Day 19 Wednesday January 30

Oasis

Not a travel day.
Off to Oasis Preserve Palm Springs with Laurie, a friend of M's from Vancouver. Palms like short red woods bunched tightly together along springs resulting from the San Andreas Fault. Good pic opportunities abounding. B stayed home in the bus. Large Mexican lunch for the four of us afterwards; all hungry. Back to Casa Verde for bike ride which included M's uncle and grandfather's houses from the 1950's sun setting behind the mountains after shining in the afternoon quite nicely.
Off to Bob Sabatini's house for a whidbey expatriates dinner which may include Frank G., Barry S. of yore. We shall see; got to freshen-up for that right now.

Day 18 Tuesday January 29

No photos today so here is a 30 year old shot from old British Honduras - Ramona, Neeblol, Ogee. S., Chula and Ike in case we should forget.

Tomorrow looks like moving to Neil's, Whitewater Canyon with Fran and Ed and you know, whatever comes.

So, now it is the day formerly known as tomorrow.
     Not a travel day. Nice breakfast at M's with various fruits, granola, yoghurt. Moved to Neil's condo; very near. No internet due to no network name or password so using cellular and phone hotspot.
     Strangely no photos today. Somehow just forgot; maybe it was the overcast. Heading for Whitewater Canyon Preserve, stopped at Ralphs for picnic supplies - baked chicken parts, marinated vegetable salads, pita chips; you know. Walked a ways on the canyon trail which was also part of the PCT, earlier slight rain at Ralphs and up the Whitewater Canyon apparently because the hikers coming down said they had seen no water on the way up but now a shallow and thin flow of clayie water was coming down the creek bed.
     Met F and E in parking lot of the visitor center; they had somehow got a parking spot next to our bus with their bus in the full parking lot. School groups (elementary) all over. Mountain goat clan on the cliffs above, no trout in the pools of the former catch and release operation. F and E allowed to stay in parking lot for no cost, odd but good. They were locked in at night but were given the code to get out if necessary just like here at Casa Verde.
     I napped on return, S and M went to the pool, B got walked, M went to something and S and I saw The Favourite which S found pointless but I thought was educational.

Day 17 Monday January 28

Up and out early with M and the dog

What we mean when we say "at home at Casa Verde"

     At home at Casa Verda for the next several days.  B weathered the night alone in the van well, presumably, since she only looked at me when I opened the big door. Good bike ride through some of the mid-century modernity which P. S. has in spades. See samples above. Note silhouette of giant running man on the mountain side above B. which is really Tahquitz Canyon. Possible breakthrough in accommodations at Casa Verde as Neil owner of the condo two doors down is heading to his mom's funeral in Alberta and he has graciously offered same to us; the condo that is. Bob Sabatini may be organizing a meet and greet with many of the old islanders who are resident now in PS so that would be good fun.
     Walked to the Tropicale after M left for his dinner and music to find a drink and rub some elbows. To whit, PS has 137 men for every 100 women in its population but we had the waitress tonight and she failed to shake a jasmine loose from the bar and further more asked to 2 or 3 times, "Jasmine??"  S had the familiar margarita and I had a flat and useless gin and tonic; the cachet of the Tropicale has fallen for this tourist.

Day 16 Sunday January 27

the joy of tidying up

Skip surveying van

circle indicates how close we got to the swimming beach

     Out to Java and Joe's coffee place with S and the dog for the usual. After there was the farmers market down the street for cara cara juice, wheat grass, tomatoes, and hot sauce. Loaded and ready to move toward Palm Springs.  Excellent stay in Ojai thanks to S and S's.
150
126
I5
210
I10
111
Numbered highways to M's condo in Palm Springs which included Santa Paula, Castaic Junction, Santa Clarita, Irwindale and Verdugo City among many other spots. Attempted a swimming spot in Irwindale at a reservoir/recreation area but beach closed until March. Arrived at Casa Verde, M's home until the end of April,  around 4 after a short walk northwest of town where we chatted with a homeless true camper fellow about 100 yards off hwy. 111.  Checked into Vons for dog food and other supplies before meeting M at his gate. Out for dinner at Vietnamese place followed by short tour of downtown and finally by a walk with B and everyone else and that about ended the day. And earlier there was a margarita at the Tropicale happy hour and viewing of the classic cars for sale across the way. M has generously given S and I his bed while B sleeps alone in the bus; she'll be fine.

