California – Page 8 – The MoHo and Other Traveling Tales

What day is it?

Current Location: Stovepipe Wells, Death Valley, California

Current temperature: 94. High today 104 Low tonight 75 Sunny

We are beginning our third day in Death Valley and I am working on photos and blog posts. There is WiFi only in the lodge here at Stovepipe Wells where we are camped with full hookups, including sewer, for 8 bucks a night. Yeah you read that right. But that is a story for another post. In the mean time…

Tuesday April 30. We laughed this morning, wondering what day it was. Finally decided it was Tuesday. Hmmm. Must be Belgium? No, not Belgium, instead, it is time to drive over the mighty Sierras and find the beautiful high desert country of 395. We also noticed that a couple of clocks had different times. Maybe half an hour apart. Did it matter? no. Vacation time.

Getting on Highway 50 going east was a matter of a few minutes from our campground, and the road was reasonably quiet on this Tuesday morning. The light was brilliant in that way that seems to be found only in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Mo and I both have traveled 50 many times, but once again it all seemed new. Neither of us remember how closely the road followed the American River, and the river was wild and full with the spring snowmelt.

We stopped along the way for a doggie break and when I stepped out of the rig I was overpowered with the intense scent of dry pine and incense cedar. I live in the forest, Oregon is covered with beautiful forests, many of them the same species, and yet here and only here in the Sierra Nevada Mountains have I smelled this particularly unique fragrance. I have no idea why other forests don’t smell like this. I took deep, deep breaths while we walked around a bit and listened to the sound of logging down below us along the river.

A few more miles along the river and we were up on the crest, and rounding a big curve the blue beauty of Lake Tahoe lay before us. I also didn’t remember Highway 50 being this steep and narrow. It is a LONG way down and of course I was in the passenger seat looking down at a very long drop to the bottom. We knew that the highway 50 route to Carson City would have been a bit easier, but the faster and shorter route was through Markleeville along Highway 88 and a turn south on Highway 89, intersecting 395 just south of Topaz.

Monitor Pass is narrow and very steep, with a few hairpin turns but the vistas across the east slope of the mountains down into the desert are magnificent. I am not sure I would like to drive it in a bigger motorhome, but in our 26 footer we do just fine, even towing the Tracker. Slow and Easy does it. Traffic was light and the downshift feature in our Ford chassis worked great as usual, although the lowest gear wasn’t really quite low enough and Mo had to use the brakes more often then she liked.

Once off the pass and onto 395, the landscape opened up to the dry sage high desert that is the beauty of the Eastern Sierra. Not far down the Walker River we found a great day use area, that looked as though it had been worked on a bit since we passed here last. In the warm sunshine, the Jeffrey pines were exuding the scent of vanilla, or some think of it as butterscotch.

Mo had never smelled it before and was surprised at how strong it was. She also learned the “Gentle Jeffrey, Prickly Ponderosa” saying that helps identify the two trees by their cones. No prickles on this beautiful cone. The river was full and beautiful as well, and we enjoyed the interpretive signs that talked of the magnificent Walker River Trout, now a quarter of its once historic size. We enjoyed our lunch in the sheltering coziness of the MoHo, and appreciated the nice RV turn around area and parking. What a great lunch spot right along the road!

The rest of the afternoon led us along the eastern slope of the Sierras, where the snow seemed quite thin for the last day in April. Passing the road to Bodie where we spent happy times wandering the high desert, and then passing our road to the Virginia Lakes trails brought back lots of great memories of times we have spent in this, one of our most favorite parts of the world.

We pulled a long hill and then rounded a big curve to see Mono Lake stretching out before us, a strange and very different shade of green than I have ever seen. At the rest area overlooking the lake were some more interesting interpretive signs telling the story of this lake like no other in the world. Farther down in the landscape we found more signs with the story of the geologic hot spot in the area, the Long Valley Caldera. I had been explaining this particular phenomena to Mo as we traveled along and it was great to find a picture of the extent of the explosion right there along the highway.

Pulling into Brown’s Millpond just north of Bishop in early afternoon was perfect, and we snagged a nice little site. Looking at each other and the blue skies and leafed out locust and cottonwood trees, I said, “What about just staying here two nights?”. A site was available, and we were really glad to know that tomorrow would be a leisurely day exploring around Bishop and just hanging out a bit and enjoying the beautiful surroundings.

