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Less_Stuff's avatar
Less_Stuff
Explorer
Jun 12, 2013

Swan Song

A Four month 11,481 mile trip report.

Headed South first of February returned home first of June. Being retired gives the luxury of more time to travel.

This will most likely be my last trip report so here goes.

John Muir's California home. He lived well when not tramping the woods.


Jack Londons half home in Oakland California.
They took apart his cabin in the Yukon, duplicated all the parts. Then reassembled two cabins using half new and half old parts.
This cabin is in Oakland the other is in Dawson City, Yukon Canada. Now I've been to both.


The old Presidential yacht Potomac is near the cabin.
FDR loved this yacht.


If your ever in Oakland a ferry trip over and back to San Francisco can be wonderful.
Especially on a nice day.


The USS Iowa is in San Pedro and worth a look.


Wow look who else was on the Iowa!


Well on to Mexico. A Lance camper in Ensenada


Baja has some interesting plants.


Went Whale watching in the famous Scammon's Lagoon. It's near Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur. Looked at the Sea-lions on the way out.

My camera has a zoom I just love.


And another.


In Washington state if you get your boat within 200 yards of a migrating Grey Whale you go directly to Jail with out passing Go. In Mexico you don't!
Yes that is a whale those tourists are petting!


Ever looked a Whale in the eye?
Ever had a Whale look you in the eye?


Here is a Whale rolling over for us. Somehow I don't think the whale minded us getting up close.


This German was bicycling Baja. We spent a windy cold evening in my camper he liked my beer and was good company.


This looked like a good place to camp.


Turned out it was.


Cabo San Lucas was a bit touristy for me.


Playa Tecolote just north of La Paz was just right.


This beach north and a little west of La Paz was a good one as well.
Spent 17 nights in the La Paz area. You could say I like LaPaz!


Second Whale watching trip. Shared the boat with only one other guest we both got to touch Whales.
This was near Adolfo Lopez Mateos, Baja California Sur.


Thats my shadow on the whale!


Interesting plants were all around.


Close up, big trunk small limbs.


Back in the US, Phoenix AZ. The Commemorative Air Force.
Starting and then flying an old B17. How cool is that?


Petrified Forest National Park. Whole trees are petrified here.


Sky City of the Acoma Indians. Near Acoma, New Mexico.
People have lived there for centuries.


Some of our tour group in Sky City. What a great view.


Ship Rock, New Mexico sailing by.


Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado without people.


The Rangers can explain things.


Square tower house.


Now over to Hovenweep National Monument in Utah.


View from the top of the Moki Dugway in Utah.
The paved road on the right is Ut 261. The dirt road across the picture is the Valley of the Gods road and well worth a drive.


My Lance in the Valley of the Gods.


"I told you you'd break it if you didn't stop playing with it."


My camp site at the Goosenecks State Park, Utah.


View from my camper at the Goosenecks.


Zoomed in on those dots from the last picture.


Camper in Monument Valley.


Monument Valley has some stunning panoramas.


Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado just below Glen Canyon Dam.


People down on the river looked to be having fun as well.
Just love my cameras zoom.


North Rim of the Grand Canyon was still closed for the season when I was there.
However a nice lady at Jacobs Lake gave me a hand copied map showing how to bypass the closed roads.
35 miles of dirt road and I was camped on the edge of the Grand Canyon north rim.


Finally the Last picture.
The wife and I camped on the Great Salt Lake Salt Flats.
Interesting place.




So ends a chapter in my life, having had my camper and truck for 10 years they are getting long in the tooth and so will be sold.

Travel is still something we love but airplanes and hotels will see more of me in the future.

RV net has been a hoot and meeting so many fine TCers at the Overland expo was fun.
  • Lots of Stuff wrote:
    A Four month 11,481 mile trip report.

    This will most likely be my last trip report so here goes.

    So ends a chapter in my life, having had my camper and truck for 10 years they are getting long in the tooth and so will be sold.

    Travel is still something we love but airplanes and hotels will see more of me in the future.

    RV net has been a hoot and meeting so many fine TCers at the Overland expo was fun.


    Don't forget there are bed bugs in the hotels .................
  • great pictures. looks like a wonderful trip. much different surroundings you got to see compared to back up here in Washington.
    thanks for sharing.
  • Four months on the road! Can't do that in a plane or hotel. Have you thought this through? The TC is a great way to get away for the weekend. A trip doesn't always have to be a grand tour. A weekend escape is can be a "little gusto". Having that TC ready to go has been a great source for spur of the moment fun. If you have to try jet/hotel travel, two of our favorite trips were 10 days in Manhattan and 10 days on MAUI. In NY, we spent time going to museums and historic places and had an extraordinary time. It was also fleet week while we were there. MAUI, we rented a convertible and drove to all the destinations and side trips we could fit in. It wasn't enough time and we will go there again someday. Nothing like watching the sunset from the top of a volcano then stargazing for a couple hours after that.
    I hope this won't be your last TR but if be it so, We wish you great adventures in your future.

    Side Note:
    It's been a bad year for losing folks on the forum.
  • DG,
    Say it isn't so. You and I have not done a trip yet. Besides, a D-max is just getting warmed up after 10 years. I enjoyed your trip vicariously, and appreciate the sifting and editing of pix to give a nice variety of scenes. You look for the same kind of stuff we look for: tying disparate elements together to form an eclectic mosaic.
    It was nice to meet you at OX2013. I wish we had more time to palaver. Your rig at OX:

    regards, as always, jefe
  • Looks like a great trip. Airplanes and hotels are nice, for sure, but our best memories are the ones where we discovered a place on a trip and stayed there a while.

    So what kind of camera do you have?