Time Capsules

Posted on November 9, 2013 by bottlingmoonlight | 2 Comments

Since Stacey has been writing so much I figured I should write another post. One every 3 to 4 months may seem relatively pathetic, but I have Congress to thank for setting the productivity bar so low that my pace makes me look like a superstar blogger. I also have Congress to thank for finally opening the National Parks again so I could write about Joshua Tree National Park.

I’m not going to write about Joshua Tree the way Stacey would. She can write a more extensive narrative of the park if she wants but what I am going to write about is time capsules. Not the grade school projects where you stuff a box with notes to yourself, lists of ambitions, newspaper clippings, et cetera. Rather, the type of time capsules that serve as reminders for me and everyone reading this blog of the importance of being mindful of how we live our lives and why we protect public spaces for future enjoyment and education.

Time Capsule #1: A Mountain Dew Can

The first time capsule is a very old Mountain Dew can I found at our campsite at Jumbo Rock. To give some background, when we got to Joshua Tree the wind was whipping at 40-60 mph and given the elevation and time of year, that meant we would be facing brutal wind chills and sleepless nights with an angry 2 1/2 year old. In order to make our stay more hospitable (really to make it even possible) we had to find a site that would protect our tent from the wind on all sides. Given how the sites were positioned, this was not an easy task and we ended up putting the tent in a space so far back from the road, so squeezed in between giant boulders and bush that it was not remotely close to the normal tent space/picnic table area established for the campground. In other words, no one had probably been back there for years.

I happened upon the can (pop where I’m from, soda for Stacey) as I was setting up the tent. It was wedged deep between two very tall and skinny boulders.

At first I thought it was just normal litter as we’ve been enough places and seen enough abuse of campsites in one form or another that I was about to pick it up and throw it in the recycling. As I am a sucker for noticing details, immediately I could tell this can had a very old design (the diameter of the aluminum top was much larger than cans of today, and the size of the spout was much smaller than today, not a wide-mouth) and I estimated the Mountain Dew logo was something I had not seen since my early childhood. Given that the color was somewhat faded but in relatively good condition, and given the area where it was sitting received almost no direct sunlight, I was struck by the fact that most likely what I was staring at was a pop can that had been tossed aside by some camper 25-30 years ago never to be disturbed until I visited the park in late October 2013.

Rather than move the can I decided that it had been there so long and had been preserved so well that I would rather not disturb it. It had become part of the park, a time capsule that illustrates how much damage can be done by such routine and unconscious actions as tossing a can aside. I will not forget that can for the rest of my life; how it is still there, will still be there tomorrow, the next day, and probably until I die.

I hope that everyone reading this blog will remember that can, as well, and carry it with them when they are making decisions that if made without thinking could have serious long-term consequences even though on the surface they seem innocuous. Because so many of that can’s brethren are invisibly living a similar life below ground; they are still there, will still be there tomorrow, and the next day…

Time Capsule #2: The Disneyfication of Ancient Petroglyphs

My little joke at the beginning of this post was in part driven by the fact that what has been politically dividing D.C. and dividing this country has been ideologically driven by people’s views about private versus public functions. I do not want to take up an exhaustive debate of the issue here because I think it would be inappropriate given the tone and subject matter of Stacey’s blog to date (yes, I consider it her blog, I’m just along for the ride). But, I think examining the question of public space (specifically parks and recreation space) and whether the private sector could improve upon it is best answered through the lens of Joshua Tree and what Disney did to it in the 1960s.

Simple question – can Disney enhance a National Park? Joshua Tree National Park has proven that to be a resounding no.

As the story goes, as explained to us by a ranger at the park, Disney wanted to shoot a movie, and they wanted to specifically feature the petroglyphs that make up part of the Barker Dam trail in Hidden Valley in Joshua Tree. However, Disney being Disney, didn’t think the natural petroglyphs were appealing/photogenic enough for their audience so they wanted to paint over them with washable paint. After filming, the paint would be removed and, of course, everything would go back to normal.

I didn’t live in the 1960s so I am only speculating here, but I imagine things must have been a bit different in the National Parks Service then to even consider such a proposal, and I assume Disney was offering to pay quite a large bit of money to film. From Disney’s perspective I imagine the impetus for painting was the same bit of “magic” that makes things like “Pleasantville” appealing to some people. But, this of course is what Disney does.

