It’s the start of November, 2011 and with it I am starting a month-long journey down the Pacific Coast Highway. I am also starting this new “Picture of the Day” post on the blog to document the drive south down hyw. 101 and Rt 1.
A little different from the road trips I have had to date, this month I am planning and hoping to find places to stay 3 to 5 days at a time along the way, rather than driving every day. I need to buckle down and focus on the water research part of this journey and lock in on the year of world travel/volunteer/water project work ahead.
I will also plan to have other posts throughout the month, but I hope by updating this post it will show you all where I am and what I am doing. I hope it will work and be interesting! – Pics and blurbs below are in sequencial order from the start of the month!:
NOVEMBER 1st
To start the picture of the day, I am including a picture from this past weekend where I had a chance to meet up with my cousin David Stott, who I have not seen in over 20 + years. David is the eldest on the Cody (my Mom’s) side of the family, which his wife Joy noted that our get together was that of the youngest and oldest grandsons of my Grandfather Charlie Cody, which was kind of cool! (Maureen is actually the youngest Grandchild, but we made it a “guy thing” for this trip – sorry Mo!) – So, the first picture of the month of pictures is of myself and David sharing a beer in a pub, in good family tradition, in this case near David’s home in Victoria, on Vancouver Island, BC Canada! – Great to see you David and Joy – Thanks for everything!!
- Youngest and Eldest Boy of the Cody Clan
- David’s Urban Gardens at housing for the formerly homeless in Victoria, BC
NOVEMBER 2nd
Wednesday, and I just arrived up at a cabin on Mount Hood, just past Zig Zag and before Government Camp, OR. Many, many thanks to new friends Cara and Zane for opening their place up to me to settle in for a couple of days to get some much-needed work done. – The place is AMAZING!! – Huge thanks also to Julie for arranging and coordinating and for the great hospitality (You Rock!) and of course to Reed for being such a great friend and connector; – the ‘tipping point’ to so many positive good things! – I am up at the Timberline Lodge right now, so I will upload a picture of the cabin tomorrow (it’s suppose to snow tonight – I know east coasters may not feel this to be the case right now, but for here, it should be fun!).
Today, I also wanted to thank my good friend Lindsay and his wife Iva. Over the past two months, since I started this journey, off and on I have stayed with or been travels with Lindsay and Iva. I left their home in Bellingham, WA yesterday morning, with of course mixed feelings; excited to be on the road, but very much missing the chance to continue seeing them so regularly. I have not had this much time around Lindsay since we lived in DC and having this chance to hang with him and Iva really showed what a true and good friend he is and Iva has grown to be and what overall good people they both are! – Many cheers and thanks to both Lindsay and Iva for everything! – Picture of the day for today is of the two of them having breakfast up at their cottage up on Mayne Island, part of the Gulf Islands off of Vancouver, Canada, where we spent this past weekend!
Obvious theme of the day is, it is great to have such good friends! – Many thanks all!!
- Iva and Lindsay in cabin on Mayne Island
- View of BC Ferry at Sunset from Lindsay’s Cottage water front
- View from Lindsay’s Cabin on Mayne Island, Halloween Morning
- Nov 3rd – Pic of the Day, Cabin (and my home for the next couple days) in the Mt Hood National Forest
It is really a cool process, which I always wondered about… apparently the National Forest leases/d land to people to build cabins like this one (identified and set up land). The lease is good for 99 years and people can sell the cabins and renew leases… – Love it!
Although it only rained at my elevation (2,000 – 2,5000 feet), it did snow up in the mountain further, so a couple extra pic of the day for today…
- Snow on the tree tops in Mt Hood National Forest drive down to Zig Zag
- Sun shining in Mt Hood National Forest
NOVEMBER 4th
Happy Friday Everyone!! – So, the problem with the title of this post, by definition, there should be only one picture of the day and sadly I am breaking that rule again today!
I went for a great hike near the cabin on Mt Hood to Mirror Lake this morning. Beautiful hike and beautiful lake! – I believe when it is clear you see the reflection of the mountain in the lake, but today it was mainly was the snow-covered evergreens, which was just fine with me – It felt like Christmas!
