Wanderings--Episode 9--Bodega Bay to Crescent City

Starting off from Petaluma again, I retraced my steps to Bodega Bay and The 1.  The last stretch of The 1  The usual twists, turns, ups and downs that is The 1.  Lots to see, no where to eat!  I was starving when I came to a very busy looking place near Gualala, California.

I decided to wait for the lines to shorten so I walked along their lovely overlook, was invite his owner "to pet a very friendly dog!"  Being a dog person I was happy to oblige both human and dog!  Then I took pictures of the Pacific.  The further north I go the more rocks are in the ocean.  Also, no one surfing, paddle boarding, or even wading.  The Pacific is cold even at San Diego but the further north you go the colder it gets.  Plus they have sneaker waves and strong undertow-it's not really safe.  Sure is pretty though!

 

After the picture taking/dog petting I decided to head in for FOOD.  A burger and a slice of pie!  They delivered the pie first, I tried to resist but I was SO hungry I ate the pie first!  (Gretchen you might have ruined me!)  When I was finished another lady stopped me and said how happy she was to see me eating the pie before the burger!

 Well fed I continued North.  At Van Damme State Park I stopped again to stretch my legs and look at the Pacific.  While Missouri has a multitude of large lakes, seas of trees and oceans of grass, we do not have an actual ocean with waves and tide!

Soon the road turns inland and joins the 101 for the rest of the trip.  It is as full of twists, turns, ups and downs as the 1.  It does add tree tunnels though.  

Sometime earlier on this day, I lost location services on my phone,  It didn't seem to matter as there was only one way to go but it made finding my hotel difficult especially as I arrived after dark.  Exhausted, I checked in and crashed.

Wanderings--Episode 8--Morrow Bay to Bodega Bay

The last time I was in Morrow Bay I took The 1 all the way to San Francisco.  It was a beautiful drive on a road that was an eyebrow hanging on the side of a cliff high above the ocean in some places.  I didn't go that way this time mostly because part of it has fallen into the Pacific and so it is closed!  Instead I went back to The 101 and headed North. I had to go through San Francisco, sigh. Which took between 4 and 5 hours of stop and go traffic, and across the Golden Gate Bridge.  I finally made it out of traffic at Petaluma where I was staying for the next two nights and it wasn't even dark yet!

Bright and early the next day I was on my way to Bodega Bay.

I was hungry when I got there so I stopped at the first place I came to.  It was a large complex of eateries, fish market and souvenir shop.  Food came first (fish and chips) and I was seated by the window overlooking the bay. 

I swear to you I watched three seals fishing out there, one went right below my window!

So after eating, and shopping I drove around the bay.  It doesn't have a central street for shopping/eating like Morrow Bay and there are a lot of sailboats and motorboats here.  Lots of traffic by the marina as I drove towards the Head.

It's a crazy road up but it's worth it!

High above the ocean!

Down from the Head there is the Bay again.

There were several of these trees- Monterey Cypress maybe? I found them intriguing.

Leaving the bay and heading back to Petaluma I found a Quilt Shop!  They are few and far between on this trip!  

 

Wanderings -- Episode 7 -- San Diego to Morrow Bay

I never leave much before checkout time (11am)--that sometimes bites me in the rear by making my arrival after dark!  Anyway, I left San Diego and headed North on I-5 (or The 5 as they call it in California.)  Had a lunch break/shopping break along the way.  T J Maxx had several things I NEEDED!  Back on the 5 I had to drive through the dreaded LA,  no other way to get to Morrow Bay.  Even though we went through a major part of the downtown city it was an easy drive-I was left speechless!  Hopped off the 5 and onto the 101.  

A second driving break not long after I left the 5 for a look at--

The rest area was high on a hill above this very large lake!

I enjoyed the scenery and a nice chat with some fellow travelers.

I was a bit nervous as there must have been a gun range across the highway and all the pop-pop going on had me hoping no one missed their target.

Back on the 101 I arrived in Morrow bay in time for a late dinner.

I learned a lesson here.  I had a second floor room, without an elevator!  After nearly falling backwards on the stairs carrying my stuff up I swore that that would not happen again. (All of this trip, so far, my left leg had been screaming at me. I was using a walking stick and lots of pain meds,  so this second floor trip was extra hard.)

 The next morning I was off to the bay to see the sights and shop the shops!  This being a bit early in the season there wasn't a lot of folks and it was easy to find parking.  YEAH!

 

After hitting the shops and a not too great lunch I drove around to the path besides the  BIG rock in the bay and walked toward the open ocean.

