West Coast Walk

Day 106 Journal

2005-08-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

WE MADE IT

We got to Vancouver! It was a gentle (but long) walk into the University of British Columbia where there was a fantastic reception and presentation organized by the clubs here in Vancouver.

I can't tell you what a relief it is to be finished - it's been a long and tiring trip, not just because of the walking but also the constant moving about from home to home, living out of the back of our jeep.

Well there is lots to say but I will keep this short.

Firstly I want to say what an incredible effort Clare King has added to this project. She has made an enormous sacrifice to come out and do this and she has done an excellent job in making sure everything went smoothly. Without Clare there is no chance that this project would ever have happened, so thanks Clare - you were amazing.

Thanks also go to the countless other people who have contributed to this project. We have interacted with hundreds and hundreds of people who have shown enthusiasm and support to us, keeping us going when times were tough. Thanks to you all.

We are in Vancouver having a bit of R&R now! I'll drop some updates in due course and will detail a final fundraising total when we have it.

If anyone still wants to donate, please do. Every penny counts, so help support the cause.

Take care and more soon.
N

Day 105 Journal

2005-08-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

O Canada

Starting from Ferndale, I was joined by none other than Michael Wagner, former president of CotoRancho Rotary who has flown up here for the finale! Having met me at the Mexico/USA border on Day 1, it was fitting that Mike was going to walk with me to Canada!

We enjoyed a warm walk through the final stretch of the USA, eventually arriving at the Peace Arch border crossing where we were met by a group of local Rotarians and TV crew.

It was great to make that single step from the USA to Canada, where it really felt like a significant achievement to have walked all the way here from Mexico! It feels amazing to be here!

We had to go through Canadian immigration and undergo a mini-interrogation by a particularly unplesant border official who seemed very interested in knowing my bank balance?!? Well, we made it through regardless and finished up a short way into British Columbia.

Tomorrow is the final stretch - what a feeling that will be! We will be finishing at the University of British Columbia tomorrow at 1400 local time. Then it will be time to celebrate.

And well done to West Ham United who made today even more exciting by getting off to the best possible start!

More soon. Take care,
N

Day 104 Journal

2005-08-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

I can smell Canada

Well this was the last full day of walking in the USA! It was an uneventful day of walking, finishing just north of Bellingham.

Tomorrow I will cross the border (I hope they let me in!) which will be an amazing feeling I'm sure. Hard to believe that there are but two days left to walk! We are getting excited!

Well, more tomorrow. Have a good weekend and COME ON YOU HAMMERS!!!

N

Day 103 Journal

2005-08-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

Another Day

Well, very little to say about today other than that it involved another 28 miles of walking, leaving just three days to go until the bitter end! It was a cool, cloudy day as I walked through some nice green countryside here in Northern Washington.

Not much more to say today! See you soon.
N

Day 101 and 102 Journals

2005-08-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

Rain

Well, another two days done, and only 4 to go now until the end!

Yesterday was a very hot and dusty walk, leaving the urban sprawl of Seattle and heading into more rural areas. It was a nice enough walk though, and for a special treat my Mother, who has arrived here to be with us for the grand finale, came out to walk with me for the last couple of miles. It’s always nice to have some company for the last part of each day, and she kept up with me without any problems!

Today it rained finally! After the impeccable weather we have had thus far, we finally had a bit of rain so I got to don my exciting wet weather gear! The rain was far from severe and only lasted for the early part of the day, but it was rain nonetheless!

Well, it’s another day gone, and it actually breezed by rather quickly! We’re almost there.

More soon
N

Day 100 Journal

2005-08-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Seattle

A busy day today, starting with a live TV interview which was fun, then a walk right through downtown Seattle which was beautiful, particularly on this wonderfully sunny day.

After another live TV interview in town, I marched North along the very busy Highway 99 out of town for the rest of the day. It was an unspectacular yet pleasant walk with little incident.

We are staying in Edmonds, overlooking the Puget Sound, upon which we first stayed last week in Olympia.

Well, there are now but 6 days to go and there is even a little excitement building in the normally sombre West Coast Walk team bus. Without accommodation and media to worry about for next week, Clare, the formidable Directeur Sportif, can concentrate on the dilemma of what party dress to wear for Sunday's after-walk party!

More soon of course.
Take care
N

Day 97, 98 and 99 Journals

2005-08-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

The Last Week

A couple of interesting days walking, through Tacoma and into West Seattle, along the Puget Sound for some of the time.

We are staying in West Seattle, enjoying a magnificent view of the city from our lodging!

The rest day was on Sunday this week in order to accommodate some media engagements on Monday.

It was not really much of a rest day, we had lots of Rotary events to attend, but we got to see the Blue Angels flight display team performing over Seattle as part of the Seafair weekend.

So the last week begins tomorrow – this time next week it will all be over! There are a lot of miles to get done between now and then, but I think I can start to see the faint glimmer of light at the end of what has been a very long tunnel.

More soon

N

Day 95 and 96 Journals

2005-08-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

More Walking

Well the last two days have flown (well dragged) by and here we are with only 9 days left!

Yesterday's walk, from Centralia to Tumwater, was one of those horrible days where my body just does not want to walk. It really did just drag on and on and for the whole day all I wanted to do was sit down and rest! Eventually I got to the end, of course, and could relax and hope that I felt a little more alive for the next walk.

I was also met at the end of the day by some Rotarians from Olympia and Lacey clubs who helped walk me in for the last mile, which always helps.

Today felt much, much better and breezed by a lot more happily. I started again with the same faithful Rotarians who walked with me yesterday and we marched to into Olympia to the Washington State Capitol, a scaled down replica of the United States Capitol in Wachington D.C., where Rotarians from Tumwater, Olympia and Lacey clubs had gathered on what was a rather beautiful morning. What a shame I had to go walking!

I then proceeded out of Olymipa along the 510 which, to my continued discomfort, headed due south before looping back north again! I was, for much of the day, skirting Fort Lewis Military Reservation (a US Army base) and could delight to the sound of artillery shells being fired safely within the confines of the base (I hope)! It was another scorching day and by the time Clare came to pick me up at the ending point I had consumed all of my water supply and was, as always, very happy to see her (and my flip-flops).

It has been a relaxing evening and Clare is now indulging in her new hobby, crochet. She has become quite an expert at this art form and has concocted a number of impressive items from her balls of yarn. If you have requests for crochetwear, get them in early to avoid disappointment!

Well, time for some relaxing of my own. Take care and more later.
N

Day 94 Journal

2005-08-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

Busy

Well back on the road after another quick rest day and it was a busy day.

We started by attending the Longview Early Edition Rotary meeting at 0700 (!!) and then traveled to the start point about 25 miles north in Vader.

It was thankfully a lot cooler today which made for much easier walking.

It was a quiet walk along the back roads for much of the day – the I-5 freeway runs close so any serious traffic will stay on there and leave me alone!

Eventually I arrived in Chehalis and was escorted through town by two different Chehalis police cruisers! Once through Chehalis and into the outskirts of Centralia, I was greeted by a Centralia police SUV and was kindly escorted through town to Washington Park where I was met by Rotarians from the Centralia club. It is very nice to have police escorts – I feel much safer and never need to wait to cross the street!

Well there are only 11 more walking days to go so I guess I can start counting them down tentatively!

More to come soon!

Take care
N

Day 92 and 93 Journals

2005-08-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

Rest

An uneventful day of walking (although I was able to see Mount St Helens for much of the day).

Clare managed to go horse riding. Perhaps next year we will do West Coast Ride where Clare rides a pony along the west coast. I would be happy to drive the horsebox!

Well, resting up today before hitting the road again tomorrow.

Take care and more soon.
N

Day 90 and 91 Journals

2005-07-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

Into Washington

Over the last two very hot days I headed north out of Portland, along the rather uninspiring Highway 30. Eventually I reached Rainier and then crossed the Columbia River into Washington. As I walked into Longview I was met by some Longview Rotarians and local press. So here we are in Washington, the final state to be conquered. I actually just wrote a nice long blog but the computer cut out and wiped it and this is all I am able to muster up now! Sorry.

Bye
N

Day 89 Journal

2005-07-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

Portland

Well, as usual, it was still baking hot today.

I started the morning with a short ferry ride on the Canby Ferry and then kicked off the walk on the other side of the river, destination: Portland.

The early part of the walk was along some winding country roads, through small towns. I was also fortunate enough to pass through the town of Wankers Corner! Despite the name, I couldn't find any Chelsea fans??

Eventually I made it to Portland, Oregon's largest city with a metropolitan population of 2 million people. This is a beautiful city, with numerous waterways and exciting bridges making for a pretty walk for much of the day. It is known to have a climate not unlike that of the UK so the cloudless sky and bright sunshine must be a rare treat!

It was a nice change to walk through urban areas again after so many weeks through more sparse regions. The style of walking is different, being mostly on sidewalks and with frequent stops to wait for traffic.

I finished the day hot and tired with 28 miles logged.

After 'work' we went to see Vitaly Paley, the owner of the award winning Paley's Place Bistro here in Portland. He has recently launched a line of organic energy bars - Paley Bars - and, having been connected by my friend and earlier co-walker Nick, kindly offered to donate some bars for me to try. More news on this as I eat my way through Washington!

Back on the road tomorrow. Those days are counting down.

Take care
N

Day 88 Journal

2005-07-27T20:45:00.000-07:00

Baking

It was the hottest day of the year in this part of the world – with temperatures hovering in the high nineties for much of the afternoon.

It was therefore a tough day of walking as I slowly baked on the shoulder of Highway 99E.

Again, it was a fairly unspectacular route along a very busy road, through a heavily agricultural region.

I was met in Woodburn by some Rotarians as well as a congregation from a local senior’s home!

It was then a very hot battle into Canby where the walk ended for the day. Again, I was met by some Canby Rotarians before heading a couple of miles further north to the Canby Ferry, where I will start tomorrow’s walk on board!

Hopefully it will cool down over the next couple of days. It has been very difficult to stay hydrated over the last couple of days and I have to be sure to consume plenty of water in the evening as well as during the day.

Well there are only 16 walking days to go so we are getting there slowly but surely. Still plenty of hard work lies ahead though.

Take care, more soon
N

Day 88 Journal

2005-07-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

Day 87 Journal

2005-07-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

State Capitol

We had a fantastic evening yesterday – first a presentation by the Mayor of Salem at City Hall and then there was a party at Ed and Pat’s house so we got to meet many of the local Rotarians.

Today I walked from Monmouth and was joined by Ed for 3 miles into Independence and Chuck for 15 miles into Salem! We walked to the State Capitol building where there were more Rotarians and press to greet us.

It was hot today – 94 degrees – so again I was glad to finish up for the afternoon. There was another Rotarian get together where we are staying here in Gervais with Pam and Bob so another action packed if somewhat exhausting evening. Time for bed now. It promises to be even hotter tomorrow. Lots of sun block of course.

Take care
N

Day 85 and 86 Journals

2005-07-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

Resting

Well yesterday was, well, another long day of walking. I left Tangent and arrived in Monmouth, having had the chance to walk along some quieter roads which made it much easier to read my book!

There is little else to say about it really - a usual day without incindent.

I was met in Monmouth by some Rotarians from some of the Salem Rotary Clubs and then we had dinner in Salem, the state capital, where we are staying with Ed and Pat who are taking very good care of us. I was also able to watch the highlights of the last day of Le Tour which was great - of course well done Lance! I can't wait for next year's tour which will be a little more suspenseful.

Today we are resting of course. Later on we visit the Salem Mayor who will be making a presentation to us. Clare is also visiting with a local energy effieciency expert. All in all a very pleasant day before we hit the road again tomorrow and push onwards to death or glory! (Hopefully the latter).

More soon of course.
Take care
N

Day 84 Journal

2005-07-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

Straight

Today’s walk was about as straight as they come. I started in Junction City, on Highway 99E and walked along it all day, pretty much heading due North in a straight line.

It was hot and dry, and the landscape was 100% agricultural – fields of crops and very little else bar Halsey and Shedd, two small towns along the highway.

I managed to enjoy a good deal of my new hobby – reading while I walk – finishing my book before the end of the walk today. I have found this new activity to be of great help to take my mind off the walking which is becoming rather tiresome at this stage. I find that getting caught up in a book helps those miles to fly by a little faster! I will start a new book tomorrow!

As I walked into Tangent, the final destination of the day, I was met by some Rotarians from the Corvallis, Corvallis Morning and Philomath clubs who also provided some welcome refreshments.

Clare had a chance to visit Corvallis today. This is another college town, home of Oregon State University and the Beavers – arch enemies of the Ducks! She said it was a very nice town and found a second hand bookshop to unload some of our books which seem to take up an awful lot of space in the car! (She also acquired some new books too!)

Anyway, one more ‘stage’ until the rest day. While the Tour de France finishes tomorrow, I still have another three weeks - i.e. the length of another full Tour – to go. How depressing. What I wouldn’t give for a bike!

Well, more soon
Love N

Day 83 Journal

2005-07-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

1,500 Miles!

After last night’s thunder, it was much cooler this morning. Again, I was joined by Frank for the start of the day and it was great to have the company.

We walked the first 10 miles together into Eugene, a very funky town of some 135,000 people famous for the University of Oregon and it’s athletics team, the Ducks. In town, I was met by three TV crews for interviews which was fantastic. Thanks to Carrie, our host from yesterday, for making this happen.

I walked with Chris, a Eugene Rotarian through town and then walked by myself for the rest of the day into Junction City where I finished up for the day. By the afternoon it was warm again, and I was relieved to finish the 27 mile leg.