- Mirror Lake, Mt Hood National Forest
- Trail to Mirror Lake, Mt Hood National Forest
- Cloud Cover over Mirror Lake
NOVEMBER 8th (and 5, 6 & 7th – Monday)
Wow, first I can’t keep the posts to a single picture and now I miss a whole weekend with having no pics/posts at all. – Sorry about that! – I flew out this weekend for a good friends father’s funeral. My buddy Mike’s Dad Jim Mitchell was an off the boat Irishman living on the south side of Chicago and passed away this past week. Although funerals are always tough, initially showing the finality of live, they also prove, and I believe even more importantly so, that they are a celebration of how much good people do in their lives and how much impact you have on other people in your life. Jim Mitchell showed that his life was obviously full of good friends and family and a lot of love and good things. Many good thoughts to Mr Mitchell, and to Mike and Mike’s Mom and to all our parents, living or passed, they are the loved greatly and our time with them and with family is precious beyond what we can imagine. Love you and miss you Mom and Dad! – But very glad to know you are watching over us all (especially this weekend – Thanks for keeping me out of jail / the hospital / or other :))!
I believe I mentioned a week ago I was starting my way down the pacific coast highway, and a week later, I am proud to say, I have finally made and I love it!
- View from my deck at sunset-Highway 101 – Yaquina Bay, Newport, OR
A bit of a pilgrimage to start the trip on the coast. My first stop was Newport, OR where they brew Rogue Beer! – After running with Rogue Running since I moved to Austin, where I trained for my first marathon and ran about 750 to 1,000 miles each year with close friends training the 4 to 5 years I have been in Austin, I felt a special connection to Rogue Brewery! – I like beer – There is however, sadly, no actual real tie between the two, other than a lot of Rogue’s like to drink and brew beer and like Rogue Beer, but it still felt like a must – Such a must, I am stayed a second night! – In addition to drinking at Rogue Public Ale House and touring the Rogue Brewery on the Bay and the Rogue Distillery (they now make gin, run and whiskey!), I also went for a run on the beach this morning, crabbed for my own lunch today, and went for a hike along the coast. – Pics below!: (Time to get back to Rogue for dinner – and maybe a beer, – or two!)
- A lot of choices – but not a bad one in the bunch Rogue Brewery, Newport OR
- Lighthouse on Hike on Oregon Coast, Yaquina Bay – Molten Rock from Cascade Mts
- Thought he was going to swim out to me – Sea Loin hanging out on the Oregon Coast
- Lunch
Pacific Coast Highway – View of road and drive down Rt 1 – Sonoma Coastline, CA
NOVEMBER 10th
High tide with the full moon on the Oregon Coast; pretty spectacular. I am not sure I was able to capture it, but I tried to do it both in pics and my first attempt at a video with new camera and uploading up on blog. – Fingers crossed! – Happy Thursday Everyone!!
- Pacific Coast, OR
- Heceta Head Lighthouse
- OR Coast – Smelt Cove – High Tide and Full Moon!
NOVEMBER 11th
Happy 11/11/11 Everyone!! – Hope you all have a great day with all the best luck and best wishes in the world to you all!!
No great pics today – A lot of amazingly beautiful sand dunes and ocean views today in OR near Coos Bay and to Bandon, but apparently your photograph can’t seem to capture it on film. So, as an alternative I had a passerby take a quick pic of me on the walk along the ocean dunes this morning and I am pass it on with many cheers to you all!! – Happy, Happy Friday All – Have a great weekend ahead!!
- Ocean on walk through Sand Dunes near Bandon, Southern Coast of Oregon – 11-11-11
- Sand Dunes near Bandon
- Oregon Lighthouse north of Bandon
- Sunset in Gold Beach near the mouth of the Rogue River
Drive continues down highway 101 leaving the Oregon Coast and entering California and the Redwood Forest – Pretty spectacular country we live in and have at our finger tips. – Pics of the day were taken within maybe a three-hour drive (and bike ride on old Rt 101) down the coast today!
- just south of Gold Beach, OR
- Bike Ride on closed piece of old 101 in Prairie Creek Redwood SP
- Serious tall trees!
- Sunset at Humboldt Lagoon
NOVEMBER 13th
Although this whole past week, I have been driving down the coast on the “coastal highway” it has been Highway 101 – Today, started with more Redwoods on the “Avenue of the Giants” with the drive through Redwoods – but I also made it to the actual Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Highway 1 – which, starts as a zig-zag, hairpin turn drive over the coastal mountains before opening up back to the Ocean and the view below in the last picture… – this is way I can’t keep this to one picture – WAY too much to see!
