Marge's Top Ten List

We drove 400+ miles today to western Nebraska. This was a day to contemplate the many sights of our country and to give them my ranking. Here goes:
Number 10 - Stopped on a major highway in Colorado because a tree had fallen across the road. We listened to the truckers converse about the incident, and decided it was than closing the highway because of an avalanche.
Number 9 - Participating in Canada Day in Victoria, where we watched hundreds of Canadians form an image of the flag (some with red shirts and some with white shirts). Fireworks were an evening delight.
Number 8 - Meeting many new View owners at the Rally in Oregon. One NY couple bought their Winnebago on the same week that their house sold. They had no plans - except to drive south to warmer weather. They have been living in their View for 2 years and haven't tired.
Number 7 - Pets are a staple for many campers. Dick has to greet every dog that walks by our gig. One night a couple parked next to us with two little dogs and a PARROT!
Number 6 - California agriculture - we expected the vineyards, but were amazed at the colors of the vines against the tan hills. We did not expect the acres of almond trees and peaches and olives. Fields of lettuce and tomatoes in the valley. Every vehicle entering California goes through a checkpoint to help protect the industry from visitors bringing in disease that may affect their crops.
Number 5 - Rocky Mountain National Park was our first crossing of the Continental Divide. It was cold and tall snowbanks were on both sides of the road.
Number 4 - Zion National Park in Utah scores at the top for being visitor friendly. The campground had electricity (a necessity for the hot weather) and the free shuttle eliminated our need to drive.
Number 3 - Seals in California. The brown seals we saw when boating toward Anacapa Island with Christa. The elephant seals off the coast near the Hearst Castle.
Number 2 - The awesome Sequoia trees in California. These giants survive fires, drought and continue to provide beauty for visitors. Sequoia National Park was my favorite of all the parks we visited.
AND Number 1 - the Black Bear and Cubs we surprised on a walk in the Sequoia National Park. Imagine walking around a curved path and coming face to face with a Black Bear. She looked so perfect with a brown nose and shiny black fur. Then, we saw baby bear scamper about 6 feet up a tree and stare at us. He resembled a small teddy bear, while his bigger cub brother peered at us over a fallen log. The bears were about 15 feet away and stared at us, while we tried to take pictures and calmly continue our walk.