Merry Christmas All

Hi Everyone.
I bet you have been wondering where I have been.
There are so many things to catch up on.
We did some traveling into Virginia, Delaware, Maryland and South Carolina in April and May (I hope to catch you up on those visits soon).
In May we decided to return to North Carolina to spend the summer with Patty.
Pamm and Patty spent their birthday together (in June) for the first time in 29 years.
After much discussion and planning Jan and Pamm decided to go into business with Patty.
Patty has been a Pet Photographer for the last 5 years here in Raleigh as well as traveling around North Carolina and Virginia. We formed a company together with her call Shutter Paws Imging. (You can see our website at www.shutterpaws.com) We travel around to dog events, agility mostly, and set up to take portraits of dogs and their people. Recently we have started taking action shots at the events. We then make various items with the pictures on them. You can see all of the stuff we make on our web site. Patty still does the portrait photography, but Pamm has now joined her as photographer, taking many of the action shots. We plan to continue working events locally (North Carolina and Virginia) for a while. We then want to get back on the road, traveling the country taking pictures at dog events and seeing the sights along the way.
I had no idea how much time starting a new business takes! I mostly just sit and watch Jan, Pamm and Patty work. I have to stay up high away from Maggie, Tucker and Pete (well mostly Pete) as they are dogs and love to chew stuffed things! Yikes!
I am looking forward to getting back on the road. (I really miss getting my picture taken with all of the cute girls that love teddy bears!!!)
Until then, I will try to get Pamm to help me catch you all up on the rest of our travels.
Best wishes for a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a wonderful NEW YEAR!

Gloucester Virginia Agility

Relaxing after a long day . The bandanna is a gift from Bon-Clyde Canine Professionals. They train dogs for acting. I wonder if they could put me in a commercial, bears can act, too! See, this is me acting cool!

Pamm's sister Patty had an agility competition near the Yorktown, Williamsburg area. We drove up to Gloucester to watch her dogs in action.This is Maggie "The Black Bullet" in action.

This is Mach 4 Tucker (Master Agility Champion 4 times).

Here I am with Maggie, Tucker and Pete.

Yorktown, Virginia

The Battle of Yorktown was the climax of the Revolutionary War. The combined forces of General Washington, General Rochambeau, Admiral de Grasse, and General Lafayette all converged on the greatest concentration of British troops in America.On October 19, 1781, a British army under General Charles Lord Cornwallis was forced to surrender to General Washington’s combined American and French army. The victory secured independence for the United States and significantly changed the course of world history.

This is the Moore House where the British surrendered to the American and French Armies.

This is the room where George Washington met with Cornwallis to accept the British surrender.

Naval ships played a vital role in the American fight for freedom. I liked all the different kinds of cannons on the various battlefields and in the museums.

Fortunately the best use now for these cannons is for a bear playground!

This is a mortar cannon.

Don't fire now!

Here I am next to George Washington. He was very tall!
I can't remember what these baskets are called, but they were used to build the earthwork defenses. They were first filled with rocks and then covered with dirt to make the earthen berms.

This is the Victory Monument in Yorktown. As we were walking back to the truck we heard pipes and drums. It turned out to be a group of school kids marching up the street, practicing for this years big events commemorating the 400 year birthday of the United States.

This is Anya. She was our tour Guide at Yorktown. She is here from Moscow, Russia for training with the US Parks Department. I liked her accent.

Jamestown, Virginia - America's 400th Year

Jamestown is the oldest American settlement, settled in 1607. We visited the site of the original fort at Jamestown. Archaeologists recently uncovered the original layout of the fort. Much of it was thought to be lost to the encroaching James River, but evidence was uncovered that showed that much of the original fort is still on land.I am standing next to a statute of Pocahantas, located on the site of the original Jamestown village. Do you know where Pocohantas is buried? Not here!

Here we are in our Jamestown t-shirts.
I look like a real tourist!

I am with a very nice Ranger. The building behind us is a very, very old church, which is still used to this day for services. (Rangers have the coolest hats!)
This gentleman is another Ranger who gave us a very interesting tour of Jamestown. He told us that Pocahantas is buried in England! This picture was taken inside the church.

The "stick" building in the background is a reconstruction of the original. It is being built on the original site with methods, tools and materials that would have been available in the 1600's. I watched them for a while and it looked like really hard work! What a great way to travel!
(What you would caption this picture?)

On to Virginia! Williamsburg

Our next stop was Williamsburg, Virginia and the Historic Triangle (Includes Jamestown and Yorktown)

Boo! Scared you didn't I?

