Final Post - Carmel-by-the-Sea and Home Again!

Up quite early and determined to breakfast in Carmel so that we can attack Highway 1 early in the day. Better to do this early when I am well-fed and caffeinated. It is a fairly rigorous drive and demands focus and reflex.

But first, a note about how to leave a hotel's third floor when it is multilevel and there is no baggage trolley that can handle going up and down stairs. I could handle this without batting an eye when I was younger, but I was very glad to have my daughter with me to do the heavy lifting. It proved to me that I am, indeed, older and maybe not as strong as I think I am. That is probably a good thing.

On to Carmel. I remember it from years ago. It is the same. There is a certain dress and a certain bearing and I do not now and never will possess it. Sarah and I are reckoned as outsiders the instant we hit town (even by the hiker at the Wayfarer's Chapel), but we persevere and find a good parking spot near our destination. The Cottage is a little shabby chic cafe in the heart of downtown Carmel.

We shared a corner booth that was so tight that neither of us dared to breathe. It was right off the hallway to the bathrooms, so we get to see all the best people go by. They all look very familiar, like I should know them from some TV show or something. But we need coffee, and I'm afraid it shows.

My breakfast was nothing special, but this was Sarah's:

And then it was time to attack the road to Big Sur.

Wow. I had forgotten just how beautiful it is.

Sarah asked me repeatedly how close to Hearst Castle we are. She has her heart set on seeing the zebras. I fear that might not actually be possible, but I hope.

Traffic is cooperating. But we are stopped at least four times to wait for repair crews. Highway 1 shows some real evidence of age. Who knows how much longer some of the eighty year old bridges will last.

It is a gorgeous fall day. Mixture of fog and sun.

And then we are flying along after San Simeon and there they are. Zebras! Sarah is so happy. Me, too! We high five it and sing louder with Jackson Browne.

Cambria lunch is chili at a bar and grill.

Shortly thereafter, we see the sign for these:

So we just have to stop

Once we have our samples and purchased our cookies, it's time to get serious about heading home.

Before we know it. San Louis Obispo. Arroyo Grande. Santa Maria. Vandenburg Gate. And then there it is: Vandenburg Village. Constellation. Jupiter. Mercury. Lunar Circle. Andromeda Drive.

Home! Michael waving from the open garage. Wow! He's standing in the garage. How is that even possible?

We are home. Unbelievable. Thanks be to God. Signing off now. Thanks, ya'll. It's been real. DD+

 

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Windsor to Cannery Row

We tried to stay in Healdsburg, but ended up in Windsor. Just fine. But we learned something very valuable: dress a Holiday Inn Express up and it remains a Holiday Inn Express. Location is everything for a hotel and the very lovely suite we checked into became the room beside the rush-hour laden freeway at 7 a.m. the next morning.

We did not fight it, but gave thanks for the good night's sleep and we packed it up to hit the road for Monterey. We decided to eat breakfast out. We found Ana's Cafe and Espresso on Old Redwood Highway. Delightful. She greeted us with a smile and took our order (calling Sarah "Mija"). The food was really good and the coffee was great. Ana's bright and positive energy was infectious and a wonderful beginning to our day. If you ever find yourself in Windsor, check out the cafe. You won't be sorry.

Then we drove and drove and drove around San Francisco to Monterey Peninsula. Finally, after slow downs because of wrecks on the 580 and the 880, we found our way to Monterey. Beautiful. Our hotel is close to the water in very touristy proximity to Cannery Row. We had fun.

Grabbed a bite of lunch at Hula's Island Grill (which has absolutely nothing to do with Monterey). But it was still fun. Their Bahn Mi Bao Sliders were really good and they had a very different margarita made with passion fruit purée (sounds awful, but is pretty and really tasty).

Went shopping and actually bought a couple of things (and I don't do that). And Sarah wandered into the Pacific. She is, of course, part sea mammal.

