2002 June CA west coast

 

San Diego, CA

Arriving on Monday morning 20 May through Monday 27 May 2002 we visit Nita’s family and friends and tour San Diego, CA for an entire week. Nita had been looking forward to visiting for quite some time and thankfully we have this opportunity to spend this much time here.

Nita’s brothers Chuck and his wife Jean have been very gracious hosts and made us feel welcome throughout our stay.

The campground recommended by Debbie Poey is excellent, centrally located to all family members, bordering a golf course (excellent clubhouse) and military at that (rates were very good for this area). No more than 10 minutes from the campground to family!

San Diego had grown considerably since Nita was here last. Many streets and business areas are so large now with new housing and businesses that several times Nita was unsure of how to get to somewhere and that lent newness to Nita also. For Tom finally meeting the people Nita has spoken so much about allowed him to put faces with the names.

During our stay here Tena’s daughter Heather arrived to assist Jean in providing care for Jeans parents (several illness’s have made them need help around the house) fortunately Heather has had training in this area and is between jobs at the time, so it worked out for the best for all.  Coming back home to San Diego was especially meaningful to me.  The sounds and smells that were so much a part of my life became alive once again.  The found thoughts of family and friends filled my heart and my mind again.  The filmier sidewalks, neighbor-hoods and street names did so much for my soul and for my reflections of the life I left here sometime back.  I found myself wondering what my life would have been like if I had not moved away?  What would my daughter Sherry’s life been like and what would we be doing now?  I suppose, these thoughts are not needed, I have a wonderful life and husband in South Carolina.   Sherry would not leave the town in Connecticut she loves and she might not have her daughter Jessica that is a blessing and truly a gift form God.

 

We left San Diego on May 28, 2002 heading up the coast to San Juan Capistrano to see the old Missions.  We stopped and visited the grounds, snapped some pictures and reflected on the hard times our for-fathers had during these times.

 

We went on to LA to meet Mom, Dad and sister Barbara. Ate dinner at a wonderful restaurant named Cheese-Cake Factory.  We were able to watch the sun set and the boats come in as we ate dinner, and of course had to try the cheesecake.   Excellent!

 

The next day we went to Lancaster, CA to take in the Motor home for some repairs at the RV manufacturer.  What a magnificent job they did, we were quite happy with the quality and speed of service.

 

We got back on the road around 9:30am on May 30, 2002, as shortstop for breakfast we headed north to Santa Barbara and Solvang California.  Santa Barbara has   grown threefold in the last 50 years, but for the moment at least in manages to retain its sleepy seaside charm.  Much of its character comes from the fact that, following a sizable earthquake in 1929, the town fathers-caught up in the contemporary craze for anything-Spanish revival period.  They required that all buildings in the downtown area exude a mission era feel, mandating red-tile roofs, adobe-colored stucco, and rounded arcades wherever practicable.  The resulting architectural consistency gives Santa Barbara an un-American charm: it looks more like a Mediterranean village than the modern city that, beneath the surface, it really is.

 

Next stop is Solvang, CA it was around 4:oopm and as it turned out fine for our visit. Solvang, American’s most famous mock-European tourist trap; the Danish-style town of Solvang was founded in 1911.  Set up by a group of Danish immigrants as a cooperative agricultural community.  Solvang found its calling catering to passing travelers, and the compact blocks of cobblestone streets and Old World architecture, highlighted by a few windmills and signs advertising the Hamlet Motel among many more suspicious claim to Donnishness, now attract tourists by the busloads. We ate dinner a Knights Inn a Bavarian Smorgasbord, different but good. We all enjoyed walking, gawking and shopping for pasties.

       Layover in Camp San Luis Obispo, the original California National Guard Base. Still training new recruits this base had very few amenities but its location as close to Hearst Castle. A fellow camper warned us that the route beyond Hearst Castle is very narrow and treacherous for RV’s. Actually stated there was a ban on over 30” trailers or motor homes! Since this was the first time we have heard of a ban (although warned of narrow roads) we sought out the chamber of commerce in San Simeon to learn thankfully that this was not so. So off we go to see Hearst Castle while Dad rested at the motor home.