Here I am with Jan resting on the main street of historic Williamsburg.

Here we are tired but happy.

This is the "gaol" or what we call a "jail". Work was being done inside the building. We didn't get to go in.
This sign contains information about the jail. Jan said the "bad guys" today have it way too good.

Here I am with some terrific people from Canada!

Can you see me? I'm on the brown horse - I'm the one without a hat.

"Thanks JB. This is another fine mess you got us into." (Why do I always get blamed?)

Jan said this is a "paddy wagon" because the driver's name is "Paddy". (I don't believe him)

I woke up from my nap and "wow"...look at this guy; right out of history!

Here I am at the entrance to the "Governor's Palace". This nice lady is wearing clothing of the 1700's.

The gentleman is explaining to us that all the swords behind him had been used in several battles in American History and then returned to the walls. There are hundreds of them. This picture was taken inside the Governor's Palace in Historic Williamsburg.
The tour guides provide information that helps you understand the history of Williamsburg. This nice gentleman was our guide at the Governor's Palace.

Another kind person I met in Williamsburg.

This is the private or backside of the Governor's Palace. It was really neat. See the hedges? Jan got lost in them.

North Carolina Coast

Fort Fisher Historic Site. This is the location of the Confederate Fort that protected blockade runners from the Federal Navy. Fort Fisher was the last stronghold on the Atlantic coast for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. It finally fell after a prolonged naval bombardment, followed by a battle between soldiers. Many brave men fell during this engagement.
We had some great meals at the Waffle House in Wilmington. Here I am pictured with a new friend. She was just wonderful and made sure my milk was cold. (It was nice that they let bears in the restaurant!)
Here I am at the entrance to the Carolina Beach State Park. The burnt ground and trees behind me are part of the Park's department planned management to assist future forest growth. By reducing the vegetation on the ground, seedlings have a better chance of survival. Plus fuel for forest fires is removed. This makes sense to me and I bet Smokey Bear would say so too!

Fun At The Beach

I finally got a chance to get out of my uniform and into some swim trunks to play on the beach. As you might guess, I don't care for the water, but I do love the beach!

After building sandcastles it is time for some sunbathing. Sunscreen...$3.99, cool Frapachino....$1.89, the waves crashing nearby.... priceless!

Where did the dolphins go?

Calling All Visitors

I have met many wonderful people in my travels. I have invited many to share our adventures and I would like to know how many of you visit my blog. If you would please leave me a note on this posting to let me know you are there, I would greatly love to hear from you.
JB

Some of you have inquired about my safety while traveling in the truck. I can assure you that I am secure in my very own car seat.

From Ocean to Ocean

My first look at the Atlantic Ocean.

Jan and I enjoying the beach.
Patty, Sue and Pamm

The dolphins were a little camera shy.

New friends.

Um! Helloooo. I am trapped in the claws of a giant crab and everybody just wants to take a picture!

Saturday the 3^rd, we headed for Carolina Beach and our first view of the Atlantic Ocean. We have now made it from Sea to Shining Sea! Patty also drove down in her class-C motorhome with her dogs, and Sue and her dogs came in her car and stayed in a local hotel. It was so much fun to camp with Pamm’s sisters. Living on different coasts, we appreciate the chance to be together. We walked on the beach and collected sea shells. The beach is very different from the Northwest Coast beaches. The sand is much finer and lighter in color. There are few rocks, but many shells. We saw dolphins swimming just off shore. On Sunday we went to the Aquarium. I thought it would just be like the one we went to in Oregon, but it was very different. I think that the jellyfish were the only things we saw that were the same.

Swimmin' with the fishes!

Wow! This close and I don't have to get wet!

Wow! This close and I don't have to get eaten!
YIKES!!!!

Can you spot the seahorse?

Birthday Sushi

Me with Amme, our waitress. She was very nice.

I can't decide.

Fish something. Bears like fish, so this should be good.

These chopsticks are tough. I like the wasabi.

Yikes! I hope someone else is planning to leave the tip!

February 26th- We have enjoyed staying in one place for the last two weeks, just visiting with family. We missed Scott and Debbie’s birthdays while in Raleigh, so Sue, Patty, Jan, Pamm and I went to a Sushi restaurant to celebrate “with” them. I had a lot of fun. Our waitress, Amme, was very nice. We sat on the floor ( I had to sit on a booster seat). Happy Birthday Scott and Debbie!

