September 2023

 

Dora was not well at the end of August.  We had limped into a garage with a very sick transmission and been told that it was repairable but, naturally, at a cost. The garage hoped to have a loaner car for us to use but, after delaying our Airbnb check-out as late as possible, then having a leisurely lunch we discovered that the parts for the previous borrower’s car had not appeared and so we would have to rent a car to continue our trip on Vancouver Island.  Not only was this going to cost but, more worryingly, if we could not leave the island on schedule we would be playing severe catch-up as we had 4 consecutive 5+ hour drives to get to our next destination. 

Nursery log near Port Hardy

We did rent a car, a little Kia which was OK apart from very poor quality seats which had both of us in agony after a 3 hour drive.  This was down to Gold River, in the middle of the island, to stay in a basement Airbnb.  Very nice walk the following day through forests and round small lakes.

Archer lake, Gold River

On Sunday, to Courtenay to look after a cat for a week.  Several walks round forested parks and one through a forest where we ended up chasing our own tails on an unmarked trail.  Thankfully, I had GPS tracking on and managed to find our way out or we might otherwise still be there.  On the Tuesday, we drove up to Campbell River to meet old Sailing friends who live on Quadra Island.  They collected us with their boat and took us to another small island where we had a nice picnic.  On Wednesday, good news – the parts had arrived and Dora would be ready for us to collect on Friday.  This we did, with a 3 hour drive each way and paid the largish bill.  

Trees leaning in to seek the light.

Saturday was the start of a big drive south.  First back to Victoria, to stay at an Airbnb very close to where we had sat the Frenchies a couple of weeks before.  Sunday, a ferry over to Port Angeles then a drive down the coast to Aberdeen, WA, pausing for a forest walk on the way.  Further down the coast on Monday to Newport OR.  Very scenic, with huge rocks just offshore alternating with inland stretches through forest. 

Oregon Beach

Tuesday, down to Gold Beach,CA,   then Wednesday to Eureka, stopping off for a long walk through the giant redwoods in a National park, including ‘The Big Tree’ allegedly the tallest in the world.

Big Tree.

Thursday, inland to Burney.  A scorching hot day, pausing in the park at Redding for a walk along the slightly cooler river.  Friday, initially South, to Lassen Volcanic NP.  Went for a couple of walks but, as we were back above 8,000 ft, Elsie struggled a bit with the altitude. Nice but we have seen Yellowstone.  Then East, to Reno, which was one of our long planned stops.

Lassen Volcanic Park

Every year, for many decades, the National Air Races have taken place here.  It is a spectacle that I have long wanted to see and was dismayed to discover that this was to be the last year but at least we managed to get good tickets for the final weekend with to row seats in the grandstand directly opposite the home pylon.  We had pit passes for the Saturday and spent a long time looking at the big beasts, T6’s and P51’s chief among them.  

P51

T6

Then up into the stands to watch a few races.  Each class had a distinctive look and, especially, sound.  Hearing 6 Merlin engines passing flat out is a stirring sound but nothing quite compares to 6 Harvards, with propeller tips supersonic.  Six jet trainers battling it out is just insane. Between races there were displays by Military and civilian aircraft, including a pairing between an A10 and P51. 

A10 and Mustang

Bonanza

We enjoyed a spirited display by and aerobatic Beech Bonanza.  As the afternoon heated up, we returned to the pits and found a nice patch of shade from the motorhome of one of the top unlimited teams.  A knowledgeable frequent visitor told us a lot about the teams, especially sports and formula 1.

Drag racers

On Sunday, we went straight up to the stands, to watch the drag racing.  Light aircraft go flat out for ¼ mile, land, stop, turn and fly back again. The winner is the first to stop with all 3 wheels touching.   Any fool can open a throttle but it takes real skill and judgement to cross the finish line at minimum height and speed. 

It was, of course, finals day.  Everyone gets to fly but, depending on the size of the entry there are many finals for each class:  Medalion, bronze, silver and gold races.  The entries for each have been selected in heats through the week.  On Saturday, we had watched the winner of a Silver heat get promoted to the gold final.  While many of the races had a clear leader from the start, most had a ’race within a race’ for 3^rd, 4^th or even 5^th.

It came to the Gold race for the T6’s.  Usual intense noise at the start and each lap.  Two very experienced guys, each of whom had won several times before battled for the lead.  One came first; the other second.  As usual, they climbed up to circuit height to cool down their engines and their minds.  Two minutes later, gasps from the crowd.  I turned to see 2 patches of dust. They had collided in the base leg area.  Both Fatal.

L39.  Yes, they race these round at between 50 and 350 Ft.

