Patrick Pt.State Park This is one of the many state parks that work in conjunction with the National Park system called "Redwood Forest State and National Parks." We loved the view of Agate Beach from our campsite, but in summertime there are no big RVs allowed in the park due to the volume of visitors and campers. Going off-season works!!
At low tide Natalie found two gorgeous agates on the beach!	Sunset on the Pacific Ocean...
Prairie Creek/Redwood Ntl. and State Parks   This park had the largest redwoods and best trails. The kids got to climb over and around huge trees! Can you see miniscule Nick to the right of the trunk?!  We all loved Redwood and I'm sure it will be added to everyone's Top 10.
Natalie loves bugs...even these gigantic banana slugs! With permission, and a promise to be very gentle and put them back exactly where she found them, Natalie held at least three of these slimey giants.
	Mt. Diablo   Just east of San Francisco is this lovely place brimming with Manzaneta Trees - redder than the redwoods!
	Children can climb to their hearts' desire. Check out "Rock City," We all had a blast!
YOSEMITE NTL. PARK   Fall in Yosemite - beautiful colors and still enough water in the creeks to reflect the brilliance. Granite "monotlith-capital" of the U.S., only glaciers could carve this valley through the toughest rock...
I would like to camp here some day, but the climb up the mountains to get into the valley would not be fun in the RV.
	San Francisco   After weeks in the "wild" this city was a great place to explore. Granted one of the best sun-shiny days of the year, Fisherman's wharf, then Alcatraz, were all packed into our visit. Our day started at Pier 39, where sea lions have taken over the docks - fighting for the best spots! The noise was deafening.
Death Valley Ntl. Park   This place WILL definately be on my top ten! With an open-hike policy, we climbed everything. The first day we arrived we went to Zabriskie  Point and the kids immediately raced up a nearby peak while I took the pictures!
Our next morning we climbed all through Golden Valley...	Called "The Badlands of California", it's just as much fun to climb here too!
Devil's Golf Course is an enormous field of cement-hard, jagged, salt and mineral formations.	Between the crevices of the brown, dust-covered crust are these stiff air-bubble holes; thus the name...
This is what I thought Death Valley would look like...	And, I got so much more! What a view on Artist's Drive...
Our last afternoon, after the temps dropped from the 90 dregree day, we hiked into Mosaic Canyon - to climb more!  Filled with smoothed marble formations...	...and slanted, layered rocks.  What an amazing place!  We all want to return, but only in the spring or fall since summer reveals ground temps over 200 dregrees. (Can you find PK in the pic?)
	Joshua Tree Ntl. Park   I expected to see exactly what we saw for the first mile into the park. Then, the scenery changed... An open-hike policy (on rocks and washes) kept us exploring all day!  We WILL return.
Mt. Kuchamaa   For about a week before we went to the border, I was confronted with several stories about Mexican bandits; I got the feeling perhaps we should forego our climb to the top of one of the most sacred mountains in North America. Like with many other sacred sites, I also had no clear directions on how to get there; all the more reason NOT to go.  However, in keeping with the Spiritual Journey of our travels, with only our internal compass leading, we headed south from our base camp in San Diego. As fate would have it, we just happened to run into "Border-Patrol Brad" whose area included the mountain (seen in the background). Since he had to do a check anyway, we got an escort to the top! Believe in Guardian Angels?  I do.
	At the top with Mexico in the background. Kuchamaa needed the purity of kid-energy...it was beautiful!
Tecate, Mexico   With passports in hand, we all trekked on foot across the border into Tecate.  My sister also came to spend the day exploring the little town, eating lunch, and shopping in the town's center.  Natalie was the only one stopped and questioned on our way back... perhaps they thought I had come to Mexico to sneak her out.

	Suguaro Ntl. Park   These beauties are just as imagined, and there are so many! And, if they weren't enough, there are several other kinds of cacti to keep "meadow stompers" on the trail.
The "Teddy Bear" cactus is NOT cuddly!  Even the slightest brush against it and its miniscule needles are in - anything/everything (speaking from experience).
Even in a "field of concertina wire" ancient people carved out a living, as evidenced by the petroglyph site at Suguaro N.P.	I wonder if there are more Vultures in the U.S. or Red Tail Hawks... it is the most prevelent bird of prey in N. America.  But, I never get tired of seeing this marvelous bird.

(click on picture for enlargement)	(click on picture for enlargement)
(ABOVE; Left & Right) White Sands - again!  One of my top three favorite places on Earth, I feel at such peace sitting atop these pure white dunes - while the kids burn off extra kilowatts of energy sledding down the slopes.     (RIGHT) New Mexico; From Bottomless Lakes State Park overlooking Roswell.
	Patrick Air Force Base, FL   Sunrise from the "back yard" of our RV.

Just one more stop...   Before getting back on our journey, we stopped in Arkansas to pick up a Native American drum. A freind of ours, with a beautiful new soul, had ordered it for us - as he new our desire outweighed our funds.   Keith Little Badger and Cheryl are wonderful people and their drums are magnificent! I hope to spend more time with them on our way back to Florida this fall/winter.    Thank you Bill, Cheryl, and Keith!

(click on the picture for a link to The Drum People)