Raleigh, North Carolina- Sisters & Lots of Corgis

Wednesday we headed for Raleigh, North Carolina to see Pamm’s sisters Patty and Sue. Sue and Patty both have Pembroke Welsh Corgis. Patty has Maggie, Tucker, and Pete, and Sue has Morgan and Forrest. They are a lot of fun, but they like to chew stuffed toys, so I am very careful around them. Both Sue and Patty are very involved with agility with all of their dogs, so we have gotten to go to some agility practices and competitions.

Pamm's sister Sue and her dogs Morgan and Forrest.

Me with Morgan and Forrest. We are watching an agility competition.

Many days in Raleigh are filled with agility. This is a practice at Bon-Clyde Canine Professionals in Sanford, NC. That looks like a lot of fun. I think I would like to try it.

The view up here is great!

Teeter-Totter with Maggie.

Ahh! Finally a quiet place for a nap. That agility is hard work!

North Carolina and the Biltmore Estate

Here I am in front of the breathtaking Biltmore Estate. Even with a wide angle lens, it is difficult to get the whole building in one shot.

The architecture is so amazing. Everywhere you look is something beautiful.

This is a view from our Behind the Scenes tour. It is the back of the stable area and the area where the male servants were housed.

Stone carvings on the outside of the house are amazingly intricate.

I’m sure you have seen television commercials for LOWE’S featuring the Biltmore Estate. One is left with a picture of this beautiful estate as the commercial ends. I can assure you that the commercial does not do Biltmore justice. It is breathtaking. It is awesome. It is a majestic structure; it can be overwhelming is it so beautiful.

We visited Biltmore in winter. The trees were bare and the flowers non-existent. Even the grass was deep in slumber. It was a cold day with an off and on drizzle. We made our way to the estate via the guarded gate just off a main road in Asheville. This road would lead us to the ticket and reception center of the estate. The grounds are meticulously maintained and beautifully landscaped. After purchasing our tickets we drove to Biltmore. Through forested acres and by streams and ponds one is transported from the hustle and bustle of neighboring Asheville into a peaceful and special world.

We parked our truck in one of the parking lots located away from the residence. One may walk the rest of the way or wait for the shuttle. We chose to wait for the shuttle. A short drive on the road and we approached a wall with a large gate, which was open. The bus drove through the open gate and we caught our first glimpse of Biltmore Estate.

Across the large expanse of manicured lawn, with a large fountain centered in it, sits the imposing structure. It is not imposing in a frightening or threatening way; it is simply majestic. I cannot begin to describe how wonderful and beautiful this home is. You must experience it for yourself.

When we entered Biltmore we were greeted in such a manner that we feel truly welcomed. We weren’t a bother or a tourist; we were their guest. We enjoyed our surroundings and took in the precious artwork; rare books and furnishings. We took the “behind the scenes” tour and enjoyed every minute of it.

Every person associated with the Biltmore Estate was open, warm, friendly and sincerely wanted you to enjoy your time there. You cannot help but want to go back; one can “see” the mansion in one visit but to really “take in” the wonder of it all will take more than one visit. To not only walk through this home, but to be educated about the man who had it built, and what he was trying to accomplish enables one to appreciate the magnitude of his vision.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Biltmore Estate we urge you to do so. You will be enriched many times over.

At the front entrance.
The gardens were bare for the winter, but still beautiful. I would love to see them in full bloom.

The Lost Sea

Sunday we headed for Tennessee. I was looking forward to seeing the “Mighty Mississippi” River. It wasn’t much to look at, at least crossing at Memphis, TN. (The Tennessee River, however, was very pretty.) We were most interested in sites in the eastern part of the state so we decided to take a southern route out of Memphis that took us in to Mississippi and Alabama. We did our first boondocking (dry camping) in a Walmart parking lot in Huntsville, Alabama. It was quite different from our previous night at such a nice campground, but it was the only thing available. The route we were on was nice, but not many facilities, not even rest areas.

Monday we again headed north in to Tennessee. We had our second experience sleeping in a Ford dealership lot. This time by choice. We needed to have our scheduled maintenance on the truck, and since we had gotten a VERY early start (and not much sleep at Camp Walmart), we took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep while they worked on the truck. Worked out great!

We were on our way by noon, headed for Sweetwater, TN to see the Lost Sea. The Lost Sea is a four acre underground lake in the Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. As has been throughout most of our travels so far, we were the only ones on the tour of the cavern and lake. It is amazing to think that we had this huge cavern to ourselves! Our guide, Karen, was a lot of fun. She was very patient with all of our picture taking. It was difficult to get good pictures in such low light. (I told Pamm to use her flash (duh!) but she said that it was not working properly.)

Here I am with the ladies at the Lost Sea. The one on the right is Karen, our guide.

