Morocco

		Sights, Sounds & Smells of Morocco VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We left Tarifa, Spain by ferry to Tangiers, Morocco traveling across the Straits of Gibraltar - about 9 miles at the narrowest point. We were very excited since this is our first time in Africa, albeit North Africa. It is an Islamic country (90%) and our first venture into a Muslim country. Arabic is spoken with French as the second language since it used to be French Morocco. Morocco has borders on the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Sahara Desert. The country has a vast plain region and is highly agricultural. The plains are by the Atlas Mountains, which go up to 12,000’ (and even have skiing in the winter). On the other side of the Atlas Mountains is the Sahara Desert. The famous Barbary Coast is here and named after the Berbers, semi-nomadic peoples and natives of Morocco from 4,000 years ago.

We did not realize at the time that we were travelling to an Islam country during one of the major holidays of the year, Eid al-Adha, or “Eid.” We think this circumstance certainly changed our experience, uniquely better for the most part. Similar to our Christmas festivities, there was a lot of travel home to be with family and a lot of shopping in preparation for the holiday. The shops were closed during their 3-day celebration. The ferry was jam packed with holiday travelers. Once in Tangiers and through customs, we exchanged money for some dirhams, no longer a Euro currency country. Our first impressions were that the countryside was dry and brown and there was a lot of poverty from the looks of their homes and villages. They have poor roads and 40 year-old vehicles are common. Their fields had dozens of women out in them working. The men were mostly in the cafes, but no women. There were frequent police checkpoints along the road and they indicated whom they wanted to pull over to check documentation. Thankfully, we were not stopped. Litter was dumped all along the roadsides, yet the fields looked clean. Many vehicles were motorcycles with multi-riders or with a trailer, so they can carry either passengers or sheep! Donkeys were a common mode of transportation, carrying freight, pulling carts, or carrying a rider. Donkeys were heavily used both in the rural areas and in the cities.

Cities we visited have a long history compared to our standard in the USA. The Old Town of Fes (not the English spelling Fez, which is a man’s hat) is an extensive labyrinth of small narrow paths with multi-story buildings on both sides. Very easy to get lost there. Fes was built in 808, is a former Imperial City, is extremely conservative, and is the religious center of the country with 700 mosques. “New” Fes was built in the 14^th century. Marrakech (Marrakesh) was founded in 1062 and the walls were constructed in 1122. Marrakech was the favorite city we visited and that we would recommend. It is also the primary tourist destination in Morocco. It felt much more open than the other cities we visited. Rabat, the capital city, was built in the 12^th century. Every town has many mosques. Casablanca was founded in the 7^th century BC by the Berbers. With a population of 5-7 million it is the largest city in Morocco and the 4^th largest city in Africa. It is more westernized, modernized, and the financial heart of the country. There we saw wealthy homes on the Atlantic. It has a very busy seaport and international airport and this is where FDR & Churchill met for summits in WWII.

The celebration of Eid lasts for an entire week (even though 3 days is the literal holiday.) 24,000 Muslims travel to Mecca for this holiday on busses. We learned that, primarily, the celebration involves dressing in your best clothes and going to the mosque and then spending time with family. In preparation for this, each family obtains a sheep, then slaughters it (or has a butcher come over to do that) in honor of Father Abraham’s sacrifice. In the Bible, Abraham’s sons are Isaac and Ishmael. The Bible describes Abraham going to sacrifice Isaac as a test of his faith, God stopping him, and instead Abraham sacrificed a goat. The Koran says Abraham was going to sacrifice his first son, Ishmael, and when God spared him, they sacrificed a sheep. [We are fascinated by the difference in these two versions.] Both sons were blessed by God and they split into Jews and Muslims, and they both claim Abraham as their father and Canaan as their promised land.

