Lets backtrack a tad!
Yesterday was a span of sadness, awe and horror. I will cover each emotion in painstaking detail. Toss that bag of popcorn in the nuker; you're in for long haul.
Left from San Diego yesterday rather early. I wish I was able to spend some more time with my brother one-on-one, but there will be time for that. We did have a nice artichoke pizza with beer at Mission Beach, followed by some ice cream and a nice walk along the boardwalk and through a carnival. Got to meet Vicky and her three awesome kids too! Can't wait to hang with them more!
Onward to Irvine to meet PJ Haarsma, the founder of Kids Need to Read. Our furry friend, the Bachak, has reached the end of his journey and is now in an awesome author's hands. It was a fantastic time we had with him and a great chance to get some more exposure for the organization. Going to miss that furball! And our friend Amanda should be proud for making such a kickass doll! I owe her alot!
Next stop was Carmel Valley, outside of Salinas. Lara got to pick where we were going and where we were staying and she made some brave choices. Our bed and breakfast stay was at the Blue Sky Lodge. Well, bed at least. They don't make breakfast, but they made up for their culinary inexperience with friendly felines!
We gassed up last night so we could escape earlier in the morning. When walking out of the gas station, there were four teens (three guys and a girl) eyeballing Priscilla's license plate! I thought these punks were ready for a fight, and I had headbutts on standby! No one expects a headbutt anymore!
Making a mountain out of a molehill, as I sometimes do, the kids were harmless! In fact, they were high as kites! We chit-chatted a bit before they recommended a restaurant down the street for us to dine so late. The Village Fish House offered some tasty salmon and crab and cheese ravioli with local wine and beer. Was a stellar end to a long day.
This morning, after waking in the Carmel Valley's version of the Bates Motel (moths everywhere!), we stopped down the street at a coffee shoppe and had some amazing treats to start the day (mocha coffee and lox for me, breakfast quiche and veggie juice mix for L). We were at the start of wine country and our trek back to the highway was a gorgeous one.
Now, Lara HAD to see some of California's Route 1, better known as the Pacific Coast Highway...you know, the winding roads atop tall cliffs that you see cars driving over at the end if movies (Innerspace, to name one). While it looks good in the cinema, I must say I deserve my stuntman's license after this ordeal. While it took us 1 1/2 to 2 hours out of the way (our GPS countdown timer actually started going in reverse), the views were phenomenal and I will admit now, I enjoyed the driving challenge (and I think Priscilla did too).
Problem was, and a big source of my frustration, was that we were due for 7.5 hours of driving prior to the excursion to the coast, so now we were in for close to 10 hrs, a real push in this drive of endurance we have been on for almost two weeks. We had a pit stop in Petaluma, CA, which we wouldn't have discovered if not for the now-infamous "Detour." It was a fun little mill town, rejuvenated with the help of some ritzy folks.
The journey continued onto the Redwood highway; where the hilly grass plains sprouted giant trees tall enough to block out the sun in some sections of the 101. We passed the Legend of Bigfoot attraction, but refused to stop for fear of me being put up on display!
8PM rolled around and we were 45 minutes away from Eureka, CA, but I had to stop. The closest exit was for a town called Scotia, saying it had a gas station and a place to eat. What we found instead was an entire town contained to six tiny square blocks, an old train on display along with one of the widest trunks of a tree I have ever seen! I befriended a cat that actually ran to me, as if I was meant to be there! To complete my Dr. Doolittle fantasy, four ducks wandered along the side of the road, stopping not five feet from me. They knew I didn't have any food so the charade was up. After they stopped on the middle of the road, pondering where to graze next, I chased them to safety.
And now to Eureka, where I finally got to meet a great friend I have known for three years: Anne and her husband Phil! They met us at a nice sushi place on the waterfront, where I ordered a crab burger that was shaped exactly like a crab! It was awesome and the company better! We have breakfast planned at an organic locale known for it's crepes about 7 miles away. Best run off to bed now so I can taste one faster!
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