http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/index/ Trip diary en jackie@mmjaeger.com Copyright 2009 2009-10-11T01:49:22+00:00 http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/more_pictures/ http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/more_pictures/#When:18:51:47Z If you would like to see more pictures…If you would like to see more pictures, please visit our gallery! USA 2009 2009-03-30T18:51:47+00:00 http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/anza-borrego_state_park_-_4_wheel_drive_recommended/ http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/anza-borrego_state_park_-_4_wheel_drive_recommended/#When:00:49:22Z To escape the overcast sky of the coast, we dress in sneakers and shorts and pack a cooling box with some iced tea. Then we head north on HWY 15, via Poway to Ramona and further up towards Julian. At Wynona Road we take a left and bypass Julian. Soon after we get to HWY 78 again (actually just after the road takes a 90 degree left turn) we leave it and take a gravel road. It’s a road without a name which is quite easy to drive. It leads through the mountains that separate the coast from the desert. Part of the road leads through Anza-Borrego State Park. After about 5 miles we get to an intersection where we turn left on the Mason Valley Truck Trail. Not far into this road we see a sign “4 wheel drive recommended”! Indeed, from here the road (trail) gets worse and worse, more and more rocky and in parts quite steep - the first real off-road challenge for us with the Toyota 4Runner! At one point we have to wait for some Jeeps that are making their way up the hill and despite having Wranglers (real off-roaders) some of them struggle a lot. But, as driver and 4Runner are excellent and work together very well, we master the (about) 5 miles through Oriflamme Canyon to HWY S2 without any critical moments and scratches (as expected)! The Toyota is a far better off-road car than the Jeep we had and we are still very happy with our investment!Even though it is fall and hasn’t rained for months now, the landscape wasn’t as dry and bland as you could think. It was very nice and surprisingly colorful: USA 2009 2009-10-11T00:49:22+00:00 http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/otay_lake/ http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/otay_lake/#When:03:25:01Z For the second time since we are back in San Diego, we drive south to Otay Lake and then up to the mountains along the Mexican border. Today Wenche joins us and the weather is much better (less foggy) than last week. The area is much dryer now than it was back in spring - it is all brownish and the green has completely vanished. What has not changed are the border patrols that are spying out the area along the Mexican border. They are very present, much more, now that they have these drug problems with Mexico, than a few years ago. As expected, the view today is much better, we can see all the way to Coronado, Point Loma and down town and to the other side we can see far into the hilly backland of Tijuana, Mexico. Beautiful! USA 2009 2009-08-05T03:25:01+00:00 http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/thousand_oaks_-_los_angeles_-_santa_monica_-_san_diego/ http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/thousand_oaks_-_los_angeles_-_santa_monica_-_san_diego/#When:18:09:26Z Odometer: 6,800Time: 07:00Today we head straight into the “chaos” of Los Angeles. HWY 101 leads us to Thousand Oaks where we spontaneously decide to call an old friend who lives there. He is up and on his way to church. But, we meet him a bit later (after church) for a coffee and a nice chat.At around lunchtime we take the rest of the distance to LA, passing by Farmers Insurance Offices at Wilshire Blvd - a very nice part of town, we have to admit. But commuting to Thousand Oaks or Simi Valley is definitely not an option (should I ever get a job with Farmers). Even on Sunday the traffic is horrendous.We follow Wilshire Blvd and then Santa Monica Blvd, through all these nice and expensive neighborhoods to the Ocean - where the actual fun is taking place. We drive along Ocean Avenue first and then the Pacific HWY for a while, but then decide to take the Freeway to get out of the crowd and down to San Diego. We are both tired and just don’t feel like a bath in all these people. We have seen it and can always come back. With the car it is anyway difficult here, either you park the car far away and walk or rent a bike.About 2 hours later we arrive in San Diego. We are glad that we made it back without any accidents or other incidents, which is certainly not something that can be taken for granted. Our trip lead us through Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Washington, British Columbia (Canada), Oregon and