Muslims during Eid sacrifice an animal and distribute its meat by dividing the lamb into thirds: 1/3 for the family, 1/3 for the poor, and 1/3 to give away to friends, even if they are wealthy friends. It cannot be sold but must be given. A sheep costs between 200-400 euro so is no small investment. We saw sheep being bought and transported home in every possible way: on car roofs, on motorcycles and/or in trailers behind, cars, or even walking them (dragging them is more like it.) After the holiday, we saw carts of sheep’s skin with blood stains on the insides, and we saw fires with the sheep’s heads being roasted and smelled the hair being burned. No part of the animal is wasted.

The marketplaces are called souks. Every town has one major area for the souk. Hawkers were everywhere but not intrusive. Everything imaginable was being sold – live chickens (will slaughter for you), camel meat, fish, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, all kinds of spices, oriental rugs, ceramics, lampshades, handbags, shoes, clothing, scarves, head-coverings and Kaftans for women (no hood) and jalavahs for men (with hood.) The best marketplace was the large Jamaa el Fna square in Marrakech. The square is the nerve center where jugglers, musicians, snake charmers, monkey grinders, and shops and merchants of all kinds are present. You must bargain when shopping, offering half to start, so you must leave your sensitivity and meekness at home.

Berbers make up 40% of the Moroccan population. We passed through Berber village after village - poverty, filth, trash, donkeys, markets, sheep, and we finally saw a few camels. The Berber women have tattoos on their faces although the younger population does not always do this. Berber carpets are the traditional hand-woven carpets made by the Berbers, which uses a distinctive knot and has designs that are similar to oriental rugs.

Sights: We saw flock after flock of sheep, most all having a shepherd with them as they do not have fences. Some flocks were making their way to the street and the traffic. We saw orange groves, date trees, cedar trees, and goats. There are many palm trees here, and the coveted Argan trees produce an oil they are very proud of (squeezed from almonds), both for cooking and for hair and skin. We did not see many flowers except along the roadsides in Marrakesh. Other than mosques, palaces, oases, and Kasbahs (fortresses), we saw very little landscaping. All over the country we saw filth, garbage, poverty, disrepair, and decay. There was seldom a bathroom where everything worked properly, including the “modern” bathrooms with western-style toilets! They simply have different standards than Europe or USA regarding cleanliness and sanitation. As we experienced in China, one cannot drink the water even when brushing teeth. We were advised to wear closed shoes as it is so dirty, including donkey dung.

Smells: Right when we disembarked off the ferry, we noticed the strong smells of Morocco. They were unidentified smells, including spices, curry/saffron, fresh mint, cooking smells, cigarettes, leather processing, as well as the abundant donkeys. Of course, we also experienced the smell of the burning hair and flesh of sheep heads the day after the holiday.

Sounds: The most common sound we heard was the Arabic chant of the Adhan over loudspeakers by the muezzins calling the people to prayer five times/day throughout the town. People grab prayer rugs wherever they are and begin their prayers or run to the nearest mosque. Chatter and noise of traders in the shops and their invitations and encouragement to bring in new customers was constant in the marketplaces. The crowded city walkways were very noisy, and we were not accustomed to traffic sounds with quite so many motorcycles and donkeys. One word that we heard shouted out often was “Bellek, Bellek”. Loosely translated it means “Move, Get out of the way, now!” Leaping for the side of a narrow street, into a shop, or doorway (if you are lucky), you will be barely missed by a fully loaded donkey, or a man and cart, making their way to deliver items to shops. Apparently, they have the right of way.

Cuisine: Traditional couscous has the sheep’s head included in it but thankfully, ours had chicken as a substitute. Tangine is their stew to eaten by scooping it up with bread and by hand (right hand only!) We had a delicious one with chicken simmered in spices. Saffron is an important agricultural export. Interestingly, vineyards and wines are produced and sold even though it is against the Muslim religion. Moroccan spices are sparingly applied even though the Arabs started the spice trading market. Very sweet mint tea made from fresh mint is commonly offered as a greeting and a welcome of friendship to visitors.

