July 20, 2021
We began our "Lewis & Clark & Kleimon & Kleimon Expedition" with a noneventful Lyft ride to the ATL airport, and then had our uneventful flight to Spokane, WA.
After a delicious lunch next to the famous "meet me at the fireplace" in the Palm Grille.
We also were able to see Fort Hood, Fort Adams and Fort Jefferson.
Back on the Harmony, I worked out while Rob napped. Our 5:30 Happy Hour became a ritual where I met up with Rose, Sheila, Bea, and Virginia. We all enjoyed another delicious dinner and then the entertainment, Trio.
Trains so to Spokane and Boise to then move the cargo to various parts of the USA. Trains can be as long as 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 miles long which we would never see on the east coast.
July 26, 2021 - Astoria
Sacajawea (over 18 different pronunciations) aka Janey, Bird Woman left the expedition with Jean Baptiste and her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau. She eventually returns with her son and a daughter to Clark for him to raise as Clark has promised her. He raises the son, and the daughter, Lizette, apparently dies after age 3. Jean Baptiste leaves Clark for St Louis Academy, primarily because Clark's wife doesn't want him in their home. Sacajawea moves on with Charbonneau to a South Dakota Trading Post where she dies of "putrid fever" at age 25 in 1812. She is also reported to have suffered from gonorrhea. Her husband remarried at age 86 to a 14-year-old. He dies at age 88.
July 29 - Oregon Coast
Next, we went a few more miles down the road to Sea Lions' Cave where we saw over 120 sea lions lounging on rocks and another 60 in the underground cave. We also saw several peregrine falcons.
Back in the day, people would just say "meet me at the fireplace" and folks would know to go to this particular fireplace. 
We then walked around this neat old town, visited Riverfront Park, and then returned to our room, where Rob rested and I explored this lovely historic site. We had a lovely dinner at the famous Peacock Grill - delicious calamari, coconut shrimp, and a fabulous old-fashion.
July 21, 2021
After taking our Covid antigen tests, we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and observed how very organize American Cruise Lines appears to be. We drove for a couple of hours past never-ending wheat fields to Clarkston, Washington, on the Snake River, where we boarded the beautiful ACL Harmony to our VERY large Cabin 226.
At lunch, we met the greatest group of four ladies traveling together. Virginia, Sheila, Rose, and Bea were absolutely delightful! We set sail and immediately met our historian, Todd Weber, who truly MADE this cruise FANTASTIC. He began our trip by explaining that we would be going through eight locks throughout our journey. We started at 725 feet above sea level and would drop to 625 feet going through the first lock, Lower Granite. All of the locks are free to the user. The tax on diesel fuel is used to pay for these Corps of Engineer locks. This first lock was build in 1972 and was the last lock build because of environmental laws. We passed through this lock around 1700 hours.
The primary concern seems to be salmon survival where thousands of dollars are spent. Salmon are born in freshwater, then travel to saltwater, and eventually return to freshwater to spawn. While they lay approximately 5,000 eggs, but only 2 - 3 will survive.
We also learned about why wheat is grown here. First of all, wheat grows great here because of the volcanic ash from all the volcanoes that blow west to east. Over 30 ft of ash is on the ground which helps to grow over 22,000 acres of wheat. Wheat needs 95 days of growing time, where corn needs 120 - 135 days. Over 5,200 acres of apples are grown. Any type of grape can be grown in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Unfortunately, this area is suffering from a 20-year
drought. Basalt, volcanic rock, covers this area and is roughly the size of Texas. The dams and locks along this river are placed to cover up rapids. Unfortunately, Lewis & Clark had to deal with the rapids and waterfalls.
drought. Basalt, volcanic rock, covers this area and is roughly the size of Texas. The dams and locks along this river are placed to cover up rapids. Unfortunately, Lewis & Clark had to deal with the rapids and waterfalls.
After a wonderful dinner, we went to Todd's presentation on the tools, arms, and accouterments used by Lewis & Clark.
