The Craft Junkie: August 2009

This is the daily diary of a road trip taken from Portland Oregon to Los Angeles.

Scroll down for the most recent entry.

Summer road trips have become a tradition for the 2 girls in our family. It's become a nice way to make lasting memories during the high school years and great for mother/daughter bonding time. It's also a fun opportunity to break away from the boys and do things our way! We add photos and descriptions every day, so if you are checking this blog for updates, you'll have to scroll down through the previous day of our journey.

Sit back, grab a cup-o-Joe, and enjoy the ride as we take you with us on our adventure!

Day One:

Armed with a trusty GPS and a cooler full of food, my 16 year old daughter and I headed towards Southern California for our 10 day road trip! As the mother, and person in charge of all things on this trip, I have to say I'm a little nervous. I've never driven so far into unknown territory. I've printed maps from Map quest, have plenty of brochures from AAA, and my cell phone. Everything should be fine. Still, I'm a little nervous....

We left Portland Oregon at noon and drove for 6 hours south to Crescent City California. We followed I-5 to Grants Pass, then branched off onto Hwy 199. We passed Jedediah Smith State Park and mentally noted it would be a great place to camp in the future.

A few straggler giant redwoods loomed up from the roadside as we traveled - a small glimpse of what lay ahead in the Redwood Forests. Wow! Can't wait to see more.

Initially, we had planned to camp in the Redwoods R.V. park to save money. Our budget for this trip is tight. At my husband's suggestion, we upgraded to a cheap hotel for less than $100.00. It made him more comfortable knowing his two ladies wouldn't be out in the open during the night.

Thanks honey.

Crescent City is a nice little beach town. It's lovely. On the day we arrived, the wind was blowing and it was a bit chilly, so ate a quick dinner at Subway, then checked into our hotel to watch movies and keep warm.

If you are planning to visit the Redwoods, or Crescent City, check out this cute hotel: Curly Wood Inn. It has a 1960's charm and is made from the wood of a single curly redwood tree.

Day two:

We left Crescent City and headed South on Hwy 101 to Klamath.

First Stop:
Trees of Mystery

The giant redwood forest is absolutely stunning and words simply cannot describe it.

The Brotherhood tree . 1,800 years old. HAVE YOU EVER been next to an 1,800 year old tree?

My daughter is a tree hugger. Outdoor school turned her into one. She's also a wanna-be hippie.

The Candelabra Tree. Several smaller trees growing from a horizontal tree.

This tree was around during the following major historical events:

Crusades (1096) Magna Carta (1215) Columbus (1492) Pilgrims (1620) Independence (1776) and made personal afterlife contact with Monica Marie (2009)

Base of a fallen Redwood tree, over 3,000 years old and still rock solid.

This is called the Cathedral Tree. It is actually a group of 9 trees growing to form an arch. To get a sense of scale, there is a podium in front where couples stand to receive their wedding vows.

This sign, in front of the Cathedral tree, touched the very core of my being. The words acutely describe the sense of wonder I felt while walking through that mighty forest.

Just look at what I saw! Yes, I took these photos. They look fake don't they? The beauty was continually astonishing.

"So shall they live when ends our day."

Joseph B Strauss.

Builder of the Golden Gate bridge and author of "The Redwoods."

Next Stop:

Fern Canyon

We left Trees of Mystery and continued south on Hwy 101, stopping for a sandwich in the back of our pickup truck. Maps indicated there was a scenic hike next to the beach and up a fern covered canyon so we decided to take it.

After 8 miles of washboard bumps, dust, and crossing through 3 creeks spilling across the road, we arrived at a parking lot next to the beach. The hike to the canyon was short one.

We couldn't believe it when we spotted an Elk grazing in a nearby marsh!

The Fern Canyon (click on red for directions) was breathtakingly beautiful. Do you recognize it? It was included in Jurassic Park II and Return of the Jedi.

The crystal clear creek has carved a steep canyon walls that are covered in delightful maidenhair ferns.

The beauty was surreal. The day was hot and the mists of water that tumbled down the canyon walls were irresistible to stand beneath.

Fern Canyon State Park is not an easy place to get to, but well worth the effort. It is truly one of the hidden treasures of California.

