August 31, 2026 - Monday - Innsbruck, Austria

Deb here. Last night we bought a 24-hour Innsbruck Card, giving us access to all kinds of activities in the city, so our plan today was to make the most of the card. We started with a great hotel breakfast buffet (included with our room) and then headed out. Our first goal was to find the Nordkette, a series of a funicular and two gondolas that would whisk us to “The Top of Innsbruck”, also known as Hafelekar Peak, which sits at 7,657 feet. This turned out to be a perfect decision, since there were no crowds early in the day and the weather was ideal. Thrilling rides to the top, then a 15 minute walk up to the summit. So, so gorgeous, with jagged peaks in every direction. Different than the Swiss Alps but still spectacular. After spending some time on top we returned down the three lifts to the bottom. By this time the gondolas were packed, so we were happy to have seen it all when we did. 

Next up was finding the Hop On, Hop Off Sightseeing Bus, also included in our Innsbruck Card. Another great experience, with headphones and narration in English that actually worked. I’d read about a nearby castle named Schloss Ambras, thinking it was too far to visit, but the bus made a stop there so we hopped off. Once again, our cards admitted us and we had a super visit. This castle has lots of 1500 year old history and is regarded as the world’s first museum. Cool armor collections, a “Chamber of Arts and Wonders”, grand hall and more.

Through the castle gardens and back on the bus, aiming for a stop at the Glockenmuseum, a bell foundry and museum over 400 years old. This was a sweet museum, with lots of info about how bells (especially really big ones) are made, along with the chance to try ringing a bunch in different sizes. They actually make the bells there in the foundry, which we could peek into. 

By this time it was 2 p.m. and we were hungry, so rather than waiting for another bus we walked back into the old town and found Markethalle Innsbruck. It’s an indoor market with lots of different vendors, and we found a spot to split a sandwich and have coffee/iced chai. Perfect.

From there it was on to Experience Tirol, a one hour informational program about the area and its history that included virtual reality, 360 degree screen projections and more. Pretty clever. Not sure that I would have chosen this but again, included in the card so why not?

When this ended at 4:30 or so we’d had enough of museums and attractions, so headed back to an Italian cafe where we’d had drinks the night before. It started sprinkling, so we ate inside and had delicious pasta and salad. 

From there it was on to the train station to check on reservations for tomorrow’s train to Salzburg (not needed), then back to our hotel cafe to sit outside with coffee, tea and a shared piece of apfelstrudel. All delicious and the best ending to a full day. 

Aug 30, 2026 - Sunday - Interlaken Ost to Hotel Central, Innsbruck

Our train left Innsbruck Ost (East) at 7:59am so we walked down the hill this morning. It’s Sunday so no bus this early. The hotel left us a big breakfast bag in the refrigerator downstairs. Rolls, bread, cheese, yogurt, an apple, a plum, a couple of juice pouches. The hotel owner did not want us starving on her watch.

We walked downtown and got coffee and tea at the Youth Hostel near the train station. All the old men and some travelers were there. It seems to be the local hangout and the prices are less than the other coffee shops.

The train was right on time (of course) and we got on with not too many people. We are finding that one end of a train trip starts kind of empty and then it gets more full as you get to the other end. One train (from Toulouse to Lyon, France) required seat reservations and the rest either recommended reservations or not. All it means is that if someone paid the extra 8 Euros for a reserved seat and you are sitting in it, you need to move to an empty seat. 

We sat next to a very interesting fellow named Roland who was a midget who had a career in the Circus. He was a really nice guy and very lively. He was known as the world’s smallest ringmaster on the circus circuit and started his career with Barnum and Bailey in the US. Very interesting and pleasant man.

We didn’t reserve seats today and I got moved one stop from the end of the day. I ended up sitting with a young couple from India with a 2 year old which was fun.

We arrived in Innsbruck around 2:30, found the hotel and checked in and then wandered around the old city. We had a drink and became fast friends with a couple from Montreal. He was a retired civil engineer and she was a retired notary traveling to Barcelona for his son’s wedding. Meeting strangers is the best part of travel.

We had dinner at a German/Austrian restaurant and had schnitzel and sausages. Then more walking around the old town, coffee/tea at a cafe  and then back to the hotel. Tomorrow calls for some rain so we are planning accordingly for tomorrow.