- Coastal Redwoods on the Avenue of the Giants
- The Avenue of Giants – or what felt a little like the Wizard of Oz Haunted Forest
- Reached the Pacific Coast in California south of Redwoods, on Highway 1
NOVEMBER 14th- Monday
Kind of a catch up day here in California – Found a place to camp out (in a hotel) on the Ocean near Fort Bragg / Mendocino. – This is the sunset from my patio, just a couple of minutes ago. – Feels like a good place to catch up on the world, life and all!
- Sunset at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg – From patio of my home for the next couple days
NOVEMBER 15th
Positive, productive good day! – A lot of good coordination and connections today – and now getting ready to throw some halibut on to the grill that I picked up at the harbor docks on Noyo Bay earlier today.
RR trail in front of patio of room and the ocean
GREAT DAY! – Had the chance to jump ahead a little bit on my journey down the PCH to meet up with my good friend Heidi from Austin. She was out south of San Francisco for work and to start her weekend Birthday celebration, so I drove quick down the coast to meet her at Moss Beach Distillery in Half Moon Bay just south of San Francisco – SO great to see Heidi and to catch up with her! I have not seen anyone from Austin since I left back Labor Day Monday, so it felt great to see a good friend and feel the connection back to home – and to celebrate her Birthday – Happy Birthday Heidi!! So great seeing you!! – A couple of photos from the distillery and the drive down the highway (sorry I did not get a pic with Heidi! 😦 – I blame it on the Gin Splash!)
- Sunset at Moss Beach Distillery with Heidi
- Golden Gate Bridge, driving into San Fran down Highway 1
Made it into San Fran today – Love the City!!
- Lombard Street
- Kearny Street – North Beach
NOVEMBER 19th
San Francisco!
- Van Ness Ave and Market Street Trolley coming up the road
- On the Trolley looking down to the Bay Bridge
NOVEMBER 20th
Monterey, Big Sur 1/2 marathon and the Hearst Castle
- Sunset; Hearst Castle – San Simeon, CA
- Big Sur Half Marathon, – Fall, 2011 Monterey, CA
NOVEMBER 21st – Monday
Santa Barbara, the PCH and Firestone Vineyard and Winery
NOVEMBER 22nd
Three weeks on the road and I have made it from the Canadian Boarder to the Mexican Boarder all along Highway 1 and 101. The Oregon Coast, Pacific Coast and Redwood Forest Highways, overall about 1,500 miles the full length of the west coast. I saw and experienced volcanic mountains, coastal mountains, beaches, redwoods, breweries, distilleries and wineries. I saw long last family including my cousin’s David/Joy and Lynn/Judi, friends including Lindsay and Iva, Julie, old Marquette buddies, Colin and Emily and even my good friend Heidi from Austin on her birthday! I went hiking and fishing and crabbing and running and swimming and biking. I stayed in mountain lodges and cabins and sea-side bungalow, city houses and apartments and hotels. I watched a half marathon, and many sunsets and sunrises. Oh, and I got some research and planning done somewhere along the way! – I am leaving tomorrow for Thanksgiving with my family and with friends in NYC (by plane :))! so I may end my month in pictures today and rename it the three weeks down the PCH! – Whatever it is called, it has been more than an amazing experience! – Thanks to all the new and old friends met and saw along the way! – You made the trip!!
- Imperial Beach Pier – Near the Mexican Boarder – South of San Diego
joesworldwatertour 
Joe, I love following your trip and seeing your fabulous pictures, but I am especially thrilled to see this picture of you and David Stott! I missed him when we were out there a couple of years ago, and it is so good to see how great David looks. You look great, too, of course, but I knew that. 🙂 I haven’t seen Dave in years! What a treat! Thanks for sharing with all of us!
Mary
Mary!! It is so great hearing from you and it was so great seeing David!! He and Joy are doing amazing in Victoria, BC!! – Now that I am in the Portland area I am also going to have the chance to see Lynn tomorrow night (Friday). Totally excited!! Some great family get togethers!! – Please give everyone my best back home!!
Joseph,
Absolutely loved the piture of you and David! Yes, David does look great!!!!!! Here’s hoping you are able to also post a pciture of you and Lynn. All the best to Lynn! I am grateful that you are keeping the Cody clan in touch with one another.
Christine