Brown’s Millpond is a great little campground, one not on our radar until Russ mentioned it in a comment and we decided to check it out. The six miles into Bishop is an easy trip, and unlike the other campgrounds in town, it is off the road and quiet, with the Sierras as a backdrop and shaded by beautiful cottonwoods and locusts now in bloom. The camp hostess, Stacy, is a granddaughter in the extensive Brown clan, folks who have been in the Bishop area for several generations. She was a sweet and delightful young woman, full of talk and stories, and so helpful. She even lent us a DVD player! Ours in the MoHo has been broken for awhile and we have avoided trying to replace it since we discovered that it is hardwired into the rig. Funny thing, there is an input for “video game” and Mo thought, why wouldn’t that work for a DVD?! Sure enough, it did, and we got to try it out without having to buy one just yet.

We watched “Lincoln”, trying once again to actually get through the movie without falling asleep. I have no idea what to say about this movie. It was so highly acclaimed, and parts of it were amazing, with good performances and yet it still very nearly put me to sleep. I am glad we got through it, glad we watched it, if only to know we watched it and to not have to wonder what we missed. As I said, parts were really good. A test of a good movie is if you are sorry it is ending or if you are glad it is finally over, do you think?

Before we settled into the movie, though, we decided to walk the campground. On the west boundary, there was an open gate, and who can resist an open gate leading out into the desert! It was a great, quiet, off leash place to get a good leg stretch for us and for Abby, and while the sunset wasn’t very colorful, the light was still beautiful. I am so glad to once again be in this part of the world, watching the light change on the mountains and smelling the incredible air, listening to the cottonwoods rustle.

Before I go, I have to mention that THIS is why I read blogs. hike into Antelope Canyon. As many years as I have traveled the canyons of Southern Utah, I have never managed to get to Antelope Canyon. Diane’s post made me cry, and made me remember how top this is on my bucket list. Time to schedule a Utah canyon trip. So many places, so little time….

The same thing happened this morning while reading Sherry’s review of Grayson State Park on the western edge of Florida. Yes, I love Utah, and yes, I love Florida. Then of course, I read Nina’s beautiful post about gnats while camping on Antelope Island. I now know for sure when NOT to camp there.

What a great day, what a great life.

Shingle Springs to Nevada City, and Friends!

There is nothing quite like a morning in the Mother Lode, the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, on a warm spring day. Waking to sunshine and temps in the mid 70’s with an expected high of 84 or so is just about perfect. Light breezes and low humidity make it even better. This time of year, the grasses are still somewhat green, and on a Tuesday morning the traffic was even minimal.

Our site at the Elk’s Lodge in Shingle Springs is just a jump off Highway 50, and there are several ways to get north to Nevada City, but we wanted to take the most scenic route, following North Shingle Road to intersect with the famous gold road, Highway 49 near Coloma. The destination was Nevada City and meeting our new and old friends, (well most of us aren’t exactly new), at Nickie and Jimmie’s home there.

We hadn’t yet met in person, but I wasn’t the least bit concerned about it. I am not sure why this is, but somehow the essence of people comes through in their blogs in ways that always seem to be just right. Most of the time, I know if I will “click” with someone, and it amazes me that people turn out to be exactly as I thought they would. Nickie and Jimmie were no exception, except I think they were even nicer than I imagined. What truly lovely people!

The route north was wonderful, and winding through the hills on the curvy roads reminded me so much of the years I lived in Sonora and drove these roads for work. I also marveled at how lovely the landscape looked when I didn’t have to imagine slogging up those hot, brushy slopes with a pack and shovels! I could once again see the charm of the foothills and why people love it so.

We left early enough to take a short side trip to Coloma, but it was too early to visit the visitor center and once again my visit was just an overview. This is the site of gold discovery on the American River, and there are interpretive signs everywhere and old buildings that have a story to tell. We stopped long enough for a walk along the river with Abby, but returned to the road north fairly quickly so we wouldn’t miss our meet and greet time with Laurie and Odel at Nickie and Jimmie’s place.

The American River is a story itself, and we saw lots of hikers and raft companies that ply the wild waters of that river. It is a great place for recreation, with an old bridge walk that crosses the river in the canyon just below Auburn. We thought we might walk it on our way back, but by late afternoon when we drove the return route, the parking area was packed and it was hot and there were way too many people for us to attempt it. As beautiful as it is, there seems to be a lot of people pressure on the beautiful places around the Mother Lode.