This evening our hosts Mary Ann and Larry organized a barbeque for us, inviting many local Rotarians. We had some excellent food and now feel very full.

Well, that’s 1,500 miles, 210,000 calories and 420 hours of walking done. We have just over three weeks to go. While it should seem that we are almost there, time passes very slowly, and I know that these last weeks will pass even slower. It is still a case of taking it one day at a time, one mile at a time. We are getting there though!

Have a good weekend to you all.

More soon,
N

Day 82 Journal

2005-07-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

More walking

Today was yet another very hot day, but these are becoming the norm so nothing new here.

I was joined by Frank from the Cottage Grove Rotary Club for the first 7 miles today. Frank climbed Kilimanjaro last year so had no trouble keeping up with me today.

After Frank departed I started climbing as I traveled northward. With no shade and by now a very hot sun, this was sweaty work! Having left Highway 38, I enjoyed a much quieter walk today along some more peaceful roads which made for much more pleasant walking.

Eventually, the very uneventful day came to an end. Another 27 miles done and a day closer to finishing. By the time I finished the sky had clouded over and it was very humid.

We are staying in Springfield, just outside Eugene and just went out to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which was excellent. It is starting to thunder here which will break up all this humidity. Hopefully the rain will have subsided by the morning but who knows!

More later.
N

Day 81 Journal

2005-07-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

Drained

We had a nice relaxing evening last night. Clare went to visit a local family that grow an incredible selection of fruit and vegetables and returned with a one gallon bucket of fresh blueberries!!

Well the heat didn’t let up today. I continued my foray eastward along Highway 38 and again sweated it out in temperatures over 90 degrees. The route was again very scenic, tracking along the river with dense forests in the background. Somewhat less scenic was the continuous stream of trucks and RVs that pounded past during the day. On a narrow shoulder it is amazing how much wind a 65mph truck can smash you up with!

I passed through the charming town of Elkton, consisting of a nice selection of local shops and eateries, where I found Clare in a café, enjoying her perennial favorite, the vegetarian burrito!

I marched on through feeling the full force of the afternoon sun, finishing up in Drain, a somewhat larger town which I have been told looks the same now as it did 30 years ago. Though I was not on this Earth 30 years ago, I would hazard that this is a fair assessment.

As I came to a halt today I noticed a road sign stating that Portland is 152 miles away. I remember clearly seeing a sign a while back showing Portland to be 383 miles away so it is amazing how these miles have been eaten up. We will be into Washington next week!

I was again very hot by the day’s end and had murdered my 5 liter water supply, as well as drinking several glasses in the café where I saw Clare. This heat is due to subside within the next few days which will be a welcome change.

Tomorrow the eastward journey heads north, which will feel much better at least psychologically. The days seem to be getting tougher as the weeks grind on. There is still a lot of work to be done before we are anywhere near the end.

See you soon.
N

PS - I know that there have been two Day 79 Journals and no Day 80 Journals.

Day 80 Journal

2005-07-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

More Heat

We had a very restful day yesterday, enjoying the hot sunny weather. After lunch with some Rotarians from the Reedsport Rotary Club we went to the Discovery Center, a museum documenting the history of this part of Oregon.

In the evening we were lucky enough to be given an after hours tour of the Umpqua Lighthouse. Naturally, Clare was very excited at this! We climbed to the top and were able to step into the center of the lens, which is still in operation and flashes both red and white light!

Today it was back on the road, heading East for two days before resuming a path North on Thursday.

It was no cooler today as I walked along Highway 38, directly next to the Umpqua River, enjoying beautiful views throughout the day.

There is a large herd of elk that live along this road and we were keen to see these as we passed through. I have been lucky enough to see two herds of elk already, simply by walking along the main roads. Clare, despite visiting several designated elk viewing locations in Northern California, has yet to see a single specimen! Naturally, the elk that we were promised never appeared. I am thinking that Clare is cursed never to see any elk.

Anyway, after 26 miles in the blazing heat I was glad to be finished and we retreated back to our hosts house for the evening. It is a beautiful evening to sit and relax outside before hitting the hot road again tomorrow. As I head eastward, it will only get hotter with no ocean breeze to cool things down.

Take care all, more tomorrow of course.
N

Day 78 and 79 Journals

2005-07-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

HOT

I started off a little later than usual, having firstly had a TV interview from my starting point in Coos Bay.

Soon enough I was on the road and heading towards the destination of Reedsport. Today was extremely hot and by early afternoon the temperature was well above 90 degrees. It was pretty tough going in this heat and there was seldom any shade along the route.

Clare had a chance to visit the Umpqua Lighthouse in Winchester Bay. Having seen several lighthouses over the last few weeks, Clare has become quite an enthusiast and after the walk is completed she will be pursuing this interest further. She is already planning a trip to visit some of Great Britain’s most famous lighthouses so she can compare the different architecture and lighting techniques between the UK and USA. If you have any burning lighthouse questions that you need an answer to, let us know - Clare has built up a staggering knowledge of lighthouse facts and figures and is only too happy to dispense them to needy minds.

By the end of the day I was feeling a little overcome by the heat and was glad to be finished. I had even lost my appetite for a while which definitely means there was something wrong!

After a relaxing evening I was feeling better, particularly as Steve, our host, had recorded today’s stage of the Tour de France so I could watch it without the irritating commercials!

Today we are resting. Clare has just been out for a run and it is another very hot day today. We are told that these temperatures are not normal here at this time of year.

We will be meeting some Reedsport Rotarians as well as doing other exciting things like washing our clothes. Back on the road tomorrow. Four weeks from today we will be finished!

More soon.
N

Day 77 Journal

2005-07-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

Nick

Today was another sunny day and the walk started conveniently from the motel in Bandon where we stayed. There was a group of Bandon Rotarians to join me for a couple of miles this morning. I was also joined for the entire day by Nick, a Rotarian from the Coos Bay North Bend Rotary Club. Nick and I have a lot in common. Last summer he rode his bike 4,300 miles across the USA from Coos Bay, Oregon to Cape Cod, Massachusetts! We therefore spent the day exchanging war stories as well as talking in depth about the Tour de France!! It was great to have some company on the road and it definitely made the day slip by a little faster than normal.

Today was a straightforward route from Bandon into Coos Bay – the largest town on Oregon’s south coast. We marched through the 25 miles in around 6.5 hours and finished here at the Red Lion Motel where Nick’s wife was waiting to deliver Nick back to the start point.

All in all a very pleasant day. As day 5 of a 6 day walking week, I am definitely feeling the fatigue as well as having a couple of blisters on my feet which understandably pop up on a regular basis.

This evening we are having dinner with some Coos Bay North Bend Rotarians. Time for some rest and maybe a quick nap. Hope you are all having a good weekend!

More soon.
N

Day 76 Journal

2005-07-15T17:30:00.000-07:00

More Wind

Today I set off from Port Orford and I could already feel the wind. Before I left, Clare and I were met by Bob, a sprightly Rotarian from the Port Orford Rotary Club. Bob is a retired USAF pilot, having joined in 1939 and served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam! With a career like that it makes this walk seem like a stroll in the park!

Anyway, it was an uneventful and unremarkable walk along highway 101 as it moved slightly inland and therefore away from the fabulous ocean views. After yesterday’s respite from the wind, it was back to normal service today as the wind blew fiercely and continuously into my face for the entire day. I can’t tell you how utterly unpleasant it is to walk into a stubbornly continuous headwind. With a day like this it makes it all the more pleasant to finish up for the day.

The walk today was, rather like today’s stage of le Tour, very flat and eventually I arrived in Bandon, my final destination for the day. Conveniently, the towns in this part of the USA are roughly 25 miles apart which means I can set off from one town in the morning and arrive at the next town by the end of the day. This minimizes the amount of driving required for Clare to pick me up and bring me back to town. In fact today I was able to walk straight to the motel where we are staying courtesy of Vince from the Bandon Rotary Club.

The convenient 25 mile spacing for these towns goes back, so I am told, to the days of the stagecoach. Apparently, 25 miles is around what a pack of stagecoach horses could pull a coach in the course of a day, so the early settlers would create towns a day’s journey apart.

Some more interesting trivia for you: Oregon, as well as New Jersey, both specifically outlaw motorists from serving themselves gasoline. Indeed, one must wait for the pump attendant to fill the car up for you while you hand him your credit card. Clare discovered this to her bemusement yesterday after merrily grabbing the pump nozzle before being accosted by the pump attendant. How’s that for interesting??

Anyway, time for maybe a quick nap before dinner and then the usual dessert of Tour de France highlights. I will be glad when the Tour is over so I can get to sleep before 11:30!

Take care,
N

Day 75 Journal

2005-07-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Day

Well the ominous winds from yesterday did not rear their heads until the afternoon thankfully.

This morning I set out from just North of Gold Beach and headed North (obviously), clinging to Oregon’s amazing coast. It was sunny and cloudless and very hot.

The views, as I had been told, were incredible along this stretch of coast, offering seeping panoramas of the cobalt blue Pacific and the collections of rocky islands dotted around the coastline. Therefore, for much of the day it was a pleasure to walk, with the relatively small climbs offering little to dampen spirits.

I was passed by the procession of classic car enthusiasts that I had met last evening and, of course, I received plenty of honking to help me along!

I also encountered a group of cyclists riding in the Texas 4000, a 4,500 bike ride from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska to raise money for cancer charities. These were so far the only cyclists I have encountered heading North – into the wind – and I commend them on their efforts. It seems to be the right time of year for Texans to do amazing things on bikes!!

By 4:00pm I arrived in the beautiful town of Port Orford, which is the Western most incorporated city in the continental US!

We had a very nice dinner with members from the Port Orford Rotary Club. Clare has gone to receive a tour of the lighthouse (the westernmost in the continental US!) which I was much too exhausted to do, much as I would have liked to.

As usual, I will prepare my kit for tomorrow and catch some cycling on the TV before bed.

More soon of course.
Love N xxx

Day 74 Journal

2005-07-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

WIND

The first full day’s walking in Oregon was the windiest day so far, and perhaps the windiest day I have ever experienced!

I left Brookings and continued along the beautiful rugged Oregon coast, enjoying stunning views. As I looked across the ocean, I could see white breakers way out to sea, so I knew there was going to be wind.

As I made my first descent towards the mouth of the pistol river, the wind started up. It was blowing from due North, so right into my face. It was so fierce that it was like walking through glue, with every step seemingly needing twice as much effort.

I soon started climbing at a steady 5% grade which made things even tougher. The steady flow of trucks along the route only added to the blustery conditions.

By the time I reached my destination of Gold Beach, I felt like I had been beaten up – my eyes and mouth were full of sand and my face was chafed. Ominously, there was a sign along the road that read “Strong winds for 27 miles” towards the end of my walk today. Tomorrow will be another tough day.

This evening we attended a barbeque laid on by the Gold Beach rotary club for a big group of classic car enthusiasts. It was a great dinner. I am now going to relax in front of the Tour de France highlights here at our hosts – Mitch and Elizabeth’s – house overlooking the Pacific.

It will be another windy day tomorrow.

More soon.
N

Day 73 Journal

2005-07-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

Into Oregon

After yesterday’s relaxation, it was back to business today. Starting in Fort Dick, CA, I enjoyed the morning sunshine as I walked along route 101.

By midday I had reached the Oregon border and left California. The conclusion of the last two months of walking: California is a BIG state. I, like many others, seemed to think that once north of San Francisco there isn’t that much more to go. WRONG. It took me three weeks to walk from San Francisco to Oregon! Three weeks!

In any case, it is fantastic to be in Oregon, and I enjoyed passing through Brookings, a pleasant coastal town just north of the border. I was joined for a while by Charlie, a member of the Brookings Rotary Club who has been incredibly helpful in organizing the events as we pass through this area.

Once through town, I enjoyed a steady climb into Whaleshead, where I finished today’s 28 mile leg. By this stage, the coastal views were incredible, and I am promised more of the same over the next few days.

Time for a little rest to watch the Tour de France highlights and then some dinner!

More soon.
N

Day 71 and 72 Journals

2005-07-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Tough Week

Sunday’s walk, which was the last walk in a very long week (170 miles in six days!) breezed by quite smoothly.

Having enjoyed a large breakfast courtesy of the Crescent City Rotary club who had taken very good care of us, I resumed in Klamath and started the day with a nice 4 mile, 7% gradient climb. Coming at the beginning of the day, this was nearly as bad as it could have been!

Once at the top marched into Crescent City and met with Nan, from the Del Norte Rotary Club, who walked with me for a little while. I was then left to my own devices to finish off the week, passing through Crescent City and into neighboring Fort Dick.

This overcast and very humid day was to be my last full walking day in California. With just a few miles of California coastline to negotiate, I will be in Oregon on Tuesday when I resume the walk.

This week was definitely the hardest so far. In terms of mileage, it was the longest, and there was over 45 miles spent on the freeway which, although safe, is pretty miserable to trudge along. I was also concerned, if not overly worried, that I may eventually have drawn the attention of the police. Each and every time I entered the freeway, there would always be a tall sign stating ‘PEDESTRIANS PROHIBITED’, so if I had been ‘pulled over’ by the police, I would have had to plead illiteracy!

Additionally, the weather was largely overcast this week which, although cooler and therefore more conducive to walking, is very humid and sweaty, not to mention a little depressing. With 7 or 8 hours on the road each day, it is nice to have some cheery sunshine to keep spirits up. I also have sweat rash on my back which is pretty much unavoidable.

Today we are enjoying a rest in Smith River. Our hosts, John and Loma, have an amazing house overlooking the beach so Clare will be spending some time sunbathing. I think I will pop into town and try and catch a movie. I find the movies to be a sanctuary from WCW because it gives me a chance to shut everything else out and forget that we still have five more weeks to go!!

