To Pacific Grove, CA, and back to Placentia, CA 05-29-20

The trip to Pacific Grove was a really fast one.  Up one day and home the next.  Perhaps more than this old lady can do anymore. In the future  I think I need to plan more rest time between two long drives.  I chose to drive up on Hwy 101 along the Pacific Ocean and to come back through the inland valley on I-5.  A nice loop that I have driven many times before, but separated by stays in Pacific Grove or San Juan Bautista.  

North of Santa Barbara there was fog over the ocean and hamging over the highway.  No delay, but I couldn't see the blue ocean except for a few glimpses. 

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This is one spot where I caught a lucky shot. Nothing out there for thousands of miles. 

Hwy 101 switches from freeway to surface in the blink of an eye.  There are always signs indicating what the designation is, but you can also tell when you see farm equipment moving along in the lanes.  Not on a freeway!

This is the same picture I showed earlier, but it is such a great shot and it contrasts with the next image.  This is looking east from 101 where there are miles of low hills, some with cattle, some just grass covered vacant land. 

But the railroad runs along the valley and brings signs of the big city.  Lots of graffiti on the low freight cars stopped along the way.  

And then I was in Pacific Grove where I stayed at the nice Centrella B&B which is about a block and a half from Back Porch Fabrics.  It is an old house (1893, I think) and the décor is in keeping with that era.  I have stayed there previously and it is quite comfortable and convenient to the main part of town. 

They have interesting plants in their landscaping including a bush that produces these pendulous flowers.  I can't remember their name, but they grew them in Portland when I was growing up there.  

Along a picket fence these nasturtiums were peeking out, like colorful prisoners trying to escape. 

And along the road that follows Monterey Bay there are carpets of ice plant.  This house has it instead of lawn. 

The color is wrong in this image, the flowers are much pinker. There used to be  great fields of the ice plant along the water, but it is not native and most has been removed and replaced with native plants in keeping with the state parks of California rules. 

It was a gorgeous day with just a slight breeze and there were hundreds of people out enjoying the sunshine.  Didn't see any masks or social distancing.   There were vehicles parked bumper to bumper on both sides of the road. 

The water was quite calm and the tide was high as I was driving along.  My intent was to drive through Asilomar, but access was blocked off.  Of course, it is a California State Park and therefore closed due to the virus.  So, I drove back along the Bay and headed north and then east. 

And then over Pacheco Pass along the San Luis Reservoir. 

The reservoir has many fingers that go to into the surrounding hills.  At some time since it was constructed the water rose to the level of the top of the darker area.   Not for a lot of years now.

The hills are covered with the grass which is yellow-white most of the year.  The green trees are live oaks that are native to the area. 

On the opposite side of the road from the reservoir the hills are fenced and there are many fire breaks cut into the soil.  They do have fires that run for miles through the dry grass.  With the closeness of the roadway I suspect a lot are cigarettes thrown out of car windows.  Dumb.  

Soon I was on I-5 heading south for another four hours or so.  I did stop at Harris Ranch thinking I would rest for a half an hour or so, but it was 103F and I wasn't tired enough to sleep.  Arrived home about 8:30pm and waited until the next day to pick up KoKo from the KoKo Keepers.  They enjoy him and he always seems happy to be there.  But happier at home, I think.  I'm going back into isolation.  Who knows what I might have picked up on my journey.  

