Wondering #1- Gotta Get Back, Back, Back to School

If you are a fan of Grease 2, you will know today's title.   But regardless, school is, in fact, back.  I have never started this early. Ever.  I feel like we were just out and now we are back.  So much for teachers getting a full summer.  I worked into June and now am back the 1st week of Aug.  But alas, I will keep complaints to a minimum as this is a brand new chapter in my 20 year teaching adventure. 

I decided with my new job, I may as well start the "wonderings" part of this blog until next vacation when I continue with "wanderings".  So here goes...

Why oh why must we sit for hours on the hard benches of cafeteria tables??  I noticed several people had foldable camp chairs.  I was super confused thinking people were headed to some sporting event after.  However, it was suggested that people bring one for comfort.  So...off I went at lunch break to dig one from our garage.  I now sit in a comfy chair with my legs up on the evil sore butt bench.  Much better- minus the consistent nodding off.

I was told this was a 2 day Leader In Me training.  Well, it's not.  It is 7 Habits of Highly Effective people.  I guess it may be worthwhile, but man is it boring.   It is giving me time to get my new school calendar in order and to people watch my new school family.

If this ever ends, it is scheduled from 8-3:30, yet the presenter said 5:30, it is laptop check out day.  One step closer to my new year beginning!  Stay tuned.

Day #32- I'm on My Way, Just Set Me Free, Homes Sweet Home!

I thought the old Motley Crue song was perfect for today.  I think we saved the longest leg of the journey for the end.  It is hard to drive the speed limit when your own bed is in your sights.  That said, the entire trip was made with no tickets. 

We drove 8+ hours from El Paso today.  To fill our time we listened to pod casts from Ricky Gervais, Steve Merchant, and Karl Pilkington.  Those blokes kept us laughing and the time just melted away. 

As soon as we got to Fredericksburg, we basically felt home.  Turning onto Skipton was just the best feeling!  The house was just fine after a month of being on its own.  The only problem discovered was a dead squirrel on the driveway.  No idea how that happened or how long he had been there.

Who knows if the blog will continue for daily wonderings or will be suspended until further wanderings.   I guess you will just have to stay tuned!

Day #31- The Yellow Rose of Texas, I'm Going There to See...

We are back in Texas!!  Well, just barely.  We are in El Paso.  We planned to go further, but the clouds got scary dark and the rains started.  Even though we have a long drive ahead of us to get home tomorrow, we decided it was safer to stop.

Today was Wild West fun in Tombstone.  We visited the OK Corrall, shot old cowboy guns, had lunch at the famous Big Nose Kate's Saloon, and went to Boothill Cemetry.  

Apparently in the 1800's, headstones contained funny epithets and listed how the person died.  Also, the west seemed very racist towards the Chinese.  One headstone said only "Two Chinese".  Another said, "Here lies so and so, shot by a Chinaman."  The majority of the headstones read "shot" or "murdered".  Times were tough in those days!

The cool weather from the monsoons had yet to come today, so the sun was blazing as we strolled around both Tombstone and Boothill.  We got back in Stan and headed for Texas.  Tomorrow will just be a travel day, but with us, who knows what will happen.  So, stay tuned!

Day #30- I'm a Cowboy, On a Steel Horse I Ride

Wanted...Dead or Alive! 

Today we drove to Tombstone.  One of Loren's favorite movies is Tombstone and our ghost shows have all investigated there, so of course we were excited to explore this preserved city of the old west.

I was not feeling well today.  I had a pounding headache, upset stomach, and just felt exhausted.  We were afraid it would be scorching hot in Arizona, but apparently it is their monsoon season and the heavy clouds brought cooler temps.  We checked into a random hotel, which after some research turned out to be haunted.  It was supposedly once the home of Wyatt Earp's livery stables and then a boarding house.  We took advantage of the cool weather and walked across the street to roam around Tombstone.  Most shops were already closed, but we were able to go into the famous Birdcage Theater.  That place had the creepiest vibe!  I had goosebumps the entire time in there.  Bullet holes can be seen in the walls and the whole place just felt dark.  

We went to the Crystal Palace for dinner.  They had the most delicious soda called 'Doc Holiday'.  The waitress said it was like DP, but I thought it tasted like DP with grenadine mixed in.  Our plan was to wait til dark then go back to walk the streets, but I was feeling so rotten that I fell asleep at the hotel very early.  We plan to properly tour the town tomorrow, so stay tuned.

Day #29- When the Sun Comes Up Over Santa Monica Blvd.

Our plan for today was to see Mann's Chinese theater, look at some stars on the Walk of Fame, see the Hollywood sign, and check out the Hollywood Forever cemetery.  We checked out of the hotel and walked a block up to the theater.  Throngs of people were there, so we just looked from across the street and took some pictures.  We saw the star of Tom Cruise and wondered if he was angry to be put across the street from the theater??

Next stop was our adventure to find a spot to view the Hollywood sign.  We attempted it last nite, only to be chased off of the observatory road because we were there too late.  I googled the best place to view the sign and read about the Hollywood reservoir.  I entered that into the phone GPS lady and off we went.  We ended up in a very ritzy neighborhood on narrow winding streets.  I felt we were in a Europe somewhere.  Round and round we went thru this neighborhood with no sign in sight.  This would not be the first time the GPS lady had misled us.  We saw a guy out for his walk in the neighborhood and asked him where to see the sign.  He said it was difficult to give directions, but keep going left and keep going UP.  So, I did just that.  Loren hung on for dear life as I led Stan up and up hills.  Only one car could drive at a time, so it was a little tense if a car was coming down the hill.  Finally, as we made another left turn, I looked out and there was the sign.  We parked in front of a private residence, covered in security cameras, and jumped out for quick pics before the Hollywood police were called to arrest trespassers.  

Our last stop before leaving town was the Hollywood Forever cemetery.  I didn't want to see anything in particular there, but had read a lot about the place.  We roamed around and saw graves, huge elaborate monuments, to some obviously wealthy people.  We randomly came across the resting place of Chris Cornell and Larry from Bewitched.

We had planned to make San Diego our next stop, but the traffic was so awful on the 101, that when we saw the sign for 10 East, we decided to take it.  We ended up in some nowhere town California called Blythe.  Our plan for tomorrow is Tombstone, so stay tuned.

Day #28- The Simpsons!

Make sure you sing that title like they do on the opening of The Simpsons.  Today was Universal Studios day.  First of all, this adventure is the #1 reason for our vacation.  Universal is the home of The Walking Dead Experience.  Loren is the ultimate fan boy.  Our house is covered in Walking Dead collectibles, so it made sense that he got to go to the attraction.  My hidden agenda was Harry Potter land.  Yes, I am a 42 year old Harry Potter fan.  So...we paid $102 a ticket to go to Universal Studios. 