Well, I have covered over 1,250 miles now so well over half way. I am predicting that the final distance will be closer to 2,050-2,100 miles based on several route modifications that have been made over the course of the journey. However, each day seems to bring with it unexpected additions to the predicted mileage so we shall see.

Take care, more soon.
N

Day 70 Journal

2005-07-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

An ‘Easy’ Day

After walking an average of 29 miles per day for the last four days, today’s leg of ‘only’ 26 miles felt a lot easier. It is amazing how those few extra miles on top of the usual 25 or 26 really hurt, not least because they take an extra hour or so which means an hour less to recover for the next day!

Today was a straightforward route along Highway 101 from Orick, passing through the beautiful Prairie Creek Redwoods state park, finishing just north of the Indian town of Klamath (known for its smoked salmon!).

There was intermittent rain today so, rather like Lance Armstrong yesterday, I was forever putting my rain jacket on over my yellow jersey only to remove it ten minutes later before donning it again ad infinitum. The rain was never too hard though – I still await the first day of proper rain! I am happy for this wait to go on though. Regardless of the ferocity of the rain, it is good to have my waterproof walking shoes which mean my feet stay nice and dry all day.

Clare spent the day hiking in Prairie Creek – she walked about 16 miles today! She has done a lot of hiking this week and as I said before, she is almost ready to take the baton from me and take over the walking! She does not share my enthusiasm at this idea.

Well tomorrow is ‘Friday’ so much as that it is the day preceding our one day weekend and it is always a nice walk knowing that there is a day off to follow.

More soon.
N

Day 69 Journal

2005-07-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

Florence

Today was going to be another long day – with a final distance of 29 miles awaiting me.

I set off in bright sunshine from McKinleyville and walked towards Clam Beach.

Today was to be my last stint on the freeway, albeit a very short one – only one mile. It was also to be significant.

As I entered the freeway for the single exit walk before leaving, I heard a meowing sound from the other side of the road. I looked over and saw a kitten scampering along the hard shoulder!

I couldn’t believe that someone would leave this kitten – a long haired tortoiseshell about six inches long – on the freeway.

It took a while for the traffic to clear sufficiently for me to cross the freeway and pick the kitten up. She (as far as I know, tortoiseshells are always female) looked very tired and scared and had large ants all over her. I picked the ants off her and poured some water into my hand for her to drink. She looked OK, thankfully not hit by a car, and I crossed the freeway again and exited at the earliest opportunity.

I soon found some houses and went for a closer look. The first house I came to had two cats in the window so I took my little friend to the door and rang the bell. I asked Wendy, who answered the door, if she could call an animal shelter and take care of the little cat until someone comes to collect her. However, Wendy said that she would adopt her and would take her to the vet to make sure she was OK. What a relief! I was very happy that this whole situation could be resolved so quickly and so satisfactorily. Before I left Wendy asked me to name the cat. I decided to name her Florence, as a tribute to my cat who I grew up with and who died a few years ago.

I felt very relieved as I continued walking along the coast. By 5pm I arrived at the finish point, just south of Orick. It was another very long day, fitting in with the theme of the week, and I was delighted to see Clare arrive to collect me!

Time for some rest, and my nightly fix of the Tour de France highlights!!

More soon,
N

Day 68 Journal

2005-07-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

London

We woke to the news about the horrendous terrorist attacks in London today and it was hard to think about anything else all day. My thoughts go out to all the people back home.

Despite the horrible start to the day, I had to get back on the road and keep moving.

It was a very long day indeed, as I clocked over 30 miles. I pressed on North through Eureka, a bustling town of over 20,000 people. This took me back to the coast as I walked along Humboldt Bay and later on, next to the Pacific again.

Having passed through the small and very environmentally aware town of Arcata, I met Clare in McKinleyville where we also met some Mad River Rotarians who are hosting us for the next two nights.

After covering almost 90 miles in the last three days I am very tired and ready for some dinner.

Once again, my thoughts go out to the people of London.

Take care.
N

Day 67 Journal

2005-07-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

Freeway

It was a very grey and overcast day, with the odd sprinkle of rain, although nothing too life threatening!

I resumed on the avenue of the giants and walked the last 10 miles before hitting Highway 101 into Fortuna. It was an uninspiring walk along the freeway, though free from incident which was good.

Clare managed to find a hiking trail in the redwoods and walked an impressive 14 miles this afternoon! She is welcome to have my job if she wants it..

In Fortuna I was met by a group from the Fortuna Rotary club as well as a TV crew and news journalist.

I then walked the short distance into Ferndale where were are staying tonight – at the Victorian Inn courtesy of the Ferndale Rotary club.

Today was a 29 mile day so I am feeling very tired indeed. Time for some dinner and a rest before more work tomorrow.

More soon.
N

Day 66 Journal

2005-07-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

Avenue of the Giants

It was a beautiful day of walking today, though very long.

I left Garberville after eating breakfast with Jim (and watching the end of the team time trial in the Tour de France!).

Shortly after setting off I had to take to the freeway again for a few miles. This was fine, but not the most enjoyable walking environment. I will have many more miles on the freeway this week but after that it’s a clear run to Canada.

Eventually I reached the Avenue of the Giants. This is the old highway that was eventually superseded by the freeway but still runs next to it for 30 miles or so.

It is lined on either side by tremendous redwood trees, offering an incredible walking experience. There is also relatively little traffic. The vast redwoods provided excellent shade from the blazing sun so it was a very pleasant walk.

I finished up after 29 miles on the road. Clare had a chance to hike in one of the many national parks within the redwood forest and will do so again tomorrow.

This evening we are staying with Sharon who has just finished up as president of the Fortuna Rotary Club. We will be meeting some Fortuna Rotarians when we pass through the town tomorrow.

We also attended the Ferndale Rotary Club meeting tonight. This is an all male club – the first that either Clare or I have ever visited. It was a very jubilant meeting and the club bought a load of t-shirts to help us raise money.

Time for some rest. Tomorrow is another punishing distance.

More soon
N

Day 65 Journal

2005-07-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Independence Day

Last night Jim, the recently past president of the Garberville Club took us for dinner in nearby Phillipsville which was excellent.

It was lovely to rest today in Garberville. We are staying at the Sherwood Forest Motel, courtesy of Mark, a Rotarian in the Garberville Club. Luckily, the motel has cable TV so I could rest in bed and watch the Tour de France!

After enjoying some breakfast I spent some time sunbathing by the pool.

Meanwhile, Clare went hiking today in Shelter Cove. I decided that a hike was a bit beyond me today. She had a wonderful time though and enjoyed some fantastic views.

In the evening Jim picked us up and took us to the Benbow July 4th celebrations. There were thousands of people here and by 10pm the fireworks display began. It was another superb show and we were able to lay on a sleeping bag on the riverbank!

All in all a restful day, ready for another punishing week with many days over 28 miles.

More soon.
N

Day 64 Journal

2005-07-03T17:18:00.000-07:00

Much More Fun

Well last night’s fireworks didn’t disappoint. The Fort Bragg community staged an incredible display and hopefully justified the trip for the many people who had come out to watch.

Wow. After yesterday’s slog, today just flew by. It was a very straightforward hike up the 101 from Leggett into Garberville where we will stay now for two nights and spend tomorrow’s rest day, which also happens to be July 4th!

It was extremely hot today, which makes sense because we are now about 25 miles inland so there is no ocean breeze to cool things down.

I spent the majority of the day on Highway 101, passing into Humboldt County. This is redwood country and I enjoyed a beautiful stretch of road flanked on either side by vast redwoods. This trend will continue into next week as we pass through the famous ‘Avenue of the Giants’ which will be incredible.

Today was interesting because Highway 101 changed from a ‘non-freeway’ road into a freeway. As we know, pedestrians are not legally allowed to walk on the freeway.

Up to a certain point I could find alternative roads to keep me off the freeway, but for the final 4 miles there really was no other option than for me to hit the freeway. Despite the ‘PEDESTRIANS PROHIBITED’ signs, it is my understanding that if there is no alternative route, a pedestrian can take to the highway to get to his/her destination.

It was a very quiet section of freeway and the shoulders are so wide it is much safer to walk than many other pedestrian legal roads. The police car that passed me didn’t seem to care either. This is fortunate as I will be taking to the freeway on several more occasions this week.

So now we have a rest day which is always welcome. We are here in Garberville which looks like a very interesting town. It still amazes me how different Northern and Southern California are. Like two different countries!

Time for a rest before dinner.

Happy July 4th.

N

Day 63 Journal

2005-07-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

Hell

Hell is about the only word I can use to describe today's walk! By far the most unpleasant day so far in WCW.

I resumed at Westport, on the coast this morning and promptly headed East to eventually meet up with the Highway 101 where I will continue heading North tomorrow.

I knew this would be tough walking because I had to pass over a ridge. I was also greeted by a cheerful sign announcing "Narrow, winding roads for 22 miles. Beware of bicylces".

Hmmm. Just the sort of sign that basically translates as "Nathan, today is going to be a really long day".

And so it was. 22 miles of the windiest, narrowest, non-existent shoulder roads I have had the displeasure to walk on. Combine this with two serious climbs, each to about 1800ft (with corresponding decents). Oh and don't forget the 90 degree heat!

You could say I was a little more than glad to be done today. But it can't all be fun and games can it? It's over now and hopefully the next few days will be a little easier.

We are staying back in Fort Bragg tonight - in these sparsely populated areas we will frequently stay with the same Rotary clubs two nights running.

Tonight is the inanely popular Fort Bragg July 4 fireworks. Yes I know it's July 2 but it's cheaper for the community to stage them tonight. Plus it's Saturday. We are about to watch them. There are literally thousands of people all over getting ready to watch. Lucky for us our host, Harold, lives very close to where they are launching so we can enjoy the best view in the house. I have never seen fireworks over the ocean before so this will be good. Also, from my experience, Americans take their fireworks seriously, especially when it comes to commemorating freedom from those imperialistic tyrants, the Brits!

See you soon.

Love N

Day 62 Journal

2005-07-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Day

Well last night we had a great time attending the 'debunking' dinner for Harold, the now former president of the Mendocino Rotary Club. This was a very fun evening and as Clare and I had to miss the similar event for our dear President Wagner in Coto de Caza, it was good to at least make this event! Welcome Susan as the new president of Mendocino and of course welcome to Karen as our new president in Coto de Caza!! And happy Rotary new year too. (The Rotary 'year' begins on 1 July!)

After all the fog, today was very clear so I really got to enjoy the amazing views of the Pacific. As with Big Sur, these vistas were just amazing and on several occasions I just stopped atop a cliff and looked out over the ocean and smiled. With my yellow shirt on. I can only wonder what passing motorists thought.

It was a fairly straightforward walk from Caspar along the coast to Westport. I passed through Fort Bragg, a town of some 8,000 people and the largest town in the area. It is an old logging and fishing town that has now become more of a tourist center with many independent shops and restaurants and a vaction feel about the place. We stayed in the Surf and Sand Inn - courtesy of the Fort Bragg Rotary Club. It was a beautiful hotel right on the ocean so we enjoyed viewing the Pacific from the balcony as the sun set. It's a tough job but someone has to do it...

Day 61 Journal

2005-06-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

1,000 MILES!!!

It was such a foggy start today – I could barely see more than 20ft ahead of me. This was a little depressing to walk in, and was made worse by the fact that I could hear the ocean down below me crashing into the rocks but could not see it!

In terms of safety, there were very few cars on the road, and those that did come by had no trouble seeing me in my bright yellow jersey!

I followed highway 1 along the coast through a series of small and very interesting towns such as Elk, Albion, Mendocino and finally finishing up in Caspar.

These towns are all very small, with populations in their hundreds, or just over one thousand in the case of Mendocino. Having walked recently through Silicon Valley, it is so interesting to see the stark contrast in the layout and size of the communities! These small coastal towns usually have no more than a small restaurant, a local store, maybe a café and a series of houses. They are beautiful little towns though, totally unspoiled and a million miles away from the Bay Area despite being only 150 miles away!

So today I passed the 1,000 miles mark! That’s a long walk, and to think that I am doing it all over again is a daunting thought. However, we are well in our stride (no pun intended) so I have no doubt that the remainder of the trip will go by smoothly.

My legs and feet, though heavily fatigued, are feeling fine and I am sure will do me well for the next seven weeks.

So tomorrow I start my second thousand mile stretch. Time for a rest I think!

Cheers
N

Day 60 Journal

2005-06-29T20:47:00.000-07:00

Long Haul

Another long day today - 29 miles - making a total of 61 miles for the last two days!

So I charged onward up the coast today through the fog, passing through Gualala, Point Arena and Manchester, finishing up feeling very fatigued.

It was foggy all day today (and still is) so again, I was not able to enjoy the views of the ocean as much as I would have liked.

28+ mile days will be more frequent over the coming weeks which will make it tough going, although having done so many miles I am getting more accustomed to it so it's nothing I can't handle.

This evening we are staying at the Point Arena Lighthouse with the manager, Sylvia, the outgoing president of the Gualala Rotary Club. We had the special treat of being able to climb to the top of the lighthouse and look at the lens as well as enjoying the spectacular views from the balcony. Sylvia's husband, Scott, is an ariel photographer and you can see amazing pictures of Arena Point on his website!

It will be another long day tomorrow but it certainly feels good to be charging up the coast!

More soon
N

Day 59 Journal

2005-06-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

The Longest Day

Well, today was officially the longest recorded day of WCW with 32.62 miles logged! This was due in part to the little ‘detour’ I took on Sunday resulting in me finishing a little short of today’s start point.