Aug 29, 2026 - Saturday - Hiking in Grindelwald

Our hotel gave us breakfast and we had fun talking with the other guests. Some German, some Australian, and others we did not figure out. Once we left France, we heard more English being spoken. Most everyone here can speak some English so we feel fortunate we can communicate easily.

Today we took the train to Grindelwald and then took a long gondola ride to Grindelwald-First. Then we hiked into a small lake called Bachalpsee.The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and we had great views of the famous Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. We rode the gondola with three people from Massachusetts and a young woman from Canada who just took a job in London. We bumped into them a few times during the day. A very fun group in the gondola.

The hike was about 5 miles out and back and not too strenuous. A lot of people were doing the same hike so lots of company. But the views were to die for and the weather was fantastic. We had lunch at the lake with bread, cheese, fruit and licorice. Then back down the trail, back down the gondola, back down to Interlaken on the train, picked up some groceries and then back to the hotel (on the bus). The scenery from the hotel on this blue sky day was gorgeous, so we enjoyed hanging out on the terrace and taking in the view.

Aug 28 2026 - Friday - Annecy, France to Interlaken, Switzerland

Today is a train day. Three different trains with reasonable connections and everything worked. The first train was Annecy to Geneva. The next train was Geneva to Bern, and the last train was Bern to Interlaken. 

We got coffee at a small sidewalk bar which must have been known all over town as the place to drink coffee and smoke. Then to the farmers market on the streets in Annecy and bought a small loaf of bread, a wedge of brie, some apricots and bananas for our breakfast/lunch today. Again, food here is much less expensive than back in the states! Then to the train station where we found the track for the train to Geneva. Plenty of room on the train. The next train was interesting. We sat in a small cluster of seats with handicapped signs. Plenty of room. A few stops down the tracks at least 4 people in wheelchairs all crowded in and their support team started taking the tables apart to make room. We offered to move out but they said they had plenty of room. We squeezed out from the disabled folks and then found our last train from Bern to Interlaken. Kudos to those people that take care of our handicapped!!

We got to Interlaken and put the directions in for our hotel. Deb promised me a life of adventures if I married her 41 years ago but walking a mile up a mountain road with no sidewalk, with the rain threatening, hauling my suitcase is not what I consider adventure. It was worth it (the marriage too) as the hotel has a beautiful balcony overlooking the town of Interlaken, the river that runs through it and the stunning mountains behind it. And 24 hour coffee and tea!

We heard from a fellow hotel guest that the second best fondue in town was in one of the hotels downtown so we figured out the bus (leaves every 30 minutes) to get us downtown and back. The fondue was great, the beer was great, Deb’s wine was pretty good,  and the bus ride home was smooth. Another fun train travel day. We will be here for two nights and tomorrow we go way up high and hike in the mountains.

Aug 27 2026 - Thursday - A day exploring Annecy

Great hotel with real air conditioning. All the walking leaves us hot and sweaty every night so the showers and AC are wonderful. And no construction workers at 2am!

Our room looks out on one of the canals in town but the flower boxes needed water, which we provided. Deb here for the rest!

I woke up early but as usual, John slept later. We wanted to “hit the streets” early to beat some of the crowds so we took off at about 8 a.m. First stop was for coffee and tea, and we had a nice chat with a brother and sister from South Africa who were visiting from Paris.

We then decided to visit the Basilica, perched up high. Smart move on our part since the temperature was still pretty cool in the morning. We looked inside (huge) and admired the views of the city from on high, and then went down the hill back into the old city to look for a bit of breakfast. Most places weren’t open, but we stopped at a patisserie and enjoyed croissants, cappuccino and hot chocolate. All delicious, of course!

By this time the Chateau d’Annecy was open, so we walked up and visited the Chateau and Museum there. So much history… too much to keep track of! The chateau was first built in the 13th century, then added on to by various owners, finally turned over for military barracks until 1947, then abandoned and inhabited by 350+ homeless people until 1960 something, when it was finally turned into a museum. They’ve done a great job of using the rooms for exhibits, some art and some historical. Really a great visit, with an entry price of only 7 euros. 

