Date:         Sat, 14 Jul 2007 18:15:17 -0700
Reply-To:     monte merrick <montemerrick@SPEAKEASY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         monte merrick <montemerrick@SPEAKEASY.NET>
Subject:      west coast fun
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just back from a three week stay in the van (not a poptop, just a good
old fashioned window van- 84 1.9)
laura and i drove from san juan island, among the san juans in puget
sound, down to monterey, california, going as far south as big sur and
then returning along the coast.

we slept some nights by the side of highway 1 and some nights in
primtive campgrounds (sinkyone wilderness area (with road) in northern
mendocino) and some nights (in monterey where we had attended a
conferencce on oiled wildlife) in a place with showers and everything -

we stopped for a few days to visit friends in humboldt  - laura got her
first look at the big redwoods - and then we moved on to south central
oregon (the klamath basin) where we caught up with the heatwave that
has been everywhere it seems.

back to the coast (lincoln city) sleeping by the  side of the road near
oswald west and then on up the road back to home here off the coast of
bellingham.

orcas, common murres, sea otters, puffins, pelicans, loons, mule deer,
roosevelt elk, ravens, eagles, songbirds - all seen from the opened
sliding door.

no mechanical troubles - and we slept good each night.

now if only i had built all those little cabinets and gizmos that i'd
thought i would do before the big trip.


  take care

monte