California

Catalina Island

Posted on June 28, 2024 by JimG

The Casino

June 28, 2024

We woke up early and we walked to the iconic Avalon Casino building.  Although the building is called the casino, we were told that there isn’t a casino in it and never has been.  The word “casino” means gathering place.  Unfortunately, the building wasn’t open when we got there.  I found a schedule but it mentioned that opening times depended on cruise ship arrivals.

We walked around the outside of the building and I couldn’t help but notice how quiet everything was with the exception of a few small groups of scuba divers who were suiting up. As much as I would have loved to go into the building, I was enjoying the quiet morning.   The Catalina Express would be bringing in visitors, I was glad that there weren’t any cruise ships.

After our walk, we went back to the hotel, packed everything up, checked out and had them store our luggage while we got lunch.   After lunch, we headed to the pier where we hung out waiting for boat back to Long Beach.

I was surprised at the amount of wildlife, I could see plenty of fish, I spotted a sea lion along with Cormorants.   It was a nice ride back to Long Beach.

Overall, a fun weekend. Continue reading →

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Catalina Island Backcountry Tour

Posted on June 27, 2024 by JimG

June 27th, 2024

We were picked up at our hotel by Backcountry tours and was taken to see the other parts of the island.  Part of the tour was on dirt roads, I was glad that we were in an air conditioned truck as opposed to an open air vehicle.  Our guide from Backcountry tours explained that they offered a variety of services that include hauling camping gear and setting up camps for hikers that want to hike.  With the steep hills, I could see where carrying food and gear could be a challenge.

We enjoyed seeing the rest of the island and hearing about the conservation efforts.  Unfortunately, we did not get to see the Bison which were brought to island in 1924.  Fourteen American Bison were brought to the Island and now, a hundred years later, a herd of about 150 roam the island.

After our tour, our guide dropped us off at “The Lobster Trap” where we had lunch. I rarely get lobster, but decided to have the lobster roll. I wasn’t disappointed. Continue reading →

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Catalina Island

Posted on June 26, 2024 by JimG

The Casino

June 26, 2024

I haven’t been to Catalina since the early 90s.  At the time, I was living in Long Beach which is one of the locations that the Catalina Express boats go in and out of.   We got up, headed to Pann’s for breakfast and then headed to Long Beach to catch our 11:15 boat.  We made good time which allowed me to drive by my old apartment and reminisce.  I had moved to Long Beach for work.   I loved my job, I loved my apartment and have very fond memories from that time.   I have always said that if I could go back and relive a time, that time period would be at the top of my list.

I had purchased a package deal from the Aurora hotel which included the transportation to and from the island, the taxi from the pier as well as a tour of the Island. When I called the hotel to book the package, I was impressed with how friendly and helpful they were.  Overall, I felt the room and the bathroom were small but we had an ocean view and it was only for a couple of nights.   I would definitely stay there again!

The Wrigley Family bought the back in 1919. This is the same Wrigley family that owned Wrigley field along with the Chicago Cubs.  It is hard to imagine the amount of money that this family made off of chewing gum.  At any rate, the family is still owned by the Wrigley family and is known for its wildlife and scuba diving.

When we arrived, we noticed that Avalon was crowded with lines almost everywhere.  I knew that a lot of people will go to Catalina for the day and there was a huge cruise ship parked off of the pier.  I wondered if it was going to remain as crowded as it was.   As we headed out to dinner, we noticed that the cruise ship was leaving and the crowds had dissipated. Continue reading →

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The Lost Jedi-diah

Posted on October 17, 2023 by JimG

Tuesday, October 17th 2023

The weather was better the following day and we wanted to go back to Crescent City and Jedidiah to do some additional exploring and hiking.   Although the weather was cool, it was a beautiful day with beautiful scenery and Jedidiah had a different feel with the sun.

We started with driving along the ocean, stopping in and around Crescent city to appreciate the coast line.   We actually ran into our tour guide from the day before when wet stopped at one of the beaches.   We then headed back into Jedidiah Redwoods state park.

A couple of years back, I had pulled a page out of a “Visit California” magazine that had an article called “A Geek’s Guide to California”, there was a picture of a man standing in a Redwood Grove looking up with a smaller picture below with had George Lucas,  next to Princess Leah, Chewbacca, Hans Solo, C3PO and R2D2 with redwood trees behind them.  The article talked about the Sci-Fi movies that had been filmed in the area.

It wasn’t there to find the exact places where E.T. finally went home or the areas that served as also served as the moon of Endor, home of the Ewoks in the Return of the Jedi, the scenes in Jurassic Park: The Lost World, but it made me want to explore it even more. Continue reading →

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Ultimate Redwood Experience – Crescent City and Jedidiah State Park

Posted on October 16, 2023 by JimG

October 16th, 2023

I woke up and it was raining.  I was hoping by the time our tour started, the rain would let up but it hadn’t.  I had booked the Ultimate Redwood Experience from the redwood Sightseeing Tour Company and when met our tour guide met us in Crescent City, CA, I could tell he was hoping that we would postpone until the following day.  We had made the half hour drive from Brookings, OR to Crescent City, CA and we were the only ones on this Group Tour and I wanted to spend the following day exploring on my own and we were visiting a rain forest.