It was very foggy and overcast all day today. I spent the entire day along the coast, enjoying more spectacular views of the Pacific angrily smashing into the rocks. Though impressive to view from up high, I wouldn’t want to be swimming there!

This section of coastline is very sparsely populated. As a result here is very little traffic, which suits me fine because there was a negligible shoulder for most of the day.

After about 22 miles of walking we met with Sylvia from the Gualala Rotary Club who is hosting us for the next couple of nights. She and another Rotarian from the club joined us to walk along the bluff trail on which I was going to finish the day’s walk.

After a couple of miles with company I continued by myself along the trail. Although a little longer than the road route, I enjoyed the remainder of the day with no road vehicles and amazing views of the ocean as the trail hugged the edge of the cliffs.

Clare came out to meet me for the last couple of miles and finally the day was over at about 5pm. Taking the trails, though scenic, added yet more mileage to the day’s route resulting in the 32.6 mile haul. I was very tired and grateful for Sylvia preparing some pasta for dinner!

Time to rest up a bit for tomorrow’s leg.

See you soon.
N

Day 58 Journal

2005-06-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

More Rest

Well, after only three days back on the road here we are with another rest day. It still feels great though – it was a tough walk yesterday and life will be just as challenging in the coming week.

We had a leisurely morning today and then took a short (2 hour) canoe trip along the Russian River. It is such a glorious day today and it was very peaceful to paddle along the river through huge unspoiled areas of woodland enjoying the sunshine. Furthermore, this activity requires only exertion of the arms, back and shoulders, so my legs and feet could still rest!

This afternoon Clare is checking out Armstrong Woods National Park while I rest for a while and prepare my kit for tomorrow’s elongated walk thanks to my getting lost yesterday.

Back to work tomorrow. For now a few hours rest.

More soon

N

Day 57 Journal

2005-06-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Long Day

Today I left Forestville and headed West, along the Russian River out to the Pacific again. It was very cloudy and gloomy again, reminiscent of England.

I started off well, passing through Guerneville, a small resort town on the Russian River with small shops, bars and cabins as well as a multitude of river activities.

Once through Guerneville I followed the 116 Highway and then left the highway to take a shortcut through some smaller roads. Sadly, though these ‘roads’ appeared as such on my GPS, they were in fact dirt tracks designed for dirt bikes. Eventually I was totally bogged down going up and down crazy gradients and managed to get quite lost. I eventually fought my way out to the main road again, vowing never to take any supposed shortcuts again. This adventure cost me an extra 5 miles of distance! I made up 2.5 of these miles today and will tag the other 2.5 to the beginning of Tuesday’s walk.

Eventually I got to the coast again and rejoined the beautiful Highway 1. The views were incredible and I will look forward to more days of stunning scenery as I work my way up through the remaining portion of California and into Oregon.

I finished up very fatigued, with a lobored gait, having done a lot of climbing in the last 3 miles of coast highway. It was also very hot by the afternoon so I was relieved to meet Clare who had very kindly bought me a piece of gratefully received quiche!

At the beginning of the day we had no accommodation organized in Guerneville which was the first time this was about to happen so far on the trip. However, Clare visited Opal in the Tourist Information Office who, as the wife of a Rotarian, rallied to find us some accommodation. We ended up staying at the Riverlane Resort, right on the river. This is owned by Rick and Bobbie, another Rotary family. We are very grateful for everyone coming to the rescue! Thanks to you all.

We will be here in Guerneville for tomorrow’s rest day too. It should be fun.

Take care

N

Day 56 Journal

2005-06-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

Sonoma County

Back into the old routine! After a wonderful dinner with our host, Theresa, we had a restful night’s sleep and got back on the road this morning.

Today was overcast and grey which, although a little depressing, provides ideal conditions for walking.

I walked through Santa Rosa though sadly had to blaze through without a chance to see the town. Next I headed West back towards the coast (which I will reach tomorrow) along my favorite twisty, windy roads with no shoulder! I am so used to these kind of roads now that it really doesn’t faze me at all to spend hours on them. I just have to concentrate a little more than usual.

With Sonoma County being one of California’s major wine producing regions I passed through dozens of vineyards today. To my lasting regret, I was unable to stop and enjoy a tasting (though this would have made the rest of the walk interesting). Clare is hoping to stop by one of the wineries tomorrow though.

I finished at the civilized time of 4pm which was much more palatable than yesterday’s 7pm conclusion!

Clare visited Theresa’s store, Moon Essence, today (www.moonessence.com). Theresa concocts and sells her own unique beauty products and Clare had the chance to try her hand at making some moisturizer today. Theresa kindly gave me some foot cream and foot soak!

Definitely starting to feel back in the swing of things. I will be glad to start chipping away at the mileage and getting closer to Canada, though it is still a case of thinking one day at a time!

So tomorrow I will return to the Pacific coast which I am very much looking forward to.

Take care.
N

Day 55 Journal

2005-06-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Back on the Road – Finally

So today was the much anticipated return to the road and the good old WCW routine, and I must say that despite the inevitable ‘back to school’ feeling, it’s good to be back!

Well, the start of the day focused on the much anticipated Golden Gate Bridge crossing.

Before making it to the bridge I walked from my hostel in North beach down to the GGB which was a very pleasant walk. It was made more pleasant by the presence of Hailey and Laura, two English friends I met in the hostel who agreed to cross the bridge with us.

We assembled at the southern end of the bridge and there was a healthy selection of Rotarians from a wide range of Bay Area clubs. Thank you to all that made the effort to come out and support us and a special thanks to Greg Molloy who brought out an iron lung which we unveiled at the north side of the bridge to the wonderment of the local tourists.

It was incredible to walk across the bridge and it was a clear day, offering some of the most stunning views I have ever seen. Even though I have walked, driven and cycled across the GGB many times, it never ceases to astonish me how stunning the views of SF and the bay are.

By midday it was time to press on with the rest of the day’s walk. I was joined today by my friend, Kristen, whom I had met back in Big Sur. She wanted to try and last out a day with me, and become only the second person to have achieved this feat. It was great to have some company and Kristen did a great job keeping up with me. (Or was I keeping up with her?!).

It was a typically warm day as we walked further into Marin County. The landscape was mostly agricultural, with rolling hills of brown grass and farms scattered along the way. Eventually we came to Petaluma, a medium sized town with a colorful feel to it with lots of bikers and bars along the streets.

We finished up 5 miles outside of Petaluma and by the time we reached the ending point it was 7pm! I had clocked 31 miles and I am pleased to say Kristen lasted the whole day and chalked up an impressive 29 miles! She now has the proud accolade of walking more miles with me than anyone else!

So it is time for dinner now and a much needed rest before hitting the road again tomorrow.

Have a great weekend. More soon.
N

Day 53 and 54 Journals

2005-06-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Back in SF - Ready for Action!

Well, we finished up at the convention over the last couple of days and had a last chance to see some of the incredible Rotary projects going on around the world.

It really was an amazing experience to meet so many Rotarians from so many countries and I will look forward to next year's convention in Copenhagen and Malmo.

To anybody that has not visited an International Convention, I highly recommend it.

Today we flew back from Chicago into Sacramento (don't ask, it's a long story) and then travelled to San Francisco by bus, train, bus and then foot. With the amount of luggage we have with us, this was a nightmare and both Clare and I were very hot and bothered.

I am now in the Green Tortoise youth hostel once again for the final time before setting off on the road tomorrow.

After almost three weeks out of the usual West Coast Walk routine of 6 days per week walking, it is a relief to be getting back on the road again tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the much anticipated Golden Gate Bridge crossing which should be amazing. It will be a long day with over 30 miles of walking for me. Then we are back into the old routine for the rest of the trip so you can all expect the usual daily report again.

Tonight I will hopefully see my old friend Jason once more and then will hopefully get some rest before getting on the road.

I'll tell you all about it soon.
N

Day 52 Addendum

2005-06-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

TO TIM RYAN

Hi Tim - thank you very much for your comment and for the offer of your donation. Please drop me an email - nathan@westcoastwalk.com - or call me - 949 302 8744 - and we can handle the payment and the Paul Harris credit.

Thanks
Nathan

Day 51 and 52 Journals

2005-06-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

Convention Exhaustion

Another two days in Chicago have flown by and they have been as busy as ever.

Yesterday Clare and I managed to have the morning free from Rotary to see a bit of this magnificent city. Despite Clare’s fear of heights, I persuaded her to accompany me to the top of the Sears Tower – the second tallest building on Earth! This offered understandably spectacular views for around 50 miles over the city as well as Lake Michigan.

In the afternoon we took the opportunity to tour the international headquarters of Rotary. This time we managed to actually catch the bus in time and enjoyed a highly informative tour around the building in Evanston which is 15 miles north of Chicago.

Today was very busy indeed.

We had an early start to the day in order to attend the PoiloPlus breakfast at 0700. This is 0500 California time so even more mortifying!

However it was well worth it. We dined with some of the key figures in both the conception and execution of this monumental project and Bob Keegan from the Center for Disease Control gave a detailed report on the state of global polio cases. Despite the recent outbreaks in non-polio endemic countries, the path to total eradication appears realistic although significant funding is required.

I was also given a chance to speak about WCW to the breakfast contingent.

Later on in the afternoon I attended the PoiloPlus press brief where again, some key figures involved in the project as well as Rotary International President Glen Estess, Sr gave short speeches about PolioPlus before a strong contingent of media. Again, WCW was mentioned and I was able to talk briefly with President Estess as well as discuss various PolioPlus issues with leading figures from the CDC, World Health Organization and Unicef.

I also had the honor of meeting Heloise Sabin, widow of Dr Albert Sabin, who developed the polio vaccine almost 50 years ago.

Having been working hard to raise money and awareness for PolioPlus it was a moving and rewarding experience to meet the people that are actually making this project happen. They are utilizing the money that we and countless other projects and foundations raise to rid the planet of this horrific disease. They should take great credit for their outstanding work and I felt very priviledged to meet them and even more determined to continue raising money to help in their extraordinary efforts. Even after this WCW is completed I will continue to do everything I can to help fundraise for PolioPlus UNTIL THIS DISEASE IS WIPED OUT. This is the commitment that Rotary International made in 1985 and something that President Estess firmly reiterated this afternoon. Let’s make it happen.

More soon.
N

Day 48, 49 and 50 Journals

2005-06-19T20:43:00.000-07:00

Chicago Chicago!

So here we are in Chicago, and contrary to it’s nickname there has been no wind, just warm June sunshine so far.

We spent Friday traveling to Chicago from San Francisco. Our flight was actually out of Sacramento and Joe Krueger, one of our WCW committee, was in town to give us a gratefully received ride to Sacramento airport.

We arrived later that evening in Chicago and took the subway – the “L” – into town to our hotel.

Saturday morning the Rotary International Convention kicked off in style as we took part in the parade.

We had a WCW section in the parade with 50 of our supporters and I walking along in WCW T-Shirts and carrying our banners.

This was a truly incredible experience. We paraded down the main streets of Chicago, lined by thousands of people, along with dozens of parade floats from all over the world. There were marching bands, dance troupes, motorcycles, antique jeeps to name only a few. What was really amazing was the sheer volume of Rotarians out on the streets from all corners of the Earth.

Later in the day we went to the main convention center to register and explore some of the booths at the convention. Again, it was overwhelming to see so many people from so many countries. I had great fun chatting to people from countries such as Belgium, Taiwan, Uganda, Australia, Canada, Ghana, Rwanda, Italy, Germany, India – and this was just in the first few hours!

It was also wonderful to see the Rotarians from mine and Clare’s home Rotary club who had med the trip to Chicago. Alan Sherman, one of our WCW committee took us all out to a wonderful dinner last night where we enjoyed catching up on all the news!

Today we were due to tour the Rotary International HQ in Evanston (near Chicago) but sadly due to a communication breakdown (well, a brain breakdown by someone who shall remain nameless) we arrived late for the tour and missed it.

Undeterred, the WCW manned the PolioPlus booth in the hectic convention hall and began spreading the word about WCW to the thousands of fellow delegates.

We then enjoyed the spectacular plenary session of the Convention where we heard from senior Rotary figures, watched reports on Rotary in action and saw an incredible flag parade of all 168 countries with Rotary Clubs.

This evening we attended our District Dinner – this being 5320 which encompasses Orange County, CA. Again, it was excellent to catch up with old friends from our home district, and Karen Thorburn, the incoming president of our club kindly treated us to dinner.

Wow – it has been a truly chaotic two days and the rest of the week promised more of the same. Clare and I are exhausted and are getting a relatively early night tonight.

I am looking forward to getting back on the road in San Francisco this Friday but I can’t wait to enjoy the next few days meeting people from all over the Rotary world.

In the midst of all this Clare and I hope to see some of Chicago which, so far, seems a truly fantastic city with one of the most impressive skylines I have seen.

Time for sleep now. More soon.
N

Day 45, 46 and 47 Journals

2005-06-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

Rest in SF

Well, for the last three days I have mostly had a chance to rest in this amazing city.

I made a brief talk at the downtown SF Rotary Meeting (Only the second club chartered!) and have had the chance to enjoy a little bit of relaxation enjoying the sights and sounds of San Francisco.

Today Clare and I went to Alcatraz and suffered torrential rain in the process. This was still an enjoyable trip and aside from today, the weather has been impeccable.

I have had plenty of chance to walk around the city and, although not covering 26 miles a day, have been maintaining some kind of hiking exercise.

Tomorrow we are off to the Rotary International Convention in Chicago. We are very excited to enjoy this event as well as to see the Rotarians from our own club who are going to be there.

