Fall in the American West

Friday, November 4th 2011 here we are, not yet ready for departure. It is about 5 am and the night's been short. Need to pack, in a hurry, while remembering to bring along all the necessary gadgets...why on earth don't we use one universal charger for the iPad, the camera and the shaver...it would make traveling so much easier. Time to grab a cab to Schiphol airport...can I get a nap now? 10:45 am, our flight departs for Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN... In a bit more than 8 hours, we'll be standing on US ground, hopefully sipping coffee and browsing the MSP airport shopping mall...if only things had been so smooth. As usual, my four fingers bring some delay at the customs, as my non-standardized physical profile does not properly fit into the Homeland security software...though, it did not take this time more than 15 minutes for the custom officer to handle the "interesting case". MSP is one cute little airport...where Hanna managed to find cute little hand-crafted earrings, native american style! Some coffees later, time comes to fly to San Francisco, the starting point of this fall's trip round the American West. This evening, we'll be meeting our friends Walt and Kay in the Bay area. PS: Hertz always upgrades the cars I am renting...too bad we're now driving in what presumably is a heavy-drinking tank, i.e a Chevy Traverse!

Saturday, November 5th 2011 I feel so good being back in the Bay area...this long night sleep allows us to start the day full of energy...the smell of freshly-brewed coffee and Kay's delicious breakfast are completing this perfect first morning here. We decide we will spend the rest of the day in downtown San Francisco, while our hosts attend the football confrontation between the Cal bears and Washington State University. We grab the BART in Rockridge, but soon are halted by an earthquake. All trains stop...this is standard procedure! Everything quickly comes back to normal and we arrive on Market street at the Powell station...it starts raining but shopping will save us...Did not realize I missed Ross, Northström and Old Navy so much! Buckets of water are now falling from the sky, wind adds up and it is pretty chilly...Hanna and me take the trolley from Powell & Market to the Fisherman's wharf, which we didn't do in 2007 during our last visit. The harsh weather conditions add to the sense of adventure...I am having fun, not quite sure Hanna shares my enthusiasm...once arrived, our first objective is to find a restaurant to get dinner and warm up...Alioto's it is: great food (their clam chowder is quite something) and warm atmosphere. A last stop at Ross on our way back (there's no shopping like late night shopping), a smooth ride by trolley and BART back to Oakland, and there goes our first day in the USA...rather tired and soaked but extremely happy...even happier when I discover that day light saving time stops tomorrow morning...one more hour of sleep ahead of us:) Walt's a bit less thrived when noticing that the bathroom has been flooded during the heavy rain...PS: I fear our tank sips a good 15 miles per gallon, or a mere 16 L/100 km. Go Bears!

Sunday, November 6th 2011 after yesterday's activities, we decide to take it easy today, mostly to give my freshly-repaired hernia a bit of a rest. This gives us the chance to share old time memories with our hosts around a warm and tasteful cup of coffee. The view on the Bay area from Walt and Kay's is stunning, especially on such a sunny day. We start the afternoon by following a very scenic route atop the Oakland and Berkeley heights, which brings us via the UC Berkeley Space Science Lab and the Lawrence Hall of Science to the campus. We just have time for a quick memorabilia shopping, and for a 78$ parking ticket (next time, I'll remember what "No parking between 2 and 5 pm" means)...before meeting Prof. Townes and his wife for dinner in Oakland. Hanna and me always try to enjoy every bit of those special moments. It is a great wonder to see two exceptional 96 year-old individuals still being professionally and socially so active!

Monday, November 7th 2011 today, we go to Monterey to visit the Aquarium . I'd also like Hanna to see and hear the famous sea lions. It's been so long since I've been in Monterey, a bit more than 10 years ago if my memory serves me well. Hitting the road towards the South makes us pass near San Jose and Mountain View...and it is not without a certain nostalgia that I remember my visit at NASA in 2002. As we reach the US 101, I also remember my regular trips between UC Berkeley and Mount Wilson. It feels like it was yesterday but it happened so long ago. We finally reach Monterey and Cannary row. At the aquarium, a wonderful display of jelly fishes and sea horses awaits us, plus sea otters and the odd-looking sun fish. After a good two-hour tour of the exhibits, Hanna and me decide to stop at Bubba-gump for a snack/dinner...it turns out that Bubba Gump's become some sort of an institution for us: NYC, Maui, San Francisco. Their cocktails are so colorful that it is difficult to resist..since driving would not really be advised right now, we take the two-mile walk between Cannary row and Fisherman's wharf to observe the world-renowned sea lions...hard to believe that those massive animals are so agile and fast in the water. We finally retrieve our car and head back towards Oakland. A busy but educative day! PS: night falls down at around 5 pm at that time of the year...it's gonna be difficult to do long sight-seeing drives, as we are used to.