We continued south on Hwy 101. Along the way there are several interesting places to stop and see more of Mother Nature's Miracles.

This tree blew my mind. Check out the size! It's called the Grandfather tree.

Height= 265' Diameter = 24' Circumference = 55' Can you grasp how big it really is?

This is called The Tree House.

Below is the Famous One Log House.

I love my home in Portland, but I would certainly accept the cozy charm this log offered.

Our final visit was in Leggett, to Drive Thru a Tree.

I remember driving through this exact tree as a child with my parents. Who knew that many years later, I would be on the other side of that same tree, photographing my 16 year old daughter driving through? Life is interesting if you think of it that way.

There are several trees you can drive your car through along route 1. Click on the red to learn more. The Chandelier tree in Leggett was the original drive thru tree, and I think it's the most photographic one.

What an absolutely fantastic day. We could have done even more but were pressed for time. Next time, we'll drive the 31 miles through the Avenue of the Giants. For now, it was time to head to our final destination for the day. We bid farewell to the Redwoods and drove 1.5 hours southwest along the very twisty set of 25-mph switchbacks that comprise route 1 to Fort Bragg.

Travel Lodge is where we spent the night - and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It was dirty, the faucets didn't work, and neither did the free in-room wifi. But it was cheap and we were only going to be there for one night.

Day 3

We woke up in Fort Bragg California.

What a charming town. I think I'll retire here.

The entire down town is lined with immaculate Victorian style architecture.

After a trip to Starbucks, we headed to the beach for the morning. Not just any beach. The one we discovered is well hidden and somewhat challenging to get to. Hiking experience is a plus and sturdy shoes recommended. It's called Glass Beach.

From a distance, this beach looks like any other beach. But...zoom in a little closer and you'll see what makes this beach such miraculous wonder.

This beach has almost no sand. Yep. That's right. Instead of sand there is a profusion of smooth tumbled beach glass. I couldn't believe my eyes. I felt as if I had just stepped into treasure seekers heaven.

Ground and worn by the pounding ocean then finally washed ashore, the glass on this beach is a

unique example of time and Mother Nature correcting one of man's mistakes.

You see, in the early 1900's this beach was a public dumping ground. People dumped all kinds of refuse including old cars and household garbage containing lots of glass. By the 1960's cleanup efforts took place and dumping into the ocean was banned. 50 years later, the pounding surf keeps washing up beautifully polished pieces of old glass. You have to sift through at least 4 inches of glass to even find sand on this beach.

Alhough taking glass away from this beach is highly discouraged, it's still fun to sort through the various colors and try to find rare pieces of blue. To learn more about sea glass, and which colors are rare, check out this cool website, Odysseys Sea Glass.

By noon, we left the beach and headed inland along route 20 to hook back into Hwy 101.

Our destination was San Francisco. Estimated arrival time, 6:00 p.m.

Day 3 continued...

After 6 hours of driving south from Fort Bragg, we arrived in San Francisco.

Our first magnificent view was driving across the Golden Gate bridge. It was good to see it up close since we have plans to ride bikes across it tomorrow morning.

At this point, I'm very glad we have a GPS system. We fondly named it "Tina." She helped us locate our destination for the night - Beresford Arms Hotel.

Beresford Arms is a charming older hotel (listed on the national register for historical places).

It is conviently located next to Union Square, upscale shopping, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Cable Cars.

Since we had a couple hours left in the evening, we strolled Union square, then visited the Museum of Modern Art.

We saw works by Ansil Adams and Georgia O'Keefe, before eating a delicious dinner at the Cheesecake Factory located inside Macy's.

Beresford Arms Hotel is located at 701 Post Street. Click on the name to get to their link. We found them through Expedia.com. It's rated 3/5 stars. We had two queen beds for under $100.00. It was old, but clean. The service was excellent. Complimentary wine and cheese was offered every evening and in the morning we were treated to a free continental breakfast. Parking was expensive - $26.00/day, but that's typical for downtown hotels. Everything in San Francisco costs money! Compared to the Travel lodge we stayed at in Fort Bragg (for the same price) Beresford Arms was wonderful deal and we would stay there again.

