FROM THE GOLD COAST
TO THE SPACE COAST

I arrived in Sebastopol, California in the last week of October. Sebastopol is located about 60 miles north of San Francisco and about 15 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. The local area has a Mediterranean climate, which means it has very wet winters and hot summers. The area has a lot of dairy farms and vineyards and is one of the most popular and famous wine producing regions in the world.

There was a lot of excitement in the air as the celebration of Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) was near.

Families celebrate this time on November 1st by visiting the cemeteries and graves of their families and friends who have passed on. I went to the Sonoma County Museum to celebrate with the local Mexican & Indian peoples.

There was a lot of food and fun and everybody enjoyed watching the native drummers and dancers and viewing the many exhibits.

Wow, what an exciting day. But that was just the beginning. I also had the chance to visit the school where they filmed one of the most famous scary movies of all time, The Birds. It was pretty neat, but I wasn't scared at all.

I was surprised to find out how many movies have been filmed in the local area: The Birds; Phenomenon; Reasonable Doubt; Peggy Sue got Married; Mumford; the Fog; Scream; Village of the Damned, and almost a gazillion more.

I even found this other old school house on the way out to our final stop of our Day of the Dead activities. Do you notice anything special about this old school house?

My last stop of the day was at a memorial erected to remember the great tragedy of a 7-year-old American boy killed in Italy, and celebrate the life giving gifts that he left for so many. His name was Nicholas Green and he was killed by robbers while on vacation. The donation of his organs saved the lives of seven local children.

The memorial was created with 140 bells sent mostly by Italian children and families. The Marinelli foundry in Italy made the center bell. It has been making bells for the Popes for a thousand years. Pope John Paul II even went to the foundry and blessed the bell before it was shipped to the United States.

I sure had a full day. You can see in the picture that the sun was setting so I had to end my day there and go get some rest. I had to get ready for a very important and exciting event.

One of the most exciting things that November brings is Election Day. They don't call it Super Tuesday for nothing. I finally got my opportunity to cast my vote for President of the United States. It's important to always vote for whomever you think is best, and never let anyone tell you how to cast your vote, which is why they keep them sealed and private.

All that excitement got my energy going so I decided to try out a new sport. I can see why they call it a sport, but it's more like a treasure hunt. By using the new technology of global positioning satellites and the good old skills of hiking and tracking, people all over the world are hiding and finding each other's treasures.

Here I am with my very first Geocache. This one was called the Fourth Dwarf. It was hidden in the dunes at Bodega Bay by another geocacher who posted the coordinates on the internet. The precise location is N 38° 18.864 W 123 ° 02.468.I found the location by using a GPS receiver and hiking across the dunes. Always sign the logbook. You can still see my "I Voted" sticker.

My next stop on the Gold Coast was the place where the Gold Coast got it's name; San Francisco. In order to get to San Francisco from Sebastopol, I would be crossing the most famous bridge in the world. The Golden Gate Bridge was built in 1937, is over 1.7 miles long and has over 80,000 miles of wire in the two main cables. More than 40 million cars cross the Golden Gate Bridge every year. The views are spectacular.

On January 24, 1848, James Marshall found gold in the nearby American River. The gold rush started when Sam Brannan arrived in San Francisco with a bottle full of gold nuggets and shouted to the 2000 citizens about the find. In 1849, 38,000 men arrived by the sea and 42,000 by land. These men were called "The Forty-Niners" because the year was 1849. Brannan became the first millionaire of San Francisco. He didn't get that rich on gold, he sold shovels and pick axes.

Today, the metro population of San Francisco is over 7 million people. They still have some 49ers around, but they don't pan for gold, they play football. I watched them lose to the Miami Dolphins. They were the 2 worst teams in the NFL this year, but they both had legendary quarterbacks enter the Hall of Fame this year as well. Steve Young and Dan Marino are two of the best quarterbacks ever to play football.

