Blog

Hiking To Hoover Dam – Not The Most Common Way To Get There, Day 94

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date December 11, 2019
Categories In Nevada, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on Hiking To Hoover Dam – Not The Most Common Way To Get There, Day 94

When we woke up this morning, we had no idea or plans of hiking to Hoover Dam.

In fact, our only plan for the day was to find a hike where we could get out and enjoy the weather. And, of course, get some much needed exercise.

In our attempt to take in as much as we could in California and with the rainy weather that we faced along the way, our daily exercise routine took a back seat.

And after our 4 1/2 hour drive from Bakersfield, California to Nevada, we were ready to get outside and do something!

hiking to hoover dam through tunnels — The first of 5 tunnels along the Historic Railroad Path to Hoover Dam

Our original thought was to head to Red Rock National Conservation Area. We were familiar with the area as we both have hiked a trail in this park before. And we knew that it was long enough that we could get in some much needed exercise.

However, our plans quickly changed from one simple email that we received from a follower.

Melissa from Henderson, Nevada informed us of a Rails-to-Trails hike that wasn’t too far from us. This hike was unique in that it takes you on an old-railroad path and through 5 different tunnels.

Ready to try something new, we decided to head towards Boulder City where the trail began.

A Hike To Hoover Dam

As we drove into Boulder City, we both realized that we were close to Hoover Dam. In fact, it was only a short 15 minute drive from where we were.

And we both agreed, that after our hike, we would drive over the Memorial Bridge and take in the views of Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.

Once we arrived at the trailhead we put on our hiking shoes, gathered our backpack that was full of water, and headed to the hiking map.

This is when we realized that if we took the Historical Railroad Trail we would be hiking right to Hoover Dam!

Maybe not the most traditional way to get to Hoover Dam, but it was certainly going to be a fun one!

Historical Railroad Trail

The Historic Railroad Trail is an easy hike along the former railroad grade. But not just any railroad.

Reinforced tunnel while hiking to Hoover Dam — Part of the tunnel is reinforced with wooden beams to prevent it from collapsing.

The trail followed part of the path of the historical railroad that carried the supplies that built Hoover Dam.

And today, this is the only remaining section of the Hoover Dam Railroad system that is not highly disturbed or under water.

The trail provides panoramic views of Lake Mead, overlooking the Boulder Basin area.

And if that wasn’t interesting enough, the trail takes you through 5 tunnels that were built so that the train could pass through the boulders.

Each tunnel is about 25 feet high and 300 feet in length. And two of the tunnels have been restored due to a fire that occurred in each of them.

container pass — A couple of tunnels have shipping containers at the edges to protect hikers from falling rocks.

All of the tunnels have wooden supports to help the ends from deteriorating. And two of them even have a cargo container set up for you to walk through to prevent injury from falling rocks.

After we passed through all 5 tunnels we found ourselves at a trail rest area.

This is when we realized we still had about a mile and a half of hiking before we reached Hoover Dam.

Now that we were this close, we knew that we had to continue the hike.

After a brief water break, we continued down the rocky and winding path. And after getting a little off track on another trail, we finally made our way to the iconic Hoover Dam.

We Hiked To Hoover Dam

You really can’t explain the size and magnitude of this hydropower facility without being there.

hiking to hoover dam — It is amazing that it only took 4 years to build this engineering masterpiece. Especially when it was built in the 1930’s.

The massive, sloping concrete walls that hold back Lake Mead are a sight that everyone should see. It is hard to believe that the wall is over 600 feet thick at the bottom edge.

However, this isn’t just a dam. Although it definitely holds water back, it also stores water in times of a drought.

And it is the main water supply for the Imperial Valley in California, Phoenix and even as far away as Tuscon, Arizona.

But what is most impressive about Hoover Dam is the amount of hydropower that it generates.

hoover dam wall — The massive concrete wall is the cornerstone of Hoover Dam.

The engineering force to utilize the water to generate power allows Hoover Dam to provide the annual electrical needs of nearly 8 million people in Arizona, southern California, and southern Nevada.

And if you have the chance, you can take a tour to see how it all works! This is something both of us have done in the previous visits to Hoover Dam and we would both agree that the tour is well worth the admission cost!

And both times that we visited Hoover Dam we made the trip by driving there! This was the first time that either of us hiked to Hoover Dam!

