SOLVANG WINDMILL

ROAD TRIP
Our road trip has been very interesting so far.  Very relaxed as compared to other trips when we had to meet deadlines and be at certain places on time.  We traveled down highway 5 to Eugene.  Then crossed over to the coast and used 101.  There were at least 50 shades, hues of green.  It was amazingly beautiful.  Moss laden  trees in dark, dark green at first and then light airy moss swaying on the limbs in a silver green nearer the ocean. We stopped in Florence. We found a real pretty old town with lots of tourist of which we were two.  We had a wonderful seafood dinner and stayed in a lovely little motel.

The next morning we traveled to our friend Bonita’s home near Coos Bay, Oregon.  This is a home they built themselves and is spectacularly beautiful in a wonderful setting in the woods. From the there we drove down to Brookings and through the Redwoods of northern California to Eureka, CA.  A beautiful little city on Humboldt Bay.

Saw Suzanne in Santa Rosa.  A delightful visit,  but too short, as we left to go on
 to San Anselmo for two nights with our friend, Joan.  Her son and his family were away so you know the old story while the cat’s away the mice will play…. .  We gathered up Tom and Sarah from Larkspur and asked them over for a little visit and “party”. What a great New Year’s eve eve (the 30th).While we were in San Anselmo  we got to take a walk in a beautiful park in Ross.  We walked Shasta, the dog.  Shasta likes me.  Joan also took us shopping in Ross.  I must say that everything in the grocery store was three times what we pay at Safeway but then people in Ross have the money to pay the bill.

Stopped at Solvang, Ca.  A little “Danish” town.  Lights for Christmas many people of all kinds and languages.  Beautiful art galleries and shops.
While there we spent a couple of hours in the Mission Santa Ynes, very beautiful gardens, lovely and peaceful setting, with a long history. Our 12th California mission, all of them worth visiting. Nine more to go.

Leaving Solvang, we took a back road thru the mountains to Santa Barbara.  We drove down to the beach front where people were out running and walking along the esplanade “malecon” or boardwalk which was all quite beautiful on a very pretty sunny day.  Yes, I could live there. 


We took a back road from Santa Barbara to Ojai.  Most beautiful scenery.  The town of Ojai is small and artsy.  Liked the paintings I saw there best of anywhere so far.  We ate lunch in a little Italian place there and the food (salads) were great.  They took our whole money allottment!! Many beautiful people.

 From Ojai we took a road never before traveled by us to Santa Clarita. Instead of finding a motel as we planned we realized we had time to drive to Laguna Hills.  We were able to obtain our Mexican travel insurance at the very busy New Years Eve day AAA office. Then to visit Pete’s 95 year old stepmother Olive,   whom we love very much and with whom we had a very nice visit.  Went to Coco’s which Pete’s father always loved for dinner.  Really thought we would have a hard time finding a motel close by because it was New Years Eve but we were lucky and found one at the Courtyard by Marriott.  One of the best so far.. 
  
New Year’s day we drove to Beaumont and visited with Pete’s stepbrother Jim and his wife Connie. Beaumont is always and forever windy.  But the air is good.

Just a short trip to Indio where we stopped early in order for Pete to watch the Rose Bowl game.  Yea, Stanford. 

So far the traffic has been very light in  most places.  We took a toll road from Laguna Hills through the spectacular foothills towards Beaumont.  Well worth the $5 toll. 

Heading to Yuma, Arizona along the Salton Sea.  Mountains on both sides desert in the middle.  Very dry and flat, you can see forever. 
Pass Borrego Springs and into the Imperial Valley  where the desert is made to grow many green things .  Farms for miles.  The Imperial Valley provides veggies all year long in large quantities. Vegetables as far as the eye can see from mountains to mountains on and on into the distance.. Palms and sand too.

We have appreciated TomTom, our GPS, a lot.  Pete calls her Laurie for some reason.  Because she sounds like a “Laurie”, he says. We have always done very well with maps and really never got lost but this GPS just takes the stress out of finding specific places like motels and friends houses in obscure locations.  She tells us how fast we are going and what the speed limit is, as well as just which turns to take--and she gives plenty of warning, as well as literally drawing us a picture.  Great for those places where the speed limit changes thru towns.  She tells us what lane to be in, gets upset if we make a wrong turn (just kidding) and helps us get back on track.  Fortunately she doesn’t talk all the time and we can turn her off.  She also tells us on a read out what time we will arrive at our destination. 

Yuma has a LOT of trailer parks and RV parks.  There must be houses somewhere here because there is a nice golf course which we will play tomorrow.