On the Road with Joe and Jill

December 27, 2009 ~ RENO and LAKE TAHOE

JILL — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:23:00 GMT

We had a little time off over the Thanksgiving weekend so we took a trip to Reno and Lake Tahoe. From Bodega Bay it’s an easy drive over I-80. Our room at the El Dorado was nice and very reasonable, and we availed ourselves of their incredible buffet…more than once! We also tried the buffet at the Atlantis and it was great, but my favorite is still the El Dorado. Ok, enough talk about food; a diet is now the first item on the menu.
Although it’s a far cry from the granddaddy of sin cities, Reno has its share of lights and colorful flamboyance. The Fountain of Fortune, the focal point in the El Dorado, is a mythological collection of dolphins, cherubs, fish, seahorses, and tritons with Poseidon at the helm, and is made of bronze, marble and gold leaf. Over at the Peppermill, the ostentatious use of neon is the main attraction. I don’t know how much time I could spend there, especially since it seemed smokier than some of the other hotels, but I will admit, all that glitz from one end of the resort to the other is pretty impressive. On the other hand, I was glad to see folks out enjoying themselves at the local skating rink; it shows that normal, everyday life does exist in the midst of all that decadence.
At Lake Tahoe we found that there was just enough snow to give us the holiday feel, but not enough to affect travel. The mountains had small snow caps and the sandy beaches of the lake showed signs of the recent snowstorm. The aqua-colored shoreline with its smooth boulders is quite a contrast to the depths of the cool blue lake interior. At Zephyr Cove, the Ms. Dixie waited patiently at the dock for her next group of visitors. I find that Emerald Bay is one of the most picturesque spots along the scenic lake route and I would imagine it’s one of the most photographed areas. I did get a shot of Vikingsholm Castle at the head of the bay, although it’s pretty far away and somewhat secluded. Before winding up our day trip to Tahoe, we ventured off the main road to take a short hike through the woods to Spooner Lake, another beautiful alpine lake. It was another enjoyable getaway. View the images from this trip at "Reno-Tahoe 2009".

October 15, 2009 ~ THE SEASON ENDS AT SKOOKUM

JILL — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:57:00 GMT

Our season at Skookum Rendezvous ended October 8th and not a day too soon as the weather was changing quickly. Although the days were pleasant in the mid 50’s, we had 28 degree mornings the last 3-4 days. I understand it got down to 0 overnight a couple days after we left. Brrr! We were hired here at Skookum by the Owners Association to assist management a couple of days a week, but sometime in June we were offered another position with the developer helping out with sales. We had focused most of our time the last 3 months in the sales office. We really enjoyed the work and the people. And, call me crazy, but I decided it would be a good idea to get my WA real estate license before we left. It will help make things run more smoothly when we go back in April. We’re happy they’ve asked us back next season. The "Usk, WA Area" album has some miscellaneous shots of the resort, our visiting moose (taken by Ardie Jones), the popular Coeur d’ Alene Hotel, and some nature shots. We arrived back in Bodega Bay October 15th and have settled in for 6 months (yes, here we are again!). Our Assistant Manager job was waiting for us as was our familiar spot in the Bodega Bay RV Park. I don’t know how many more stories and photos about Bodega Bay I can post, but if I come up with anything, you’ll see it here. See ya back here again!

August 15, 2009 ~ THE POW WOW

JILL — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The local Kalispel tribe celebrated their 35th Anniversary Pow Wow in early August. I went just to see the colorful, elaborate costumes and dances that I had heard about, but it’s so much more. A Pow Wow is a major social event. This gathering promotes a real sense of togetherness, spiritually and community outreach. The tribe hosts other tribes from around the region, and all compete in drum, dance and costume contests in various categories from golden age to tiny tots with huge cash prizes awarded. And the entire local community is invited for food and festivities without charge. I opted out of the buffalo barbecue! There were prayers and heart-felt speeches from both young and old before the grand dance entrance, and I felt a real sense of human oneness. Take a look at the images in the "Kalispel Pow Wow" album and see if you can feel the sense of pride.

July 31 , 2009 ~ NW MONTANA & GLACIER NAT’L PARK

JILL — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Our trip through northwest Montana and into Glacier was at the beginning of June. From Usk, we traveled across the Idaho panhandle through Priest River, Sandpoint, Bonners Ferry and Moyie Springs, and followed Rt. 2 into Montana. Our first stop was at Kootenai Falls, a beautiful rocky gorge with the powerful Kootenai River running through, and a swinging foot bridge above. Further along our route we passed several small lakes and amazing scenery before arriving in Kalispell for the night. We took time over the next couple of days to explore the Kalispell, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls areas – very picturesque. We moved on to the small town of West Glacier just outside the southwest corner of Glacier National Park where we stayed at a cute little rustic motel for a couple of nights. Just inside the park we came across Lake McDonald – dramatic, glassy and reflective, and probably one of the most photographed sights in the park. Although the Going-To-The-Sun Road over Logan Pass was not yet open, we saw many beautiful areas of the park…pristine lakes, peaceful creeks, rushing waterfalls, giant cedars and spectacular mountains. We circled around the southern rim of the park and stopped at goat lick overlook, a deep gorge where the goats come down to lick the minerals in the rocks. Next we went over the summit at the continental divide, and then on to Two Medicine in the southeast corner of the park. At Two Medicine we ventured into "grizzly country" to see beautiful lakes, mountains and Running Eagle Falls. We saw a grizzly cub, and because we kept our distance, the photo is not too good (and a bit blurry, as I was keeping one eye out for his mom)! After we left Glacier, we headed south past Flathead Lake and into Missoula where we picked up I-90 and headed for home. Once again, I’m disappointed in my images from this trip and find they just don’t portray the breathtaking beauty of the area. It didn’t seem to matter what time of day it was, the lighting just wasn’t right. After all that positive talk, I’m sure you’ll want to go right to the "NW Montana & Glacier" album and take a look!

