Northern California

I followed the wild and scenic Smith River through some huge redwoods and to the Redwood Visitor's Center in Crescent City. I also hung out on the beach just south of town for an hour or so. 

From there, I drove south to a campground situated in an old growth redwood grove.

After setting up camp,

I drove down dirt roads through some other groves. I think this is Stout: 

The following morning, I followed the 101 through the redwoods along the coast. 
I walked along the beach at Gold Bluffs for a couple hours...
...and then drove down the 101...
...and onto Highway 1...
Sunset in Sonoma County: 
I didn't really want to stop driving, and most of the campgrounds catered to RV's, so I just kept moving south. Not too long after dusk, I had to pull over because the night was pitch dark and the road was windy with sheer cliffs on my side of the road. Signs posted along the 101 indicated that parking was prohibited overnight, but I found an empty parking lot in the Visitor's Center in Bodega Bay where I parked and slept in my car. 

The following morning, I explored Bodega Bay - setting for The Birds - and I drove through the Sonoma countryside: 
After stopping at a little cafe, I went to Pt. Reyes National Seashore just north of San Francisco. I hiked an interpretative trail along the San Andreas Fault. 
I also took a picture of a fence that, allegedly, had split and shifted over 10 feet during the last major earthquake. Not sure what happened to the picture. 

There were many woodpeckers in the forest. 
I drove out to the Pt. Reyes Lighthouse area. 

You could hear sea lions barking below. 
These deer were grazing within several 100 feet of a huge bluff on the ocean. 
View from Pt. Reyes:
Sea lions at Pt. Reyes. I spent a good while watching and listening to them. 

After eating lunch at Pt. Reyes, I drove south to Petaluma, north of San Francisco, where I got a hotel room and caught up on some desperately needed rest. 

In the morning, I drove up through the Napa Valley. I took some pictures, but I'll have to figure out later what happened to them. I drove up to St. Helena, ate lunch, and then cruised the Silverado Trail and backroads through vineyards and, eventually, to Berkeley, where I crossed the Bay Bridge into San Francisco. 

Once in the city, I quickly parked my car in a 24 hour lot near the ferry station on the bay. I then packed a backpack and began walking along the water. It was a Saturday, and the crowds overwhelmed Percy a bit, but we explored Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf, where I watched some awesome street shows. 

View of Alcatraz: 
Golden Gate Bridge: 
The weather was fantastic, and the day was young, so I just walked everywhere I could. I rested in a few parks. Here is the crookedest street: 
In the evening, Percy and I caught a cab to the Haight-Ashbury district with a hippy cabby who entertained me with stories and info about the city. I then walked down Haight Street, stopped in Amoeba Music and a couple other spots, and made my way to Golden Gate Park, which spans at least several miles to the bay. A short walk into the park, and I came across a crowd of drummers, dancers, and people of all kinds. 
I found some other obvious tourists who were sitting on the fringes listening to the drum circle, and I joined them and people-watched. From there, I walked back up Haight until I found a brewery/restaurant and ate outside. I met some locals, and we drank microbrews and talked for a couple hours. Exhausted, I caught a cab back to my car, where I arranged my car for sleep-mode, and I crashed. 

After a poor night's sleep, I got up early and drove through San Francisco. I then drove east to the Yosemite area. I ate lunch and hiked west of Yosemite, and then I entered the park. Pictures will speak for themselves: 

Pretty amazing. 

I camped in Yosemite last night. It was unbelievably busy, and I got one of the last sites available. There were many foreign tourists; I couldn't hear a single English-speaking person adjacent to my campsite. Yosemite also had the strictest food storage regulations of any park. Evidently, they've had bears regularly walking through campgrounds. Anyways, it was too crowded and $20/night so now I'm in a motel in Fresno trying to figure out my plan til Friday, when I fly home for the weekend. 

Oregon

I crossed the Columbia River on Highway 101 south and entered Oregon. The 101 in Washington had passed through relatively unpopulated temperate forests and marshlands, but quaint towns and state parks hugged the highway every 10 miles or so in Oregon. The 101 also clung to the coast throughout Oregon, presenting many panoramic views and tight turns. 

I entered Oregon around lunchtime and figured I would cruise down the highway til I found a campsite. This proved impossible with the 4th of July just two days away, so I had to get a hotel in Newport. The following morning I went to the beach district, stopped at a cafe, and took Percy to the beach. I needed to kill some time, so I drove across town to the bay district, where I curiously watched mammoth raccoons scurry through the busy shopping district, aimlessly walked the dog, and sat at the Rogue Brewery for a while. 