Day 15 Saturday January 26

S and S's on Lion Street in Ojai

     Couple hill climbs on Signal St one block over from Lion to reach the Shelf Trail head, the second time with the group of campers, F, E, S, and the local residents to take the walk to first bench. Ojai spread Montecito like below us. 3 for a swim at the club, F. for a nap, and E and Art E’s friend from thousand oaks for another shelf walk and me for a ride to the Rainbow Bridge store for 16$ worth of dental supplies ( silk floss and tom’s toothpaste) and a quick rest. Off to Ventura for the movie Vice and dinner at the Taj Indian restaurant. Ventura appears to be flourishing. 

Day 14 Friday January 25

Leftovers at G and K's

     Dog walk up above El Encanto Hotel. Pack and so lang to our kind hosts Greg and Kim; skipping over highway 150 to the mountain valley enclave of Ojai. Ed and Fran in the drive way of  Skip and Sheilas place on Lion St. We slide in behind. Shortly Skio and I bike over to the Ojai Valley Athletic Club for a dip as the weather was warm and bright. Conversed for a pleasant while with Bob and Susan. Biked to bring back the Mexican takeout and the subsequent dining was on the carpet in the drive under the eucalyptus and the stars. 

Day 13 Thursday January 24

Cold Spring Canyon

Left overs

Cold Spring Canyou 2

Cold Spring Canyon 3

     Croissant and various tarts and sweet rolls fetched by G for our breakfasts. No-dog walk hike up Cold Spring Canyon because it is a good walk and for to see the aftermath of the flash flood that destroyed people and property lower down last year. Scoured. Back to Cota for lunch of left overs including the best silvery, lemony fresh anchovies which no one but myself enjoyed due to dogmaticity regarding tiny fishes or whatever. Rest period in the early pm for all except G and I. G on some mysterious errand maybe having to do with doors on the landscaper's new place and me dealing with the mesmerizingly infuriating water system refill. Ah, but that is past now and there is the couch in the formal living room and the contemplation of dinner which will probably entail going to one of the near infinite number of fine eating establishments here in the lovely city of Saint Babs.

Day 12 Wednesday January 23

Chocolate sampling trays at twenty-four Blackbirds

Botanical Garden new lab 2

     Beautiful day for a walk in the Bot Garden with las pouches.  Greg's goes off to measure a doorway for a landscapers new headquarters down the street. We prepare to bike to fish market. Down Haley in a bike foursome for empanadas at Victoria Court off State St. (According to G. this was the original Santa Barbara fern bar in the 80's). Victoria Court consists of a nice but slightly not feng shui -ed yet interior courtyard connected through an arched tunnel to State occupied by a doughnut shop, empanada shop and a beer shop.  I accidentally ordered 4 empanadas but no problem plus a quarter doughnut and a beer artisanal. Speed ride to fish shop on the waterfront north or west of the pier. Bought local halibut and fresh anchovies and K took same and headed on home S following at a distance. G and I tried the Mill brew house in what used to be Superior Mill Works where G says he once worked. Eventually G went home to get some slight tools and measure the doorway across Haley that the landscape guy is turning into his offices and yard while I picked up a Hawaiian shirt at the Catholic Charities' Thrifty Shopper and a S7.50 chocolate bar at Twenty-four Blackbirds Chocolate across the street from the landscapers new place where G was now measuring the doorway which it turns out he couldn't do this morning because he couldn't find a place to park.

Day 11 Tuesday January 22

The new seed lab at the Botanical Gardens (to be clear this is from the morning of the 23rd)

Lunch spot down on Milpas of the bubbling cauldron of stew Molcajetes.

     So today is the  day of going to Santa Barbara so we had to go to Morro Bay SP, show our tag from Morro Strand SP and find the bathroom with the token machine so we could take a shower because we were going to Santa Barbara. It wasn't far and the day was blue and bright. Arrived about noon and went directly to Agave on foot for lunch. I had the bubbling caldron of nopal, chicken, whole peppers called  Molcajetes.  Minus tide triggered a walk with the two dogs M. and B. on Miramar Beach across the BNSF tracks. A few novice surfers were plunging about. Later that evening K made pizza with artichoke, prosciutto and peppers and there was salad and wine.  K. put me in text with her son Tony in Vienna re used bike. Will await his advice before taking further steps.

