A geological trip into Hamburgerland.

After a long flight with a change in Philedephia I finally arriced in San Francisco. It was like landing in see. When I arrived at Jan and Krystian's it appeared there was a little birthday party at the neighbours. We went to look and that little party appeared to be a nice bleus party with a blues performance as it should be performed. A nice Welcome to California!

The next day I had some time to visit San Francisco. I took the ferry from Sausalito to the San Francisco ferry building. On the way we passed Alcatraz, the famous prison. San Francisco looks a bit European. Lot's of modernistic architecture, nice little shops and Pier 39, with it's sea loins. These animals settle there since the 1989 earthquake. Chinatown is one of the heards of San Francisco. Of coarse I took a ride with the famous cable car system.

The Goldrush County

The next day Jan Libby and I set of for a fife day trip into Goldrush county, Lake Tahou and Yosemite National Parc. Driving to Sacramento and Nevada City where another Friend of Jan lived in the forrest. He built a house there in a beautiful environment. The same evening I was asked to play in a djembe band the next evening, to support an African Dance workshop. That evening also started my Big Hamburger Taste Test. Of coarse America is the land of the Hamburger and of coarse it came clear that Mc Donalds really is not a representation of American Cooking.

Next morning We took a refreshing dive in a river close by. After that we visited a old goldmine in Grass Valley for  the area is well known because of the Goldrush period in the 19th and early 20th century. That evening was, as explained earlier, the African Dance workshop.Two hours of continuous drumming to support the dancers. We slept at Libby's place. A large piece of land in the woods with a tremendous view on the America River Canyon.

Lake Tahoe, Bodie

Next morning we drove eastbound to cross the Sierra Nevada mountains. In the central axis of it lies one of the most beautiful lakes  in the US. Lake Tahou has nice beaches and a beautiful little bay (Emerald bay). This scenery, combined with the courling of the leafs, give a nice view. The same evening I got a little preview of what to expect in Las Vegas.next weekend.

The next day we had to say goodbye to Libby. She returned to San Francisco. We drove to Monitor Pass (2500m) over the Sierra Nevada axis. The landscape quickly turned from Pine tree forests to desert. The temperature rose quickly. We had left the coastal area. We learned that there were hot springs near Bridgeport fortunately a nice ranger showed us the way because there were no directions. Maybe they want to prevent the springs for to many tourists visiting. A nice hot bath with a tremendous view over the valley completed my first hot spring experience. After that we drove to the south to visit the abandoned city of Bodie in the middle of a deserted land. the village was abandoned when no gold could be found anymore.

Yosemite National Parc

That evening we arrived at Yosemite National Parc by the spectacular Tioga Pass entrance. After seeing it one can understand that it has been put on the UNESCO heritage list. Beautifule panoramic views, spectaular rock formations (including the HalfDome). The grand Climax was a viepoint overlooking Yosemite Valley where we overlooked the surroundings during sunset.We had dinner at the Ahwahnee  hotel which is the oldes hotel in Yosemite. We oalso had a nice chat with the local pianist, who certainly liked Chopin and Debussy.

The next morning we took a little hike before leaving for San Francisco around noon. The heavy crowd of the Friday evening rush hour caused us to arrive at the Museum of Modern Art onlu just in time to visit a nice exhibition.

Las Vegas

Suterday I started my trip to Arizona. It was like a geological excursion but before that I made a stop at Laas Vegas. Indeed, nothing there is crazy enough. Arriving at the Mc Carren airport is like visiting a Casino. Slots everywhere!.The Strip starts just outside the airport! It is like a circus! 

Of coarse one evening is far from enough to visit all Casino's and hotels but it is enough to taste the unique atmosphere. If you do not want to gamble there are plenty other ways to entertain yourself (of be entertained.). There are dozens of theatres, there is an Eiffeltower, there are pyramids, The Venetian hosts a copy is a Venetian Canal, complete with gondola's. I visited a Cirque de Soleil Show (Mystere) at the Treasure Islind hotel.

Of coarse it was long after midnight before I returned to my Hotel. So the next morning there was just some relaxation before going to the Greyhound busstation for the 13h30 bus to Flagstaff. The trip went smoothly and around 19h I arrived at Flagstaff. The hotel was only a 1 star but a nice one!. The room and bed were fine.

Grand Canyon

The next day I visited may one of the most famous site in the USA, the Grand Canyon. I even was a bit Lucky our guide was able to arrange a place for me in the helicopter (Thanx Steve!). So I could sit back and enjoy a "Show"presented by real nature, better than any IMAX show!. The helicopter flew to the north rim to descent tenth of metres below it. The flight really was spectacular. Deep beneath our feet we saw the Colorado river looking like a small creek, however 150 metres wide at that point.

Of coarse after the helicopter flight the rest of the tour was a little bit an anti climax but the Grand Canyon is a spectacular place. It is much bigger than any living beiing can comprehend.After a scenic ride through Painted Desert with its beautiful colours we entered the Navajo reservation and made a souvenir stop at the Cameron Trading post. This was a large souvenir store which sold genuin Navajo stuff. On the way back to Flagstaff we passed Sunset crater as it was lit by the sunset. Sunset crater is a vulcano which erupted some 1000 years ago for the last time. Around 17h we arrived in Flagstaff.