More soon. See you in Chicago!
N

Day 43 and 44 Journals

2005-06-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

I love Marin County!

Sunday, as I said, involved me getting up at 0500 and driving down to Pebble Beach to speak at the District 5150 Conference. Remarkably, I made it in good time and received a warm reception from the Rotarians whom I gave a speech about WCW. Thanks to Mark Flegel for organizing this! I shall look forward to meeting more 5150 Rotarians at the Golden Gate Bridge crossing.

Yesterday it was back on the road for the last time before Chicago.

To alleviate confusion I will briefly explain how everything is working:

So yesterday I walked from the NORTH side of the Golden Gate Bridge into Marin County.

On June 24, I will walk from downtown SF to the GGB, CROSS IT and then pick up the walk from where I finished yesterday.

I know this is a little confusing but we had to get this day of walking for scheduling purposes.

We leave for Chicago on Friday so we have three precious days of relative rest with perhaps the odd Rotary meeting thrown in.

OK – I hope that cleared up everyone’s confusion.

So yesterday I started walking from the Vista Point on the North Side of the GGB. This start point wins the award as the most beautiful place to start a day’s walking. Coupled with the fact that we enjoyed a drive through downtown SF and then across the GGB to get me to the start point, it was a perfect way to start the day!

I set off into the beautiful Marin County and firstly passed through Sausilito. This is a truly stunning town, set along the SF Bay, to the North of the city, offering incredible views of Alcatraz, the SF skyline and the Oakland Bay Bridge. To walk along the water at 0830 on a Monday morning is a very nice feeling, and all the thoughts I have about being unemployed and homeless were banished at least temporarily.

After Sausilito I worked my way through the winding roads and compact, clean towns of Marin. It was a very hot day, hitting over 90 degrees Fahrenheit which really made the climbing difficult.

Marin County wins the award for being the most pedestrian friendly part of California that I have encountered so far.

On many of the designated pedestrian ‘zebra’ crossings the local authorities have put large luminous signs to remind drivers that they must yield to peds on the crossing. Many California drivers seem unaware of this STATE LAW so it is nice to see that they are being informed.

On the numerous twisty canyon roads in Marin County - which would ordinarily fill me with dread – there are wide shoulders with a concrete curb running by the road to prevent cars from swerving over and killing the hapless walker. This was a breath of fresh air. Normally it is so unpleasant to navigate these roads but yesterday I could just relax in my concrete sanctuary and concentrate on not getting heat stroke. Bliss.

Anyway, the day ended nicely, with Clare walking a couple of miles back from the finish point to keep me company for the final stretch.

Last evening we met up with some friends in town, including my lifelong friend Jason, who I have known since being a small child. He has lived out here for a number of years and is happily back on his motorbike. He is also no longer running from the law, so all in all good news on the Jason front.

Well, it’s been a rambly blog today but there you go. Today we are going to enjoy a small amount of – leisure time – and I will impart my extremely limited knowledge of San Francisco on Clare and maybe some people from the hostel. Do they know how lucky they are? Perhaps not, but they will.

Take care to you all and I will be back with more somewhat useless information soon.

N

Day 42 Journal

2005-06-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

San Fran!

Greetings from San Francisco!

Today was a beautiful sunny day and with no media events planned, I took advantage of a small lie in and set off walking at 0900. Having had such an exhausting day yesterday, I was asleep by 2130 so got a good 10 hour of rest! Amazing.

I started in Belmont and walked through the remaining towns of the peninsula along El Camino Real once again. There was no cessation of urbanization as I passed through San Mateo, Burlingame, Colma, South San Francisco and Daly City before hitting the city limits of SF itself.

I have visited SF many times but I never get tired of arriving here. As I passed through Daly City along Mission St I got my first sweeping view of the skyline crowned by the pinnacle of the Transamerica Pyramid. With the Beautiful Oakland Bay Bridge to the right, this was a great setting to hike into town.

As I passed through the Soma district I got reaqcuainted with SF's vibrant selection of street people who are always full of life. Eventually I got into North Beach (Little Italy) where I am staying at the Green Tortoise Hostel for a few days. So finished the 27 mile day and I checked into the Tortoise.

It's great to be here at the hostel - I'm in a dorm of four. It brings back memories of hostelling around Australia as well as my Navy days which all involved bunk beds!

Well I'll be back soon. I am visiting the district 5150 (SF Bay Area) conference tomorrow to promote our Golden Gate Bridge crossing on June 24 after the trip to Chicago. The conference is in Pebble Beach so I have a 2.5 hour drive to get down. This means a shockingly early start tomorrow. Never mind. I will have a chance to rest for a couple of days before Chicago.

Take care and more soon.
N

Day 39, 40 and 41 Journals

2005-06-10T18:43:00.000-07:00

Back on the Road

Please excuse me bundling these journals together but during this period of ‘rest’ I need a couple of days before I have anything too exciting to tell you!

Anyway, our stay in Sacramento has concluded. After some more Rotary meetings and a massage provided to both Clare and I courtesy of Marilyn. Clare was very happy to get a massage this time as last time, back in Redondo Beach, it was just me!

Yesterday we donned our suits to go to the State Capitol where I was officially recognized by the State Senate. Thanks to Senator Runner and to Jeff Gibson for making this happen. This was a great experience!

Today it was finally back on the road! I resumed from San Jose this morning. We had stayed in Sacramento last night so it was a 4:30am alarm call to get down to San Jose in time to start at 8:00am.

Alas we spent our last night on the beautiful yacht, Echo, on the Sacramento River. Our thanks go out to Carol and Steve for allowing us to stay! It really felt like home.

Anyway, it was back to business today as I blazed up El Camino Real, through Silicon Valley.

Firstly I met some Rotarians from the Los Altos club and then went on to Palo Alto to meet some Palo Alto Rotarians and also the Mayor! It was great to be back in the swing of things. Believe it or not I have really missed this over the last few days.

Palo Alto is actually where I was born in 1979 so it was interesting to walk through this town. I also walked through Mountain View, which is where I lived as a newborn baby for the short period of time I spent here before moving to England. So all in all quite interesting to revisit my old dribbling ground.

El Camino Real is a very urbanized thoroughfare with shops, restaurants and offices all along, demonstrating what a sprawl of activity Silicon Valley has become. I eventually finished in Belmont, after 28.5 miles of walking in the heat. It was a long day, especially considering the 2.5 hour drive we took before even starting. Thankfully I will not have to do that again!

Tomorrow I will be marching into San Francisco which will be a real treat.

I hope you are all well. Take care and more tomorrow.
N

Day 37 and 38 Journals

2005-06-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

Crazy in Sac

Well, Clare and I are still in Sacramento but things are as busy as ever.

Yesterday I had a full medical examination which, thankfully, showed that I am as healthy as can be.

I have also been to numerous Rotary meetings around the Sacramento area and also managed to appear live on breakfast TV this morning which was great fun.

We also squeezed in a 11-12 mile walk today which was fun (although Clare made the curious and rather foolish decision to wear flip flops for this adventure and is paying the price now!).

Clare has been busy herself, taking advantage of the time here to work on organizations for some of the forthcoming WCW events.

The next two days will be similarly busy – I have two radio interviews and two Rotary meetings to attend tomorrow and then on Thursday we have the meeting with State Senate.

It has been wonderful to get off the road for a few days but at the same time I’m raring to get back into the swing of things. Sadly, this will not happen fully for another two weeks but my body is grateful of the rest before the punishing 1,300 mile push into Canada.

I’ll be back soon. Take care.

N

Day 35 and 36 Journals

2005-06-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

Arco Arena

So as I said, we are spending a few days here in Sacramento but that doesn’t mean there is any let up in the activity!

On Saturday we attended the WNBA game at the Arco Arena between the Sacramento Monarchs and the LA Sparks. Sacramento won by 25 points!!

As part of a fantastic fundraising program, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs in the district had sold thousands of tickets for this game to raise funds for a variety of causes including PolioPlus. There were lots of Rotarians at the game and events both before and after. I got to go on the floor too which was great, especially as my favorite NBA team, the Kings, play in this area too!

On Saturday evening we attended a Rotary party for all Rotarians in the district traveling to Chicago. This was a great chance to meet new Rotarians who we will also get another chance to see in Chicago later this month! We stayed last night at the Lemmon’s house and today we came to where we will stay for the remainder or our time in Sacramento.

We are now staying aboard a yacht moored on the Sacramento River. The owners of the vessel, Steve and Carol (a Rotarian of course!) are kindly letting us stay here until Thursday. It is pretty amazing to be here. I am sitting on the upper sun deck writing this blog, overlooking the river in the late afternoon sun.

Today has been a relaxing day to get some rest and deal with the busy week ahead. Starting tomorrow I will be walking around the area to a variety of Rotary meetings as well as having a physical examination tomorrow at the insistence of my committee. It will be a busy week but will be a nice change from the daily grind of walking 26 miles a day!

Well that’s it for now. More soon. Have a good week and take care.
N

Day 33 and 34 Journals

2005-06-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Into the Capital

Sorry about bundling two entries together again but things have been hectic as ever and just couldn't do a blog yesterday!

Well we have now finally arrived in Sacramento after some very hot walking (I can feel my brain starting to overcook as the day progresses).

Today I arrived right at the doorstep of the State Capitol building where a certain Governer Schwarzenegger works, though sadly he is out of town for several weeks.

Sacramento is a beautiful city about 70 miles North East of San Francisco. It is very hot here inland and I am told in July and August temperatures can soar to 110 degrees Farenheit!

We are now here until Thursday!!! We had planned to be here for several days because several months ago we were building political support to have me meet Governer Schwarzenegger and we wanted to maximize the chances of this happening. He is out of town but I am receiving an award from State Senate this Thursday so we will remain here until then. In the meantime I will be walking around the city and surrounding areas to visit some of the many Rotary Clubs in the area to generate support and hopefully funds towards our goal. It is important that I keep walking so my feet stay tough and my fitness is maintained.

Actually I am really feeling my fitness progress. Now that I have over 750 miles under my belt I have noticed that I can comfortably walk at a higher speed than at the start of the walk and I also feel less fatigued and stiff at the end of the day. This is only to be expected. If you do any activity continuously you will become more efficient at it and walking 26 miles a day is no exception!

Next week we will then drive back to San Jose and I will resume walking from where we forked off up the East Bay and I will head into San Francisco to continue the unbroken path from Mexico to Canada.

This is all very complicated and we also have the trip to the Rotary Convention in Chicago to attend in a couple of weeks do the next two weeks is really a bit hectic and I will be glad when I can get back to the regular schedule of walking and start eating those miles up to Canada.

Anyway, I'll be back in touch soon, have a great weekend.
Cheers
N

Day 32 Journal

2005-06-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

June Already

So we have completed a whole month already. That’s amazing, although the thought of having another two and a half to go is a little soul destroying.

Anyway, it was very hot today and was consequently a tough day on the roads.

I left San Leandro this morning and headed into Oakland. People had warned me that the route into downtown Oakland was a little unsavory but I felt pretty safe and sure enough nothing happened to me!

I passed the world famous Oakland Coliseum, home of the mighty Oakland Raiders who will be starting their meteoric rise from playoff no-shows to Superbowl Champions in a few months. It made me proud to walk by this magnificent stadium and home of the finest set of fans in the NFL. Let’s hope the forthcoming season is a success and that the Broncos lose lots of games. Amen.

I eventually reached downtown and was met by Rotarians from the Oakland 3 and Piedmont clubs in the just in front of City Hall. Despite this city’s bad reputation, the downtown area around City Hall is beautiful with grassy areas and pleasant cafes and restaurants.

I then got back on the road and headed down San Pablo Avenue which was, as one local put it, a little more ‘creepy’ than downtown. Indeed this was an interesting thoroughfare to march down with all kinds of weird and wonderful people enjoying the afternoon sunshine. I walked through Berkley, home of the famous college and finally finished up in Richmond.

Sadly, Clare got stuck in traffic on the I-80 so I sat down and read the paper for an hour while I waited. We are now in our hotel and I will have a rest before some dinner and another day on the road tomorrow. Sacramento is not far away! See you later.

N

Day 30 and 31 Journals

2005-05-31T21:08:00.000-07:00

East Bay

Two day’s blog for the price of one! Now that’s good value!

As yesterday was a rest day, I decided to also rest from blogging and totally ‘de-walk’ for a full 24 hour period. Bliss.

After a relaxing morning watching memorial day coverage on TV we went down to Cupertino where I had located an English pub that was showing the West Ham v Preston football match. For me, this was a big deal – it was a chance for my beleaguered team (West Ham) to get back to England’s top division so we can get beaten by the top teams in Europe on a regular basis rather than getting beaten by some of the more mediocre teams in England. And sure enough, West Ham won! I was very happy indeed. I even met some interesting British people in the pub as well as Paul from Hong Kong who happened to spend 10 years living in West Ham before moving to California.

Anyway, after a relaxing afternoon and a good night’s sleep it was back on the road again this morning.

Here’s where things get a little bit complicated vis a vis the route, so I’ll do my best to fill you in.

OK – right now I am walking up the East Bay, through Oakland and then eventually inland to Sacramento. After this, we will drive back down to San Jose (where I was two days ago) and will pick up the walk through the West Bay, into San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge and then onwards up the coast to Canada.

So basically, we are doing a teeny bit (well, 150 miles!) of a detour to hit Sacramento because of the media events that will be happening there (more news to follow on that).

What it all boils down to is that I am walking a load of extra miles in very hot conditions. But it’s all good fun.

Anyway, today was a very warm day and I set off from Milpitas nice and early. It was a very enjoyable walk today, again because it was 90% sidewalks so I can relax and not have to worry about every oncoming car possibly deciding to swerve into me and kill me.