The park opened at 8am, so we got up hours earlier than any day thus far and arrived as the park opened. Our first expense beyond the tickets was to pay $25 for parking.  Surface level parking was already full, so we climbed the levels of the ET parking structure to find our spot.  First impressions of Universal is that it was very clean and very organized.  We rode down escalators and arrived at a mile of shops before even entering the park.  We walked in awe at King Kong hanging from a building and other larger than life characters. 

Finally arriving at the front gates, we decided to check in to fast passes to get us to the front of attraction lines.  The ticket guy said yes, we could upgrade our tickets for an additional $100 each.  Uh, no.  So, we kept our "cheap" tickets and walked thru the gates.  I can't put into words how amazing the place was.  As people who love TV and movies, this place was the big screen (or small screen) in life size reality.  

We walked to the enterance to Harry Potter land and I just had to stop and stare.  Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and Hogwarts were right there in front of me.  My eyes could not even take in all of the sights.  The place was already packed with people, so we decided to let things die down and come back.  What a stupid idea...as you will find out later.

Next stop was Walking Dead.  To our amazement, there was no line!  We marched right up, ready to be go.  Sadly, the worker told us the attraction did not open until noon.  We also found out that Harry Potter land opens an hour before the rest of the park, so we could have (should have) been there at 7am.  Heads hung we walked along, feeling sorry for ourselves.  

My head jerked up when I heard a familiar voice.  It was donkey from Shrek!  It seemed to be some sort of animatronic donkey, yet he had Eddie Murphy's voice and responded to people talking to him.  We walked up and had our picture taken.  Loren said, "Shut up, Donkey" and he responded that Loren sounded just like Shrek.  My spirits were lifted by our donkey chat.  What no one knows is that I actually call Loren- "donkey".  He reminds me so much of that character...hoping around spouting nonsense.  I like to tell him, "Atta do, donkey", just like Shrek does.

To Loren's absolute delight, we next walked into Springfield- home of Homer Simpson.  We had no clue that Universal had an entire Simpson's area.  Moe's bar, Krusty Burger, Kwik E Mart, Cletus's Chicken Shack...they were all here.  Wait time for the Krustyland ride was only 20 minutes, so we did our first ride. It was a 4d experience where you feel like you are on a roller coaster, but are really just sitting in a room.  I wonder if all rides will be this way one day?

The Universal back lot Tour had a 15 wait, so that was next.  As Universal has visitors from all over, Spanish and Chinese tours were available.  However, the group behind us apparently missed that queue and took our English tour.  The Tour now offers 2 different 4D attractions, so we had to take 3D glasses before the tram left.  Several minutes into the tour, the tram stopped for us to look at some of the movie sets.  Someone in the Chinese group dropped their 3D glasses overboard.  Oh well, I thought.  But this lady stands up and pulls the red emergency chord.  The driver comes over a speaker and says if this is a medical emergency, pull the chord again.  Not speaking English, the lady starts to again pull the chord.  A tram load of people all yell, "Noooooo!" at the lady.  

We rode past the clock tower from Back to the Future, the Bates Motel, Jaws, and other familiar sets.  We went thru 2 rides that felt like we were part of the movie.  The first was like we were on a subway in the middle of an earthquake.  Then, King Kong and TRex appeared and started to battle.  The Chinese lady who wanted the rescue her glasses started screaming.  Loud screams.  That ruined the experience.  The best part of the tour for me was the Fast and Furious attraction.  We were in the middle of a car chase with Dom.  The Chinese woman continued to scream.  

Done with the tour and looking at the sign for wait times, we saw that it was a 120 min wait for Harry Potter.  Frustrated, we had a waffle and chicken sandwich at Cletus's Chicken Shack and battled the crowds to walk around the park.  We went into the Harry Potter area and could not even open the doors to the shops due to the crowds.  We were able to finally get to the Walking Dead experience.  It was admittedly very cool, but the zombies kept jumping out at the people in front of us, so they got scared instead of us. 

About 5pm, our feet were killing us and we were soaked in sweat.  The plan was to go back to the hotel, rest, and then go back to the park for the lighting of Hogswarts.  Well, that didn't happen.  Some drama from home kept us on the phone and ruined our plans.  Angry at people bothering us on vacation with problems that were not ours, we just gave up on going back.  I was incredibly disappointed to have paid so much money and to not get to do all that we wanted, but reframed and realized we had a great day.  

Tomorrow we will see Hollywood touristy things, so stay tuned...

Day #27- Hooray for Hollywood!

Movies, stars, glitz, glamor...NOT!!!  Our initial experience with Hollywood was something out of a movie.  While still in Grover Beach, I found a great Hotwire deal for a hotel right in the middle of the action between Hollywood Blvd and Sunset. 

We pulled up to a super sketchy looking place, but noticed the Starbucks, Jersey Mike's, and Jamba Juice close by, so we decided it may not be as bad as it looked.  We walked inside and there was a less fortunate man laying on a couch in the "lobby".  The check in desk was behind glass with only a hole to peak thru.  I was already feeling nervous about the place.  The desk clerk comes and wants both of our Id's, along with our licence plate #.  He then gives us a set of keys- actual keys- not a key card like at most hotels.  He also gives a key to the building which he says he locks at nite.  We went to move our car into a tight parallel spot in a super small lot, only to have the desk clerk follow us and tell us exactly how to park.  Now super nervous, we head to our room.  It was on the ground floor with the only lock being one like would be found on the bathroom door at home.  The room had no AC and a window with no screen open to the street.  The bed was a twin and the one chair in the room was covered in a sheet.   I had already decided we were NOT staying at this dump, but had to use the restroom before we left.  I walk into the bathroom to see a window open to an alley.  That was it.  I was DONE. 

We hurried back out to Stan and sat in him with the doors locked tight.  I called Hotwire and told the lady that I know rooms are not refundable, but I just was not safe at this hotel.   After rattling off the list of scary features, the woman not only refunded our money,  but she arranged for an upgraded hotel and Hotwire paid for it.  I was very impressed with the level of customer service!!

Once in a safe, clean, locked hotel room we decided to look for food.   We ended up at an Italian restaurant named Miceli's- just like my Michigan family.  We had the best time!  All of the wait staff took turns performing a song- just like on Glee when they move to NYC.  The voices were very good and sounded like these people could be on Broadway! 

