thesimpleHOUSE

This was the day we’d been waiting for.

After three unsuccessful attempts over the years—two canceled by wildfires and one by record snowfall—we finally crossed Tioga Pass and officially entered Yosemite National Park.

At last, the “Randall Curse” had come to an end.

Instead of entering Yosemite from the west like most visitors, we approached from the east on Highway 120, better known as Tioga Road. Open only during the summer months, this high-elevation highway is more than just a way into the park—it’s an attraction in its own right. Rather than plunging immediately into Yosemite Valley, Tioga Road introduces you to a completely different side of Yosemite, one of expansive alpine landscapes, granite domes, sparkling lakes, and sweeping mountain vistas.

We deliberately allowed ourselves plenty of time for the drive, and we’re glad we did. Nearly every few miles there was another turnout that begged us to stop, get out, and simply take it all in.

The highlight of the drive was undoubtedly Tuolumne Meadows. Stretching across a broad alpine valley at nearly 8,600 feet, the meadow is a peaceful landscape of winding streams, towering pines, wildflowers, and granite peaks rising in every direction. It’s easy to understand why so many people consider this one of the most beautiful areas in all of Yosemite. The scenery here is completely different from the famous valley floor, offering a quieter and equally spectacular perspective on the park.

As we continued west, we found ourselves saying “wow” more times than we could count. And this was just the drive in.

If this was the introduction, we could only imagine what the next three days would hold.

By late afternoon we reached our hotel just outside Yosemite’s western entrance and settled in for the evening. The weather forecast couldn’t have been better—three days of sunshine and warm temperatures. After years of bad timing and bad luck, everything had finally come together.

Tomorrow, we’d explore Yosemite Valley.

But for now, we simply enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing we’d finally made it.

The curse was broken.

After two days of driving, we were looking forward to slowing the pace a bit. We had booked two nights in South Lake Tahoe, giving us a chance to enjoy the area without constantly packing and unpacking.

The plan for our full day after arriving was intentionally light. We wanted to make the scenic drive to Emerald Bay, one of Lake Tahoe’s most photographed spots, and take the short hike to Eagle Falls. From the overlook, you can see Fannette Island, the only island in Lake Tahoe, complete with the stone ruins of a tea house built in the 1920s. It seemed like the perfect way to ease into our time at the lake.

Before reaching Tahoe, though, we needed lunch.

As usual, Yelp came through. We found McKenzie’s at Whitehawk Ranch, a small café tucked into a golf course about halfway between Quincy and South Lake Tahoe. Sometimes the best meals come from the places you least expect. We enjoyed lunch on the outdoor patio overlooking the driving range—a peaceful setting and surprisingly good food. It turned out to be one of those hidden gems that make road trips so much fun.

We rolled into South Lake Tahoe around 3:00 that afternoon. Just as we were settling into vacation mode, we began hearing an odd noise from the car. A few moments later, the Tesla displayed the message every road-tripper dreads:

Flat Tire.

We managed to pull safely onto the shoulder of a busy road. I tried using the small air compressor we always carry, hoping it was just a slow leak, but the tire wouldn’t hold air.

Time for Plan B.

A call to our insurance company brought roadside assistance, although “roadside” turned into a bit of a waiting game. Nearly three hours later, the tow truck finally arrived. Thankfully, we were only about 17 miles from a Les Schwab Tire Center, where we’ve bought tires for years.

Since the store had already closed for the evening, the driver kindly dropped us at our hotel first, then took the car to the tire shop. One less thing to worry about. We settled in for a late dinner and enjoyed a magnificent sunset.

As it turned out, the flat tire was only part of the story. The next morning Les Schwab confirmed that, after 22,000 miles, all four tires needed replacing. Fortunately, they had our exact tire size in stock and promised the car would be ready by noon. Partially covered under warranty.

Sometimes bad luck comes with a couple of unexpected bonuses.