This is the tunnel into the cavern. It sure looks dark down there. I may find a nice place for a nap down there!

There were lots of great places to explore.

Even in 1877 graffiti was popular. These names and dates were burned into the rocks.

Limestone formations in the cavern.
I found the Lost Sea! Karen took us out on a small boat that had a glass bottom. The lake is stocked with trout which are fed each time a boat goes out. The fish jump everywhere, waiting for the food. Sometimes they even jump into the boat!

At the interpretive center.

The diamond fields.

They plow the fields every several months. It was too messy for me, but Jan and Pamm had fun digging.

This is a new friend I met at the park. She is from Washington, too! Imagine that, all this way and one of the few other people in the park is also from Washington!

Thursday, we headed for Arkansas and the Diamond Mine State Park. We arrived after dark, making finding a spot in the campground a little more challenging, but in the daylight, we found we had chosen the best possible spot.

Although it was bitterly cold we headed to the mine to try our fortunes. After much digging and sifting, we found a lot of mud and some cool rocks, but no sparkles. Only one person found a diamond that day. (They sound a big siren to signal when a diamond is found) The diamond mine was a big disappointment (mostly due to all the trash), but the campground has to be one of the best we have seen. We were one of only a dozen occupied campsites (crowded by our experiences). There was abundant wildlife viewing and several hiking trails and only a short walk to the diamond fields

Wednesday, February 7^th, We pulled out of Amarillo at 9:15 am. There was a cold wind that made the 34 degrees feel much colder. Our goal for the day was to make it to Oklahoma City. We stopped in McLean, TX , a small town on old Route 66, to see a museum and find a Texas Route 66 pin. The town was a sad remnant of what once was, typical of many towns along old Route 66. The museum was not open and the only place we found open was a gas station. The people were very nice and directed us to a truck stop to the east where we could find the pin we wanted. We entered Oklahoma at about noon. The land is made up of gently rolling plains, much greener than Texas or NM. The red-orange soil is visible everywhere, making the landscape quite colorful. There are a lot of windmills scattered across the land, and an occasional oil pump. We took a detour up old Route 66 to the town of Cheyenne, to visit the Battle of Washita Battleground, the sight of a major engagement in the Plains Indian War which established the western expansion of the United States. The town of Cheyenne has a very nice city park, with displays of old time city buildings, a museum, a Civil War era canon, a Howitzer 105mm canon, and a buffalo statue. Fueled up in Sayre – $2.289/gal. One thing we noticed in this area was that everyone waves as you pass them on the road. We stayed the night at Catfish RV Park and Restaurant in eastern Oklahoma. Jan enjoyed his first taste of catfish. They served the BEST apple fritters! A girl brought hot, fresh, golfball-sized fritters dipped in powdered sugar. As my Poppie always said, “Best I ever tasted!”

Pamm's New Look

I am a little out of order here, but wanted to post pictures of Pamm's new haircut.

Pamm and her twin sister Patty. (The matching shirts were not planned at all!)

Texas

Beautiful Texas sunset

Tumbleweed pool

There are a lot of unusual sights along Old Route 66 Texas!

There are many of these abandoned "ghost towns" along old Route 66.

We have always heard about everything being bigger in Texas, but the only "big" thing we saw was what they claimed to be the biggest cross in the US.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007 Driving Day: Left Gallup, NM 8:15 am, 26F, clear. At 3:45 pm we entered Texas, finally found warmth! 73F and sunny. Stopped at Overnight RV Park in Amarillo. The temperature dropped drastically after sunset, with a hefty wind blowing. A note on the door of the office instructed that we not connect to the water as they were expecting freezing temperatures overnight. Even with temperatures in the 70’s during the day, there was still snow and ice in shady places. The swimming pool was filled with tumbleweeds and ice! We expected to be near the RR tracks, but were not expecting that we were directly under the landing path of the local airport. Commuter jets flew directly over us at about 100 feet above us, about every 8-10 minutes until about 11:30. ( Of course we didn't discover this until we were already set up in the park!) We don’t know if they stopped, or we were just so tired we didn’t hear them anymore.

The Continental Divide

The Continental Divide is the place in the US where rainfall divides. To the west it drains into the Pacific Ocean, to the East into the Atlantic.
The rock formations on the Colorado Plateau ( Northern AZ, NM, Colorado, etc) are amazing!

Here I am at a trading post at the Continental Divide. Don't I look like a real western lawman?

Navaho Nation- Window Rock & Hubble Trading Post

Memorial to the WindTalkers of WWII

Hubble Trading Post

Monday, Feb 5^th: : Drove to Window Rock on the Navajo Nation, in Northwest New Mexico and Northeast Arizona. We also went to the Hubbell Trading Post, the oldest continuously operating trading post.