We now sit comfortably in our room getting ready for to tomorrow's trip to Universal Studios.  Stay tuned!

Day #26- Mr. Jones and Me

Today was fair day!  Counting Crows and Matchbox 20 were both playing at the fair.  Of course we missed Zak Brown, Garth Brooks, and Midland.  Just our luck.   I am not a huge fan of either of tonite's bands, but we love live music, so at least it is people we have heard of. 

For the majority of our time in Cali, weather has been in the 60s and 70s.  I guess we got spoiled because we were sweltering in the low 90s at the fair grounds.   I must have applied sunscreen 5x, yet still felt my skin frying.

We have not ridden rides for several years since Loren passed out cold after a ride at the Austin rodeo.  It just so happened that the exact same ride was at this fair.  Loren decided that it was redemption time and he was going to ride again.  I was almost too worried to have fun, but he braved the spins and drops like a pro.  Ride defeated!!  We rode a few more rides and had a good laugh.  Ride prices are ridiculous, but I always have so much fun! 

Next, we went to the petting zoo.  Loren stood outside and watched while I oohed and ahhed over goats, pigs, and deer.  I was loving the animals until I felt a tug and looked down.  A deer had my shirt in his mouth!  I was laughing, and of course took a picture, thinking Bambi would release me.  Negative.  Still chewing.  I have some junkie shirts that I probably would not have minded being nibbled, but I love the Yeti shirt I had on!  I didn't wanna pull too hard and rip it, but had to get the deer off.  A minute of tug-o-war later, and my shirt is soaked in drool and a green stain of something. 

We had a hard time deciding what food to have for dinner.  There were so many choices!  Turkey legs, fried avocados, fried everything!  We decided on a giant corn on the cob and cotton candy flavored ice cream.  Dinner of champs!

Loren and I sat down on a wall to wait for Corey, Kari, and the kids to ride the bumper cars.  We somehow managed to be just outside the gates to the concert and could hear it perfectly.  We listened to songs and waited for the ones we know and like.  Just as has happened to me before, I went to the bathroom and while I was away, the songs I wanted to hear were played.  2 songs out of 20 and they played them while I was away.  What are the chances?!?

Sunburned and full of junk we headed home to say goodbye to the beach.  Tomorrow we head to LA, so stay tuned!

Day #25- Frère Jacques Dormez-vous?

I think I may have been singing in French there, but alas, I don't know any Dutch songs, so close enough!  Today we went to Solvang.  Solvang is a Danish village in the middle of California.  It has wineries, bakeries, windmills and architecture like Holland- or somewhere in the Netherlands.  The whole town is like a trip to Europe.  (You can feel free to now question the difference between Dutch and Danish because I am using them interchangeably.)  We had lunch, shopped, and stopped at multiple bakeries for treats I have never had and a few- chocolate covered strawberries- that I love!  A truck was parked and covered in chalkboard paint.  It had chalk resting on the bumper, so I decided to leave them a message.  I wrote, "Love from Austin, Tx!"

Other than our trip to Solvang, we just took our beach walk and visited with Phyllis and Dan.  We are going to the Mid-State Fair tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Day #24- Somebody Call 911

People all around the world watch the news and hear about the fires in California.  Well, we are in the middle of it.  Guess what?  It's just fine.  Not scary.  Life goes on.  Everyone here is aware of where the fires are located and just drive another direction.  We were sitting in the living room chatting with the windows open and could smell the fires blowing in the wind.  Between the mudslides and fires, Mother Nature is going after California. 

Ok, that's my POV on the fires.  We had lunch and shopped today at a huge kitschy funky hotel mansion called the Madonna Inn.  Each room of this hotel is decorated differently.   The restaurants are decorated in the same way that they were when they opened all those years ago.  It was like walking into a time machine.  

Beach observations today include our feet being all chawed up by sand fleas.  Also, sea gulls may as well be vultures.  They go after picnicers like vultures go after roadkill.  We watched a lady and her 2 kids get swarmed by numerous seagulls who were bold enough to get right onto their blanket.  We decided to get up and get outta there when one started eyeballing us.  We have been chased once and don't need it to happen again. 

Dan is taking off tomorrow and we are headed to a Dutch community called Solvang.  Stay tuned...

Day #23- Palm Trees are Growing and Warm Breezes Blowing

Actually cool breezes blowing, but that's not the song!!

Ya, ya, ya...I have gotten behind on my blogs.  But around here- it is just eat, sleep, chat, beach, repeat.  Since we returned from the Queen Mary, we have just been in chill mode.  We have been taking advantage of the beach being so close by taking beach walks several times a day.  Our Fitbits are very happy with us! 

We have explored the area and had some really amazing food.  Loren had a lobster and crab mac-n-cheese last night.   Today we tried Boba Tea.  Well really, it was a Boba smoothie.   The smoothie part was banana and delicious.   The Boba bubbles were NOT delicious.   The drinks came with wide straws and with every slurp- up came a Boba bubble.  I spit most of them out because the texture was so nasty, but I decided to suck it up (literally) and try to eat one.  I felt like I had a worm in my mouth.  It was chewy, yet never quite chewy enough for me to swallow.   Boba bubbles are SUPPOSED to be made from tapioca, which Loren loves, but I think they ran out today and used worms instead. 

Today's beach experiences include needing the restroom but refusing to use it after seeing a trail of an odd substance leading into a stall and then a pair of someone's pants on the floor at the end of the trail inside the bathroom.  I didn't feel like being on an episode of Forensic Files today! 

On our nightwalk, we saw two guys setting up their keyboard and guitar on a dune facing the water and the sunset.  I asked Loren if he thought they were making a home done music video or something.   We were walking, so we could not really hear them,  but they were just singing away!

We had burgers for dinner that were as big as our face.  We may be as big as a house when we get home with all of this good eatin'!!.    Tomorrow is a new day of food and beaches, so stay tuned.

Day #22- You Are My Sunshine

The sun was out today and so were we!!  In previous days we walked the beach, looked for shells, and people watched while wearing sweats and a jacket.   But today- the sun was shining bright and I wanted swimsuits and a real beach day.  👙💜🦀. 

It is easy to stay outside for long periods of time when the air is cool and the sun is out but not scorching.  We laid out and observed the wildlife...well...other beach goers. 

The highlights of the beach today include two men arriving separate and then later being seen cuddling and napping on a blanket together.

A family of some conservative lifestyle, where the women wear dresses and have long long hair and the men wear long sleeves and long pants, were all standing ankle deep in a circle not moving.  They just stood there fully dressed and getting splashed.  Finally, they just walked off as a family.  That was a head scratcher! 