July 15 , 2009 ~ NORTHERN IDAHO

JILL — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:19:00 GMT

I’m posting our Idaho trips a little out of order, but as I mentioned in the May 18 post, I wanted to wait until we had seen more of Idaho. At the beginning of May, we took a drive over to Priest Lake. It’s a beautiful drive and a picturesque lake. All of Northern Idaho is easily accessed from our home base, and the panhandle is about 45 miles across from Washington to Montana. At the end of May we took another portion of the Selkirk Loop which took us out through Priest River, Sandpoint, past Lake Pend Oreille and through the tiny town of Clark Fork where we stopped for lunch. As we continued over this scenic byway, we crossed into Montana and stopped to look at the Cabinet Gorge Dam. We headed north past Ross Creek Cedars and then west through Troy, MT along the Kootenai River, experiencing some beautiful Montana scenery. I wish my images from these trips portrayed the beauty we encountered. On June 5th, we were on our way back from our Glacier trip (Glacier will be in the next post) traveling west on I-90 from Montana into Idaho through the Bitterroot Mountains. We happened upon the little town of Wallace, a quaint old mining community listed on the National Historic Register, where bordellos were a way of life as recently as 20 years ago. Wallace, Silverton, Osburn and Kellogg are part of the "Silver Valley", the silver capital of the world. Several mines still exist, opening and closing depending upon the price of silver. We were intrigued by the 1313 Club-Historic Saloon & Grill. "1313" has a special meaning to us, but if I tell you anymore, I’ll have to kill you! We decided it would be a good place to have a drink and dinner before heading back to our comfortable room at The Wallace Inn. We love exploring these historic little towns – and its even more fun when you come across them unexpectedly. The images from these trips are in the "N. Idaho May-June 09" album.

July 4, 2009 ~ FIREWORKS ON THE RESERVATION

JILL — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:24:00 GMT

The Kalispell Tribe celebrates the 4th of July with food, festivities and fireworks. Everyone is invited to join, and everything is free, a very generous community gesture. We skipped the afternoon fun, but staked out a good spot for the fireworks at about 9:00 p.m. It gets dark a little later up here, and while we waited, the mosquitoes had a nice snack. But the show finally started about 10:15 and ended by 10:45, and it was worth the wait. It was a fantastic display. Although there’s nothing like being there, I think I captured some decent images. Take a look at the "Fireworks July 2009" album but be patient-there are a lot of photos in the album and it might take a little longer to load; they were all so unique I couldn't decide on which ones to post. I may have to delete some, but for now, enjoy the show!

June 25, 2009 ~ IN LOVING MEMORY

JILL — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:01:00 GMT

          KEN CHESLEY
March 31, 1932 ~ June 24, 2009
It's so hard to say goodbye, but today the angels rejoice.
His magnificent spirit will brighten the heavens for all eternity.
I love you, Dad, forever and always.


    SAL IUCULANO                          JOAN MOULTON
1/20/1922 ~ 7/30/2008              5/30/1933 ~ 1/13/2003


They will always be with us.

