04.10.09 - Good Bye Canada
After about 4 months and 20,000 kilometers plenty to Canada (and Alaska ) streets, we passed on 04.10. of this beautiful country. Canada has given us not only with his great scenery and interesting wildlife enthusiasm - will never forget the kindness and helpfulness of the Canadian people.
We have Canada, caused by our start traveling on the East Coast, long distances and the short summer season is quite fast. The double time would not have been too much for this great country. There is still much to discover and we are sure in a few years back here again.
the late afternoon we crossed the border into Washington State. We were a little confused, because everything went so fast and easy. In addition we had a Indian family completely clear out their car and we were not even asked the obligatory question einfuhrverbotenem fruit and vegetables. Neither our Basko yet for our motorhome, interested anyone and after a few minutes we had rolled our visa for 6 full months pass
A short time later we on Interstate # 5 south by Washington, are the snow-capped Mount Rainier and other mountains in the northern glaciated cascade in sight. What immediately struck us was the absolutely clean places. As in southern Canada had also to public and private green spaces almost cult status, hanging baskets hung on street lights and the highway was lined with flower beds. In the first supermarket then a pleasant surprise. We had become accustomed to the relatively high price level in Canada and were amazed now about cheap food prices.
a glass of red wine in the evening, the general planning for the next four weeks was agreed. An important date to stand - at 06.11. is our son Felix to Los Angeles to come then just three weeks to travel with us. Until that date we will have crossed the United States from north to south.
07.10.09 – Bei Boeing in Everett
Auf dem Weg nach Seattle passierten wir nördlich der Stadt den Vorort Everett. Hier ist der Hauptstandort von Boeing, wo über 30.000 Mitarbeiter die Boeing 747, 777 und den Dreamliner 787 montieren. Boeing bietet eine interessante Werksbesichtigung an, die wir uns nicht entgehen ließen.
Als erstes sahen wir die gigantischen Montagehallen, die mit 13,3 Millionen m³ umbauten Space as the world's largest building in the Guinness Book of Records are available. In the halls are almost 4 km long pedestrian tunnel, which is about every employee at his place in the assembly hall. For 1300 are bicycles.
from special viewing platforms, we could see the assembly and were lucky enough to see the joining of two body parts. This precision work was done with huge overhead cranes, of which there are 26th They run on a 72 kilometer rail system on the ceiling and can be used flexibly.
We could all three halls for the assembly of the Boeing 747, 777 and 787 visit and we were very impressed with this production of superlatives.
was impressive then the traffic on the motorway from Seattle - we wanted and would bring the city crossing that day were behind us to start the next day in time in the direction of Mt Rainier to can.
08.10.09 - Active Volcanoes: Mt Rainier and Mount St. Helens
With almost 4400 m of Mt Rainier highest mountain in the Cascade Mountains, as well as the neighboring Mount St. Helens is an active volcano. Until its foothills and glaciers year-round snow-capped peak is seen in good visibility down to the more than 100 kilometers away to Seattle and sometimes even more. We had the Mt Rainier so welcomed at first miles in Washington and now we were at the Sunrise over the crater close to us. We already had a strange feeling, when suddenly from the so-peaceful summit acting rising smoke and we realized that this volcano erupt at any time.
The next morning we went to Paradise Point on the south side of the mountain. The first sunny weather became cloudy and a slowly than we had arrived in the parking lot before the new Visitor Center received us foggy and cold and damp weather. The planned high-mountain hike on the Skyline Trail, we did not turn out so. 9 km distance to almost 700 m altitude - Petra was not enthusiastic, but has held out bravely. After more than 4 hours in cold, wet and fog on the trail we were glad to return home (Hobby) be. The heating comfort managed quickly and so we saw only the next morning that it was winter up here now.
Next target was only a few kilometers to Mt St Helens. The activity of volcanoes in the Cascade Range was transformed by the devastating volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, in which hundreds of square kilometers around the mountain in Desolation. It was one of the most violent volcanic eruptions of the 20th Century. The outbreak of the ashes thrown into the atmosphere spread over eleven U.S. states and the cloud of smoke obscured parts of Oregon and Washington for several days. Das Ergebnis der Eruption war ein um 400 Höhenmeter reduzierter Berg mit einem 1,5 Kilometer breiten aktiven Krater.
Die am stärksten betroffene Desaster Area, in der zunächst alles Leben ausgelöscht war, wurde 1982 als National Volcanic Monument ausgewiesen und zur Sperrzone erklärt. Hier wird wissenschaftlich untersucht, wie schnell sich die völlig zerstörte Natur wieder selbst regeneriert.
Einige Wanderwege führen nahe an die Desaster Area heran und wir konnten die großflächige Zerstörung the woods and covered with a thick layer of ash close view of the mountains. Among the charred and dead trees will be the new vegetation and evidence of the survival power of nature.