We made a few stops around crescent City and then we headed into Jedidiah State Park. I was a bit confused because I had seen it listed as a State Park as well as a National Park.  The guide explained that it was comanaged by the National Park Service and California State Parks as are other Redwood Parks in the area.

It is difficult to describe the experience.  The trees are 300 feet tall and thousands of years old, it makes you feel small and yet part of something bigger. The air is fresh and earthy, it felt healthy to be breathing it.   The grove is shaded, leaving plants that can grow in limited light, it is eerily quiet with no birds and surprisingly, no bugs. Continue reading →

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The Legend of Bigfoot

Posted on October 15, 2023 by JimG

October 15th. 2023

We continued heading north towards Brookings, Oregon.  The 101 also known as the Redwood Highway, travels through the redwood forests and at times, along the Pacific Coast. The drive is stunning.

We came across a road stop called The Legend of Bigfoot in Garberville. It looked too fun not to stop!  We were in Bigfoot territory and I was enjoying it. I grew listening to Bigfoot and Loch Ness monster stories – I am a fan of urban legends and loved the X-Files.  I was  hoping to see Bigfoot and capturing footage on my camera. Unfortunately, the wooden carvings of Bigfoot was the only thing that I captured on my camera!

Overall, a fun stop filled with touristy stuff that is fun to looked at.  They also had redwood carvings of Bigfoot  along with Smokey the Bear, Shrek, and a variety of garden gnomes both for display and for sale. I checked out the refrigerator magnets, coffee mugs, and t-shirts.   I picked up a spoon rest and coffee mug and after I left, I hoped that we would pass it on the way back home so that I could stop and pick up a 2024 Redwoods calendar and a refrigerator magnet!

Continue reading →

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Avenue of the Giants – Humboldt State Park

Posted on October 15, 2023 by JimG

October 15th, 2023

We stopped at the Visitors Center for the Avenue of the Giants in the Humboldt Redwoods Sate Park.  We were driving through the park but also wanted to do some hiking.   As we headed into the visitors center, they had information about Redwood trees saying that they had been around since the time of dinosaurs and that they can live over 2,0000 years old.   Some of the areas along the Avenue had never been logged.

There was a cross section of a redwood with plaques showing the rings that were in the 12002, 1300s and so on.  It really drove home the point that these trees were old and if my grandparents had driven down this avenue, they would have been looking at some of the same trees.

The woman at the visitors center gave us maps and suggestions on where to stop and where to hike. She was very helpful and every time I had a question, she would open a drawer and pull out a piece of paper with additional information.  I guess they get the same questions over and over again.   She suggested that we start with the Gould Grove Nature loop which would take us down to the river.  We headed out and had a great hike. Continue reading →

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Medocino Botanical Gardens

Posted on October 14, 2023 by JimG

October 14, 2023

We were staying in Ukiah which is along the 101 Freeway which is inland.   We decided to head to the Coast and used CA State Route 20 to cross over to Fort Brag and then headed south to Mendocino where we found a botanical gardens.  When I reviewed my pictures from that day, I realized that there were very few pictures of the gardens but a lot of pictures of the coast.  In fairness to the gardens, it is fall, there isn’t a lot that is in bloom with the exception of the Dahlias.

When I left, I realized that we spent a lot more time than I had expected.  I really enjoyed sitting and just looking at how wonderful nature can be.   A lot of people think of California as being warm sandy white beaches when the majority of our coast line is anything but that. Continue reading →

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The Skunk Train, Willits, CA

Posted on October 13, 2023 by JimG

Friday, October 13th, 2023

All aboard the Pumpkin Express!   What a way to celebrate fall and Halloween by taking the Skunk Train through the redwood groves!   During the month of October, the Wolfe Tree Turn is renamed to the Pumpkin Express and as an added extra, we got Halloween candy and got to take a pumpkin home with us.

I had heard about the Skunk Train in a Visit California magazine.  It looked interesting offering different rides on different routes along with different themes.  They also had rail bikes that looked fun but I decided to stick with the train ride.

The Skunk Train website had quite a bit of history, the railroad was installed in the 1800s to haul redwood lumber to Fort Bragg as well as transport workers.   In the early 1900’s the steam engines were replaced with motorcars that used gasoline powered cars and used crude oil stoves to heat passenger cars.   The people along the line said that you could smell the train before you could see it and nicknamed the train, “The Skunk Train”.   Eventually, the lines became part of the California Railroad. Continue reading →

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On the Road – Pea Soup Andersen’s

Posted on October 12, 2023 by JimG

Oct 12, 2023

If you have taken a road trip between Los Angeles and San Francisco, you would have seen the signs for Pea Soup Andersen’s.  I remember seeing the signs the first time I drove up the 101 decades ago.   I am not a fan of pea soup, so I never stopped but a few years back, a couple of friends mentioned that the food is actually pretty good and not only is their pea soup wonderful, their fried chicken is delicious.  We  decided to give it a try and we loved it.

There are two locations, the original is off of the 101 and the second location is off the 5 freeway so it doesn’t matter if we are taking the 101 or the 5 freeway, we always plan on stopping. This was the first time I went to the one in Santa Nella and I was glad to see that it was almost identical to the one in Buellton, complete with the windmill, Danish bakery and gift shop. Continue reading →

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