We are now quite a way inland (and will continue to go more and more so up to Sacramento) so it is getting very warm without the ocean breeze. This means lots of water as well as my delicious powerbars which contain the essential electrolytes that I lose through my profuse sweating. Nice.

I walked a good 27 miles up the East Bay through Union City, Hayward and finally arriving in San Leandro to a healthy contingent of San Leandro Rotarians.

Our hosts for the evening, Bill and Rose took us out for an excellent Mexican dinner and now I am ready for bed.

So take care and I’ll be back again soon.

N

Day 29 Journal

2005-05-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

San Jose

After a restful night's sleep I hit the road again and left Morgan Hill at 9am. Within a couple of hours I was in the outskirts of San Jose where I would remain for the rest of the day.

San Jose, at the southern point of silicon valley is a very large, sprawling city and I walked for several hours through it. It was nice to have so many sidewalks to walk on today. I only had a few fleeting forays onto the shoulder which was a nice change after a week on mostly shoulder walking.

The downtown area of San Jose was very pretty indeed but quiet today.

Eventually I reached the city of Milpitas, just North of San Jose and enjoyed a 2 mile walk with Rotarians from the Milpitas and Warm Springs Clubs.

We then retired to our hotel and later enjoyed dinner at 'Spin the Yarn' where we were kindly treated to our meals by Saki, the owner.

I also managed to find an English bar that will be showing the West Ham v Preston NE match tomorrow so I am very excited to be seeing this on my rest day.

I can't believe how quickly this week has flown by, but Clare thinks it has dragged on! I am looking forward to a restful day tomorrow. I hope everybody enjoys the holiday and of course makes time to think of those who have served and are still serving our countries. More later.

N

Day 28 Journal

2005-05-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

Mushrooms

I left Watsonville today in heavy fog and climbed a pass to 1300 feet before descending again into Gilroy.

The pass was tough going and was not made any easier by the low visibility caused by the fog. Luckily I wear bright yellow so I am very easy for even the most distracted driver to see! In a race where I am the only competitor I can always wear the yellow jersey (although with the climbing today the red polka dots would have been more appropriate).

By midday I was in Gilroy where Rotarians from the Gilroy and Morgan Hill Rotary clubs greeted me and walked with me to the local visitor information center. Gilroy is famous for its garlic growing so I was given a bag of garlic flavor jelly beans. I must confess that I would not recommend these.

I then pressed on into Morgan Hill where there was a 'Mushroom Mardi Gras' festival going on in town. Morgan Hill is famous for its mushroom growing.

While I did not see many mushrooms, there were lots of stalls and attractions (including a giant inflatable sinking titanic!).

After 28 miles on the road I eventually finished up for the day at around 4pm.

We enjoyed dinner this evening with our host family - the Malechs - at Rosy's at the Beach restaurant where Rosy very kindly treated us to dinner.

Time for a bit of R&R before bed. Congratulations to England for beating the USA at football in Chicago today!

Take care, more soon..
N

Day 27 Journal

2005-05-27T21:36:00.000-07:00

Chocks Away

It was an early start today from Marina as I headed into Castroville for to meet some Rotarians.

It was grey and overcast for most of the day today and actually quite cool. I felt like I was back in England. It's amazing how the sun can make everything look so much prettier.

I marched on the 8 miles or so from Marina to Castroville and was met at the Giant Artichoke restaurant by Rotarians from the Salinas, Castroville and Monterey Peninsula Rotary Clubs. Castroville is renowned for its artichoke crops so we had a photoshoot in front of a giant plastic artichoke!

I then pressed on into Watsonville, an agricultural town slightly inland. I passed through many strawberry fields along the way and by the afternoon the sun was out in full force.

We were hosted tonight by Dan from the Freedom Rotary Club. By pure luck, this evening there was the 40th annual Watsonville airshow so we went along to the airfield for spaghetti dinner and enjoyed some aerobatic displays. The evening was finished off by a superb firework display. Quite an exciting evening and I am now very tired indeed. Tomorrow will be hot and there is lots of climbing as I work my way up another pass. Hooray.

Have a great weekend. More tomorrow..
N

Day 26 Journal

2005-05-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

Golf

It was another foggy start to the day today as I set off around the famous 17 Mile Drive through Pebble Beach and out into Monterey. 17 Mile Drive is a winding road around the peninsula though forests and also skirting the coast.

Another major feature of this road is the multitude of golf courses and of course I walked past the world renowned golf links at Pebble Beach. Sadly, I left my wallet at home so could not afford the $400 green fee to play a round! I had the chance to observe many golfers and they all looked worryingly good. I guess with the cost of playing on these courses it's not worth turning up unless you have some skills.

Eventually I came out of 17 Mile Drive through Pacific Grove and then into Monterey. I took a quick look in the entrance room of Monterey Aquarium because this is where several scenes from the movie "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" were shot. How exciting!

I passed through Cannery Row which is the former site of a series of sardine canning factories which have since closed and made way for shops, bars and restaurants. It reminded me of Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. A very nice, bustling area.

Once through Monterey I joined the coastline and walked the rest of the day along a coastal cycle and pedestrian path into Marina where I finished up. By this time the sun was out and the Pacific was looking as majestic as ever.

Today was one of those days where I was feeling really fatigued. These days come around once a week or so but I just have to deal with it. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel a litte more energized! We have just had an excellent dinner with our hosts - Dick and Marjorie - who have put up with us for two days now (we are giving them some peace tomorrow!).

There will be lots of excitement tomorrow so watch out for the next thrilling installment!

Take care
N

Day 25 Journal

2005-05-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Back to Civilization

Sorry for the dearth of blog entries. As I said, we were in Big Sur with no internet but fear not, I wrote entries anyway so you can catch up below!

Today I left Big Sur and walked through some more dramatic seascapes. It stayed foggy all day with only fleeting appearances from the sun. While it was nice and cool as a result, it was very humid so I was sweating profusely and therefore drinking a great deal.

Eventually I got within spitting distance of Carmel (home of Clint Eastwood!) and was met by a collection of Rotarians from the Carmel and Monterey Peninsula Sunrise clubs. With their local knowledge, these gentlemen gave me a fantastic walking tour of Carmel, past the mission and along the beautiful beach before finishing up for the day.

After a pleasant reception at the La Playa Hotel with more Rotarians, we enjoyed an excellent dinner with our hosts – Dick and Marjorie – and now I have a brief chance to relax (well, write this blog) before another day on the roads tomorrow.

Well, we’re 25% of the way through. The thought of having three times what I’ve already walked still to come is a daunting one so I’m not going to think about it! Nevertheless my legs and feet are doing well so no cause for concern in that department. Whether what little sanity I have left holds out is another story!

I’ll be back soon…
N

Day 24 Journal

2005-05-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Big Sur

Although it’s Tuesday it’s my day to get the Monday morning blues as I go back to ‘work’ after my day off.

However, with such beautiful views (again) I soon snapped out of this and got on with today’s walk which flew by surprisingly quickly. This was partly due to the large amount of food I consumed yesterday so my body was not in energy deficit as it usually is most days.

I completed the 26 mile leg to Big Sur in just six and a half hours and felt very strong by the end. The scenery, which I have now become accustomed to and am sadly taking for granted, distracted me from the continuous climbing and I finished nice and early at 3:00pm. Clare picked me up and we headed over to our host, Holly’s house for afternoon nap time! We then enjoyed dinner at Holly’s restaurant (for the second time in three days), the beautiful Nepenthe overlooking the Pacific. Although we had eaten here only two days ago we agreed that it is not every day that you can get spectacular views like this from a restaurant so we might as well make the most of it while we’re here!

Tomorrow, sadly, this beautiful section of coastline ends. These last few days have been incredible with such unbelievable views that I would find myself laughing spontaneously as I walked along.

However, I will be heading into the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel over the next couple of days which will provide equally dramatic scenery so I am very much looking forward to this. Furthermore, we will be entering civilization (and therefore Rotary Clubs) once again and can continue to work towards out fundraising goal which, after all, is why we are doing this in the first place!

So far we have raised $100,000 which is fantastic, although a long way short of the million dollar target which I set and still intend to reach. We need your help to achieve this so please spread the word to your friends, family and colleagues about this project.

We are trying to finish the job that Rotary International started 20 years ago and wipe out a deadly disease from this planet once and for all. By doing so we will not only prevent future generations from suffering this retched disease but will free up billions of dollars and countless man hours to be utilized on the multitude of other needy causes. Without your help we will not succeed.

Take care, and apologies for these postings popping up late – we have not internet connection out here in the wilderness!

See you soon
N

Day 23 Journal

2005-05-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

More Rest

Wow didn’t that last week fly by quickly, but not as quickly as my precious rest day seemed to evaporate!

We are staying again in Big Sur with Joe, where we enjoyed a big breakfast (Monday is the only day where I can enjoy a healthy sized breakfast without the agony of having to carry it in my stomach for 26 miles!)

After an exciting hour reorganizing our car (I could hardly contain my joy at this wonderful activity) we headed into Monterey.

While Clare and Joe set up in a café to work on WCW planning operations, I escaped to the cinema by myself to enjoy Star Wars Episode 3. I had been looking forward to this movie for a long time and it was particularly relaxing to see it on my rest day at 11:30am. The movie was excellent and if you are in the 1% of the English speaking world that hasn’t seen it yet I highly recommend it.

I then pottered around the mall while Clare beavered away on the phone and email and finally we returned to Big Sur to relax by the river. We had a wonderful dinner here at our hotel, the River Inn which was kindly provided free of charge by owner Janet. Thanks Janet!

Well back on the road again tomorrow. We’re really in the swing of things now.

More soon.
N

Day 22 Journal

2005-05-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

Past the 500 Mile Mark

Well, I said that yesterday offered the most spectacular views of the walk so far but today was even better.

I started right where I left off yesterday and continued along Highway 1 towards Big Sur.

A lot of people had told us that Big Sur was an amazing area but it is always hard to imagine what they mean until you see it for yourself. Well, it was truly incredible. I will try and describe the scenery in words but I know they won’t do it justice.

Imagine the ocean washing up against a range of mountains and imagine a road being cut into the side of the mountains trailing along the ocean from between 60 and 400 feet above sea level. This is the road I have been walking on. The sky has been nothing but cloudless and the ocean goes from turquoise to deep blue to finally grey before reaching the horizon. The elevated position of the road means I get an incredible view of the ocean far beyond what you can get from the beach. Like I say words do not do it justice.

Anybody reading this who lives in California who hasn’t driven from Cambria to Big Sur MUST do it. It is even better to walk it to really take in the views but I know most Americans would not entertain such an idea!

After a hard day we arrived at our hotel in Big Sur where we met with Joe, one of the key organizers of this project. Joe took us to an incredible restaurant this evening perched high above the oceans and we enjoyed yet more stunning views of the sun setting over the Pacific.

I have walked over 500 miles now – that’s a long walk however you look at it. It feels great to have this distance under my belt but there is a long long way to go. Time for a well earned rest tomorrow. I (and my feet!) need it.

Take care of yourselves
N

Day 21 Journal

2005-05-21T17:29:00.000-07:00

Hi,

We enjoyed a very well attended WCW event at Las Cambtitas yesterday evening with plenty of Rotarians from the Cambria and Cambria Sunrise Centennial clubs making an appearance and donning their WCW T-Shirts.

This morning I set off from Shamel Park in Cambria, again greeted by a healthy bunch of Rotarians, many of whom joined me for the first half mile of today’s trek (where they were for the proceeding 25.5 miles is a mystery to me!). Thanks to both Cambria Rotary Clubs for really making a great effort for West Coast Walk.

Well it was a warm start to the walk today as the last Rotarians deserted me and I was left to my own devices. However, an ocean breeze soon picked up to keep me cool (in fact it later made me quite cold).

Today’s scenery was unquestionably the most incredible so far. The first 18 miles along Highway 1 hugged the coast. After a couple of miles the beaches ended and the landscape was grassy and rocky with the Pacific waves crashing in only 20 feet away from me. Combined with a cloudless blue sky this was a joy to behold.

Later in the day I passed Hearst Castle which was built by some guy who decided he fancied his own castle. It sits up high on a hill and looked beautiful from the road, although I was sadly unable to take a closer look.

A few miles further along there are a series of beaches that hundreds of elephant seals come to rest on. I took a short break to go to the viewing point and watch these amazing animals basking in the sun. These are huge beasts, the males reaching a weight of up to 2-3 tons! They are able to maintain this considerable size because they can dive up to 5,000 feet below the surface to catch their food. Few other predators can reach these depths so the elephant seals enjoy their pick of fish and squid.

The highway soon started snaking into a climb (my favorite kind of walking!) but all the hard work was worthwhile – the views were just unbelievable. The road worked its way to over 700ft but remained right next to the ocean, with a near vertical drop. The views of the Pacific from this height were amazing and through each twist and turn got better and better. Words can not do justice to these panoramas but hopefully some of the photos (I took lots) will appear on the website.

I eventually finished up in what was by then 90 degree heat and was ready to get my shoes off.

Due to the lack of any towns and therefore Rotary Clubs in this area, we headed back to Cambria again where we are staying with Ken Goddard (a CotoRancho Rotarian and designer of the WCW website no less!) and his family at their holiday home.

Tomorrow promises to be another challenging day with more excellent views. Time to rest for now. Take care and enjoy your Sunday.

N

Day 20 Journal

2005-05-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

This morning we started early to attend the Los Osos Rotary meeting. I had a chance to enjoy breakfast and speak to this very friendly club before setting off walking.

