Alabama or Bust!! Part I: Oregon and California

We're launching the blog with some photos from our 13 day odyssey from the Northwest to the deep South. Virtually the entire trip was new ground for us so every day was a surprise! Although this has turned out to be quite the lengthy post, these really are some selected highlights:

The amazing southern Oregon Coast...Wow!!

And then we were off to the Redwoods, where we just couldn't stop taking pictures of the trees! Are there trees like this anywhere else on this planet??

We camped in an amazing spot in Redwoods National Park where we could actually see the ocean from our campsite. This is a photo of the view as we're walking into the campsite:




And this is a view from the beach

We stayed for two nights at a small winery in Napa Valley called Milat Vineyards...this was the view from our apartment:






And then on to Yosemite for a few nights....David looking at El Capitan and Half Dome on another glorious day.












And then David looking at Half Dome from our lunch spot.










Next was the remarkable Joshua Tree National Park. We took ALOT of photos...the geology and cacti were fascinating...

Alabama or Bust!! Part II: the South (west and east)

California was a hard act to follow and the rest of the trip went much faster....some highlights:

Apache Junction, just outside of Phoenix Arizona. These are the Superstition Mountains which we would really like to come back and visit when we have more time. Notice the Saguaro cactus?? They're everywhere!!













And then the Salt River Canyon in Arizona, they call it the Mini Grand Canyon

















New Mexico....it looked just like Eastern Oregon to us....except it was at 7000 ft. elevation!
















These are remnants of a Spanish mission which was part of a 16th century pueblo called Abo in what is now central New Mexico.


































A bed and breakfast we stayed at in Wheeler, TX. The owner renovated the old drugstore/soda fountain on Main street. Very cool place and we had it all to ourselves! When I called to tell them we'd be in a little late, she said "We just left the key under the doormat, so just let yourself in and lock the door behind you...you'll be the only ones there". We were free to poke around and examine the antiques and old photos. :) The ceiling was tin!






And then driving through Oklahoma and Arkansas, we hit a fantastic, white-knuckles-on-steering-wheel ICE STORM!! It was very exciting...anyway, this is what our truck looked like in Margaret and Jerry's driveway in NW Arkansas. It was SO nice to seem them again, but, unfortunately, we never got a picture.








And finally....our Home for the next three months!!!!! We unpacked our truck into our hotel room which was a bit of a challenge but definitely doable. Our address is:

David/Wendi Lyons
Holiday Inn Express
Rm. 203
4090 Ross Clark Circle
Dothan, AL 36303

or P.O. Box 8832
Dothan, AL 36304