Category: Hiking & Travel

We left Phoenix and arrived at Jenna’s in Indio, California, around noon.
It was nice to see everyone here. This is where we will spend Christmas.
I took a picture of Arthur with a cat.

Juli and I took a walk (as we often do when we see each other) and I saw a roadrunner in park.

We walked up a hill and I took this picture of the Coachella Valley. It’s notable that the valley is below sea level.

We had a big pasta dinner with everyone who is here.

[daily log: walking, 4km; driving 400km]

We drove past many rocks, on our way from Tucumcari, New Mexico, to Phoenix, Arizona.
Here is a very traditional-looking hilltop village in western New Mexico.

Here is the Salt River Canyon, coming down an alternate route (avoiding interstate highway) from Holbrook, Arizona through Show Low and Globe to Phoenix.

[daily log: walking, 2km; driving, 900km]

A day of driving.
A picture: cows and windmill – somewhere in eastern New Mexico.

Before leaving Dean and Pam’s I took a portrait of the three of them.

[daily log: walking, 2km; driving, 900km]

“Lotsa horizon around here.” – Arthur.
We visited people today. First, extended family of Dean and Pam’s up in Crescent, Oklahoma, on a farm. We had venison chili for lunch and later Arthur and I took a walk down the road.






Then later, we had dinner with my uncle Miles, his wife, along with my cousin Niki and her family. Clockwise, you see Ella, Abby, Niki, Jeremy, Kaitlyn, me, Arthur, Miles, and Nancy.

Then we drove to Clayton, where Dean and Pam have their farm.
[daily log: walking, 4km; driving, 300km]

I have arrived safely in Oklahoma City. I’m tired.
Rather than meet with Arthur and his friends Dean and Pam at their home in Clayton, Oklahoma, they contacted me as I drove down and suggested meeting in Oklahoma City, instead. This will enable an easier meet-up with other people tomorrow – a member of their family, on one hand, and a member of Arthur’s family (my uncle Miles), on the other hand.
So I drove to OKC (as Okhahoma City is universally abbreviated) and we are at a motel here. We’ll meet up with various people tomorrow.
Here are some pictures from driving down.




[daily log: walking, 1km; driving, 1350km]

Last night, Amy made a delicious dinner (which I tried to help with, at least a little). There was a roast and potatoes.

Today, I ran a few small errands, got frustrated with my bank, and decided to take a long walk in the giant park near Mark and Amy’s house.  I took a lot of pictures.
I went east on Cliff Road to the entrance to the Lebanon Hills Regional Park. I walked down a snow-covered path.

I saw some small lakes.


I had to find my way around a stretch of closed trail. These two signs were at opposite ends of the closed part.


I saw some trees.


I saw what, in summer, is probably a grassy hillside.

I came to a clearing in the trees and saw some humble, 21st century habitations.

I love Minnesota in the winter. It is probably what I miss most about living here.
[daily log: walking, 4km]

I drove east yesterday, and it was interesting to see the increasing amounts of snow on the ground as I progressed northeastward from Denver to Minneapolis.
After crossing from Colorado to Nebraska:

After crossing from Nebraska to Iowa:

After crossing from Iowa to Minnesota:

The Blueberry Tank in Mark and Amy’s driveway this morning.

[daily log: walking, km]

I drove easter (er…, farther east) than before.
I arrived at my intended destination: my stepmother’s home in Colorado. My stepsister and her family live here too. Despite the “step” I consider these very important members of my family: they came to visit me in Korea, which can be said for very few people.
Some pictures from the drive.
Dawn in Utah (where I stayed in a cheap motel).



I saw snow the entire day.


Wyoming is … a bit monotonous. I never saw so many broken down trucks by the side of the road, though. I guess some combination of cold and bad luck?

My goal.

[daily log: walking, 1km; driving 870km]

I went east. A lot.
Still working on that.
I’ll add some pictures later maybe.
[Update: Some pictures…]




[daily log: walking, 1km; driving, 1200km]

I took a long walk with Juli, up the hill and down the river. Pictures.