We lingered for an hour or so, looking round some of the static areas we hadn’t visited the day before but we knew that it was over.  Such a sad way to finish not just this event but the last ever Reno Races.  They had been hopeful that they could re-locate and had several interested venues but this might have changed their conceptions.

Monday, we crossed the highest pass over the Sierra Nevada then drove (very slowly because of roadworks) down the side of lake Tahoe.  2 nights at the south of the lake, with pleasant local walks.  I also got a ‘smog check’ done on Dora, which is essential to sell a car in California.

Emerald Bay on Lake Tahoe

South again, stopping off for a walk at Echo Lakes, to visit Yosemite, another of the ‘must see’ National parks.  Even booking 2 months in advance, out of season, we could not find lodging inside the park, so stayed at a motel just outside.  There had been reports of 3 hour queues to enter so we were concerned that we might be having to rise before the sun but monitoring on google maps reassured us that, out of peak, they had cleared.

Tenaya Lake

It had been our intention to tour the main valley on Thursday and cross the Northern part of the Park on Friday to drive down the Eastern side of the Sierra Nevada and Death Valley.  We had seen reports of the Burning Man Festival being washed out a few weeks before by the tail end of a hurricane and now discovered that all the roads in Death Valley had been washed away so a quick re-think required.  We did the Northern road first.  Pleasant but cold, wet and windy – got our big coats out for the first time since Alaska. 

El Capitan

Yosemite valley, the next day was, however, wonderful.  Dominated by a huge cliff – El Capitan but with many other notable geological and arboreal features.  Paused on the way out at the Tunnel viewpoint.  Anyone visiting should really start here for its spectacular vista.

Yosemite from Tunnel Viewpoint

Down to Fresno.  Then Bakersfield via the Sequoia National Park to get another fix of big trees including General Sherman, reputed to the most massive on earth.

Fallen tree

On Sunday, to Las Vegas staying in the nicest Airbnb we had found this side of the Atlantic.  That evening, we took an Uber into town and went to see the ‘Blue Man Group’ perform at the Luxor hotel.  From here, we walked up the strip and back to our apartment, getting fairly lost on the way and in sore need of ice cream to cool down.

Tasteful

Not over the top at all

Unannounced to anyone, apart from a couple of almost strangers, we had taken the practical step of joining in a civil partnership two years ago.  While it wouldn’t change anything, we now felt that it would be a shame to pass through Vegas without visiting a little church and getting Elvis to marry us.  So that was the No1 thing on the agenda on Monday.  We both got far more emotional than we expected. 

Down the Aisle

Reverend Elvis

Outside the Church

That done, we drove up to the Northern end of the strip, parked at Planet Hollywood and spent the afternoon doing Vegas things.  Lunch at the Hard Rock Café, then wandered through the miracle mile (shops) and the casinos of Paris, Horseshoe and Caesar’s palace.  All as garish as expected (though Elsie was disappointed to find that the rows of one-armed-bandits, fed by blue-rinsed matrons with cups of quarters, had been replaced by all-electronic monsters, re-charged by cards).  

Slot machines

My disappointment was the cold impersonality of the tables, with no hint of glamour at all.  Elsie did find a row of machines with handles and put $10 in, but the handles were just for operating the starting switches.  So we just had a drink at Caesar’s to marvel at the stream of people checking into the hotel to start what was for them the holiday of a lifetime or a regular treat.

Our evening’s entertainment was ‘The Piano Man’ with songs by Billy Joel and Elton John.  The former was very good – the latter, not so much, according to Elsie who has seen the real thing several times.

Tuesday, down to Calabasas, just north of Los Angeles for another 2 night stay.  From here, we visited Warner Bros studios for another tourist afternoon.  

That water tank in pink for the release of Barbie

Cart round the lots (Elsie bagging front seat by proclaiming that it was her honeymoon), outside sets ready to be dressed, sound stages, then into stage 42, to sit on the sofas of Central Perk and Sheldon’s apartment, fly a broom to play quidditch in front of a green screen and have lunch.  

Back to the visitor’s centre to look at costumes and props for Game of thrones, Harry Potter, Barbie and much more.  Even got to hold a real Oscar.

Thursday to Temecula to sit for 4 German Shepherds.  My task was to prepare Dora for sale with a thorough clean.  Took her to a car wash for a treat, which would have worked better if it had removed flies as efficiently as a bit of trim, which I had to go back to retrieve when I noticed it missing and then spent the rest of the day bodging a repair.  I listed on Autotrader, which did a very thorough check on me and the vehicle and Craig's List, the US equivalent of the UK’s Gumtree, which just charged me $5 and was content with that.  Several enquiries from the latter, though some scams and chancers; none from the former.  We will see how it develops.   

  

Monthly miles     3133