10/29
Well we are still in San Diego. I can't even say that we've done amazing things here. We went to Goodwill this morning, so Rico could get a shirt they wouldn't sell him yesterday and I witnessed 6 store models being stripped of their outfits. I guess they sold the Halloween costumes today. It was complete madness. He got his shirt. We've found our favorite, so far, coffee shop.
I'm not even going to make anything amazing up, we've been loafing. Couches, cable and a beautiful house (Thanks Scott, Cathy and Megan!) to hang out in has made us a little lazy. I even got to cook, in a real kitchen. There are enough channels that everyone in my hometown could have one, maybe two. It's a bit overwhelming, who the hell needs that much t.v.? By the time I figure out one show to watch, a commercial comes on and quickly forces me back into channel surfing. I've been slacking on my reading and my eyes are getting sore. It's sure nice not to have an agenda to make all this channel surfing possible.
We are heading to Henderson, NV to see a friend of Rico's, Jody. I'm not sure when we'll get there, leave here or what the plan is but it's not far from here whenever we do hit the road again. I've never been to Vegas so I'm kind of excited to witness the chaos. I better start scraping the pennies from the van...peace.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Images of happiness.
Canadian photo fun.
Sand shadows on the beach.
Most photographed lighthouse in the U.S.
Mr. Fishheads
Beer love.
Tilamook Cheese Factory. We love Cheese!
The short time van pet.
I love this pic. The best of everyone.
Even the kids in Portland protect their bikes.
Best grilled cheese Ever!
walking in Portland.
treetops.
Mt. Hood
heart.
Sucky.
shop time.
Newport sealions.
Lions club mascot at the mushroom festival.
Sprocket, Captain and the cat.
Sunset goodness.
There was actually a door that you go in.
Again, sucky.
The sealife is the best life.
My rock climber.
Ugh!
And it's the drive-thru tree. We didn't fit.
An early morning.
The Golden Gate.
Neil Young and sand between my toes.
10/23
I woke up with butterflies in my stomach and was filled with excitement about the show.
We got to the show around 1:45, just so we knew where it was. The gates didn't open until 3, we found parking and walked up towards the gate. As we stood in line there was a complete buzz around us, everyone seemed just as excited about the show as I was. We heard the sound checks going on and I got a little teary eyed. I knew then that it was gonna be good.
It was funny listening to people around us talking about who they had seen previous years and what they thought would happen at this show. The guy behind us had been to all but one of these shows, 23 total with this one.
I was trying to contain myself, I let out some squawks and giggles here and there. I was texting my friends trying to maintain. We inched our way along until finally, we made it in the front gates. We got the program with the line up and I about died. I already knew who was going to be there but seeing it in front of my face, in my hands was different.
My friend Chad and his lady friend, Whitney and their baby on board met us in the bar. Chad and I had the love of Neil Young in common when we met. Even danced to Harvest Moon one night at the Pit. So if there was anyone who should be there it was him. I also saw my first Neil Young show with Chad and Whitney's unborn baby. :)
We found our way to a grassy spot that Chad says, in all the years he'd been going to this show has the best sound, I think he is right.
I don't know where to begin to tell you about how absolutely fantastic this show was. I got to see the man that I have loved for a while now and music has meant so much to me. Someone that I've read about, dreamed of seeing and finally he stood on a stage in front of me, with many other great musicians. They were all so raw and real due to the show being only acoustic.
Neil came out upon that stage; tears in my eyes, my hair blowing across my face and the occasional rain drops splattering my glasses. I was just sure I was going to be one of those Michael Jackson fans who pass out, I didn't but very well could have. I don't think the feeling of that day will be going away any day soon. I got to see Neil Young with good friends, the boy I'm fond of and other people who enjoyed the music as much as I.
We didn't have blankets or ponchos, we obviously are not the most prepared concert goers, but rain and all it was a beautiful evening. Seven hours of pure ear-gasmic music.
We did end up spending the night in the parking lot in the van, I found a porta potty that hadn't even been used in the morning. Jackpot! It's the little things.
