Crashing California

So the last two day's in San Diego have been good, busy with running around and stuff. Jay and I got cell phones today (signed a contract for two years...so you know we'll have to be here awhile) it was sort of our statement of claim that we're going to try to give this a shot. Our host Bardy drove us around yesterday, and took us up to his old 'digs' where we snapped this photo of the San Diego Skyline We drove to the beach today in the Del Mar area (one of the many), VERY 'fat' (if you know what i mean) but we hung out by the water with the hard core surfers(those who still surf in Nov.) and made another 'claim' -- see photo =) San Diego is a very beautiful city...I'm having issues with the palm trees, kind of not used to seeing them EVERY where, it's nice, but I keep expecting it to be a dream or something. I'm posting some photos of the home we're staying in, our hosts are amazing (I'm sure I've said that before) but they...

So, today was our last day of hard core driving into our 'promised land' called San Diego. We started the day in Gilroy, and immediately got lost trying to find our hi-way, however, we made it to the 152 which took us over a small mountain pass to intersect with the I5. And then we drove ... and drove... and drove... (Jay's dad: you were right, California does sort of look like Sask....) and when it seemed like we could drive no more... about 90 miles outside of Los Angeles there were mountains, and all of a sudden, four more lanes of traffic, and it was scenic, and fast and non-stop through to L.A. and beyond. (Downtown L.A. skyline) We made it into San Diego County around 5pm and we thought we were doing really good till we proceeded to get lost (again) trying to find our 'home' (which will be our home for the next little while). It took us 40 mins and a phone call (just one) to get to our destination and now we are here. Our hosts are wonderful (I cannot stress ...

Jay's request to post these pics =) This is the famous 'drive-through-tree' in the Redwood Forest, I didn't think the car was going to make it, but, it did -- thank goodness for compact cars...

'Avenue of Giants' the name given to just one of the routes that winds through the amazing California Coastline. We started our day of MASSIVE driving in Grande Pass, OR. and quickly arrived in California. As we headed on south we passed majestic coast lines and patches of pouring showers and wove in and out of lush dense green forests that streched to the sky... breathtaking beauty thousands of years old, trapped in time. It's super easy to feel really small in this amazing landscape, truly one of the most beautiful places on earth I believe. The trees are over 300 feet high and can easily be centuries old, even as old as 1000 years!! It blows my mind that such gentle giants exist in almost serene solitude on the coast. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the journey.... After the Redwoods it was alot of California 'back country' (for lack of a better descript.) till we got pretty close to San Francisco...it was dark by that time, since we drove for a grande...

Yesterday, the Saturday, was a total driving day. We drove the I5 from Everett (leaving Smith, his wonderful house and the ducks behind) and headed through Seattle, Tacoma, and beyond south, through Oregon. Oregon is a beautiful state mosaic of stretching farmlands, rolling fields, and blue mountains in the distance. I have only ever before been as far as Newport (a little less than halfway down the state) so roundabout the southern stretch of roads it starts curving into a maze of mountain passes and gigantic pines. (if anyone wonders what it's like driving with Jay through Oregon Moutain passes...) We stopped for the night in Grande Pass and are headed now today to the Redwood Forest in California. I'm excited at the thought of trees that are as wide as roads and hundreds of feet high -- I can't even imagine! But as we charge up our batteries (camera's and phones) and get ready for the drive today, I feel truly free, I think, for the first time. It's ABSOUTELY POU...

Veiw of the Island over the Puget sound, from the Ferry Us on the ferry =) This is the little Whidbey Island town of Langley

So, as our stay here in Washington state comes to an end (I will miss Smith, but NOT the cold wet ... ) we spent our day 'sight-seeing' the Puget sound. Smith graciously took us on the ferry over the water (my first time on a ferry btw) and we docked and bused around the island, Smith's old home. We visited a little town called Langley (not like in B.C. but spelled the same) -- totally picturesque -- it seriously looked like the little 'American' coastal town in the movies, with the little historic stores of Antiques that smell of must and 'old spirits' and then the new additions, ice cream parlours (I was freezing the whole time btw 2) I bought a "Chocolate Flower" candle, which TOTALLY smells like chocolate, and I found some amazing artwork (the whole town I guess is know for it's artsy-fartsyness, it's also known for it's high gay population but whatever....) Anywhoo, it was wonderful, allbeit cold, and we rode the ferry back in the ...