Tuesday, November 8th 2011 today, we hit the road for good, leaving our dear friends Walt and Kay behind. Sonoma and Napa wine country, here we come! Via the I-80 and the Carquinez bridge, we rapidly leave the Bay area and reach the Vallejo surroundings; via the US-29, which marks the entry into the Napa valley , and the Silverado trail (named after the well-known silver mines), we finally reach our first destination: the "clos du Val" winery. The weather is great, the vines' autumn colors vivid, the wine tasty (15$ tasting)...what more could we ask for? It is literally the perfect season to visit Napa and Sonoma! Off we go with one first bottle purchased...next stop: the "domaine Chandon" winery, praised for its sparkling wines (and no, they do not sell Champagne, which is a protected french trademark and vinification process). A platter of cheese, oysters and sparkling white and rosé wines make a perfect late afternoon brunch break...but a pricy one as well...Following Walt's advice, we decide to end our tasting session with the "Sterling" winery, located north of Calistoga. The particularity of this site is that one needs to take a gondola to reach the winery and be able to taste some of their bottles (25$ per person). The price may seem a bit excessive but the view from their property onto the surrounding grounds is worth every penny. Plus, we got the chance to extensively discuss Alsace wines and the 1976 "bottle shock" contest with one of the winery employees, privilege which comes when tourists are seldom and the opening hours are over. Off we go with a second bottle purchased...Since "old faithful geyser" is located a couple of miles away, we decide to check him out...closed...will have to return tomorrow. Hanna booked the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America for 7:30 pm, so no time to waste. We both have mixed feelings about the restaurant: the wine's great, the food's tasty and, as we say it in French, it is also "raffinée", the service's impeccable....though, we think there is nothing particularly special or out of the ordinary with that restaurant. If we drive by Moab later during our trip, I'll tell you about a restaurant, which deserves to be praised! We finally leave the Napa valley for Healdsburg, where we're staying at the Tuscany-like Dry Creek BW hotel (59$ per room). PS: we tanked for the first time...no comment!

Wednesday, November 9th 2011 here we are, waking up once more in sunny (but cold) California. Despite temperatures in the low 50s, it looks like the weather will be great to go to the Sonoma coast. After a quick stop at Safeway, we decide to drive along the Russian river , on a very scenic route between wineries and the Pacific coast. In Guerneville, we stop to admire the magnificent sequoias of the Armstrong redwoods state park . Many of those trees are several hundreds of years old, and walking among those giants help put dimensions and time in prospective...this park is definitely worth the detour, and there is no need to hike for hours to assess its beauty and botanical wealth. The road from Guerneville further meanders while following the river before hitting the coastal US-1 highway. I would definitely advise to turn left on the US-1 towards the south: as you emerge from the hills and leave Sonoma behind you, the Pacific Ocean rises in front of your eyes with all its beauty. Stopping along some of the nearest beaches gives the chance to admire what I hold for some of the most beautiful coastal cliffs in California.
By following the US-1 inland and, later, the Bodega highway, we reach Sebastopol, and continue our journey into Sonoma. We stop at the Kenwood winery (driving so much makes me thirsty)...and leave from there with another three bottles. Do not worry, we plan to drink some of it along the way (possibly in Salt Lake City, where alcohol was forbidden until not so long ago). We leave the CA-12 behind us and turn left on the scenic and hilly trinity road, which links the Sonoma valley to the Napa one...Next stop: the Old Faithful Geyser , north of Calistoga: an amazingly accurate geyser which, in average, erupts every 30 minutes. We see three eruptions in less than 20...(check out our pictures on Flickr). This last visit marks the end of our Sonoma/Napa adventures, as we plan to sleep in Lake Tahoe tonight, about 3,5 hours away. Driving on the I-80 quickly brings us past Sacramento; from there, we ought to follow the US-50, which crosses the USA all the way to Washington DC. The trip to Placerville is rather quiet and I am relieved not to see any signs of snow. This does not last long though as the road rapidly winds up into the Eldorado National Forest, the temperature drops below the 28F and the car's onboard computer tells me that icy conditions are expected...To make the picture complete, we are almost out of gas...I did not actually expect that part of the US-50 to be so isolated. We are now surrounded by snow, I have cut the heating in the car to save some gas and I am driving below 45 mph...where are gas stations when you need them?! After about 35 long miles, we finally reach South Lake Tahoe. Let us praise saint Chevrolet for designing cars, which can drive 35 miles with an almost empty tank:)...we eventually check in at our lovely Best Western Timber Cove hotel (about 88$ per night), ideally located along Lake Tahoe...it is super cold here. We are both very tired but luckily our room comes with a king bed and a chimney...good night!