We got back on 101 and stopped to get a new windshield wiper, which was much needed, the wind and rain was sucking pretty bad. It was nice to be back on the road with no real plans. I had that song stuck in my head for a long time, "it never rains in California, but girl don't they warn ya, it pours, man it pours."
Palm trees and some funny shaped shrubbery and farm land passed by on the sides of the roads. There is the random shopping center here and there.
We got to farm and orchard area. Onions and garlic filled my nose. There are fields and fields of fresh produce and colors changing depending on whats growing, deep greens, dark purple, bright greens and browns where the crop had just been reaped.
The mountains looked dry, they seem like the perfect backdrop for a western movie. I could see John Wayne riding over that range.
Huge bunches of grapes dangled from the vines, they looked so ripe and delicious.
There was a spot that had quite a few oil rigs and huge plumes of smoke filled the air from the buildings beside them. There were deer roaming around on the other side of the highway.
The clouds were lingering low and seemed to threaten rain, it was quite a bit warmer though.
As we continued on I was like a kid on Christmas morning, looking at all the fruit that was dangling from the trees and laying underneath. There were rows and rows of; lemons, limes, apricots, oranges, pomegranates and avocados. I wanted to stop a few times and jump the fence to gather some fruit that looked like it would go to waste anyway. Instead we stopped at an avocado stand and bought some for, get this, .50 a piece! I say this because I love avocados and they weren't very cheap in Alaska. So I scored.
I walked in the water and on the beach in Malibu and giggled just because it seemed so funny to think that we were in Malibu.
We stopped at the Santa Monica Pier and walked around, played some games and I finally got my boyfriend to go on the ferris wheel. It was pretty neat.
We stopped at Knotts Berry Farm, we didn't really know what to expect. It was late, so we just walked up and I spotted Pink's, a hot dog hot spot in L.A. that I wanted to try. Their sister restaurant was there in the park so we got some spicy sausages and enjoyed it thoroughly.
One of the only things that Rico wanted to do is go to Sante Fe Springs, to Moon Eyes. It's a car parts and accessories store and they have car shows through out the year. It has to be one of his favorite stores. A man named Leonard was kind enough to give us a tour of the shop. He even let Rico sit in their race car, I don't know that I've seen him happier. It was cool to see everything being made and learn about how they made all the parts. They had some cool cars and a couple of cool bikes. I've been seeing their logo on t-shirts and things for 2 years. It was neat to see the source.
We drove through Huntington beach where they wanted $60/night for camping. We drove on. Through all the little beach towns that looked fun and finally got to Carlsbad to the state campground and parked not very far from the ocean. It was a little campground but nice.
10/26
The 22nd day on the road and here I sit, awaiting that glorious sun to roll upward into the sky. The moon is fading above me and the birds still asleep, I have no idea what time it is. The ocean fills me with awe; no matter the time, or weather it still roars on with so much passion and power.
The sounds of waves rolling and crashing are that of which no one cam make up. It's so deep and mighty and twists and turns fill my sould with sheer solitude. The sky is changing above me, colors are rapidly changing and clouds roll around making way for the sun. People are starting to awaken with the sun's calling, walking by, running by and letting their pets out. The can is sitting with dew filled windows and my boyfriend sleeps inside it.
The highway behind us is getting busier. The world is awakening...Peace.
10/27
We made it to San Diego yesterday morning. We went to the San Diego Zoo because Rico's cousin Cathy had a job interview (that she got!) so we wanted to kill some time. Us and about 500 little kids, must have been field trip day. It was kind of overwhelming, the zoo is huge. I think we both liked the polar bears the best. They have a pretty cool exhibit for them. The whole thing was very cool though.
We got to Cathy and Scott's early afternoon. Scott is out of town. We chatted it up with Cathy for awhile, she had to do some errands so we went with. We picked their daughter Megan up from school and went to the grocery store on base. My first military base. We came back and she cooked some awesome pasta and we just chilled out.