Our favorite subjects for watching are dogs and kids.  They are a very similar species.  Hahaha.  One breed loves the beach and goes bounding through the sand.  Dogs and babies alike.  The other breed is not as excited and has to be dragged to the water.  Loren and I talked about how it was a shame that we can't take video of other people's kids because we could create a hilarious montage of babies wiping out in the sand.  Their stubby little legs and diapered booties are a bad combination when trying to run through the sand.

We had dinner at a super delicious restaurant right over the water.  Unlike Texas, it is possible to eat outside here.  We were on a porch and had a heat lamp over our table.  Instead of a full order of oysters,  Loren ordered an oyster shot.  It was an oyster (out of the shell), in a shot glass, with cocktail sauce and a lemon.  As we all watched and I took pictures, he tilted his head back and slurped down that slimy glass of oyster!  Always something new with us!

On our nightwalk we saw people with fires all over the beach- in NON fire areas.  Hello?!?  Half of Cali is on fire right now and bozos are having bon fires?? 

Phyllis and Dan asked us today when we were leaving them and Grover Beach.  Loren and I hadn't even talked about it.  I assumed we would leave midweek and head to LA, but they really wanted us to stay thru the weekend.  So, I guess we will be in central Cali for a few more days.  Rough life, huh?   Stay tuned.

Day #21- Closing Time...

...you don't have to go home but you can't stay here!   I swear that's what the maids were singing at 9am when they started beating our door down.  Our room was pitch black and we had zero clue what the time was.  Our paranormal investigation lasted from 10pm to well after 1am.  We did not fall asleep til at least 2:30am.  Needless to say, we were not ready to wake up and leave the ship.  Luckily, the maids were just over eager and we still had a few hours to sleep.

We had a great investigation last night of areas of the ship that we have seen on our TV shows, but are not open to the public.  We had our equipment out and were really hoping for one of the many resident spirits to communicate.  Alas, we experienced nothing but a very annoying woman who ran her mouth the entire time.  Regardless of any encounters, it was so very cool to be allowed in all of these long since off limit areas of this old vessel. 

After dragging our feet until exactly check out-thirty,  we had coffee on the deck and did some people watching.  A huge Carnival cruise was parked at the same shipyard.  The line for the cruise was something I remember and did not miss from my previous cruise experience.   We daydreamed about the 1930's when people would have been lined up for their journey on the Queen Mary- just as those people were doing today while waiting to board their Carnival cruise. 

Hours of traffic later, we arrived back in Grover Beach and had Cali BBQ for dinner.  It is very different from Texas BBQ.  There is no brisket here!!  Ribs, ribs, and more ribs seem to be the deal instead.

We were able to take our nitely walk on the beach, but during,  2 trucks decided they would plow down the beach.  I was so very angry at the recklessness of these jerks driving in the pitch black darkness, down the beach, and towards walkers and people fishing.   I watched as they sped further up the beach until the flashing lights started.  I was thankful there was actually some officers that were awake, aware, and willing to stop people.   I was happy not to have been squished like a bug while beach walking.

Tomorrow will likely be another day of beach fun, eating, and walking, but spur of the moment adventures are never far from us. So, stay tuned!

Day #20- Proud Mary Keep on Burning

365 days have now passed since Loren and I got married.  Several people have already told us that the first year is the hardest.  Well, it wasn't for us.  We have been facing problems with a laugh for years now.  Our whole relationship has been an adventure and I expect that will always continue.

We set out today for the Queen Mary ship in Long Beach.  Let me just say, we now HATE the Los Angeles area.  Traffic was bumper to bumper for hours.  The GPS on the phone sent us down a highway that was closed because of fire.  We had to backtrack for quite a ways.  We finally got to the ship and it was amazing.  We expected our room to be tiny like on normal cruise ships- but not here.  The room was spacious with a very cozy bed.  We had a nice anniversary dinner and then waited for our special treat- an actual paranormal investigation on one of the most haunted ships anywhere!  We already ran around the ship looking for the places we have seen investigated on our fave shows.  Now we just have to wait for the non public areas- so stay tuned!

Day #19- No Time For Losers...

...cuz we are the champions of the world!  We really are.  My sudo-brother, Corey,  is obsessed with games.  The kind found at Dragon's Lair.  The smart people mission games with lots of dice and cards.   Well, we played a total of 3 games.  Loren triumphed at the zombie survivor kind of game- which is not surprising since he is the expert at anything remotely related to the Walking Dead.   I won two games that were more strategy and puzzle. 

This morning, Loren was vacation annoyed with work.  He had to stay back and fix someone else's mistake while I went to the beach with Corey, Kari, and the kids.  Alex, the 2 year old, was not on board with beach time.  Needless to say, with unhappy kids, we did not stay long. 

Loren and I went back to the beach to catch the sunset before going for the game time that I mentioned above.

Tomorrow is our 1 year wedding anniversary.   We have a special day planned- so stay tuned.

Day #18- Sandcastles in the Sand

We woke up this morning and made coffee like we do each day.   We brought my little purple Keurig, Kcups, Sweet n Low, creamer, and our Yeti coffee cups with us.   We actually didn't haul all that into Phyllis's house, but we did use it in all of our hotels.  Anyway,  we decided that we were mere blocks from the beach, so why not have our coffee and watch the waves??  We bundled up and made our way to the beach.  We just sat for awhile, watching people, instead of waves.  We got to laughing at the people trying to set up their beach gear- tents and blankets- in the whipping wind.  We then decided to brave the waves and go walking in the surf.  When that water first hits your feet, it chills the body from head to toe.  Surprisingly,  it doesn't take that long to get used to the cold.  We walked in the water and had fun finding all sorts of creatures.   I could have stayed there all day picking up shells and crabs and who knows what else.  We are returning to the beach with friends tomorrow, so I can have more fun collecting. 

Our tourist activity today was a trip to the Hearst Castle.  Multiple tours of the grounds and homes were available, but not one explored all parts.  We really wanted to take the evening tour, but it was sold out.   So, we decided on a tour of guest rooms, libraries, and William Randolf Hearst's private residence.  The castle is quite a distance from the visitor center and a bus ride winding around a hill with hairpin turns is the only way up and down from the home(s).  Loren was a white knuckle rider, but we made it to the top.  The bus was empty except for us and for some reason, we were the only people on our tour, too.  We had our very knowledgeable tour guide all to ourselves.  She took down the velvet ropes and let us into areas a full tour likely would not have been able to visit.  The art and opulence of this place was mind blowing.  I felt like we were walking thru The Great Gatsby novel.  All of the furnishings, art, clothing...were donated by the Hearst estate.  I wish we could have seen the entire place, but at $25 a person for each tour, that was not gonna happen.