By this time it was 12:30, and time to find a bagel place we’d stumbled on last night. We walked there and had delicious bagel sandwiches (smoked salmon for John and pastrami for me), then walked on to the boat dock for our 2 p.m. cruise on the lake.

We’d bought tickets for the boat tour last night and it turned out to be a smart move. It was a 1.5 hour cruise that took us all the way down the lake and back, with narration in both French and English. By this time the temperature was hot (91 today), so being out on the lake felt really good.

Once back we stopped at a cafe for water (we were dehydrated by this time) and a wine and beer. What else can you do when you’re in France?!

John and I parted ways, with him heading back to the hotel and me walking to a nearby beach. I’d been drooling over the blue lake water, wanting so badly to go for a swim, so I’d packed my suit in my backpack this morning. A 15 minute walk and I was there and the water was so refreshing and a perfect temperature. The beach was packed and it was fun watching everyone enjoy the water. Two lifeguards for the swimming area, but with a floating dock that included a water slide it was all barely controlled chaos. Watching the kids do flips off the dock while others were whizzing down the slide made me really glad I wasn’t the lifeguard!

Back to the hotel for showers. 

We’d decided to eat at a restaurant called Tete de Cochon, which opened at 7. We walked there in time to get there right after it opened and had a delicious meal. Dinner salads, bread, wine, beer and wonderful desserts (raspberry crostada for me and chocolate fondant for John). One of the waiters was a comedian wannabe and we were all laughing and enjoying our meals. A nice walk back through town to our hotel.

Aug 26 2026 - Weds - Toulouse, France to Hotel la Cour du 6, Annecy, France

Our train leaves at 7:30 so we had to get up a little early to catch the Metro to the train station. We packed up last night so a few last minute things like cleaning out the refrigerator. And pack the last few things. We used the last punch on the Metro card last night so we had to tap our credit cards to get on the Metro. One stop and we were at the train station. We were early enough to get coffee and tea and watch the big board. They put all the trains on a big jumbo-tron but you have to wait for them to post the track number, which is about 20 minutes before the train leaves. Our train turned up on track 10 and a big bunch of people headed down the escalators and followed the signs to track 10. Deb reserved seats for the first four hours to Lyon since they are required for this train. The nice train lady scanned our reserved seat tickets and off we went.

This train had a bar car and I got the last cappuccino before the machine broke so poor Deb went without even though she went to get our drinks.

In Lyon we had a 15 minute transfer but it turned out we got off one track from the next train to Annecy. This train did not have reserved seats so it was just to get on and find two seats. Our suitcases got dropped in the racks by the doors. This was an older train but very clean and well kept. We had our lunch of crackers and cheese and a couple apricots from our refrigerator cleanout earlier this morning.

After another two hours we arrived in Annecy and Google Maps got us to the hotel, by way of a stop at a cafe for wine and beer. We were an hour early but our (air conditioned!) room was ready so we dropped our luggage off and decided to walk around the city to get our bearings. Annecy is beautiful but swarmed with lots of tourists. We stopped in the tourist info place, picked up a bunch of information and wandered around town and by the lake. We’d asked the employee at the tourist info office for a recommendation for good burgers (we’d had enough bread and cheese for a bit) and he suggested Pebble, which opened at 6:30 p.m. 

After checking out the large and lovely park on the waterfront and some of the canals we walked to Pebble, got our delicious burgers and then walked back to the hotel to call it a night.

Aug 25 2026 - Tuesday - Halle des Machines

 

Today we all went in the morning to see the Minotaur at the Halle des Machines. Take engineers and artists and put them in a building with a lot of resources and let them go wild. Wonderful place, sort of like the Steampunk machines we had seen in New Zealand. The Minitoar is a three story mechanical beast complete with hydraulic arms, legs, tail, lungs and head. About a hundred people climb onto this thing and you get a 30 minute ride around the grounds with the thing bellowing and snorting. Poor Alex was scared and I don’t blame him. Yikes. Lots of fun.

The rest of the building has smaller but equally impressive machines and quite a few just plain weird machines as well. It reminded us of Bisbee. Wonderful.