New Mexico- Well, Really Colorado

Colorado Rockies

Wild Turkeys

Sunday, Feb..4, We left our rig in Gallup, NM and drove to Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park to see the cliff dwellings. It was about a 3 hour drive, so we again arrived late in the day, but had plenty of time to see all of the dwellings. Some were dug into the ground on the tops of the cliffs, others were built into the cliffs, hundreds of feet up (and down). The elevation at the location was about 7000 feet.. As we made our way along the drive to see the dwellings, we were alone, except for a heard of deer. Toward the end of the drive, we met another couple (from Oregon). As we were leaving the drive, we came upon a flock of wild turkeys. They were just waddling down the middle of the road. They soon realized we were there and just moved over to the oncoming lane. They finally walked off into the woods. It was quite funny! It was a 20+ mile drive back down the mountain to the park entrance (about a 45 min. drive). The sun was setting as we left the top, and it was very dark by the time we reached the bottom. Along the drive down we saw a coyote on the side of the road.

Petrified Forest

I am pictured here with one of the Park Rangers from the Petrified Forest.

A close-up of some petrified wood. They have the most beautiful colors.

Here I am with some petrified wood.

This is why they call it the Painted Desert!

Saturday, Feb 3, Left Williams, AZ. Drove east to New Mexico. Just before the border, we entered the Petrified Forest National Park. It was 4:30. The park was closing at 5:00, but they allow you to stay in the park as long as you are “headed toward” an exit. We had time to walk one of the paths to see the petrified wood up close. We entered the park at the south end and drove the 26 miles to the north entrance at the Painted Desert, reaching the Painted Desert portion of the park just as the sun was setting. The colors were amazing. I had always thought that the Painted Desert portion and the Petrified Forest were completely separate, however, upon closer look, we found that the Painted Desert was also littered with huge logs of petrified wood. We arrived in Gallup, New Mexico and stayed overnight at an RV park on New Mexico's old Route 66.

Meteor Crater

Arizona- I think this is Bell Rock near Sedona.

There are still places in Arizona and New Mexico where you can travel on old Route 66. It is rather sad to see some of the neat places that have just fallen into ruin now that the road no longer goes through some of these small towns. This photo was in Williams, AZ, where the town is still thriving, probably because of the railroad.
This photo is one of the trains run by the Grand Canyon Railway. They run a Polar Express in December. I believe this is the train used for that.


After leaving Williams, AZ, we headed toward the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert National Park in Northeastern Arizona. On the way we detoured to see the Meteor Crater. (The posting for the Meteor Crater is sadly without photos as those were some that were lost to the computer wasteland.) The crater was... well, a big hole in the ground! The museum they have there is quite nice. There were displays on meteors, as well as the space program. There were also some movies filmed there. Admission was expensive and way overpriced.

Arrival in North Carolina

We arrived in North Carolina on Wednesday night. You last heard from us when we entered Arkansas. I had posted some of our updates and planned to finish when we were in Arkansas. Unfortunately, they are not very "wired" in many of the more "remote" areas. We were not able to find internet access until we reached North Carolina. Sadly, somewhere along the way in trying to organize pictures, several files were lost into "computer la la land". Jan had copies of some on his computer, but the rest are lost, hopefully to be found sometime in the future.

Montezuma's Castle

Not really a castle, and never occupied by Montezuma. It was named this because of the mistaken belief that the Aztecs had occupied these dwellings. It was actually occupied by the SINAGUA farmers.

Sedona

Rock formations in Sedona.
A friend I met at the Museum in Sedona.

Oak Creek Canyon

Friday, Feb 2: Drove to Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, and Montezuma’s castle. The red rock formation are amazing. The deep canyons and unique rock formations were a constant OOOHH and AHHHH! At Oak Creek Canyon I got to play in the snow.
Can you guess what this is?
My snow angel!

More Friends at Grand Canyon Railway

Friends on the Grand Canyon Railroad

Grand Canyon

A nice view of the canyon.
Proof we were all here together.
Another great view.
I had to stand on the rail to get a good look.
Boy was it slipppery!!!!! Don't worry, I didn't get hurt, I am stuffed with fluff, you know!

Wednesday, January 31, Arrived at 6am in Williams, AZ to snow flurries. (Tried to sleep at a rest area on the way, but didn’t sleep well.) Set up electric and slides and went to sleep. Checked in with office at 11. Old Route 66 runs through the town of Williams, so we had some good photo ops.. The elevation is about 6500 feet, so it was easy to get winded with activity. We were also baffled at first by the fact that many of our packaged items had expanded. At first we thought that package meat had spoiled, but soon realized that the altitude does strange things to sealed packages!!