We reluctantly got back on the bus to wind back down the hill.  4 miles down the road is an area where Elephant Seals nap on the beach.  We found the area and got out to see the animals.  Out of the 100 seals, all but one slept.  The one not sleeping, turned to face us, and started howling.   It looked like it was staring straight at Loren.  Based on his seagull experience (see Alcatraz day), Loren assumed he was again going to be attacked and so we once again ran for our lives. 

I am not sure what tomorrow will bring, but I know that Sunday will be 1st wedding anniversary fun.  Stay tuned...

Day #17- Cheeseburger in Paradise

No, we didn't eat cheeseburgers today, but I thought a nod to Jimmy Buffet fit in perfectly.  We did eat.  Too much.  In paradise.

Grover Beach is a beautiful place.  The weather is in the 60s.  We took today to do laundry and just be lazy.  Being nomads for this long- it was nice to have some clean clothes.  

We went to lunch at a sandwich shop called Jersey Mike's.  Apparently it is a chain and we have them in Austin.  We have never been.  Man, this was a GREAT sandwich joint.  We both said we would just eat half of our sandwich and take the other half home.  That didn't happen.  We are loyal to Thundercloud at home, but Jersey Mike's may be getting our business now. 

Stuffed and in a food coma, we came back to laundry, TV and napping.  We then get a message about 5:30 to meet for dinner.  Dinner?!?  We just gorged ourselves at lunch a few hours ago.  Oh well.  Here we go again to eat.  This time we went to an excellent Mediterranean place called Jaffas.  We thought we would just get some hummus or something light.  2 chicken kbobs, 2 steak kbobs, pitas, and hummus later...we are wondering how we just fit all of that food in us, AGAIN! 

I guess that is what vacation is for.  To try new things and to eat.  We lay here like beached whales and plan for our trip to Hearst Castle tomorrow.  So stay tuned...

Day #16- I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Today we say goodbye to San Francisco.  We really loved being in the middle of the city- having to wear a jacket in the middle of the summer, being able to walk to anywhere we wanted to go.  Everywhere we wandered, we looked at the homes and apartments, imagining ourselves living there.  We always thought we wanted to move to NYC someday, but San Fran has the same feel, yet seems cleaner and safer.  The only draw back are the hills.  My Lord.  Our area and on down to the warf was fine, but a few blocks over-forget about it!  Any place that has steps instead of a sidewalk is not something I want to be climbing. 

Stan wasn't happy about those hills either.   We didn't drive him until today and he had to endure hill after hill while trying to get us on the 101 to Grover Beach. 

Traffic was stop and go and it took us longer than expected, but we finally arrived in Grover Beach.  Phyllis had the garage door and the door into the house wide open, so we walked right in.  She was on the phone, but looked up and saw me and yelled, "She's here!"  That sure was a sweet greeting! 

Loren and I looked thru photo albums tonite.   He loved seeing mom and Pops young and having fun.  He also saw me hogging the photo space anytime anyone was opening presents or having a party.  It seems crazy to me that I don't remember a time in my life that Phyllis wasn't around.   I have no idea what are plans are until our anniversary on the 16th.  So, I guess you will just have to, as always, stay tuned. 

Day #15- Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

We had planned to take a bay cruise today.  I was excited to ride under the Golden Gate bridge and to be on the water.  However, I woke up with a horrible earache.  I guess the wind on the Rock got me yesterday.  We decided to skip the boat and the risk of me wasting the rest of our vacation being sick.

We decided to stay close to home and explored our neighborhood.  Apparently our hotel is in the Marina district of Lombard Street.  We walked to Mel's Diner for breakfast.  Sadly,  Flo wasn't there to tell customers to "Kiss my grits!".  Still not feeling great, we decided to go back to our room and rest.  4 hours later we both woke up.  I wasn't feeling well...what was Loren's excuse?!?  He reminded me that maybe it was the 12+ miles that we walked yesterday.  Good point.

We had ice cream for lunch and then a great (and huge!) slice of pizza for dinner- all from little shops that we discovered near our hotel.  A glance down the street allowed us to be near the bay even if we didn't get on it today.  

We head to Grover Beach tomorrow to spend some time with mom's best friend, the lady who watched me grow up, and who threatened me with a wooden spoon if I set foot out of line- Phyllis.  Stay tuned...

Day #14- I'm Gonna Break My Rusty Cage and Run

Today we explored the Rock.  Well, we hiked an "easy" 1.7 miles to get there.  35 minutes the GPS lady says.  Ya right.  Good thing we were smart enough to give ourselves plenty of time.  With roller coaster height hills here in windy San Fran, there is no quick route to anything.  Believe it or not, though, we didn't complain at all.  The weather was a cool 65° and even with sweats/jackets, we were not hot. 

We took our ride over to the island and let the other 200+ visitors start their tour as a giant group.  We piddled around the dock before climbing even more hills to the cellhouse.  The pamphlet told us that the hill would be like walking up 13 floors and it was correct.  Once into the cellhouse, we were given headphones and were allowed to take self guided tours.  We probably should have listened to the whole tour, but we wanted to explore and go our own way.  Incorporating the headphone tour was brilliant because there were no voices from visitors.  Every creak and moan and phantom cell block door could be heard and appreciated.  We camped out in cell 14D which is found on the isolation block.  Many many paranormal experiences have been had here.  There is ZERO doubt that heavy footsteps and cells clanging can still be heard.  We were 100% alone, well, no living people were around, and we heard very clear sounds. 

Loren was taking a video of an area used for a prison escape and a very large light orb flashed onto the screen.  Alcatraz did not disappoint!

We were not chased by any spirits, however something more worldly did want us off the Rock.  As we were walking back down the hills to the dock, I was surprised with 3 baby sea gulls chirping and walking around in some flowers.  I had just learned that besides the prison, Alcatraz is also home to North America's largest group of nesting sea gulls, and now I was inches from some precious babies.  I stopped to attempt to take a picture.  While I was trying to get my phone out of my pocket, mama gull appeared.  She started honking at me and giving me the stink eye.  I thought she was just yelling at me until she started charging.  She actually ducked her head, scratched her foot in the dirt, and charged.  At this point I am now running and screaming.  Loren was laughing at me until mama gull spots his nest, ummm...his hair...and heads straight for him.  She chases as we run screaming and swinging fists/water bottles for a fair distance before returning to her brood.  The island rules are to be quiet and respectful around the nests.  Ya well, that didn't happen with the sea gull who should be doing time for attempted murder.