July 22, 2021
Today we'll be docking at Richland, Washington on the Columbia River. Our excursion this morning is to The Reach Museum in Richland, WA. Unbeknownst to us, this was home to the Plutonium Plant of the Manhattan Project. HEW -Hanford is 586 sq miles used to produce plutonium for the bomb "Fat Boy" that brought an end to WWII. In 1943, all of the residents in White Bluffs and Hanford were evacuated within 30 days. The War Department began recruiting workers and building facilities to extract plutonium for atomic weapons. Of the 51,000 employees, only 1% of the workers actually knew that they were producing an atomic bomb. They knew they were making a contribution to the war. After WWII production continued with the Cold War . Reactor N was a dual-purpose reactor that produced plutonium and steam for electricity. N was closed in 1987. Today, the mission is clean up.
The afternoon excursion was to the Sacajawea State Park. Sacajewa was the interpreter for the Lewis & Clark Expedition, along with her French husband and infant son.
July 23, 2021
We began our day with Todd's presentation as we cruised beside the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range. This area receives between 25 - 100 inches of rain per year. Cherries, pears, apples and grapes are the main crops.
Lewis gathered over 50,000 pounds of equipment which the crew moved constantly 10 - 40 miles each day. They traveled 90 miles on the Missouri alone. Lewis actually began his journey in Pittsburgh, PA on the Allegheny River. Lewis was the optimist, and Clark was practical. Lewis frequently used the word "mortified" and was very frustrated when his boat wasn't ready. So, he purchased his dog, "Seaman", a very large Newfoundland. Lewis wrote to his former Army pal, William Clark, to invite him to join him, and Clark agrees. The expedition was also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition. On August 31,1803, they set off on the Ohio River, but the river is too dry, so they purchased two pirogue boats to transfer the goods from the large boat. On September 1, 1803, they finally push out and went three miles to Bruno Island where they were invited for a meal. One of the people questioned Lewis about his gun, and he accidentally hit a niece in the head. Fortunately, the wound was not fatal.
Seaman spotted squirrels migrating across the Ohio River. He eventually brought back 30 squirrels, so the expedition had squirrels for dinner!
While at the Ohio Falls, Lewis hires a pilot when his boat needs repairs. While at Clarksville, Clark's home, the two captains meet. They hire the rest of the recruits. Clark also bring his servant, York. As they travel along the Ohio River, two more guides are hired, one a part Shoshone Indian, and another George Druard, who was great at sign language. As they neared to Ohio and Mississippi River at St Louis, they hired French Voyagers for navigating the boat. Along the journey, Clark, and the dog Seaman, were tortured by the mosquitoes.
May 1484, at the mouth of the Missouri River, Thomas Jefferson gave Lewis & Clark a list of things to do:
- Route a passage through the northwest to the Pacific Ocean
- Relationship with the Indians
- Geology discoveries
- Mastedon remains
- Blue eyed oblong Indians
- Lost Tribes of Israel
- Mtn of glass
- Lake of salt
- Lake of whiskey
Sioux City, Iowa - Twenty-one year old, Sgt Floyd, 21 years old, at 3:00 PM on August 17, 1804, passed away. Evidence pointed to a ruptured appendix. He was the only fatality of the expedition.
Lincoln, Nebraska - "barking squirrels" - prairie dogs perplexed the expedition, so they flooded out holes to capture a prairie dog that eventually traveled back. to the US Capitol.
Confrontational river - "bad river" where the expedition confronted the Teton Sioux, especially "Black Buffalo Chief" and they talk, and later demand that the expedition must pay a toll which consists of the large boat and all of its contents. They called Clark "long arm" and Lewis, "long eyes". Lewis and Clark eventually tell the Teton Sioux that they are not paying them anything and leave!
Fort Mandam, North Dakota - Patrick Gass builds the fort. Lewis & Clark hire Touchant Charbough, as a guide/interpreter, along with is wife, Sacajawea, a Shoshone (salmon eater) who later delivers a baby boy, Jean Baptiste, with the aide of rattlesnake tail tea (later it was discovered that this has the same chemical compound as pitocin) within 10 minutes.