Once we were through the old town portion of Auburn, Highway 49 is a 4 lane freeway all the way to Grass Valley and in no time we were exiting the road to Nevada City. We were a bit early, so decided to amble through town before finding Nickie and Jimmie’s home up the hill. I hadn’t been to Nevada City in years, but I was reminded on this sunny morning of just why it is such a popular place for so many. My eldest daughter dreamed of living here, as I once did. It is nestled into the pine covered hills, with steep winding streets filled with gorgeous restored Victorians and a Craftsman or two here and there, and lush spring flowers. The dogwoods were in full bloom and magnificent! We decided that after our little meeting we would come back and walk the town. Of course, at that time we didn’t know we would have the perfect guides who provided ice cream!

Up the hill to their home was a beautiful drive as well, winding up through Sierran Mixed Conifer forest, thick and lush with Ponderosa Pine, Incense Cedar, and White Fir. At over 3200 feet on deep old soils, the trees are growing beautifully, and the homes lining the road were quite lush as well. It was beautiful.

Our welcome was as delightful as expected, but their home was even more lovely than I imagined, and Nickie’s warm and open southern California personality warmed and mellowed even more by her time in the South and her sweet Southern husband combined to make a truly amazing combination. I loved both of them almost instantly. We laughed and talked as if we actually knew each other (which we did!!) and enjoyed seeing all their work on the yard, the new hot tub, and their beautiful home. Laurie and Odel arrived just after we did, and since the four of them were already acquainted, the talking and laughter was ongoing.

A special treat was seeing a special quilt made from some of the great collection of runner’s tee shirts that Nickie and Jimmie had collected over the years of short runs and long ones, including marathons! Gorgeous!

Of course we had to do the RV Blogger get together thing and go find someplace wonderful to eat. Our Nevada City hosts recommended a great spot in town, Lefty’s Grill, and we dined on the sheltered patio to the sounds of the bubbling creek. Wonderful food, and a sweet waiter who told me that definitely dogs were not allowed on the patio, but that if he didn’t know it, I could probably bring Abby. This was the perfect solution, since it was warm and even in the shade, it would have been worrisome to leave Abby in the car. Of course, the waiter smiled and said, “Please don ‘t bring your dog if you come back again, but she can stay for now”. Abby helped by being her quiet sweet and calm self, lying under the table quietly while we ate.

Laurie and Odel had lots of remodeling to continue, so declined to walk the town with us, but we were really happy to have Nickie and Jimmie lead us to good parking (.25 cents for two hours) and show us some of the finer spots in the lovely tiny historic city. Nickie said later that we only saw a tiny bit of it, but after a couple of hours we didn’t mind leaving and saving the rest for later. Something tells me we will return to this great little place again.

There is so much to do around here, lots of parades, and art, and festivals, good weather, beautiful mountains, rivers, so much to do and all sorts of recreational activities in abundance. It is a nice place. However, as we drove home, we remembered again that nice places usually attract lots and lots of people. Once again we drove the winding roads with lots of company. Mo used to love her little sports cars, and as she pushed the Tracker up the steep hills she wished for a clutch and some gears! As fast as she was going, however, there were often many cars right behind her trying to push her up the hill. A surprising number of turnouts along the route at least made it tolerable. Most people waved when she pulled over. Except for all the folks on cell phones, including one woman in a big SUV who almost obliterated us in Auburn, people in California are pretty good drivers.

It was such a great day! Thanks to the internet, and blogging, and RV’ing, we discovered some new friends and explored a place we might not have done without that little extra push of having someone who lived there.

Driving the Five to visit Laurie and Odel

Shingle Springs, CA low tonight 52, high tomorrow 90, 74 degrees at 9pm

On Saturday, Grants Pass Oregon was clear and sunny and warm. Even though we had only been away for a week, the oaks were all leafed out, and the dogwoods were in their full rosy glory. Lilacs are blooming everywhere and even the iris are starting to bud. We arrived in early afternoon, in time to bring the MoHo out and pack up, and then do a few minor easy chores around the cottage property. I carefully watered the fruit trees and the long line of shrubs, and with 2.5 gallons per minute, I had to be especially careful. Testing a hose and a five gallon bucket showed that at full blast I could run 10 GPM and with no reservoir cistern, could run the well dry in no time.

It was a very warm evening, and we opened up all the windows to the cottage. I sat in the twilight reading and catching up on computer stuff while Mo patiently mudded all the tape she put up on the kitchen drywall. She was shocked when she finally sat down in the living room to relax with a glass of wine to discover that it was 9pm. We were even more shocked when we both discovered we were wide awake at 4am. With an expected leaving hour of 8, we didn’t know quite what to do. What the heck, let’s just leave. Can you tell we were ready to be on the road?!