The Memorial Bridge

After a short visit admiring the beauty and engineering of the area, we realized that we had to hike back to our vehicle.

We ended up hiking 8.75 miles, and although our feet were a little sore we thoroughly enjoyed every step as we were hiking to Hoover Dam!

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 94 of 365
States : 12 / 50
National Parks / Monuments : 13
Stayed In : Las Vegas, Nevada
Miles Driven : 98
Total Trip Miles To Date : 9901.8
Total Gallons Used : 738.94
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
Hiking Miles : 7.6
Hiking Miles To Date : 205.85

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

Discovering Ivanpah – The Crazy Things You See While Driving! Day 93

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date December 10, 2019
Categories In Nevada
No Comments on Discovering Ivanpah – The Crazy Things You See While Driving! Day 93

I can honestly say we had never heard of the word Ivanpah before our drive into Nevada, much less did we know we would be discovering it along the way!

But for both of us, finding things we never knew about is one of the best things about this trip.

As we drove across Interstate 15, just a few miles before the Nevada border, something massive and bright caught our attention.

A Desert Mystery…

At first glance, neither of us had a clue what it was we were looking at. And that goes for our second and third glances as well.

But it was absolutely huge! And quite honestly, looked like something straight out of a Sci-Fi movie.

There to our left, sprawled across nearly 3500 acres across the desert floor, was a conglomeration of what appeared to be thousands of mirrors.

And adding to the mystery, there were three glassy glowing towers sprouting up in the middle of it all.

Discovering Ivanpah

So we did what we always do in these situations. We pulled over and asked our friend Mr. Google. And were amazed to find out we were looking at the world’s largest solar thermal power station.

And the more we read, the more fascinated we became.

It turns out the shiny objects in the fields were indeed mirrors. And they are trained to direct the power of the sun right into those three towers.

That in turn heats them up and generates steam that then drives huge turbines to produce electricity. To the tune of 377 megawatts that actually produces enough electricity to power 140,000 homes.

I can’t describe how incredible it is to see something like this, and

And we still have area 51 in Nevada to go to! LOL.

It has been in operation now since 2014, an

And just one more thing we have dsicoverd on this incredible journey!

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 93 of 365
States : 12 / 50
National Parks / Monuments : 12
Stayed In : Las Vegas, Nevada
Miles Driven : 314.2
Total Trip Miles To Date : 9740.8
Total Gallons Used : 726.93
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
Hiking Miles : 0.0
Hiking Miles To Date : 189.5

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

You can follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

A Drive Through The Mojave Desert and An Airplane Graveyard, Day 92

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date December 9, 2019
Categories In California, The Days Of The Trip
2 Comments on A Drive Through The Mojave Desert and An Airplane Graveyard, Day 92

Today we wrapped up our stay in California and headed through the Mojave Desert towards Nevada.

And honestly, we had no idea what we would be faced with when we traveled across Highway 58 towards Interstate 19.

We knew that we would be headed towards the Mojave Desert, but neither of us had ever been in or through the area.

So we set out with the truck and camper and hit the road, ready for whatever was ahead of us.

As we left Bakersfield, the landscape quickly changed from groves of fruit and nut trees to desert terrain.

wind turbines in mojave desert — The landscape was dotted with hundreds of wind turbines which generates power via the wind.

In the distance we could see hundreds of wind turbines that were perched on the hillside. Some were absolute huge!

But the smaller ones that were lined right next to each other were moving so fast that it was really an interesting sight to see!

I can only imagine how much power they were generating today!

The Airplane ‘Graveyard’

Then, as we drove into Mojave, we came across the Airplane ‘Graveyard’.

The Mojave Air and Space Port is also a storage facility for commercial airliners. Due to its vast area and dry, low-humidity desert conditions it is the perfect place to store a plane.

airplane graveyard mojave desert — The airport in the Mojave dessert also serves as a storage facility for airlines.

But it is interesting because this area is located in a very remote area, away from any large metropolitan areas and other major airports.

The planes are parked in the north field for storage, and you can actually see it from Highway 58. However, not all planes make it out of here ‘alive’.

If the aircraft reaches the end of their useful lifetime, they are scrapped at the Mojave aircraft boneyard.

the mojave graveyard — The planes are parked here due to the low-humidity, warm environment.

So after we drove down a few side roads to try to get a closer look at the planes, we decided to hop back on the highway to continue our travels towards Nevada.