California. We did about 14,000 Miles in 70 days. It was fantastic, we had such a good time and saw so many impressive and beautiful things, it’s unbelievable how much variety the Western United States have to offer and how close you can come to mother nature at certain places - just amazing and unique!Overnight Stay: Extended Stay America, San Diego, CA USA 2009 2009-07-29T18:09:26+00:00 http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/carrizo_plain_national_monument_-_california_coast_-_ventura/ http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/carrizo_plain_national_monument_-_california_coast_-_ventura/#When:23:24:54Z Odometer 6,450Time: 08:15We/I struggle with the new navigation system, so we take some detours today! But, eventually we find everything we actually want to see:First we head out to the west of Bakersfield to the Carrizo Plain National Monument. We see huge fields of oil pumps on the way. Oil is actually the main industry of Bakersfield, besides oil companies and refineries there are hardly any other big companies here. Carrizo Plain is a large enclosed plain, approximately 50 miles (80 km) long and up to 15 miles (24 km) across, about 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Los Angeles. It contains the 250,000 acres (1,012 km²; 101,215 ha) Carrizo Plain National Monument, and it is the largest single native grassland remaining in California. It is one of the easiest places to view the San Andreas Fault which cuts through the plain. Soda Lake, its centerpiece, is a glistening bed of white salt, set within a vast open grassland, rimmed by mountains. The plain is home to diverse communities of wildlife and plant species, and is an area culturally important to Native Americans. To me it seems like a little “Death Valley”. It must be beautiful in spring after some rain and when the birds are there. Right now it is all dried up and no animals are to be seen. Well, almost none, we saw a coyote on the way to the Carizzo Plain!After this dry land we look forward to seeing the Pacific Ocean again. We take HWY 41 all the way to Morrow Beach - it’s foggy there! We follow HWY 1 and 101 south and pass through little towns more or less touristy. Pismo Beach is very nice. And, eventually we even find our way to the harbor promenade of Santa Barbara, which is packed with people and cars. No parking space and expensive hotels force us to pass on to Ventura, where we find a low rate hotel (which would definitely benefit from a renovation).Before dinner we head down to the pier, where people are fishing.Overnight Stay: Travelers Beach Inn, Ventura, CADinner: Sizzler USA 2009 2009-07-25T23:24:54+00:00 http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/bakersfield_-_an_expensive_day/ http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/bakersfield_-_an_expensive_day/#When:23:21:25Z Odometer: approx. 60,800Time: 08:00We drive almost directly (without too many stops) to Bakersfield. HWY 395 leads us slowly down in elevation to a lower level over the first 120 miles. With each mile the landscape is getting more desert like, the green trees and bushes are getting fewer and fewer. On HWY 14 we take a detour along Lake Isabella which quite nice and a bit greener again. We arrive in Bakersfield at around 1:00 pm. Our dear Jeep has been showing very “unhealthy” behavior for quite a while now and no mechanic has been able to help us and figure out what it is, additionally we were told at the last oil change that we need to replace parts of the exhaust and it also recently started to rattle when braking. So to fix the breaks alone we would have to spend about $300 to $400. The exhaust another $300 to $400 and this other problem that no one could figure out yet, maybe $700, $1,000, $3,000? Who knows and all this for a car with over 60,000 miles? No, that is not worth it. Oh, and I almost forgot - the windshield would need to be replaced as well, as it has several cracks. And even though we really liked that Jeep from the look and feel, we shop around for alternatives.Marco found an almost new Toyota 4Runner on the internet last night, which is in Bakersfield. We soon find the car standing there in the sun on a huge lot of used cars. They also have another nice car that draws our attention, so we take a test drive with the Toyota and with a Lexus. At around 2:30 p.m. we are back and agree that we would like to see the numbers on both cars and know how much we would get for our Jeep as a trade in.At 9:00 pm we drive off with our new Toyota 4Runner! It takes very long to buy a car over here and it is a nerve wrecking experience that really tests our patience! But, eventually we got a good deal, thanks to Marco’s excellent negotiation skills!Tired and sweaty we take the first hotel, we find in our coupon journal. It’s the worst we