We got up today and took Cathy to the airport, then went to a cool little coffee shop. We have been taking full advantage of hanging out in a house today, we've just been doing some laundry and watching t.v. I think we're staying here until Friday. Hope everyone is awesome! Peace.
I woke up with butterflies in my stomach and was filled with excitement about the show.
We got to the show around 1:45, just so we knew where it was. The gates didn't open until 3, we found parking and walked up towards the gate. As we stood in line there was a complete buzz around us, everyone seemed just as excited about the show as I was. We heard the sound checks going on and I got a little teary eyed. I knew then that it was gonna be good.
It was funny listening to people around us talking about who they had seen previous years and what they thought would happen at this show. The guy behind us had been to all but one of these shows, 23 total with this one.
I was trying to contain myself, I let out some squawks and giggles here and there. I was texting my friends trying to maintain. We inched our way along until finally, we made it in the front gates. We got the program with the line up and I about died. I already knew who was going to be there but seeing it in front of my face, in my hands was different.
My friend Chad and his lady friend, Whitney and their baby on board met us in the bar. Chad and I had the love of Neil Young in common when we met. Even danced to Harvest Moon one night at the Pit. So if there was anyone who should be there it was him. I also saw my first Neil Young show with Chad and Whitney's unborn baby. :)
We found our way to a grassy spot that Chad says, in all the years he'd been going to this show has the best sound, I think he is right.
I don't know where to begin to tell you about how absolutely fantastic this show was. I got to see the man that I have loved for a while now and music has meant so much to me. Someone that I've read about, dreamed of seeing and finally he stood on a stage in front of me, with many other great musicians. They were all so raw and real due to the show being only acoustic.
Neil came out upon that stage; tears in my eyes, my hair blowing across my face and the occasional rain drops splattering my glasses. I was just sure I was going to be one of those Michael Jackson fans who pass out, I didn't but very well could have. I don't think the feeling of that day will be going away any day soon. I got to see Neil Young with good friends, the boy I'm fond of and other people who enjoyed the music as much as I.
We didn't have blankets or ponchos, we obviously are not the most prepared concert goers, but rain and all it was a beautiful evening. Seven hours of pure ear-gasmic music.
We did end up spending the night in the parking lot in the van, I found a porta potty that hadn't even been used in the morning. Jackpot! It's the little things.
We got back on 101 and stopped to get a new windshield wiper, which was much needed, the wind and rain was sucking pretty bad. It was nice to be back on the road with no real plans. I had that song stuck in my head for a long time, "it never rains in California, but girl don't they warn ya, it pours, man it pours."
Palm trees and some funny shaped shrubbery and farm land passed by on the sides of the roads. There is the random shopping center here and there.
We got to farm and orchard area. Onions and garlic filled my nose. There are fields and fields of fresh produce and colors changing depending on whats growing, deep greens, dark purple, bright greens and browns where the crop had just been reaped.
The mountains looked dry, they seem like the perfect backdrop for a western movie. I could see John Wayne riding over that range.
Huge bunches of grapes dangled from the vines, they looked so ripe and delicious.
There was a spot that had quite a few oil rigs and huge plumes of smoke filled the air from the buildings beside them. There were deer roaming around on the other side of the highway.
The clouds were lingering low and seemed to threaten rain, it was quite a bit warmer though.
As we continued on I was like a kid on Christmas morning, looking at all the fruit that was dangling from the trees and laying underneath. There were rows and rows of; lemons, limes, apricots, oranges, pomegranates and avocados. I wanted to stop a few times and jump the fence to gather some fruit that looked like it would go to waste anyway. Instead we stopped at an avocado stand and bought some for, get this, .50 a piece! I say this because I love avocados and they weren't very cheap in Alaska. So I scored.
I walked in the water and on the beach in Malibu and giggled just because it seemed so funny to think that we were in Malibu.
We stopped at the Santa Monica Pier and walked around, played some games and I finally got my boyfriend to go on the ferris wheel. It was pretty neat.