Soaked but happy, we were headed back to the hotel when we noticed the bust of Edward Ricketts (Steinbeck based the character, "Doc," in Cannery Row on this guy). He was a biologist, writer, ecologist and the people of Monterey really loved him.

By the way, our hotel has this homage to Steinbeck in it's lanai area. Hmmm. Wonder what he would think of it?

This is our last night in a hotel. I can't say I am sorry about that. It has been wonderful. Expensive, but wonderful. I have enjoyed it. The best part of the trip has been the beauty of the countryside and getting to remember fall (yeah, like seasons...you remember what those are) and Sarah. Getting to spend this time with my daughter has been so important. Singing in churches and experiencing other ways of doing church has stretched my liturgical imagination. All the driving has taught me to relax when it's time to relax and to just follow the road when information isn't forthcoming (maybe Sarah taught me that). I think these will be necessary skills in our future together.

I know that this has been one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given. I want you all to know that I look forward to being with you again and to share with you some of what I have discovered about this journey. One more day of travel and then homecoming.

Tomorrow: Big Sur! and home!!

 

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Thankful to be in California

It didn't take long for us to cross the border. No fruits or veggies to declare. The nice lady at the agricultural check asked very politely and I have to admit I was really happy to be able to shake my fist at the cars with Oregon plates and yell, "Go home!" Of course, I would never do that. (Yeah, right!)

We stopped at the Welcome Center to figure out a good way to Healdsburg. (We will actually stay in Windsor, a little closer to SF.) The thinking is that we will have a crazy drive to get over to the left coast at some point. Where to take that on is the question.

The advice we got was to take a right at Williams and head west on the 20. The burn areas from the recent fires would be both to our left and our right on this drive. So, just before we embarked on the great adventure, we said hello to Mount Shasta, which had come out to play. The last time we came through here the weather was a little sketchy and alternately foggy and rainy.

It is at this point that I have to report that one of the displays at the California Welcome Center was all about the state of Jefferson (the "51st state") and the cast of characters that lead the resistance to the U.S. Government. It is only a little unsettling. But weirdly a sign that we are very close to home (I am thinking of Orange County here).

We stopped for lunch in Redding. Meatball sandwich should fortify our big adventure off the big freeway. After a phone call to Michael, we hit the rowdy road.

Trucker games and some real craziness by a would-be trucker in a pick'em up truck give way to some truly beautiful and some really awful countryside. The fires have affected a huge area of this part of the world. Obvious pain and suffering has given way to an odd kind of beauty, born of suffering and grief. Blackened trees are spotted with green growth and fall colors. So weird. Large swathes of land with no vegetation at all.

But suddenly we are climbing into the hills and the serious driving begins. I am so happy for my little Prius C. I can imagine trying to drive this in a bigger car and fighting the narrow lanes and the crazies headed in both directions who travel the road all the time and who are bold and aggressive in their attack of the road.

At one point we have to stop for a long time at a red light in order to wait our turn to drive single file across a bridge in process of being rebuilt. The GPS tells me we must make a U-turn but I ignore it and we are caused to drive even longer, but we finally make it to the 101! Thanks be to God.

So here we are in the land of the wealthy and the privileged at a Holiday Inn Express that should cost about 100 bucks, but instead costs $250 because that's what they can get, because we are in the middle of the Sonoma wine country. Amazing.

We opt for the expensive room and we visit the supermarket to cook our dinner in the room instead of going out. Tomorrow is our last night on the road and we will treat ourselves at the end of this long trip and celebrate our accomplishment on the eve of our last day of travel on this sabbatical trip.

I am very thankful to be in this comfortable room with my daughter and friend. It has been quite a trip. We are beginning to sense the end of this journey, recognizing the signs that we are approaching very familiar territory. Hooray for California. Hooray for home.

