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2017 West Coast Road Trip
  • Sam Dickerman
  • Samantha Dickerman
  • Sam Dickerman
  • Samantha Dickerman

2017 West Coast Road Trip

A 37-day adventure by Sam & Samantha Read more
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  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    A welcome to Fern Canyon

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    A handsome elk was grazing in a meadow just before the canyon. They all seem to ignore people for the most part. One guy walking past told us a story of making the mistake of waving his hands at an elk, which it saw as a challenge to lock horns and so charged him. We'll have to remember not to do that!

    And then we were into the canyon. It is so green and lush! This is the area where they filmed Return of the Jedi and we kept thinking we we're going to see Ewoks (I mean Endorians).    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Up the Canyon

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    I couldn't help but take tons of pictures. The canyon is so beautiful! The walls are just rocks and sand as the close up shows - and all of the debris is trees that have toppled in as the canyon widens.

    Franklin was the first - but not the last to get his feet wet trying to cross and recross the stream.    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Dune lunch

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    We drove back a bit to find a nice spot for lunch. This little area just past the campground fit the bill - hot dogs and canned corn.

    Samantha was a great help!

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Setting up for fishing

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We drove down a bit further to a nice, almost deserted beach. We rigged one pole with a crab lure and another with sand fleas to try and catch perch - but the current was so strong if kept pushing everything back to shore. I waded out a bit to try and cast further out but not too far! You could tell there were all sorts of crazy sideways and rip currents under the surface.Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip
    1

    Good jumps

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    In the end we had a few nibbles and the bait got stolen a couple of times but no luck. Still, the kids had a good time leaping off the sand shelf into the sand and insisted I make lots of slow mo videos.

    We packed up tired and happy for the long, slow windy drive back out to highway 101.    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Redwoods walk

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Before dinner we went on the path I'd taken the night before to text Kha. The entrance to this path is just a couple of campsites down from our spot. It is lush and wonderful and the trees are amazing.Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Swimming hole - or not

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We spotted what would be the perfect swimming hole - but the ranger said the brook was off limits to protect the spawning Salmon. We were touched to read about how the mother Salmon swim all the way upstream to spawn and then die from exhaustion - their bodies becoming important nutrients in the stream.

    We also red about how the redwoods are very shallow rooted - but they intertwine their roots with their neighbor's roots to help provide stability. It's like they are holding hands under the earth.    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Finishing the walk

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Full disclosure in case it wasn't clear - Franklin always struggles to behave himself in the more posed photos. Just saying...

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Surprise back at camp

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    I heard someone making a racket crashing through the bushes on the other side of the brook next to our site. Turns out it wasn't someone but something - three big beautiful Elk with big antlers who don't seem to care who knows they are around!Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Crabbing effort #2

    July 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We drove about 30 minutes south to Trinidad CA and had breakfast right at the end of the pier where we were going to try our hand at crabbing again. The shot over the truck I texted to Kha saying that it looked like Halong Bay in northern Vietnam.

    The kids played chopsticks as they often do while I went and sought out local advice.

    In the end we rented a third rod and reel and each had crab snares with squid. It was quite a ways down to the water so dip-netting was out of the question.

    I didn't take too many pictures as I was of course saving film for the crab money shots...    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    The right tool for the job

    July 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I spoke to the nice guys at the store that rented us the pole. Given that crab season end tomorrow, they sold me the trap they normally rent almost no with rope and bait - all for $30. We were placed the trap and then poked around the dock a bit. We saw a seagull quite pleased with himself to have a starfish but no idea how to eat it. And a sweet Otter chomping on a fish he caught - with a greedy gull hovering near by. We checked the trap after 15 minutes and a pretty good sized rock crab fell through the bars in the way up. We decided to set it again and go visit a local state park for a bit so the trap could sit undisturbed...Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Patricks Point State Park

    July 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    While we waited for the crabs to dig in to the squid and anchovy mash we left for them, we drove 15 minutes over to beautiful state park. We started with a hike down to a place where we heard there were tide pools but high tide was approaching - good for crabbing but bad for tide pools. Still, the coastline was so rugged and beautiful.Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip
    1

    Wedding Rock

    July 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We view sited one more cool spot at the park - it was like a mini Moro Rock jammed up against the ocean.

