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0193.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0193.jpg.html)


As we approached Cheyenne, we saw some camels grazing in a field. We later learned that Camels were indigenous to the Wyoming area 14 million years ago.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0200.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0200.jpg.html)


We had a good time seeing the sights in Cheyenne. The Union Pacific Railroad Depot has been beautifully restored and is now a visitor center and a museum:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0337.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0337.jpg.html)


In Holiday Park, I got my picture with Union Pacific Locomotive 4004. This massive steam engine is one on eight surviving "Big Boys" that the UP had built starting in 1941:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0376.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0376.jpg.html)

to be continued....

[QB93Z]

We left Cheyenne and drove east on I-80:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0833.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0833.jpg.html)

The speed limit on I-80 is 80 mph:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0839.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0839.jpg.html)


So, my logical question is, what should the speed limit be on I-95 on the east coast? Just saying.



We crossed into Nebraska and the terrain changed to the first flat prairie we have seen in about 4 weeks:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0236_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0236_1.jpg.html)


We drove to North Platte, Nebraska and found a special version of the Sinclair Gas green dinos. This one had a saddle:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0346.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0346.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Thursday, we left North Platte before daybreak since our schedule was 528 miles for the day.

Still on I-80 East, we got to see a beautiful sunrise over the plains of Nebraska:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0016_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0016_1.jpg.html)

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0061.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0061.jpg.html)


Shortly after sunrise, the mist on the fields presented some interesting vistas:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0127.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0127.jpg.html)


When we reached Omaha we paused for some sightseeing. One of our first stops was a large fork with spaghetti:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0225_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0225_1.jpg.html)

to be continued...

[QB93Z]

We drove to Offutt Air Force Base to get a photograph of a B-52. The display plaque reads:


The Zorinsky Memorial Air Park
Dedicated to the memory of Senator Edward Zorinski, a statesman, a patriot, and a friend whose unflagging support and public spirit were essential to the success of the Strategic Air Command in maintaining world peace. Thanks to his farsighted vision and devotion to country the Strategic Air Command remains the world's most potent force for freedom.
B-52G Stratofortress
#57 - 6468
The first B-52G model delivered to the Strategic Air Command, this aircraft represents the back bone of over five decades of American strategic nuclear deterrence. It's permanent display stands as a grateful tribute to the men and women of the SAC Alert Force whose personal sacifice help keep the nation strong, free and at peace.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0210_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0210_1.jpg.html)

[QB93Z]

We went to downtown Omaha to visit the Joslyn Art Museum.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0274.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0274.jpg.html)


We were very impressed. The Joslyn Art Museums is one of the finest art museums that Lyndi has visited. The collection is extensive and the building and displays are world-class. I enjoyed getting to see a painting by one of my favorite artist; The Knitting Girl painted in 1869 by William Adolphe Bouguereau

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0343.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0343.jpg.html)


To celebrate Lyndi's birthday, we decided to have a steak dinner at Casico's Steak House in Little Italy:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0377.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0377.jpg.html)

We visited Lauritzen Garden to see two more Union Pacific historic locomotives at Kenefick Park. This is "Big Boy" 4024:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0396.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0396.jpg.html)


And this is Union Pacific Diesel Electric Locomotive 6900, the largest diesel locomotive that the UP ever built:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0386.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0386.jpg.html)

We left Omaha and continued on I-80 through Iowa to Iowa City. The terrain in Iowa was much hillier and more productive than Nebraska:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0567.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0567.jpg.html)

Jim

[QB93Z]

On Friday, we got up early again and kept on driving east. We saw another beautiful sunrise:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0034.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0034.jpg.html)


In Illinois, the landscape became flat again:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0079.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0079.jpg.html)


We stopped in Indianapolis to visit the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0140.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0140.jpg.html)


For the second day in a row we were very pleasantly surprised by an art museum. The IAM is one of the top ten general art museums in America.
Their collection on display was exceptional, especially the work of American artists. We were interested to see several very early works by European artists that had very vivid colors. Most work from the period is darker and with somber colors. An example we liked is this oil painting by Italian artist Rondinelli painted in 1500:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0349.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0349.jpg.html)


to be continued....

[QB93Z]

The main attraction for us at the Indianapolis Art Museum was the Dream Cars exhibit. Dream Cars is a traveling display of design, concept and prototype cars made by manufacturers, designers, and hobbyists. It is a wonderful collection and it is very nicely displayed. The bad news is the Dream Cars will only be on display at IAM through this weekend. Of the about twenty cars on display, my four favorite were:

1953 General Motors Firebird 1 XP21. This was a functional, gas turbine powered automobile. GM investigated the "jet" car in several different models but none were ever produced:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0156.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0156.jpg.html)


The 1936 Stout Scarab designed by William B Stout. Less than ten were produced. The vehicle was powered by rear-mounted Ford V-8. Inside the seats could be swiveled to create a living room setting.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0187.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0187.jpg.html)


The 1959 Cadillac Cyclone XP-74:

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0235.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0235.jpg.html)


The 1970 Lancia Bertone HF Zero. This Italian designed and built car was only 33 inches high. There were no doors, access was by lifting the front wind screen. There were no side or rear view windows.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0261_1.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0261_1.jpg.html)


After we left Indianapolis, we drove to Dayton, Ohio. The terrain in Ohio was flat again.