Day 4

Still in San Francisco

This day was packed with excitement. We caught the trolley just a few blocks from our hotel and took it to Fisherman's Wharf. The trolley was overflowing with people so we were literally hanging off the sides in true "Rice-A-Roni" style. Trolley's passing us in the other direction barely skimmed by with only inches to spare. A rush of fear spread over me as I realized the implications of falling off at the very moment another car was passing by!

At Fisherman's Wharf, we rented bikes from Bay City and headed out into the chilly fog. Destination: Golden Gate Bridge. Although San Francisco is beautiful, it is often covered in a layer of misty fog rolling in from the Pacific ocean. Even in August, the temperature hovered in the 60's. A quote from Mark Twain rang true, "The coldest winter I ever had was the summer I spent in San Francisco."

We got a little lost on our way to the Golden Gate bridge, and we were riding against a stiff wind. I could hear my daughter cursing me from behind, "Mom, why did you make me do this?" Just kidding.

This was the last view before we entered the top of bridge. While I was taking the photo cars roared over my head on the deck above. It was a strange feeling.

The ride across the bridge was awesome....noisy with traffic...but thrilling. We passed several signs next to telephones on the bridge that read, "THERE IS HOPE. MAKE THE CALL." That was a bit eerie. I had to explain to my daughter (when we were safely over the bridge and on the other side) what those signs meant. Welcome to the big scary world!

Once we reached the other side of the bridge, we rode to the picturesque waterfront community of Sausalito, world renowned for its Mediterranean flair and stunning views... "Sausalito is why they built the bridge." The sun was shining and we were able to finally warm up! We had a delicious lunch then boarded a ferry back to Fisherman's wharf.

We passed by Alcatraz Island and the old Jail. I would have loved a tour, but tickets were sold out. The website warned of "selling out" but I didn't believe them.

This is the view of San Francisco as our ferry was arriving. Still foggy.

We explored San Francisco via car, and drove down the "crookedest street." Whoo Hoo!

One last photo together before we headed back to our hotel.

I love chandeliers. I enjoyed gazing up at this one in the hotel lobby of Beresford Arms while sipping on one of their complimentary evening drinks. Ahhh. What a day!

In our room, my daughter and I watched a few episodes of the T.V. series "Monk"(filmed in San Francisco). We screamed with excitement as we recognized sites we had seen throughout the day.

Day 5

After one last breakfast at Beresford Arms, it was time to end our visit in San Francisco and head south along I-5 to Los Angeles. We restocked our cooler and hit the road by 8:30 a.m. We had a long day of driving ahead.

The scenery along Interstate 5 isn't very pretty to look at.

Dry grasses were revealing of the intense temperatures typical of southern California. Our truck thermometer hovered between 98 - 100 degrees.

Occasionally we passed by mounds of harvested Pistachio nuts, Citrus orchards, and semi trucks loaded with onions or tomatoes.

Rest stops were a welcome relief and an opportunity to switch drivers. During our lunch break however, the heat and flies proved too much for my daughter. She couldn't wait to get inside our air conditioned truck and back on the road again.

Today, we officially reached 1,000 miles traveled on this trip.

Located 20 miles north of Valencia on Piru Creek, we spotted Pyramid Dam. The man made lake provides a great place for camping, boating and fishing.

Congested traffic indicated we were approaching Los Angeles. It took 45 minutes to drive the last 10 miles of our day.

We were relieved to find lush accommodations at the Westin Bonaventure hotel after our 8 hour drive. It's another fabulous find through Hotwire.com for under $100.00 per night. Complete with a Food Court and boutiques for shopping, The Westin Bonaventure boasts an indoor track and fitness center for the exercise enthusiast.

Day 6

Up at 5:30 a.m. to do hair, wardrobe and makeup. Why? We are going to be on the Dr. Phil Show. Everyone has problems right? We're not unique. It's our chance to have a personal chat with "The Problem Expert" and get a few of our issues resolved.

Below is a photo we took of his house...up close and personal. Sorry, we can't show you any photos of the inside. It's lovely though.

O.K., O.K., I'm just kidding. Can't a girl have a little fun?

We ARE going "to" the Dr. Phil show but only to be in the audience. And yes, that really is his house. Any tourist driving through Beverly Hills can see it.

We are so excited about the day. Stay tuned for more.

