After a few weeks in Connecticut, we were thinking it would be good to get back to the Pacific Northwest. Mild temperatures, a bit of rain…no biggie…yeah, didn’t quite turn out as we thought:
The weather certainly put a cramp in some of our plans – there were people we did not get to see – SORRY!!! Strange to think the next time we are back it will be almost summer.
We restocked necessities, hugged our son and daughter in law (and grandpuppy!) goodbye and forged our way south to Seatac. Seattle traffic (and, in this case, weather) is so unpredictable that we long ago started making a point of going down to the airport the night before a flight. It really simplifies matters and takes away that stress.
Next stop: Southern California! For those of you who don’t know, this is where I spent my formative years (9-19 years old). My tan lines are still etched into my skin – and I have yearly visits to the dermatologist to see if I am paying the price for that.😓So far, so good. Sunscreen is my friend now. Anyway, we were off to spend the week with my childhood (read: she knows where the bodies are buried) Best Friend, her husband, and my beautiful goddaughter (same ones who visited us in France). She will be a teenager in just a couple of days – yikes!
Blue skies and warmth. Heaven. Ventura is very moderate temperatures, and that is just fine with us.
The Best Friend gave us the evening to recover and settle in, then she had a full day planned for all of us! First thing Saturday morning we piled into two cars and headed north along the coast. It had been a very long time (I was probably less than 15) since I had been north of Santa Barbara. What a beautiful place the central coast of California is. You’re out of the populated area, so it’s natural beauty everywhere you look. We stopped in Cambria (I don’t think I had ever been there) for lunch at Linn’s bakery. Fabulous food, fun atmosphere. I don’t think I had ever heard of an olallieberry before. Very similar to marionberry ( https://www.linnsfruitbin.com/Linns_Restaurant.html ).
After lunch we continued our trek north. As we approached Hearst Castle (thanks Mom and Dad for taking me there!) we got talking about the zebras. William Randolph Hearst had a zoo at the castle with an extensive collection of animals. At some point the zebras got loose or were turned loose and are often seen along the highway. We were fortunate enough to see them! No photos, sadly.
Just north of San Simeon (Hearst Castle area) there is a stretch of beach that elephant seals are known to chill on at this time of year. Oh wow, were they ever there!!!
I have no idea how long we were there, just watching the elephant seals, but it must have been close to an hour. I could have stood there all afternoon!
As beautiful a sight as it was, the BFF’s husband’s sister was waiting for us in Paso Robles, so off we went. Dinner was to be at Odyssey World Cafe. Amazing menu! https://www.odysseyworldcafe.com/
After dinner we went by the Allegreto Resort, where the (wait for it!) BFF’s Husband’s Sister’s Husband (whew!) works. What a place. Incredible art, fabulous ambiance! I tried to take photos of the exterior but it was dark and the lighting was creating problems so I gave up🤩
This is a cross section of a great Sequoia tree (and the tree fell all by itself – it was not cut down). It’s so massive the room was constructed around it. It’s also incredibly old. Those little brass plaques on it name several significant events in history that this tree stood during. Events like the construction of the Great Wall of China (214 BCE) and the beginning of the Roman Empire (197 BCE). Dude.
The main purpose of our trip north was a well kept secret up till this point. I was quite excited when I found out what we were doing, as I had read about it – we were going to Sensorio! This is an art installation by Bruce Munro – 15 acres of fiber optics lights set on a hillside outside of Paso Robles. It was a stunning visual display that photos only begin to capture.
If you find yourself in the Paso Robles area you really need to go see this! It’s kid friendly, big enough to enjoy, but not so big that you get tired of it. The artist even has plans to enhance it and change it up some. What a fantastic experience – we are so grateful that our friends went to such great lengths to arrange this!!
Once upon a time, long, long ago, the Husband was a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines. Both of our sons were born during that time, so they had lots of air miles on them from a young age. This was back in the day when you could meet the airplane or accompany someone to the gate. He has great memories of his flying days, with very few unsettling ones, for which we are very grateful. Just a few years after he stopped flying, Alaska experienced one of its very few (thank God) tragedies. On January 31, 2000 Alaska Airlines flight #261 crashed off the Ventura County coast. Some of the members of the flight and cabin crew were people the Husband knew and had flown with. Since I had made several trips to Ventura in the past, I had been to the memorial that had been erected, but he had not been there. We (the Husband, Daughter and I) made a solemn pilgrimage to the site to pay our respects🙏.
Enough heavy stuff. We were able to enjoy our evenings (so nice to not be working until late in the day like we have to when in Europe – although I will happily make that sacrifice to be in Europe!) and have some fun experiences. When we lived in Ventura County, a family favorite thing to do was to go to Golf ‘n Stuff – one of the best miniature golf places ever!
And on another night:
Now for some beach photos 💖 I am definitely happiest when I’m at the ocean. And I will always prefer the Pacific.
We had a 6 AM (6 AM!!!) flight out of LAX to Guadalajara Saturday morning, so we elected to depart Friday afternoon, driving down Pacific Coast Highway from Oxnard all the way to Los Angeles. What fun it was! I did resist stopping at Neptune’s Net for a snack – although it was difficult🤩 The drive was beautiful, traffic wasn’t…awful, the Daughter ignored everything I tried to show her. Sigh.
We had a nice evening at the Courtyard hotel right outside of LAX, which meant that we didn’t have to catch the shuttle until 3:45 AM. How…thrilling.
And then we were off to Mexico. Can’t wait to show you!