San Simeon: Hearst Castle, May 31, 2002 at the south end of Big Sir: the mountains flatten out and turn inland, and the coastline becomes rolling, open range ranch land.  High on a hill above Hwy-1 stands the coast’s one totally unique and historical attraction = Hearst Castle.  Located 65 miles south of Big Sur Village this castle has 144 rooms, including 36 bedrooms-do give a sense of its scale.  Hearst Castle cries out to be seen, only as a revealing landmark to one of inherited the land, and most of his fortune, from his father George Hearst, a mining mogul, and began work on his castle following the death of his mother in 1919.  With the help of the great California architect Julia Morgan, who designed the complex to look like a Mediterranean hill town with Hearst’s house as the cathedral at its center, Hearst spent 25 years working on his “castle” building, rebuilding, and filling room after room with furniture, all the while entertaining the great and powerful of the era, from Charles Chaplin to Winston Churchill.

We left Hearst’s Castle around noon and headed toward Big Sur, this 90-mile stretch of coastline is one of the most memorable on the planet, with 5,000-foot tall mountains rising straight up from the Pacific Ocean.  Big Sur to the South of Carmel, and the rugged land has resisted development or even much of a population.

Highway 1, the breathtaking drives.  Cut across the very steep cliffs in 1937 required 20 years of convict labor and several fatalities.  Named the state’s first scenic route, and so dedicated by Lady Bird Johnson in 1966, it’s an incredible trip once I got over my fear of the cliffs and the steep curves. The first 10 miles were very hazardous, as we had been told; the remainder of the route was extremely breathtaking.

 

Our first sighting of the California Redwoods!   Tall and intimidating these trees are magnificent that reminded me of morning rapture, down arrives with a burst of sunlight shafting through giant redwoods a scene quite common along the Redwoods Highway.

We ended the day in Monterey, California, spending the night at a campground that was quite interesting; hopefully some of our readers will recognize “Laguna Seca Raceway”.  Fortunately for us it was not a race weekend for camping rates were listed as $300.00 for the weekend!

We headed out the next day early stopping for breakfast then to the Fisherman’s Wharfs.  The weather was cold and damp that morning we found venders selling bowls of Clam Chowder in bread bowls and plenty of fish dishes.  We drove over to see the dozen or so significant historical sites that have been well preserved, most of them concentrated within a mile-long walk called  “Path of History” that loops through the compacted downtown area. 

 

After we shopped, looked and walked we headed East to Sacramento, California to see Tom’s Niece Jenna. We were able to spend sometime with her and her 3 beautiful babies, one of which was 6 months old and what a lovely sweet girl.   Dinner was good we all ate, talked and had a wonderful time.

 

The next morning we left for the wine country, Napa and Sonoma then Santa Rosa California

When we arrived the valley on Wednesday June 5, 2002 it was a beautiful day.  The sun was shinning and it was around the high 70’s when we stop and toured a winery that made champagne, which we all found to be interesting.  The main difference between wine and champagne is to ferment the wine twice! Although we did not purchase any champagne we did leave with some corks as mementoes.

Time to eat so following Napa Valley north on Hwy 28 until we came to a square that had that had some shops that deserved some attention.  As we walked along we found Franco-Italian Market place on Washington Street in Napa Valley.  I was a wonderful dinning experience, with outside garden seating, fresh bread & pastries, pasta, pizza and a great wine bar.  After reviewing the menu with some confusion we all decided to split some dishes to try the variety.  It was unanimous the meal was different and glad we sampled the cuisine.  Some light shopping and we are ready to go on.  The drive not was overly spectacular, we enjoyed the hills and serene atmosphere, and we would love to go back and spend more time and retreat to this beautiful countryside.

 

To reach 101 again our route was through very windy small hills.  Numerous small vineyards doted the landscape. At one point there was a small general store, obviously to service the local populace.

We headed north on 101 toward the Redwoods, bypassing Hwy 1 for a while to make a little time.

Humboldt Redwoods Preserve!!!!!!!  Absolutely the best place along the coast. Towering redwood trees, lay down of gigantic redwood trees that we made pictures with alongside the road to demonstrate how truly large these trees can be. Gift shops with unique items made from redwood. Beautiful drive through towering redwood forests, alongside a babbling stream. Truly a magnificent drive. We highly recommend to everyone to visit this location. We have every intention to visit again ourselves.