Architecture: The Moroccan mosques and palaces have exquisite mosaic tile decorations on every surface. The wealthier houses followed the Andalusian model from Spain and have perfect symmetry around a central fountain, with a series of courtyards, riads (patios) pavilions & apartments. Labyrinth designs are used in towns and palaces (wealthy homes) intended to keep away any potential attacker. Their homes are plain vanilla on the outside; all their designs and beauty are saved for the interior. Interior courtyards are very important to them, instead of a back yard or front yard which they see as a waste. No building may be taller than the central Mosque.

Morocco is proud and pleased to be the first country to recognize the USA after their independence in 1776. People were extremely friendly and ready to return a smile and a wave. While it wasn’t common, we were surprised to hear English spoken at all. They claim to have a progressive democracy and are interested in social reforms. We were told that women are no longer required to cover their faces and heads, for example, yet in reality we saw very few without head coverings. There were reforms established in 2004 such as no longer being allowed to have 4 wives – now only 2, but only if the first wife gives her permission to take a second!

Morocco is certainly a vastly different culture from America/Europe. We were amazed by the stark contrasts we witnessed. There was so much beauty with their tiled mosaics, their colorful rugs, their friendly smiles, and the placid countryside. But there was also the busy city streets, different styles of dress and transportation, the apparent deep poverty, and lower level of cleanliness. We enjoyed being exposed to a culture so outside our comfort zone, in its society, food, religion, and roots in antiquity. The sights, sounds & smells of Morocco will stay with us forever.

Iberian Peninsula

		Spain & Portugal VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We arrived in Barcelona Spain from Avignon France by three different trains. One transfer was at the Spanish border because Spain has a very advanced high speed train - however, the tracks are not compatible with France’s! One thing perhaps we take for granted in the US is our high degree of standardization. This is not true in Europe. In Spain, the train took us through the Pyrenees Mountains that separates the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) from the rest of Europe. These mountains have played a significant role in how Portugal and Spain’s history, peoples, and cultures evolved, mainly by the isolation that they provide. Portugal is the “oldest country in Europe”, as their borders have remained unchanged since 1622, whereas Germany and all the rest had their borders redefined after that date. The Iberian Peninsula is significant since it is on both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The passageway into the Mediterranean from the Atlantic is through the Straits of Gibraltar between Morocco and Spain.

The Romans named the Iberian Peninsula for the tribal inhabitants there, the Iberians. The history goes back further than the Romans to the Phoenicians and the Celts. Little evidence remains of peoples prior to the Romans since no written records exist before then. There are many Roman ruins, aqueducts, city walls, and temples still standing throughout the peninsula. After Rome fell (mid 400s), the Visigoths came and built many Gothic Cathedrals, also still standing. The Moorish influence began in 711AD when the Arabs defeated the Goths. Much Arab influence is still seen today with mosaics tiles, fortresses, and palaces (as Alhambra). Later, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella established a monarchy, united Spain, and established Christianity as the true religion. All of us remember that Isabella hocked her jewelry to fund Christopher Columbus’s voyage to America. In that same year of 1492, all non-Christians had to convert or else leave Spain. Many Jews and Moors (Moslems) left the country. Shortly after, that ugly time known as the Spanish Inquisition began.

There are famous pilgrimage sites (as Fatima) and paths here in Spain including the El Camino de Santiago. [Shirley MacLaine travelled this path and documented it in her book The Camino: A Journey of the Spirit.] Spain and Portugal are very proud of their role in discovering, exploring, and settling the Americas. This is more obvious in South and Central American than it is in the US. The Line of Demarcation was decided in 1493 by Pope Alexander VI, settling a dispute between Spain and Portugal. Today that is why Brazil speaks Portuguese while Spanish is spoken elsewhere in South America.

Spain is composed of regions (similar to our states, but much more diverse in culture and even language). We travelled to many of them and some sounded very familiar. Castila-LaMancha (Don Quixote); Andalucía (Moorish influence); Castile and Leon (monarchy); Catalonia (influence in art of Dali, Gaudi, Picasso); Aragon (Catherine of Aragon, wife of Henry VIII was from here); Canary Islands. We saw the infamous Rock of Gibraltar area, which is controlled by Britain, not Spain.

