Ruminations from the Temple

Who doesn't love the Oregon Coast? We truly enjoyed our time in my favorite vacation paradise, although honestly, I think we were all ready to head for home. For the first time, I have wanted to come home. Why? Because for the first time we have a peaceful home where we feel wanted and safe. No guilt. No obligations. No cold shoulders or shunned vacations pics. No financial chaos. No judgment. Only peace. Anyway, we did all the usual stuff on the coast - the aquarium, Mo's, shopping in Florence, checkin' out a lighthouse or two, and walking on the beach. I loved morning coffee on the balcony and shmoozin' with the other vacationers walkin' the boardwalk along the marina. I very much enjoyed pokin' around historic Nye Beach and Cannon Beach (of course) lookin' for the perfect touristy things to purchase. I took scads of pics and filled my lungs with the fresh, coastal air. And when the day came to pack up and make the final drive of the trip, we were all...

 Golly, it is hard to put these things in order, especially on day 19 of our trip! I was more than ready to get movin' north... leaving San Francisco and stopping to take some parting shots of the Golden Gate Bridge America's largest Roosevelt Elk herd spotted along the way! then, onto a glass beach in Fort Bragg (not my favorite, but the glass is really cool!) incredible food find of the Wheelhouse Restaurant in Bandon, California - the service was iffy, but check out these desserts! Lisa's flan, Chuck's bread pudding & brandy sauce, my Russian Creme (!!) and Tay's peanut-butter pie... yummy! the giant redwoods are always awe-inspiring then dinner in Eureka - a very LOUD recommendation from our hotel clerk; Shamus T. Bones (restaurant) which was holding open-mic night - wow!! Almost outta Cali...phew!

California was pretty much a smoggy whirlwind. However, there were a couple of highlights that couldn't be overlooked. As we were leaving San Simeon, we were encouraged to visit the elephant seals that have taken up residence just a short drive north a bit from the town-proper. It was pretty foggy, but we did see some elephant seals, which was a good segway for our visit to Pheiffer Beach. This little gem hiding near Big Sur on the Cali coast was a great stop. There were a lot of people, but the air was fresh and the surf was fabulous. elephant seals, pelicans and sneaky seagulls all make me smile Another extra I would like to share was our stop at possibly one of the most dramatic LDS temples. The temple in Oakland involved a drive out of San Francisco across the Bay Bridge, which afforded great views of the city behind us. At all the temples we have visited, I have observed one commonality: they are all serene and calm, like an oasis in a chaotic desert. As we walk the gr...

I love San Francisco. That is, except when the tourists swarm in August. We stopped at the Presidio and spent some time with Yoda at the Lucasfilm offices there. I cannot even imagine what it is like to work in such beautiful surroundings... Chuck, Bana-wan and Yoda Yoda holds court... After our meeting with the old master, we meandered our way to the Palace of the Arts . Have you seen this? I was unaware that it was built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Expo that was held in San Francisco. It has a rocky history, but is restored and is a major attraction visitors. lots of tourists...everywhere! classics: sourdough bread, fish tacos & fish & chips Further exploration of San Francisco included stopping for some sourdough bread, eating at one of the incredible seafood restaurants along the wharf district and shopping in touristy shops. There was quite a few street performers hoping for a couple bucks for their efforts, including a gentleman h...

Boy, it is difficult to catch up after not having access to blogging daily. We are now home and nearly unpacked. But, I don't want to leave anyone hanging, so I will continue with our days. The photos are stunning, especially in the California sunshine! San Simeon was a beautiful place, although our hotel was nothing to scream about (I really would hesitate to recommend the Silver Surf Hotel, frankly). My mom loved Hearst Castle, and she passed that love of this place onto me. I was able to visit when I was about 9 years old - it really left an impression on me. As it was then, I still am fascinating with the contemplation of the many, many antiquities collected by W.R. Hearst. I find it amazingly ironic that William, an only son, wasn't the preferred choice as heir of the Hearst fortune. I, for one, am so glad he used his eventual inheritance collecting historic pieces from around the world. I took an amazing amount of pictures on our tour - we took the 'upsta...