Day 10 Monday January 21

S and B head for the beach some miles south of Ragged Point

No dogs on beach also no beach

B at Morro Strand SP camp

Out fast from Lime Kiln after two nights. Desiring to get off the crazy road hanging by a thread to the coastal cliffs we hurried toward Ragged Point where the lowlands begin again, passing the mammoth slide of last year still under repair. Also touching Gorda for the third time. 5000 Elephant seals barking and croaking on the narrow beach at San Simeon. The nice guide lady from Cambria related facts of the beasts that were scarcely conceivable. We sluiced into Morro Bay at 10:30 and secured a spot in the dunes but were not to take actual possession until 2. Biked to the Morro Rock and to lunch of fish tacos and salad at a highly rated spot on the lagoon after attempting the library and Albertsons for wifi; the library was closed and Albertsons wifi was stuck in the 1980's.  One perk of this park, Morro Strand SP, is that you can drive to Morro Bay SP (only a few miles south of Morro Bay the town and featuring its own golf course) with your receipt from Morro Strand SP and have a shower there because there is no shower at Morro Strand SP. Also no dogs on the beach at Morro Strand SP, but yes horses. 

Day 9 Sunday January 20

Lime Kiln Creek mouth with S and B

S's postcard from Lime Kiln

     Not a driving day. Tucked, as I mentioned, half behind the pump house we are resting. But no, by 10 o’clock we are on the bikes headed south on US 1 toward, but not necessarily to, Gorda. There is mist, fog, and dense drizzle and hundreds of millennials in leotards on racer bikes also heading south; it turns out to Santa Barbara. They pass us in clumps. Ingamba the project is called and there are many support vehicles including a late model Cadillac sedan.  About 2 hours into this side trip with the dense drizzle and all I sought succor at a clearly hoity toity resort called Treebone. Nice place but no hospitality vibe and the only staff visible lied about the short cut trail back down to the highway which I had seen earlier. Anyway Gorda appeared finally and we had a lunch and some beers to calm the nerves. Two of the other diners we knew from the camp at Lime offered a ride back and we took it sharing their car with a giant white dog named Hank. We had to break camp and drive to Gorda to get the bikes though, so there goes the carbon footprint. Now we relax in the apartment, but the breeze  is stiffening and the awning, not quite protected at one end by the pump house, is buffeting, preventing true rest.

Day 8 Saturday January 19

Our site behind the pump house 

Racer bikers and the guy with the backhoe bucket

S and B under the bridge at Lime Kiln

Lime Kiln creek just below the kilns

     Out of Best Western without much ado, oh, except for the complimentary breakfast which I bet the chains and the staff are not thrilled about in general, but it went viral in the industry.  It went pretty viral with S and I or me alone actually. There was but a spoon full of scrambled left so in retaliation I took 5 sausage links, a hardboiled, the home fries and some other stuff plus the waffle, and orange juice. We, maybe out of fear of further rejections by  the California State Park system, continued looking and stopping in and checking the internet for camps but to little joy until we got a hot tip from a gate woman about one spot at Lime Kiln SP about 25 south. Snagged it too! Just behind the pump house, just above the creek, tidy and sweet. Got the awning out and the rug down. Place seems to be happily filled with the staff of a happy-go-lucky private  park management company. There is a store that really only has four boxes of pop tarts and lots of brewed coffee, there is the one friendly guy who does everything but mostly moves the orange cones that block access to every part of the place so as to encourage campers to walk everywhere; like the people up at the top of this gully of a park can drive a car in and put up their tents but they have to go find the guy to move the cones if they want to drive out. But where would they go, I ask myself? Gorda? I did ride the bike south a couple miles to the cutest li camping place called Kirk Creek and I saw the Nacimiento Road split off hwy 1 across from the Kirk Creek park but with the advisory that the road was not advised for vehicles longer than 30 feet or vehicles pulling trailers. The sign also says there are camps on it at 11 and 13 miles. Nacimiento Road may connect or become Indian Road in the Ventana Wilderness north and west of our current position. If this is true, the significance  would be stunning; groups of middle schoolers in the Adventure Ed  cadres could enter Ventana from the south  and hope to take back the humiliation of the first assualt in April of that fateful year XXXX.
     Actually the guy with the backhoe bucket in his little truck who seemed to know what was what around about said no you could not take a vehicle on Nacimiento Road and cross to Indian Road but you could walk or bike and make it through to Ventana.

