Any interesting "survival" shops to viist on this route

Bagheera

Bagheera

Joined
Oct 6, 1998
Messages
957
correction I wanted to write 'visit'.

Hi everyone,

Sunday I leave for the US and in the 4 weeks we'll travel through your beautifull country we'll visit/stay overnight in the following cities:
Los Angeles
San Diego
Indio
Las Vegas
Cedar City
Provo
Jackson
Gardiner
Arco
Boise
Bend
Klathma Falls
Red Bluff
Alamo ? go see Walt Welch
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Fresno
Los Angeles

You can follow the route on a map and I'm wondering if there are any "survival", gun, outdoorgoods stores worth visiting in any of these places or along the route please let me know.

A nice military surplus store would certainly interest me, although my wife and kids probably won't.

Any tips of things not to miss please let me know and I'll try to plan it in.

I'll try to read my e-mail account but don't really know if I will find any "internet" cafe's along the route, perhaps you know of a source were I could sometimes surf the net?

Hope to hear from you,

Cheers from Holland,

Bagheera


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[This message has been edited by Bagheera (edited 06-28-2000).]
 
Geez Piet, you are getting around!

Here's my tips:

Los Angeles... nothing to see, except maybe Universal Studios.

San Diego... Navy/Marine Corps town, so surplus abounds. I was stationed there for four years. Get over to Coronado, take the bay cruise... tons of stuff to do. Sea World for the kids.

Las Vegas... you will not have enough time to see it all. If you like Star Trek, go to the Hilton. There are more shows and things to see than you can shake a stick at.

Red Bluff... great town! My parents live just north of there. Very friendly. Lots of outdoorsy stuff to do in the area. Mount Shasta, old mining stuff, fishing... truly a wonderful place. Great people.

Fresno... Yuck. I used to live there too. As a stopping point on your way to Yosemite, that's about the only reason to get out of your car. Otherwise, you could skip it and not miss anything. Yosemite is fantastic, even if it's a little too well traveled for my taste.

As for the gun store thing... you're not going to have much luck in the People's Republic of Kalifornia. Las Vegas has a Gun Store where you can rent and shoot fully automatic weapons. Truly tons of fun! It's not far from the strip, either.

Have a great time!

Kev



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-Kevin
Oderint dum metuant
Riddler, Hoodlum, Bon Vivant.
The Polly Klaas Foundation
 
I live a little farther north of where you're travelling, we are having our WAC (Washington Arms Collectors) gun show at Puyallup, WA, on the weekend of July 8-9.
You might want to go to the "Oregon Vortex" located at Goldhill, Oregon. Its approx. 50 miles north of the Oregon/California border, just off interstate 5. Its one of the strongest Magnetic anomalys in the world. I think they have tours every day. Its really interesting, and the kids love it.
 
Hi guys,

Thanks for the info, I heard about the Las Vegas gunshop/range perhaps I'll try sneaking out there when my wife is gambling
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The magnetic "vortex" sounds interesting I'll try to look it up tonight.

Thanks again,

Bagheera


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Bagheera,
Sounds like you have a great trip ahead of you. Most of the major cities you are going to visit have excellent surplus stores, but don,t overlook the gun shops in the smaller western towns you'll be traveling through. They almost always have some interesting items and people to meet. Just check the local phone book.
Have a great trip and let us know how it was when you return.
Bob
 
Thanks guys,

Marion great idea with the libraries, I should have come up with it myself
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By the way, anyone who showed interest in the firesteels I'm still waiting and hoping for them to arrive today.

Cheers,

Bagheera

LS I couldn't stay away from knives so if things work out I will pick up an Spyderco Starmate when we're halfway through our trip.
I will have it send to a friendly motel owner.
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Bagheera,

Have a nice trip!
San Diego and its surroundings are -as mentioned- strongholds of the US Navy/Marines. Must have surplus stores!
The ZOO is good too. I saw a surplus store -I believe- right on Mission Beach.
Check local yellow pages in hotel.

HM
 
The CASA DE BANDINI has a nice restaurant with atmosphere. Bit touristy but I was happy with it.

HM
 
There is a gunshow that might fit your schedule in Las Vegas on 7/15-7/16.

How are you traveling? Rental car? RV?
You should keep in mind that you will be
on Southern California freeways. They are
legendary, even here. Sort of like descriptions of the Autobahn in Germany that I've read about, only slower paced and more crowded and probably not as civilized.
smile.gif

Maps will be essential. There are areas that
will simply not want to go into.

San Diego: Yes, definitely worth it. The beaches are nice. Balboa Park and the Zoo
are worthy of note. For an interesting side
trip, take the trolley south to the border
and walk across to Tijuana, Mexico.
Indio: remember that this will be July. We're
talking desert and hot desert at that. My
parents live near 1000 Palms and they have
AC on to keep their house around 80 degrees F
At times, you will need to be careful what you touch, especially if it's metal. Think
spare water-and loose fitting cotton clothing. Are you a fan of deserts? BTW, The
Grand Canyon isn't that far from Las Vegas.
Too bad you couldn't bypass Bend and Klamath
Falls and extend your route to the Oregon
coast. It's truly outstanding and there are
miles of beaches and all sorts of neat little towns. if I had a choice between Red Bluff, Fresno and going down Hwy 101, there would be no contest. The Redwood Nat. Forest, alone would be worth it. There is a great town called Morro Bay, west of San Luis Obispo.