First, South Lake Tahoe has a free public bus system, so we simply hopped on a bus and walked the last few blocks to pick up the car. No rental car. No expensive Uber. Easy.

Second, our new tires are designed specifically for electric vehicles and include a foam liner to reduce road noise. The difference was immediately noticeable. The car was quieter than it had ever been.

By early afternoon we were finally back to our original plan. We drove to Emerald Bay, admired the incredible turquoise water, spotted tiny Fannette Island sitting peacefully in the middle of the bay, and made the short hike to Eagle Falls. The scenery more than made up for the previous day’s interruption.

Looking back, we realized how fortunate we had been. A flat tire in South Lake Tahoe was an inconvenience. A flat tire in Lassen Volcanic National Park, more than 150 miles from the nearest tire shop, could have turned into a much bigger ordeal.

Instead, it became just another story from the road.

With Days Three and Four behind us, our retirement road trip was still very much on track—and Yosemite, after three failed attempts over the years, was finally just around the corner.

Day 2 turned out to be one of those days where the drive itself was every bit as memorable as the destination.

Our first stop was Burney Falls, a place we had never even heard of until it kept showing up in online searches for “must-see stops” along our route. We’re glad we listened. Fed by underground springs, the waterfall pours over a moss-covered cliff in countless streams, creating one of the most beautiful waterfalls we’ve seen. It’s definitely worth the detour.

From there we headed into Lassen Volcanic National Park, one of the hidden gems of the National Park system. Around every bend the scenery seemed to change. One minute we were looking at bubbling mud pots and steaming fumaroles, reminders that the earth beneath us is still very much alive. The next we were surrounded by rugged volcanic peaks, alpine lakes reflecting the blue sky, and meadows bursting with wildflowers. And yes—even in late June, patches of snow were still hanging on.

Rather than rush through the park, we stopped often to explore the short trails and viewpoints along the road. It was the perfect way to experience Lassen without committing to a long hike, and every stop seemed to offer a completely different landscape.

Eventually we made our way to Chester, California. Calling Chester a “sleepy little town” might be generous. Our bigger concern, though, wasn’t finding entertainment—it was finding electricity.

The next Tesla Supercharger was in Quincy, and our navigation estimated we’d arrive with just 2% battery remaining. That’s closer than we’re comfortable with, especially in the mountains where elevation changes can make energy consumption unpredictable. Unfortunately, there aren’t any charging stations in Chester—or anywhere between Chester and Quincy.

That’s where a little travel creativity came in handy.

Our motel wasn’t exactly luxurious, but it did have one thing we needed: a standard 110-volt outlet. The gap under the room door was just wide enough to snake an extension cord outside to the car. It wasn’t fast charging by any stretch, but overnight we added enough miles to comfortably reach Quincy the next morning, with plenty left over to continue on toward South Lake Tahoe.

Sometimes road trips aren’t just about spectacular scenery. Sometimes they’re about improvising with an extension cord and celebrating the small victories that keep the adventure moving.

This trip marked a couple of milestones for us. It was our first true road trip since retiring at the end of last year, and—believe it or not—our fourth attempt to visit Yosemite National Park.

Our first two tries were thwarted by wildfires. The third? Yosemite was buried under 15 feet of snow.

We were beginning to wonder if the park simply didn’t want us to visit. This time, though, we were optimistic.

We set out on a Monday morning, heading south with Mount Shasta as our first destination. Like many EV road trips, our lunch stop was determined by the next charging station, which landed us at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Medford. Conveniently located next to the Superchargers, it featured an astonishing 31 televisions.

We counted.

The food was decent, but the wall of screens was distracting.

Continuing south, we made a pleasant coffee stop in Yreka, where we wandered past the beautifully restored Carnegie Library, built in 1915. It’s now a community center and makes for a charming glimpse into the town’s history.

Before reaching Mount Shasta, we took a short detour to Hedge Creek Falls. While it wasn’t the most dramatic waterfall we’d ever seen, it was a peaceful stop and a nice preview of the waterfalls, forests, and mountain scenery that awaited us over the coming days.

