Planning for June

[Jen'nBarb]

We are taking 3 weeks and hoping to spend our first or second night just ourside of Spokane Washington. Then we want to go to Yellowstone and head to the grand canyon and Vegas from there. We will then make our way over to the coast for our trip home.

Does anyone have any "must sees" for that trip? Any thoughts on routes to the coast? We would love any suggestions from people who have either travelled this route, or live on it.

jen

[Jeanne and Steve]

If you find yourselves on the Big Sur coast, Kirk Creek is a small, gorgeous, first-come-first-served campground. Closeby is the Esalen Institute. Esalen has a developed hot springs perched above the rocky shoreline that's available to the public from 1-3am, by reservation only. We haven't seen their new building/development, but did go to their hot springs in the middle of the night many years ago, and found it to be a truly memorable experience.

Be warned though, that there are lots of ticks along the Big Sur and Mendacino coastlines. On one 20 minute walk in the chaparrel our dog picked up 40 of them!

Jeanne

[Gina D.]

My little cretons picked up some a bit farther north. They are everywhere!

[Jen'nBarb]

Ticks?? Never thought of that - what do you do to deal with them?

[Jan Adams]

I believe Frontline is for fleas and ticks.

Also, you can put Vaseline on ticks - that gets them to let go fast. Plus it won't hurt dogs or cats if they eat the Vaseline. For cats, the Vaseline helps with the hair balls!!!

[Donna D.]

Nancy has posted a ton of information about Oregon in the Oregon Gathering Topic. For attractions check out: Oregon Attractions, On the Way To & From the Gathering

[Jeanne and Steve]

Ticks?? Never thought of that - what do you do to deal with them?

Check your dogs regularly so you can pick the ticks off before they have a chance to attach themselves, especially if your dogs are leading the way on a trail, and are brushing up against any plants.

[Frederick L. Simson]

We are taking 3 weeks and hoping to spend our first or second night just ourside of Spokane Washington. Then we want to go to Yellowstone and head to the grand canyon and Vegas from there. We will then make our way over to the coast for our trip home.

Does anyone have any "must sees" for that trip? [b]Any thoughts on routes to the coast? We would love any suggestions from people who have either travelled this route, or live on it.

jen

Last year, on our way from San Diego to the Oregon Gathering, we decided to bypass the Southern California coast, and shot up Interstate 5 to Stocton, and stayed the 1st night there.
Then, since the KOA was on Highway 12, we took that west toward the coast. We went right through Sonoma. We did not detour north through Napa, but we still passed several wineries. Somewhere along the line we got on Highway 116, and drove through Guernville. AWESOME! After that, 116 follows the Russian River to the coast and Highway 1. That was the most memorable part of the trip, and we hope to pass that way again sometime.

[Christi V.]

I like the K-9 Advantage best.. it also repels the misquotes... As heartworm and lime disease is prevelant in many area's of the U.S.... I would also ask your vet about administering a heartworm pill about a month before traveling to other states.. or with the newer products that repel the mesquitos heart meds may not be necessary...
This map was in 2003 but the wide spread of heartworms is alot more now.. scroll down to look....

http://www.heartwormsociety.org/GeneralInfo.htm

[Jen'nBarb]

Wow lots of really great information, thanks. We will definitely talk to our vet before travelling too far with the dogs.

[Jen'nBarb]

I am also going to have to get a more detailed map because I can't seem to find the road you mentioned, Frederick.

"Somewhere along the line we got on Highway 116, and drove through Guernville. AWESOME! After that, 116 follows the Russian River to the coast and Highway 1"

I should probably pick up state maps for charting our course!

jen

[Adrian W]

Drop down to the Grand Tetons from Yellowstone, perhaps Brice and Zion Nat'l Parks in Utah on way to Vegas and Grand Canyon, the whole West Coast is great, check out Herst Castle at San Simeon, Monterey, Santa Barbarba, The Getty Center and Getty Villa all in CA.
If you take SR20 off I-15 to Panguitch on your way to Brice, there is a very nice Nat'l Forest campground at Panguitch Lake (higher and cooler than Brice) and if you continue on down to Kanab, you may visit the north side of the Grand Canyon then loop around to the east toward Flagstaff, AZ and view the south side of the canyon, then hit I-40 West to Las Vegas, going by and across the Hoover Dam on the way. Depending on how much time you have, etc.

We did a simular trip but from New Mexico to Yellowstone to Glacier to Baniff to Victoria BC then down the west coast to LA area then back to NM. Then another time NM to LA area up the coast to Victoria BC to Jasper to Baniff to Watertown to Glacier to Aspen to Chama back to home. We did a loop from Page, AZ to north side of the canyon then up to Kanab and Brice then spent time at Panguitch Lake and use it as a base to drive up and over to Zion for a day trip (it was up in the 100's when we were there) then down to the I-15 to Cedar City (for supplies), then up from Cedar City back to Panguitch Lake. We have visited the south side of the canyon several times, north is less crowded and cooler than the south, the campgrounds at the Park were full so we stayed at Nat'l Forest campground on the way in to the north side (very cool, no need for a/c) and at another Nat'l Forest campground out from Flagstaff near Sunset Crater.

Lot of nice things to see and hope to do them again. Have a blast.

the DesertHawk