Thursday, Feb.1- Woke up to heavy snow and wind. Temp. 16F. We headed for the Grand Canyon Railroad station. There was a Wild west shootout show before we boarded the train, but it was cut short because of wind chill and snow. We boarded the train at 9:45. Train served continental breakfast and there was entertainment by a singing Cowboy. The snow gradually stopped as we headed north and the sky became clear. We sat in the luxury class car. Seating was comfortable, but it was hard to see much. We could go out on the platform at the back of the train. Arrived at Grand Canyon at noon. We took a bus to eastern part of the rim to walk to trail along the rim toward the village. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground. Paths were cleared, but very icy. The view of the canyon was breathtaking! Visibility was 99 miles, and crystal clear. It took us 2 hours to hike 1 mile, going was slow due to stops and icy paths. The train ride back was great. We left at 3:45, this time in the dome car. The view from this car is fantastic, however, the seats were very uncomfortable and cramped. On the trip home, the train was stopped by the Cataract Creek Gang ( also had the shoot-out in town) who “robbed” the train. The marshal did finally catch them! Arrived back in Williams to a full moon rising in the east and clear skys.

From Palms to Cactus

Rattlesnakes??!! I am certainly not walking in this place!

Ahh. A good place for a nap!

Tuesday, January 30, 2007:

We left Hemet at 10:00am. Stopped at the George S Patton Museum. We passed fields covered with windmills. We crossed in to Arizona at about 4:00 pm., Ok I guess it is actually 5:00 pm because we also just entered a new time zone. Gas prices $2.35! Overcast, 65 degrees. Our first sightings of a wild saguaro cactus. Passed through Quartzsite. “Contained Chaos” is Jan’s name for it. It looks like if you want it, you will find it here. (Unless of course you need a trailer dump station!) We planned to stop in Havasu City, but we could not find a park that had a vacancy. There was a lot of BLM land that we could camp for free on, but by the time we arrived in the area, it was dark and difficult to see. The roads are not paved and very rough, so we decided to continue on to Kingman. We ended up sleeping in a rest area near Kingman for a few hours and then continued on to Williams

Mission San Luis Rey

Oceanside, CA

On Saturday, the 27th, we went to Oceanside to visit Pamm’s brother Dana and his wife Phyllis. On the way we stopped at Mission San Luis Rey. We took a tour of the museum and grounds, then drove down to the ocean and along the coast highway. There is a state park right on the ocean beach that has camping for trailers. Someday, we would like to return there to camp. We had a wonderful dinner with Dana, Phyllis, Betty and Don. This was the first time that Jan had met Dana and Phyllis. Pictured here are Kona; Kianni; and Dana and Phyllis. (I hope I spelled the dogs' names right!)

Catching Up- Californina

Wow, it has been a while since you have seen anything new from me. I sure have a lot of catching up to do. Since we left California on January 30th, we have been going, going and going!! I guess the last update was our adventure with the tow truck. We did get the truck fixed and headed for Hemet to see Pamm's Mom and Don. We stayed with Dick and Cathy (Don's Brother and his wife) They were very nice to us. We didn't do a lot of sightseeing while there, mostly just visiting family. Jan and Pamm were both sick for a while, so it was a good time to get a lot of rest. On Thursday we went to the Trap Club with Don. None of us tried our hands at shooting, but it was fun to watch. Pictured here are: Jan, Dick, Don, Betty & Cathy; Me with Betty; Me with Cathy; Me at the Trap Club.

Rock Climbing At Lake Tahoe

Here I am climbing a rock to get a better view of the lake.

Rock Falling

OOOPS!!! It was slippery! Good thing I am stuffed with fluff. I am OK and I did finally get a good look at the lake.

Lake Tahoe

This is Pamm and her Dad at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe.

Garden Railroad

Pamm has finally had a chance to edit more pictures. These are some from Earl's (Pamm's Dad) Garden Railroad.