Before I went all the way to the water, I wanted to visit Coit Tower. It was built in 1933 from the will of a rich lady who was always supportive of the city's fireman and all they had done for her and the city in the great earthquake of 1906. It is a 210' tower, shaped like a giant fire hose nozzle and standing atop a large hill with a beautiful panoramic view of all of San Francisco.

The Transamerica Pyramid is another landmark that dominates the skyline of the city. It is currently the tallest structure in San Francisco and can be seen from virtually anywhere in the city or any of the other places around the bay.

Some of the most Famous things in the city are the Cable Cars. They began running in 1873 and quickly became popular, as the steep grades were hard for horses and buggies to climb. They have been popular ever since. San Francisco cable cars are the only moving National Historic Landmark, and 9.7 million people take a nine-mile-per-hour ride on them each year. Hang on.

You can jump aboard a cable car in many spots throughout the city. This one is on California Street. I took it down to the waterfront and then I walked along the historic Embarcadero to pier 39 and the world famous Fisherman's Wharf. There were a lot of spots along the way where skateboarders and BMX riders were showing off their skills, but I wasn't looking for humans.

These are the newest residents of Pier 39's floating docks. They began arriving after the earthquake of 1989 and have overrun the docks with a population that swells to as many as 600 during the winter. Sea lions range along the Pacific coast from Vancouver to the southern tip of Baja.

That 40' lighthouse you see in the background is sitting atop Forbes Island. It is actually a man made island boat. Beneath the water is a dining salon appointed with turn of the century nautical artifacts, a full bar, wine cellar and two staterooms. The island features live palm trees, a sandy beach, a waterfall and a thatched Tahitian room.

The other lighthouse you can see from this spot is on a real island that looks like and is known as the Rock. It's the infamous Alcatraz. First used as a prison by the U.S. Army during the Civil War, "The Rock" became a maximum-security penitentiary in 1934.

Some famous names that did time at Alcatraz were Al Capone, bank robber Leon "Whitey" Thompson, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, and the "Birdman of Alcatraz," Robert Stroud. Over 35 escapes were attempted, but there is no evidence that anyone ever made it through the icy, shark-infested waters to freedom.

Well, there certainly are a lot of interesting and unique things to see and do in San Francisco. You could spend weeks walking around the city and still not see all of the beautiful and historic sights there are to see. But, I heard of a place where a modern 49er can go to spend all of his gold, so I packed my envelope and headed east.

Las Vegas is an oasis in the Mojave Desert of Nevada. Generally regarded as the gambling capital of the U.S., glitz is supplied in quantity by huge hotel/casino complexes, which offer inexpensive lodging and dining, as well as entertainment from glamorous stars. There are dozens of hotel/casinos on the famous Las Vegas Strip, each is like it's own theme park. I stayed at the Luxor, a 30 story black glass pyramid.

I was welcomed by a statue of Anubis, the Egyptian god of the underworld, and a statue of Ramses II, ruler of Egypt in the 19th dynasty. Ramses II is reputed to be the ruler of Egypt during the exodus of the Israelites in the Bible. He ruled for over 40 years and had over 100 children.

The Luxor is a magnificent resort hotel with an Egyptian theme. It has many artifacts and replicas of ancient Egypt in addition to having some of it's own unique claims to fame. For instance, the beam of light shining from the top of the Luxor hotel is the most powerful in the world. The equivalent of 40-billion candle power, the beam is visible to airplanes from a distance of 250 miles. They also have the "inclinator," a special elevator that rises at a 39-degree angle, but Egypt is everywhere you look.

This is what the sphinx probably looked like when it was first created. There is also King Tut's Tomb at Luxor, which is an exact replication of the burial chamber of King Tutankhamun as discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. The many statues and recreations kept me amazed for hours.

Even if you don't stay at the Luxor hotel-casino it would be well worth your time to come check out the many attractions and tours they have to offer. I could have stayed here for my entire visit, but I wanted to get a glimpse of another magical kingdom.