And what Disney does is Orlando, not National Parks. They do semi-real, sanitized, cushy versions of the real world (and charge quite a premium for taking the edge off). That is all well and good and I am not being critical of that market, but Joshua Tree proves quite definitively in my opinion that Disney should not do National Parks. Because, and you’ve already guessed it, the washable paint was not what it was cracked up to be. Although it could be “washed off” in some fashion, what also happened was that the petroglyphs were being completely destroyed at the same time.

So, what we are now left with is a Barker Dam trail with petroglyphs that have Disney paint on them. In some cases you can actually see where Disney began to wash off the paint and where they stopped once it was determined that this historical site was being destroyed. From top to bottom the color goes from full to faded/semi-washed to absent with the exposed petroglyphs almost totally removed from the face of the rock.

These Disneyfied Petroglyphs, like the Mountain Dew can, have become part of the park now. Another time capsule that illustrates how much damage can be done when action is not directed with a view to the long term.

Thank you John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, et al who decided creating and preserving public space was a good idea. Now next time Disney or anybody else decides it wants to mess around with what I believe is one of the most successful government functions of all time, the National Park System, one that has been replicated throughout the world; or next time someone spouts off about how the private sector could do it better, I have only one piece of advice. Politely, but sternly, directly them to the Disneyfication time capsule when you are showing them out the door.

Walking Amongst the Great Ones

Posted on November 5, 2013 by bottlingmoonlight | 1 Comment

One thing that we’ve noticed on this trip is how much can change when you cross a border. Again and again we’ve commented on how the landscape, the people, or the development changes dramatically as you cross a border. There’s a lot in common between southern Oregon and Northern California, but they’re still two completely different states. Most notable among the differences was the significant increase in the cost of camping, gas, food, and well…everything! We really enjoyed exploring the beaches and redwoods of the Northern California coast, but the $35+ a night tent campsites (often without a shower) were a bit hard to stomach. We’ve never seen public camping cost so much! In fact, this was the first state where we began camping at private campgrounds because the cost was comparable, but the amenities were better (hot water and showers for the win!). All of this was exacerbated by the government shut down, which meant that camping at federal campgrounds was out of the question.

Welcome to the Northern California Coast!

Although visiting and camping in the parks can be costly, there are many mighty fine California state parks. Since we were barred from entering Redwood National Park (government shut down, grrrr), we were happy to discover that the California state park system preserves many of the finest Redwood groves that are still standing. We spent our first days in California exploring Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park and Prairie Creek Redwood State Park. Although long hikes were out of the question, we took many short jaunts to stand in the cathedral of redwoods. The air just feels different in a forest of redwood trees. Breathing in deeply, I felt transported to a place where the trees are more powerful than the people.

The Magnificence of the Redwoods

Helloooooo up there!

We were lucky enough to get a spot at Gold Bluffs campground in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park – our first night camping at the beach. Yes, we’d camped along the coast, but falling asleep to the sound of the waves and walking from our site right down to the water was a first for us on this trip. It reminded us of our annual camping trip with our friends Sandra and Bryan to Assateague.

The Sunset from Gold Bluffs Campground

The Morning Mist

Playing With His New Fish – A Gift From a Neighboring Camper

We spent the next day driving some seriously narrow dirt roads and roads that were paved at some point long ago but to call them “paved” would certainly be a misnomer. We began by heading to Fern Canyon, just a couple of miles past our campsite. Since Alan was still in a lot of pain from his sprained ankle, I took a solo walk to and through the canyon. It was the kind of place I could imagine a group of kids spending hours or days exploring and making it into their own private kingdom. Or maybe that’s just me…

Fern Canyon

After driving on some dirt roads through several of the Redwoods State Parks, we decided to check out the Lost Coast. The Lost Coast is a stretch of Northern California coast that Highway 1 and 101 avoid. We received recommendations from a couple of people to check it out. None of them had done it, but they had always heard it was beautiful. It was remote, stunning, and much more slow-going than we had expected. Clearly our friends who recommended it had never traveled on these roads or they would have warned us. The paved portions were the worst maintained paved roads we’ve been on during this trip. It was SLOW going. The stretch right along the coast (which was only five miles or so) was beautiful, but we’re not sure it was worth the all-afternoon and -evening trip along roads on which we could go barely more than 20 miles per hour – sometimes much less. If we were one of the locals in a big truck, we would have traveled much more quickly, but driving a car weighted down with all of our possessions, open range cattle in the middle of the road multiple times, numerous hairpin turns, and deceptive signage slowed us even further. We noticed that there were signs warning of curves ahead, but unlike other places we’ve been, the shape of the curve on the sign was in no way related to the curve or direction of the road. It’s as if the state knew they needed to put a sign before a curve, so they just threw up whatever they had available. It became a game for us. What way do you think the curve will go?