We stopped at Knotts Berry Farm, we didn't really know what to expect. It was late, so we just walked up and I spotted Pink's, a hot dog hot spot in L.A. that I wanted to try. Their sister restaurant was there in the park so we got some spicy sausages and enjoyed it thoroughly.
One of the only things that Rico wanted to do is go to Sante Fe Springs, to Moon Eyes. It's a car parts and accessories store and they have car shows through out the year. It has to be one of his favorite stores. A man named Leonard was kind enough to give us a tour of the shop. He even let Rico sit in their race car, I don't know that I've seen him happier. It was cool to see everything being made and learn about how they made all the parts. They had some cool cars and a couple of cool bikes. I've been seeing their logo on t-shirts and things for 2 years. It was neat to see the source.
We drove through Huntington beach where they wanted $60/night for camping. We drove on. Through all the little beach towns that looked fun and finally got to Carlsbad to the state campground and parked not very far from the ocean. It was a little campground but nice.
10/26
The 22nd day on the road and here I sit, awaiting that glorious sun to roll upward into the sky. The moon is fading above me and the birds still asleep, I have no idea what time it is. The ocean fills me with awe; no matter the time, or weather it still roars on with so much passion and power.
The sounds of waves rolling and crashing are that of which no one cam make up. It's so deep and mighty and twists and turns fill my sould with sheer solitude. The sky is changing above me, colors are rapidly changing and clouds roll around making way for the sun. People are starting to awaken with the sun's calling, walking by, running by and letting their pets out. The can is sitting with dew filled windows and my boyfriend sleeps inside it.
The highway behind us is getting busier. The world is awakening...Peace.
10/27
We made it to San Diego yesterday morning. We went to the San Diego Zoo because Rico's cousin Cathy had a job interview (that she got!) so we wanted to kill some time. Us and about 500 little kids, must have been field trip day. It was kind of overwhelming, the zoo is huge. I think we both liked the polar bears the best. They have a pretty cool exhibit for them. The whole thing was very cool though.
We got to Cathy and Scott's early afternoon. Scott is out of town. We chatted it up with Cathy for awhile, she had to do some errands so we went with. We picked their daughter Megan up from school and went to the grocery store on base. My first military base. We came back and she cooked some awesome pasta and we just chilled out.
We got up today and took Cathy to the airport, then went to a cool little coffee shop. We have been taking full advantage of hanging out in a house today, we've just been doing some laundry and watching t.v. I think we're staying here until Friday. Hope everyone is awesome! Peace.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Neil Young, I'm coming for you!!!
10/21
The van is on the highway again! The guys at the shop were super helpful and very knowledgeable.
We got on Highway 1 and were in for a bit of video game mentality driving. Curvy and narrow roads, that made me giggle for quite some time and then just zone out completely. Nothing for long stretches and then a couple houses or a little town would pop up.
We did get to see some beautiful coast that we could have slept at but I thought we should keep going. We even passed up a KOA.
And then there it stood the sign for one of the most famous trees ever. The one you can drive through. So we headed there and the van didn't fit but we took some pictures and browsed the out dated gift shop.
We continued and continued. It started to get dark and we were both a bit tired. We kept hoping that maybe the next little town would have somewhere to pull out. We did go to a state park but camping was almost $40. Lame. California must really be broke. So as we twisted and turned with the road looking over the dark edge that could have left us plummeting to our deaths, we decided to pull into a vista point and stay there for the night. We discovered that we can fit everything in the front seats and still pull the bed down, without popping the top. This would have been helpful on hell night at the rest stop.
So we ate the dinner of champions, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hit the hay.
Friday.10/22
We got up super early and packed our stuff and decided to get on the road.
More curvy weird roads with roaring waves crashing way below us, down the cliffs. It was over cast and raining off and on.
We crossed the mighty Golden Gate for a whopping $6. It was foggy so didn't see it at it's fullness but you kind of get the jest of it, when something is so very large. We didn't really have any plans of staying in San Francisco, all though I do love the city and the short time that I have spent there.