We had lunch in the Cafe there and then after lunch Deb & I went to the L’Envol des Pioniers museum next door while Jake did some work and Nath kept the kids busy napping and chasing bugs. France started flying during World War 1 and built an aviation industry here up until 1933 when all the aviation business merged to make Air France. Toulouse is still a big Airbus hub.

We walked to the bus stop and got the afternoon bus back to Jake and Nath’s. We said our goodbyes tonight since Deb and I had a list of things to do to get ready for our early train in the morning.

Aug 24 2026 - Monday - Day with the kids in Toulouse

We had breakfast in the hotel because it is just so easy and reasonable and the coffee is great. The plan is to give Jake and Nath a day off from the kids. Jake brought the kids here to our hotel and hung out a while (mooching the good coffee). After Jake left we took the kids to the park near the observatory. This town has a history of scientific people and it is the home of the French aviation industry with Airbus headquarters here. The playground had really high slides accessible through rope ladders, which are a little above the kids’ abilities (they are 2 years and 4 months), but they tried anyway and Alex got up one of the safer ones but couldn’t lift himself up through the hole in the floor at the top, so Pop helped him climb back down. Maybe in another year…

The park workers asked everyone to leave the park since they were trimming all the trees today. We had just had lunch so we walked all over looking for another park. We found a patisserie and got the kids snacks, then walked around some more. A lot of miles today but a great way to discover the old back streets. We did find a park late in the day with both kids asleep. Jake joined us and we went back to the hotel hoping to swim but one of the kids was still sleeping so we hung out in the lobby and ate snacks. We decided to bag the swimming thing since by this time rain and thunder were threatening, and we said goodbye, showers, light dinner in the room and bed.

Aug 23 - Sunday - Bagnenes-de-Luchon (France)

Deb didn’t sleep well because the brass bands played until midnight. I woke up once because an ambulance was in the street outside with its light on. Other than that it was interesting to wake up in a really really old house with floorboards hundreds of years old and plumbing that mostly worked. 

Luchon is a couple centuries old town (yup, BC kind of old) and it currently has a population of about 2,700 people. This weekend is a big deal and it attracts a lot of people to see the flower floats and brass bands and to drink a little too much. When we walk the narrow old side streets we can almost imagine the town a hundred years ago. We think what put it on the map were the hot baths since they have some kind of thermo-hydro thing going on, and they built lots of entertaining things in the late 1800’s like a funicular and parks and baths. Some of these things still exist and some have crumbled away. Luchon is the last stop on the train so that was good luck on their part.

But this weekend all the restaurants and bakeries and bars and cafes were booming. A small boulangerie across the street had a line out the door this morning so it must be a popular spot for the locals.

We had breakfast in the AirBnB, a special giant muffin of some kind (tourte aux myrtilles) that fed us all, then spent the morning walking the kids (wearing them out, an endless job). The brass bands sobered up in time for the 10:00 schedule. There were 4 bands roaming around and they would assemble far enough from each other so they could not hear the other bands. There were old restored cars parked on thcarousel lunch but we forgot all about that when we went back to hear more bands and wade through all the people again.

We decided to catch the 2:30 train which worked out perfectly. The floats, pulled by old tractors, began their parade right in front of the train station so we got to see all the floats while waiting for the train.

The train was kind of full but we all found seats and it was a two hour ride back to Toulouse with one train transfer in the middle.

We took the Metro back to the hotel and said our goodbyes. Jake and Nath said the kids collapsed after a nice bath, and so did we.

August 22, 2026 Toulouse to Bagneres-de-Luchon, France

Deb here. Big day today that started with a 7 a.m. train ride and 6:30 meeting time at the metro stop. In September 2024, Hannah and I had met in Toulouse and taken a train to Cauterets, France for a hiking trip on the GR-10 through the Pyrenees. 7 days later we ended at Bagneres-de-Luchon, France and I’d often told John that I’d love to go back to that part of the country with him. Well, Nath knew I’d been interested in re-visiting the area and kindly researched options to get us into the Pyrenees for a weekend. Bagneres-de-Luchon is accessible by train from Toulouse (about a 2 hour ride), so we decided to go for it. She researched and scored an Air BnB in Luchon and also found out that this weekend is the annual Fete des Fleurs (Festival of Flowers) in town which met some special goings-on.