had in the last 9 or 10 weeks of traveling. Besides a bad smell and no internet, we even had a cockroach in our bath.Overnight Stay: Americas Best Value Inn, Bakersfield, CADinner: Some small eatery just next door USA 2009 2009-07-24T23:21:25+00:00 http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/bodie_-_mono_lake_-_mammoth_lakes_-_bishop/ http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/bodie_-_mono_lake_-_mammoth_lakes_-_bishop/#When:03:16:39Z Odometer: 60,670Time: 08:00Time to leave this expensive town (even the gas is 60 Cents more expensive than in other cities here!We take HWY 395 south and then turn east towards Bodie. In 1859 William (a.k.a. Waterman) S. Bodey discovered gold near what is now called Bodie Bluff. A mill was established in 1861 and the town began to grow. It started with about 20 miners and grew to an estimated 10,000 people by 1880 (the second largest town in California after Sacramento)! By that time, the town of Bodie bustled with families, robbers, miners, store owners, gunfighters and prostitutes of all kinds. At one time there was reported to be 65 saloons in town. Amongst the saloons were numerous brothels and ‘houses of ill repute’, gambling halls and opium dens. Needless to say that there was entertainment for every taste. Here we see what’s left of Bodie after a two big fires in the 1930s. An original ghost town from the late 1800’s. Bodie stands today in a state of “arrested decay” (i.e. the current state is preserved but it is not re-built).An interesting fact is that they used old cans, which they cut open as roof “tiles” and as insulation. Bodie is up on over 8,000 feet (2’500 Meter) elevation and in winter they get about 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.5 Meters) of snow with temperatures as low as 0 F (-18 Celsius).At around 11:00 we leave Bodie again and head further south HWY 395 to Mono Lake. Nestled at the edge of the arid Great Basin and the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains, Mono Lake is an ancient saline lake that covers over 70 square miles and supports a unique and productive ecosystem. The lake has no fish; instead it is home to trillions of brine shrimp and alkali flies. Freshwater streams feed Mono Lake, supporting lush riparian forests of cottonwood and willow along their banks. Along the lakeshore, scenic limestone formations known as tufa towers rise from the water’s surface. Millions of migratory birds visit the lake each year. While we are there some thick clouds start gathering which, together with the lake create a very special atmosphere. We even experience some sprinkles of rain. In the afternoon we take detour to Mammoth Lakes, a winter ski resort, which reminds us a bit of St. Anton. We actually want to visit the Devils Postile National Monument, but the road is closed to the public and we would have to take a shuttle. Instead we stop at a vista point and take a short walk to explore the view in all different directions, we really get the feeling of being high up in the mountains here.The whole area in the Sierra Nevada is gorgeous with the mountains the valleys and all the lakes. But we feel like being at the end of the world. The next bigger towns are at least 4 hours away and you have to take what you can get back here.The next town offering accommodation is Bishop, with about 2,500 people living here. There are a few hotels, restaurant and stores in town. I guess you can get everything you need for life, but not more!Overnight Stay: Motel 8, Bishop, CADinner: Sizzler USA 2009 2009-07-24T03:16:39+00:00 http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/yosemite_-_bridgeport/ http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/yosemite_-_bridgeport/#When:03:41:29Z Odometer: 60,455Time: 08:00It will be a long day, therefore we have to leave Fresno early. We take HWY 41 north to Oakhurst where we fill up with a nice Starbucks (probably the last one for the next few days) and gasoline. From Oakhurst we drive up to the Yosemite National Park. In the park we take Glacier Point Road, which leaves soon after the park entrance and offers a fantastic view of Yosemite Valley, the Dome and the famous waterfalls - magnifiscient!Back on the main road through the park (Wawona Road), we soon drive along Merced River into Yosemite Valley. We take another break to have a closer look at the river. It is crystal clear, not too cold and looks very inviting for a bath. I don’t need to be convinced and soon after find myself taking a nice swimm in the river - it is refreshing and does really good! Once out of the water we discover some animals in and around the water that I’m glad I didn’t know about when I went swimming: Fish (trouts about 30 cm long), fogs (about 15 cm long), a tadpole (about 10 cm long and a thick as a man’s thumb), a small lobster (about 10 cm) and…....  