The Scenery of the Mojave Desert

During our drive we saw very few towns, and a lot of deserted homes. However, as strange as it may sound, the scenery was beautiful.

mojave sign — The Mojave desert has very few towns to stop in while you drive from Bakersfield to Las Vegas.

From the rolling desert hills to the mountains peeking up through in the distance, there was always something that caught our eye.

Even the flatter, desert lands were intriguing. You could see for miles upon miles. And we could even see the highway that we would be traveling way off in the distance.

road in the mojave — One stretch of road through the Mojave Desert.

However, one of the most beautiful things that we saw in the Mojave Desert was the Joshua trees.

This was the first time that either of us had ever seen a Joshua tree in person.

The twisted, bristled trees stood tall against the brush and were easy to spot in the distance.

As we drove we both would point out every tree that we saw. But that quickly ended when we continued our travels and began to see several of them.

But isn’t that the beauty of traveling – seeing and enjoying things that are new to you? We have seen many ‘new’ things on this trip, and as we head towards Las Vegas, I am confident that we will continue to do so!

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 92 of 365
States : 12 / 50
National Parks / Monuments : 12
Stayed In : Las Vegas, Nevada
Miles Driven : 314.2
Total Trip Miles To Date : 9740.8
Total Gallons Used : 726.93
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
Hiking Miles : 0.0
Hiking Miles To Date : 189.5

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

Surviving Full Time On The Road, A Day To Catch Our Breath – Day 91

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date December 8, 2019
Categories In California, The Days Of The Trip
4 Comments on Surviving Full Time On The Road, A Day To Catch Our Breath – Day 91

Today, it was time to take a little break, step back, and catch our breath while hanging out in Bakersfield.

When people ask us about our trip, there are usually 3 questions or topics that come up most often.

The first two are pretty straightforward. The first: What states have you been to so far? Followed quickly by: What all have you seen?

catch our breath — The iconic sign of Bakersfield, California. We spent the day simply relaxing, and taking a bit of time off from both travel and sightseeing.

But the third question usually takes a different direction. And, always seems to be the one people want answered the most.

And that question is this: “Do you both ever get tired, burned out, or exhausted from being on the road full-time?

It’s actually an excellent question. And one we certainly wondered about as well before we left.

Our resting day in Bakersfield included a big thunderstorm, complete with a beautiful rainbow.

So first let’s cover our answer to the question. It is, without a doubt, a resounding “NO.” And we think it stays that way for a few very important reasons listed below.

Keeping The Trip & Us Fresh

This trip and the roads we travel never get old. And they never will. There is always something new to see in every town. And there is always something unique to experience around every corner.

But that can pose a few problems as well.

The travel could easily get overwhelming if we let it. We have covered a lot of ground in the first 90 days!

If you try to take in everything, or attempt to hit every possible must-see monument, city, or attraction along the way, you will indeed become exhausted. And you will definitely get burned out.

Almost everyone has a horror story from their past. You know – being on a vacation or trip where someone planned every minute out. Where it seemed even every second was accounted for, all in order to take in every event and sight possible for miles around.

blm camping — Sometimes, you just need to stop the drive, catch your breath, and rest for a day. The camper makes for a great place to do that!

We call it over-planning disease. And for us, that would be a recipe for disaster.

It’s okay if we can’t see everything a city or an area has to offer. We would rather spend a lot of time enjoying what we do see, and not cutting it short just to see something else.

The Trick To Staying Fresh And Enjoying The Journey

The two most important things we keep sacred on this trip are a wide open schedule, and making sure to take a “Catch Our Breath” day whenever needed.

And today, that is exactly what we are doing. We are simply two visitors to the streets of Bakersfield.

Walking about the town. With no plan in mind. And not doing anything in particular. Except resting up, taking it easy, and having the time of our life taking in America.

Here is to taking a bit of time now and then to simply catch your breath and keep it fun. A lesson served well not just on the road, but in life as well.

And after resting up today – its on to Nevada tomorrow!

Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 91 of 365
States : 11 / 50
National Parks / Monuments : 12
Stayed In : Bakersfield, California
Miles Driven : 36.5
Total Trip Miles To Date : 9426.6
Total Gallons Used : 700.75
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
Hiking Miles : 0.0
Hiking Miles To Date : 189.5

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Our Last Stop in California – Heading to Bakersfield, Day 90

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date December 7, 2019
Categories In California, The Days Of The Trip
4 Comments on Our Last Stop in California – Heading to Bakersfield, Day 90

Today we arrived in Bakersfield, our final destination in California.