Then, again, one might find it interesting to
retrace the events in "Lucifer's Hammer" in
the area around Tulare and Porterville, south
of Fresno.
smile.gif

 
Hi Gorm,

Thanks for all the helpfull hints, I like deserts as an bioloist (ex
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) I just like to see how nature looks so we'll drive through the Anzio Borrego Desert National Park and sleep for one night in Indio.
Then it's off driving through the Yoshua Monument National Park and then all the way up to Las Vegas.
There we will stay 3 nights and hopefully my wife will win the big one
smile.gif
so I can prolong our stay in the US indefinitly
biggrin.gif

I would immediately quit my job and buy one off those luxery RV's and go on a one year trip through the US.

Gorm in Las Vegas we will make day trips (okay also to the slot machines, I'm married you know
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) but not to the Grand Canyon because we have been there in 1998. I saw it also, including the rest of the States/ part off Mexico and Canade when I went over in 1976 with my best friend after Highschool, and had a 3 month bus pass and travelled the US..... those were the days 18 years old
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Gorm, from there it's slowly up to Yellowstone Park and after some days it's east to Arco, Boise, Bend but you've just planted a bug in my and my wifes brain and we will look into the Oregon Highway 101 suggestion.
We plan trips ourself and this is one thing we always relish that's our ability to change a planned trip just because we hear something that looks nicer.

Thanks again, I'll be the next 20 hours online so any suggestions/more info about the Orefgon coastal line, places to visit etc are WELCOME.

I was in the Red Wood Park and you're right it's something one must see, we only couldn't just fit it in because we heard about Bend with it's beautifull forests etc.

The big problem is that with 2 kids in the back (and two in the front
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) we don't want the drive 400 miles a day vacation but rather take iour time walking (short hikes) visiting interesting places talk to people etc. the general idea we have of a vacation.

There are not many routes that go to the Oregon coast so if you can point me to some that you've driven our routes that you would prefer please tell me.

Cheers,

Bagheera



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According to my map, you could go north from
Bend and across to Corvallis on hwy 20/126 or
cut south to Eugene/Springfield. You'd be going through several wilderness/ski areas. Eugene is my one of my favorites-it's where the movie "Animal House" was filmed-its a college town-w-tree lined streets with the Mckenzie river running through it. Approximately an hour to the west of Corvallis, you arrive at Newport (NICE B&B's, lots to do) or west of Eugene, at Florence. Florence is more touristy, but easier to get around in. Head south from Florence and check out the Dunes National recreation area. Take a ride out onto the Dunes in a 6x6 ATV and be lectured by "experts" about the plant and animal life at the isolated "oasis" of trees and other plant life that are fed by underground springs. Nothing but sand for hundreds and hundreds of yards,then a clump of 60ft trees and bushes...then nothing for another few yards and there, another group.
Head south through Coos Bay (another nice town), Bandon, Capo Blanco/Port Orford (as in
archery-port orford cedar) and down to the Rogue River canyon near Gold Beach. Then south to Brookings and cross in California
to Crescent City. You turn back north into
Oregon on Hwy 199 to Cave Junction. This is
Sasquatch Country. If you are so inclined, pay the fee and look at what are supposed to
be plaster casts of "Bigfeet"
smile.gif
and check out the Bigfoot skat and hair. If that doesn't appeal, there is a little known treat
directly east-Oregon Caves National Monument
with an ultra-cool tour through underground
caverns where you end up WAY deep in the earth. There is also a lodge operated by the
Forest Service that I once considered for my honeymoon.
North and east, and you intersect with I-5
and can continue on south to Grants Pass (survival central) and Gold Hill where you
might want to stop at the Vortex. It looks
cheesy and contrived-at first. I have yet to
hear a satisfactory explanation for just why
a plumb bob stood out at an angle, even though the reading on the tripod showed level-or why watches and compasses are so affected. The real kicker was watching a golf ball roll uphill. No, it wasn't an illusion.
Anyway, with I-5 so close, it's a straight
shot south to LA, unless you wanted to
cut over at, say, San Jose and then take 101
south. Stop at Monterey and/or Seaside. Hwy 1
will take you down to Morro Bay, but 101 is
faster. I prefer trees and mountains-or at least hills. The central corridor (I-5) and the east corridor (Hwy 99) are pretty dull,IMHO, unless you prefer mile after mile of sun scorched grass and occasional agriculture. In the area around Coalinga, the restaurants will not give you water with a meal unless you specifically request it.
If you plan on Disneyland in LA, BTW, take a van shuttle from your hotel/motel. It's infinitely easier and fairly reasonable.
 
Be sure and check out the employment possibilities in Bend. It's rapidly becoming
a Mecca for Hi-tech companies. I believe its
#3 behind Redmond, WA and Austin, TX. There's
a lot to do there as well as far as outdoor
sports go. I wish you a safe and enjoyable
journey and your wife a lot of luck at the tables.
 
Bagheera:
What happened on your vacation? Did you get
caught in any forest fires?
smile.gif

 
Hi Gorm,

When time permits I will write a "piece" over my 4 weeks driving through the USA from Los Angeles to San Diego and then up to Las Vegas and from there all the way to Yellowstone (Gardiner, Montana) and then to the West through Arco etc to the Oregon coast and back to LA via Kings Canyon etc.

I (we drove well over 4600 miles and we ended up with 4 extra pieces of lugguage going home.

Wall-Mart was a favorite stop for me as well as outdoor shops along the route with them in Montana and Oregon being especially interesting because there was no 5-9% sales tax.

My "survival" kit has grown by all the bits and pieces that I bought and as I said when I caught up with my regular work (the one that feeds me and my familly) I will write some more.

We didn't see many fires when we were driving only one time we saw distant bad wether with huge lightning bolts which we put on tape and when we drove towards it we saw the sky turn gray/black from the fires that raged as the sagebrush etc had caught fire and burned over an almost 1/2 to 3/4 mile wide strip.

Later more.

Cheers,

Bagheera

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