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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Sep 30, 2004 02:00 PM The Mountain of Sand...
How to try the taste of the Nevada Desert? If you are in Reno take the road no. 80 - "the loneliest road of America" - that's how they call it... Have a tank full of fuel and plenty of drink...
It is hot and monotonous drive after Fallon. About 95 miles east of Reno empty, bare mountains will appear. On the the left side of the road you will see huge sand dune. They call it Sand Mountain and it is recognized as State Recreation Area. You must turn left and proceed about 2 km by dusty gravel road... The dune in 670 feet (like 220 m) high. Some US citizens are coming here with their campers and 4-wheelers to go up and down on the sand but since it is quite far from big towns there is usually only few of them. The view is impressive - you can climb the mountain for the better pictures - just do not forget your hat and sunglases...
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Sep 29, 2004 02:00 PM Gambling in Reno - Nevada
No, I am not a gambler. But I wanted just see Reno before my onward drive to the next wonder of the nature - the Lake Tahoe...
In the internet I found interesting offer: a room in Sands Regency Hotel & Casino for 24 USD - it is lower price then in the motel!! Transfer from the airport is also included...
So I decided to take it. The room is excellent (remember: I am backpacker!) King size bed have capacity of 3 persons! They also offered 10 USD gift credit for gambling... Yes, I took it - I went to the slot machine to try my luck and after few minutes I had 16 USD in quarters in my pocket. So: 24 minus 16 = 8 - this is the real cost of my king size bed....
Downtown Reno is small enough to walk around. The real face of the "small Las Vegas" is visible after dusk - when all neons and lights are on - but one evening is just enough to stay here.
Try your luck while in Reno and go to the Public Library for free internet access!
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Sep 28, 2004 02:00 PM The view from Hurricane Rigde...
I am in the Olympic National Park - 3 hours drive from Seattle. It is wild, less known, not so often visited by the tourists... The most popular place to visit is Hurricane Ridge - the Visitors Center accessible by car from Port Angeles... When the morning fogg will dissapear there is beautiful panorama of the snowy peaks, glaciers and green valleys. You can see distant Mt Olympus - the name of the park comes from its highest mountain. The best time to drive there is usually afternoon... On the western side of the park there are picturesque beaches - offering combination of the sand, lonely rocks and big drifting logs. The best one is Ruby Beach - but you need some luck to take good pictures there - when I came to the beach it was cloudy and misty. While 10 miles east - in the Hoh Rainforest area it was sunny again and I photographed there an old, majestic male elk...
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Sep 26, 2004 02:00 PM The lake in the crater...
Can you imagine deep-blue huge lake - about 5 miles diameter, located on the altitude 2 km above sea level?...
Ii was a long way from Redwood to the Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. This is the only national Park of the Oregon State. There is a good paved road going around the crater, but it comes to the rim only at the several view points. The best one - in my opinion is The Watchman - here you have a beautiful view of the Wizard Island located in the crater. It takes about 1,5 hour to drive around the lake with short photo-stops... Allow more time because the views are outstanding and I cannot remember any similar place in the world...
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Sep 25, 2004 02:00 PM Tallest trees of the world...
Many years ago when I visited Sequoia National Park the ranger told me thet their sequoia trees are biggest but not the tallest trees of the world. So I started to dream about seeing redwood... The dream came true today! Can you imagine 105 -metre tall tree? Walking around them you feel like in the giant cathedral... It was fantastic, sunny day. I visited Tall Trees Groove - remote sanctuary accessible by long gravel road - it takes around 4 hours round-trip by car and walk to go there... Unforgettable! Fern Canyon on the costa was also wotrth to see.
I stay in Redwood Youth Hostel - one of the best I visited in my life. It is cosy, friendly place far from the noise, with fantastic view of the Pacific Ocean. They charge 18 USD per night in a dormitory - sheets and morning tea is included. Capacity is little, so it is worth to book in advance!
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Sep 24, 2004 02:00 PM California blue...
It was cloudy and foggy day in Oregon. I did not stop in Portland expecting that it is just one more big city with skycrapes in the downtown - you can see them from the interstate highway.
Oregon Dunes on the coast dissappointed me - it is nothing but a runway for big boys trying their noisy 4-wheelers...
But there is something interesting to see on the coast: 15 miles north of Florence beautifuly located on the cliff Heaceta Lighthouse. Before you get there stop at the Sea Lions Cave - the lions were not in the cave but on the coastal rock and it was even possible to take few zoom pictures.
Going south there is nothing to see along the highway 101 until Port Orford. South from this placa you will appreciate many coastal viewpoints... When I approached the border of California sun appeared and I had a chance to enjoy all this fantastic panoramas...
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Sep 23, 2004 02:00 PM I recommend Mount Rainier...
It was a long way from the north of Washington State to the bottom of Mt Rainier. There is not much to see in this national park except this mountain and few little waterfalls.
Bu it is still worth to come there.
Can you imagine 4400 - meters high snow-capped dome in the sun of the noon? There are different viewpoints: Sunrise Point allows see Mt Rainier from the North - it is steep and narrow mountain road there - check your brakes before!
Other entrances to the the park - from the south will give you a chance to see the beauty of the mountain and the meadows below it from the other side. At the gate you pay 10 USD per day - or buy your annual pass for 50...
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Sep 22, 2004 02:00 PM North Cascades in the sun...
I am back in the USA! Just close to the Canadian border there is less - known National Park of North Cascades.
Sun was shining when I entered beautiful mountains painted in the all colors of the fall... In this park they do not charge entry fee, but they have still well-organized visitor center with video projections during the day.
There are three entries to the park: by boat from the south, by gravel roan from southwest and the easiest: paved road from Serdo-Wolley. I took this road. It tooks me to the chain of dams and picturesque mountain lakes. Diablo Lake is probably the prietiest...
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Sep 21, 2004 02:00 PM Vancouver Island - bigger then expected...
I have been to Vancouver many years ago so it was nice to see again Stanley Park and Lions Gate Bridge... But main target during this trip was Vancouver Island.
You can get there by ferry - most people use Horseshoe Bay - Nanaimo ferry link.
It cost 30 C$ per car plus 10 C$ per person one way. 2-hours sail... If you need advance reservation it will cost you extra 15 C$ each way.
In my opinion the main attractions of the island are: Charming Victoria City - the capital of British Columbia and Pacific Rim National Park located on the west coast of the island.
I did not expected that the island is so huge... The drive from the ferry landing in Nanaimo to Victoria takes 2 hours each way. From Nanaimo to Tofino via the only, very narrow and steepy road - 3 hours... But is is worth... Victoria with its flowering streets, inner harbour and Parliament building is very tourist.
Pacific Rim is wild, empty in September and on the way you have giant trees of Cathedral Groove to see. So it was busy day... Tomorrow I'll try to catch the ferry back to the continent...
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Sep 18, 2004 02:00 PM A night in the Court House...
The last day in the Rocky Mountains was excellent: sunny weather, warm and plenty of time. I come once again to see the highlights of Icefields Highway. New driving direction: south opened new panoramas... Wonderful! After lunch on the open air on the bank of Athabasca river I started my long drive from Jasper to the Pacific.
It was too long to make it in one afternoon so I decided to make overnight stopover i Kamloops. The youth hostel in Kamloops is located in the building of the old Court House.
Almost everything is well preserved and since the court hall acts now as the YH dining room you can have your dinner sitting on the judge's chair...
The young lady at reception charged 17 C$ per dorm bed...
-Where are you from? Trial is over: guilty! Go to the dorm B!
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