We saw some turkeys in a field. These turkeys survived Thanksgiving. Juli said that they’re waiting for Christmas.

[daily log: walking, 6km]

Today was the official Thanksgiving holiday, but we didn’t really have a major celebration. Many of the people coming to this year’s annual Brosing-Lecomte get-together and thanksgiving feast were unable to make it here today due to travel or scheduling issues. So the great feast has been scheduled for Saturday instead of Thursday. That’s when we’ll roast the turkey (Arthur’s specialty) and do the other celebratory foods.
For today, we mostly relaxed. Juli and I took a long walk, in pouring rain, up to the tree farm and then down along the river, after seeing the Lee Falls up the Tualatin River a ways.
The house shortly after dawn, on a rainy, drizzly morning.

The horses at the neighbor’s house were deeply unimpressed by our decision to go walking in the rain. They stuck to the barn.

Walter the charismatic dog was unconcerned about the rain.

We saw the waterfall. In fact, despite the pouring rain, the water level in the river is quite low for this time of year. The summer and fall have been dry, here.

We saw a giant log blocking the Lee Falls Road. Good thing we were walking. This is Juli standing by the log.

We had barbecued chicken for dinner.
Tomorrow some people might go into town to do some shopping. I have no interest in the so-called Black Friday.
[daily log: walking, 6km]

My ferry arrived at Prince Rupert at around 2 am. I was the first vehicle off the ferry, so there was no waiting at Canadian immigration/customs. I rolled down my window, and a dour, mustached Canadian asked me if I had any firearms or drugs or alcohol. No on all counts, and
he asked how long I would be staying. I said long enough to be driving through. And that was the end of the interview – the easiest Canadian border crossing I’ve ever experienced. I think crossing as an “Alaskan” helps a lot – the Canadians are used to the fact that Alaskans need to go back and forth across their country for various reasons.
I got some coffee at a Tim Hortons, I got some local currency cash at an ATM, and I drove to the first rest area east of Prince Rupert, where I slept in my car until dawn. Starting at dawn, I drove east.
First there was rain. Finally the rain cleared, and I was in the snowy British Columbian interior.
Some pictures.




I am now at a motel at Cache Creek, BC (the junction of route 97 and the Trans-Canada highway, AKA Route 1).
[daily log: walking, 0.5km; driving, 1200 km]

The flights from Seoul to Seattle and then Portland presented some good "airplane window photo" opportunities.

Here is downtown Seattle, iconically recognizable.

Here is the volcano Mount Saint Helens, just north of Portland, as we came in to land we went right over.

Juli and Arthur picked me up at the airport, and we drove back to Forest Grove by an alternate route, avoiding a downtown traffic jam.

I had a day off from riding along with Arthur to his appointments, because he didn't have any appointments. So I decided to go visit some of my other relatives and friends who are clustered in this part of the world. Actually, just based on that factor, I suppose that although I have never lived in the Portland region, it is nevertheless a kind of "hometown" for me. 

First I drove down to Eugene, which is actually a few hours, but I didn't mind – I enjoy road trips as long as they're not a requirement of my day-to-day life, and with not having a car in Korea, in fact I only do driving one week or two out of each year. So I headed down the west side of the Willamette Valley through McMinnville and Corvallis, and saw my aunt and uncle Janet and Bob – who are on my father's side and so unrelated to my maternal uncle Arthur, who is my main reason for this visit.

I enjoyed that visit, and the scattered fogs and periodic bouts of rain going down and back up the valley. I spent about 4 hours there, having coffee and talking, catching up on things. I really enjoy the company of Janet and Bob, and it's worth noting that they lived with us in Arcata when I an infant, and thus Janet was one of my first baby sitters, though I don't remember that as I was only an infant. 