12:10:09 - About Portland to the Pacific
fled after the onset of winter in the Cascade Mountains, we in the Pacific. Our route was about Portland - we wanted to meet Garry to comply with his invitation to dinner.
we had first met Garry in Anchorage (Alaska). Directly in the entrance to Wal-Mart parking lot, he had stopped us because he was interested in our hobby. We had almost 2 hours of fun. At Garry is a comedian lost, instead he earned his living as a wholesale representative for Cookware - ie pots, pans and the like. Totally serious but his offer was to buy us our hobby on the spot. He reveled in the idea of how nice it would be not to have to constantly stay in motels and representative consultation room for discussions with his clients he had also immer dabei…. Wir konnten in Anchorage gerade noch das Schlimmste verhindern.
In Portland hatten wir Garry dann um einen Tag verpasst. Er war schon wieder mit seiner Cookware auf Achse. „Vielleicht ist es ganz gut so“ sagte Petra und lachte dabei. „Garry hätte uns unseren Hobby vielleicht doch noch abgeschwatzt“.
Wir verließen Portland westwärts und waren nach wenigen Stunden Fahrt auf dem Highway # 26 am Pazifik.
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15.10.09 - On the coastal highway # 101 south
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When we reached the first location on the Pacific Seaside. From here folgten wir dem Highway # 101, der hier in Oregon immer nahe der Küste verläuft und herrlich gelegene Stateparks, Viewpoints und die vielen kleinen Küstenorte erschließt. Wir campten meistens nahe dem Pazifik in den gut organisierten Stateparks und genossen bei ausgedehnten Strandwanderungen die raue und abwechslungsreiche Küste.
Die Gefahr eines Tsunami ist hier allgegenwärtig. An der gesamten Küste stehen Warnhinweise mit Verhaltensregeln und ein hochmodernes Tsunami-Frühwarnsystem soll die rechtzeitige Evakuierung ermöglichen. Die Aktivität der tektonischen Platten, vom St. Andreas Graben in Kalifornien bis hoch in the Pacific Northwest is not underestimated here. Some of the coastline is literally torn apart. High mound of earth and rocks sticking out of the water and bear witness to the destructive power of the orphan tsunami that has changed on 26/01/1700 the coast strong.
In moderate weather, we drove along the beautiful Oregon coast further south. The road is fantastic out along the shore and we always had spectacular views of the Pacific coast. Near Heceta we passed a large sea lion colony. were below the cliffs in a sheltered bay Hundreds of these lazy animals whose loud roar compressed into a deafening noise. The directly adjacent "Sea Lions Cave" was empty on this day. The sea lions were out, the cave was empty and we saved 24, - $. Despite fog and quite a distance, I tried to shoot some photos and adventurous climbed up to the edge of the cliff. The result was, despite all the effort is rather modest. The next day we had more luck. A hike along the shoreline trail we were on the Simpson Reef Watch in better view of another sea lion colony.
21:10:09 - Crater Lake is
One of the biggest attractions of Oregon's Crater Lake. The massive volcano Mount Mazama collapsed following an outbreak before 6800 years in on itself and formed a crater 11 miles in diameter. Over the years, the crater filled with water and it was now the deepest lake in the United States. 589 meters water depth and the dark volcanic rock in the sea are the reason for the deep blue of the lake.
The trip to Crater Lake was a treat. Only a few kilometers the coast we saw the most beautiful autumn weather, mild and dry. We drove on Highway # 42 through almost uninhabited country. From Roseburg, the only major city on this route was the Highway # 138 by autumn colored forests, always along the North Umpqua River. The first sunny weather became cloudy and we slowly came just in time to peak at the Watchman to have in the last rays of the sun a magnificent view of the lake. Again, the guide had not promised too much. The deep blue lake was nestled between the surrounding, already partially covered mountains and exuded an almost mystical tranquility. We settled on the Enchanting beauty of the lake until we got back the growing twilight into reality. We needed a parking place for the night - a forest park near the national park was suitable. We slept soundly in this bitter cold night in over 2000 meters. Sunny California was
On the return trip to the Pacific coast there is a small surprise -
27/10/2009 . We had the route to Eagle Point and Grants Pass on the grounds that here followed the only paved road through the Kalmiopsis Wilderness and we wanted to avoid large detours. Behind Grants Pass, the road passes through wild country, for hours we were alone on the track. After about 60 kilometers, then the surprising reverse sign: ROAD CLOSED. Was the standard road-friendly adventure, it was the diversion of unpaved forest roads ever. We were slow and it was dark. At last light we found an outgoing path on which we spent a little off the road the night.