As we all have heard, the economy here is struggling. Inflation is high (over 25%) without wages increasing. Products are still very agrarian. Vineyards, wine (Port, Madeira), cork (80% of world’s production - mostly as bottle stoppers), olive oil (65% of the world’s production, having a greater production output than Italy, but our Italian-American heritage snubs Spanish olive oil), & wheat.

Celebrating 500 years after Columbus, Spain is proud of the International World Expo and the Olympic games of 1992, which brought them back to the international stage

Barcelona is young, dynamic and cosmopolitan, and is the second largest city in Spain (3M, after Madrid). If you walk along the Ramblas pedestrian street or the busy Catalunya Plaza you can enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere that permeates the city. The city hosts one of the most important ports of the Mediterranean and is a cruise ship stop. More people use mopeds/motorcycles here than anywhere in Europe due to the nice climate. Barcelona’s iconic landmark is the Sagrada Familia Cathedral by Gaudi, combining gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau. Barcelona was founded by the Carthaginians in 300BC.

Madrid is the largest city in Spain and is the center of commerce and business, sports and nightlife. Very little medieval architecture is preserved in Madrid. Bullfighting still exists today and is quite popular. Football (soccer to Americans) is passionately followed in Spain and their teams of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and the National team are highly followed and players highly regarded.

Toledo, Spain has weather that gets to 120 degrees in the summer. It rains in the Spring and not again the rest of the year, so they say there are 9 months of winter and 3 months of hell. The Toledo Cathedral (built between 1226–1493) has 270 stained glass windows but that was not even the overwhelming part. It was massive and had more gold, silver, and gems than any other church we’ve seen. There were El Greco paintings of all 12 apostles and of Jesus. We saw many other Cathedrals as well - some that were so gigantic, the altar could not be viewed by most churchgoers. Therefore, “Mass is to be heard and not seen.” After awhile, we saw ABC - Another Bloody Cathedral - each more opulent than the last - in Avila, Madrid, Seville, Toledo, Coimbra, Fatima, Salamanca, and a few more. All were worthy stops even for us non-Catholics.

Lisbon, Portugal is built on 7 hills, like Rome. It is a large seaport with cruise ships in port and was quite crowded. People weren’t speaking English as much as we’d experienced in Spain, but their friendliness made up for it. The Belem Tower on the Tejo River, built in 1515, is the landmark of Lisbon. They have a “25 April Bridge” built in 1966, similar to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, which was the first bridge across the river and built with the same US design as San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. It is so named as the date commemorates the “Carnation Revolution” a Portuguese coup from 1974 where no shots were fired, ending dictatorship and wars in their colonies.

In Grenada, Spain is “Alhambra”, a fortress and palace complex and popular attraction. It was the home of the Sultan of Granada, rebuilt in 1250-1300. We saw his opulent palace with spectacular plaster designs, tiles and fountains, flourishing gardens, his quarters and the quarters for his 4 wives, all with beautiful views of the city. Washington Irving (Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Rip Van Winkle) brought Alhambra to life in his Tales of Alhambra.

We absolutely loved the Iberian Peninsula and highly recommend it. We were told “Spain is 20 years behind Germany, and Portugal is 20 years behind Spain.” We just found it was all good wherever they are in their evolution! From Spain, we travelled to Morocco, which will be the next and last blog of this fabulous trip.

Southeastern France

		French Riviera and Provence VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Our next adventure to France began with the French Riviera. Images of the warm, blue Mediterranean Sea, rich and famous people, and towns of Nice, Cannes, and St Tropez were always a dream and all materialized as we arrived. The Cote d’Azur (literally “Azure Coast”) is in SE France between the Italian border and the Rhone River. The weather was perfect, the crowds thin, and many people were on the beach and swimming in the sea. We walked along the Promenade de Anglais (‘the Walkway of the English') in Nice which borders the sea. The beaches were pebbles, topless was common, and one man took his already small suit off, wrung it out for several minutes, shook it out to dry, and slowly put it back on. He was changing right in front of us with no worries. It reminded us of how uptight America has become. Nice has pastel painted buildings, pedestrian shops, a port, and many beaches with long promenades.