Thursday, November 10th 2011 although I've lived for quite some time in the Bay area at the beginning of this century, it is my first trip to Lake Tahoe, and a memorable one as well, since all surrounding summits are covered with snow. Winter in South Lake Tahoe must be quite magical, but also probably very snowy. Hanna's wardrobe being really unfit for those winter conditions, we walk the 2-mile distance separating our hotel from what appears to be the shopping heart of SLT...Nirvana for Hanna, who is now officially snow and waterproof! Our discovery day continues as we drive on the highway 89, along the lake's shore, to Taylor creek, where we are the privileged witnesses of a true nature wonder, as thousands of Kokanee salmons have their annual fall spawning run. The smell of the dead fishes in the river is quite strong but one can only gaze at the beauty of the living salmons jumping and dancing in the stream...the males' red color particularly catches the eye as they fiercely compete to spawn and...die. This ritual is of course not only great for kids but also for the young bears, who apparently find here an awesome fishing training ground. Pursuing on the 89, we reach the beautiful spot of Emerald Bay , where we manage to take beautiful pictures as a full moon rises upon the lake (check them out on Flickr). As the afternoon gets old, and our stomaches empty, we only manage to push our way further to Rubicon bay and Tahoma on the western side of the lake, before coming back to SLT and having a wonderful time at Tep's Villa Roma italian restaurant. Lake Tahoe rocks!

Friday, November 11th 2011, Veteran's day November's always a very busy month in the US with Halloween and Thanksgiving...Veteran's day also playing a great role, as many veterans' associations (as well as shopping malls and restaurants) celebrate dead and surviving soldiers. I sometimes wish France were honoring veterans the same way, with the respect and the thanks due to their sacrifices... Hanna and me would like to enjoy some sort of a lazy day today as a long road (about 500 miles) awaits us in the coming days till Salt Lake City. At the beginning of the afternoon, we decide to go for a hike in the Emerald Bay state park. From the Eagle Falls picnic area, a trail climbs up in the mountain till Eagle Lake. The 2-mile round-trip normally does not pose any difficulties, but the snow and the ice now render the steep sections of the trail rather slippery. At least, I can use my brand new 40$ shoes and Hanna can inaugurate her new equipment: with her flashy blue coat (smurf....) and her flashy orange gloves, I definitely cannot lose her. After a strenuous hour-long walk, Eagle lake offers us its magical beauty, being surrounded by majestuous snowy summits. It reminds me a lot of the Glacier National Park, which I visited back in 2009. We finally decide it is time to drive back to South Lake Tahoe and indulge ourselves with a warm and recomforting coffee...this is a quick stop as we are picked up for a so-called sunset dinner cruise on the lake this evening aboard the "Tahoe Queen" . It takes me some time to realize that there is no such thing as sunset at 6pm on Lake Tahoe in November...it's pitch black when we leave the pier, and staying on the upper decks to take pictures unfortunately is not an option. We though enjoy ourselves very much and even pay the captain a visit in his command post. The smell of diesel and oil immediately reminds me of the 100" telescope at Mount Wilson ...Once back at the hotel, we start packing our gear: tomorrow, we leave California and enter Nevada via the US-50 highway, nicknamed the "loneliest road of America" ...so lonely that the State of Nevada issued a booklet entitled "I survived the Highway 50".

