CLAUDIA & CARSTEN'S WORLD EXPEDITION

Nice beach along the Oregon coast

We called this gallery Washington and Oregon, but we really didn't take many pictures in these states. The weather was bad, rainy and dark and we almost didn't see sunshine till we reached California.

Bastendorf Beach

In Charleston, Oregon. Beautiful beach where we could spend the night for free. The coast of Oregon, which is closest to the California state line is very similar to the coast of Concepción in Chile.

Happy "free" campers

Redwood National Park

Get ready to feel very small...

Fallen giant

Redwoods have very shallow roots so they are not very resistant to strong winds. If strong wind blows, you need to get out of the forest as soon as possible.

Smith River

Very beautiful. All the rivers in this area had this same color.

Redwood pine cone

Isn't it cool that one of the biggest trees in the world produce such a tiny pine cone?

This one was a big fella

Four leaf clover

We are very lucky after all!

We had lunch at this site

We felt dwarfed and humbled here

The famous Banana Slug

The Big Tree

Height: 92,6 meters, Diameter: 6,6 meters, Circumference: 20,7 meters, Estimated age: 1.500 years

Fort Bragg

A former local garbage dump

We came to Fort Bragg because we had heard about "Glass Beach". A beach which supposedly had a lot of colorful crystals from all the bottles that people had thrown into the ocean. Well, we were not the only ones who heard, so years of "crystal stealing tourists" have left the beach without any crystals to see.

Another beautiful overnight site

Again, for free and away from RV campers.

Finally we're here

Due to a record snowfall this winter in Yosemite, we had heard that the waterfalls were going crazy.

Bridalveil Fall

is 190 meters high.

El Capitán!!!

Claudia's teenage rock climbing dream. This granite monolith extends about 900 meters (3.000 ft) from base to summit along its tallest face and is one of the world's favorite challenges for rock climbers and base jumpers.

Tunnel View

El Capitán to the left, Half Dome in the back and Bridalveil Fall to the right.

Claudia's tribute to Ansel Adams

He was an American photographer and environmentalist. His black and white landscape photographs of the American West, especially Yosemite National Park, have been widely reproduced on calendars, posters, books, and the internet.

View from Glacier Point

Half Dome covered in clouds.

On top of the world

Overhanging Rock

This famous overhang has been providing photo ops for slightly crazy people, like this guy, for more than a hundred years. There is a sheer drop of 980 meters (3.200ft) from the overhang to the Yosemite Valley floor.

View towards the valley

Hiking up to Yosemite Point

A round trip of 13,5 km with about 800 vertical meters ascent/descend.

Yosemite Falls

It is actually three waterfalls which together are 739 meters high.

View of the Yosemite Valley

Half Dome in the back

First glimpse of Upper Yosemite Fall

This one is 440 meters high.

Beautiful

Upper Yosemite Fall is like a small version of Angel Fall in Venezuela (the worlds highest waterfall with 979 meters), which we visited in the beginning of this trip.

Walking up to the top of the falls

View towards Yosemite Point

Looking down Upper Yosemite Fall

The summit of Yosemite Point

View from the top

Not a bad place for lunch

Resting before the decent

Rainbow in the waterfall spray

(move the cursor away from the picture to see it)

Back in the valley again

"John of the Mountains"

John Muir was a Scottish-American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, glaciologist and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States. “Only by going alone in silence, without baggage, can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness. All other travel is mere dust and hotels and baggage and chatter.” – John Muir in a letter to his wife Louisa in July 1888

Let's find a place to see the sunset

Sunset at Bridalveil Fall

Looking up El Capitán

early morning the following day.

At the foot of this iconic rock

Can you see the rock climbers?

Maybe through our binoculars?

This is where you sleep

if you are not climbing the 900 meter (3.000 feet) vertical granite monolith in one day.

A double bed version maybe?

Hiking to the top of Nevada Fall

via Vernal Fall and returning via the John Muir trail, a round trip of about 13 km

Merced River

Walking towards Vernal Falls

via the Misty trail.

Vernal Fall

with a beautiful rainbow in its spray.

The Mist Trail to Vernal Fall

goes up a steep granite stairway of over 600 steps. Can you see people climbing it?

Top of Vernal Fall

Blue Jay

Nevada Fall

is 181 meters (594ft) high.

Nevada Fall

Top of Nevada Fall

Looking down the waterfall

People fooling around on the cliffs

Half Dome and Liberty Cap (right)

Happy campers

One last look before we go...

On the road to Death Valley

Or the Highway to Hell?

Badwater Basin

The lowest point in North America, 85,5 meters below sea level.

It was 46 degrees celcius here

A Urine Dehydration Chart

if you forgot to drink sufficient water you could always use this chart as a reference.

The Artist's Drive

This place was used for shooting some of the Star Wars scenes.

Another free campground

And another sunset.

Sunrise from Dante's Viewpoint

This place was also used for shooting some of the Star Wars scenes.

Zabriskie Point

Extreme Danger

Again a disclaimer in case people don't know that it is important to bring plenty of water to the desert.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

Also here several Star Wars scenes has been shot.

Our final free camping spot

in Angeles National Forest outside Los Angeles, before driving to Long Beach to return the RV.

Final updates in the travel diary

Returning the "Gypsy Wagon"

After 58 days of driving a total of 13.712 km (8.570 miles) through 9 states in the US and 2 Provinces in Canada, after guzzling down 2.750 liters (726 gallons) of gasoline (carbon footprint not good) and visiting 14 different National Parks, it's time to return the Gypsy Wagon.

"Limo" service to the Airport

The RV rental company had contracted a beat up Limo that took us to LAX to catch out flight to Miami, Florida.