Excalibur is a fantastical resort themed on King Arthur's legendary kingdom of Camelot. According to legend, a young Arthur pulled the famed sword Excalibur from a stone, became king of the Britons, and from the greatest and most chivalrous warriors in Europe established the Knights of the Round Table. Many historians still argue on whether the story of Arthur is merely a romantic spin of fiction or if he was truly a king and hero of English history.

Whichever you believe, his knights of the round table are legendary. Many of these legends speak of the White Knight. He is generally represented as being the knight that is pure of heart and is tasked to uphold all that is right and just in his kingdom. In Camelot, both Sir Gawain and Sir Galahad, son of Lancelot, were considered pure of heart and could have been a white knight.

A popular story tells of Sir Gawain and Sir Galahad meeting a white knight weilding the shield of Joseph of Arimathea. Legends state that Joseph was a soldier of Pontias Pilate who had possessed the cup from Jesus' last supper.

Black knights, on the other hand, were rumored to be involved in all forms of dastardly deeds. In Arthurian legends, the Black Knight is often said to be Mordred, the son of Arthur and Morgan La Fey. One story says that in a final battle, Arthur deals Mordred a deadly blow, but in return, Mordred gives Arthur a wound that proved to be fatal.

My favorite version is that Mordred seized Guinevere and the throne while Arthur was away on his Roman campaign, thus paving the way for their final battle. Mordred survived the battle, only to be defeated by Lancelot who executed Guinevere and incarcerated Mordred with her dead body, which Mordred ate before dying of starvation. Ewww! He didn't seem that mean in person and he didn't try to eat anyone that day.

I had a lot of fun and learned a lot about ancient history and the Middle Ages from some very realistic recreations and presentations, without having to leave the United States. Although it would be great to see the original lands and places where these amazing stories and legends originated, I had a great time in Las Vegas. This was my last look at the pyramid and castle as I flew off to start another adventure.

What better place to continue learning about history than the oldest city in the U.S.A.? So I headed off to Florida. St. Augustine is on the east coast of Florida at N 29° 89, W 81° 31. It has a population of approximately 27,261 and an average annual temperature of 69 degrees F. It has the distinction of being the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States.

Juan Ponce de Leon landed here on April 3, 1513 and took possession of the area for Spain. Pedro Menendez de Aviles was sent in 1565 by King Phillip II to colonize the new area. The day he landed was the Feast Day of St. Augustine, so he named the settlement after St. Augustine.

During the 16th & 17th centuries, the area was plagued by pirates. Spain built Castillo de San Marcos in 1672 to protect her "treasure fleets" sailing from the new world back to Spain as well as protecting St. Augustine from the British, Georgians a nd Carolinians to the north. When St. Augustine burned, the Castillo held firm.

From San Carlos Bastion, the Soldiers of the Castillo had an incredible view of the inlet and a clear cannon shot at any ships that might have attacked, as they would be forced to squeeze their way through the tiny channel that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the city of St. Augustine.

Although the Castillo has served a number of nations throughout it's history, it has never been taken by military force. During the 18th century, the Castillo went from Spanish control to British and back to the Spanish, all by treaty. It became U.S. property when the Florida territories were purchased from Spain in 1821 for $5,000,000.

Today it is a national monument cared for by the National Park Service. Here I am with the Ranger. He taught me a lot about St. Augustine and the Castillo, he was very nice.

While in St Augustine, I decided to check out a local museum. But this wasn't just any museum, it was America's first permanent museum of the odd and unbelievable. In 1950, the first Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum was opened to the public with many never before seen oddities and curiosities on display.

The kind and helpful staff of the Ripley's Museum made sure that I had fun as well as learn about Mr. Ripley and his fascination with things obscure and amazing. Ripley was born in 1893 and became rich during the depression by producing cartoons about strange people and things. He traveled to over 200 different countries collecting facts and oddities, but he was born less than 5 miles from where I started my adventure in California.