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Just a brief note. 05-28-20

I apologize, I am just so tired tonight I need to get to bed.  Yesterday at Back Porch Fabrics we took down the 32 quilts from the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection that have been hanging since early February.  Not many people were able to see them because the Virus shut everything down.  Back Porch opened May 4th and there is another exhibit lined up to be hung tomorrow.  So, I drove up on Tuesday on Hwy 101, an easy drive in lovely weather and light traffic.  Of course, there were those construction zones, but since there weren't that many travelers there was only slow down, no delay.  Spent the night at the Centrella, a B&B right down the street from Back Porch Fabrics, and we started taking down the quilts at 10am.  It is always sooo much faster to take them down than to hang them.  We were done in about an hour and a half and the quilts were in the car.  I drove along Monterey Bay to Asilomar and was surprised that the entrance had barriers.  Of course, it is a state park and they are still closed in California.  So, back along the Bay with many, many people walking, riding, sitting running, etc.  So much sunshine and all that lovely blue and white surf.  Then I just headed home.  I thought I could stop if I got tired, but I just kept driving.  It was 103F at Harris Ranch on I-5 near Coalinga, CA, where I took a break.  Then just go, go, go until I was home about 8:30pm.  Really too late to get KoKo from the KoKo Keeper and my legs were shaking from the two days of driving.  I slept ten hours!  10!  Of course, I got up a couple times, but was able to slip right off again.  Today has been busy and I did not get a chance to edit any pictures.  It is on the top of my list for tomorrow.  KoKo is home so he can keep the chill off tonight, I hadn't realize how much he keeps me warm, I needed a quilt last night.  

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On the road again 05-26-20

Today I drove up Hwy 101 to Pacific Grove to spend the night and tomorrow I will help take down the TCQC quilts at Back Porch Fabrics.  Gail Abeloe will quickly hang a display of quilts by the ladies who work in the shop and some customers, I believe.  The quilts come down MUCH faster than they go up and Gail does all the ladder climbing.  

It was rather an easy drive today with mostly light traffic and only a few construction delays.  It seemed the traffic going south was much heavier than the northbound lanes, but I can't imagine why that would be.  The scenery was great, a little fog along the cost north of Santa Barbara, but nothing to delay traffic.  I have some good photos, but I am too tired to edit and post tonight.  Here are two views of the blonde grass that covers the hillsides.  Lovely contrast with the very green crops growing on the flat land.  

Same picture with different orientation. 

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A Driving Day 02-24-16

It turned into a long drive today - a total of nine hours!   The traffic on the 210 Fwy was mostly stop with a little go here and there.  It is supposed to be a 2 hour drive from Placentia to Thousand Oaks, but it took 3 hours this morning.   I met Karen Rips at a nice burger place called Hook Burgers, which I believe is a chain (that I have not heard of before).  My hot chicken sandwich on grilled sourdough was delicious and I think Karen's sandwich was very good also.  The drive from Thousand Oaks to Mary's front door was about 6 hours with heavy traffic all along 101 until Paso Robles where a bunch of cars were lined up in the right turn lane to go off the highway onto 46.  From there on it was pretty much clear sailing.  I stopped in Buellton at the Creation Station because I needed to get out of the car and walk around a bit.  Of course, I had to buy two half yards of fabric; a nice red and a lovely yellow.  And I stopped in Salinas for gas because Mary lives a long way from a gas station and I need to have a pretty full tank before I arrive here. 

Mary's husband Joe had surgery yesterday and is doing very well.  He will be in the hospital in Salinas for a while and then across the street in a SNIF.   Daughter Liz is here from Washington State so she will spend some time with Joe tomorrow and Mary will go into Pacific Grove with me for lunch and a fabric fix at Back Porch.  So, we will be there and at the  Red House for lunch. 

No pictures today, I needed to pay attention with all the traffic and after Paso Robles the sun was too far down in the west to get any good shots.  I'll do better going home. 

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On the Road, At Last! 08-30-10

It was a WONDERFUL DAY! I haven't been on a Road Trip since the first of June and that trip was not great because I was having so much pain from..... ?? Whatever. But for more than a month I have been going for physical therapy for my psoas muscles - lower back, buttocks, groin, crotch - Google it if you are curious. Why there is a problem I don't understand - maybe years of inactivity, maybe the fall on the stairs last August, maybe.....? But, whatever the cause, the exercises have caused a great improvement and this trip is, in part, to see just how much of an improvement. I drove up the "Coast Highway"(101) stopping every two hours, or maybe more, to walk around, do some stretches, swing my legs about! I am sore tonight, but nothing like the trip in June. If I can just be diligent about the exercises maybe I will be back to my marathon drives to Kansas or Montana - or even the distant Atlantic Ocean!