Next we made our way from pier 33 to pier 39.  The thing I really wanted to do while here was farm my own pearl from a oyster.  We found the store and I picked my oyster.  The lady at the store lead a Hawaiian ritual that is done as each oyster is opened and out popped a beautiful gold pearl.  Everyone around ewwwed and ahhhhed over my find.  The lady then decided to show me ring settings for the pearl while Loren stood off to the side looking a little pale.  For those of you who don't know, despite what is in the bank account, there is no one more cheap...no...frugal than Loren- except for possibly my cousin, Jen.  These bands were white gold and diamonds and cost a fortune.  Loren kept telling the lady that we were fine just taking the pearl.  She then says as her gift to me, she wanted to buy me another oyster to try.  Now, I know this is a sales gimmick, but hey.  Let her give me another one!  I asked Loren to choose the oyster this time and he did the ritual with the lady.  They crack open the shell and the pearl I really wanted to find- a blueish silver one was inside!  The lady again tried to sell us on expensive bands and Loren says no.  We finally settle on a clasp for my original pearl so that it could be worn on a necklace.  When the lady comes back- she has my original pearl on the clasp and my new one placed in the center of the band I really wanted.  That supposedly cheap hubby of mine gave me the most wonderful surprise for our first year anniversary!  Moving on from there, we stopped at a stand for some yummy shrimp and crab.  We watched the sunset over the bridge and saw sea lions sitting by the water.  We decided we were gonna walk home until faced with the hills.  Now it was time to call Uber. 

Tomorrow is our cruise around the bay and under the Golden Gate bridge, so stay tuned...

Day #13- Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

La la la la La!  We know our way to San Jose and loved our day there.  We spent today taking not one, but two tours of the Winchester Mystery House.  We took the regular tour that has been open since 1923- a mere six months after Lady Sarah Winchester passed away.  Then,  we were privileged to be in San Jose at just the right time.  Hardly a month old is the new Explore More tour.  This tour took us to places of the home that have never been open to the public.  We had to wear hard hats thru some of the tour due to the rooms being damaged from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake or unfinished during building.  I would have loved time to explore and get lost, but the tour guides were very strict.   I was disappointed to learn that none of the furnishings belonged to the house originally.  Sarah left all of her belongings- but not the house- to her beloved niece.  Her niece took what she wanted and auctioned off the rest. 

While we did not spot any spirits, I think we were taking to Sarah with our ghost hunting tools.  We had to keep our equipment hidden as no cameras are allowed in the home and we didn't want non believers to think we were nuts.   According to Sarah, she did not die of a heart attack, but of something much darker.  At least that's what whoever was communicating with us thru our device told us! 

Alas, we made it out of the home without falling from the second floor out of the door to nowhere.  Tomorrow we head to San Fran for our Alcatraz tour.  Stay tuned!

Day #12- I'm Going Off the Rails on This Crazy Train

Again, I am a day late.  I realized that after a long day of activities and fun- the blog just might not happen until the next morning.

Today we took a train ride.  We rode on a steam engine up into the Redwoods.  The train left from an old depot called Roaring Camp.  There was an old school house, general store, panning for gold, and other fun "touristy" attractions. 

When the train arrived, there was a mad dash to get onto a covered car, as it was a unseasonably hot day.  I am lucky that Loren is big and is not afraid to push his way through crowds.  We ended up with a primo seat in a covered car.

The train took us over narrow bridges with sheer drops and around giant redwood trees.   Unfortunately, our serene trip through the forest was interrupted by a child that we named the greased pig.  This toddler had 4 adult women trying to hold on to her.  We were sure she was going to drop over the side of the train because these women kept grasping and losing this kid- like at a greased pig event at the rodeo.  The only time said pig would settle down or stop screaming is when it was being fed, so each adult woman consistently held a variety of sweets and cakes out to distract the slippery child.  On the way back down the hill, another child decided to join the greased pig contest and yet another set of adults were wrestling with a toddler.  Oy.

Despite the distractions, we loved being out in nature and seeing the ancient old trees.  Tomorrow (or today, really) we are soooo excited to be going on the new extended tour of the Winchester Mystery House, so stay tuned...

Day #11- Forever and Forever Stanford Red

I thought a line from the Stanford fight song was fitting today.  We love touring college campuses and today we went to the home of Richard Sherman, Andrew Luck, and John Elway.  I carry a little Richard Sherman keychain in my purse, so it was fun to take him back to his Alma Mater.  This campus was very large and spread out.  We really only got to see the stadium and the athletic store, but what we saw was very pretty.  It's obvious why the mascot is a tree.   Not sure that makes for a very formidable opponent for sporting events, but neither is a Lumberjack.

We really like this town, area, and hotel...with one exception.  We did not realize they were cleaning Nazi's at the Pacific Inn.  There is a sign on the door that says they must come in each day- not that we read the sign until later.   Most hotels are 'green' and want guests to reuse towels, etc.  Not this place.  We had already told housekeeping "no thanks on two occasions.  The third time, I was fresh out of the shower and Loren was in.  Suddenly, our door was getting beat down.  I kept yelling "no thanks!", but the banging continued.  I opened the door a slight bit to say we were not in need of service.  The housekeeper was carrying a clipboard and said she had to check on things.  She tried to push around me and get into the room.  I stood my ground and said, "No, you can't check things, my husband is in the shower."  I then had to physically shut the door on her to get her out.  Loren called the front desk to request that housekeeping NOT shove their way into our room and he was directed to the sign on our door that we now read.  So, apparently we have to leave each day while they clean and "inventory".  Either that or we could just sit here and watch them.

We planned our activities for the next 2 days.  Tomorrow we head to Roaring Camp for a steam engine ride through the Redwoods.  Stay tuned...

Day # 10- Oh Redwood Tree, Please Let Us Under

Again, I am a day late and a dollar short with blog updates.  We made it to the Bay Area of Cali and LOVE the little area we randomly found.  We are staying in Redwood City before moving to San Fran in a few days.  It is just so much more affordable to stay outside the city.

We went driving around and found the cutest little downtown area.  It reminded us of Royal Oak in Michigan.  We ended up at a sandwich shop filled with hipsters.  The sandwich shop was also a hookah bar.  I don't have the slightest clue what that is, but the place was filled with exotic smells and tons of people smoking from some elaborate looking apparatus.   The whole area was treelined and covered in twinkle lights. 

Fast forward to after our yummy sandwiches and we get to our new home for a few days.  The lobby offers free nachos, popcorn, and cookies.  We accepted our free cookie and came to our room to watch TV.  I guess we were more tired than we knew because next thing, we were awakened by maids banging on the door.  That leads us to day #11, so stay tuned...