April 7, 1805 - the Return Party goes back to the US Capitol. However, the two pirogues continue up the Missouri to Great Falls, five falls, but they had to portage for 17 miles on a canoe trailer. At one point they endured a hail storm that actually bruised and bloodied the men. Lewis attempted to put together an "iron works" boat that was 4-1/2 ft wide, 35 ft long and 2-1/2 ft high. He used 28 elk hides and 4 Bison to cover the shell, but it did not work. Instead, he used the wooden boats that Clark had Gass made.
Three Forks, MT. Sacajawea starts to suck on her fingers because this is where she was kidnapped at age 7 or 8. Campt Fortunate is where her family now lived. He gives the wom gifts. Sacajawea is recognized and the Shoshones are starving. Lewis & Clark needed horses so they wanted to trade. The Chief and Sacajawea both realize that she is her long lost sister. He gives Lewis & Clark 40 horses.
AT 1:30 we took a bus to a cute little town of Hood River and walked around. I purchased a hysterical dish towel and two blouses in a cute shop, Dream Street Boutique.
July 24, 2021
We enjoyed breakfast with "the girls" and then continued to enjoy the great scenery along the way. We sailed past the Google Headquarters where "the cloud" is located close to the Columbia River for cooling and quiet. We passed an area wherein 2017 a couple of teenage boys set off fireworks which burned down acres and acres of trees. Part of their sentence required that they plant trees for the rest of their lives.
Lewis & Clark camped out on a rock in the middle of the Columbia River Gorge and realized that the current was flowing from the Pacific Ocean, so they knew that they were getting closer to the ocean.
Bonneville Dam Excursion - as we were driving to the dam, we passed the Post Office at the Cascade Locks, where hikers on the Pacific Coast Trail have care packages sent. We drove over the Bridge of the Gods to see the two Bonneville Dams. We drove past Native American Fishing Camps that were granted to them in the 1855 treaty. It was sad how the Native Americans neglect their land here. The Bonneville Dam was very fascinating. It is a massive dam and provides power for a huge amount of land.
ers were full of fish. The salmon are chipped with the date and dam where they were released, as well as their second top fin removed by laser. Fishermen can catch two of these "chipped" fish per day; however, the fishermen must release the other "stronger" salmon.
After dinner, we enjoyed fabulous 60s music.
July 25, 2021
This morning as we cruised the Columbia River, we resumed our fascinating Lewis & Clark presentations.
It is now late September 1805, and Lewis and Clark crossed the Continental Divide in three weeks. During this time, they found hot springs, as well as got snowed on. Old Toby, the Shoshone guide got them lost, but eventually found a prairie and the Nez Perce Indians. Wat-c-we, a squaw sees Lewis & Clark and tries to help them. The food they were given creates awful intestinal gas. The Nez Perce help them build canoes, so the Expedition leaves their horses behind. They travel the rapids of the Snake and Columbia Rivers for 145 miles. They camped on what is now Runway #5 of the Portland Airport. It is early November and they are traveling about 40 miles a day.