Can you even believe that blue sky? It was awesome. North of Rincon Beach I pulled off at a wide spot in the road where there was a locked gate and just walked around a bit and took some pictures. This is the view to the east.

And across Hwy 101 to the west I could look out at the blue Pacific. It was very "pacific" today, when I passed Mussel Shoals south of Santa Barbara there was only a handful of surfers and they were just floating on their boards, hoping even a tiny wave would come along. There is an oil platform out in the distance - about the middle of the horizon.

Slightly to the north was a grove of eucalyptus that probably goes down to the shoreline.

As I turned back onto the highway I could see the rolling hills that go for miles along the coast here - mostly covered with dried grasses and California live oak trees. And, of course, groves of many varieties of eucalyptus.

Mary and Joe's home is always so welcoming - I've missed visiting for the past three months. We don't have anything much planned, but one day we will go into Pacific Grove for lunch at the Red House and a fabric feeling session at Back Porch Fabrics.

More On-The-Road 09-09-08

The drive south from San Juan Bautista on Hwy 101 goes through prime agricultural land - very little of the flat land is not farmed. But housing developments are stretching out from the small farming towns, taking up more valuable farmland.

On the right (the west side) are coastal

mountains, so this valley does not have abundant rain. Notice the rain birds - a horizontal light grey line across the lower third of the picture. Crops are mainly vegetables - lots of lettuce.

And on the left side is the Diablo Range. Beyond those mountains is the San Joaquin Valley where I-5 runs along the foothills and the great inland valley stretches out to the haze. Crops are nuts, soft fruit, grapes, citrus - lots of almonds are grown there.

Further south on 101 north of Paso Robles there is a lot of cattle land. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you will see wavy horizontal lines. Those are cattle trails! This area has been cattle range for over 300 years - the cattle find the easiest way to go and every other cow follows that trail, creating corrugations in the soil.

Hwy 101 is pretty much the track of the missionaries up from Mexico, all along are bells on sort of shepherds' crooks indicating it is the Royal Road (the translation from the Spanish 'El Camino Real') or the King's Road. These bells were sponsored by women's clubs throughout the state at the beginning of the 20Th Century. This one in San Luis Obispo looks good, I imagine it is one of the concrete replacement bells, but some are not maintained and are very rusty. http://www.cahighways.orelg/camino.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Camino_Real_(California)

Another historic spot in San Luis Obispo is the "Motel Inn". The word motel originated here in 1925 to indicate that this was a motor court AND a hotel. So, the privacy of your own cabin or room and the amenities of a hotel. The word was never copyrighted and soon became a noun used to indicate any similar establishment.
http://www.jeffreysward.com/tributes/motelinn.htm

I show my van in pictures now and then because of my license plates - a statement that I was there, I guess.

These are the only two buildings remaining and they are under rerenovation. Who is doing the repairs and what the future might hold is something I could not determine. San Luis Obispo is a great college town with lots of places to explore, book shops, restaurants, entertainments. But it isn't on the water and in the summer the temperatures soar.

As Hwy 101 heads into Santa Barbara the center divider is a concrete barrier on each side with pink oleanders down the middle. I'll have to drive up Hwy 99 sometime soon and see how the dense oleander bushes of every color are doing there.

Quilt Shop Stop 09-05-08

If you have been reading this blog you know I don't need any fabric, but I do enjoy stopping at quilt shops just to feel the fabric and see what is new. When possible I stop at Creation Station in Buellton on Hwy 101. You may have seen their booth at quilt shows, their main business, or you can visit this little shop full of quilty things.

There are charming decorations outside and inside the shop.

This sewing lady is made of scrap metal and has been trying to thread her needle since I first saw her years ago.

Naturally a stop anywhere along the way requires a visit to the facility and in this case there is a lot to see while 'visiting'. It isn't really an "out" house, but is located inside the shop with full plumbing. This sign gives you an idea what to look for.

The little mouse is close by and easy to spot.

And frog and bug await your departure.

It is a fun place to stop and stretch your legs, pet some fabrics (you can purchase some at reduced prices), and enjoy the facility!