That evening we checked into Summit Lofts, a small boutique hotel in downtown Mount Shasta. One of the things we enjoy most while traveling is being able to park the car and explore on foot, so we walked to dinner at Pipeline Craft Taps & Kitchen (I’ll save the details for my separate restaurant review). After driving through the Northern California heat, we were especially thankful to find a cool table indoors—the afternoon temperature had climbed to 105°F.

With our first day behind us, we settled in for the night. The next morning we’d head farther south toward Lassen Volcanic National Park, where bubbling mud pots, steaming fumaroles, and alpine landscapes awaited.

Our Yosemite adventure was finally underway.

Generally, we try to hike Smith Rock near Redmond, Oregon once a year. we actually found we missed the last two years. Now that we’re retired, though, it is easier to just “pick up and go.”

So we did.

The weather forecast for the middle of this week was sunny and 70º, and we’re now able to just take off pretty much whenever we want. We chose Tuesday thru Thursday, because, well, why not?

We left home around 10, having a casual morning breakfast and packing. This put us into Sisters around 11:30 for lunch at our favorite spot: High Camp Taphouse. They serve Nepalese food and we have been hooked on their Momos, a meat dumpling, for years.

It did not disappoint. Check out their website to see what Nurbu and Pema Sherpa do giving back to marginalized populations in Nepal here.

After lunch and our traditional walk around Sisters and visits to The Hen’s Tooth and Sister’s Coffee, we continued on to Redmond. Sisters is a nice stop, not only for lunch, but the Library has free charging for our car.

In Redmond, we always stay at SCP Redmond Hotel. A Georgian-style brick botique hotel that was built in 1928. We like it because it’s comfortable, moderately small (49 rooms) and high on sustainability. And, the parking lot immediately behind the hotel also has free EV charging.

Wednesday morning, after breakfast at Junction Roastery a block away, we headed in to Smith Rock State Park, a short 20 minute drive. The weather report was accurate and we had a beautiful morning. And, being a Wednesday before summer break, parking was relatively easy.

We have never (and have no plans to ever) hiked Misery Ridge. We figure it’s named that for a reason. We pack a lunch, hike the river trail down to Monkey Face, then come back out. Overall, it’s about a 2 to 2.5 mile hike. Just right for us. And very scenic.

Once again, we had incredible weather and a very nice hike. We started around 10:30am and finished around 3:00pm. On the way out, we also have a tradition of stopping at the little ice cream shack, Rockhard, on our way back into town.

We chilled at the hotel for a while with some drinks, then went to Diego’s for dinner. Thursday morning, we packed up and headed home. Another beautiful day to drive the McKenzie Highway back to Eugene. And, because of the free EV charging in Sisters and Redmond, we did the entire 278 mile trip on less than $3 in electricity.

Another “in our back yard” falls is McDowell Creek Falls near Sweet Home. Brenda had gone years ago with a friend and our kids when they were young. That was probably 30-plus years ago. It is billed as an “alternative to Silver Falls”. Not quite as far away and less people.

Both are true, however, the falls are not nearly as spectacular as Silver Falls.

Yet, it was still a very nice day hike. Again, we had perfect weather. A great lunch at The Point in Sweet Home (see my blog on that here).

We chose, as usual, to do the more difficult uphill part of the loop on the way in so we could be going downhill on the way out. We parked at the lower parking lot at Lower McDowell Falls. As far as I know, there is no Upper McDowell Creek Falls. The overall loop is about 2 miles.

The hike starts with a fairly easy uphill walk, then switches to rock stairs that are pretty steep. But not for very long. The reward is Royal Terrace Falls, a 119 ft high triple falls.

Walking on around the loop, you come to Majestic Falls, which was my personal favorite.

We continued now downhill back to the car. Beautiful flora along the way back, with a few crossing the road areas of the trail. And some occasional glimpses of the creek.