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp152/QB93Z/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0417_2.jpg (http://s407.photobucket.com/user/QB93Z/media/2015%20Northwest%20Trip/DSC_0417_2.jpg.html)


Jim

[B17 Crew]

You may be out of Ohio at this time, but if you ever have a chance, the National Museum of the US Air Force is located in Dayton. It has some incredible aircraft in its collection, such as Bockscar, one of the B-29 Superfortresses that helped end the war by dropping Fat Man on Nagasaki.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Home.aspx

B17 Crew
:hello:

[WARP TEN]

Don't you love the Big Boy and the 6900. I wish my O gauge curves could handle a Challenger! As usual, great pictures and stories. Sorry you couldn't stop and visit in Illinois. Maybe come back for Marc's barbeque Sept 20.--Bob

[G-Sting]

You may be out of Ohio at this time, but if you ever have a chance, the National Museum of the US Air Force is located in Dayton. It has some incredible aircraft in its collection, such as Bockscar, one of the B-29 Superfortresses that helped end the war by dropping Fat Man on Nagasaki.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Home.aspx

B17 Crew
:hello:

What a great photo journal of an awesome trip, Jim (QB93Z). Am enjoying it all very much…

B17 Crew makes no understatement. The Nat'l Museum of the US Air Force, is one of the best air museums in the nation -- better than the Smithsonian.

cheers,
G

[QB93Z]

Hello from Westminster, Maryland. Lyndi and I have arrived home. The Northwest trip was a great success.

32 days
9,751 miles
20 states
10 National Parks
3 National Monuments
4 State Parks
32,977 photographs

A life time of wonderful memories and a lot of places to visit again.

Jim

[Arctic91]

Welcome home, Jim!

[RIP]

Thanks for taking us along, enjoyed it immensely. It's a beautiful country we live in.

[Dynomite]

Hello from Westminster, Maryland. Lyndi and I have arrived home. The Northwest trip was a great success.

32 days
9,751 miles
20 states
10 National Parks
3 National Monuments
4 State Parks
32,977 photographs

A life time of wonderful memories and a lot of places to visit again.

Jim



Glad to see you made it back in good shape Jim :cheers:

Your Trip Documentations (and there are several) are ALL of PROFESSIONAL Quality and a BIG thanks to Lyndi for the professional photography :thumbsup:

Simply put......SUPER STUFF and just like being with you along the way...appreciate that Jim :handshak:

[Paul Workman]

Congratz on another wonderful adventure, and thanks especially for taking us along once again.

Many thanks to you and Lyndi!

[C4Ray]

Jim: What was your favorite place? Favorite city, or area? If you could move to another area of the U.S., where would it be?

[93 Vette]

Congratulations Jim and welcome home!

Matt

[QB93Z]

Jim: What was your favorite place? Favorite city, or area? If you could move to another area of the U.S., where would it be?

The favorite place for me was Mt St Helens. Anyone with any interest in how our earth has formed needs to go see Mt St Helens. The power of the forces that have shaped our landscapes is clearly evident in the area around the volcano. But the evidence is being covered by the other forces of nature: erosion and growth. In another twenty years it will be just another mountain side and flat-floored valley covered with soil and vegetation.

Lyndi's favorite place was Mono Lake on the California/Nevada border east of Yosemite. It is a relatively small sample of the workings of natural forces and man's effect on the terrain.

We found something to enjoy in every city we visited. Our favorite cities were San Francisco #1, Seattle, Omaha, Cheyenne, and Baker City, Oregon. We are already discussing a return trip to see more of Wyoming and to stay longer in SF.

We will probably not ever move. We have the great privilege to live in the town where Lyndi's family has been for 200+ years. Our house was built by Lyndi's grandfather, and we completely renovated it. It would be very hard to leave Westminster. The good news is that we enjoy traveling so we have many more trips planned.

Jim

[8cam]

Absolutely loved taking the trip with you, wonderful pictures across this incredible country. I keep showing my wife your pictures, and she's thinking about it. But we're inclined to go with an RV and spend a couple years on the road. I think it will be our 50th birthday present to ourselves, not that far away.

[Fully Vetted]

Hello from Westminster, Maryland. Lyndi and I have arrived home. The Northwest trip was a great success.

32 days
9,751 miles
20 states
10 National Parks
3 National Monuments
4 State Parks
32,977 photographs

A life time of wonderful memories and a lot of places to visit again.

Jim

And the most amazing number out of all of this is almost 33,000 pics!!! That's a 1000 pic a day average.

Wow.

[ZR-1 Franz]

Hello from Switzerland,

I think a lot of people in this forum have to say thank you very much, me too, for
sharing all these amazing pictures and for the text written to each of them.
I just read that there are a lot of them more. So one day, may be, we are
allowed to see more of them. This would be great.
Best wishes,

Franz

[B17 Crew]

Thank you for taking us all along! The photos and descriptions are very much appreciated. This is an incredible country.

I’m already looking forward to the next Purple Z Road Trip!

May all of your travels be safe.
B17 Crew
:hello:

[Tripler]

Thanks for all the pics and info . That trip was beyond epic !!! Just read about it in the Newsletter !!! Wonderful !!!
Good trouble shooting on the fuel issue also ...

;) ;) ;)

[PostmanZ]

Just went through this whole thread for the first time.....thanks for bringing it back up again. Incredible journey and incredible car. We need more of these threads

[C4Ray]

I must agree, this is a great thread.

[QB93Z]

Thank you for the nice comments. I am glad you enjoyed my travel log, Lyndi and I certainly enjoyed the trip.

Jim