Album: Trip West - 2002, Trip Out

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I retired from Federal Civil Service in June 2002 and we went on a cross-country trip to the West Coast in Jul 2002 - for several purposes: visit relatives, attend a military reunion in Colorado, and sightsee the western states. My first stop as in Wisconsin to visit our daughter and in Door County we saw this light house overlooking Green Bay. Crossing the US, we went by way of MN, IA and NE and came across this freshly harvested rolled bale of golden hay north of Valentine, NE. In the morning sun it looked like “gold.” Then it was on to WY near Guernsey, Wy, to view the best covered wagon ruts I’ve seen on the Oregon Trail. Nearby is the Register Cliff Historic Site where travelers engraved their messages into a sandstone cliff for later travelers or to record their presence for historical purposes. Then it was down to Denver, CO to attend a military reunion and this sight of the Rocky Mountain Range which was so clear the morning we departed Denver Taking secondary roads through CO, we came across this herd of bull elks running across pasture land just north of Alamosa, CO. One of my goals was to drive US 50 across the western states and thus one of our evenings we spent in Green River, UT, where this sunset greeted us. Following US 50 across the western states, this sign can be seen on the west side of Ely, NV, where they are proud that US 50 is commonly known through this part of the west as “the loneliest road in America.” When we left Ely, a woman told me to look out for a unique sight on US 50. She would not tell me what it was but I would recognize it as unique the minute I laid eyes on it. We found this cottonwood tree with all these shoes tied to it. It is located east of Fallon, NV, and is in fact – unique. If you follow US 50 all the way west, you will eventually reach San Francisco, CA. One of the most identifying landmarks in San Francisco is the Golden Gate Bridge going north out of the city and crossing the mouth of Oakland Bay. Another sight identifiable as San Francisco is the short run of Lombard Street through its “esses.” South of San Francisco, along CA 1, better known as the Pacific Highway, are outstanding views of the CA Pacific Coast line. Another view of the CA Pacific Coast. Not to be outdone, Oregon, along US 101 has its sights of the Pacific Coast. This part is also known as the Gold Coast. If you look real close, you can see a passageway under one of the rocks in this view of the Oregon Coast. Pacific Beach Resort Sunset The westernmost point of the contiguous states is Cape Flattery on the Pacific Coast of Washington. The area is owned by a native tribe and one must obtain permits to visit Cape Flattery. Another view at Cape Flattery. On the western half of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington is a rain forest called the Quinault River Rain Forest. The moss growth on some of the trees is spectacular. A waterfall within the Quinault River Rain Forest. The Olympic Range on the peninsula also provides excellent sunsets. In Tacoma, WA, is the Tacoma Glass Museum and this collection of Dale Chihuly is one of many displayed. The Court House across the street also houses several Dale Chihuly works. A Dale Chihuly work in the Court House. Moiese National Bison Range We stayed overnight at Ft Lewis near Tacoma and the next morning we were pleased to see Mt Rainier through the morning haze and across the large parade field on the post. During our trips around Washington, we included a trip to Mt Rainier – quite a sight.