Workin' our way out of L.A. - hurray! Too much traffic. Too damn hot. And the smog...did someone say that it was much improved? Gah! We did manage to get all packed up after Disney - we did a bit of shopping, to be sure! Back on the road, we were ready for our next adventure: San Simeon! First, we went through L.A, proper - Hollywood, downtown, Bev Hills and through to Santa Monica. I had to see the famous Hollywood sign, we ran into a bunch of Miss USA contestants, got stuck in traffic, and got a refreshing glimpse of the Pacific Ocean .   I wanted to check out the Walk of Fame, so we went to Hollywood & Vine... and there it was! Little did I know that it stretches for a few miles in different directions! No, we didn't look at them all. I did ask a guy selling tours where Kermit's star was. He didn't know.  here is our stop at the Griffith Observatory (you know, the one in the Rocketeer movie?)... Yeah, it was cool; we got to see the pendulum th...

What does one say about Disneyland? Even when you say the word, childhood memories may come to mind. Or the movies you were eager to share with your children...or the fact that Disney just bought the Star Wars franchise. Whatever you think of, everyone loves the 'happiest place on earth'! I took loads of pics during our two days at Disney. Disneyland is on one side and the newer California Adventure is taking up the acreage that used to be the parking lot. Personally, we preferred Disneyland to the newer Cali-Adventure; I think we all just liked the historic wholesome-ness of the older property. The rides didn't look like they were aged, though. Everything was shiny-new and maintained to perfection. Shoot, you couldn't even find any litter...anywhere! The roving talent was top-notch, the rides were every bit entertaining, the thrill rides were thrilling and the shops were engaging and interesting to nose around. I guess I can't say enough good things about Di...

Finally getting close enough to LA to feel the air in our lungs... Driving into Chuck's old stompin' grounds (he went to high school in Alhambra), we toured around town, hit his favorite ice cream shop called Twohey's (pronouced 2-ee's) and cruised Colorado Boulevard. Then we stopped at the Arboretum for some awesome pics; unfortunately, it was really, really hot! Sheesh! you've got to check out Twohey's ... The Arboretum After all that touring, we met up with family and enjoyed some really good food at the Steer 'n Ale. No pics, though...I think I was too whooped! After a short drive to our Anaheim digs, we crashed. Good thing, too - we needed all that rest to tackle Disneyland (or D-Land, as Taylor called it). More on that in the next post!

Well, today was the day to say goodbye to the party-town that is Lake Havasu (where the motto is 'no bad days') and head towards California. Yep, lots of straight road through scrubby desert. Not a whole lot to see, but we did manage to cruise through Joshua Tree Nat'l Park on the way, and snap a few pics from the comfort of our air-conditioned vehicle. JTNP view from the passenger window (when I wasn't sleeping, that is!) So, we are in California and can I just say that the freeways are crazy??? They most certainly are, since they don't mark them clearly. After our dinner tonite we got re-routed three times because apparently we took the wrong freeway exit. We finally gave up on the freeways and hit the back streets. Ugh! I am really glad Chuck is on driving duty for our time in the greater LA area. Tomorrow, we have the distinct pleasure of visiting family gravesites and meeting with Chuck's sister, Marietta, for dinner. And then, it's off t...

Are you still stickin' with us on our Road Trip 2013? It has been so cram-packed with sights, wonders, activities and travel that it is hard sometimes to blog each night. Day 9 found us going back after breakfast to our favorite...FAVORITE...tattoo artist. We all had to put ourselves under the torture of getting fabulous body art. This was definitely memorable! Two of us got our art in the evening, and the other two were finished up in the morning... Thanks, Trev! You really should have your own shop, my friend! After the shock wore off, we boogied down the highway towards Lake Havasu where Chuck's brother, Bob, lives. desert landscape - amazingly beautiful! When we arrived in Havasu, we were treated to a wonderful Mexican dinner at Javalina Cantina... Lisa tried the Tie-Dyed Margarita and Vegetarian fare, while Chuck had a Super Burrito, and I can never turn down a dish of fish tacos! And now for some pics of our day on the boat - IT WAS FABULOUS! This...