Tonight's prayers are for friends and family we have missed; thanksgiving for safety and comfort and sustinence and the bond of mother and daughter; and also in thanksgiving for the gracious gift of a faithful and caring congregation. All I can say is, "Wow!"

Tomorrow: Highway 1, Monterey, and Big Sur.

 

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Much Ado About Ashland

What a beautiful day! Breakfast and just hanging around relaxing. Then pulling it together to get a little lunch before the theater.

We made it to the Box Office and picked up our tickets and then walked to a little Italian place called 58 E. Main Street. Antipasto and bruschetta before the theater. Made it in and out in plenty of time.

Then we walked across the plaza to the Angus Bowmer Theater. Our seats were about 8 rows back in the center. The theater seats 600. The set was minimal but made a visual statement. This is modern dress Shakespeare so I didn't expect slavish adherence to the script.

Turns out it was a lot of fun. I thought the mechanicals were allowed to function properly. This was very broadly drawn and just a whole lot of fun. Dogberry glided in and out on a Segway, which he was very good at and his watchmen were suitably idiotic.

It was a beautiful production. We saw a matinee with a big high school presence. They seemed to enjoy it (lots of sexual banter and male vs. female stuff). Also lots of slapstick and physical humor that was very well done. Gorgeous theater. Worth the price of admission.

So this is really the third law broken:Learning more about Oregon. Broke the law out of habit today and pumped my own gas at a convenience store and the guy that pulled in behind me yelled at me that I was breaking the law. I saw nothing warning me that it is against the law to pump your own gas in Oregon. The attendant came out and asked, "Are you finished?" I said yes and he shrugged. I said I was sorry. I think maybe there needs to be a big sign at the border that says that. I don't know how I have lived and driven through this state I don't know how many times and never knew that.

1. We didn't pay to cross the Golden Gate Bridge. There was no place to pay. Guess we picked the wrong lane. Sowe received a notice and will pay the $7.50.

2. Same problem crossing the border. Stopped to get gas before going into Canada and was routed into the Nexus lane without the proper credential.

3. Pumped our own gas in Oregon.

Just breaking one law after another! How ignorant can we get? Fortunately, we will soon be back in California. I will be relieved. But now, I am going to dinner.

We had a beautiful dinner at Smithfield's on 2nd Avenue. Sarah ordered beef Tatar and duck confite and I had a filet with mash and collard greens and desert was tiramisu and crime brûlée. Amazing and the service was wonderful. Great last meal in Oregon. The Foodie State.

Tomorrow: California, here we come!

 

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Duck Weather!

Waiting over half an hour for a luggage trolley so we can leave Clackamas seems a little extreme. But the weather has turned and everybody seems to want to get out of town. And it's not even the week-end!

Freeways and rain and trucks are an awesome combination, especially driving a Prius C. Taking it easy is not an option. We are getting blown all over the road. Logging trucks are a real challenge. But we take a break in Eugene to let The Duck take care of us for awhile. (You don't really expect that I would get anywhere near Eugene and not go to The Wild Duck.)

Providence gave us a parking place. And The Duck gave us pretzels and bear cheese dip and perfect sliders and a break from the road. Saying goodbye to The Duck (which is really hard for me), we headed for Medford and Ashland.

It felt terrible to fly past all this incredible countryside and not be able to see it clearly, but it was like God gave us glimpses of amazing beauty. The clouds were hanging really low up against the mountains and sometimes they took on that cotton candy look. If you have travelled in the mountains, you know the look I'm talking about.

When I was a little kid I had dreams of clouds like these low-hanging ones. In my dreams they came down and ate people. One minute the person was there and the next minute they were gone. So I had a bit of a hard time ignoring those clouds driving into Medford. But we were so close to our destination that I just pressed on.

We made it to the hotel and, as it turns out, the challenges weren't over. When we walked into the room, the heat lamp was on in the bathroom. I turned it off and went to turn on the vanity lights and they popped on and then went out. I tried them a couple of more times and they did the same thing.

