Here and There

Scott and Jackie's Travels – Thousand Trails Reviews, Campground Reviews, Fulltime RVing, European Travel

Tag: National Park

2014 – Visiting Yosemite National Park

grscott

Our campground for two weeks was Yosemite Lakes Thousand Trails and, obviously, our purpose in coming to this area was to visit Yosemite National Park. We went into the park for day visits three different days. For our first visit we drove in to look around and get our bearings. One lesson learned right off is that Yosemite National Park is huge! The park entrance is only five miles from our campground, but once in the park it’s another 30 miles of winding, steep mountain roads to the valley floor and the visitor’s center. As we continued down the mountain we came around a steep curve and were amazed with the view of Half Dome and El Capitan below us. Once we arrived in the valley we found a place to park and then used the free shuttles to get around. We went to the visitor’s center and then to the Ansel Adams Gallery where prints of some of his major works and several books of his photography are on sale. We then took a short hike down the paved path to the Lower falls viewing area. Since it is late summer and the area is in severe drought there were no falls but we enjoyed the majestic views around us. After that bit of exercise we were in the mood for a treat so we bought a couple of large chocolate cones. Everything costs more in Yosemite and surrounding areas and the ice cream was no exception. Our bill for two cones was almost $10.00! Before finishing our day we drove up to the famous “Tunnel View” for a panoramic view of the valley. The view of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridal Falls (even without water) is stunning.

We decided to take advantage of the Yosemite Regional Transportation System (YARTS) bus for our remaining two trips into the park. The stop is right next to our campground so it is very convenient. The drivers are very friendly and helpful. Really, the fare was about what we would have paid for fuel, so it’s a great deal. They even offer multi-day tickets that include a free third day. We were dropped off at the visitor’s center and hopped on the park’s El Capitan shuttle. At one place a ranger had telescopes trained on climbers going up the sheer face of that famous mountain. He helped us see them on our own and answered questions about climbing. We then took the shuttle to the Nature Center at Happy Isles. The nature center has as a small bookstore/gift shop. It is geared to children but interesting to all comers. We decided to check out the park’s store where I enjoyed looking at all the clothes, hats, etc. for sale. There is a fully stocked grocery store there as well. I couldn’t help but see that we could have bought a quart of ice cream for less than we paid for our cones. We headed back to the park’s theatre and watched two history films of Yosemite. Then it was time for our bus back to the campground concluding a pleasant day at the park.

We rode the YARTS bus again for our third day in Yosemite. We enjoyed the short hike to Mirror Lake even though, again, this is a dry time of the year during a drought. There was no water but we were practically at the base of Half Dome. We ate lunch sitting on a rock, enjoying the majestic scenery all around us. After the hike back we refilled our water bottles and walked to the Museum. It has a room of memorabilia from the early days of the park and a room filled with Native American baskets, clothing and dioramas. There is an informative self-tour of a Native American village behind the Museum. It was another great day in the park.

One of the lessons we learned is that if you want to see the famous waterfalls it is better to come in the early spring when they are in full flow. However, another lesson is that Yosemite is beautiful even without the signature waterfalls.

Interestingly enough, we did see one very nice waterfall, but it wasn’t in the National Park. Several had mentioned Rainbow Pool which is near our campground. The falls was flowing nicely and several people were enjoying swimming in the pool at the base of the falls. A few daring fellows were climbing up to a rocky point and jumping in. It’s easy to see why this is a popular place with the locals.

2014 – Along the southern Oregon/northern California coast

grscott

We saw beautiful huge rocks surrounded with water and waves along the Coastline as we moved from Oregon to California. Just north of Brookings, located near the California state line, there are wonderful overlooks every mile or so along the highway.

Then, as we moved into northern California we were amazed by the majesty of the old growth redwood trees in Redwood National Park. One memorable drive was up Howland Hill Road at Crescent City into the state/national park. At one point we stopped to walk the easy loop through Stouts Grove; the trees there are stunning.

We enjoyed our time at Smith River. The river flows into the Pacific right at our campground. We walked along the water, enjoying the sea lions, harbor seals and one eagle.

The drive down 101 was beautiful yet challenging with steep grades and sharp turns. In several places there are Redwoods right by the highway. Along one stretch we drove through Richardson Grove. The hills are steep but the views are beautiful. There were many small towns along the way and several looked like a nice place to spend some time. At one point for abut an hour we drove through increasing smoke from a forest fire. We never saw the actual fire but we actually drove past the firefighter’s base camp.

Our trip down the coast of the Pacific Northwest was terrific and we were a bit sad to move south and inland. We now understand better why people flock to this area and hope to return in days to come.

Long Beach, WA and surrounding area

Jackie Cundiff

The best part of being in this area near Cape Disappointment is watching the surf roll in and crash on the rocks. We’ve spent a lot of time walking the beach and enjoying the view.