After almost two weeks exploring the Pacific coast, wine country in Sonoma and Napa Valley, San Francisco and Yosemite National Park, it is now time to begin our journey towards Nevada.

We often get asked about how we plan our route across the country. Although we have already determined which state we will visit each week (See: Dates for the States) we don’t plan our specific state route until about a week before we arrive.

weather forecast — One of the biggest factors in determining our travel route has been the weather. That is why we had to leave Billings, Montana and head south quicker than what we wanted.

This may drive some people crazy. But for us there are too many variables to make specific plans so far in advance.

Planning our Traveling Route

The biggest obstacle on making travel plans this time of the year is the weather.

With winter peeking right around the corner, and snow already falling in many areas, we always have to keep on eye on where we will be traveling.

Although our truck can handle the snow and cold weather, we have to be a little more careful with our camper.

Our T@B 400 can handle freezing temperatures for a night or two, if the day time temperatures get above 32 degrees F.

snow with camper — When we were in Denver, we had 4 inches of snow, but the next day, the temperature increased to 48 degrees.

And although many people winterize their campers, that isn’t a practical option for us. We need to be able to use our water and bathroom facilities, especially when we are dry camping.

So for us, the weather helps us determine our specific route. And that is how we ended up in Bakersfield.

chains required outside of Bakersfield — Although the roads look clear, there are warnings that chains are required to drive across the higher elevations across the mountain passes.

Our original thought was to head eastward out of Fresno towards Death Valley National Park. We had hopes to pass through Kings Canyon and Sequoia National parks as well.

However, due to the snow over the mountain passes, those plans changed.

snow covered roads — Within just an hour, your clear drive up across a mountain pass can turn into a snowy mess.

How We Ended Up In Bakersfield

Instead, we decided to play it safe and head further south and into Bakersfield.

This way we can head across highway 58 to interstate 15 into Nevada without too much worry.

Plus, it gives Jim an excuse to sing “On The Streets of Bakersfield” over and over again. 🙂

night in Bakersfield — Although we haven’t had a chance to check out the downtown area of Bakersfield, we did notice several oil wells in the area.

So as we prepare to say goodbye to California, we are now beginning to plan our route into Nevada.

And as always, if you have any suggestions on sights to see or places to visit when we come to your state, you can click on each state on our US Map and leave us suggestions.

Who knows, maybe our route will lead us right into your hometown!

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 90 of 365
States : 11 / 50
National Parks / Monuments : 12
Stayed In : Bakersfield, California
Miles Driven : 86.2
Total Trip Miles To Date : 9390.1
Total Gallons Used : 700.75
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
Hiking Miles : 0.0
Hiking Miles To Date : 189.5

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

The Incredible Beauty Of Yosemite National Park! Day 89 On The Road

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date December 6, 2019
Categories In California, The Days Of The Trip
14 Comments on The Incredible Beauty Of Yosemite National Park! Day 89 On The Road

We have been able to witness a lot of incredible sights on this trip, and taking in the beauty of Yosemite today is certainly near the top!

With crystal clear blue skies, and a blanket of snow still covering the ground, it was pure heaven.

Our trip into Yosemite was a little unexpected. With recent snowfalls, and an impending storm on the way, we weren’t sure we would be able to make it in.

But fortunately, we arrived at the park on a bright sunny day right between two storm systems. And in the process, rewarded with spectacular views.

We thought we would share some of our favorite photos from the day below.

The Beauty Of Yosemite National Park

The drive in was almost surreal with the lifting mist and fog. It is one of the most scenic drives we have taken so far on our journey.

As we neared the park, the sheer size of the rocks towering over the narrow road were enough to make us feel extremely small in this big world.

The Yosemite Fires

There are still vivid reminders and scars from recent fires that have ravaged the park. All along the roads, homeowners and businesses still display signs thanking firefighters for their courageous efforts.

There are still plenty of reminders of the fires that have taken their toll on some of the land. The dark scars will certainly heal over time, but they are easy to spot on the drive.

There are so many streams and rivers fed by the snow melt from Yosemite. And the crystal blue waters flowing down the stream and over the rocks filled the air with the ultimate sounds of nature at its best.