After a fruitless search for a campground down a narrow, dark, dirt road, we eventually found our way to another state park and set up camp under the redwoods in the pitch black night. I was expecting to crawl into the tent once it was set up, exhausted from a long day, but instead Alan cooked up a delicious dinner of steak and beans. It was one of our tastiest dinners of the trip!

We awoke amongst the redwoods and spent another full day exploring their home. It is hard to overstate the beauty and grandeur of these trees.

We bid goodbye to the redwoods and headed back to the coast. We spent the next couple of days in Fort Bragg and Menocino, soaking up the perfect weather, the warm sun, and the incredible views. I could have stayed and stayed…

Views from Mendocino

Mendocino, CA

The Mendocino Coast

If there’s one thing that made the Northern California coast even more beautiful than I expected, it was the light. There was a magical quality to the light that made everything sparkle and shine.

This was a place I could imagine coming back to over and over again if I lived anywhere nearby. It is the kind of place best experienced over long stretches of time, not just hours or days.

From the Mountains to the Sea: The Oregon Coast

Posted on November 2, 2013 by bottlingmoonlight | 4 Comments

Leaving the warm confines of Mary and Roger’s home just outside of Portland, we headed over the mountains into the high desert to camp in Bend, Oregon for a couple of nights. Unfortunately, our arrival coincided with the day the government shut down. While this didn’t hurt our camping plans in Oregon (the state has a fantastic park system), it did mean we were blocked from visiting several of the places we wanted to check out. For starters, we weren’t able to see much of Newberry National Volcanic Monument. We headed over there on the morning of the shut down, hoping to see a bit before the monument was fully closed, but we only got so far as one back road that had not yet been gated. We had been looking forward to it since we enjoyed Craters of the Moon so much, but instead we spent the day checking out the great town of Bend. We spent the morning at the fantastic town library. While we intended to read with Van, he spent the entire time playing with the library’s toys and the many, many other children who were also at the library that morning. While we were both big fans of Bend, we decided that two nights was the limit because the temperature was dipping into the twenties at night. Even with the long underwear, hat, sleeping bag, and blanket, Van was still a little icicle in the morning. We now know that camping in the thirties, while not ideal, is completely doable, but camping in the twenties is something we’ll try hard to avoid.

Instead of heading south to Crater Lake, which was our original plan before the government shut down, we headed east on the Cascade Lakes Highway toward the coast. And what a beautiful drive it was! I’m disappointed we missed Crater Lake, but so happy we were able to travel on this majestic road.

The Imposing Mount Bachelor

Our Route

Stillness, Silence, Breathtaking

We woke up in the high desert, traveled through snowy mountains, and ended our day at the rugged and windswept Oregon coast.

View of the Pacific Ocean

Windswept, Indeed

We packed a lot into those four days, from an after-hours lighthouse tour (thank you to the gracious lighthouse keepers that showed us around after we let ourselves in to the open door, not realizing it was not open for tours at that time – oops!), to a fantastic tour of the historic Hughes House at Cape Blanco State Park, as well as beach walks, rock throwing, and wave watching.

But even with a hobble in Alan’s step, we were still able to appreciate the unparalleled beauty of the Oregon coast. Because the state granted public access to all of its beaches back in the 1960s, Oregon is a great place to view accessible and unspoiled coastline. And we were not alone. There were lots of other folks, including many bicyclists, making their way down the coast. You can’t drive more than a few miles before hitting another excellent and affordable state park. We were practically tripping over great places to picnic and camp. If only traveling were always this easy…

The Oregon Coast

How to Dry Out in Style

Posted on October 28, 2013 by bottlingmoonlight | 1 Comment

After several kind invitations to please think about coming earlier than planned due to the non-stop rainstorms we’d been camping in, we finally decided to take my sister-in-law’s parents up on the offer. We were planning to stay for three nights, but with the weather and the fun we were having (and their amazing hospitality), three quickly turned into six. While we did get out twice for some sightseeing, once in Portland and once in the gorgeous areas east of Portland, we spent most of the time hanging out, playing, eating, and talking. We left feeling amazingly thankful for their generosity and having had a really great time getting to know them better. They are no longer just my sister-in-law’s parents, they’re family. Thank you so much, Roger and Mary, for a wonderful, warm, and dry week with you. We cannot express just how much that time lifted our spirits.