One of the many things I enjoyed was the miniature carousel. It is an exact replica of an antique carousel with lots of gold, stones and mirrors. It has movable horses and plays a miniature pipe organ as it rotates round and round. I didn't learn much about history or geography while riding it, but it was fun.

After a full day of fun and adventure, it was time to head down the Atlantic coast to a spot deemed "the World's Most Famous Beach." Just about an hour south of St Augustine is Daytona Beach. It is a spring break destination for hundreds of thousands of college students each year. It is the site of the famous Daytona 500, one of Nascar's premier races, as well as being the Holy Land of Harley Davidson and other motorcycle fanatics.

There is always a great time to be had in Daytona and I made sure I got to soak up the local sun, fun and that famous carefree atmosphere. The seafood is excellent and the citrus from the nearby Indian River is some of the sweetest and tastiest fruit you'll ever find. I was soon looking for more of that old Florida charm and history, and it wasn't very far away.

This is the Seminole Rest Trail, an 18-foot high Indian shell mound. From 2000 BC to 1565 the Timucuan Indians used this site for fishing and shell fishing. The mound is made up of the millions of shells discarded by the Indians as they removed the shellfish over thousands of years. It is only one of dozens along the shore.

A bit further inland, we come to Sanford, the southernmost point on the Saint Johns River. The area was once bustling with steamships and barges making their way north toward Saint Augustine and into Jacksonville and the Atlantic Ocean ports before the days of superhighways and airplane travel. Today barges still run often up these waters but there is but a single riverboat that makes this journey on a regular basis.

The triple-decker Rivership Romance carries hundreds of passengers each day up the scenic and historical St Johns River. It is a wonderful way to see the unspoiled side of Florida and promises "the most scenic river boat cruise you've ever had the pleasure of boarding." Both locals and tourists are drawn to this city, which has been home and haven to generals, senators and even presidents. They come to enjoy the rich heritage and fashionable boutiques nearby.

There is a more sinister reason for my coming to Sanford. Though I have enjoyed the history lessons and seen some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable, I met a friend that promised to get me within inches of some of the most feared and primitive predators on the planet. I'm talking about the Florida Alligator. The locals call them Gators, but I call them scary.

The alligator is an amazing reptile, having survived almost unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. Having been hunted almost to the brink of extinction, it now thrives in almost every body of water in Florida. Capable of reaching lengths over 13 feet and weighing over 600 pounds, alligators have a crushing power of 3,000 psi (pounds per square inch) in their jaws.

As these ferocious and hungry gators began to move toward my shiny head, I learned something that is quite interesting and also very convenient. Alligators apparently like marshmallows. I just happened to have brought an entire bag of those soft, fluffy treats with me, so I got a chance to see some of nature's most fascinating animals enjoying the same sweet, gooey, goodness I love.

The alligator is a beautiful and spectacular creature. They are also the closest animals we have today that link with the dinosaurs of yesterday. So, I have found in Florida the oldest city in the United States, links to ancient Indians and a living cousin of the dinosaur. But what if I told you that this was just the beginning? Just 30 miles from the spot where I fed this primitive predator, they have sent men to the moon and are preparing to send them to Mars and beyond.

The Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral has been launching Americans into space since 1961, but it wasn't called Kennedy back then. In 1961, John F. Kennedy was just a young President talking to the American people about going to the moon from a little base at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Here I am in a Mercury module. Initiated in 1958 and completed in 1963, Project Mercury was the United States' first man-in-space program. The objectives of the program, which made six manned flights from 1961 to 1963, were to orbit a manned spacecraft around Earth, to investigate man's ability to function in space, and to recover both man and spacecraft safely. Of the 69 candidates that initially reported, only 7 were found to have "the right stuff."

The Saturn V was the largest operational launch vehicle ever produced. Standing over 363 feet high with it's Apollo Spacecraft payload, it produced over 7.5 million pounds of thrust at lift-off. Through Apollo 17 and Skylab, the Saturn V was a workhorse of the NASA fleet.