With the recent snows and a bit of warmer temps, the streams were flowing quite well in Yosemite.

The Trees…

And then there are the trees!

Giant Sequoia, Mountain Hemlock, Lodgepole Pine, Douglas Fir and Black Oak all call Yosemite home. As do so many other species too numerous to mention.

A little video of the drive in to Yosemite:

And a few more photos…

One thing is for sure, we both feel so very fortunate that the weather broke enough to see the incredible beauty of Yosemite. You can catch up on all of the past days of the trip here on the Daily Blog at Live Simple Now.

Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 89 of 365
States : 12 / 50
National Parks / Monuments : 11
Stayed In : Visalia, California
Miles Driven : 296.7
Total Trip Miles To Date : 9303.9
Total Gallons Used : 694.32
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
Hiking Miles : 1.9
Hiking Miles To Date : 191.4

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Things Are Nuts In California! And We Never Knew How Much, Day 88

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date December 5, 2019
Categories In California, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on Things Are Nuts In California! And We Never Knew How Much, Day 88

When we say things are nuts in California, we mean it!

As we traveled out of Napa Valley towards Merced, we never imagined what we were about to see in the landscape.

Within about 20 miles south of Napa the crops in the fields changed from acres upon acres of grape vines to tree farms.

At first we assumed that they were fruit trees. We knew California produced and harvested a ton of fruit and it made sense to us that is what we were seeing.

nut trees in California — Everywhere we turned, we were surrounded by nut trees.

So our minds immediately went to thinking they were apple, apricot, plum and pear trees.

However, within a few minutes, we quickly realized that they were actually nut trees.

Just like we were shocked when we found out over 99% of American hazelnuts were grown in Oregon.

We were just as shocked to learn that the rest of the tree nuts are grown in California.

California almonds — California is the largest commercial producer of almonds in North America.

And as much as I would like to think that we were smart enough to figure out which trees we were passing by, we weren’t. However, luck for us, there were signs along the fields that helped us identify them.

The Nuts In California – The Trees Of Merced County

One of the most popular nuts in California, and all over the world, are almonds. And during our drive we saw several tree farms that are home to thousands of almond trees.

California is the largest almond producer in the world. And it is the only place in North America where almonds are grown for commercial use.

In fact, we even saw the Blue Diamond Warehouse and The Almond Factory as we drove down Highway 99.

But we quickly learned that almonds aren’t the only nuts grown in California.

Within a 20 mile radius, you will find walnut, pecan and even pistachio trees.

Even though they may ripen at different times, there is one thing that you will find common among all nut trees in California.

They all require irrigation. Although this has been a rainy week in California, during the summer, the rain is nearly non-existent.

During our trip to the central valley we had the privilege to see fields that were in all different stages of planting.

From open, tilled fields that held lines of irrigation only, to trees that were planted decades ago, they were all beautiful.

newly planted nut trees — We were shocked at the amount of new nut trees that have been planted in the area.

So next time that you pull out a bag or jar of nuts, take a look to see where they came from. Chances are the nuts may have been grown and harvested from a California field that we passed along on our journey across America.

Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 88 of 365
States : 11 / 50
National Parks / Monuments : 11
Stayed In : Merced, California
Miles Driven : 163.2
Total Trip Miles To Date : 9013.2
Total Gallons Used : 672.63
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
Hiking Miles : 0.0
Hiking Miles To Date : 189.5

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

A Day In San Francisco – Driving, Walking, & Cable Cars, Day 87

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date December 4, 2019
Categories In California, The Days Of The Trip
6 Comments on A Day In San Francisco – Driving, Walking, & Cable Cars, Day 87

After such a wonderful evening spent at Bottega Napa Valley last night, we decided that today we would put everything else aside and spend the day in San Francisco.

Although the weather has been on the rainy side, we knew that we could dedicate an entire day of our trip to experience the sights, sounds, and taste of one of the cities in the Bay Area.

And what better city to choose than San Francisco.

san francisco landscape — The view of San Francisco from the end of Pier 39.

There are so many things to see and do in this iconic city. But to avoid sitting in traffic and wasting precious time, we waited until the morning rush hour was over to head back to Highway 101.

This was a little longer route from where our camper was stationed in American Canyon. GPS wanted to take us through Oakland, however, I knew that we wanted to actually drive over the Golden Gate Bridge as we entered the San Francisco area.

