Reno at Night - Salt Lake City - Evanston, WY (25)

Last night, we took the time to drive downtown to see the city lights and all the hustle and bustle.

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The pictures speak for themselves. Reno is no Las Vegas, but it is well lit and very interesting to see.

Neither of us gamble, but we do enjoy seeing cities at night.

The Silver Legacy Casino has a "Gotham Like" quality, lit in green.

This morning we continued east on I-80, across the Nevada desert. Interesting sights along the way included The Bonneville Salt Flats and The Great Salt Lake. We stopped to eat in Salt Lake City, and included a side trip to The Morman Temple. Major construction obscures the Temple in most directions. It was still very interesting, to say the least.

A statue of Brigham Young stands at the entrance to the church grounds.

We drove on to Evanston, WY where we are spending the night. Tomorrow, we will make the decision whether to drop down to Denver or continue east.

If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right. ~Mary Kay Ash~

Lake Tahoe - Reno (24)

This morning we crossed the Sierra Nevada mountains, following I-80 for about 80 miles, before turning south to circle Lake Tahoe. For those interested, some interesting facts about Lake Tahoe can be found here.

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We circled this beautiful lake along the California side (west) with the sun in our eyes. It was not until we reached the south end of the lake and turned north up the Nevada side that quality pictures were possible.

Scenic turnouts are easily found overlooking the lake.

Steep rocky mountains surround the lake in many places.

One of the most scenic spots was Emerald Bay, overlooking Fannette Island.

Fannette Island

The lake and snow community of South Tahoe , at the southern end of the lake, sits astride the California - Nevada state line. It is full of the latest amenities, including modern shopping and several brand new Casino's with the latest entertainment.

In places the lake is literally alive with boats, para-sailors and kayaks.

Heavenly Tahoe is a gondola ride to the top of the mountains with stunning views of South Tahoe. It rises to a dizzying height of 10,067 ft. The vistas at the top of the mountain and the decent back down were simply awesome. This was no small accomplishment for Carolyn who has a fear of heights.

Beautiful flowers are planted everywhere!

People at the top of the mountain climbing an artificial rock wall.

Coming in for a landing at the end of the unbelievable ride!

Everywhere you look you find flowers.

Even the local Applebee's takes on a ski village look.

Lake Tahoe and the sounding area does not disappoint. We can only wonder what this area looks like in the winter. What an amazing site it must be!

Tonight we are in Reno, Nevada and plan to go out to see the lights later. Tomorrow we turn east once again toward home.

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. ~Mark Twain~

Sonoma - Napa (23)

Our goals for today were to simply explore The Sonoma and Napa Valleys.

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The Visitor Center in downtown Sonoma.

After taking in downtown Sonoma, we drove the scenic Hwy 116 up through the valley. You do not have to like wine to appreciate the beauty of wine country.

In the Napa Valley we drove The Silverado Trail and Hwy 128. These two scenic highways run the length of the valley and return to Napa.

Many of the vineyards are very beautiful.

Petite Sirah is one of the newest and most elegant.

Lunch/Dinner came at The Culinary Institute of America, at Greystone. For those uninformed, this restaurant is a chef training school and features some of the finest dining imaginable.

The restaurant has a very old world Italian charm.

We ate outside on the second story patio, surrounded by olive trees and a stunning view of the nearby winery.

Carolyn had Bay Scallops, while I had the Hanger Steak. I would rate my meal in the top five best meals I have ever eaten. Carolyn rated her meal in her all time top two. Simply delicious!

The Culinary Institute of America, at Greystone.

The landscape in the city of Napa is amazing, and is at every turn!!

Later we stopped at Dean and Deluca, a very elite food and kitchen store. We also toured Yountsville and Nappa, before we turned east on I-80 and drove to Auburn, California, where we are spending the night.

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured. ~Mark Twain~

Redwoods - Northern CA Coast - San Francisco (22)

Breakfast at a local eatery helped delay our departure from Crescent City. We were hoping the ever present fog would lift in time for our drive through The Newton B. Drury Scenic Drive.

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Luckily, the fog had lifted somewhat giving us a good view of the magnificent giant redwoods.

If you have never had the opportunity to stand beside a giant redwood and gaze up at it's height, you are in for a treat.

Large groves of these giant trees line the road on both sides like soldiers, centuries old. For me, there was a very distinct cathedral like feeling in their presence.

This is "The Big Tree". It is only when you see something of a known size that you begin to fathom the true girth and height of these enormous trees. It is quickly apparent these trees are some of the oldest living things on the planet.

We stopped at the "Hanzel and Gretel" like Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park Visitor Center on the way out of the park.

Soon we drove through Eureka, CA on our southward trek. While in Eureka, we found the very private Ingomar Club. As the sign says, it's the former home of a lumber baron and now a private men's club. If it is nothing else, it is very unique and almost spooky.

The Avenue of the Giants

Following CA Hwy 101 south, we found many small redwood forests in addition to The Avenue of the Giants.

It is almost impossible to stand beside a giant redwood and see it's top. Some of these trees approach 300 ft. I never fully appreciated the size and majesty of these giants until we stopped and walked a trail beneath these giant trees. Many have stood in place for nearly a thousand years.

Some of the most impressive sights are the fallen trunks. You really do get a feel for the trees former size when you stand near one.

This sign is beside one of the larger (or once was) trees outside of the parks. Many of the trees inside the parks are of equal size.

Along with Carhinge in Nebraska and The Wall Drug Dinasaur in South Dakota, let me submit The One Log House in Northern California.

Eventually, we crossed the coastal mountains and dropped down to Hwy 1 and the beach. As you can see, the low lying fog had the beaches socked in.

Many years ago, Carolyn and I had the opportunity to watch whales swim by the seaside point at Mendocino. That was not to be this trip. ( A note to Dwight, I could not agree more, Mendocino is a beautiful place, not to be missed!)

After stopping in several beach towns, including Fort Brag and Mendocino, we again turned east on the very curvy Navarro River Highway (Hwy 128), passing through The Navarro River Redwood State Park and crossing the mountains to Hwy 101 at Cloverdale.

We found a room in Petaluma and then drove into San Francisco to see the city at night. This is the Palace of Fine Arts.

We toured Fisherman's Wharf and the surrounding docks as it began to get dark.

Pier 39 - Fishermans Wharf - San Francisco, CA.

The Trans America Building in downtown San Francisco at night.

From the docks we explored the downtown skyscraper area, and the very unique ethnic neighborhoods. Even with the light fog, the city was bustling and full of life.

If this trip has taught me anything it is that I need a better camera. My trusty old Sony still takes great snapshots, but I have found a real need for a good SLR. The hunt will be on when we return home.

A man's character may be learned from the adjectives which he habitually uses in conversation. ~Mark Twain~