The pelicans put on a grand show and this boat was practicing going in and out of the harbor.

Near the ocean side, it became hard to walk through all the rocks.

Which proved to be many of these:

There were seagulls of course and apparently a Peregrine Falcon on the rock.  I didn't see that but lots of people were looking through binoculars and telescopes.  Lots of photographs were taken.

This is the top of the rock , lots of birds, and bird's nests up there.  So many that I thought it must have been a rookery

There were seals/sea lions (I wasn't close enough to tell which) making a big racket!  I wondered if the locals got used to it or if it gave them headaches.!

 

Wandering--Episode 6--San Diego

    I was in San Diego for 4 days and as always we packed quite a lot in!

Lots of time with the kids, lots of good food!  A visit to my favorite Chinese place cause they make good dumplings.  A new to me visit to a Russian restaurant where they had some amazing cheese bread.  I was good and tried everything, not that I'll remember any of it except the bread!

A visit to the Children's beach where the seals all hang out.  Of course, some humans simply cannot read and abide by the rules so the seals we saw in the water were not going ashore. I am constantly amazed by the stupidity of humans where wildlife is concerned. You can see a few on the rocks under the wall.

The pelicans were hanging out on the bank and flying by as well.  I enjoy them so much more since I saw them in Australia!

We also took a walk along Sunset drive such a fantastic view from high on the cliffs.

A highlight for me was a visit to the Art Supply Company Dick Blick!  I could spend a fortune in there and they don't have fabric!  Just every kind of paint, paper,  and brushes you can imagine, plus more.  They are changing locations so next time I go we will have to go back.  Plus I must save up some pennies (more dollars) before then!

One evening we went to an unusual place -- at first I thought is was a restaurant but it was filled with couches and comfy chairs at tables, you could buy coffee and sweets at the counter but no waitresses came around and you could stay as long as you wanted, work on you laptop or like us, play a game with dice and simply chat.  It was fabulous.

I delivered all the totes Steve wanted from the estate, so glad that's not here any longer!

Wandering -- Episode 5-- Sedona to San Diego

I am only in Oak Creek (Sedona) for two nights so after a lovely breakfast of Pan Au Chocalat  I headed up to Sedona.  I've been there before, it was a town.  Not too big nor too small.  Now it is a city!  With all the traffic but no quilt shops, sigh.

 On the way back I stopped to take a pictures of a couple of the many rock formations in the area.  Check out the distant formations in the back!

Back at the hotel I took this one of Bell Rock, which curiously really looks like a bell!

All over the area there were huge shrubs of Rosemary! All nicely trimmed, this one must have been at least 10 feet around.  I can't keep rosemary alive, as much as I love the smell.  I was quite taken by them.

The next day, being Friday, I drove to San Diego to see my oldest son, bonus daughter and granddaughter!  There are four ways to get to San Diego from home, or where I am.  

1.  The I-15(interstate )through Las Vegas, into the Los Angeles area. Then down I-5 to San Diego.

2.  I- 40 across Arizona and into the Los Angeles area, then down the I-5 to San Diego.

3.  Down I-17 to the Phoenix area, then across on I-10 to the Los Angeles area. (I have never taken this one, don't know why.)

4.  Down I-17, around Phoenix to I-8 which goes directly into San Diego.  Not so coincidently my hotel is on Hotel Circle South right next to Interstate 8.  That's the way I went!

I really hate to drive through LA!

I didn't take any pictures, sorry.  Just wanted to be there for the weekend!

Wandering 2025 - Episode 4 - Where am I?

 I left Moab for Sedona-well a suburb called Oak Creek.

For a while there were Red Rocks.

If you look closely to the one above you can see the many layers that formed this bluff.

There was a natural arch- I really do not understand how theses form but there are lots of them.

And, one "fallen arch"

Here's another shot of the geology on display.

After this I was back to scrub brush again.  For most of the day I really had absolutely NO idea where I was except the general "somewhere in Utah" or "somewhere in New Mexico."

I followed the GPS through twists and turns on FLAT back roads.

One thing about traveling backroads is that it is extremely difficult to find a place to buy lunch.  (As Michelle Obama said you get to realize the value and consistency of a McDonalds hamburger!)  Finally, somewhere on the Navajo nation I found a Burger King.  Then it was back on the "where am I and where am I going" road.  When you finally reach Interstate 40 it's almost cause for cheers!  A short while later I was checking into my hotel for the next two nights.   Exhausted and starving.