We successfully boarded the train at 7 and by 9 we were in Bagneres-de-Luchon. When Hannah and I had ended our hike there we’d had bad weather, with heavy rain, so had never seen the stunning mountain views in every direction. We pulled into the train station and started walking, with our first stop for coffees/tea and some pastries at a local shop. We walked through town and saw some flower floats under construction, massive chicken wire sculptures covered in different color chrysanthemums. Eventually we arrived at the base of the Telecabine Cremailliere Express, a gondola that took us to the top of the Superbagneres ski area. The top of the ski area is where Hannah and I ended our hike two years ago, with much colder and cloudier weather, and we’d waited several hours for a ride down the mountain, hanging out at La Chapelle Restaurant near the top. 

Today’s weather was gorgeous, with 360 degree views of the Pyrenees. So, so beautiful! The twins had fun walking and running up top, with lots to check out. We eventually made our way to La Chapelle, where we sat outside and had a delicious lunch including buckwheat galettes with ham, cheese and egg, salads, a veggie burger, fries and drinks. The kids loved eating outside and toward the end of the meal Alex laid down and fell asleep on his bench! Jessie fell asleep too and we lingered over coffee/tea and a taste of dessert. All in all a lovely afternoon.

Back down the telecabine and by this time the town was hopping. The festival included several different town bands, all horns and drums and wow, were they great. Bands playing all over and the kids enjoyed listening to the music. We found our Air BnB and checked in there, and then Jake and Nath ran into a grocery store and picked up a few things for an easy dinner, since we’d had such a big lunch. 

The kids (and adults) were exhausted, so Jake and Nath put them down early. John was ready to call it quits for the evening but I talked him into walking into town (only a couple of blocks from our Air BnB to the main drag), which turned out to be fun. More bands and so many people out and about enjoying the beautiful evening. We stopped for gelato on our way back and called it a night by 9 p.m.

Aug 21, 2026 Toulouse city tour

Today we decided to stay in Toulouse and go downtown to see an old monastery and the Capitole part of town where the city government buildings are. But first we took the kids to the playground to pre-wear them out. Lots of other young kids were there so it was a nice family scene. And it is only a 5 minutes walk from their apartment.

After the playground, we took the Metro to the Capitole stop (we bought 10 trip tickets earlier this week). We can see why it is so easy to not own a car here since the transportation is easy and cheap.

We found the monastery which, like everything here, is centuries old. Its low point was the early 1800’s when it was used by the military and suffered a lot of damage, but during the late 1800’s people started to recognize it’s importance and it has been under restoration since then. Tourists make it worthwhile. 

One thing we notice is a lack of foreigners here. Not much English is spoken on the street. We think the French are the ones playing tourists in their own country. Most literature and signs are French first and usually a small description in English and Spanish (Spain is just down the street). And everyone we met spoke some English which we were thankful for when Jake and Nath were not around.

At mid-day we found a small coffee shop and the kids slept while Jake worked. Deb and I walked down to the riverfront park, which was saved in the 70’s from becoming a 4 lane turnpike. Now it’s a sandy beach with boat tours and a big ferris wheel. Deb and I got a couple of drinks and sat in the shade and enjoyed a nice breeze on a not too hot afternoon.

Jake & Nath and the kids took the metro home and we did the same after. It is wonderful to walk through the little streets on a busy Friday afternoon. All the stone buildings and old wooden doors and bikes and scooters and little tiny cars.

We found the subway and went back to our apartment, rested a bit and then walked over to Jake and Nath’s. Nath’s niece Claire was there visiting. We had not seen here since she came to Tijuana after the babies were born so it was nice to catch up.

We said our goodbyes and stopped at the Carre Four grocery store and picked up a couple of things to eat for dinner. Then home to shower and do laundry. Another great day in France.

August 20, 2026 Toulouse, France with a visit to Carcassonne for the day.