The day continued...

We were instructed to arrive at The Dr. Phil Studio by 7:30 a.m. Though our hotel is only 8 miles away, traffic in Los Angeles requires more time then usual to get from point A to point B so we allowed an extra hour.

No blue jeans. No T-shirts. Business attire and dark colors preferred. That was the dress code given to us when we were invited to be part of Dr. Phil's studio audience.

The studio is located in a residential area of Hollywood, and the building is unmarked. We were instructed to park in The Forever Cemetery for a small fee and walk to the studio.

Allow me to side track for a moment and contrast the opulence and wealth found in the Forever Cemetery of Hollywood California...

to the simplicity of this Old County Cemetery with headstones made from redwood. We found this darling cemetary behind our hotel in Crescent City California.

Doesn't the contrast speak volumes?

Back to The Dr. Phil Show.

The studio was much smaller then it looks on T.V. No cameras or cel phones were allowed inside. Security was tight, but being a space cadet in my excitment to get inside I completely bypassed the metal detector. I was quickly brought to attention by a security guard who scanned my purse for weapons, camera or cel phone.

When we entered the studio we asked to be seated behind Robin, (Dr. Phil's wife and regular guest). We thought it would be fun to chat with her during commercial breaks. Our request was declined and I just bet it was because of my blunder with security! Anyway, the seats we were given ended up being great ones - very close to Dr. Phil. At one point a camera was positioned only a few inches from my daughter's face for several long minutes. It was hard for me not to tap her on the leg with excitement and remind her not to do anything embarassing- like crack up...or look into the camera...or sneeze...or pick her nose. Not that she would do that.

Watching Dr. Phil and the professional T.V. crew working was fascinating. Dr. Phil doesn't practice Psychiatry or offer counseling these days. It's pretty obvious his primary focus is to be a television talk show host and produce a good show. He holds note cards, reads from a teleprompter, and follows direction from the crew during commercial breaks. When we were there, he was introduced to the guests for the first time on stage and didn't mingle much with them during breaks.

Dr. Phil has a great sense of humor and from time to time would break from the script with a joke or funny comment. It was refreshing to see his "good ole' boy from Texas charm." His wife Robin had the same connection with the audience...almost like she was Cinderella wearing her designer hot pink pumps, and like us, couldn't believe she was actually in Hollywood being filmed on a live television show. Whether the sentiments were genuine or imagined, it worked to make us feel that Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw are ordinary people who just happened to make it BIG later in life. They seem more than happy to share with the rest of us, the fun and excitement Hollywood can offer. Which, in the end, adds to their success.

The two shows taped when we were there will air sometime in September. One was about communicating with modern technology. The other was about women having children at a later age, and parents who are over their heads with behavior problems. The taping ran like clockwork - beginning at 9:30 and ending at 12:30 with a short break in between. Dr. Phil left the stage immediately after the last taping, so no conversations with or autographs were allowed. We had a great time and it's something we'll always remember.

To find out how to get free tickets for the Dr. Phil show click on this link: Dr. Phil Shows

After the Dr. Phil Show, we did a little exploring around L.A. over the course of the next couple of days. And let me just say this. I HATE TRAFFIC IN LOS ANGELES. Traversing 6 lanes of freeway, trying to make it safely to thw off ramps with horns honking and motorcyclists who didn't seem to follow any rules of the road STRESSED ME OUT! It was completely unnerving, but we did our best to stay with the flow of things. Our trusty GPS was the reason we made it everywhere and ventured out as much as we did.

Along Sunset Blvd. we found what would soon become an obsession for us - Pinkberry Yogurt. Frozen deliciousness x10.

Not too sweet, just the right amount of sour, and plenty of fresh fruit. We ate it every chance we could. YUM.

I seemed to have a little obsession photographing light fixtures on this trip too.

Up close, this signature fixture in Pinkberry almost looks like actual swirls of yogurt.

House of Blues is just up the street from Pink Berry. Lot's of great musicians play there.

ZZ Top was scheduled to play that night. We didn't have tickets so we settled for a little shopping therapy instead at Amoeba Music.

Emily scored on a DVD of the original Woodstock film, and I picked up some John Mayer to calm me down. Man I love his music.