Nice was founded in the 5^th century BC from Greek merchants and is the gateway between the Mediterranean and the Alps. The natural beauty of the Nice area and its mild Mediterranean climate came to the attention of the English upper classes in the second half of the 18th century, when an increasing number of aristocratic families took to spending their winters there. For decades now, the picturesque Nicean surroundings have attracted not only those in search of relaxation, but also those seeking inspiration. The clear air and soft light has been of particular appeal to some of Western culture's most outstanding painters.

We stayed in the nearby village of Vence instead of staying in the big city of Nice, on the top of the hills with bird’s eye views of Nice and the Mediterranean. The road to it was UP, windy and steep with hairpin turns, some of which required 2 swipes even with our little Fiat. Breakfast out by the pool with croissants, jam, French bread, cantaloupe, yogurt, orange juice and fantastic coffee. The village of Vence has an Old Town with medieval walls still surrounding the pedestrian-only section and was fun to explore. On the way down to Nice, we passed by St Paul de Vence: a medieval old walled city with ramparts that is mostly a city of art galleries and restaurants now.

We explored towns along the coast and found Cannes (film festival) and St Tropez (Bridgette Bardot) definitely for the rich and high society wanting to do some high end shopping. We much preferred Nice, Antibes (home to Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino; waterskiing was started here in 1920), and especially Menton, near the Italian border, which is called a “poor man’s Nice,” unpretentious and lower prices.

Unique and a “must see” is Monaco, an independent country with its own monarchy, but which is run by France. Monaco is the second smallest independent state in the world after the Vatican and it has the highest per capita income in the world. The Monte Carlo Casino has become a symbol of “extravagant display and reckless dispersal of wealth". One can imagine a tuxedo bedecked James Bond sitting at the Baccarat table. The Casino was featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief (1954) featuring Grace Kelly (future Princess Grace of Monaco) and Cary Grant. In front of the casino were several Ferraris parked and doormen guarding the entrance. There were no cameras nor cellphones allowed inside. Patrons were dressed to the hilt, blinding all with the reflections from their gold and jewelry, and were, well, just dripping rich. The harbor of Monte Carlo (capital of Monaco) had some of the largest and most luxurious yachts anywhere in the world. The famous Grand Prix (started in 1929) is held here every May and runs past the port and up the hill past the Casino. The country and city were fun to see and was a place in which we did not fit.

We left the Mediterranean and travelled to the “Inland Riviera” next. Driving through Gorge du Verdon, the “Grand Canyon” of France and the deepest canyon in Europe (2200’ drop at the highest point) was truly beautiful. We drove on to Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, another walled city with many shops vistas, and restaurants. We hiked up to the Chapelle Notre Dame de Beauvoir for views of the city and back down. We drove through Luberon to Vaucluse with its beautiful valleys, farmland, & villages with fields of lavender plants, vineyards, olive trees, chestnut, cypress and citrus trees.

Avignon is another pedestrian-only Old Town, with ancient walls and ramparts surrounding it. The Palace of the Popes is the most famous landmark there, built in the Gothic style. Avignon was formerly called the second Rome, maybe because this was home to seven Popes and two “antipopes” (competing claim to be the Pope supported by a fairly significant faction of religious cardinals) who resided here during the Great Schism in the church during the Middle Ages (1309-1403.) The second main attraction in Avignon is the famous Pont St Benezet (bridge) across the Rhone River. It was built in the 12^th century and has been damaged by floods repeatedly, and was rebuilt repeatedly up to the 17^th century. It is known all over the world thanks to its famous song, Saint-Benezet bridge. Avignon was classified a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as were many other places we visited on this trip.

