After marveling at the beauty of the glacier fed lakes we turned to Colonial Creek Campground in an old growth forest on the shore of Lake Diablo. It’s a beautiful place and we considered staying here but we do appreciate the proximity of Newhalem to the Park Visitors Center and the Verizon data signal. We did take advantage of the opportunity to hike the Thunder Creek Trail from Colonial Creek Campground. It was about 1.5 miles each way to a foot bridge but easy grades but it felt good to stretch our legs and stride out! We actually were ready for lunch when we started so we were really really ready for lunch when we finished. We did stop to take another look at Gorge Creek Falls on our way but we were anxious to make it to the Newhalem General Store where we indulged in some sandwiches that had been made at the historic Gorge Inn, salad, chips, fresh coffee, and ice cream!
It was an incredible experience to actually walk the streets of Pompeii, once a bustling resort town in the Roman Empire until 79 AD when an apocalyptic explosion buried it under 20 feet of volcanic ash. Archeological excavations since the 19th Century continue to reveal evidence of a thriving community.
Once the largest cruise ship in the world, Allure of the Seas will be our home for the next seven nights as we cruise the Western Mediterranean and explore the eighteen decks of this behemoth.
Our recent travel misadventures seriously curtailed our time in Rome pre-cruise but we did get to visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel before making the trip to Civitavecchi for an overnight in the port city of Rome preparatory to departing on Allure of the Seas tomorrow.
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