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Crabs!

    July 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Well - I was so excited to check the trap I didn't take enough pics. But with 30 minutes we were in the redwoods starting our feast!

    We got two Dungeness and one huge Rock Crab.

    We stopped at the store for limes, Old Bay, and Corona.

    Samantha tried both! She called it "demented chicken". We both agreed the rock crab was a bit more fishy tasting. They were good- but not as good as blue crabs!    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    A great evening

    July 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    Franklin built a fire from scratch using the magnesium shavings and the flint sparker. Samantha and I had a lovely conversation while I picked apart the crabs and Franklin read quietly in the van. Before bed we watched the first part of Rocky III - a huge improvement over Rocky II which has not aged well.Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    A morning walk confirms

    July 30, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    I brought my father Tedd's ashes with us on this trip with the plan to spread them some place he would have liked. On this trip there has been no shortage of those. Tedd and Anita have car camped all over the west and they have been to almost all the spots we've been seeing.

    But I just had not quite found the right spot. Some of the hikes we've been on have provided amazing views or special spots but nothing ever felt quite right. Often places seemed to crowded for his tastes (Yosemite) or too remote (the top of Lassen). He used to love to point out that he was a country mouse and I was a city mouse. But he was also a professor and wonderful storyteller.

    So I had been thinking that a good spot might be the swimming hole along the path I'd walked the first night here at Elk Prairie to text Kha. I was thinking about how at ease I had been walking through the dark forest at night by myself. It really had surprised me at the time just how peaceful the place was.

    So this morning I woke up a bit earlier than the kids and went for a walk to see if this was really the right place.

    Right as I approached the widening in the trail right next to the swimming hole I saw a doe standing in the trail. She looked up at me sweetly, curious but unafraid. Then, after several seconds, her fawn stepped out from behind the tree and joined her. They looked at me for a bit, then the fawn moved closer to mom and together they slowly walked further down the path.

    I thought of my father and his mother, who died when he was just a boy, and how pleased I was that this place would have a mother's love.

    I noted too how just a few steps away there was an outdoor classroom complete with lectern - so teaching and learning would be part of this place.

    And I thought about how the campsite was there - people enjoying to outdoors just the way Tedd loved to.

    I thought about the Redwoods holding hands under the earth to be stronger together.

    I thought about the Salmon swimming upstream to give birth to a new generation.

    I knew for sure this was the right spot.

    And then, after sitting a while, I started back towards our campsite only to run into the elk right in the middle of the path! Quiet and strong and huge the way a dad is in a boy's eyes. I waited until the closest one looked up - his mouth full of ferns - and then walked around on a different path.    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    My father's ashes

    July 30, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    The kids were so sweet and lovely. They helped pour the ashes into the water and we all cried and hugged as the white cloud slowly spread.

    I told the kids that the ashes are not really Tedd. I said it was our memories and love of him that held him to us.

    I miss you dad. Thanks for all you did for me.    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Drive to Merlin

    July 30, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    We headed out the redwoods and turned northeast onto 199 through a very scenic river valley up to Grants Pass, OR.

    There were lots of people jumping off rocks into the river - it looked really fun and on any other day we would have stopped but we knew we were gonna no to be in the water plenty soon and so kept going.

    The temperature in Grants Pass was 103. It was forecast to be 115 by Wednesday! So we ignored the campground reservation I had made and opted for a motel, complete with pizza and screen time.

    Side note: It's too easy to fall into this trap - so glad we have the van and are mostly outside.    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Rogue River - Day One

    July 31, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    So we headed over to the rafting office and got there right on time. We met a nice family from Reno right off the bat and they gave us good packing advice.

    After a briefing section we packed up our stuff in dry-bags and took a shuttle to the river.