We got to a stop light and the van didn't seem to want to idle on it's own. It was restarted and then again. Then it became Rico putting on the e-brake and revving it. Red-Green Show type of fix its only last so long. We got it running again and were going to pull over to check something out and right there in the bus lane in on coming traffic. It died. I jumped out and got the jumper cables and we tried to jump it. She got running again and we got back on the freeway. After, of course, finding our way there from the jumbled mess of streets that we had gotten ourselves into. I wanted to laugh out loud the first couple times, thinking, this is the story of us right now, but I knew that someone wouldn't and wasn't finding the humor in anything right then. I think he may have thrown his hands up and called it quits. :)
We got on the freeway, not saying a word and got to Mt. View. Pulled the van over and he popped the engine hood and there flapping around was a hose that had some how had broke free of it's zip tie. So after piling all of our belongings on to the street, he got it back on. This after a bunch of Asian people kept walking by and shaking their heads. Maybe in disgust that we were repairing a vehicle in their clean streets, maybe in sympathy. I once again had to hold back laughter.
So we headed out to find a place to stay. We first went on the search for mythical campsite number one. For anyone who thinks Highway 1 is a little curvy, we hit some really, really fucked up roads. Some parts were so narrow you couldn't fit two cars on it. I just kept thinking about the blurb of the spin off of Ice Road Truckers that I had seen at the previous hotel, when they were driving the Himalayas. I finally turned around when I realized on the map there was no little tent, so I figured it was just trails anyway.
So we back tracked and went on many more mythical campsite adventures. *People don't put little camper signs if you have NO camping!* Not one person in any town knew of any either. That could be lack of knowledge of the places surrounding them.
So after countless hours of crabbiness at the signs and each other and the people who didn't have a clue what we were talking about and the just wanting a shower and to flop our melons, we broke down and pulled into Watsonville and got a hotel. I took two showers just to make it count! Whatever, it was a bed and shower.
And I had time to book our tickets for at least the first day of the Bridge School Benefit Concert. Neil Young better have some security, I'm coming for him! Not to mention all the other cool bands that will be there. Yay!Yay!Yay! *Insert jumping heel click*
We decided that we are just going to sleep in the van after the show so we don't have to go on any wild goose chases for a place that just may not be there...Peace.
The van is on the highway again! The guys at the shop were super helpful and very knowledgeable.
We got on Highway 1 and were in for a bit of video game mentality driving. Curvy and narrow roads, that made me giggle for quite some time and then just zone out completely. Nothing for long stretches and then a couple houses or a little town would pop up.
We did get to see some beautiful coast that we could have slept at but I thought we should keep going. We even passed up a KOA.
And then there it stood the sign for one of the most famous trees ever. The one you can drive through. So we headed there and the van didn't fit but we took some pictures and browsed the out dated gift shop.
We continued and continued. It started to get dark and we were both a bit tired. We kept hoping that maybe the next little town would have somewhere to pull out. We did go to a state park but camping was almost $40. Lame. California must really be broke. So as we twisted and turned with the road looking over the dark edge that could have left us plummeting to our deaths, we decided to pull into a vista point and stay there for the night. We discovered that we can fit everything in the front seats and still pull the bed down, without popping the top. This would have been helpful on hell night at the rest stop.
So we ate the dinner of champions, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and hit the hay.
Friday.10/22
We got up super early and packed our stuff and decided to get on the road.
More curvy weird roads with roaring waves crashing way below us, down the cliffs. It was over cast and raining off and on.
We crossed the mighty Golden Gate for a whopping $6. It was foggy so didn't see it at it's fullness but you kind of get the jest of it, when something is so very large. We didn't really have any plans of staying in San Francisco, all though I do love the city and the short time that I have spent there.