We also found some cool show band posters. The graphics are spectacular. Now I'm a "wanna- be" poster designer.

In downtown L.A., we recognized the Disney Concert Hall from the movie " The Soloist."

For the rest of our afternoon, we visited the Garment district and picked up a few clothing items at wholesale prices. The Garment District, Toy District, and Flower District are areas ofdowntown L.A. where manufacturers sell their overstock at wholesale prices. It's a fun place to walk through during the day and lots of good deals to be found.

Day 7

Follow your heart.

"Do what you love, and the money will follow."

That's what my husband and I tell our daughter with respect to her future career choice.

She loves art. She loves music. Both are what fill her spare time. So today and tomorrow, we are visiting potential art and music colleges. First stop, California Institute of the Arts. Founded by Walt Disney, CalArts teaches Music, Performing and Visual arts with a specialty focus on cartoon animation and design.

"If you keep busy, your work might lead you into paths you might not expect. I've always operated like princes of Serendip, who went on quests not knowing what they would find. That happens in science; some of our most important discoveries have come from scientists who were searching for something else.

That is the direction I would like CalArts to take. It shouldn't be a school where studies are ridged and narrow. Students should be able to study the whole spectrum of the arts. Perhaps a musician would find out he is more talented in art, and vise verse."

Walt Disney

We loved the school. The vibe was great. It felt like a place where my young artist would thrive.

Get a load of the basement walls at the school. Feeling a little bored and or creative? Go paint some graffiti. It's allowed! I'll think we'll do the same thing in our attic space at home.

After our tour of CalArts, we ate a delicious dinner at the Mexican restaurant called "Frida."

How about enchiladas with Mexican chocolate sauce? It was divine.

The Glendale Hilton was our choice for the night. Another great find on Hotwire.com for less than $100.00 per night. I like the decorating style of this room. I'm making a mental note of it so I can use the ideas on my own house.

Day 8

Our last day in L.A. We drove to Pasadena to visit Art Center College of Design.

This is a school packed with talented people. When students complete their education at Art Center, they emerge prepared for a career in Automobile design, Graphic Design, Home Product Design, or Furniture Design just to name a few.

The school's sense of style is sleek and sophisticated, which showed simply in the architecture of the school alone. Every corner exuded creativity. We noted one room dedicated exclusively to the study of color trends.

The requirements to get in to Art Center are stiff and highly competitive. But the resulting education fantastic. By the way, the admissions officer we spoke with was very helpful, organized and friendly. A refreshing find when trying to navigate the many school choices out there. She inspired my daughter with a new energy to do everything she can to get into a good college.

Here is another light fixture I just couldn't resist snapping a photo of. It was in the Art Center as a piece of student work. It is fabricated from simple muslin fabric scraps. Way cool.

We drove by the Rose Bowl, and cracked ourselves up because we knew it was famous...

But we didn't really know what for. Sorry, we're just not into sports.

We spent the night in the best hotel yet...Embassy Suites Valencia. The customer service and amenities made us feel like royalty.

Embassy Suites Valencia is built on an old orange grove and is decorated in citrus colors of orange and green which help reflect the history of the area.

Free cocktails and soda in the evening, complimentary made-to-order breakfast tempted us to stay in the Embassy suites Valencia a few days longer, but we couldn't.

Day 9

We left Valencia and headed for home. Two days of driving lay ahead that don't hold much promise to be exciting. We would be driving the quickest route possible up Interstate 5.

We passed the time by listening to our newly purchased C.D's, and making hourly stops to switch drivers. At one gas station, this funky sign reigned over head.

Our final stop for the night was Redding California at the Travel Lodge Motel. A 2 star hotel that charged the same as the 4 star hotels we found in L.A.

In case you wonder what the difference is, let me show you. Dingy bathrooms with moldy grout, cheap furniture (a chair literally fell apart when we picked it up), noisy air conditioning units perched high in a window, and a swimming pool covered in green algae.

The positives were free in room wifi,and a good continental breakfast at the on-site restaurant.

Across the street is Turtle Bay, where we took an evening stroll along the river.

Turtle bay heralds this delightful bridge. The pristine white bridge, is literally a sundial on one end connected to a glass bottom bridge spanning the Sacramento river.