They construct Fort Clatsop, and they will "winter" here from December 25, 1805 - March 23, 1806. It was a miserable time. the Willamette River runs through Oregon. The Walla Walla Indians are near a confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers (today Highway 12 runs from Clearwater to Bitterroot). Lewis and Clark mentioned in their journals that the Nez Perce Indians were "noble" since that gave them two of the tools that the Expedition had left behind. They attempted to cross the mountains, even though the natives had told them not to, but it was too snowy so they returned back to the Nez Perce for a month. Once they proceeded, the two Indian guides stopped because they were in Blackfeet territory, where they wouldn't travel. At this point, Lewis and Clark split. Clark goes up the Yellowstone River and Lewis takes hunter up the Marias River toward Glacier National Park to Camp (not Cape) Disappointment. Eight Blackfeet came into the camp on July 26, 1806. The Expedition awoke to see the Blackfeet stealing rifles and horses. Rubin kills one Indian, and Lewis tries to defend himself against an Indian, but eventually kills the Indian. From then on, the Blackfeet hate all Anglos. The Expedition travels 120 miles in 32 hours. They travel 50 miles, rest, and repeat until they reach the river. On an island, they see elk so they stop to kill elk for food. Lewis gets shot in the butt by a 54 caliber bullet shot accidentally by Pierre Crussant. Lewis and Clark missed their rendezvous by 12 - 16 hours, which is remarkable! There is only one actual marking of where Lewis and Clark traveled and it is located at Pompeii (near Billings) MT. Nineteen-year-old Sacajawea and her husband now leave the group. William Clark felt bad that Sacajawea didn't get enough for all her hard work, so he writes that when her infant son, Jean Baptiste, is weaned, Clark will raise him. As they traveled on, Black Buffalo tries to stop the Expedition again. Lewis & Clark thump three times on the canoe, which is a defiant gesture, and Black Buffalo does the same. Note: Two bodies are found in Sgt Floyd's grave. One of the Chief's son died so the Indians buried him with Sgt Floyd. March 1806, they saw the cows in the same area that they saw cows on the departure, so they salute the cows. September 23, 1806 - the Expedition arrives back home looking quite scruffy.
Our excursion today leads us to Mt. St. Helens where the weather is gloriously sunny - a true rarety!
We docked in lovely Astoria, a town of about 10,000 people and 300 historic homes. In 1718, the town was first discovered by Captain Gray, but not truly established until 1811 by John Astor. His party created a fur-trading outpost which became the first permanent US settlement west of the Rocky Mounts. By 1898, there were 30 bars/brothels, six breweries, six wineries, and the home of Bumble Bee Tuna. Sea Captains captured people to work on ships. The Columbia River at Astoria is often called the "Graveyard of the Pacific." The Astoria-Megler Bridge is the longest free-standing bridge on the West Coast at 4.067 miles long. In 1922, a fire burned most of the town down. The Dough Boys Monument is the only restroom on the Historic Register.
On our bus ride to Fort Clatsop, we spotted black-tailed deer and elk, but I kept noticing the "Tsunami Warning" signs which unnerved me! Fort Clatsop was built around December 7, 1805, and was the winter encampment for the Corps of Discovery from December 1805 to March 1806. During their 112 days here, they only had 12 days with no rain and six days of sunshine. It is the only place on the trail that you are actually walking in the footsteps of Lewis & Clark.
William Clark was the Indian Chancellor. He was good with "relationships" and early in his military career was Lewis' commanding officer. During the winter encampment, the expedition made over 330 pairs of moccasins.
Oregon lumber is valued all over the world because the trees are filled with pitch, unlike the East Coast trees that are filled with water. We learned about the "Whispering Giants" located throughout the US. These tributes to Native Americans are wood sculptures created by Peter Wold Toth, a Hungarian-born sculptor, and are in every state, as well as Ontario and Manitoba. He uses a hammer and chisel, after consulting with the local tribes. The first one in the Pacific Northwest was created from a white fir.
Our afternoon excursion was also led by Dedra, an amazing local tour guide as we traveled to Cape Disappointment. This area gets quite foggy at the confluence of the Pacific (Spanish - Pacifico - calm) Ocean and the Columbia River because the ocean is cold and the land is warm. We learned about the oldest lighthouse - North Head Lighthouse built in 1851.
We were fortunate enough to spot a glorious bald eagle!