There are also several farmers Markets and we enjoyed the one at nearby Port Ilwaco on a rainy Saturday. In spite of cloudy skies there was a vegetable/fruit stand along with other food and craft vendors along the marina. We enjoyed looking in various shops including a bookstore with new and used books.

Just a few minutes from our campground is Beards Hollow Overlook. There is a great view of the beach along with some historical information. After that we visited the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Cape Disappointment. We took the self-guided tour with pictures along a historical timeline. There were many exhibits showing types of clothing, boats and equipment used on the expedition and a short documentary film. The hike to Cape disappointment Lighthouse was strenuous but we enjoyed our picnic lunch on a bench by the Coast Guard building. This lighthouse is not open for tours so we backtracked to the parking lot and drove a few minutes to North Head Lighthouse. A short .25 mile walk took us past restored buildings to the lighthouse itself. Again, I am amazed at the beauty of the ocean and size of the waves coming in.

We took a driving tour of the peninsula, driving as far as historic Oysterville, WA. There are several restored homes and a beautiful Baptist Church built in 1892. On our way back we stopped at the Cranberry Museum and Gift shop. There we enjoyed seeing the antique equipment and learning about raising cranberries in this area.

We took a day trip to Astoria, OR and visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum. It is well worth with the $12.00 entry fee. The exhibits tell the history of fishing and shipping on the Columbia. There are excellent short videos as well as hands on projects for children. Included in the museum is a self guided tour of the Columbia WLV-604 it served as a floating lighthouse from 1951 and was decommissioned in 1979. Also of interest was 20 foot boat that was lost in Japan during the 2011 Tsunami that was and washed up on the shore nearby. From the museum we drove over to Fort Clatsop a National Historic Park. This is the site where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1805-1806. The visitors center has historic Exhibits and a place for children to do hands on activities. We enjoyed walking through the replica of Fort Clatsop seeing the small space in which they spent that winter. There were activities going on all day with people in period dress explaining how they lived that winter. There are also a variety of hiking trails that can be walked.

Another interesting part of the time here is just getting here. The Astoria-Megler Bridge,
stretches 4.1 miles from Astoria, Oregon, across the mouth of the Columbia River, to Point Ellice, Washington. The bridge’s main span is 1,232 feet in length, the longest “continuous truss” in the nation.

We also enjoyed the Kite Museum in Long Beach, OR. The collection includes kites used in WW II and kites from around the world. We saw kites used to train anti-aircraft gunners, a kite to use with emergency rescue equipment and a mail kite used in Alaska so airplanes could get mail without landing. The beauty and variety of kites from around the world was amazing. Some of the fighting kites are huge! There are several videos available to watch about the various kites.

Being here on July 4th was an experience. We knew the city of Long Beach provided a fireworks display that could be seen from the beach by our campground. We began hearing lots of fireworks being shot off by early afternoon and by the time we went to the beach the crack of fireworks was non-stop. There were thousands of people shooting off fireworks – many were big ones, loud, high, and colorful. For about 2 hours we sat and watched fireworks up the beach as far as the eye could see. The city fireworks were impressive but people kept on shooting off their own all through the show. It was an amazing event.

There’s a lot to see and do here in the southwestern tip of Washington and the northeastern tip of Oregon. I guess you could say we weren’t disappointed at all in Cape Disappointment!

Campground review: Chehalis, WA Thousand Trails

grscott

One might consider Chehalis Thousand Trails the “double your pleasure” campground. There are two big pools – family and adult-only, two activity centers – again family and adult-only (plus WiFi in each), and two big mountains to see from different vantage points in the campground – Rainier and St Helens.

The campground itself is about 20 minutes east of Chehalis and about 15 minutes from the interstate. It feels quite rural. Both Mt Ranier and Mt St Helens are reasonable and rewarding day trips.

Sections F and especially G are popular with the big rigs. This is at the top of the hill and is a bit more open than the other areas of this big park. There are some full hook up sites in these sections and scattered around other areas of the campground but be aware that, like most Thousand Trails, sites are being sold to annuals and they like having sewer hookups. When we came in on an early Monday afternoon we found only one full hook up site available. Many of the sites in this area have enough of a view of the southern sky to get satellite TV. Unfortunately for us, we had to decide whether we wanted sewer or satellite. Since we were staying a week and a half we opted to forgo satellite TV for our second campground in a row. Our 4G Verizon internet, though, was excellent.

By and large the facilities here are well cared for. The pools are very nice although we found the adult pool rather cold (they made up for it by having the spa so hot that we could only take it about 10 minutes!). We tried the mini-golf which could be one of the better ones we’ve seen at a Thousand Trails but, sorry to say, it is in great need of TLC.

There’s a laundry, game room, and store. We enjoyed some good ice cream – and at no charge, a special beginning of summer treat courtesy of the campground. We also walked a very short trail to visit the little chapel, nestled in the forest.

