Into the jungle

The trip to Clearwater was a beautiful and relaxing one. Not too far, and practically no traffic to speak of. The road across the hills was a beautiful ride leading us through the forest and across plains.
We had already booked a safari in a animal reserve we had found on the net. It contained a lot of animals and birds from all over the world. Originally, it was a couple that collected animals, but they turned it into a animal reserve. And that is what it is now. With income coming from among other things, visitors.
So after checking in to our hotel, we took off and drove towards the jungle site. Only stopping to get something to eat. Food and drinks were not allowed on the site. For obvious reasons...

Not much to say about the safari other than splendid! Awesome. Knowledgeable guide and lots of animals! If you are ever in the area, check out Safari West!

I have included here a few of the images of the hundreds I shot. Enjoy!

Our ride

Can't a lady take a bath without you guys sneaking a peek?

Whatcha lookin at?

Hello! Polly wants a cracker!

I say! Nice of you to swing by! But you are in my personal space!

Plotting some mischief? According to our guide, zebras are mean SOBs...

After the wonderful safari, we had one more stop on our way back to the hotel. The Old Faithful of California. A local geyser north in Napa Valley. Not exactly Old Faithful of the Yellowstone National Park, but nice nonetheless. In beautiful surroundings. I don't know if it was the time of day (late afternoon) or time of the year, but we had the whole place to ourselves. So I had plenty of opportunity to take the pictures I wanted.

It's happening!

Aaaaannnnd....

There she blows!

This truck had seen better days. I hope...

 I walked a little closer to get a better shot.

After we returned to our hotel, my sister and I decided we wanted to check out the scenery in Clearlake. We went down to the lake and got treated to a beautiful view of the sunset. Then went shopping for some snacks and drinks, and crashed in bed. Tired, but satisfied.

August the 23rd. Last day of driving. We had one leg to go. From Clearlake to San Francisco. Crossing the Golden Gate. We had found a hotel just on the other side of the bridge. So this day would be a rather lazy one. Giving us ample time to drive slowly, stop often and take in the sights. We only had one "scheduled stop". The Muir park with its redwood forest, just north of SF. I had been there before. It is a beautiful and serene walk amongst these giant of trees. We drove a back road through Napa Valley. It proved to be a wonderful drive through creeks and forests. Dotted with wineries here and there. Small waters. And my sister got to see giant pine-cones lying by the road. After a few hours of lazy driving, we arrived at Muir. We spent a few hours there. Just enjoying the view, and the quiet. Listening to the giant trees creaking as they swayed in the wind. The wind rushing through the canopy. The distant echoes of people. Serenity.

We drove the narrow and winding roads out of the park and down to the highway leading into San Francisco. We got there before the rush hour started. Crossing the Golden Gate. An engineering beauty. The fog lay thick over it, so we didn't get to see the top. But it was a beautiful ride. We were entering our last stop, and the topic of my next, and last, post : San Francisco.

Ragnar
With a license to drive.