Provence, France is most well-known for its lavender fields. They had been harvested before we arrived, but we still saw some fields of purple. Shops sold lavender in every imaginable way including lavender butter and lavender ice cream (crème glacee, gelato, glacier-we ate them all!), which were surprisingly tasty. This region also has oceans of vineyards and olive trees, and charming villages perched on top of hills, all with the mild Mediterranean climate.

Van Gogh & Cezanne lived in this area. Peter Mayle, author, wrote A Year in Provence, which went viral and then prompted tourism in this area. Roman ruins are better in France than in Italy according to some. Romans were here in force as evidenced by ancient aqueducts and ruins. The town of Vaison-la-Romaine is Roman, medieval, and provincial all at once. Wealthy citizens of the Roman Empire built luxurious villas here in the 1^st century of Christendom.

Other picturesque towns were Gordes, built in the 11^th century; Roussillon is on top of Mt Rouge, and is ochre (iron oxide/clay) colored of red/yellow. La Coste which was another medieval rock paved and walled village. At the top of the hill were the ruins of a Chateau which was owned and lived in by Marquis de Sade for over 30 years. Pierre Cardin has restored and now owns the chateau. Les Baux is yet another medieval village and is called “one of the most beautiful villages in France.” The story goes that Balthazar, one of the 3 Magi (Wise Men/Kings), was born in Les Baux and the flag of Les Baux has one white star on it to commemorate Balthazar.

St Remy was yet another walled pedestrian Old Town that was charming. We saw the chateau where Nostradamus was born in 1503 and the sanitarium where Van Gogh spent one year, shortly before his suicide in St Remy. There we saw a replica of his bedroom, some of the places he painted from his bedroom window and from the area - primarily the olive trees, sunflowers, blue irises and the hills in the distance. One famous painting was “Two Holes in the Rock” where we actually hiked in his footsteps.

Folks were harvesting the grapes as it was that time of year and it was fun to watch – some are hand-picked and some are machine-picked. We hiked through the vineyards, we watched their harvesting, we watched them load the trucks and unload the grapes into the winery, and we drank their wines. We went to the top of Mount Ventoux, the highest massif in Provence, at 1912m or 6273 feet. It was a leg on the Tour de France 2013 race and had tons of bicyclists on it. It was windy, cloudy and cold at the top but the bikes kept coming. We saw many bicyclists following this portion of the Tour de France route.

We found the French people warm and helpful and most spoke some English. We saw France from the Roman influence, medieval times, and up through modern day. Lavender and Provence spices could be smelled in the air and around the outdoor markets. The food and drink were superb and the chocolate and pastries were divine. Cheese and wine abound. Viva la France!

From Canada flooding to US Western drought and wildfires

		Northwest, Cascade & Rocky Mountains VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The last time we were in the Pacific Northwest, we followed Lewis and Clark’s trail, followed the Columbia River from its headwaters in Canada to the mouth, saw the beginning of US 1, explored Olympic National Park, the Cascades, the San Juan Islands, toured the Willamette Valley, and explored the Pacific coastline in Washington and Oregon. This time we decided to travel along the Columbia River from British Columbia to Washington and then into the Idaho panhandle.

Since we had always heard about Hell’s Canyon and wondered what it looked like, we headed to the Snake River and Bitterroots of Idaho to find it. Hell’s Canyon is formed by the “Wild and Scenic” Snake River and is on the border between Idaho & Oregon. The canyon is largely inaccessible except by boat. The Snake River begins in Yellowstone and is the major tributary of the Columbia River. It is the largest US river that empties into the Pacific. We took a “jet boat” ride through the canyon for 32 miles, which is a safer way to go than rafting but not really as much fun and you don’t get as wet. We had never ridden upstream over the rapids before but this fast power boat flew up the class 3 and 4 rapids, and coming back down, was able to go back up and run the rapids over and over again. Hell’s Canyon is North America’s deepest river gorge, deeper than the Grand Canyon by over 2000 feet, which was a real surprise to us.

The canyon and areas surrounding it were mostly brown and parched. This was a clue of things to come. Our plan to explore scenic SW Idaho, including the Salmon River, was changed from all the smoke in the air as we learned of the wildfires there. The smell of smoke was prevalent and ashes were covering our truck and belongings. We changed our route and drove west into Oregon instead.