Golden Gate Bridge

Once we finally got to the bridge, we realized there was a toll road to drive over the bridge. We didn’t care – this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

But it wasn’t like every other toll where you give money to an attendant or put money in a machine. There were HUGE signs in the toll booth area warning you not to stop at the unmanned toll booths.

I am guessing that they just mail everyone that doesn’t have a Toll Pass a ticket for the fee. I guess we will just have to wait and see!

So we passed over the bridge and continued straight down 101. Once you get into the city the highway turns into Lombard street. This is where you can find the crookedest street in the world.

We braved the winding and narrow streets and took the truck down the steep, one block road.

Although it was tight, we successfully navigated down the incline to the bottom of the brick street.

Since that was the last part of San Francisco that we wanted to drive over and down, we headed straight to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Fisherman’s Wharf

Our directions took us right to the main pier where the parking was $65 per day. We decided that since it was the off-season that we would look for more reasonable parking.

And that brought us to one block west of the wharf where we found ample parking for less than half of the price for the full day.

We walked to the Navy pier and around Fisherman’s wharf for awhile taking in the sights of all the restaurants and shops.

There are several piers in the area, but one of the most popular ones is Pier 39.

San Francisco Sea Lions — I could watch and listen to the Sea Lions all day long!

Here is the home to not only popular restaurants, but to the Sea Lion docks. They are extremely entertaining to watch. And even though we enjoyed their constant barking sounds, I am sure that it gets quite annoying for the employees that work in the area.

And if you look in the distance while standing on Pier 39 you can see Alcatraz Island. Although it is no longer an active prison, it was once home to some of the most dangerous inmates.

Although, we decided not to take the 3 hour tour to the island. We figured that we only had one day to explore San Francisco and we didn’t want to miss out on other opportunities on our limited visit.

However, Mary did have the opportunity to take the night tour many years ago.

So instead, we decided to make better use of our time and hop on the Cable Cars to experience more of the city.

The San Francisco Cable Cars

We bought a public transportation day pass and began our journey traveling the streets of San Francisco.

We had no idea where we were headed, or what we were going to see. But we absolutely enjoyed the fact that we were finally on the historic cable cars.

San Francisco Cable Car — Another bucket list item marked off Jim’s list – riding on the San Francisco cable cars.

Our first stop took us to Chinatown. It was well past lunch time and both of us were hungry.

Chinatown

Being fans of Asian cuisine, we decided to find an authentic Chinese restaurant for lunch. Which of course, was easy to do.

Although we couldn’t read the words on the street signs, we decided that we would head to a restaurant that was filled with patrons.

So we ended up at a restaurant that was full and even had short waiting list. This was a great indication to us that the food must be good.

Once it was time to order, we were both a little uneasy. We had a limited knowledge of the menu, and as you can imagine, many of the menu items were out of our comfort zone.

San Francisco Chinatown — We walked and walked the streets of Chinatown to find the perfect, authentic restaurant.

Ordering Lunch

But we finally decided on Hot and Sour soup and Szechuan chicken. We both love hot and spicy food and we have had Szechuan chicken and rice many times before.

But when our meal showed up, we were a little puzzled. The soup looked amazing. However, the chicken looked like large bites of poached chicken with the skin and bone still attached. And there was no rice.

After we got over the looks of the dish, we decided to take a bite. Within one second of putting the chicken in my mouth, I literally was in shock.

My mouth was full, yet I was trying to tell Jim, before he took a bite, that the chicken pieces were cold. And not in a lukewarm way. The chicken dish was served as a cold meal – absolutely no warmth to it at all.

Although we were in complete shock we decided that “When in Rome”…

So we continued to eat as much of the dish as we could handle. Once we left the restaurant we both decided to chalk this adventure up to one that we would never forget!

The Streets of San Francisco

After our lunch experience we decided to continue to explore the less popular streets of San Francisco.

We walked mile after mile as we looked at the row houses that were built on steep inclines.

Every street was lined with parallel parked cars with their tires turned toward the curb. The every day scenery was beautiful in it’s own sense.

But as we passed down the streets of San Francisco we found even more treasures. There were several magnificent structures among us including this beautiful cathedral.

St. Dominic’s Catholic Church

St. Dominic's Cathedral — In between the many row houses, there are beautiful churches everywhere, including St. Dominic’s Catholic Church.