Thinking breakfast might be a nice way to kill some time, we decided to try Elmers’ but they didn’t open until 6 so we ended up at Shari’s while waiting for Freddy’s to open the gas islands. Breakfast was OK, but not as great as our favorite Elmer’s place, and we had food in our tummy’s and gas in the rigs by 7am and were heading south on the 5 by ten after.

Somehow the road seemed new today, and as many times as both of us have driven the five, together and apart, it was as fresh and interesting as if we had never done it. Most anyone who has traveled out west has been on this road, it is the easiest and fastest way to get from anywhere north to anywhere south in Washington, Oregon, and California. Everyone complains about how boring it can be, but the stretch between Grants Pass and Redding is as gorgeous as any interstate in the country. Especially when the sun shines over Mt Shasta.

There as a bit of smoke and haze in the spring air near the mountain today, but it only served to make it even more mystical. “The Mountain” dominates the skyline for a hundred miles in almost all directions, but the view comes and goes between the volcanic landscape surrounding Medford and Yreka. Rounding a curve you get a glimpse here and there before she explodes in her full glory as the road passes through the Scott Valley. Well, explodes maybe isn’t a good word, although she has been quiet for a few centuries now.

We took our time, stopping at the vista points, then again at a beautiful rest area near Red Bluff that neither of us remembered seeing before. I think it was there, but has been reworked significantly. The roses were in full bloom and the area was lovely and green with beautiful shade trees and a nice pet area. By mid day the temperatures were in the mid 80’s and I felt myself open up and expand with the warmth just like those roses.

We drove as far as Costco in Woodland before stopping for fuel and then Mo drove through downtown Sacramento and around the complex ramps to get on the 50 going east to South Lake Tahoe. I lived in Sacramento back in the 70’s, visited Maryruth there many times since when she lived there, and still that turn onto 50 east is disquieting. Today it was a piece of cake, though, a great reason to travel on a Sunday through the cities.

Our destination this afternoon was Shingle Springs and the Elks Campground just about 5 miles away from where Laurie and Odel have settled in to homestead. They met us at the campground with some instructions about where to dump if we needed (we did!) and maps of how to get to their house. Mo keeps asking if Laurie was a teacher. She gave me three maps, a distance google map, a close-up google map with bulleted pop-outs, and a page of written instructions. It was all detailed, specific, and perfect. We still managed to turn the wrong way for a moment before correcting. This part of the California foothills is lovely, and full of narrow, winding roads that just wander off willy-nilly in almost any direction. Beautiful.

We found their home, marveled at their incredibly good luck in finding such a perfect place to live, and then went for a walk around the pretty little lake that is the focal point of their extended home park. As Laurie has said, it is a bit like living in a really nice RV Resort, only with more room in the kitchen. The lake was charming, and filled with adorable goose families and one half of a pair of beautiful black swans. The walk felt good after a day in the rig and by 6 we were all ready for dinner.

A short drive to a Taqueria nearby led us to a nice cool patio and some good Mexican food. Laurie’s ceviche was fresh and delightful, Mo had a chimichanga that was spicy and flavorful, and my flautas were like cardboard filled with chicken leather. ah well, most of it was really good!

It is so great to have some time with friends we enjoy so much. Laurie and Odel are both fun to be around, easy to talk with, and always entertaining. One of the lucky finds of the RV life for us. Tomorrow there is more socializing on the agenda with a great drive north on the famous Highway 49 to Nevada City.

Right now the night is dark and quiet and the air is still warm and soft. For a few minutes this afternoon things were less than lovely, with a bit of black tank dumping fiascos, but now it is all good. Isn’t it amazing how that can happen? While walking around with L and O we found ourselves talking about dog poop, cat boxes, black water tanks, and being sick on a ship. Geez….Maybe we can find something better to talk about tomorrow!

Ships Passing in the Night…errr….Evening

If some of these photos look a bit familiar to you, it might be because Mo and I decided to end our Desert Hot Springs trip with a visit to the Palm Springs Thursday Night Street Fair. Today while catching up on blogs as we drove north on I-5, I saw Rick’s post about attending the same street fair. In fact, he even took a photo of the restaurant where we were having dinner! Unlike Rick, I was too overwhelmed with the crowds and the shops and the booths and the smells to remember to take many photos. I can’t believe we didn’t run into each other there, but then again, there were a LOT of people, and lots of doggies as well.

