Dec 2
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| Quaint and quirky places in out of the way towns |
After staying at cute motel that was cheap and clean, we
leave Lakeview and see a familiar name on a building where we stop to take a
quick picture just because it makes sense. As we wander out of Oregon and the
“Oregon Outback”, we see some beautiful country. At the California border, see things that
remind us we’re in our home state once again. The drive is peaceful and when we
arrive at the State inspection area, we claim one Oregon apple and are sent on
our way with a smile.
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| Lorraine and her daughter Reichel |
We stopped at Susanville to send out our latest blog at a
Mexican restaurant offering good food and WiFi.
It’s so time-consuming to try and make the blog that we ran out of time
before loading it up. So, back on the
road to Reno, staying on the 395.
When we arrive at Reno where Louie, Rosa, Loraine and David
Gutierrez are waiting for us, it’s very cold and windy. The family immediately
falls in love with Howard and we all gather around a table with home cooking
that fills our bellies while we laugh and talk and catch up. This is the first
time we meet little Reichel, Loraine’s daughter, and we couldn’t be more
impressed with her big beautiful spirit and warm, open heart. She’s heard a lot
about us and she tells us she’s happy we’re there.
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| Snow's a'coming |
We get to see images of 8
millimeter film preserved on DVD of days when the Gutierrez’ were hanging out
and growing up on “the ranch” in Calabasas. It’s the first time in many years
Celina gets to see moving images of her appaloosa mare and it brings so much
excitement, even more so than when she sees herself at 15 playing the guitar,
as usual, at a family gathering.
We make ourselves comfortable for the night at Loraine’s but
not until we have had the conversation about whether to leave that night or the
following morning due to the inclement weather expected the following day. We
decide to leave in the morning, taking a less challenging route.
Dec 3
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| Icy roads ahead |
really coming down.
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| Tonopah |
So
off we go on the route that is suppose to be an easier drive with no mountain
passes at high elevations. We are now feeling the wind and icy road conditions
as we head towards Vegas on the 95, through Tonopah and Lunin. We’re
remembering lyrics from “Willin” and finally get to see Tonopah. Some of the
miles were down steep lanes with high rocky walls to one or both sides and tractor-trailers
accustomed to the road, passing at speeds we would never attempt in the
gigmobile. The visibility is not very
good.
We finally make it out of the mountains, but now, with the
weather below freezing, and icy rain falling, we are concerned about black ice.
We’re fortunate and never have to deal with any of that.
Down on the valley floor before hitting Vegas, we find the
Alien/UFO center (Area 51) that, by
the way, has a brothel attached to it. We
venture in…TO THE AREA 51 ALIEN CENTER, and before Celina can do anything about
it, Howard has been converted!!!! It’s all good fun and we grab something cool
to drink and a souvenir.
Las Vegas is just like any other big city and we only want
to be here long enough to take in a simple dinner, soup and salad from the
local Safeway and get out of the very cold wind and threatening rain.
Django is welcome in the motel we find on the outskirts of
town and we get some rest.
Dec 4
We get up this morning and grab some breakfast in the lobby
and take it back to the room. What walls of giant, imposing mountains. Some interesting structures, government operations maybe, and at least one solar array that blows us away! If only we could get more solar panels built into the desert – all that sun, and all of that acreage would create a very big power source.
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| London Bridge in Havasu City |
We get to Havasu and visit the local West Marine. Howard
makes friends right away when he
tells the young lady he is a 30-year veteran
of the company. We catch a glimpse of the “London Bridge”, imported from London
some years ago, and re-assembled in Arizona – for what reason completely
escapes us.
Further South, Howard makes a right into a campground and
after we
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| Setting up camp at Cattail campsite |
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| Panoramic view of the campsite |
Dec 5
We awake this morning to lots of bird song and friendly
ducks checking
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| Watch out for the mussels! |
We manage a short walk up the hill that promises a
vista of the surrounding area. It is a first for us both to be in this part of
the world. So much water surrounded by dry shrubs, cactus and rocks. Lots of
quartz that make the hillsides appear to be covered in diamonds glittering in
the sun. How many early travelers to
this place thought they’d make it rich from some would be treasure buried in
the ground when they laid their eyes on the surface covered with bits of quartz?
We start our long drive South, headed to Yuma where we think
we might stay, if it’s interesting enough.
When we reach Yuma, we don’t even stop. Not a pretty place.
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| GIANT windmills |
We head out again, now on the west-bound 8 pass a field of beautiful, space-age looking windmills and climb over mountains made of huge
pink boulders. We wonder at the miles and miles of these enormous mountains
made up of rocks the size of City blocks, piled one on top of the other.
Magnificent.
We climb from 500 feet above sea level to 6,000 feet, along
the ridges of the Jacumba, Carrizo Gorge and Sawtooth Mountains Wilderness
areas. Finally, we reach San Diego driving right by the area of Jamul, where
Celina thought she might call home a few years back.
When we arrive on the coast in the San Diego area, we check
a few campsites, the first at Cardiff by the Sea where a camper van like us
must pay $65 a night, just to camp. Jeesh! Then, we look at two campsites, both
$45 a night and decide we can spend and additional $10 a night and get a
shower, wifi and avoid the threatening rain. We find a cheap room in Carlsbad
and that’s that.
Dec 6
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| San Onofre has gone tit's up! |
Wake up in Carlsbad and have our breakfast of bagels, cream
cheese, smoked salmon, grapefruit, oatmeal and coffee. We take off to find a
place to wash our clothes - easy enough. Next, we head to Orange, to see
Howard’s middle brother Bill, a professor at Chapman College and the custodian
of the Siwash, the family’s yawl, built in 1910.