The Metolius River area in the Deschutes National Forest near Sisters, Oregon, is a fantastic river with many campsites riverside. Since there were also wildfires in Oregon, we encountered some smoke the first day, saw firefighting crews, and saw helicopters dipping buckets into the Metolius to fight the fires. Fortunately fires were put out, the presence of fire crews and smoke was short-lived, and we thoroughly enjoyed our serenity, the sound of the river, the clear views, and our isolated campsite directly on the river.

We had visited famous Crater Lake National Park in 2009 and had no intention of going there this time. However the proximity was difficult to resist another visit. Crater Lake used to be Mount Mazama at 12,000’, a volcano which erupted 7700 years ago – which is recent in geological terms. The mountain blew its top leaving the caldera which over time filled in with snow and rain to become Crater Lake. No streams run into (or out of) the lake, so there is no sediment introduced to cloud its pristine waters. This lake is the bluest of blue, as the water absorbs all the colors from the sun except blue. The lake is 6 x 4 ½ miles in size, and at the deepest point, is the deepest lake in the US - at 1943 feet depth.

Down into California and visible from 140 miles away is the landmark of Mt Shasta. It is not connected to any nearby mountain within the Cascade Mountains and therefore dominates the northern California landscape at 14,179 feet high. It is also a volcano, last erupting in 1786. Mount Shasta is geologically part of the Cascades and its origin is unique and not totally understood. It is in a major glacial valley yet has no signs associated with ice-age glaciers. As such there are legends and mysteries to its origin. Strange cloud formations appear over the peak. It is reportedly a “vortex” area where strong energy exists from within. This was first noted by Native Americans (Klamath) and many New Age psychics today “feel” the energy. This may be instrumental in drawing aliens to this area. Additional folklore is centered on a hidden city of advanced beings from the lost continent of Lemuria (the lost continent of the Pacific) and today remains a focus of New Age attention. New Age seekers come to this area to feel the energy by tuning in. Some believe that the energy may be enhanced by being naked or wearing aluminum foil hats.

Naturally, there are many waterfalls and streams in the mountains. One fabulous and strangely unique one is located in MacArthur-Burney State Park in California. The 100 million gallons of water that flows daily over the 130 foot falls at this time of the year cannot be from the dry Burney Creek. Yet the water keeps flowing. The water comes from seepage inside the volcanic rock including the additional waterfalls undercutting the horizontal strata (i.e. not over the top). TR Roosevelt saw it and called it “a wonder” which it indeed was.

Lassen Volcanic National Park is the southernmost point in the Cascade Mountain range and is part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” (as is Mt Shasta). This is one of the few areas in the world where all four types of volcano can be found (plug dome, shield, cinder cone, and composite.) Lassen is the largest plug dome volcano in the world! Who knew? Native Americans long ago knew that Lassen Peak was full of fire and water and thought that it would one day blow itself apart. The last eruption occurred in 1914-17. There are many hydrothermal features on Lassen. Steam temperatures can be as high as 322 degrees F. which is much cooler than lava (2000 deg F) or the core of the earth (12,000 deg F) which heats all of this. There are sulfur-smelling boiling pools, steam vents (fumaroles) and bubbling mudpots similar to Yellowstone NP within Lassen NP. Lassen has the highest amount of snowfall in California (600-1000 inches – yikes!) Therefore, there are also forests and waterfalls and views of the Cascade Range peaks. We took several multi-mile hikes everyday on trails that provided new sights and sounds. It is a wonder of nature to see the trees and greenery spring out of the volcanic rocks and from the wildfire devastated area, bringing this area back to life. It reminds us of a bumper sticker we saw- “Mother Nature always bats last”. She surely does. We will finish up by camping in Plumas and Tahoe National Forests and arrive in Sacramento. There we will prepare for another European adventure and a winter in Arizona. Until next time, Happy Trails!