Monument Valley

The next day was a long day. We left early in the morning for Monument Valley. A three hour scenic ride through - again - Painted desert brought us through the Navajo reservation. Even without a national Parc the landscape still is spectacular and there is a great variety. A few miles south of Monument Valley we passed Shiprock, an erored magma pipe. Around noon we arrived at the Gouldine trading post on the edge of.Monument valley. The view over the valley was grand. I might have been more impressed than at Grand Canyon. 

After a indian Hamburger (the second best one I had!) the tour started at 13h30. It was a guided tour by 4WD and a Navajo guide. The first stop was at Lucy's. This older Navajo woman demonstrated the weaving and spinning technique still in use by the Navajo. We continued our trip into Monument Valley. Because of the sun's angle the reddish colouring of the rocks continuously changed. Even the shadow side of some rocks looked like they sent out light. Of coarse there was a "Cowboy", to be pictured for $1.

At around 16h we started to drive back to Flagstaff. Even the scenery improved for several rainbows appeared in the scenic Landscape!. At 19h we arrived in Flagstaff.

Historic Indian cliff dwellings near Flagstaff.

Next day I hired a taxi to visit some nice places near Flagstaff (there were no tours available that day). My goal was to visit some Indian ruins (Cliff dwellings). These settlements were build and carved in the rims of several canyons. First I visited Walnut Canyon. A nice hike brought me to the ruins of some 18 rooms which had been built by the Sinagua  Indians some 800 years ago.

The tour continues through the scenic Oak Creek Canyon to Sedona where we visited the famous Red Rocks (which are even more reddish than those at Monument Valley). After a short stop we continued to Montazuma Castle. This monument may well be the best preserved cliff dwelling in the West. These ruins were also built by the Sinagua Indians and the main building has five (!) stories.

Going into space and Fragments out of space.

That afternoon the taxi dropped me of at the famous lowell observatory. Pluto was discovered at this observatory by Clyde Tombaugh. A small suprices was that the discoverer's daughte was in the building. An interresting tour included visiting the most famous instruments (also the telescope by which Pluto was discovered). We also visited an exhibition where the origional photographic plates of Pluto's discovery were shown.

Next morning I visitied the Meteor crate. Again the best preserved impact crater on earth. We made a guided tour across part of the rim. The meteorite impacted from the North East under a 80 degrees angle.The larges part of the meteorite, which was 50 metres across, vaporised on impact. The rest of it impacted into a large area around the crater. Fragments of it are shown in the Meteor Crater's museum and one can even buy a small fragment in the souvenir shop.

Our guide (again a Navajo, with a lot of interrest in Geology) took us to the US Geological Survey. He certainly had a geological background and could tell me a lot of the Geology of the Flagstaff area. A interresting and very Geological day.

At the end of the afternoon I retiurned to Flagstaff trainstation to await my train to Los Angeles. I took some time to visit downtown Flagstaff. The town is not big but it has a nice centre part with lot's of shops and restaurants. The citycentre with its small alleys looked also a bit European. When I returned to the station it appeared that the train had a three hour (!) delay.So the long wating started. Fortunately I met a nice french lady so time passed quickly and by midnight we sat in the train to L.A.

City of ... Automobiles

Next mornign we arrived two hours too late in L.A. The Coastal train had already left L.A. So I was able to spend two hours in Downtown L.A. before my next (inland) connection to San Francisco would leave. In downton L.A. there are 12 lane freeways running through the city centre. So it is a Highway City. There were also some skyscrapers by the city centre was quite small.

A few nice modern buidings were present. Disney built an odd looking Concert hall and near the station there was the city hall and some nice examples of Spanish colonial style. To reach San Francisco that evening I had to take a bus to Bakersfield for a connecting service to Emeryville. Emeryville lies on the East side of the San Francisco Bay Brudge. It is the "San Francisco Grand central station". S.F. has no Amtrak station. The wooden stationbuilding with it's two platforms really doesn't look like a Grand Central Station.

De golden Gate Bridge

Returning with Jan and Krystian I went to the Redbull airrace the next morning by walking 8 kilometres from the Sausalito side of the Golden Gate Bridge to the public area, reserved for the event.The hike was rewarding, a nice view over the bay ant to downtown S.F. and a spectacular airrace.(broadcasted on dutch TV twee weeks later.). The Golden Gate Bridge itself is a very elegant bridge with a length of 3 km.

That evening A celebrated my 37th birthday with a small but very nice party (I go 37) at the houseboat. After that I had to say goodbay to Jan, Krystian and Libby. After the party I returned with my cousing to her place to spend the last few days with her.

The next morning we drove to a parc where one could walk the Fault Trail (again a geological trip!). On this hike one could view some nice examples of faulting all these faults were part of the San Andreas Faultzone. The earthquake of 1906 moved the American plate aboud a metre to the south. A fence clearly was moved.

Unfortunately the next day, the trip ended. After a quit flight I returned home with lot's of memories.