Roaming Relics

Today we made a stop at  Crater Lake National Park  in Oregon, and it was absolutely breathtaking. As we were driving up, we were so excited to see the  snow-capped mountains  in the distance. It was hard to believe there was still snow this time of year! We had to pull over and take several pictures—not just of one mountain, but of another one in the distance too. It was just so beautiful. As we climbed higher and higher toward the top where Crater Lake sits, we started seeing  snow piles along the side of the road , and the higher we got, the deeper and thicker the snow became. It’s wild to think that even in  June , they sometimes get  4 inches of fresh snow —and yet it was  85 degrees  while we were up there today! Totally surreal. We saw families stopped along the way, letting their children play in the snow, and even spotted a couple of  hikers with snow ski gear  on. It was such a funny contrast— wearing shorts , windows down...

We made a stop at the  Loretto Chapel  in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The church was built in  1878  as part of an all-girls Catholic school. During construction, the architect passed away before completing a staircase to the choir loft, which sat  20 feet high . The nuns tried to hire a carpenter to build the stairs, but because of the limited space and the height, no one could figure out how to design a staircase that would work. So, the sisters prayed a  nine-day novena  to  St. Joseph , the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth day, a mysterious man arrived with only a  donkey  and a few  simple tools . He offered to build the staircase—and what he created is now known as the  Miraculous Staircase . The staircase has  33 steps  and makes  two complete 360-degree turns , yet it has  no central support column . It relies only on the bottom step for support and was built without the use of  nails or glue...

Our Experience We first stopped at a nearby  park  to get some good photos while the  sun was setting —a breathtaking view with the bridge glowing orange in the golden light. While we were there, we stumbled upon a  wedding  taking place near the water. For some reason, people were  daring each other to go swimming , even though it was  definitely in the 50s —we guessed about  55°F , and it felt way too chilly for a dip! Still, the sunset, the chilly breeze, and the  birds flying over the bridge made the moment magical. After we explored and snapped our photos, we drove  across the bridge  to stay the night in  San Rafael, California . Absolutely unforgettable. 💛 🌉  Golden Gate Bridge Fun Facts 1. It’s not golden. The bridge is painted a striking color called  International Orange , chosen to stand out in fog and to complement the natural surroundings. 2. A record-breaker. When it opened in  1937 , it was the...

A Sweet Stop at the Jelly Belly Factory – Fairfield, California We made a stop at the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, California—and even though it was a Saturday and the production line wasn’t operating, we still had a great time! Official factory tours only run Monday through Friday when the jelly beans are being made, but visitors can still walk above the production floor and see where the process begins. Did you know it takes  7 to 14 days  to make just one jelly bean? Despite that, Jelly Belly produces  1,680 jelly beans per second —enough for the world to eat about  15 billion every year . That’s enough to wrap around the Earth  five times ! Jelly Belly was the  first company to flavor both the inside and outside  of a jelly bean, and today they offer  over 100 flavors . The final two steps in production include a sort of rock tumbler process to polish each candy to that signature glossy shine. Every bean—even the white ones—is stamped wit...

Today we were in  Leggett, California , and we decided to stop at the famous  Chandelier Tree . This iconic redwood gets its name from its unusual limbs, which begin about 100 feet up the trunk and spread out like a chandelier. The limbs themselves are massive—between 4 and 7 feet in diameter. The tree has a hollow hole in the middle. Charles and Hazel Underwood purchased the land in  1921 , and by  1930 , they had opened a tunnel through the tree so that cars could drive right through it. Today, they charge  $15 per car , or  $10 if you’re walking or riding a bike . It’s a popular spot, drawing around  500 visitors a day . Along the path to the tree, there are tons of creative and whimsical  wood carvings , including  Bigfoot, bears, a turtle , and even a fun  “Exit” sign  carved from wood. It’s a really unique experience, and if you’re anywhere near the area, it’s absolutely worth the stop. There is a ply area where you can clim...

We had booked a room at the  San Remo Hotel  in San Francisco. It was within walking distance of  Fisherman's Wharf , nestled in the heart of a very busy town. It was really hard to find a hotel in San Francisco that had two beds, so we decided to try out the San Remo Hotel. The hotel was built in  1906 , just after the devastating San Francisco earthquake. It has the feel of an old-world  boutique hotel —historic, compact, and filled with charm. The room we checked into had a definite  fisherman’s vibe —decorated with old fishing gear and vintage pictures. There was even a wardrobe labeled with places for everything: “Handkerchiefs,” “Ties,” “Collars,” “Socks,” “Shirts,” and “Underwear”—though none were provided, it just told you where to store your own! One thing we didn’t realize when we booked was the parking situation. The hotel doesn’t offer  on-site parking . The manager told us we could park either on the street or in a garage down the road—but...

We took a drive to  Big Basin Redwoods State Park  in California — the very first state park in the state. Back in 1900, a group of concerned citizens rallied to protect the redwoods from logging. That same year, the state purchased 3,800 acres to preserve this incredible forest. Today, the park has expanded to  22,500 acres  of towering redwoods and rugged wilderness. The drive through the park felt endless to me — like five hours of twisting, narrow roads. Janet, who did the actual driving, swears it was just a little over an hour. The road wound sharply through the forest, and in places, the trees seemed to lean right into the road. Some sections were so narrow, you felt like the forest was swallowing the path, the road curve to avoid them? It’s hard to tell — nature is everywhere. In  September 2020 , a lightning strike sparked a massive wildfire, fueled by the dry conditions of climate change. It burned through  86,000 acres , devastating much of the f...

We stayed overnight in  Monterey Bay, California , and in the morning we drove the  17-Mile Drive  to  Pebble Beach . It has a small fee to enter and do the full scenic tour, but honestly — it's totally worth it. The drive follows a loop with different scenic points along the ocean, and one of the most famous stops is  Pebble Beach , known for its golf course. Ironically, the beach wasn’t full of pebbles like we expected — the “pebbles” were actually big, round rocks. Naturally, we joined in on the craze and made a  rock pile . The first rock I picked up was way heavier than it looked — I definitely needed two hands. But we had fun stacking them like everyone else. One of the stops along the way was  Spanish Bay Beach , where Spanish explorers camped in  1769 . They were trying to locate  Monterey Bay  based on a description from  1602 , but it took them almost a year to find it. The beach is named after that expedition. Another sto...

We started our day visiting the elephant seal rookery off the coast near San Simeon. These incredible creatures have been along this shoreline since at least the 1700s. By 1846, their population had dwindled to an estimated 50 individuals due to hunting, primarily for their blubber. Fortunately, thanks to Mexico’s protection efforts and the invention of kerosene—which reduced the need for blubber oil—the population began to recover. Today, there are estimated to be around 225,000 elephant seals spread along the coast between Alaska and San Simeon. The weather was cloudy and a little chilly, maybe around 65 degrees. The seals weren’t sunbathing as they often do; instead, they were all huddled together onshore, trying to stay warm. One seal off to the side looked like he gave us a little wave—whether he meant to or not, it was such a beautiful sight to see. Afterward, we continued driving along the California coast, surrounded by vineyards. Of course, being in wine country, we had to st...