July 27, 2021 - Day on the River
Continuation of Todd's Talk:
1806 - All the members of the expedition receive double pay and the enlisted receive 160 acres, while the officers receive 2400 acres. Lewis becomes the Governor of Upper Louisiana. For one year he parties and travels while his understudy, Mr. Bates, takes charge in St. Louis. At this point, Lewis is beginning to really show mental imbalance, at the time called "melancholy" or as we would know depression. He stormed into his office and said, "Bates, you're in my chair," which created a tension that never was resolved. The expedition budget was $2,500 yet it actually cost $50,000. His last check was written to his dog, Seaman, for $450.00 and caused Lewis to get into a lot of trouble. In October 1809, Lewis traves back to Washington, DC as a functioning alcoholic with syphilis. He called another fellow a "rascal" (huge negative accusation)! Lewis travels on to Ft Pickering where everyone said he was simply crazy - probably he suffered from Bipolar Disorder. He asked his friend, CPT Stoddard to give him a horse, $200, and weapons. With these supplies, he decides to ride to Washington, DC. His first stop is at a Holenwolde, TN boarding house run by Mrs. Grider. She stated that "He started ranting and raving like a Philadelphia lawyer." Oct 11, 1809, Lewis asks his traveling partner for his guns, and later, two shots were fired at 2:00 AM, which struck Lewis. He lasted until 5:00 AM, where at 35 years old, Lewis died. Jefferson wrote to Clark that the demons finally overtook Lewis. Meriwether Lewis is buried in Holenwolde, TN. His dog, Seaman, is reported to laid on his master's grave, refusing water and food, and died two weeks later. Rev Timothy Alden found a collar that supposedly belonged to Seaman.
William Clark becomes the chief of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in St. Louis. He marries his cousin, Harriet Radford and has a son who he names Meriwether Lewis Clark. His first wife dies and he then marries Julia Hancock. Clark dies of natural causes at age 68 and is buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery, St. Louis.
York, the slave, initially receives nothing for his services for the Corps of Discovery, but eventually earns his freedom. Apparently, York provided his "genetic material" to many Indian Tribes, including the Mandans. He "jumped the broom" or married another slave. His records were not kept, but stories support that he eventually went out west to help the Crow Nation, then eventually died in 1832 of chlorea.
Sacajawea (over 18 different pronunciations) aka Janey, Bird Woman left the expedition with Jean Baptiste and her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau. She eventually returns with her son and a daughter to Clark for him to raise as Clark has promised her. He raises the son, and the daughter, Lizette, apparently dies after age 3. Jean Baptiste leaves Clark for St Louis Academy, primarily because Clark's wife doesn't want him in their home. Sacajawea moves on with Charbonneau to a South Dakota Trading Post where she dies of "putrid fever" at age 25 in 1812. She is also reported to have suffered from gonorrhea. Her husband remarried at age 86 to a 14-year-old. He dies at age 88.
Jean Baptiste becomes a fur trader. During his career, he befriended Prince Paul of Rottenburg, Germany, and eventually travels to the palace, where he remains for 6 years. During this time he learns 10 different languages. A researcher of Prince Paul, Monica Furla, finds records in 1998 of a baby being born to Jean Baptiste. Eventually, he returns to St Louis but then disappears for two years. He reappears in 1847 in Santa Fe and meets Kit Carson. He serves in the Mexican America War for California. Records indicate that he marches with the Mormans to California from Nevada. He and Kit Carson guide the Mormons. From 1848 - 1849 he was involved in the California Gold Rush. For 16 years he was the front desk clerk at the Orleans Hotel in Auburn, California. In 1866, he caught a cold that developed into pneumonia, and he died at age 61.
Patrick Gass - 1771 0 1870 - lived to be 99 years old attributed his longevity to never drinking water. He reenlists in the US Army and served during the War of 1812. Blind in one eye, he still manages a brewery at 60 years old. In 1861, while building a barn, he sees 17-year-old Maria Hamilton. Although her parents disagree, they elope and eventually have 7 children. In 1846 Maria dies of complications of measles. In 1861, at age 90, Gass wants to be in the Civil War, but he's turned down!
Last Q&A with Todd:
Lewis & Clark enjoyed red meat with lots of fat!
Hood River was previously called Dog River.
Boats can "park" free in Astoria, but on the Columbia River they must pass $3,000 - $5,000 per day
Main water source - Mt. Hood. There are over 60 waterfalls in Oregon from Mt. Hood.
Seaman was dog napped around Bonneville. Lewis told George, and his men, to find his dog or burn the town down. The dog was tied up, and the Indians say they don't know how Seaman got there. Fortunately, the dog was returned without incident.