Before the Shuttle system, the Saturn V was the most prolific carrier of humans into space. It was the system that took us to the moon. In this model you can see the lunar lander module tucked safely into the cone of the rocket, along with a lunar Rover. The Rovers were 10 ft, 2 inches long and 6 ft wide, weighed 462 lbs, and had speeds of up to 9 miles per hour. Altogether, three Rovers were used on the Lunar surface and driven a total of 54.8 miles

We live in very exciting times. The Hubble Telescope is still giving us awesome pictures of the universe and the James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to launch in 2011. The building of the International Space Station resumes this year with Shuttle Discovery and the twin rovers Spirit and Opportunity scramble across Mars continuously sending us important and exciting new information on the planet most like ours in the solar system.

The space program has come a long way since the Mercury and Apollo missions, and the many improving technologies through the years, such as exploration, telecommunication, medicine, and global positioning, have come to rely on improved technologies of spacecraft, such as the Shuttle systems, DART, and the International Space Station.

It will be very interesting to see the creation of the new technologies we will need to rely upon as our attention turns to putting mankind on Mars. But whatever will be required to continue exploring our solar system and beyond, the John F. Kennedy Space Center promises to maintain it's prominent spot on the Space Coast of the United States and the entire Earth.

I had a very exciting winter. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about geography, history, science and a lot of other stuff, even some math. With springtime right around the corner, I began thinking of how I would spend my Spring break before heading back home. As luck would have it, some flat friends of mine told me of some activities I might enjoy. On the Nevada-California line is one of the most popular resort destinations in America.

Lake Tahoe is the second deepest lake in the United States and the tenth deepest in the world. Lake Tahoe is the North American Continent's largest Alpine lake. It is 22 miles long, 12 miles wide and has 72 miles of shoreline and is home to Heavenly, the largest bistate ski and snowboarding resort in the United States and it was packed with skiers and boarders from all over the world.

I chose to rip the Alpine countryside on a Ski-doo 380. It jumps the bumps, hugs the corners and has a top speed of "I can barely hold on." The mountains run all the way around the lake but I chose to ride at Northstar at Tahoe, which gave me a chance to ride really fast across the frozen Watson Lake.

The snow season was over but there were still plenty of snow banks deep enough to swallow up a snowmobile. That got me thinking of how rough it must have been to the early settlers trying to move from the east coast to the west coast before there were roads and trails through the snowy mountain ranges. Then I heard about a famous, even infamous group of pioneers that had camped nearby during a very harsh winter.

The Donner Party was one of many wagon trains heading west. They decided to take a new route, rumored to be much easier and save hundreds of miles. But in a nasty November snowstorm of 1946, they were unable to cross the Pass. They returned to the Lake and built cabins, slaughtered their cattle for food, and used hides as roofs. Having exhausted all of their resources, many of them resorted to cannibalism to survive.

The survivors of the Donner Party eventually made it to the California coast. I decided to follow a similar route, but I had the advantage of modern highways and restaurants along the way. Once on the coast, I was lucky enough to have a modern wetsuit to keep me dry and warm. This beautiful coastline must have been a paradise to those that made that 1st perilous journey.

As my adventure was coming to a close, I had an opportunity to stop by and visit those flat friends I mentioned earlier. They have been famous for many, many years. As a matter of fact, I don't think I know anyone that hasn't heard of them.

Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang were created by Charles M. Schulz more than 50 years ago. By the time of Schulz' retirement in 1999, Peanuts had appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers worldwide, and over 20,000 products had been developed based on Peanuts. Some of the most famous and popular people I know are flat.

Good grief! It was time for my adventure to end and for me to pack my envelopes and head back to Ft. Meade. I made a lot of new friends, some flat, some not, and visited a lot of interesting places and things, but I couldn't wait to see and hear about what the other Stanleys had been up to while I was away. They had better be prepared for an amazing adventure through the incredible landscapes and history of America and it's peoples if they ever decide to journey from the Gold Coast to the Space Coast.