We met early at the Jolimont Metro stop behind our hotel. We only go one stop to get to the Toulouse Matabiau - SNCF stop which is where we catch the main train station to get on the TGV (fast train). Nathalie bought our tickets (cause she knows how to do it) and we took the very fast train (first class by the way for 6 euros more) for 45 minutes or so to get to Carcassonne. This is a very old, like before Christ old, walled city. All six of us walked the ramparts all the way around the wall (those kids have strong legs) and then made and bought lunch in the public square just inside the castle. The kids still had more juice so we went into the castle proper and walked its perimeter and inside the castle itself.

The kids' normal cycle is to run around all morning and then around 1-2 pm fall asleep in the stroller for an hour or two. This is when the adults can relax and enjoy a coffee. Pretty good schedule. We had to push the sleeping kids in their stroller down out of the castle and walk all the way through the newer part of town toward the train station and then had our relaxing drinks in the square. 

Then back on the medium speed train when we activated our Eurail passes. We got back to Toulouse and went back to our respective abodes. Deb and I got showers and then walked out to a nearby pizza place (no we did not get French Tacos since they seemed unrecognizable) then back to our place to crash.

August 19, 2026 Toulouse, France

Deb here. Another hot and sunny day, with temps forecast well into the 90’s once again. We enjoyed another hotel breakfast buffet (yogurts, scrambled eggs, mini fresh pastries, meats, cheeses, baguettes, fruit) and then walked over to Jake and Nath’s. Today’s plan was to take the metro downtown, walking through the historic area and ending up at Jardin des Plantes, a large urban park. What a lovely city Toulouse is, with gorgeous brick and stucco buildings with wrought iron balconies. We walked all through the narrow streets and Alex and Jessie are quite the walkers, choosing to walk more than ride in their stoller. We wandered through a cathedral and Place des Carmes, where we stopped to pick up a couple of mini-quiches and salads for lunch. Again, such good food here.

Eventually we made it to the gardens, where we had some lunch, coffees/teas and the kids fell asleep in their stroller. That’s the pattern here, wear them out in the morning through lunch and then they sleep in their stroller for a couple of hours. Not a bad set-up. Jacob manages to carve out some work time during their nap.

In mid-afternoon we walked back to the metro and back home, stopping at the Carre Four for Jake and Nath to shop. Managing the twins in the grocery store was quite the experience, but we made it through and walked back to their apartment. Jacob disappeared for his 4 p.m. meeting and we hung out with the kids and Nath watching The Sound of Music (good prep for our upcoming Salzburg visit). Nath served an early dinner for the kids and us and about 6 we wandered back to our place for the night. Another full day!

August 18, 2026 Toulouse, France

Deb here. We slept pretty well but our 6th floor room was hot. Apparently the limited air conditioning/cooling system isn’t working well, which from what we heard is par for the course in France. Southern France has been heating up every year but the French aren’t equipped with much in the way of cooling, so everywhere’s warm. We enjoyed the great hotel breakfast (15 euros/person but really good) and mainlined coffee and tea before walking to Jake and Nath’s. The plan for the day was a visit to Citi Espace Toulouse, a space center. Nath and the kids had been there but Jacob hadn’t, so we boarded a bus to take us there. The twins are loving public transportation and are pretty familiar with riding the bus, metro and train. Public transportation here is really good.

We toured the space center, first visiting all of the displays on the grounds outside before going into the kids’ area. Toulouse is a hub in France for the space industry, and the Airbus headquarters are here, meaning something on the order of 30,000 jobs locally tied into the space and flight business. Who knew? 

We stopped early on for coffee/tea, then had a great lunch later at one of the cafes on site. Each time we’ve been in Europe I’m struck by the amazing good, local food beautifully prepared. Here we were at a tourist attraction cafe and eating beautiful fresh salads, on real plates and real silverware and people are all enjoying their experience. No pre-made pre-wrapped nuggets and fries here! The American food industry could seriously learn a lot from the French.

The kids fell asleep in their stoller after lunch, so we toured a bit of another building for a while. Jacob’s work schedule allows him to spend mornings/early afternoons with the kids, then work late afternoon and evenings. Not ideal for his sleep, but he’s getting it done. We headed back to their apartment for dinner and then back to our place to crash once again, stopping at the beautiful Carre Four for some groceries along the way. Food prices here are much less than the U.S. and the quality is much better.