Heading South

Wednesday January 17: We left Yosemite headed south to see our friends the Bartletts in Port Hueneme, CA, then on to Hemet to see Pamm’s Mom and Don. Unfortunately our plans had to change. We were finally able to get things worked out for Pamm’s infusion the end of the week. Then as we were traveling down Highway 99 towards Bakersfield, the highway warning signs were saying that I5 was closed across the grapevine due to snow. Can you believe it?! Almost no snow in the Sierras, but it is snowing in Malibu!!! We had to forgo our visit to the Bartletts for now and headed east by way of Edwards Air Force Base. Just past the base on highway 395 our truck started acting up. It was making grinding noises, then began to smoke. We ended up pulled of the side of a narrow stretch of 2 lane highway with trucks flying by. By the time the tow truck got to us, towed us many miles to the south to Fontana it was after midnight. He towed us to a Ford dealership parking lot where we spent the night. In the morning the dealership got right on the job fixing the truck (I don’t think they wanted a 36 foot trailer sitting in their lot another night). The turbo on the engine had fallen apart. Fortunately it was covered under warranty. We were on our way by 4:30 (just in time for that famous Southern California rush hour gridlock! We arrived in Hemet about 7:30 and set up at Dick and Cathy Morton’s house. They are Don’s brother and sister-in-law. They have been so nice to us and made us feel at home right away. Since then we have been having a wonderful time visiting family. Pamm finally got her infusion thanks to much hard work on the part of our friend Randi and John (from Corona) from Option Care. (Thank you so much for all your hard work!) We plan to mostly visit family this next week, then head east by the end of the month.

More Yosemite

This one is for you, Scott!

Yosemite

Monday, January 15, 2007: We left Sacramento to head for the Sierras. We stayed the next two nights in a little RV park in Greeley Hill, CA. On Tuesday we drove to Yosemite. Jan and Pamm got me a new friend called Smokey the Bear. We had fun looking at all the beautiful places on the way to Yosemite Village. We stopped to play in the snow. We found a discarded old snowboard and I had a great time sledding ( and crashing!). I also tried to build a snowman. This is the best time to travel. We had most of the roads and pullouts to ourselves. There was very little snow, only a little spot on the roadside that had about a foot of snow, just enough to have fun with. The rest of the area was dry and bare. We didn’t care too much for the village at Yosemite, but the hiking trails are awesome. If you have never been there, you definitely should go. Yosemite is in a very deep, narrow valley, with towering cliffs on all sides. I have seen many pictures of the place, but they cannot possibly convey the tremendous beauty and awe of this place! We entered the valley from the high road along the tops of the cliffs and then drove out by way of the valley floor along the river. There were frozen waterfalls, and frozen parts of the river. Again there were barely any other cars on the road. It is hard to believe that we could have this place almost completely to ourselves.

Aunt Sherry and Uncle Jerry

While in Sacramento, we went to visit Pamm’s Aunt Sherry and Uncle Jerry. We all had such a good time! We got to see Pamm’s cousin, Keith and his children Jordan and Krisstina. I also made a new friend, Everything Bear. We had a great time having cookies with Aunt Sherry and Krisstina and Jordan. Aunt Sherry and Uncle Jerry have a room that is devoted to their miniatures hobby. They have so many neat displays. Pamm’s favorite is the baby’s room (big surprise there!) I was sad to leave my new friends. I showed them on the map where we are going next and they said they would follow our adventures. (Hi Everything Bear!). Pictured here are "Family" Aunt Sherry, Uncle Jerry, Pamm, Krisstina, Jordan, and Keith; Everything bear, his pink bear friend, and me looking at the map; Aunt Sherry, Krisstina, Everything and me having cookies; and mini rooms.

Sorry it has been so long since I have updated my blog. We have been having so much fun, I haven’t gotten to catch up on my writing.

Some of you have complained that I did not post any pictures of me on the trains at the Sacramento Train Museum, so I am posting a couple now. I am on the front of one of the trains. Can you find me? The man with Jan is Pamm's dad Earl.

Train Museum

These are some of the friends I met at the Sacramento Train Museum.

Here we are at Myers Flats, California. I found a great tree house that had a perfect place for a nap!

California Redwoods

This is a sample of how big the trees are in the Redwoods. I stood in front of one, too, but I was too small to see in the picture.

Battery Point Lighthouse

This is the Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City, California.

Here I am at Harris Beach State Park in Southern Oregon. We had a nice morning coffee break on an overlook. The hike made me so tired I had to find a place for a little nap.

Jan and Pamm took a class at a glass blower’s shop and each made a glass float.

We also got a chance to tour some of the other lighthouses on the Oregon coast; Yaquina Head lighthouse is just 4 miles north of the Yaquina Bay Light and Umpqua River Lighthouse 77 miles to the south.

After a month on the coast it was time to say goodbye to all of our new friends in Newport and move on down the coast. We headed south on 101 towards California. We stayed one night at Harris Beach State park just north of the California border. What a beautiful place to stay. We took our coffee and had a nice walk to the beach in the morning and then headed south again.