Lunch in Montecito 09-03-08

I am writing at home, my Computer guru is ordering a part for the laptop and I am using an external monitor until he can install the part. I drove home from San Juan Bautista via Hwy 101 and stopped for lunch at Jeannine's in Montecito - my favorite foodie place along the way.

There are tables on the sidewalk and the porch, but the exhaust from vehicles bothers me so I always sit inside.

Where each table has some reproduction California pottery and a few flowers.

After ordering at the register the cashier hands out a number to place on the table to guide the server. It is very difficult to look at all the wonderful pastries and gorgeous mile-high cakes in the glass cases and even more difficult to not buy anything for dessert.

However, my Chicken Pesto sandwich on cibatti bread w/blue corn chips was more than enough lunch and I brought home half of the sandwich for lunch today.

I've posted about Jeannine's previously on 09-16-07 & 12-27-07.

Paso Robles - Asilomar 03-30-08

Just a couple pictures of the cloaks of wildflowers along Hwy 101 on Sunday. We truly did not have time to stop for picture taking, but I did take a few 'on the go'. The lupine was spectacular and I wish I could show you a picture of a completely violet slope from the roadway to the crest. Perhaps on the way home along a different route we will find a nice display.

Home again 12-30-07

Yes, I did arrive home safely last night at 11pm. It was an easy six hour drive with several pit stops and, throwing caution to the wind, a stop for an In and Out hamburger w/fries! Haven't eaten that sort of thing in so long I had forgotten how good it is.

Here is a much better vineyard picture - it almost doesn't look real, does it?

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

Hwy 101 North continued 12-28-07

West of Santa Barbara the highway runs along the ocean for 30 miles or so and then turns north/inland until about 60 miles further it hits the ocean again for a few miles at Pismo Beach. Then it doesn't touch the coast again until way north in San Francisco.

Along the way there are vineyards, orchards and cattle pastures. In the uncultivated areas the California Sycamore trees are bare this time of year, their ghost like bare branches writhing against the tree clad hills and blue sky.

The area around Paso Robles was once cattle country, but in the last twenty years much of it has been cultivated for vineyards and wine tasting facilities. On either side of the road there are miles of vineyards that start at the highway and roll away as far as the foothills - I can't help but wonder who drinks all that wine! After arriving in the Salinas Valley the grapevines give way to flat fields of every possible kind of produce crops. Much of what we buy in the groceries is grown in this area which stretches from the Coastal Range on the west to the Diablo Range on the east and more than a hundred miles north and south.

North of the town of Salinas the speed limit drops to 60mph due to the dangerous cross traffic along this stretch of 101. Believe the signs, the Prunedale speed traps are well know to locals and the CHP makes a lot of money off of those who ignore the law. Don't ask how I know. Just before the turnoff to San Juan Bautista the road splits an old eucalyptus grove. These groves, found all over Central California were planted at the instigation of sharp operators selling the seedlings in the second half of the 1800s when the railroads were first laid. Much to the land owners chagrin the wood is too twisted to use for RR ties or to have any commercial use. So the groves stand to shelter roadside rest stops, farm houses and resting cattle.

It was a six hour drive from Placentia to Mary's house - that is just the actual driving time, I spent an hour and a half eating breakfast, getting gas, stopping at the drugstore and sometimes stopping to enjoy the view for a few minutes. It is much colder here than in SCalifornia, and the promised rain has not appeared. I hope it doesn't come tomorrow whilst I am driving home.

Hwy 101 North 12-27-07

On Hwy 101 North - I think this is near Mussel Shoals - at 7am.

Jeannine's in Montecito, CA. Right across the street from Trattorie Mollie, one of Oprah's favorite local spots.

Chicken sausage, mushroom, red pepper scramble and one of those elegant lattes I have spoken about previously. At 7:40am- a very early breakfast for this night owl. But 'Yumm-O'!

North of Santa Barbara the highway hugs the coast, although the RR tracks run between the highway and the blue Pacific Ocean. On the horizon are two offshore rigs and to the left Channel Islands National Park - probably the two larger islands, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz.