Operation Backyard Discovery

[60toyetero]

We hiked the beautiful Eagle Creek trail in OR yesterday. We went all the way to Tunnel Falls. It ended up being about 14 miles round trip. There are so many amazing landscape photos we could share with you of this hike, but we tried to narrow it down to the highlights. We also wanted to show you the inside of our little home and some "camping food."

 

[60toyetero]

 

[notajeepfan]

Wow. Eagle Creek trail looks beautiful in the winter and not crowded.

 

[60toyetero]

1/14/15
We sold the truck! For those who don't know " http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...heel-camper-and-getting-ready-to-hit-the-road "California here we come. We sold it to a bearded man that works for a crane company. The truck is going to a good home where he can do some good old-fashioned hard work, while we do some good old R&R. Life is good.

 

[60toyetero]

1/14/15
To share a less than beautiful moment on the road let us be candid. We were about an hour outside of California at the Oregon caves. We failed to read in our guide book that the caves were closed for the season. We were disappointed. At the time we got there it was dark so we decided to set up camp in the parking lot. The most notable thing that occurred as we set up shop was this gem. My wonderful husband was filling up my porta-potty with cleaning solution when it happened. He decided to pull the separator open that is between the bowl and the tank. What we failed to take into account was, as we drove up the mountain to our destination, the tank became pressured.Therefore, as he opened the latch, the cleaning solution shot all over his face and shirt. It basically looked like the toilet spit on him. He hates germs so I knew the thought of some residual urine on his face was really messing with him. He took it like a champ. Luckily it happened when there was only cleaning solution in the bowl. The road is not always glamorous. Sorry, no pictures.

 

[60toyetero]

1/15/2015
We are in California!
Riding through the Redwoods is always breathtaking and humbling. Today was no different. We hiked just a little by a beautiful vivid blue river. At a point, there was an old rope swing over the clear water. It made for a beautiful picture. We saw "Big Tree" again. It is still amazing to see something so old. We got some awesome pictures of The Mule next to some big trees.It feels like our adventure has started.
We are currently at a rest stop off of HWY 101. This is the second rest stop sense we turned in our keys to the apartment on the 2nd. We have slept in a Walmart parking lot once. Walmart was very accommodating. It had power and a water hook up. very nice. Looking for free camping in California along HWY 101 is extremely challenging and the prices they want to charge for camp sights are extreme. The same price as some hotels. There is a storm passing through the northern coast this weekend, so looks like we are stuck in rainy, cloudy weather for a couple of more days. I think we are going to drive east towards the forest, Sierras and Yosemite.

 

[sswanson15]

Great pictures...101 is a gorgeous drive.

 

[mastersryan]

Glad you guys got on the road! Looking forward to following you on this journey! Awesome Pictures.

 

[notajeepfan]

I didn't even see Sydney next to that tree.

 

[XPEDBC]

Awesome stuff, definitely subscribed. I'm usually a fan of Japanese vehicles but I'm really liking your truck and setup.

 

[JCMatthews]

Great adventure, I'm jealous. Best of luck. I will be following your adventure.

 

[60toyetero]

1/18/15
After driving through the Red Woods we decided to head inland away from the coastal rain. We spent the night next to a river in Six Rivers National Forest. When I say next to, I mean the dried up portion of the river bed. It was beautiful but raining. It was the first time we felt off the grid so we, of course, tried to build a fire. We had it going too—for a little while. The rain eventually won and we retreated inside our camper. We vowed it would be the last time for a long time that we would be defeated by the rain. So, We got up about 0400, drove about 4 hours through the fog and mist to Lake Tahoe. Now I am sitting in the sun looking at a beautiful lake with vivid blue water surrounded by white capped mountains. No more rain. We win.

 

[60toyetero]

1/19/15
Lake Tahoe was a little dried up this time of year, so we got off the beaten path. We found ourselves south of fallen leaf lake at Glen Alpine Falls. Although the views from the parking lot of the falls were already breathe taking, we decided to hike the Glen Alpine trail. We have included photos of that experience because my words will certainly fail at trying to describe the amazing beauty.
The next day we tooled around the town of South Lake Tahoe getting some errands done. We decided to try some local food. Word on the street (internet) was the best burgers could be found at The burger Lounge. I must say the word was right. They make a pretty mean burger.

 

[60toyetero]

1/21/15
We made it to Yosemite National Park. We had a wonderful time hiking and meeting new people. We spent the evening sharing stories about our travels with a couple from Spain who had been on the road for a month. It’s these experiences and interactions that make the” road” worth every mile.

 

[notajeepfan]

That last picture of the valley has me sold on going there.