We arrived in Angels Camp around midday. It is hot!!! Angels Camp is in Calaveras County and home of the jumping frog. It is one of the many mining towns left behind by the Gold Rush. The country side here is golden with summer and green trees dotted across the hills. My Uncle Jack lives in an old retort building left behind by one of the mining companies. When he first “moved” into it some eighteen years ago it was full of junk and had no electricity or water. Over the years he stayed with friends and camped out. Finally in the last ten years he has put in electricity, water, a kitchen and a bathroom to the 500sq ft one room building. He also landscaped the entire hillside surrounding the house. Not an easy feat considering he will be 75 next January. Jack is a story that would take far to long to tell. He has LIVED and he is HAPPY. He is hoping to sell his bit of land and house and begin traveling again this fall. He is not without a place to stay just about anywhere in the states. We put up a tent in his yard and spent the next two nights. We mostly listened to his stories and went to the local hang outs. I cannot wait for him to come to Austin and met all of you!

After a fun day and half and an eleven hour drive we are off to sleep and the Grand Canyon tomorrow!

Left the lake with much sadness and headed southwest to the northern coast of California.  The drive was easy and not without some scenery. We did have to drive down a long, windy, dirt road through the trees to reach Gold Bluffs Beach.  The drive was not unlike something you would see on a National Geographic program.  A secret passage that lead us to a VERY secluded beach.  The campground was right on the beach with enormous gold and green bluffs behind us and the roaring and rocky beach in front.  We walked down to the water and took it all before setting up camp for the night.  Had a quick meal and a raging fire, before turning in to the tent for some reading.

Woke up the next morning to the birds having a gossip session around the tent and I felt so rested.  The waves were crashing and the sun was just barely up.  The fog was so thick over the beach and the bluffs that I couldn’t believe we where in California.  It was magical.  We gathered ourselves for the day and packed up the stuff for another day.

We drove a little further down the road to Fern Canyon.  Oddly enough we ran into three motorcyclists that had also been at Crater Lake.  They were all on BMW’s and had been up to Alaska and back.  Very Long Way Round.  We all hiked into the Canyon.  Again pictures will not do this place justice.  It is a quarter mile long or more and about 30 to 40 up.  The whole canyon is covered in moss and fallen trees and ferns.  I felt like we were in Lord of the Rings.  It was so beautiful and peaceful.  I would recommend this trip to anyone and I certainly will go back and spend more time.

We headed south towards the Sierra Nevada and found a place to stop for the night.  Tomorrow we head to Angels Camp and stay with my Uncle Jack.

The drive down to Crater Lake is mostly highway until the end you break away into a heavily forested area with long tunnels of road stretched out before you.  This should have been the first sign that where we were going was magical.  The trees grew taller and thicker the closer we came, and the temperature began to drop to that in between cool and cold stage. We drove into the state park and the anticipation to see IT was palpable.  The road was never ending and winding into the sky.  Finally, we broke over a hill and there IT was.  You really cannot describe this place in words.  Maybe other worldly is the best way to say how the Lake seems.  We pulled over and stood there in awe..speechless.  I think I may have giggled a little in a hysterical way.  It is soooo enormous and BLUE.  Pictures will never do it justice, being there standing on the edge didn’t.  We tore ourselves away long enough to find our way to the campground and set up for the night.  It was already later in the day so we settled in and dreamed of the trip around the lake the next day.

In the morning, after a very chilly night(48 degrees when we woke), we made some hot tea and breakfast.  Then we set out on the journey.  It took all day to drive around the lake…stopping along the way at all the overlooks and points of interest.  We took lots of photos but again..they won’t really be right.  It was a magical day and we did not want to leave the rim, but we wanted to get back to camp in time for a fire.  We had a nice evening,  a fire and better sleep.  Tomorrow is the drive to the Redwood National Park on the California coast.