The area around Portland, Forrest Hills, has the largest (5,000 acres) greenspace in any major US city.
Our "last supper" included Surf and Turf, which was enjoyed with "The Gang" followed by a patriotic salute to the military.
Many thanks to American Cruise Line for an absolutely amazing Lewis and Clark expedition tour!
July 28, 2021 - Portland, Oregon
We said farewell to the beautiful Harmony, crew, and fellow passengers around 0800 hours. In front of the Red Lion Hotel, we got our Lyft to Enterprise where we received a sleek 2021 black Dodge Charger. As advised by so many, we hastily departed Portland, a city now filled with a homeless situation that is heartbreaking. We drove over to the coast to pick up Pacific Coast Highway 101 where we began our Kleimon & Kleimon expedition, traveling to places we had never seen. Our first stop was Newport where we had a delicious lunch thanks to Nadine Weber's recommendation at Mo's. The seafood was fresh and delicious - clam chowder, crab cakes, and halibut. Afterward, we crossed a neat bridge to visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Our favorite exhibits were the bird actuary and sea otters.
Our drive along the Oregon Coast was spectacular! We passed numerous State Parks - Driftwood, Lost Creek, Tillican, etc. on our way to the Adobe Resort in Yachats. Note - you CANNOT pump your own gasoline in the state of Oregon. Gas was $3.63 a gallon, but thankfully, our sleek Dodge was getting great gas mileage! Dinner at the Adobe Lounge was mesmerizing as we watched whales while the sunset. AMAZING!!!!!
Woke up this morning to the sounds of ocean waves crashing and seabirds chattering. Due to Covid, we had a "breakfast picnic" in our room. On the road again, we drove only 13 miles to our next destination, Heceta Head Lighthouse. While I walked towards the Pacific to get a better shot at " one of the most photographed lighthouses" in the US. While waiting in the car, Rob spotted a huge bald eagle!
We drove over several historic bridges and thru a historic tunnel.
July 30, 2021 - Crater Lake
After a delicious breakfast of "Toad in the Hole" - a fried egg on Franz's 9-grain bread - we drove to Crater Lake. 
It is the deepest fresh water lake in the US - 1,943 ft, 6.02 miles across with 4.9 trillion gallons of water. It was created when Mt. Mazama (not an extinct volcano) erupted. It filled when centuries of rain and snowfall - 533 inches of snow annually.
Why is Crater Lake's water so blue? The longer wave lengths of sunlight - red, yellow and green - are absorbed by the water. Blue is not absorbed by the water well. It strikes the water, is scattered, and redirected back from the lake depths to our eyes. The Rim Drive around the lake is 33 miles. From there, we drove to Crescent City, CA crossing the Rogue River multiply times. We drove through Whitebark Pines in various stages of decline due to a fungus imported from France in 1910. This non-native fungus was shipped to a landowner in B.C., Canada. The fungus travels short distances on wind via microscopic spores infecting all pines that have five needles per bundle. "White pine blister rust" and the pine beetles also contribute to the decline of these trees. As we neared our next destination, we drove through a beautiful Redwood Forest on Highway 199. We spent the evening at the Oceanview Inn and Suites, and enjoyed a fabulous seafood dinner at The Good Harvest.
Why is Crater Lake's water so blue? The longer wave lengths of sunlight - red, yellow and green - are absorbed by the water. Blue is not absorbed by the water well. It strikes the water, is scattered, and redirected back from the lake depths to our eyes. The Rim Drive around the lake is 33 miles. From there, we drove to Crescent City, CA crossing the Rogue River multiply times. We drove through Whitebark Pines in various stages of decline due to a fungus imported from France in 1910. This non-native fungus was shipped to a landowner in B.C., Canada. The fungus travels short distances on wind via microscopic spores infecting all pines that have five needles per bundle. "White pine blister rust" and the pine beetles also contribute to the decline of these trees. As we neared our next destination, we drove through a beautiful Redwood Forest on Highway 199. We spent the evening at the Oceanview Inn and Suites, and enjoyed a fabulous seafood dinner at The Good Harvest.