It was a foggy morning with a thick marine layer blocking out the sun which made for ideal walking conditions. It is amazing how fatigue is delayed by cool conditions.

The first part of today’s walk was through Morro Bay which offered stunning seascapes cloaked in fog. I soon reached Cayucus, a beautiful little beach town and enjoyed a walk through its quiet main street before rejoining Highway 1 heading slightly inland for a few hours. The landscape changed to rolling hills regularly speckled with cattle. But for the sun that had now appeared, it could almost have been a scene from the English countryside!

Eventually I rejoined the coast again and arrived in Cambria. Again I was treated to rugged coastal views with heavy ocean winds. Despite these breezes, the end of the walk flew by while I was distracted by the view.

I have apparently featured in the local paper today and was regularly recognized by a variety of passers by. Sadly, the paper quoted my name as Ryan Auerbach despite the fact the reporter is also called Nathan and we even joked about our matching names!! On the bright side they managed to spell ‘Auerbach’ correctly which puts them above most people.

I am now enjoying some R&R with our hosts – Bruce and Jane – before a soiree with the Cambria Rotary Club this evening. It should be fun. Clare attended their meeting today and informs me that they are a friendly and somewhat jovial bunch..

I will warn you in advance that we are about to enter some remote territory for the next few days. Though I will be writing a daily Journal, I may not be able to post it for a few days. For this I apologize in advance, but rest assured you will receive all the postings as soon as possible.

Have a good weekend and I will be back in touch again soon.

N

Day 19 Journal

2005-05-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

Getting Hot Again

Last night, after a couple of hours rest we enjoyed an excellent dinner out at Rosa’s Italian restaurant in Pismo Beach with a group of Grover Beach Rotarians.

This morning Clare enjoyed an early run and then we had breakfast at the Back Door Deli where Zack, another Grover Beach Rotarian treated us to a wonderful breakfast (I indulged and had Hawaiian sweetbread French toast!).

With a full stomach I then set off walking from Pismo Beach pier. Alas today it was adios to the Pacific until tomorrow as I headed inland towards San Luis Obispo.

Even by 09:00 it was very hot and I knew it would be a challenging day ahead. I worked my way through Price Canyon and then along into San Luis Obispo which is a beautiful Mission town. Sadly, my visit to SLO entailed nothing more than a 5 minute sock change break outside the courthouse! Once again the frustration of having only fleeting visits to these wonderful places (I wanted to stay in Grover Beach for another week!).

In the blazing sun I then hit the good old Highway 1 and headed into Morro Bay where I completed today’s 27 mile leg. The sight of Clare and our vehicle waiting at the end point is always a welcome one. After 7 or 8 hours on my feet it feels amazing to get my shoes off and have a seat. Such are the simple pleasures of life!

We have just enjoyed dinner with our hosts – Gary and Cheryl – from the Los Osos Rotary Club.

Tomorrow I am promised that the scenery will be stunning as I walk to Cambria. I am returning to the coast again for the next few days which I am very pleased about – after all this is called West Coast Walk!

I hope you are all well. I’ll be back tomorrow with another scintillating installment…

N

Day 18 Journal

2005-05-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Back to the Beach

Hello again avid WCW blog readers!

Well after a hard day yesterday Clare and I went over to Connie’s (she is the incoming president of the Santa Maria Club) for a delicious dinner.

I had an early start this morning due to an appearance on the local country radio station to talk about the walk. This was great fun and our host, Jay, also gave me some country CDs. Thanks Jay – now Clare has more than one CD for in the car!

Today’s walk was a lot more enjoyable than yesterday. I left Santa Maria and headed into Guadalupe, a small agricultural town famous for its broccoli. I saw many fields of broccoli and it looked fantastic! I was met by a local Rotarian and fellow Brit, Gillian, who guided me through the town and took me to the Dunes Center where she works. There are 18 miles and 22,000 acres of sand dunes in the area and this is the visitor center to learn about these dunes.

After leaving Guadalupe I continued on the Pacific Coast Highway into Oceano and then Grover Beach. I was met at Grover Beach by an excellent contingent of Rotarians from the Grover Beach and Pismo Beach Rotary Clubs as well as by a Grover Beach fire engine and several Grover Beach police cruisers (with accompanying fire and police officers!). What a welcome!! After some photos (especially of the fire engine) and an interview with a local TV station, about 20 of us walked along the boardwalk 2 miles to Pismo Beach Pier. I was met here by more Pismo Beach and Nipomo Rotarians as well as…..TWO Pismo Beach fire engines complete with crews! This was very exciting indeed.

After a week or so of mostly inland walking, it is great to be reunited with my old friend the Pacific Ocean. There’s nothing like an ocean view to keep me motivated through this journey. We also saw some grey whales just off the pier so all in all a very packed and exciting day. I didn’t even notice that I had toiled over 27 miles!

We are about to go and enjoy dinner with some of the merry Rotarians we met earlier. I will be back tomorrow. How about those Hammers! Premiership here we come….

N

Day 17 Journal

2005-05-17T16:55:00.000-07:00

Wind, Dust, Trucks

Well here we are into our third week of the walk. It seems like a long time since we started!

Yesterday evening Clare and I attended the weekly meeting of the Santa Maria South Rotary Club where I was the program speaker. There were also members of the Santa Maria and Santa Maria Breakfast clubs there so it was great to be able to talk to members of three different clubs about the walk so far. We had a great dinner and also sold lots of t-shirts. By the way, the West Coast Walk T-shirts are now available online so if you haven’t got yours yet don’t delay! These are the must-have fashion accessories of this season.

Anyway, I hit the road again today from where I stopped on Sunday. The rest day flew by so quickly it really did feel like it was just yesterday that I had stopped there.

I had another 15 miles to walk along Foxen Canyon Road, which is a very peaceful, winding road through vineyards and later on crop fields. This first section of today’s walk was very pleasant, with a slightly cooler temperature than over the weekend.

I met with a crew from the local CBS TV channel as well as two students from a nearby photography school who had read about the walk and had come out to take some shots (they were on their way to the Santa Maria courthouse to snap Michael Jackson).

I eventually came out of Foxen Canyon and onto Betteravia. In doing so I passed a large quarry and the premesis of the Union Asphalt Co. How ominous was to be! For the remainder of the day I was strafed by dozens, if not hundreds of long, dusty, fume-belching trucks transporting asphalt. The feeling of walking on a dusty shoulder and having a big truck zoom past you at 70mph is not a pleasant one and I am still picking dust particles out of my eyes and teeth as I write this. The wind had also picked up by this point and was, of course, a headwind.

So it was not a particularly enjoyable walk for the last couple of hours but who said life was all a bed of roses?! I am just enjoying a rest at our hotel for a couple of hours before we head out to a BBQ at a local Rotarian’s house.

I’ll be back tomorrow to tell you all about it. In the meantime, take care and come on you Irons tomorrow night!

N

Day 16 Journal

2005-05-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

Just a Quick One

Well here we are on another rest day.

It feels great not to be walking today (my feet are grateful) but with media interviews and a Rotary meeting this evening where I am the guest speaker, I am not feeling terribly rested!

Therefore, this journal will be short and sweet.

Our dear host John took Clare and I out to a wonderful breakfast this morning in Santa Ynez. Without a 26 mile walk ahead of me I was able to indulge and enjoy waffles, eggs and sausages!!

We then drove to Santa Maria where we are staying for the next couple of days (also the setting for the Michael Jackson trial!). I have just had a quick nap and we will shortly prepare to attend the Santa Maria Rotary Club meeting this evening. I also have a photographer from the local press coming to take some shots! And so ends another rest day. Back to the grindstone tomorrow.

See you soon..
N

Day 15 Journal

2005-05-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

Another Week Done

Wow – this week went by quickly! Already time for a rest tomorrow.

Well I set off this morning from Lake Cachuma. There was still some early morning fog around and I experienced the strange sensation of being chilly!

Half an hour into the walk and the sun had burned off all the fog and even at 9:00am the heat was starting to take its toll.

The first part of the walk today was still the remnants of the San Marcos Pass (AHHH), but this only lasted a couple of miles before the road opened up and the shoulders widened. Bliss!

I worked my way into Santa Ynez, where John, a Rotarian from Los Olivos joined me for 3 miles to the site of the local Rotary Centennial Project – a community park that is being completed later this month.

In the full ferocity of the midday sun I walked to Los Olivos, a small and beautiful town crawling with tourists (largely thanks to the movie ‘Sideways’ which was filmed around this area). After a quick photo shoot I headed into Foxen Canyon – a long winding road forming the gateway to a vast array of wineries. The scenery was beautiful – extensive vineyards and rolling hills. There was very little traffic so again this was a very relaxing stretch of the route. It did get extremely hot and by the end of the 27 mile walk I was really feeling hot and bothered. However, as Clare picked me up from the finish point it felt great to have another week completed and more importantly a day off (and accompanying sleep in!) tomorrow.

This evening our ‘meal hosts’ John and Jean took Clare and I to the Hitching Post in nearby Buellton. This was featured in ‘Sideways’ – where Miles met the waitress – and as a result was very busy, even on a Sunday. The food was excellent (I had a wonderful steak) and was also excited to be eating in a movie scene. After dinner John drove us around some other settings from ‘Sideways’ to complete our tour! It is a surprisingly rewarding experience to visit the locations from your favorite movies. I recommend this to anybody who has the chance. Go for it!

Anyway, tonight will be an excellent sleep and John and Jean are kindly taking us for breakfast tomorrow. They have been truly excellent hosts.

More soon. Take care.
N

Day 14 Journal

2005-05-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

Passed Out

Today was definitely the hardest day so far.

I set off from Montecito this morning, accompanied for the first couple of miles by some Rotarians from the Santa Barbara Sunrise club.

I soon reached Santa Barbara which really is a beautiful town. I enjoyed a walk along the beach before heading down State Street, the main thoroughfare of the town. This was a fantastic start to the day – I certainly want to come back here and spend more time!

This is perhaps one of the frustrating aspects of this walk – I pass through so many amazing places but am sadly only able to march through without stopping to really enjoy them. However, it is better to at least see them briefly rather than not at all!

After Santa Barbara I began the real work of the day – climbing San Marcos Pass. From sea level in the morning I twisted and turned my way through the pass, climbing to 2,400 feet. As the early afternoon sun beat down this was an extremely tough 6 mile climb.

I have also realized that for a pedestrian, the word ‘Pass’ is to be feared and loathed. Not only does it mean that there will be continual climbing and descending, but it means that there will be dozens of blind corners and hairpins with little or no shoulder. This means a lot of physical labor as well as the need for constant effort to remain safe. All in all it means a lot of hard work!

I eventually reached my finish point at Lake Cachuma, having covered 28 miles and expended 4,500 calories!

After a quick shower we enjoyed a wonderful dinner in Los Olivos with Rotarians from the Los Olivos club (logically enough). We are staying in Solvang for the next two nights, right in Santa Barbara wine country – the setting for the recent movie ‘Sideways’.

Tomorrow’s walk will be a little less demanding thankfully.

See you soon,
N

Day 13 Journal

2005-05-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

A Hard Day

Today was another very hot day which, combined with the climbing I did today, made it a tough walk.

I set off from Lake Casitas this morning and worked my way around the winding pass, climbing to over 1,100 feet. The road was very narrow with no more than 12 inches of shoulder so I had to be very careful with traffic. There were countless blind bends and hairpins so I was continually switching from one side of the road to the other to make sure I was visible to the traffic, and Clare had to trail me in the car at times when there was a danger of not being seen. To compound the difficulties, there was major road construction on Lake Casitas Pass so dozens of trucks chugged their way up and down the pass. Any hopes of enjoying some music were dashed because I needed to be able to hear the traffic. As a result the walking was much more stressful – I couldn’t just relax and enjoy the walk but rather had to use my brain constantly. My brain isn’t used to working at this rate so it crashed a couple of times. I have since rebooted it and it seems to be working OK now…

As I reached Carpenteria the road opened up and allowed me to walk more comfortably. I am told that this area is the avocado capital of the world, and this claim was supported by the acres and acres of avocado trees that I walked through.

By early afternoon I walked into Montecito, passing Oprah Winfrey’s house. I was met by an enthusiastic gathering of Rotarians from the Montecito, Carpenteria Morning and Santa Barbara Sunrise clubs.

After a quick dip in the pool at our host, Les’ complex, we then met up with the Rotarians for dinner at the local sushi bar.

I had the brainwave yesterday to freeze some water bottles over night so they would still be cold by the afternoon, and in this heat I am glad I did so, although even the frozen bottles were getting warm by the end of the walk today.

Today’s climb was a mere warm up for tomorrow – I will be ascending over 2,400 feet so it is another tough day in store. It will be an early start so I can get some work done before the heat really kicks in!

I am starting to look forward to Monday’s rest! Only two days to go!

I’ll be back tomorrow..
N

2005-05-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

A warm welcome in Montecito by members of the Carpenteria and Montecito Rotary Clubs

Day 12 Journal

2005-05-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

Feeling Hot

I will start today’s journal from where I left off yesterday. Clare and I attended a fantastic ‘pot luck’ dinner last night hosted by the Newbury Park, Canejo Village, Canejo Centennial, Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village Rotary Clubs. This was a great opportunity to spread the word about West Coast Walk to a large group of Rotarians as well as enjoying some excellent food!

Today I set off from Port Hueneme City Hall and walked past the Navy base – home of the Seabees (construction battalion) before heading north into Ventura. I walked along Ventura’s Main Street which was beautiful, full of elegant shops and restaurants.