Day 7 Friday January 18

Day 7

Cal Expo RV - note lux security fencing

California government headquarters, private sector buildings and nature

     Up at 7ish. Coffee and walk the dog. Quiet night in the Cal Expo RV parking lot/park. All showering except dog. Light rain, but mild temperatures. Shore power all night, so batteries brimming. Advocating pancakes out, but not clear yet whether the motion will carry.  Lots of giant mobile dwellings here and dogs. Quiet and orderly.  Extensive bike ride on what I thought of as the river trail but which turned out to be the Jedidiah Smith Trail took us past sporadic tent homes to a millennial coffee spot where we had the waffles. Home by a different route and we are done with Sacto and on the road to somewhere to camp in the south bay generally.  When the Diablo Mountain SP didn't pan I pushed for reentering the coast so we did. Didn't work out cause all open SPs were full and the KOA at Castaneo was 98$ and the hostel at Pigeon Point Light House was full and all the Californias were driving up and down the mid-coast at once. So S. threw up her hands and I checked us into a Best Western in Santa Cruz and we walked down a manic motel/fast food thoroughfare to a funny little restaurant that seemed to be experiencing some isolated and unexpected prosperity. They were alone among the motel chains and gas stations but had the white table clothes and complimentary croquettes. We, as campers, were budget conscious and only ordered 3 glasses of wine and the fried asparagus appetizer to the slight but apparent heartache of our gracious waitress, who several times mentioned the word "entree".  Bella has the bus to herself and we are only out 102$.  And the  appetizer, fried asparagus, which I learned was something you ordered for the table, not what I thought, which was one ordered it for oneself to which idea S said no and you should have learned that in your 70 years here.

Day 6 Thursday January 17

Day 6 Thursday

Our Neighbor at Cal Expo RV Park

Sacramento waterfront

     Left Lime Saddle SP in light rain around 8:30 after a plate of french toast and bacon. I suggested some miles later that we have breakfast in Marysville, nostalgically for me, but S reminded me we had already had a nice french toast and bacon breakfast.  Had some coffee and a morning muffin in Marysville though.  S finds possible new adventure location for the coming camp site.  The California Exposition grounds, Cal Expo, which it turns out has its own small RV park at a far end of the vast expo compound. I think its near the river but I haven’t had time to find out because I lost the skewer nut and spring from S’s bike and we had to walk the other way to get a bus downtown to find a bike shop with a skewer and the Crocker art gallery.  We eventually reconnected downtown for lunch at Thai Cuisine.  S. did her 7 minute workout at a lonely stop for bus transfer on the return and I closed the activity rings on my watch while we waked in Old Sacramento. Gave 10 dollars to the Audubon girl there after a long conversation about Trump wanting to sell out our American birds as well as many of our visiting birds.  Probably should have given her the twenty; she wanted $30 a month.

day 5 Wednesday January 16

Day 5 

During the early days of sun 

     8:07 depart Humbolt SP.  Raining. No breakfast. Half cup of coffee due to my sleeping in.  Don’t get me wrong here, it was a cozy night in the bus. Used heater only after getting up. So off for a while with no other idea than to seek a place for which the forecast was not five days of near constant rain; so we chose to go to Chico some 220 miles  away to the east.  This ambitious plan set, we immediately  stopped for a classic hwy breakfast in Miranda at the well thought of Avenue Cafe.  Some huevos and home fries later we advanced through the rain and by 11 were in strengthening winds transiting the coast range.  Took a short break at the Colusa library behind which S scored some citrus from the trees there, specifically a lemon, an orange and a grapefruit.  Colusa library was just okay otherwise - not a champion.  S called Bidwell something something SP and was told it was shut but recommended Oroville area SP called Lime something something.  We arrived at Lime in daylight after much blustery sodden miles on back roads through industrial agriculture and the eastern foothills.  There was a mature woman in the gate house who fairly early in our conversation said she didn’t care at this point ( in her day presumably) if we were murderers.  Never did find out the why of that comment; I always do my level best to be friendly with gatekeepers. I feel  that there are many fire refugees in this camp but I don’t ask.  Also I lost my credit card at a gas station in Willits.  Thus we are once more holed up here in our protective shell somewhere near Oroville dam and Paradise in rain and wind and pitch dark with little or no idea which way the toilets lie, or is it lay?