Hwy 101 and 1 merge near the town of Eureka, Ca and you follow the coast for the remainder of California. This stretch has sandy beaches with interspersed cliffs, yet the driving is relaxing and faster than along the previous coastline.

Saw our first Elk in Redwood National Park. At crescent city, CA (the northernmost California city) we decided to head inland to Interstate 5 then on to Corvalis, OR where Tom’s Mom and Dad live.  Expecting major passes and a difficult drive, turned out to be actually very scenic and quick.  We stopped at a small lake to have a picnic lunch enroute. This was great to stop and enjoy the scenery while on the road.  We expect to stop for a picnic lunch more often it was so enjoyable.

Corvallis, OR…. Being able to visit Tom’s siblings Mary, her husband Larry, Robert and his wife Jan. Fortunate for us we arrived when we did for Robert was to start his vacation the next morning and we would have missed him. It was good to see everyone again.

 The campground allowed us to wash the RV!! May not seem like much to others but it has been over a month since the opportunity to wash our house.

The route to Washington along the Columbia River Gorge is a truly unique, towering cliff as you slowly climb a steady grade watching the river carve its way through the gorge.  Although dammed a several places and not flowing as it did during the Oregon Trail migration it is still a beautiful sight.

Next stop shall be the last scheduled stop on our trip, Mandy Feth’s graduation in Benton City, WA.   Hoping to find Tom’s sister Patty along the way.

 Fortunately her address had arrived just before reaching Oregon so with a little help from a computer program Tom was able to find where Patty lived.  Such a surprise to arrive unannounced after 22 years since seeing each other! Patty took a few moments to recognize Tom and only after he smiled for she said he looked like their father.

We spent the afternoon with Patty and her daughter Bobby in Yakima, WA.  Even got to meet Patty’s husband briefly.  Then down the road to Benton City, WA for Mandy’s graduation.

 Benton City, WA … Nita’s brother and wife had come from San Diego, CA arriving the same day we have. Their son Chuck and wife Val’s first daughter to graduate high school, which also means the first grandchild to graduate high school!

Chuck and Val’s sister Kathy came in from Seattle, WA and Tena flew in from Connecticut. There was quite a household so we stayed in our RV, Chuck and Jean stayed in Val’s parents RV, Tena in ours and the rest slept on the floor in the house. 

 

Saturday afternoon the graduation took place, it was very good.  The weather even held off from rain throughout the ceremony and we all enjoyed it very much.  It was very special that Mandy’s father “Chuck” was the vice principal at this

school and was on stage to give her diploma.  Impressive numbers of scholarships were awarded.  Of 99 graduates 66 had earned scholarships!!   Simply astounding!!

Following the ceremony we all gathered at the house for a big eating frenzy. 

Excellent Mexican fare that Val made.  We all stayed up late the night before laughing cooked, and drank a little wine to make the homemade meal and memories. We all know Tom went back for a second full plate and was very stuffed.  Numerous friends would stop by for visits, it kept the house full with love and amusement, and we all had a great time.

One of the unique things for us is the town was small.  Which meant everyone knew each other and was involved in each other’s children’s activities.  The entire town would go to all the sporting events and participate in fundraisers with the kids.  This reminds us so much of what America is known for and it is a reality check to realize how much this community spirit is not as prevalent.  We are to be looking for more of this attitude in our travels to determine for ourselves how much change has really happened.

The evening following graduation Mandy and her other graduates did an all night sleepover.  The parents all chaperoned at least were in the vicinity of the kids throughout the night.  There were drawings for gifts to the graduates provided from fundraisers throughout the year.  Not simple inexpensive gifts but DVD players, TV’s, computers.   The rest of us continued to eat and visit until we each turned in.

Following day we all had to depart to go our own ways, this visit shall be remembered for the gathering of family we love so dear.  We are grateful for the time we had together the love, laughter the tears and hugs. But most of all the “I love you”.   Family is a special gift that means we are tied together and we will always be there for each other always.  No one should take for granted for it is truly a gift.