Day #9- Shot Thru The Heart and You're to Blame

I guess it is fairly crude for me to have this Bon Jovi lyric as my title for today, but it seemed fitting!  It was check-out day at the SLS Vegas and we slow rolled this process...1:00 struck and we reluctantly left cloud bed... Waiting til the very last second to go.

We headed out for our #1 reason for this Vegas visit- Zak Bagan's Haunted Museum.  The museum is still not open to the public, but is super eerie just from the outside.  We could peek thru the gates and see gargoyles, dolls, and creepy life sized models.  This is going to be one scary place when/if it finally opens.  There was a big jacked up truck behind the gates and we assumed it was Zak's.  Loren hollered for him to come out and talk to us.  Alas, the only chat we had was with a security guard.  Or maybe he was the neighborhood hobo. 

We headed down I15 and found a Dennys at the Gold Strike casino.  We were pleasantly surprised by a display of movie cars.  We got to see cars from Back to the Future, Grease, and Fast & Furious, among others that were not as exciting. 

After a yummy breakfast at an empty Dennys, we were back on the road to Whiskey Petes Casino to see the Bonnie and Clyde death car.  Talk about a dark heavy feeling!  This casino had the actual shot up car and the shirt that Clyde was wearing.  The experience would have been better without the screaming infant who was not enjoying the display, but it was still a great stop on our adventure- thanks Arthur for bringing it to our attention. 

We stopped at the halfway point between Vegas and San Fran- Bakersfield.   Tomorrow we will be in cooler weather and ready for more fun.  Stay tuned...

Day #8- Cuz Baby You're A Firework

Today I had to decide between naming the blog after a line from Katy Perry's Firework or Styx Mr. Roboto.  We walked outside today to see a bus unloading about 200 Asian people at our hotel. 

Domo arigato,  Mr. Roboto!  We were experiencing what we now call the Asian Invasion.  Trying to come back into the hotel was a feat of cat like balance, the spin moves of a Steph Curry, and the patience of Mother Theresa.  Little Asian people and their wheelie suitcases filled the huge hotel lobby.  We escaped into the hotel gift shop and pretended to be interested in the 1,000 items all reading, "What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas".  Seeing that the million visitors were all still gathered, we made a break for the elevators.  Bad timing.  They all started moving as we did.  There are about 8 elevators and all 200 of them crowded in front of one.  We noticed a far one opening and bolted for it.  One couple noticed it and practically knocked me down shoving to get on it.  As soon as we were on board, I started pressing the door close button.  One other American couple managed to squeeze on, looking a little rattled by the experience.  Now don't get me wrong- I am sure these were all lovely people looking to have some fun in Vegas.  It was just painfully obvious that there are cultural differences in crowd behavior and personal space.

We did little other than hang around our hotel area today.   All the tours we considered were sold out.  I guess 4th of July visitors planned ahead.  We didn't lose any money- so it was a good day.
Come night fall, we had the most amazing view of miles of fireworks from our hotel window.  Loren said it looked like bombs dropping on a village or something.  Everywhere the eye could see, fireworks were exploding.  While the display was beautiful and bombs are not- he had a point.  It was like all war movies we have seen except with explosions of bright colors and brilliant lights.  We treated ourselves to a room service dinner and planned the next leg of our trip.  

We head to sunny California tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Day #7- I'm Free...Free Fallin'!

Today we witnessed absolute craziness.  From our window, we have a perfect view of the Stratosphere.  For those of you who don't know, the Stratosphere rises 1,149 feet above the Vegas strip.  It is the tallest observation tower in the US.  It has rides at the top.  People get on rides that dangle them off the top of the tower and spin them around.  That was bad enough.  But then when we watched more closely, every now and again, we saw someone just fly off the top and fall all the way to the street level.  I can't even imagine paying to risk my life.  

After spending too much time watching from afar, we decided to head over to see the place in person.  We had a great time roaming around the hotel, poking around in shops, playing in the arcade, and having dinner in a hotel diner with yummy burgers.  We considered going to the top of the tower, but decided against it when we saw it was $20 a person just to get up there.  

We were excited to find a roulette game for 25 cents.  Most are at least a $3 min bet.  We played for a few minutes until a lady near us started to chat with us.  She told us she was waiting for the big hit on her slot machine because she had already lost $600 today.  That made me very sad.  I was excited to win $4.25 and this woman had LOST so much.  This showed me the darker side of Vegas.  We started back to our hotel and could not believe the number of people who thought it would be a good idea to bring small children to Vegas and keep them up past midnite.  

We hope to go to the gangster museum tomorrow and to see the Haunted Museum that Zak Bagans from Ghost Adventures is opening.  Stay tuned...

Day #6- Viva Las Vegas!

8This blog is being written a day late.  Most people come to Vegas to gamble and party.  We came to sleep!  The first days of our adventure have been great- but living like nomads can be tiring.  We arrived in Vegas around noon, which was too early for check in.  However, $20 later and we are checked into a very upgraded, super swanky, upscale room at the new SLS hotel.  I have never seen such luxury...but don't touch said luxury...the mini bar has motion sensors.  We laid down on the bed and sunk into clouds.  Fast forward a few hours and we are awake and ready to roam.  First thing I notice is everyone getting on the elevator smells like they have been sprayed a skunk.  Same with the air when we walked out into the lights here on the very far end of the strip.  We pass a guy sitting on a bench rolling a doobie.  Hmm...he's pretty brave.  I decided to google marijuana laws in Vegas only to find out it had become legal for sale and recreational use at midnite the night before.  Ah...it is all clear to me now.  Well, not exactly clear, as the city seems to be engulfed in a skunk scented cloud. We explored our hotel and ran into ex NBA star and ex Kardashian husband, Lamar Odom.  I wanted a pic, but Loren wouldn't let me.  We got lost in the halls and somehow ended up at the rooftop pool of the W Hotel.  Sign said guests only and that the place was "toptional".  Guess we stumbled into one of Vegas's European pools.  Never a dull moment here!  We played a little Roulette, had a meal at an Asian place, and called it an early night back to our cloud bed.  Tomorrow is a new day so stay tuned!

Day #5- Who Ya Gonna Call? Ghost Busters!

