Trip 9 - California Dreamin'

On this trip we set out to immerse ourselves in the culture and the nature of California. To discover its textures and see some of its natural wonders. We discover that California is very big. It is not a state that you can just pass through, it is, more than any other place we have visited, more like another country. It is a land dominated by mountains, the spaces between and like nowhere else, water.
Our start in the heavily populated area to the East of Los Angeles, known as the Inland Empire, is crowded into the lowlands surrounded by magnificent mountains. The feeling is of a cauldron which is trying to boil over the mountains to the fresh air of the rest of the state.
To the South is a band of Desert, which is the buffer to Mexico, which we did not explore on this trip.
We travelled North through the mountains (everywhere in California you can see mountains) to the desert, and on again to the huge Central Valley, mile after mile of intensive agriculture. Culture here is dominated by food, flatness, low income and trying to impact on the 'sameness' of the flat lands through music and festival. It is the communication and administrative corridor that links all other areas of California.
To the East is the huge mountain chain of the Sierra Nevada which clearly demonstrates the magnificence of the natural world, both in its geology and nature, reflected in the pysche and pride of most Californians. It is Eldorado, dominated by Gold!
To the West of the Central Valley are the coastal mountains, San Francisco and the magnificent coast. More isolated cultures, from mixed resources, communities seperated by mountains.
To the North of the Central Valley more mountains and a culture which looks more North towards Oregon than South to Sacremento.
This blog details our journey through California, where we pick and choose, or just scratch the surface, of this diverse and beautiful state.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Travelling through Oregon to Harris Beach S.P.


After leaving Crater Lake we drove through some lovely Oregon countryside, down the Rogue Valley, stopping at the Rogue Valley Gorge, which is another beautiful spot.
We camped overnight at Thevalley of The Rogues S.P., which is full of trees in their their Fall colours. On Saturday we pushed on, eager to get to the coast and start the return leg of our journey, but taking time for a bowl of soup and some chips in a wayside cafe called Sue Sue's, which was definitely pink.

We have been very impressed with Oregon State Parks, so rather than returning to California, where the parks are a bit iffy, we took the road to the coast, but turned back North into Oregon again and stopped at Brookings. A state Park called Harris Beach, which is wonderful. it sits above a very rocky beach, with little islands, headlands and bays. Our first thought was "Goonies" we could almost see the pirate ship sailing amongst the jagged rocks of the beach.
Posted by fastrak at 9:37 PM

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