I drove back up the east side of the Valley on I-5, through Albany and Salem and to Portland, where I met up with an old schoolmate Raven who lives there. We haven't in fact seen each other since high school, and in high school we were in different social circles so in fact we haven't interacted since grade school, but we were in the same class for two years in 5th and 6th grade. So it was interesting to sit and chat about such ancient times after so long. Then I drove back out to Forest Grove and met my cousin Jori (also on my father's side, my father's and Janet's niece from another Way family sibling, Freda). I had dinner with her and her husband at a Peruvian restaurant in Forest Grove. It was nostalgic to have Peruvian food, because when I lived in Long Beach I used to go to this Peruvian place with my coworkers that was nearby to where we were working on that big project in Costa Mesa. And I've always like Peruvian cuisine, which is hard to find in Korea. Go figure.

I was surprised to learn that my second cousin Philip (Jori's son, who is, incidentally, named for my father)  has recently become the proprietor of a pub in Forest Grove, which is a popular spot for students at the nearby Pacific University, which is where our family friend Juli (who I am staying with, here) has been a physics professor for so many years. So we had dessert (a chocolate creme brulee with strawberries) at the pub and chatted a little about how he's hoping to succeed with this new business venture. I was just impressed to think there is a relative of mine who owns a pub.

Here are some pictures.

Driving down the valley.

With aunt Janet and Bob at their place.

The hillside at Janet and Bob's place.

Some impressively authentic Peruvian food. I had chaufa with some ceviche before that.

My cousin Philip at the bar of his pub.

A chocolate creme brulee with strawberries.

[daily log: walking, 4km]

Yesterday I spent most of the day on an airplane. Although there's not much to do on an airplane except eat, sleep, read, and watch things on the video, it still always feels exhausting to me. I think it's just the rarefied air and body's intuitive apprehension of its own displacement. It's slow-motion teleportation, and it's unpleasant.

So I survived. I ran away from the airplane as soon as I got back, and the arrival, in the chaotic Korean tradition, was weirdly efficient. I am now home. I am not feeling particularly motivated.

Here is a picture from Brisbane, where I spent the night Wednesday night.

Actually, that was the first time I visited there. I thought Brisbane wasn't bad, as small cities go – it reminded me of many US second-tier cities – San Diego or Austin or Minneapolis for that matter. The one thing that was unexpected was that the downtown is actually rather hilly. I had this impression, because of the map with its meandering river, that it was probably flat, but that was clearly a wrong conception. In that way, it was like St Paul – it looks flat on the map, but really isn't flat at all. 

[daily log: living, 52years]

Today being my last full day here at my mom's house, we decided to do some tourism type stuff.

We drove down to the rainforest at Mamu (Wooroonooran National Park) where I walked a trail and saw some rainforest and some mountains and a river valley. It was beautiful.

Then we drove to the "platypus park" at Malanda, where I saw some platypi. It was the first time – in all my visits to Australia, I've never actually seen a platypus. So now I have.

Then we drove to the Hasties Swamp, where there were many migratory birds, and we came back to Ravenshoe via Herberton.

I took a lot of pictures, but they are a bit scattered and I need to go through them on my phone. Perhaps I'll post some additional pictures after I have gone through them. For now, here is a quick snap of the cute Herberton post office building as we raced by in the car.

[daily log: walking, 4km]

I was feeling restless this morning.

So I took a long walk in the wind – up to the "T" in the road, which I estimate to be about 4.5km from my mom's front door. So it was a 9km walk, round trip.

I saw no wallabies. So I can only offer an unexotic assemblage of some sun-dappled goats, instead.

[daily log: walking, 9km] 

I didn't see a cassowary today.

I thought I might, because I went on a drive and walked around the rainforest at a national park (Mt Hypipamee) about 30 km north of here for a while.

Cassowaries are type of giant, flightless bird, maybe a bit emu-ish. Apparently they are somewhat dangerous (there was a sign that said, "Beware of cassowaries: Do not run" – I guess if you run they will chase you).

The closest I came to seeing a cassowary was a group of German tourists who claimed to have just seen one.

I did see a forest turkey. Some random pictures, below.

[daily log: walking, 4.5km] 

Here is a last picture of Ketchikan, from yesterday, mid-day.

We stayed at a motel near the airport.  Last night, my dad drove out and met us for a late dinner, one last time. Now we return to Korea.

I'll post something again once there.