Our next stop was at Kamp Klamath on the Klamath River in the redwood forests of northern Calfornia. Our camp was on the river near where it enters the Pacific Ocean. It was the first time in our travels, however, that we didn’t fall asleep to the roar of the ocean. (it was just over the hill) Pamm and Jan miss it, but I can sleep anywhere!. From our location we were able to see a good part of the Redwoods. We first went north to Crescent City. There is a great history museum there. When we went in to the museum, Jan and Pamm were talking with the caretaker about the local lighthouses. They told her about lighthouse volunteering in Oregon and she immediately asked if we would be interested in hosting at their lighthouse (Battery Point Light). We were invited to go out to talk with the keepers living at the lighthouse. It was raining and the lighthouse is only accessible at low tide and by climbing over a huge pile of driftwood, so I was not allowed to go. But Jan and Pamm had a great time visiting with keepers Randy and Sally and touring the light. They have signed on to host there in August.

The next day in the Redwoods took us south into the park. Jan and Pamm went on a hike into the Lady Bird Johnson Redwood Grove. It was breathtaking! When they started the hike it was raining, but it soon turned to snow. They had the entire grove to themselves. (I stayed behind because it was too cold and rainy for me.) There is a valley in the park that is a preserve for elk. They stand around on the side of the road posing for pictures. We saw a herd of 6 males, and then later a herd of 8 – 10 females. I guess the boys and girls don’t get along this time of year.

We decided to pull out of Klamath a day early. Our second day there, a landslide cut off our exit from the park. They were able to clear it that day, but as it was still raining quite a bit, we didn’t want to chance getting stuck there by another slide.

We made it to the Avenue of the Giants for our next stay. We found a nice little camp in the little town of Redcrest. We are quite accustomed to seeing very large tree in Washington, but these were really amazing! We felt so small nestled in the groves of giant redwoods.

As we continued the next day south, we came across the little town of Myers Flat. Of course we had to stop to get our picture taken. Most of the town was closed down for the season, but there was a little tourist trap of redwood novelties (drive thru tree, treehouses) that we were able to explore. I found some great napping spots! We also met 2 local women whose mother was from the Myers family that named the town, as well as the local lumber mill.

We arrived in Sacramento on Friday, January 5^th. We are now staying at the Cal Expo RV park. It is the first time we have stayed somewhere without trees! It is fun, though, because we are parked right over the fence from the horse racing track. We can watch the Harness Races from our bedroom window. What a fun treat that is. We are here visiting with Pamm’s dad and his wife Jody. Yesterday we went into Old Town Sacramento to the train museum. It was exciting to see so many cool trains. We met some very nice people, too. The ladies really liked to give me hugs. It was nice! I am pictured here with some of the people we met there.

Monday, January 8^th , Jan and Pamm went to Pamm’s dad’s (Earl) to play with the trains in his back yard. Pamm’s Aunt Sherry and Uncle Jerry were also there. Can you believe they went and did something that fun and forgot to take me!!!? They did take a lot of pictures though so I can at least share in the fun. The train layout is amazing. It is called a garden railroad, the tracks covering nearly the entire back yard, even running along the side of the house. Many of the engines use live steam to run, with sounds (and hot steam) to add to the realism. Pamm’s Dad and Uncle built the engines themselves (not from kits).

Tuesday, January 9^th, Earl and Jody took us (yes, I did get to go!) for a drive up to Lake Tahoe on the California/Nevada border. We drove all the way around the lake, stopping at some beautiful overlooks, as well as in the cities of Carson City and Reno. It was so much fun to go with Earl, as he had many stories to tell of his growing up in the area. I tried to do a little rock climbing to get a better view of the lake, but it was very slippery. Fortunately, I landed on a soft spot and wasn’t hurt. There was snow on the ground, but not enough to make the roads bad.

Introduction

Hi! My name is JB Bear. This is the story of my travels with my friends Jan and Pamm. We are traveling around the United States ( and maybe some of Canada, too) in a 36 foot 5^th wheel trailer. We began our journey on December 5 , 2006 from Port Orchard, WA. Our first stop was a long one, but what fun! We got to be lighthouse keepers at Yaquina Bay Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon. We stayed at South Beach State Park. I am posting some pictures of us at the lighthouse, as well as our campsite. When we were not working, we enjoyed walking on the beach, taking drives to explore to coast, and playing tourists. There is a very nice aquarium in Newport. We had fun watching the seabirds, seals, and sea otters. After a nice lunch in the café, I found a cozy nook in one of the caves near the sea otters to take a nice nap