Our trip was a whirlwind, spent mostly driving back desert roads, and we didn’t decide until yesterday that it might be a good idea to eat Mexican one more time before packing up the rig for our early morning departure today. I also wanted to see the Marilyn Monroe statue that has been highlighted on more than a few blogs lately. We parked and walked and finally found it, right downtown in the very middle of the street fair.

In the past, we have had great meals at two Mexican Restaurants on this main drag, so decided to try Macarena’s for something new. Even though we were told it would be a half hour wait, within minutes my phone rang and our outside table was ready. It was great having good food, a happy hour marguerita, and a good people watching spot in the middle of all the action.

In addition to all our desert drives, we managed a bit of relaxation while in the desert, and I swam and soaked in the pools every single day but one. Love those pools. We also walked the park, walked the surrounding desert a bit, and drove to La Quinta so that I could spend some time in a great quilt store, Monica’s Quilt. Of course, I came out with a bag of gorgeous fabric and some new patterns. I also got directions to the Quilter’s Faire in Palm Desert, hidden in an industrial area behind Wal-Mart and came away with another bag of fabric and a couple of good looking patterns. Ah, Stash! gotta love it.

We decided to just make a beeline for home with only a one night stay in Lodi at the Flag City RV Resort. This meant leaving this morning at 6:30 so that we could travel the lovely sunrise route north on Highway 247 to Barstow before turning east to cross the Tehachapis on Highway 58 to Bakersfield.

I was a bit bummed about not having time to stay one more night at the Orange Grove RV Park because I finished the last of my tree ripened oranges a few days ago. I decided to take a chance and call the park, and sure enough the owners were friendly and wonderful and said, “Sure, just come on in and get a picker and pick yourself a bag. No Charge”. How is that for good advertising! We pulled into the park and spent just half an hour picking another big bag of the incredibly sweet juicy oranges to take home with us. Ahhhh.

Driving into Bakersfield was dramatic as usual. Looking down on the smog line from the elevation of the pass was intense, and once down in the valley the smog didn’t let up, ever. We drove a good 250 miles through dingy smoggy air, all the way from Bakersfield to Lodi. I had to go digging for eye drops. I drove the first half of the trip through gorgeous, empty, clear desert, and Mo got the second half up the Five. I think I got the better end of that deal! We covered 496 miles today and settled into our spot here in Lodi just after five pm, in plenty of time to warm up the leftovers from last night’s great dinner at Macarena’s.

Tomorrow just under 400 miles and we will spend the night back in the Grants Pass Cottage. Both of us are excited to see the new roof that was completed while we were gone, but neither of us is particularly excited about returning to cold weather. It has been a great reprieve, and a wonderful two weeks of mostly warmth and sunshine. Lucky Us!

City Camping

Mission Bay RV Park, San Diego, California; High 68F Low 57F, light rain.

I can hear rain on the roof now, after a day of warm air and clouds over the ocean. The predictions have changed over the last few days, with only one thing in common. Tuesday was to be our best sunny day, and it was. The last two days have been cloudy, but still warm, at least to us. I noticed that many of the comments for these days in San Diego are affirmations of what a great place it is to visit. Hard to imagine that in so many years of living in California I visited San Diego so rarely, and remember almost nothing about it at all. I must have been a young teenager the last time I was here.

We have enjoyed ourselves, but haven’t done so much that we are exhausted and overwhelmed. I could see how that could happen here. It is a big city with a great deal of art and entertainment, and a lot of outdoor space to do outdoor things. If we had our bikes and kayaks with us, we would no doubt be exhausted by now, but we decided on this trip to leave them behind. No matter the destination, it is hard to dig the kayaks out of the snow and load up the bikes. It is a bit like grocery shopping when you aren’t hungry, sometimes hard to imagine what you want to eat. In the same way, it is hard to get excited about biking and kayaking when the temperatures are single digits. If we come back here, you can bet we will be sure to bring both bikes and kayaks.

The last two days are still a bit of a blur. Some things stand out, especially the neighborhoods. We did some of the normal sightseeing things expected of San Diego visitors, but we also wandered down unknown streets discovering lovely surprises along the way. One of the best was the area called Mission Hills, a neighborhood west of the more talked about Hillcrest area, and just up the hill from the famous Old Town San Diego. A web site that I later found when searching for information called it “the neighborhood you dreamed of before the world changed”. There were broad sidewalks, and beautiful old bungalows from the 20’s, small and tidy and lovingly refurbished, and not a for sale sign in sight.