Chehalis is the very first Thousand Trails and one can’t help but wish all the Thousand Trails offered the camping experience it does. While we saw things that need attention (for instance, one section is closed to all but small campers and tents due to electric problems) we would rate Chehalis as one of the better Thousand Trails we’ve visited thus far and look forward to returning in the future.

Mt Rainier – Mt St Helens and area

grscott

This is such a lovely area in the state of Washington. Our campground is near Chehalis, a friendly town with all the amenities needed for a pleasant stay. The town is well marked so it is easy to find the Post Office and other major buildings. Walmart and other shopping can be found along the freeway but we found a couple of other shops we enjoyed. One of the unique places called Yardbirds is an indoor flea market. Walking around we saw antiques, used books, old stuff, old electronic gear like reel to reel tape recorders, and craft booths. There are several vegetable and fruit stands open for those who want to shop there. I purchased some cherries that were very good.

In the National Monument we visited the Johnson Visitors Center. There are displays, movies to watch about the eruption/blast, and Ranger talks. The view is spectacular from the Center and the trails nearby. After we watched the movie we walked from the visitors center up a paved trail to several overlooks of the volcano as well as views of the devastation that is just now, after 34 years starting to recover. At one point a volunteer had set up his telescope and showed a small herd of elk in the valley far below. There were a variety of wildflowers growing which give color and contrast to the overall grey left by the blast. It was and educational and fun day although I admit it left me a little leg weary at the end of it all. These are places I would come to again if we come back to this area.

We’ve enjoyed our “mountain themed” stay here near Chelalis, WA.

2014 Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Jackie Cundiff

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Canyonlands NP although we only saw the Island in the Sky and not The Maze or The Needles. Island in the Sky has good roads and is relatively easy to access. The other two are more remote requiring hiking and 4-wheeled vehicles. We stopped at the Visitor’s Center and looked at the displays and watched the video introducing the park. I was surprised that in spite of it’s beauty Canyonlands was not made a National Park until 1964.

We followed the main route and took the short hike to Mesa Arch. While we were driving and talking about the park I accidentally said it was an “abunderful” place and it truly is both abundant and beautiful.  Each overlook is breath-taking and the main stops are easy walks. Canyonlands National Park has been called the Grand Canyon of Utah.  I can see the resemblance with its amazing canyons, beautiful colors, towers, and views of the Green and Colorado Rivers.  We hope to visit this “abunderful” place again someday.

2014 – Arches National Park, Utah

grscott

We arrived at this amazing park about noon, stopped at the visitor center, picked up a map then headed out. Be sure to bring drinking water or empty bottles and fill them at the visitor’s center.

We drove the 18 mile road and stopped at every major pull out. We saw arches, windows, sandstone fins and balanced rocks. We enjoyed seeing every thing and tried to capture it all with photos. One of the last stops was Delicate Arch. Our view from the lookout point was wonderful.

At one stop we took a free Ranger tour and learned the history of the park, the geological history, and how plants such as the yucca and Juniper  and piñon trees were used by the indigenous people. It was very interesting walk although one place was a scramble and I need a hand to climb up it. I recommend taking at least one Ranger led tour.

An exciting moment happened early on as we were chatting with a Canadian couple when someone glided off some rocks across from us which is illegal here in the park.

It did get warm in the afternoon so I would recommend an early start. Every one should visit this park at least once.

2014 – Adventure Mesa Verde

Jackie Cundiff

Visiting Mesa Verde was fun and brought back memories of 20 years ago when Scott and I first visited here. There is a new visitor’s center that is very nice. As you walk to the desk to purchase tour tickets you can see the 3 major tours and how many ladders are required for you to climb to see them. There are dioramas and archaeological exhibits and a bookstore. We chose to visit Cliff Palace, a one hour guided tour.

fter driving 20 miles up a winding climbing road we met our tour group. To get into and out of the dwelling we climbed four vertical ladders. One going in, one while in the dwelling, and 2 going out of the dwelling. As we walked though the ruins we learned a little of the history of the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived here, how they lived, and suggestions as to why they left.

After the tour and after needing some time to catch our breath we drove to the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum area. There’s a video telling the story of the Ancestral Pueblo People and many items found while the ruins were being uncovered and documented across the years. There is also a gift shop. Near the museum there is a very nice view of the Spruce Tree House. This cliff dwelling can also be visited. It is a free, self guided walk that is 1/2 mile down a winding, paved trail that has a 100-foot decent/ascent.

As we were driving back the 20 miles to the highway we stopped at Park Point Overlook which is at an altitude of 8,572 feet. We walked up the winding path to the fire lookout. There’s a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside. We especially liked seeing Shiprock Mountain in New Mexico off in the distance.

Overall it was a strenuous day due to the altitude and ladder climbing but was fun and well worth the time and effort.