California

We spent a day crossing Nevada on the loneliest road, route 50. It is an impressively barren stretch of road.

In the Sierras is the famous Donner Pass. We stayed the night in the state park, where many of the immigrants starved to death in after being caught in snow in the fall of 1846.

We visited the Redwoods National Park on the Pacific coast in northern California. Hiked through the forest, walked on the beach, and explored Fern Canyon.

We arrived at Crater Lake National Park and were stunned by its deep, blue color.

Today is a driving day. We slipped through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge, then headed north through central California to the Mount Shasta area.

We lingered at Sequoia this morning, then headed for the Pacific coast. We began our coastal drive at Morro Bay, and ended the day at Big Sur.

We drove south to Sequoia National Park and visited the giant trees. The last time I visited them I was a four year old, and they continue to impress me as a twenty-three year old.

We spent day two in Yosemite hiking out of the valley to Vernal Falls and, for Andy, on to Glacier Point.