August 17, 2026 Toulouse, France

Deb here. Landed in Toulouse by 3:30 p.m., picked up our bags and scheduled an Uber to take us to our lodging for the next 9 days. We’re staying at Aparthotel Adagio Access Toulouse Jolimont, only about a half mile from where Jake, Nath and the twins are living for a couple of months. Toulouse has been in the midst of a major heatwave, and wow, was it hot and humid. We checked in, dropped our stuff, contacted Jake and Nath and headed over to their place. They wanted to put the kids to sleep before we showed up or they thought they’d never get them to bed! We had a nice visit with them and stumbled back to our place for a good night’s sleep.

August 16 to August 17, 2026 Bisbee, AZ to Toulouse, France

Deb here. After a long time in the works the day was finally here to begin our multi-part European adventure. Our American Airways flight didn’t leave Tucson until early afternoon, so we had a leisurely start to the day eating breakfast at home and preparing the house for our 5-week absence. By 8:45 a.m. we were ready to go, about half an hour before we needed to, but we made the wise decision to get on on the road. As it turned out this was a brilliant move on our part, since we made it to Benson only to learn the I-10 was closed due to a bad accident. This meant we had to turn around and go all the way through Sonoita, leading to a 45 minute or so detour that was a little nerve wracking. Anyway, made it to the airport an hour and a quarter before the flight so all was good to go.

From there it was a flight to Dallas, long layover in Dallas and dinner at TGI Friday’s (not bad for an airport) and finally the long 9 hour or so flight to London. All went incident free, and although we were in economy I’d managed to score 2 seats by ourselves so not all that bad. Once at Heathrow we had about a 2 hour layover and then boarded our final flight to Toulouse on British Airways. Another 2 hours and voila, we were in Toulouse! All flights on time, even a bit early and our luggage made it. No complaints!

June 27, 2026 Long Point FS Campground CA to Chico CA

This campground is a keeper. View through the trees of the lake, good privacy, only 38 sites, nice host and only $18 (with my senior pass). We used up all the firewood last night with a sunset fire (but the clouds disappointed us) and had popcorn (with our handy dandy microwave).

This morning we had cold cereal and decided to head toward Chico, CA for one last hotel room.

We drove the 5 extra miles to the other two campgrounds way up here and we picked the right one since the other one was big and crowded and the sites were on top of each other. We did not bother with the other big campground since it was not on the lake and our host said it was another big one.

We made it 16 miles (plus 5) off the mountain and headed to Portola, CA where the Western Pacific Railroad Museum is located. This railroad ran from the early 1900’s until it was absorbed by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1982. It is run by volunteers and they give train rides on the weekend. The guide on the train ride said they have way too many engines and cars and cabooses and people keep trying to give them more. About 5 of the engines operate and they must have another dozen sitting in the yard. It looks like they also inherited the old Western Pacific maintenance facilities so they have all the resources except money. But all the volunteers seem pretty excited about trains so it’s a very pleasant museum.

Next stop was The Polka Dot in Quincy, which is an old fashioned burger-fry-shake place for lunch. The real deal. Very friendly folks, not to be missed.

The rest of the afternoon was spent blissfully driving Rt 70, also known as the Feather River Canyon Scenic Byway, which we had no idea was a really twisty road down a canyon through the mountains. The river was a big kayaker's paradise so we saw a lot of them. Small hydro dams all the way down the canyon created reservoir after reservoir.

At the end of the afternoon Rt 70 climbed out of the canyon and dumped us on the high hilly dry country. This ends our survey of the beautiful north and northeast parts of California. Tomorrow we drive to Sacramento to spend the week with the grandkids. Tonight it’s hot showers and pizza out somewhere.

June 26, 2026 KOA Journey Campground, Klamath Falls, OR to Long Point USFS Campground, Milford, CA

Deb here again. It rained a bit overnight but it was clear in the morning. We left the campground by 8, having filled up our water and used the dump station, and stopped at Casey’s Diner in Klamath Falls for breakfast. Great local place with attitude (it said so on their signs), serving up all the breakfast classics and hot coffee. From there it was on to gas and a Safeway for a few groceries. 