July 31, 2021 - National Redwood Park
We met our Redwood Sightseeing Tours group at the Best Western. Our guide, Mike, was incredible!
Robert Hicks picked us up, and brought us back to our Home, Sweet Home. We're grateful our amazing Lewis & Clark & Kleimon & Kleimon Expedition!
We drove to the Jedidah Smith State Park, one of the five parks in the National Redwood Forrest. We traveled to see the Hollowed Hill Giant, one of the tallest Redwoods at 340 ft.
In the forest, we also saw Sitka Spruce, Hemlock, Douglas Fir, Sword fern, Madrone trees, Thimbleberry, Blackberries, Salmon Berries, and of course, lots of mammoth Redwoods. Mike explained how trees live as a community, holding up to 500 gallons of water each, and how the trees share their nutrients, especially if the tree is preparing to die, in which case it gives up all of its nutrients. We hiked over to Mill Creek and the Smith River where we saw fish.
Later we watched kids jumping off rocks into the Smith River. Sadly, our fascinating tour was over and we continued our coastal drive. Along the 101, a herd of elk crossed the road. We had seen the "Elk" signs everywhere, but no elk, until then. We also experienced a few traffic delays due to rock slides/road slides on the 101, which we had also seen signs for along the road. Now, in California, gas was $4.79 per gallon. Glad, once again, for our little Dodge. After checking into the Riverwalk Hotel in Fortuna, we enjoyed a lunch/dinner at the Eel River Brewery Company with live music. Tonight, we went to bed early, grateful for the glorious, sunny, yet comfortable weather.
August 1, 2021 - California coast to Sausalito
Drove from Fortuna to Saulsalito - four hours along the Pacific Coast Highway 101, this section called The Redwood Highway, through the Humboldt Forrest. The scenery was postcard picture every where we glanced. There are NO signs on this freeway indicating places to eat, and after one failed attempt in Eureka, we finally pulled into a little town and dined at a McDonalds. Actually, we had breakfast for lunch, and the oatmeal was quite tasty. The only place the traffic was a bit heavy was at the Sonoma/Napa interchange, otherwise, we have had NO traffic. We arrived in Sausalito around 2:30, checked into Hotel Sausalito, settled Rob for a nap, and I went off to explore this charming city.
On my explorations, I walked to Spinnaker's to make reservations, which was over-booked, but the kind receptionist worked us in at 7:30 PM. We walked to dinner, enjoyed a gorgeous sunset, and were entertained by the adorable seals right next to our window at the restaurant.
August 2, 2021 - Muir Woods/San Mateo
Happy Birthday, Barb Tricomi! After a fantastic breakfast at Poggios, we loaded up the car and set off for Muir Woods. Again, we had "Chamber of Commerce" weather as we strolled through the gorgeous Redwoods.
We drove across the Golden Gate Bridge remarking about the lack of a toll, only to receive a $10.00 charge from Enterprise a couple of weeks later! Apparently, as you cross the bridge, a camera takes a picture of your license plate and bills you. Who knew? Anyway, we checked into the Best Western in San Mateo, so we could be close to the airport. I worked out, Rob napped, and then we drove into the little town and enjoyed our final "fresh seafood" meal on the West Coast. After dinner, we walked over to Coldstones for an ice cream dessert. We repacked our suitcases for tomorrow's flight home.
August 3, 2021 - San Francisco to Atlanta
All good things must come to an end. By this time, I had driven over 1,000 miles with no problems. Then, the journey from San Mateo to the airport seemed to encompass everything that could do wrong! Luckily, we had left REALLY early for our 1:00 pm flight, so two Waze's directions later, we arrived at Enterprise to return our sleek Dodge Charger. That car really served us well. We only used two tanks of gas, it was easy to park, and fun to drive. As always, the San Francisco Airport had lots of interesting sights to include a "Yoga Room"
and NO plastic water bottles. I am now the proud owner of a recyclable aluminum water bottle. The flight home was uneventful, which is exactly how we wanted to end our journey.