We spent the afternoon yesterday exploring Balboa Park, home of the San Diego Zoo, but also home to 14 world class museums, countless manicured gardens, fountains, and pathways meandering through the wooded hills just minutes from the central part of the city. We had Abby along, and decided against trying to see the museums, but one could easily spend a long day just exploring this beautiful park.

Later in the afternoon we drove through Hillcrest and Mission Hills to arrive in Old Town San Diego at just the right time for an amazing Mexican dinner at Fiesta de Reyes, with gas lit fires scattered around the patio to keep us cozy in the cool evening.

The morning rain was light today, and the skies lightened enough mid day to make our trek to Coronado quite lovely. We drove across the Coronado Bridge and I searched for the small home where I lived as a four year old. I can remember what it felt like, and remember the policemen bringing me back when I “ran away” to the beach just two blocks away. I think I found the street. It will be fun to go home and search for the old letters that just might have the address of that little house on them.

We drove south to Imperial Beach, within view of Tijuana, and on this gray day, I could find very little about it that was appealing. We drove back north to find another well known Dog Beach, where Abby could play ball and I could just sit and listen to the ocean. The Dog Beach is adjacent to the Naval Base and is actually on military property. It was a bit confusing trying to figure out exactly where to go, and the signs were not very clear at all. The military gate guard was helpful though, and pointed us in the right direction.

Later we parked closer to the Hotel Del Coronado, an amazing landmark on the southwest perimeter of the island. The hotel has the distinction of being the largest wooden building still standing in the US. Since it was a cool afternoon, we left Abby for a bit while exploring the lobby and grounds of this famous site. The woodwork was impressive, and everything was lustrous and beautiful, but the interior of the main part of the hotel was really dark! All that gorgeous dark wood from the late nineteenth century can be a bit oppressive. Much has been written about this wonderful old hotel, and the gift shop was amazing with a special emphasis on Marilyn Monroe, who stayed here during the filming of “Some Like It Hot”. The hotel was well featured in the movie.

We opted for an ice cream cone from the hotel sweet shop and were a bit aghast that two single cones cost us $12.65. Sheesh. Then as we explored the sun deck overlooking the beach, we saw the burgers went for merely 15.95 each, and even came with a pack of potato chips. At least they were Kettle Chips. It was lovely when the sun came out, and for a short time the beach lit up a bit. I still would much rather be camped in my MoHo than staying at this beautiful old hotel.

We drove back into downtown San Diego to explore the much touted Gaslamp District, only to discover that much of what makes this area fun to visit are the restaurants and the night life. The restaurants lining the street were busy with folks eating outdoors, and the sidewalks were lined with folks from the nearby convention center, identified by their matching dangling name badges. We walked a few blocks but since we weren’t ready for more restaurant eating, there wasn’t that much to keep us there.

Instead we drove a few more blocks to search for another well known area called “Little Italy”. Once again, the restaurants and eateries seemed to be the major form of entertainment. In spite of the descriptions of “boutiques and shopping”, there wasn’t much to entice us to park and walk again. It might have been because it was a cool winter day, but there didn’t seem to be much going on in this area either.

It is surprising how close all of this is to our little spot in Mission Bay, with the Pacific Highway leading right from downtown, past Old Town and Sea World, past the turn to Fiesta Island and once again home at the RV park. Almost anything of interest in the main part of the city is within fifteen minutes or so of the park.

I can see how San Diego would be a nice place to live if you liked cities and all that they have to offer. It is a nice place to visit, for sure. But I do notice that I am feeling the pressure of people and the lack of open space. I am ready for the next stage of our little getaway to begin, starting tomorrow morning when we hook up the Tracker and head east for the desert.

The rain has stopped for now, and I am finished with my latest book. How long has it been since you read a book that was amazing for its language? I found myself wanting to reread and highlight passages just for their eloquence, and for the feeling they gave me. When so many books lately are quick reads that are simple entertainment, it was wonderful to slip into the magic of prose that lifted me from everyday life. Remember Margaret Atwood? I read “The Handmaid’s Tale” a very long time ago, but just found another old novel of hers, “Cat’s Eye”. It was a haunting story of a difficult time in a girl’s youth, but the writing itself is what made the book sing.

Tonight, rain on the roof. Tomorrow, rain in the desert. But still, it isn’t snowing and it isn’t freezing, and rain or shine, the desert hot springs pools are waiting.