a snake (about 60 cm long)! As the park is very crowded we decide not to go all the way to the end of the valley and continue on Tioga Road up to an elevation of over 8,000 feet (2’500 Meter). The part that follows is probably the most beautiful and scenic area of Yosemite: We drive over a high plateau with lakes, rivers and meadows. In the rivers and lakes, all crystal clear by the way, are fish and on the meadows deers and chipmunks (and…. mosquitos) and in the background mountain ranges still covered with snow - breathtaking and gorgeous! Marco takes over 600 pictures today!We continue to Bridgeport, hoping for more reasonable rates some miles away from the National Park. Well, the rates might be a bit cheaper, but still, the cheapest room we find is $69 but they don’t have either Internet nor breakfast. Eventually we find a privately owned motel where we “only” pay $84 (plus tax) without any breakfast but with wireless internet (you have to set priorities!)Overnight: Redwood Motel, Bridgeport, CADinner: Rino’s USA 2009 2009-07-23T03:41:29+00:00 http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/sequoia_national_park_-_fresno/ http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/sequoia_national_park_-_fresno/#When:13:54:26Z Odometer: 60,250Time: 09:00After a visit to the Jeep Dealership we head east again, the same road as yesterday until….. we miss a turn and only realize much later that we did not come along this road yesterday. Anyway, we get a very nice detour partially along the Kings River, over hills and through farmland and orchards.It is almost noon when we arrive at Sequoia National Park. Along the road, still in Kings Canyon National Park (a corner of which we have to pass before the Sequoia Park Entrance), we see a sign regarding “Prescribed Burns” and soon after we see smoke coming up the steep border to the road. We stop and look down to see that most part of the ground of the forest in that area has burned off, but the trees are not harmed at all. We still see flames in one area, interestingly nobody is there to supervise the burn. A few miles later in the Sequoia National Park we see the first really big Sequoia trees. It’s amazing how thick they grow and how huge they can be. They have a much softer, redder bark than the coast redwoods, it very fibrous and thick! At a later point we visit THE biggest tree. General Sherman is the name of this Giant Sequoia with a height of 275 feet (83.8 metres). As of 2002, the volume of its trunk measured about 1487 cubic meters, making it the largest non-clonal tree by volume in the world. Even today the trunk still grows and becomes wider but it does not gain any height anymore.Circumference at ground: 102.6 ft (31.3 m)Maximum diameter at base: 36.5 ft (11.1 m)Diameter 180 ft (55 m) above base: 14.0 ft (4.3 m)Diameter of largest branch: 6.8 ft (2.1 m)Height of first large branch above the base: 130.0 ft (39.6 m)Average crown spread: 106.5 ft (32.5 m)Estimated bole volume 52,508 cu ft (1,487 m3)Weight: 1,385 tons (1,256 metric tons)Estimated age: 2,200 years (some trees are known to be about 3,200 years old)We exit the park through the south and take the HWY back to Fresno.Overnight Stay: Day’s Inn, Fresno, CADinner: Hometown Buffet USA 2009 2009-07-21T13:54:26+00:00 http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/kings_canyon_national_park_-_fresno/ http://mmjaeger.com/index.php/travel/kings_canyon_national_park_-_fresno/#When:13:27:17Z Odometer: 60,042Time: 09:15HWY 180 east gets first through orchards again and then up to over 6,400 feet (1’950 Meter) elevation where the entrance to Kings Canyon National Park is. From there we soon descend to about 3,000 feet (900 Meter) into the canyon. The road follows Kings River, a beautiful mountain river, which carries a lot of water and has lots of white water rafts and strong currents around rocks. The water is very cold, so there is no risk for us to want to go swimming. We see some Sequoias up in higher elevations but not the really big ones yet. This park is more about the canyon and the river than about the Sequoias, but it is very impressive and offers awesome waterfalls and an abundance of walking trails. As it is very hot (even here it is over 100 F (38 Celsius)) we don’t do too much walking though. We watch out for bears from the car - unfortunately without any luck.It is already early afternoon when we reach the back end of the canyon and we are running a bit tight on gasoline. Therefore, we decide to skip the Sequoia National Park for today and instead return to Fresno. We really want to have time for the park and rather come back tomorrow.Overnight Stay: Days Inn, Fresno, CADinner: .... Kebab, just on the other side of the road from the Hotel USA 2009 2009-07-20T13:27:17+00:00