Am nächsten Morgen war es dann nicht mehr weit bis nach Gold Beach und wir konnten von dort die letzten Meilen der # 101 in Oregon unter die Räder nehmen. Im letzten Ort in Oregon wurde eingekauft und vollgetankt. Oregon erhebt keine Sale-Tax (Verkaufssteuer) und so sparten wir schon beim Diesel über 40 Cent pro Gallone. Dann an der „Grenze“ zu Kalifornien eine weitere Überraschung – Grenzkontrolle! Ja wirklich, bei der Einreise nach Kalifornien müssen alle Fahrzeuge diese Grenzstation passieren. Wir wurden angehalten und nach dem Besitz von Obst, Gemüse, Fleisch, Feuerholz, Pflanzen und lebenden Tieren gefragt – und wir hatten gerade unsere Vorräte in Oregon aufgefüllt. Alle Fragen haben wir mit einem überzeugenden NO beantwortet und konnten ohne weitere Kontrolle nach Kalifornien einreisen. Als ob wir eine imaginäre Klimagrenze überschritten hätten besserte sich schlagartig das Wetter und ab hier gab es fast nur noch kalifornische Sonne.
29.10.09 – Redwood Forest und Wine Country
Die Küste im nördlichen Kalifornien ist geprägt durch weitläufige Redwood-Wälder. Hier stehen die ältesten Bäume der Welt – Baumgiganten, die bis zu 2000 Jahre 100 years old and over meters high. Its diameter is 7 - be 8 meters. The humid rain-forest-like coastal climate provides ideal growing conditions. In the National and State Parks, the last Redwoodbestände were saved from the saws of the logging companies.
The 'Newton Drury Scenic Parkway' and the 'Avenue of the Giants' are fantastic roads through the Redwood Forest and starting points for walks through the pristine forest.
As a tourist attraction even the street (or one lane) by some der Baumgiganten geführt. Am Chandelier Tree mussten wir jedoch feststellen, dass 7 Feet (ca. 2,30 m) für unseren Hobby zu knapp waren. Wir haben den by-pass benutzt.
Das man mit dem Holzhandel gutes Geld verdienen konnte haben wir an der hölzernen Villa in Eureka gesehen, die sich 1885 ein Holzfabrikant im Zuckerbäckerstil errichten ließ. Leider konnten wir das Haus nicht von innen besichtigen – es ist fest in Privathand. Neben Eureka ist vor allem Ferndale mit der Holzindustrie gewachsen und zeigt sich heute mit einem authentischen Stadtbild, welches aus den letzten Jahren des 19. Jahrhunderts stammt.
Hinter Leggett zweigt der Shoreline-Highway # 1 von der # 101 ab und verläuft direkt an der Küste nach Süden. Über diese phantastische Küstenstrasse erreichten wir die kleine Künstlerkolonie Mendocino, bekannt durch den gleichnamigen Ohrwurm von Michael Holm. Mendocino war früher ein Geheimtipp bei Aussteigern – heute steht der Tourismus sehr stark im Vordergrund. Trotzdem läuft das Leben hier so beschaulich ab, dass die Zeit fast stillzustehen scheint.
In Mendocino haben wir erlebt, wie schnell sich an der Küste das Wetter ändert. Bei strahlendem Sonnenschein zogen erst einzelne Nebelschwaden vom Pazifik kommend auf und innerhalb einer Stunde befanden wir uns in der dicksten Waschküche. Nur wenige Kilometer landeinwärts lachte schon wieder die Sonne und begleitete uns auf der Fahrt in das Nappa-Valley, welches auch als Wine-Country bezeichnet wird. Hier im Tal zwischen Calistoga und Napa befindet sich eines der bekanntesten Weinanbaugebiete Kaliforniens mit mehr als 200 Weingütern und ausgedehnten Weinplantagen.
Der großflächige Weinanbau lässt die Nutzung von Maschinen zu, so dass die Erzeugerpreise konkurrenzlos günstig sind. Uns schmeckt der kalifornische Wein recht gut und nach einem Winetasting hatten wir auch unsere Vorräte schnell wieder aufgefüllt.
02.11.09 – Von San Francisco nach Los Angeles
Wir befolgten den gutgemeinten Rat der netten Dame im Visitor Center und fuhren im weiten Bogen um San Francisco herum. Unser Ziel war Los Angeles, wo wir am 06.11. unseren Sohn Felix erwarten. Gemeinsam wollen wir dann San Francisco auf der geplanten Rundreise besuchen.
went in speedy ride it about Oakland, San Jose and Santa Cruz returned to the coast, one in the course to Los Angeles to the most beautiful sections in California. Thrilled we were in Santa Barbara, the beautiful coastal city with a Mexican flair. It smelled of citrus fruits and jasmine, bougainvillea growing on the white houses and the endless white beach framed everything. The cultural-historical candy for us was the visit of the old English Mission, founded in 1786 by Franciscan Mission in California and the tenth day as the Queen of the Missions "is valid.
Back in the parking lot we were already waiting impatiently at the hobby. Christa and Udo-Axel from Karlsruhe, in Germany itself, enthusiastic amateur driver knew us from the Internet and had found our car here. The nice couple had been waiting some time for us and was now just as we on the meeting. There was talk shop and there were again exchanged good tips. After the obligatory photo, we said goodbye and shook warmly on the onward journey once again on the head so viel Zufall.
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