St. Dominic’s Catholic Church sat in the middle of a neighborhood and the doors were open as we passed by.

We took the rare opportunity to take a peak inside and it was absolutely breath taking.

The history and architecture that encompassed this building was incredible. And to see it still standing today and that the doors remained opened to the public was unbelievable.

After a brief visit indoors, we continued walking around town pointing out to each other every amazing house and building that we could see.

Then we came across a familiar looking house. Our kids grew up in the era that the television show Full House aired almost daily as reruns.

We had to watch show after show, and this is the house where the family lived, at least in t.v. terms.

'Full House' House — After a long walk down, we finally found the house that was featured in the television show Full House.

So as good tourists do, we took our obligatory picture and shared it with our family. Yes, we are true tourists sometimes!

So we finished our time spent in San Francisco picking out our California Christmas ornament and post cards and called it a wonderful day!

Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 87 of 365
States : 11 / 50
National Parks / Monuments : 11
Stayed In : American Canyon, California
Miles Driven : 76.9
Total Trip Miles To Date : 8850.3
Total Gallons Used : 660.47
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
Hiking Miles : 6.2
Hiking Miles To Date : 189.5

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.

A Night To Remember – Sometimes Fate Is Simply On Your Side!

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date December 3, 2019
Categories In California, The Days Of The Trip
4 Comments on A Night To Remember – Sometimes Fate Is Simply On Your Side!

If you read yesterday’s update, (Day 85 – Michael Chiarello’s Bottega) you know we were excited to have dinner at the chef’s restaurant in Napa – but little did we know it would turn into an amazing night to remember!

His love of cooking, sustainable gardening and easy entertaining has always been a huge personal inspiration.

But to finally be close enough to dine in one of his restaurants was an experience we couldn’t pass up.

Bottega book — The cover of Michael Chiarello’s book about his Bottega restaurant and its famed dishes.

Of course, there was also the slight hope we might even get lucky enough to meet him. And, as fate would have it, we actually did.

But perhaps how it all occurred is really the best part of the entire story!

A Night To Remember – A Chance Meeting With Chef Michael Chiarello

Even before dinner, our day had already been one to remember. Napa Valley is simply stunning to behold.

a night to remember at Bottega — The Bottega Ristorante in Yountville, California.

The rolling hills filled with gorgeous vines. And all of that crisp, clean air. It is breathtaking to see it all in full color.

But as magnificent as it is to behold, we were even more excited to finally be making our way to the Bottega restaurant. And, as it played out, it was that over-excitement that ended up paying off in a big way.

Bottega is located in the town of Yountville, just a few miles from Napa. The town itself is straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting. Picturesque, quaint, and perfectly decorated at every turn.

The Gnocchi was out of this world. In fact, the entire dinner was!

A Little Early For Dinner…

Being a little on the excited side, we arrived about 50 minutes before our scheduled reservation.

The restaurant itself is located within the historic Vintage Estates, one of the oldest wineries in the Napa Valley. So to kill a bit of time, we decided to walk around and take it all in.

And then we finally caved to the excitement, and decided to head in a little early. It turned out to be one of the best decisions ever!

As we walked up to Bottega, there was a small restroom near the entrance. Mary went in for a second, and as I waited, I noticed two people talking in the covered patio area outside of the restaurant.

Michael Chiarello graciously gave us one of his books, and signed it as well.

By this point, it was dark outside, so it was fairly hard to make out any faces.

Before I knew it, the two started walking down the steps to go by me to leave. We exchanged hello’s as they passed, and the gentleman asked how my day was going.

I Know You!

As he came out of the light, I knew it instantly. It was Michael Chiarello. All I could think is “Mary is never going to believe me if she doesn’t come out of that restroom!”

While we stood there talking, I told him of our trip, and of the inspiration he had been. And that if at all possible, could he at least stick around until my wife re-appeared!

A night to remember — The lighting was a bit dark, so it turned out a bit blurry, but this will remain one of our favorite pics of the trip!

It was right then that Mary walked out, and I somehow managed to calmly introduce her to my new “friend” Michael. She burst out loud “NO WAY!” And, without any prompting, the Chef gave her a big hug, and asked us to follow him inside.

Within a few minutes, he had a bottle of his own vineyard’s old-vine Petite Sirah opened. As he swirled the glass to prepare it, he explained how the wine was produced from 160 year old vines.