I then drove an hour or so inland to Eugene, stopping for a while at some swimming hole on the Siuslaw. In Eugene I met up with Robin and Joanie, who hosted me for 4th of July weekend. On Saturday, we visited Eugene's Saturday Market, where we bought some produce and looked at crafts, fascinating people, a drum circle...

On Sunday, Robin and I drove out to a sweet hike to a vista overlooking Eugene and the Wilamette Valley:

View of Three Sisters: 

From there, we hiked along a cool creek and hopped in some swimming holes. Percy even swam across a deep, wide stretch. Later, we hiked back to the car and stopped at a remote hot spring before heading back to Eugene. 

The following morning, I drove south to Crater Lake. I stopped at a trailhead along the N. Umpqua River and hiked several miles upstream, where I ate lunch and watched salmon jumping waterfalls: 

I then drove through Crater Lake NP and took in the scenery: 

Wizard Island: 

Without a clear plan for the remainder of the day, I began heading southwest towards the ocean. I finally found an amazing campsite along the Illinois River in SW Oregon, just north of the Redwoods NP. The campsites and swimming holes were 12 miles down a dirt road, but there were plenty of people there, some even scuba diving in the deep, crystal clear pools adjacent to the campsites. 

The following morning, I woke early and eager to see the Redwoods and California. 

Washington

After floating the Grande Ronde for several days, I found a motel in the Richland/Kennewick area of SE Washington. I awoke the next morning and headed east through the Cascades. The road took me through the wineries and cherry farms of the Yakima Valley, but I was drawn by the huge, volcanic peaks farther west. Eventually, I made it to Mt. Rainier NP, where I ate lunch and hiked around: 

From there, I descended towards Tacoma and Seattle. I drove to Tacoma and crashed for a night at Tyler and Nina's place. Tyler is in OK for the month, but Nina was very kind and showed me around the Tacoma area that evening. We ate dinner and drank beers on the bay, and afterwards we drove through a city park where we saw a fox, several deer, and 6-10 raccoons, all of which approached the car. The raccoons even stood on their hind legs as they begged for food. We also saw a bald eagle atop a tree. 

The following morning, I drove north to the Pike Place Market in Seattle. I bought some cherries and oysters, and I watched them throw fish (and even a giant octopus). 

I also visited the original Starbucks across from the market. 

I then took a ferry to Bainbridge Island, from which I could drive to the Olympics. View from the ferry: 

As soon as I crossed to the Olympic Peninsula, I hopped on the 101 heading north, which seemed strange. I actually took the 101 around the northern coast of the peninsula and past Crescent Lake: 

Eventually, I made my way around to to the Hoh Rain Forest on the western side of the Olympics. There, I found a free campsite in the lush forest just outside the national park: 

I drank some microbrews and grilled the oysters from Seattle, which were delicious: 

I enjoyed listening to a great-horned owl in the trees above the campground. After my drunk neighbors hooted at the bird, I caught a glimpse of the owl flying away. 

I awoke to elk bugling - for the fourth time this month, I think - I drove and hiked through the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic NP. The forest was lush; moss hung everywhere, and little sunlight made its way to the forest floor. This boggy pond let some light pass through: 

I then followed the 101 to the Pacific Coast, where I ate lunch on Ruby Beach: 

From there, the 101 traveled through forests, fruits, and flowers along the coast to Oregon. 

Idaho & The Grande Ronde

After camping at Yaak Fall's near the Idaho/Montana border, I entered northern Idaho early in the morning. This also put me in the Pacific Time Zone, so I arrived at the Visitor's Center by 7 am. No one was around, so I drove a ways til I found wifi at the Badger Cafe, where I failed in an enthusiastic attempt to eat a meal called the Kitchen Sink. There I decided to drive south to Moscow and rest and relax with Anne & Steve. 

In Moscow, we hiked to a grove of giant cedars in the mountains overlooking Moscow. We rode bikes to a town park for a free concert, in which the local band played a series of Looney Tunes tunes. We rode to the farmers' market, and then we drove to the Grande Ronde river in NE Oregon. 

We kayaked the river for three days/two nights. This was a relatively easy class I-II float, but the whitewater was common and quite cold. Having Percy on the front of the kayak added to the adventure: 

We just camped on the banks.

 The first night we watched many trout splashing in the current at sunset, and we built a good fire. The next day we floated farther and farther through a river gorge resembling A River Runs Through It with each and every turn: 

We saw several bald eagles, one of which flew upstream directly above us. On the evening of the second night, we watched as giant flies flocked to the river at sunset. The following day, we floated several hours to a take-out, where I hitched a ride to my car, took Anne to their car, and left for Washington.