Today is the day!!  We get to take the ghost tour of Grand Canyon Caverns- as seen on tv's Ghost Adventures.  Unfortunately, we had all day to wait for our tour.   What to do, what to do?  Well first, we had to talk the hotel into allowing us to stay until time for our tour.  The lady at the desk was just chatting away with me when I happened to glance down and there was a very tiny baby with her boobie in its mouth.  Right there for the world to see.  She never even blinked an eye when I walked up and started speaking to her.  Ok.  Well, that was more than I was expecting, but she did allow us to stay late.  All the brochures and info I have read said that the West rim of the Grand Canyon could be found in Peach Tree, which is only 9 miles away, so we decided to go check it out.  We take a turn, as seen on a very small map of the area showing canyon places, and start down a very steep rocky road.  This road was nothing but rocks, windy, and straight down.  Now, we should have wondered why we were going DOWN when we should have been going UP to see the canyons.  But no.  Wouldn't be us if we thought things out.  At one point we had to stop for some wild donkeys.  Further and further we go until I pull out the pamphlet with the little map and start reading carefully.   To our surprise,  we were on a restricted Haulupai Indian Reservation road that leads straight to the bottom of the canyon- to the Colorado River.  It is the only road to the bottom of the canyon.  We immediately turned around and headed back up the mountain, praying the Haulupai police were not waiting.   Deep sigh of relief when we got to the top and all was clear.  So have we seen the Grand Canyon?  Nope.  But we sure have been in it!
Fast forward a few hours and it is ghost time!  First of all, for those of you who don't know, we have ghost hunting equipment and it is a little hobby of ours.  The guide was excited to hear what we had and wanted us to bring all of our equipment on the tour.  The caves were a level of dark and silence that we have never experienced.  Nothing could be seen.  As we walked thru, we took pictures and used our other equipment to try and get some spirit evidence.  We definitely saw, heard, and felt some very unexplainable things.  It was one of the most amazing experiences that we have ever had.
We are now in a town about an hour from Vegas and are going to go thru our pictures to see what we caught on film tonight.  On to Vegas tomorrow...stay tuned!

Day #4- Get Your Kicks On Route 66

Today was a travel day.  We left Albuquerque and made our way to Grand Canyon Caverns via the old route 66.  No Hwy 40 for us!  It has always been bucket list to travel route 66.  Talk about dreams crushed.  With very few exceptions, the wonder that was route 66 is now derelict buildings and skeletons of the past.  Then, right at our turn for the caverns- there was an amazing little area with kitchy shops, Road Kill Cafe, and other fun funky places.  We roamed around there for awhile and then headed 20 more miles to our home for the night.  Pulling into Caverns Inn was like a dream come true!  It had a life sized dinosaur, old cars, a really cute putt putt course, Betty Boop lounge...what I imagined Route 66 was like in its prime.  We were truly out in the middle of nowhere.   No Wi-Fi, no cell service, no room phone...totally of the grid here.  That's ok with us.  We just sat out looking at the stars, enjoyed the cool temps, and kept our eyes out for ghosts at this known haunted place.  Haunted tour of the caverns tomorrow...stay tuned!

Day #3- Why Do I Feel Like...

...somebody's watching me??  I have titled each entry with song lyrics that match how I am feeling while reflecting on the day.  Let me set the stage- you are in a museum quietly looking at exhibits only to be interrupted by the world's most annoying woman talking so the entire building can hear her.  She continues to be everywhere you try to go in the museum carefully explaining each item displayed to her 2 brats and everyone else around.   Go to the gift shop to escape her.  Don't worry.  She shows up.  LEAVE the museum to escape her and go to the UFO fair.  She's there.   Get in the car and drive several hours to another town and another museum.  Sit down in a little theater to watch a program about Billy the Kid.  Movie interrupted by a loud voice.  Could it be her?  No.  We have left her hundreds of miles behind.  Turn to look...just in case.  Oh, yes.   It's her!!! 

And that was that.  We ran out of the museum and hopped in our car.  We were able to visit the real real grave of Billy the Kid, as opposed to, the "real" one at the museum, without her.  I think she has lost our trail. 

Loren absolutely loved both our Roswell and Ft. Sumner stops today.   He kept saying, "That was so amazing!  I will never forget that!".  When we first met, almost 7 years ago now, I told him about my trip to see Billy the Kid at Ft. Sumner and he was jealous.  He knows every fact imaginable about Mr. William H. Bonney!

Tonight we are in Albuquerque.  It is cool, breezy, and starry out.  Other than a few planned stops such as Vegas, San Fran, and something very special for our anniversary, we have no concrete plans.  We will just go where the wind takes us, so stay tuned...

Day #2.1- On The Road Again

Stan lives!  We got a ride from the hotel to the mechanic shop.  Loren talked to the mechanic and I played with the junkyard dogs guarding the place.  Now we are all fixed up and back on the road.  On to Roswell to see some aliens.  Stay tuned...

Day #2- Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue

No, I dont have brown eyes, but my heart sure is feeling blue.  Day 2 did not start out as planned.  In fact, day 1 didn't end as planned.  After spending gads of dough to make sure Stan (my SUV) was safe for the trip, we broke down in the middle of nowhere.  Yep.  Bells and whistles starting going off, so we pulled over.  Almost immediately a nice guy pulled over and looked at the engine.  Both he and Loren were crawling under the car on the gravel highway shoulder looking at what was leaking.  Seemed to be oil and water.  The good Samaritan called his tow truck buddy and off Stan goes to a mechanic in the last town back- Brownwood.  The tow truck driver took us to a hotel, and here we sit.  Supposed to be in Roswell tonight.  We'll see about that.  That said, this town has the nicest people we have ever met!  3 people stopped to help us, the hotel gave us a discount after our sob story, and the mechanic is doing all he can to get us outta here and back on the road.  The biggest surprise of all is that my nephew, Lukas, just happens to currently be in this town I have never heard of!  He is the music director at a camp here.  Anyway, we will continue to sit here until called to come get Stan.  Stay tuned...

Day 1- We've Only Just Begun!

We have officially hit the road!  It wouldn't be an Loren and Erie trip without a little hiccup...after weeks of mapping, planning, lists, car packed to perfection- we take off to the gas station for a fill up and a big road pop.  Hmmm...where is my purse?  No idea.  Car unloaded in the parking lot of Texan.  No purse.  So, back home we go.

Hit the road, take two.  At 6:10pm, we set out again hollering, "VACATION!" and blasting Josh Abbot "Roadtripping".  We said our prayers for light, love, and our angels to fly with us for protection.

We got our new device set up the gives wifi in the car, tracks the trip, and monitors the car for any issues- free roadside assistance included.

The skies are getting dark and there are huge rain drops,but our hearts and minds are nothing but sunny!

Next stop, Hico Texas.  Stay tuned...