As we sat there enjoying a glass of wine with him, and talking about wine & gardening, I couldn’t help but think how timing really is everything!

He was so very gracious to both of us. We ended up exchanging signed copies of our books, and he even took time to take a photo with us.

Oh, and ,the dinner? Yes it was unbelievable! The staff was so incredible to us, and I don’t think we have ever had better conversation in a restaurant.

One thing is for sure, it was certainly a night to remember!

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 86 of 365
States : 11 / 50
National Parks / Monuments : 11
Stayed In : Napa Valley, California
Miles Driven : 42.8
Total Trip Miles To Date : 8773.4
Total Gallons Used : 657.43
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
Hiking Miles : 1.5
Hiking Miles To Date : 184.8

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States

Michael Chiarello’s Bottega – Drawing Inspiration From A Chef & His Show!

Post author By livesimplenow
Post date December 2, 2019
Categories In California, The Days Of The Trip
No Comments on Michael Chiarello’s Bottega – Drawing Inspiration From A Chef & His Show!

So just how did a trip to Michael Chiarello’s Bottega restaurant became a huge bucket list item?

There are a few special days we set aside on our trip to pursue life-long bucket list items.

Some are based on seeing nature at it’s finest, like the Seattle Whale Watching Trip back in late October. Others, meanwhile, are about taking in classic iconic America. Such as the scenic Amtrak coastal train excursion last month.

Top 10 photos — The Amtrak train ride down the coast was a bucket list item for sure. To see the rolling landscape of the beautiful pacific coast from a train is something we will never forget.

But then there are bucket list items that are extremely personal and close to the heart. And Tuesday’s evenings visit to Michael Chiarello’s Bottega restaurant will be all that and more for me.

Seem strange that a restaurant makes a bucket list? Well, to understand why, you have to know the real story behind it all.

Drawing Inspiration From A Chef & His Show

The year was 2001. There was no farm. No garden. Not even a Jim & Mary yet.

And certainly, no thoughts of turning a yet to be discovered 3 acre plot of overgrown land into a self-sufficient homestead.

But it was that year I happened upon a PBS television program based out of Napa Valley. It featured an inspiring chef named Michael Chiarello.

Quite simply, he combined everything that is good about a simple life: cooking, gardening, sustainable farming and outdoor living. Most of all, I loved how he shared those experiences with his friends and family.

botegga — Chef Michael Chiarello’s shows and books were a huge inspiration to me early on. (Photo credit: Botegga Restaurant website)

For someone who really doesn’t watch much television, it became a can’t miss show. To me, Chiarello’s show, and subsequent shows on Food Network were pure inspiration.

Always easygoing and fun, his shows covered everything from authentic, made-from-scratch cooking, to hosting outdoor farm to table dinners and more.

Whether it was making homemade pizza in a wood-fired pizza oven, or turning fresh vegetables from the garden into incredible food to share family style, the entire vision of simple cooking and living was one that I fell in love with.

A Dream Come True

And then somehow, like magic, Mary and I found our way into each other’s lives. Along with Mary’s love for gardening, cooking and outdoor living – and my own passion for the same, our own dream was born.

living the dream - a visit to Botegga — I remember watching Chiarello’s early shows and thinking how cool it would be to cook right from a garden. It is now one of the things we love to do most at home on our little farm.

And of course, in the process, Old World Garden Farm was created.

To say that Chef Chiarello’s style was an influence as we began to create our little farm would be the understatement of the year.

Many of the things we love to do on our little homestead – garden, outdoor cooking, building the pizza oven – and even hosting farm to table dinners – all have their roots in Chiarello’s shows.

Our homemade pizza oven and outdoor kitchen definitely drew inspiration from Chiarello’s shows. It will be

So for me, to have the chance this Tuesday to spend an evening at a restaurant he created with his vision is a dream come true.

Who knows, maybe we might even be lucky enough to see Chef Chiarello himself at Bottega. Now that would top off the evening for sure!

Happy Traveling! Jim and Mary

CURRENT TRIP STATS

Day 85 of 365
States : 11 / 50
National Parks / Monuments : 11
Stayed In : American Canyon, California
Miles Driven : 51.5
Total Trip Miles To Date : 8730.6
Total Gallons Used : 656.43
Biking Miles : 0.0
Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
Hiking Miles : 1.0
Hiking Miles To Date : 183.3

About Our Living Simple Tour

On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States