Mary, Van, and Roger – fast friends!

Hours of Entertainment

Especially When You Do This!

Helping Mary with her Grading

There was just one downside to our visit. According to Roger and Mary, they have a beautiful view of Mount Hood from their living room window. Problem was, we never saw it! We think we believe them, but we can’t be entirely sure… Guess we’ll just have to visit at some point in the future! By the way, the last picture below is from their beautiful garden. The broccoli was particularly photogenic, but Van can vouch for the fact that the corn was excellent.

Fur Trappers, Mexican Food, and Waterfalls: Welcome to the Willamette Valley

Posted on October 25, 2013 by bottlingmoonlight | 1 Comment

Making Friends in Portland

Van has turned in to a ham. You take out the camera and he immediately starts making his “smiley” face, which in reality is a cross between a smile and a grimace. In fact, you don’t even need to take out the camera for him to start posing with that camera-ready grin on his face. When we were exploring a beautiful rose garden in Portland, Oregon, he pranced around the bushes and hedges, posing every few minutes and directing me to take out the camera. One hand on hip, the other resting on a bush or touching a flower, and a smile plastered on his mug. But he’s a twenty-first century boy. His favorite part is running up to you after you’ve shot off a few photos so that he can see the photos you just captured. Instant gratification, indeed.

Instead of tons of photos of the gorgeous Willamette Valley, we have tons of Van. You’ll just have to take my word for it that the Willamette Valley is absolutely one of the most beautiful spots in this great country. Were it not for the mild winters, it would definitely be on our short list. We loved, loved, loved it!

Van the Ham

Our first discovery was the amazing Mexican food to be had in Woodburn, Oregon. Apparently the town is known for having outlet shopping (we saw the shops from afar), but much, much better than that is the main street a few miles to the east that is chock full of Mexican restaurants and grocers. Seriously excellent and authentic food. If you’re looking for Tex-Mex, this is not the place. It was so good we ate it two nights in a row. If you find yourself anywhere near Woodburn, you owe it to yourself to check out Luis’s Tacqueria or one of the other gems that line the main street.

Then we realized that our nifty museum memberships could get us in to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum for free. Along with a personal tour of a B-17! We spent a long, fun day checking out all of the planes (including the Spruce Goose) and catching up on the history of the space program. Alan didn’t need any catching up, but it was a great refresher for me.

When we weren’t eating yummy food or touring planes, we spent our time outdoors amidst beautiful farmland and waterfalls. We camped for several nights at Champoeg State Park where we were entranced by the disc golf players and their professional looking gear. No casual players here! But even better was the small museum and historical farm. Van couldn’t get enough of the smell of the hops. Future homebrewer? A mother can dream…

Van Testing the Hops

At the Rogue Brewery Hop Farm

But the best part of Champoeg was the fur trapper rendezvous that we happened upon. Actually, Van was personally invited by two fur trappers in traditional French-Canadian trapper clothes the night before (must have been the smile he flashed them). We walked two miles to get there, some of it through some pouring rain, but it was well worth it. We had an up close and personal look at fur trapping, homemade birch bark canoes, dutch oven cooking over an open flame, and guns used by the fur trappers. We spent a long time speaking with each of the folks at the rendezvous and came away with a much greater appreciation for this part of our history.

Once we said our goodbyes (only temporarily) to the Willamette Valley, we headed up to the Columbia River Gorge for a few days of exploring. It rained – a lot – which means we didn’t take very many photos. But we did see the gorgeous Multnomah Falls in an uncharacteristic break in the rain. We also spent a cozy afternoon wandering around the Timberline Lodge at Mount Hood and taking a detailed tour from the resident park ranger. My favorite was curling up in front of the roaring fireplace to dry ourselves out. But oh how I longed to stay at the lodge and write in my journal at a desk tucked into a nook in the main room.

Multnomah Falls

We left the area thinking that the Willamette Valley would make a wonderful home. Unfortunately, not for us. Finding a place that felt so right but for its mild winters reinforced to me just how important snow (and lots of it) is to us. The mild winters knocked it off of our short list, but if you’re one of the more sane among us, perhaps it should be on yours.