Day 4 Tuesday January 15

Day 4

Bike problem front row Harris Beach SP Brookings, Or.

Front row with awning

Harris Beach

Bells at home

And then there was  Humbolt  SP Camp

Kinda rainy, light rain in the morning. Standard breakfast of fried bread and one egg sunny side or over  easy as the moment warranted. Trinidad stop because B. seemed restless (slightly). S took the wheel whilst I tried to make a tomato, cheese and mayonnaise san in the galley.  Had to hold on with both hands until we got on the smoother free way and then san was made and eaten without issue.  S later suggested, rather out of the blue, that she and I drive off the hwy to Florence and have a bike ride.  Turned out to have been a good idea and we rode through farms farmland for a good while seeing tsunami signs every where but no sign of the ocean.  Ye old Florence Inn for a drink, grabbed two frozen bratwurst from a meat market (cash or check only) headed to Dell Rio by the back way.  Hitched back onto 101  gray late afternoon.  In the last of civil twilight we sank under the giant trees.  Arrived in Humbolt SP camp. All was stunningly gloomy with dripping dark columns close about. We fried sausages and sautéed the last of the green beans and hunkered down.  Not that cold though but still kind of awful.  Bad sci fi movie set.

Day 3 Monday January 14

Day 3 Monday

Junk sculpture in Bandon

Winston and Fish

Winston and S.

Showers at Horse Fall in the am. The night had dropped to freezing. Shower tepid in my case.  Met Winston a former middle school friend of S’s. Breakfast with Winston in Bandon at the Minute. Winston really appreciates Bandon. Cape Blanco checked out as possible early stop - too dark.  Made for Harris; arrived about 2.  Front row seat!  In to Brookings on bike to check bike shop for advice on wheel mount brake rub problem. Got some advice - nice guy there.  Hit the library but had network problems. Rode back to Harris in near dark. Fire, wine, awning and carpet. Maybe $35.

Day 2 Sunday January 13

Sun up at Champoeg Park

     Cold night. Heater on most of the time. Ice in ditches in am. Chill bike ride around the park. Read some history - floods, treaties. Hooked over to the coast at Lincoln City. Swept into Depoe Bay for a lunch break at the Sea Hag. Had the smoked salmon pasta - heavy but fun for a while; exited with a box full. Pulled off a while later and slipped down a muddy path to the broad beach with the S. and the dog. Complex return to car by an alternate route. Picked 2 bundles of firewood from a sketchy operation. Planned to make Brookings/Harris Beach SP not feasible. So we tried for Blue Hill State Park but closed.  Backtracked to Horse Fall meant for ATVing on the dunes but almost no one there.  Some distant whining and growling machine noise until 8 or so.  Fire, and some tomato and cheese and also some pasta from Depoe.

Day 1 Saturday January 12

Leaving home. 


First stop - K’s place
On the road again. Left home about 11:20 am Saturday. Dropped off some things for R at K's house after getting free maps at AAA in Lynnwood. Good cruise south on I5. Off 5 at Longview/Kelso, across antique bridge and onto hwy 30. Picking this up at Scapoose, Oregon on hwy 30 south side of Columbia River, shelf above the flood plain. Scrappy but busy maybe prosperous. Second stop for fake candles - Loews in Kelso no luck - Fred Meyer and we'll see. Finished mussels (from Bistro in Langley dinner with Nels and Norbs Friday night) in Loew's parking lot while S sought candles fruitlessly. Crazy truckstop at Champoeg exit; had to renegotiate exit after initial strategic failure. Champoeg dark arrival a bit weird. Most comforting interaction with Ms. Ranger helped though.  Chicken and string beans for dinner. All mechanical tasks immensely difficult - adjusting brake after mounting front wheel, opening awning, feeding dog, washing dishes all error filled.  S. said it didn't work that way when I suggested I didn't need to wash dishes because I drove all day. I couldn't fight this verdict cause I'm a bad passenger.