May 18, 2009 ~ EXPLORING NORTHEAST WASHINGTON

JILL — Tue, 19 May 2009 03:30:00 GMT

We are now in the tiny town of Usk in Northeastern Washington on the Idaho border, about 50 miles south of Canada. Our temporary home is Skookum Rendezvous RV Resort, a private deeded park where residents own their lots here on the beautiful Pend Oreille River. Pend Oreille, pronounced "Pond-o-RAY", means "ear pendant" and was coined by French settlers for the earrings worn by the local Kalispell tribe.
We’ve had the opportunity to explore a little of the area since we arrived May 1st. The Kalispell Indian Reservation lies here in Usk and in the neighboring town of Cusick. Our Native American neighbors have a herd of buffalo, some of whom you’ll see in the "Northeast Washington" photo album. Also within their land lies the Manressa Grotto, a glacially formed above-ground cave system used for religious ceremonies by early American Indians and missionaries. Close to home and right off the road, it is an easy and interesting site to explore.
We take a daily five mile walk from the resort down to Skookum Creek, and are happy to say that nature abounds here in northeastern Washington. We’ve seen deer, elk and llamas, peamouth chub fish spawning, and delicate flowers and insects. It’s "baby" season, and there are new offspring of every living thing! The Canadian geese are very protective of their new broods, and a killdeer couple, a plover-type bird, spent some time in our yard tending to their newborns. Both parents take turns sitting on the chicks, especially when it’s cold and drizzly as it was the day my photos were taken. You’ll see the mother sitting in the gravel with several tiny legs sticking out from beneath. The gangly-legged chicks are up and about as soon as they hatch, and they are the cutest little downy fur balls you’ve ever seen! Once you’ve heard their distinctive call, you’ll always know they’re around. And this is interesting…unlike most species that protect in an aggressive manner, an adult Killdeer puts on a deceitful "broken wing" display. As you approach, you may notice it suddenly develop a broken wing. As it struggles pitifully and you instinctively try to help, it lets you come close, but stays one step ahead. It guides you further and further away from its chicks and when it feels you are no longer a threat, its broken wing suddenly heals and it flies away. Isn’t Mother Nature incredible! We haven’t yet encountered any moose, bear, lynx and bobcat, but we’re keeping close watch since we know they’re here.
My fascination for clouds has grown since we arrived. As was the case last time we were in the northwest, the cloud displays have been fantastic. You may see one or two in the album, but I’m determined to create a cloud portfolio before I leave.
The International Selkirk Loop runs through Northeastern Washington, the Idaho Panhandle and into British Columbia. We took a portion of the loop in Washington and Idaho. Our first day-trip took us north from Usk past Box Canyon Dam to Metaline Falls, about 10 miles from the Canadian border, and our second trip was a loop past the Little Pend Oreille Lakes, the wildlife refuge and the historic town of Colville. Although the lack of wildlife in the refuge was a disappointment, we did have a bit of excitement when we encountered a blizzard (note: it was May 12th).
Our day-trip into Idaho will be saved for the next post after we’ve had a chance to explore Idaho further and add more images to the album. Until then, thanks again for sharing our travels. We’ll see ya back here soon!

April 15, 2009 ~ READY TO ROLL....AGAIN!

JILL — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:50:00 GMT

Has is really been five months since the last entry? I guess it has. When I last posted, we had been back in Bodega Bay only a month, and already our stay for the winter season is just about over. We will begin our trip north next week to our next home on the Washington/Idaho border about 50 miles south of Canada.
In February, we took a 3 day road trip up to Redding and Red Bluff to check the area for a possible future stay. Redding is a very pretty city surrounded by snow-capped mountains and is home to the one-of-a-kind, pedestrian only Sundial Bridge. The glass-decked suspension bridge hovers over the Sacramento River and is a unique addition to the beauty of the surrounding natural landscape. Redding’s City Hall houses artwork throughout its interior, and the outside grounds feature the recently created "Sculpture Park". Visitors can stroll the paved walkways viewing various wood, stone, metal and mosaic art pieces.
Jason came up for a visit again a couple of weeks ago. Joe and Jason played golf at beautiful Northwood Golf Club. This scenic course is set among the redwoods along the Russian River in Monte Rio, just a few miles northeast of Bodega Bay. It was a fun day; I tagged along to photograph while they played 18 holes. All I can say is "watch out Tiger... you could be replaced!!" Jason looks pretty good! Joe plays a good game too. There are a few photos in the 'BodegaBay Jan-Apr 09' photo album of the Redding trip as well as the golf game at Northwood.
Well, I guess that’s about it from Bodega Bay. Stop back and visit our site again after we settle in up north. We’ll have new stories and images from what promises to be a beautiful area and another great adventure!

November 19, 2008 ~ BACK AT BODEGA - JASON'S VISIT

JILL — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:12:00 GMT

We’re back at Bodega Bay and back to our job as assistant managers here at the park. Aside from a few days of rain at the beginning of the month, it’s been beautiful and warm since we’ve been back. However, it seems to be changing, with the last two days shrouded in fog and quite a bit cooler.
The much awaited crab season opened on the 1st and although most feel it’s off to a slow start and may not be a fruitful year, we have been the grateful recipients of lots of crabs along with some rock fish and ling cod, right off the boats. Yummy! Jason came up for a visit last week and we indulged in "everything crab". We had steamed crab with drawn butter, crab cakes, and cioppino, which also included mussels that we got at our favorite tide pool beach, Miwok. Jason and I had fun looking for sea stars and jade stones while Joe collected mussels. Saturday we took a drive out through wine country through the towns of Kenwood, Glen Ellen and Sonoma. We sampled some tasty wines at Sebastiani Vineyards in Sonoma. Jason couldn’t resist picking some grapes off a vine along one of the side roads. Back at home, while taking a drive through the upscale golf community of Bodega Harbour, four wild turkeys approached. Actually, Mr. Tom Turkey charged the car being very protective of his three girls. He was squawking and pecking, grabbing at us and the car.…I was sure he’d do damage to one of us or the vehicle. But really, isn’t he the least bit afraid? After all, it is less than 2 weeks until Thanksgiving! Along with the photos of Jason’s visit, the "Back at Bodega" album features more coast and bay images including crab pots, crab boats and crab fishermen! I seem to be overloading the gallery with Bodega pictures, and I’m sure the next time you check back, there’ll probably be even more!