Saturday, November 12th 2011 the hard core road trip starts TODAY! As much as I'd like to get enthusiastic about the loneliest road, I cannot forget that about 450 miles separate us from Salt Lake City, and that, at an average speed of 65 mph, it's gonna be a close call to attend my conference. Anyhow, a man has to do what a man has to do...and that is: go shopping for water, cookies and other indispensable comforts for the road. Once Hanna and me have cleared the Safeway from our to-do list, we slowly progress towards the state line between California and Nevada, where a mini Las Vegas has been built. It is a very sunny but quite cold day today and snow is still very much visible on the road's side. Luckily, in about 50 miles, we'll have passed Carson City, Nevada's state capital, and will be driving on the US-50, nicknamed the "Lincoln Highway", on the other side of the mountain, through a region, which was first mapped in the second half of the 19th century by the riders of the famous Pony Express. Though many things are probably to be said on Carson City, Virginia City and Dayton, Hanna and me merely crossed them and agree that there (hopefully) will be more to be said for the coming 400 miles. After all, the US-50 will climb up and over a dozen distinct mountain ranges and will pass through four classic mining towns. First stop: Fallon, where the US Navy holds an airbase and the training center from the "Top Gun" blockbuster. Fallon also has a visitor center (how surprising) where we managed to get (1) our "I survived highway 50" passport, and (2) our first two cities stamped (when all cities along the Nevada part of US-50 are stamped in the booklet, one gets a certificate...anything's good to get me going at that stage). The 110 miles to Austin are surprisingly not boring: the Sirius XM satellite radio in the car definitely contributes (channels 1,11 and 71, and the comedy channels, are worth the money we paid Hertz), but, more seriously, there are a certain number of POI not to be missed. About 10 miles East of Fallon, at Grimes Point, a grouping of petroglyphs can be found, which were carved about 8000 years ago when the site was on the shores of a lake. Further East, at the foot of Sand Mountain, the remains of a Pony Express relay station may be visited. Not only does this sunset hike help us understand the harsh conditions met by the Pony riders in 1860 and 1861, when they were linking St Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California (the year before the telegraph took over), it also offers us great views over the Sand Mountain and the surrounding hills. Driving the US-50 by night is one of the greatest, loneliest and most bizarre experience I've had so far: an uninterrupted double yellow line scrolls under your eyes for tens of miles through a rather arid land, and, when you notice headlamps in the opposite lane, you never know whether they are 3/4 of a mile or 4 miles away. Besides Hanna, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Buffett, Elvis and co, the moon is your sole companion, and when she hides behind a cloud, it gets pretty dark down here. Luckily, I get time to experiment the gas consumption of the Chevy (up to 18 miles per gallon according to the on-board computer); I promised myself that I'd try to return the car to Hertz in LA with a consumption of 20 miles per gallon (with a Chevy, you can pollute...a bit less). Here we are again, with an almost empty tank, in Austin: time to fill it in (it's a pretty long road til the next town according to our guide book), to stretch the legs and stamp our passport! Off we are to Eureka, "one of the most engaging and enjoyable stops in the state", where we'll have dinner at the Owl Club Cafe . The atmosphere is lively, the food is good, the waitresses are cute and attentive, though (how may I put it?) not very gifted in mathematics (they almost managed to dissuade me of ever tipping again). Ely is our final stop for today...we'll be sleeping at the Ramada Copper Queen Casino hotel (for a little more than 100$ per night) and, though we still are in Nevada, we'll be skipping the Casinos...PS: driving the US-50 is a great alternative to the busy I-80, which runs further North: while being for sure a very lonely road (check your tank regularly), with some very long, flat and straight portions, it somehow brings you back at a time where Austin, Eureka and Ely were booming with the silver, gold and copper rushes.

Sunday, November 13th 2011 It's always a very interesting experience to arrive by night in a hotel, since you have no idea what the surroundings look like. Then, in the morning, you open the curtains and surprise...it is much better than expected (at least, that's how I felt this morning when waking up in Ely). Snowy mountains can be seen as far as the eye reaches, the air is cold, the sun is shining....a very good day in perspective, all the more when considering that Ramada offers a very tasty breakfast. The program for today: Great Basin National Park , at the border between Nevada and Utah. For some reason (probably its remote location), this brand-new park does not appear to be very popular, even in summer, though the views onto the valley at the park's foot are breathtaking. After the traditional stop at the park's visitor center (for postcards and the purchase of a new NP cancellation passport ), Hanna and me briefly tour the park by car, which does not last long as most of the roads are closed by snow (it is such a pity that the scenic route to Wheeler peak is down). We then return to the visitor's center for a wonderful visit of the Lehman caves; thanks to ranger Joseph, I believe we know most of what needs to be known about those caves and their discovery, even about the white nose syndrome , which has been affecting the bats' population in North America for 5 years or so with a high mortality rate. We finish our discovery of the park with a short hike along Pole canyon ( here is the park's official map). Hanna and me systematically repeat that one of the greatest invention of the USA is their national park system. Not only do you discover unique ecosystems, but you also get closer to nature in a preserved and almost pristine environment. If there were one thing the European Union ought to copy from the US, it should be the National Park system, all the more when considering that Europe also has so much to offer! When leaving the park, we briefly stop in Baker for coffee and one of the best pumpkin pie ever at the Silver Jack Inn (not to be missed). Time to hit the road again in the direction of Salt Lake City...we pursue our Highway 50 survival training until the city of Delta, UT, before jumping back into civilization and taking the I-15 all the way to Utah's state capital (and capital of the Church of Jesus Christ of the latter day saints). Dinner at Cracker Barrel has become a requirement for Hanna, now that we are in the mid-west. I must indeed admit that food there is good, healthier than in many other US popular chains and that their old country store always offers great gifts ideas (Xmas approaches)...Till next Saturday, we'll be staying at the Courtyard hotel, two blocks west of SLC's convention center, as I will be attending from tomorrow on the annual American Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics conference (DPP), which is coupled this year to the 64th Gaseous Electronics Conference (GEC). PS: we survived highway 50...now, where is my certificate?

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