Overall, a nice day hike and a pleasant outing. Next up, weather permitting, Smith Rock.

One of our favorite hikes.

Not all travel is distant or exotic. Almost in our back yard are two amazing waterfalls, just a little over an hour’s drive up the McKenzie River from Eugene. We have been visiting Sahalie and Koosah fall since before we were married in 1981.

They never disappoint. We typically park at the lower falls (Koosah) and hike down to the bridge at Carmen Reservoir, cross over to the west side, then hike up past both falls to a bridge above the upper falls (Sahalie), then back down the east side to the parking area.

The entire loop is just 2.5 miles. It’s a relatively easy hike, but takes us 4 hours. That’s because we believe a hike is something to be experienced, not conquered.

Our normal routine is to leave home around 10:30 in the morning, have lunch at the Obsidian Grill at the Mckenzie General Store in McKenzie Bridge, then drive on up to do the hike. We get home around 6:00.

Just in time for dinner.

Just steps off the parking lot is Koosah Falls. We were there in late April and a lot of water was flowing down the river. Parts of the trail were muddy, but we always use walking sticks (best purchase ever) so it is easier to navigate.

The advantages of walking the direction we do are that you get a slightly different view of both falls than you get just pulling in to the parking lot and can maybe even catch a rainbow in the spray.

However, if you can’t walk well or far, both parking areas are very close to each waterfall, so they are readily accessible.

Once we traversed the west side and came down to the “traditional” Sahalie Falls overlook, we had to do (as we always do) our selfie in front of the falls. I have a feeling there are tens of thousands of pictures of people in this exact spot. I know we probably have over a dozen just of us.

We had beautiful weather, a gorgeous drive up and back and a most enjoyable day. We have decided to block out a day every few weeks on our calendar to do this type of trip.

Next one is McDowell Creek Falls County Park.

Now that we are retired, we want to travel more. We live in such a beautiful state that there are so many choices to do short day hikes and see some amazing scenery. Our first day trip this year was the Silver Falls State Park, just east of Salem. In just a relatively short five mile loop, you can see seven amazing waterfalls.

There are ten falls in the park, but the other three are a bit less accessible and, in fact, inaccessible this trip. Our winter had some landslides and downed trees on the northern paths that had not yet been cleared.

We packed a lunch and arrived just about noon. Eating first, we set off on the loop. It was early April, but we had a beautiful sunny day.

Starting from the main parking area, we headed for what is probably the most popular falls in the park, South Falls. I think a lot of people, if they don’t have all day, visit only this falls. It’s a fairly easy in-and-out. But you can also start the loop for the other falls from here.

From South Falls (which you can hike behind; several falls here are like that), we continued to Lower South Falls. Along the way, we met a woman from Kansas who exclaimed “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven!” We’ve been to the midwest (Missouri) and would have to agree with her. Total contrast.

This trail loop has uphill and downhill and going clockwise is generally the way we go. Mostly uphill at the beginning and downhill at the end.

We like that.

Lower North Falls comes next. It’s nice, but “only” 30 feet high. I didn’t include a picture here. After Lower North you come to Double Falls, which is just a few hundred feet up a short trail from the main loop.

Continuing along the trail loop, Drake Falls is the next stop. Again, it is a small falls, so I don’t have a picture here. Too many taller, more spectacular falls to focus on!

Middle North Falls is probably one of my favorites. A toss up between it and Lower South Falls. All the falls are spaced out in such a way that it doesn’t really seem like you’re hiking five miles.

The last falls along this particular loop is Winter Falls. It makes a nice end to the loop.

But while it makes a nice end to the loop, you still have to make it back to the main parking area. And that’s a part of the trail that is a nice wooded path (for the most part), but nothing spectacular like you have seen on the first 4 miles of the loop.

This is a trail we try to do every year and I think it’s been a few years since we did it last. It was a beautiful day and a very scenic hike.