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| Howard in the kitchen with brother Bill |
Bill arrives at his home just as we do and it’s a happy
welcome. We soon get settled and chat over a few beers while Bill prepares his
famous Mexican pasta casserole. As he conjures up the flavors in each
ingredient, the house fills with aromas we love and they whet our appetites. As
soon as the casserole goes into the oven, we hood up (it’s still really cold
outside) and take off for a walk around his neighborhood, very near Chapman and
near the strip of restaurants and shops that line the busy part of this quaint
town. Back in Bill’s apartment, the dinner is excellent. The conversation is endearing
and later, the music is the stuff that forms memories for a lifetime. We sleep
soundly that night.
Dec 7
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| Playing music |
We wake up this morning to a soft and steady rain and an
invitation from Bill to walk to the neighborhood farmer’s market. When we get
there, Howard finds a dog-sitting booth where 4 very nice pet lovers happily
stay with several pups, including Django, under a canopy while we shop. Since
dogs are not allowed in an area selling food, they offer a very unique service
to dog owners. Very nice!
We pick up some delicious salsa, chips, cauliflower and
apples, all organic and local. We get back to Bill’s and enjoyed a breakfast of
sprouted bread and cheese with a bit of smoothie made with fresh berries, yogurt
and spinach. We then hang out and play some music. Bill’s really liking Joni
Mitchell’s “River” these days and asks Celina to sing it for him while he
records it so that he can learn it and play it himself.
After a few songs from us with keyboards and guitar, we pack
up the gigmobile, with all of us in it and drove off to Gabby’s, a local
Mexican restaurant, to meet Alan Woo, one of Howard’s college chums from the
70’s. The lunchtime reunion with Alan and Ruby Woo and Bill proves to be lots
of fun, filled with stories meant to catch all in attendance up to the “now” in
everyone’s lives. The “Pozole Verde” is amazing, with bits of shrimp, hominy
(pozole) and tiny clams. The corn tortillas are hand-made before our eyes and
the ambiance is rich and fun.
We say good-bye to Bill who is off to a meeting and when we
leave Alan and Ruby, it is time to hit the road again.
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| Camping at Dennison State Park - only ones there |
Dec 8
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| Overlooking Ojai valley |
We leave there and head to Ojai, looking for a little
campground we had read about in a few books and on-line. At the top of a summit overlooking the Ojai
valley, we set up the tent on top of our flying gigmobile, With our trusty
hound at Celina’s feet, under the blankets, we are warm enough and even though
we know it will be chilly tonight, our bellies are full of yummy soup made on
Andy’s surplus cook stove and when we awake, we will be off to breakfast with
Howard’s cousin, Caroline Lieber. G’night, sleep tight…
Dec 9
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| Howard and Caroline |
The morning at the campsite is easy going as we organize and
pack up once again. We find that setting up and breaking down camp becomes
easier with practice.
We are headed to Cousin Caroline’s home in Ojai and we can’t
wait to see her. She and Howard share important memories of a childhood with
family, sailing, birthday parties and more. She’s easy for us to find and she’s
waiting with hot coffee, muffins and fresh fruit salad. All three of us are
chatty and cover all the bases, talking about what her plans might be for her
new path as a New York transplant as a well respected professor in the field of
genealogy. She lives in a beautiful, old California style adobe in a very
wooded part of an Ojai neighborhood, abounding in succulents, cactus plants and
pepper trees.
After a lovely visit, we head to Santa Barbara proper to
have lunch at the Cajun Kitchen. The jambalaya and red beans are out of this
world and we are satisfied and fortified for the next leg of our trip, to the
Hollister Ranch, just North of Gaviota.
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| Gate to the Ranch |
We arrive at Gary Groth-Marnat’s place, tucked away in one
of the many canyons on this cattle cooperative where some of his neighbors are
known internationally as celebrities in the film, music and publishing world.
It’s a place where both Gary and Howard have surfed in their younger days and
where Gary has built a beautiful Southwest style home, off the power grid.
We get cleaned up and after a look around and quick visit,
we head to |
| At the Grenada Theater, Howard, Celina, Robin, Gary |
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| Gary's new boat Brisa |
The next day we have a slow start and enjoy being in this amazing
home, designed and built with love. Gary drives us to Santa Barbara where we
board his new double hull power boat and
take it out for a spin. Santa Cruz
Island seems so close and the sun is bright and warm. Gary and Robin recently
took this beautiful new baby up to the Northwest and British Columbia to cruise
and tour the area. Arriving back home, we entertain with a few songs that
Howard plays on his portable lap sized piano keyboard, which he plugs into his
computer for sound, amplified with two small external speakers. The fire is
warming up the room and now it’s time to eat. We have a delicious meal of
salmon and veggies and then more music. When we step out to take Django to do
his thing, the stars are amazingly bright due to the remoteness of the ranch.
We are happy to be here. Thank you Gary and Robin for your hospitality.
Dec 11
We leave at around 11am and we decide to head home to take
care of some business in Santa Cruz and Moss Landing. When we get home, it’s
the Blue Bossa that takes us in and warmly embraces us. Howard makes a
DELICIOUS soup and we watch a movie, then close our eyes, grateful for the
adventure and the place we call home.
Dec 12
We are so happy to be home. The time spent on the road flew
by so quickly and didn’t seem like almost a month. We are planning how and when
to do it again. We’re looking forward to a new and creative musical venture
with some friends who, like us, have made it their intention to branch out and
secure some phat gigs in new areas.
Thank you to all the generous hosts along the way, friends
and family we love and appreciate. Thank you to all the folks who have read and
enjoyed this blogging experiment. We know we have a lot to be grateful for and
we understand the value of sharing our happiness with all those who want the
same in their lives.
Until next time,
Happy Trails from Django, Skylark and the Flying Gigmobile