So we were reassigned. Everything moved to another room, thanks to Sarah! Much better.

We walked to dinner at the Oak Tree NW Bar and Grill. What a funny little place. We were given our salads at the end of the meal because they ran out of chopped lettuce and they had to make more. But the dinner ended up being tasty and simple and we walked back to the hotel in the rain pretty satisfied.

This has been a pretty typical day of travel. Risk and reward. Weather is always challenging. It is such a relief to be off the road in one piece and so looking forward to seeing theater in a place I have always wanted to experience. I think I understand risking comfort for the possibility of something great.

Tomorrow: Much Ado at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

 

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Singing Sunday Songs: Last Night in Portland

Oversleeping is not something I often do, mainly because I have a number of alarm clocks. Some of them are fuzzy (Jack the Dog and Mao Ping Kitty come to mind) and some of them are human-types like Michael (who is usually up by 6 a.m.) and Sarah (who has been getting up to exercise). Until this morning, this has been all I needed to arrive for appointments on time. But the combination of a comfy bed and cool, rainy weather has suddenly sent us both into hibernation mode.

Instead of the darkness before dawn, dappled sunlight woke me at 8 a.m. Leaping out of bed, we pulled ourselves together to attempt to make it back to Day Two of the Portland Sacred Harp Regional Sing on time. I shouldn't have worried.

There was no one at the registration desk but everything was ready for us. Name tags and Loaner Books were available and we claimed our seats on the back row on the aisle (so that I could record at least one song to post on Facebook. And then we waited, and waited.The Milwaukie Community Center was no hotbed of activity when we arrived and we even managed to get a parking place in the small lot next to the building. We took our lunch offering inside through the side door and we went upstairs to register.

I had a very nice conversation with the young costumer from Ashland about how she came to Sacred Harp. Turns out she is Moravian (she was shocked that I knew of the Moravians because of J. Neil Alexander, who came to the Episcopal Church from the Moravians. He was awesome on the organ, playing all the old hymns.)

But suddenly the room was filling with people and the President stood up and called the first song and the day began. No teaching today, just sing, sing, sing.

We hadn't been sure we would come back to the sing. Part of me thought we should visit the cathedral but once the chaplains started to pray the necrology and we prayed for the people on our hearts and minds, I was glad we came back. Hearing Deacon Valerie and Deacon Judy prayed for and Dolores Two Bulls and John Andrew Dunn remembered made me really happy. Then we sang a memorial song in their honor.

Sarah brought her yarns and when her voice gave out she crocheted while listening to the music. I have to pause here to relate just how awesome Sarah has been during this trip. She is my copilot and in charge of Google Maps. Because of her we were able to make it back into Portland for lunch after the singing. Great nachos.

We wandered around a little bit in the wonderful Pearl District. We stopped at this cute little shop, Just for Paws, to get presents for Jack and Mao Ping and Mab Cat. There was a dog who ran the store and in order to shop, first the customer had to throw the chew toy with him. He reminded me of Jack. He would drop the toy and then eye you and run around this big display case to the other side and wait for you to throw it. He would catch it in the air and bask in the praise. There was another dog who was the cashier. He kept his management honest with the money. It was a great shop.

Back to the hotel for a nap and then to dinner at a place called Screen Door. It was billed as "Southern comfort food with a dash of NW style." The picture of the lady I assume is a picture of the woman whose recipes are the basis for the restaurant. It's a Foodie place, after all. In a hipster neighborhood. Great food. Packed so we sat at the bar. Really noisy. But the bartenders were friendly and attentive. They explained the menu.

Lots of choices. But Sarah got the Catfish with sweet potato fries and roasted beet salad and I got fried pork chop with Mac and cheese and roasted beet salad. Really excellent. Easy to see what people are raving about. Tough to get a seat but the food is definitely worth it.

A nice last night in Portland.

Tomorrow: Driving, driving, driving through Duck Country!

 

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