We decided to head east on Rt 140 out of Klamath Falls, planning to catch Rt 395 right near the California border in Lakeview. As John always teases me, I have a state road map obsession. The atlas and Google Maps are great, but I can always find more detail via a state map and today I proved my point. I don’t always pay attention to red squares on maps, but I saw two places on 140 that needed investigating. Both turned out to be “who knew?” moments that were pretty interesting. First was passing near Mitchell Recreation Area, where we learned that the only casualties from a bombing in the US during WWII took place there. Apparently in 1945 a local minister, his pregnant wife and 5 kids from Sunday school were on a picnic outing and one of the kids found a Japanese balloon bomb. The woman and kids all went to investigate and the bomb exploded, a really sad event killing most of the group. There’s a lot of info about the event online, including details on how many balloon bombs were dropped on the US and that the Japanese scientist who developed the ordinances visited the spot years later, laid a wreath on the spot and apologized to the families.

Onward we drove, eventually arriving at the second red square on the map for the day. This one was listed as Geyser, not far out of Lakeview. There’s a geyser that’s been named “Old Perpetual” that erupts 60 feet into the air every 90 seconds. Lots of geothermal activity in the area and apparently Old Perpetual was faithful until 2009 when it stopped erupting until 2015. The info on this one said that in 2009 the local correctional facility started tapping into the geothermal for their hot water and that’s when the geyser stopped erupting. You can’t get close to it since it’s part of a hot springs “resort” that’s currently closed down, but we saw it from a distance.

On we went, back into California on 395. Lots of agriculture and big valleys with mountains in the distance. I found a USFS campsite for the night that looked good outside of Janesville so that was our goal.

We stopped in Susanville for a break (and a McDonalds coffee) and then back in the van for the final drive. It was quite a drive up here, all on a paved and twisty road. I think we went about 20 miles to reach Antelope Lake and our campground, climbing through lots of forest, rocks and a burned area. This campsite is another Forest Service gem, sitting on Antelope Lake and perfect for water activities. I talked with the camp host who pointed me to a great site, #22, that’s at the far end of the 38 campsite loop and looks through the trees to the water. The water was really warm, but a very cool wind was blowing so I wimped out on a swim. Walking, reading, dinner, campfire and no internet. A perfect end to the day!

June 25, 2026 Cooper Gulch USFS Campground, CA to KOA Journey Campground, Klamath Falls, OR

Deb here. I woke up at 6 and headed outside with my cup of tea to enjoy the sunshine and solidtude of the lake. So beautiful and peaceful, with lots of birdsong and a few fish jumping. Perfect.

We made breakfast sandwiches in the van and packed up and were on the road by 8:30 a.m. or so. The plan today was to see some more of northern California, so we decided to continue on Rt 299, which travels northeast. Not long into our drive we came to lots of brown National Park Service signs about entering Whiskeytown, complete with direction signs to camping, hikes, historic sites, etc. and we eventually found a visitor center. Who knew that Whiskeytown Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area exists and that it’s protected through the park service? Apparently John F. Kennedy was instrumental in turning the area into a recreational area after the big dam was built. It encompasses a huge area and is a primo spot for boaters and fishermen. 

On through Redding, with stops for McDonalds, gas, Starbucks and Subway (for a sandwich on the road),  then northeast to Burney and beyond. There was a major delay due to roadwork twice today, with one of the holdups being over 30 minutes long. These east/west roads all seem to be twisty and filled with passes, so the roadwork needed to maintain them is extensive. 

In Canby we made the decision to turn off of Rt 299 onto Rt 139, heading across the border into Oregon. We’d hoped to make a visit to Tulelake National Monumentt, which we learned was a Japanese Deportation Center during WWII, but unfortunately it’s only open Friday-Monday and today was Thursday.

By this time I was antsy to be done for the day. After last night’s amazing USFS campsite I’d hoped to find another similar site tonight. Unfortunately, between almost non-existent cell service and a lack of public lands up this way, no such luck. We ended up booking a site at KOA Journey in Klamath Falls, which turned out to be a perfect move. We arrived at 3:30, took showers, did our bags of laundry and talked with both Hannah and Jake (and the gang). Later we went out to dinner at Common Block Brewing Co. for a great shared dnner of burger and Cobb salad, along with a local cider and local beer. 

Back to the KOA for reading and sleep.