Finally, a road trip

Thank goodness we had already decided to only go as far as Oxnard when we left the desert.  Even with all the delays of leaving we arrived at the beautiful Embassy Suites Resort at Mandalay Beach in Oxnard just around cocktail time - go figure.

We had a fabulous oceanside room with a balcony and were finally able to relax, pop the cork on the champagne, watch an amazing sunset over the Pacific and, thankfully, pass from the 13th of the month to the 14th. 

The next morning, after a walk on the beach and talking to some locals, we both decided that we could add Oxnard to our list of possible final locations.  The beaches were beautiful, the climate is mild year round and it has a lot to offer.  There is a thriving wine country within easy driving distance, lots of farms with fresh produce and a great soil for growing all Jann's favorite plants.  But we have a lot more locations to see so it was time for a leisurely drive up Route 1.  What a gorgeous drive that is and it was great that we had time to enjoy it.   We drove up to Big Sur, heading for Nepenthe where we stopped for lunch at the best table with the best view.  This is the way to live !!

 

We reluctantly left Big Sur and continued on the road to Monterey.  Had a nice hotel just steps from the pier and short walk to Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row.  Our options for accommodations were limited because of parking with the trailer.  We were lucky for the two nights we had it, but it was definitely restrictive.  Luckily we ran into very nice valets at both places who helped us out a lot.  It didn't matter how many times we tried we could not get the hang of backing up with a trailer.  Good job there was no video because the trailer would just not go in the direction we wanted to go.  Finally decided that wherever we were we could only go forward which, come to think of it, was probably a good motto for our trip.

September 15th and we arrived in Granite Bay, unloaded the van and trailer into our friend's garage.   Pam brought our dog Scrabble over for a visit - don't know who was more excited him or us !!  (We left Scrabble with Pam and Bruce because he had bonded totally with their dog Cookie and they were inseparable.) Then it was time to catch up on all the news with Joanie and Pam, sitting on the deck amidst all the oak trees,  cocktails in hand. (Are you sensing a pattern here?)