Having passed through Ventura I approached Lake Casitas and began to walk around the lake. As I climbed to about 600ft I was treated to incredible views of the lake before I reached my end point at the Northern tip. By this time the temperature had also done some climbing – to over 90 degrees! I was very hot by the end of the 26.5 mile walk today.

It is amazing how the landscape of California has changed. Having recently left the hustle and bustle of Orange and LA Counties, we are now in the much more tranquil and rugged Ventura County. I have walked by citrus groves that spread as far as the eye can see and the towns here have much more of a small town feel to them. It is surprising how diverse California is and I have no doubt we will continue to see the landscapes evolve.

After a hard day’s walk we headed into nearby Ojai to the Rotary community park where we met with Rotarians from the Ojai and Ojai West Rotary Clubs. Our host for this evening, Nick, then took Clare and I on a tour (by car thankfully!) of this beautiful town.

Luckily, the local newspaper – The Ventura County Star - had written a story about West Coast Walk for today’s edition of the paper so I was stopped at least 6 times by people who had read about me. One of the well-wishers, Dennis, also handed me $20 to go to PolioPlus! Thanks Dennis!

Another hot day is forecast for tomorrow. I’ll keep caking on that sun block!

See you soon…
N

2005-05-12T20:05:00.000-07:00

Rotarians greet Nathan at the end of a hot day in Ojai

Day 11 Journal

2005-05-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

Wax On, Wax Off

Today was another beautiful sunny day, but with less wind. Perfect!

The first 15 miles walking today were along a stunning section of Pacific Coast between Zuma Beach and Point Mugu. It didn’t even feel like work during this stretch of beaches.

I was lucky enough to pass along Leo Carillo State Beach, which is a famous setting for Hollywood movies. Included in Leo Carillo’s rich history of cinematic brilliance is the famous scenes from The Karate Kid in which Daniel-san first encounters the evil Cobra Kais. Well I enjoyed it anyway, and I know others will appreciate this too (you know who you are!).

After the coast I headed inland past the US Naval Base at Point Mugu. As I walked along the frontage road into Port Hueneme, a US Naval MP car pulled up and the MP told me I was not permitted to walk along here – I explained that firstly, the California Highway Patrolman had just told me that I could, and secondly explained that I had to complete this journey by foot. After a couple of phonecalls he gave me the OK to walk, provided they escorted me!

Eventually I completed the day’s route in Port Hueneme where I received a warm greeting from the Port Hueneme and Newbury Park Rotary Clubs, as well as the Mayor of Port Hueneme.

Time for a well earned dinner. I’ll be back tomorrow….
N

2005-05-11T16:54:00.000-07:00

In Port Hueneme with the Port Hueneme and Newbury Park Rotary clubs, after receiving a commendation from the Mayor

2005-05-11T16:50:00.000-07:00

Later in Newbury Park for a wonderful Pot Luck dinner (complete with BBQ smoke in the photo)

Day 10 Journal

2005-05-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Past the 10% Mark!

After a fantastic day of rest it was back on the road today, and with 28 miles to cover it was always going to be a long day.

I started in Marina del Rey and enjoyed a beautiful walk along the beach through Venice to arrive at the pier at Santa Monica where a gathering from the Santa Monica Rotary Club was waiting. I was also met by Dr Wallen, a local podiatrist who gave my feet a quick examination (thanks to Warren for organizing this!). Dr Wallen gave my overworked feet a clean bill of health. They have been feeling great so far but it is nice to have an expert confirm this!

After a short stop for photos and media interviews, I carried on along the coast through Santa Monica and Malibu, finally finishing at Zuma Beach.

I spent the entire day walking into a pounding headwind which caused no end of extra fatigue. However, after a relaxing evening and a fantastic dinner at Dante’s, an Italian restaurant in Pacific Palisades, I feel rested and ready for another busy day tomorrow.

Only 90% left to do!

More tomorrow…
N

2005-05-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

West Coast Walk reaches the Santa Monica Pier in glorious sunshine

Day 9 Journal

2005-05-09T13:47:00.000-07:00

Time to Reflect

Well here we are – 8 days completed and today Clare and I are enjoying a well earned rest in the beautiful Rolling Hills Estates, hosted by Michelle Rockwood from the Redondo Beach Rotary Club.

So far today I have enjoyed a fantastic massage from Sally that was kindly donated through the Redondo Beach club. Words can not describe how amazing this was – thanks Sally!

So I thought today, with my few hours of R&R I would reflect on the week that has passed…

It’s been a crazy eight days with lots of activity. It feels amazing to finally be underway on this journey that started off as a crazy (and slightly foolish) idea when I was living in England back in November 2003. It just goes to show that if you have an idea and the determination (and stupidity?) to see it through, you can make anything happen!

The walking has been great – I am feeling strong, although the daily grind of walking a marathon is tiring. However, through my training my body has learned to recover quickly and I find myself waking up each day feeling revitalized and ready for another day of work. While there have been some less picturesque stretches of the route, it has largely been stunning. The feeling of walking next to the Pacific Ocean is incredible and as long as I have her on my left hand side I know we are heading in the right direction!

It feels quite amazing to be here in LA county, having covered my route from downtown Tijuana every single footstep. Each day I begin the walk from the exact spot that I finished walking the previous day, so if I were leaving a trail of breadcrumbs there would be an unbroken line of crumbs 200 miles long from Tijuana to Marina del Rey!

There are still 2,000 miles and three months to go though, which is a notion that can overwhelm me sometimes! I deal with this by thinking of this journey as a series of single days, and I know that on any given day I can go out and complete the walk.

We have had incredible participation from Rotary clubs, media, friends and family this week and I would like to say again how much it means to have this support. There are a lot of people giving over their precious time, energy and in some cases money to help make this project possible and I cannot stress how grateful I am to you all!

It’s time to rest now and prepare for another busy week, starting tomorrow. Thank you for following us this far, and keep watching this space. There is a lot more excitement to come!

More tomorrow…
N

2005-05-09T13:45:00.001-07:00

Nathan trades banners with Gayle Albin-Bailey of the Redondo Beach Rotary

Day 8 Journal

2005-05-08T22:14:00.000-07:00

REST REST REST

As I completed today’s 25.5 mile leg, there was one word constantly in my head! Today was my eighth straight day of walking and all day I thought about very little other than tomorrow’s rest day!

Today was a quiet day – a welcome change from the hectic pace of the preceding few days. I started in Long Beach and worked my way West through Palos Verdes to the coast. In fabulous California sunshine, I then enjoyed a walk along the Strand, along the beaches of Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and El Segundo, finishing up in Marina del Rey.

After passing through the industrial section of Long Beach in the morning, the afternoon was truly stunning. This was my first visit to these beaches and I hope to come back sometime to actually relax!

With no Rotary or media activity today, I was able to get my head down, my iPod on and get the miles under my belt. We have hit 200 miles now – only 2,000 to go!! It’s been a long eight days, but I am feeling strong and confident that the rest of the trip will be nothing short of a resounding success.

I’ll be back tomorrow….
N

West Coast Walk Journal - Day 7

2005-05-07T23:40:00.000-07:00

West Coast Walk

2005.05.07 23:40 PST

A Flurry of Activity

Today we met up with members from no fewer than 10 Rotary Clubs. We started in Corona Del Mar with a warm reception from Newport-Balboa, Newport Irvine, Newport Beach Sunrise, and Santa Ana North clubs. A small procession then moved on to Huntington Beach, where I was passed over to members of the Huntington Beach club. We enjoyed a beautiful walk along the beach, complented by glorious California weather. We stopped at Huntington Beach Pier for a gathering of more Rotarians and and press.

We then made our way to Seal Beach Pier, where we were received by the Los Alamitos/Seal Beach and Signal Hill Rotary Clubs. I was delighted to receive a giant-sized check from the two clubs for $2000 for PolioPlus.

After a day of photographs and Rotary activity, we completed the final phase of the 26.3-mile leg in relative quiet. Having ended the day in Long Beach, we made a short presention to the Long Beach club and then and then a quick appearance at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts. Despite such a busy day, our activities were far from over, as Clare and I had to don our pirate costumes and join the the Coto/Rancho Del Sol club for their Treasure Island fundraiser.

The Coto/Rancho Del Sol club featured heavily in today's activities. One of the members of the club, John Vernon, bravely (or perhaps stupidly) challenged himself to walk with me for the whole day in order to raise money for PolioPlus. True to his word, John met me at Corona Del Mar first thing this morning and soldiered on for the entire day. Despite being nearly double my age and around half my height, John kept up the pace and finished the day right beside me. Through the sponsorship of his walk by friends and colleagues, John and the Del Sol club raised over $10,000 today! It was a pleasure to walk with John, and I would love to see more people challenge themselves to do the same between here and Canada. (If you think you can handle a day in my shoes, contact us, and we'll make it happen.)

Donations have started to come in on the West Coast Walk website as word spreads about this incredible journey and Rotary's good work around the world. Thank you for supporting me in this endeavor, and thank you for helping Rotary eradicate polio from the face of the earth forever.

One more day of walking tomorrow, and I can rest on Monday. I can taste it already.

More later...

Nathan

2005-05-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

...before donning pirate costumes and announcing at Treasure Island John's incredible $10,000 sponsored walking day total

2005-05-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

Finally we finish the day at the Carpenter's Performing Arts Center in Long Beach....

2005-05-07T13:48:00.000-07:00

At stop number three at Seal Beach the Los Alimitos/Seal Beach and Signal Hill Rotary clubs meet Nathan and present him with a PolioPlus donation check

2005-05-07T13:43:00.000-07:00

... a few hours later Nathan is greeted by the Huntington beach Rotary Club who walk with him from the Santa Ana River

2005-05-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Newport Beach, Newport Irvine and Santa Ana North club members turn out to see Nathan off on Day 7

West Coast Walk Journal - Day 6 - from Coto de Caza to Corona Del Mar

2005-05-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

2005.05.06 23:09 PST

After another 28 miles today in the sun, Nathan has gone to bed. So you have me (Clare) to update you on Day 6's exciting events. It was with some trepidation that I dropped Nathan off at our starting point in Coto de Caza. He tempted fate by commenting on the fact that he hadn't had a chance to try out his new waterproof gear - the heavens willingly obliged and within minutes it started pouring. I phoned from the car "Do you want me to bring you something?" (I wasn't sure what - a West Coast Walk umbrella?) but Nathan was unfazed and marched off into the distance to our first event in Monarch Bay.

I beat him to it (in the car, of course) and we were greeted by the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club. Once we had them all suitably dressed in West Coast Walk T-shirts and ready to go, I raced off to Three Arch Bay, the next meeting point, to put up the banners. It wasn't long before the walkers arrived, along with the local media and members of the Laguna Beach Interact Club and the Laguna Niguel Rotary Club. Jeff Redeker, from the Laguna Beach Rotary Club, appeared with a list of his Relay Team that would be lining the 9 mile route to the end of Laguna Beach, and after some interviews, an exchange of club banners and plenty of photos, the walkers set off in style with the Rotary banners streaming.

Jeff did an amazing job as the 'shuttle person', ensuring all his team were in the right places at the right times at 1/2 mile intervals along the route, and Laguna Beach President, Dave, set the example by walking the whole way. I know it means such a lot to Nathan to have supporters out there with him, and today they were out in force, with walkers from 16 to 80 years old, and a dog for good measure.

Tomorrow looks to be as action-packed as ever - we have nine Rotary Clubs joining in the fun from Newport Beach to Long Beach, and then to top the day off Nathan and I will be donning our pirate outfits and heading to Rotary Del Sol's fundraising event Treasure Island. With any luck you'll have Nathan back to fill you in then...

Clare

2005-05-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

A hand over point on the Laguna Beach relay

West Coast Walk Journal - Day 5

2005-05-05T21:17:00.000-07:00

2005.05.05 21:17 PST

Home Sweet Home......
5 Days in, 125 miles walked, and I'm right back where I started!!

Today I walked through my 'home turf', finishing up in Coto de Caza - the very place where West Coast Walk has been masterminded!

After a hearty breakfast by the beach, I left San Clemente this morning at 9:30. My first destination was San Juan Capsitrano, where I met some enthusiastic members of the San Juan Rotary Club who also provided some live Mexican music to celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

After a photo op by the famous Mission, I walked on to Coto de Caza, conquering the mighty climb up Antonio Parkway along the way.

Escorted by Bruce, a California Highway Patrolman who also happens to be an ultra marathoner, I made my way up Oso Parkway. As I passed Tesoro High School there was a fantastic reception by some of the Interacters (the Rotary Youth group sponsored by Coto Rancho Rotary) as well as other students who also provided some free pizza!

I then pressed on down Oso into Coto de Caza where I was greeted by members of the Coto de Caza/RSM, Coto de Caza/RSM Del Sol and Mission Viejo Rotary Clubs. Several Coto residents joined me as we walked down Coto Drive with various 'banner' points along the way. We were also
accompanied by a large group on horseback for several miles!

All in all this was an exhausting day, but again it was fantastic to see so many people out to support West Coast Walk. I would like to thank everyone who joined in today for their support - you really make this project what it is and you help me stay focused - THANKS!

Well it's five days gone - only ninety-five to go. We're getting there slowly but surely!

More later...

Nathan

2005-05-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

A final shot for the day with the home club.

2005-05-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

The end of the trail at last and a welcome by Mission Viejo and Coto/Rancho Rotary Clubs and Boy Scout Troop 636.

2005-05-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

West Coast Trot.

2005-05-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

Nathan breaks a sponsor's banner in Coto.

2005-05-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

Entering Coto.

2005-05-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

A warm welcome by Tesoro Interact and the Rotary Clubs of Coto De Caza/Rancho Santa Margarita.