    I wadi. An inflatable kayak and the kids were in a bigger raft - but they still had to row.

    NOTE: From here on our there aren't many pictures at all. I had to keep my phone in a dry bag on the raft and it just seemed easier to enjoy the trip than snap pictures! I'm hopeful the company will forward videos and pics I can add to this later.

    Anyway, the first day was great! There were plenty of interesting class III rapids and the kids seemed very pleased. We could jump into the river often and float beside our boats on the flat stretches. That was a great way to cool off.

    We had a nice lunch and got to know the other folks on the trip. There were about twenty customers and six guides. Most of the guides were teachers and did this for extra summer income. They were very professional and took our safety seriously!

    By 3:30 or so we made it to our first lodge to spend the night. Highlights included:

    - The tame, friendly deer
    - Playing "The Resistance" card game with three teen siblings and two guides, Lax and Jasmine. Lots of laughs.
    - Bats flying around in the main lodge because they were fixing the roof and had holes temporarily.
    - The lights going out at 10 b/c the generator was turned off - dark!    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Rogue River - Day Two

    August 1, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We had a nice easy morning at the lodge, including a nice hearty breakfast. By 10:00 we were back in the river. Samantha and Franklin had a chance to run some rapids in the Kayaks here and there and we continued deeper into the wild lands.

    A real highlight came late in the day when we stopped at an old homestead site that was now a museum. There was a wonderful swimming hole in the creek along the property that we hiked up too. The water was crystal clear and even colder than the Rogue! Franklin and I jumped off the big boulder several times - hopefully the guide will email us some pictures.

    The second lodge was even nicer than the first and we'd had a good time playing games and relaxing. We watched some of the videos together on a big TV and laughed at the thrills and spills.

    Attached is the one picture I took that day - the lens soaked from the wave Samantha and I took to the face while in the raft!    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Rogue River - Day Three

    August 2, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We started the day with some class IV rapids that were pretty scary! Several of the people joined Franklin and Samantha in the raft rather than go in their kayaks. I will admit I was pretty nervous - the water is quite powerful and the swirling currents under the surface are always shifting and puling. We went through a canyon with sheer walls for a couple of miles and the guides were quite serious about having us pay attention and stay in the right lanes.

    However, once through that, the rest of the day was fairly relaxed and easy. Highlights included:

    - Franklin joining me in my kayak to act as a human shield for waves splashing over the bow.

    - The jet boat captain who roared up the river at us, then turned sideways, crating a huge series of waves just like a wave pool at a water park. It was so fun we paddled back up and did it again. The guide told me they try and time the trip so the boat will meet us at just the right spot at just the right time - impressive!

    - A black bear that was right along the shore on the beach not 30 feet from us. He seemed to pay us no mind as he shuffled along the edge of the water. The guides were amazed abs said they'd never seen a bear so close to the water. If was awesome!

    The bald eagle and golden eagle - along with lots of herons and hawks.

    The trip ended around 2:00 and our van was waiting for us so we could head straight out to the coast.

    We left to go to an ATM to get cash for the tip but ended up at the wrong store. We were supposed to meet up with the van of paddlers and guides big they'd left by the time we got to the right store. We actually took off after them up the dirt road into the hills. We met folks coming the other way saying that yes, they were a few miles ahead (this being a one lane logging road) but we just couldn't close the gap so we gave up. This meant we never got to give proper goodbyes - but I called ahead to the office so that when the van got back the house would be told we had tried.

    It would have been epic to catch them but if just wasn't to be....    Read more

  • 2017 West Coast Road Trip

    Humbug Mountain State Park

    August 2, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    It was about 90 minutes to get down to the coast and another 40 minutes over to Humbug State Park. We had a fine little campsite at the foot of the little mountain. The camp host was a couple sites down and he gave me some great advice about spots along the coast. Samantha and Franklin continued to master the nuances of marshmallow toasting. We all agree that lighting them on fire is the stuff of amateurs.Read more

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