We got to a stop light and the van didn't seem to want to idle on it's own. It was restarted and then again. Then it became Rico putting on the e-brake and revving it. Red-Green Show type of fix its only last so long. We got it running again and were going to pull over to check something out and right there in the bus lane in on coming traffic. It died. I jumped out and got the jumper cables and we tried to jump it. She got running again and we got back on the freeway. After, of course, finding our way there from the jumbled mess of streets that we had gotten ourselves into. I wanted to laugh out loud the first couple times, thinking, this is the story of us right now, but I knew that someone wouldn't and wasn't finding the humor in anything right then. I think he may have thrown his hands up and called it quits. :)
We got on the freeway, not saying a word and got to Mt. View. Pulled the van over and he popped the engine hood and there flapping around was a hose that had some how had broke free of it's zip tie. So after piling all of our belongings on to the street, he got it back on. This after a bunch of Asian people kept walking by and shaking their heads. Maybe in disgust that we were repairing a vehicle in their clean streets, maybe in sympathy. I once again had to hold back laughter.
So we headed out to find a place to stay. We first went on the search for mythical campsite number one. For anyone who thinks Highway 1 is a little curvy, we hit some really, really fucked up roads. Some parts were so narrow you couldn't fit two cars on it. I just kept thinking about the blurb of the spin off of Ice Road Truckers that I had seen at the previous hotel, when they were driving the Himalayas. I finally turned around when I realized on the map there was no little tent, so I figured it was just trails anyway.
So we back tracked and went on many more mythical campsite adventures. *People don't put little camper signs if you have NO camping!* Not one person in any town knew of any either. That could be lack of knowledge of the places surrounding them.
So after countless hours of crabbiness at the signs and each other and the people who didn't have a clue what we were talking about and the just wanting a shower and to flop our melons, we broke down and pulled into Watsonville and got a hotel. I took two showers just to make it count! Whatever, it was a bed and shower.
And I had time to book our tickets for at least the first day of the Bridge School Benefit Concert. Neil Young better have some security, I'm coming for him! Not to mention all the other cool bands that will be there. Yay!Yay!Yay! *Insert jumping heel click*
We decided that we are just going to sleep in the van after the show so we don't have to go on any wild goose chases for a place that just may not be there...Peace.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
The VW van Gods have shined their goodness on us...
10/21
Got up this morning and decided just to drive back to Eureka to find the VW shop with the crashed out van like ours. On our way there, Bill called. I told him we were on our way to the shop, he said, "neat." I think in a non sarcastic way.
They are men of the VW world. They seemed to know exactly what was going on, or at least most of it. We did end up getting some parts from the crashed out van that they had there at the shop. Sad for them but good for us. This should be yet another example that driving while chatting it up on your cell phone is bad people!
We are at a pizzeria that has wi-fi using up their Internet connection. We ordered drinks to sit here. Hopefully when we go back they will have the ignition switch put on and we can hit the black top again.
I talked to my friend Chad who was telling me about this great concert outside of San Fransisco. It was kind of funny because before we left Alaska I almost bought tickets to the same concert. It's a benefit concert that my crush of a lifetime helps put on every year, Mr. Neil "awesome, amazing, wonderful" Young. Hopefully, if we get there we can get some tickets. This is the first time Buffalo Springfield will be together since the late 60's I think. And the list of bands goes on and on.
Today is a great day folks! All that lucky penny rubbin' must have paid off...Peace.
Got up this morning and decided just to drive back to Eureka to find the VW shop with the crashed out van like ours. On our way there, Bill called. I told him we were on our way to the shop, he said, "neat." I think in a non sarcastic way.
They are men of the VW world. They seemed to know exactly what was going on, or at least most of it. We did end up getting some parts from the crashed out van that they had there at the shop. Sad for them but good for us. This should be yet another example that driving while chatting it up on your cell phone is bad people!
We are at a pizzeria that has wi-fi using up their Internet connection. We ordered drinks to sit here. Hopefully when we go back they will have the ignition switch put on and we can hit the black top again.
I talked to my friend Chad who was telling me about this great concert outside of San Fransisco. It was kind of funny because before we left Alaska I almost bought tickets to the same concert. It's a benefit concert that my crush of a lifetime helps put on every year, Mr. Neil "awesome, amazing, wonderful" Young. Hopefully, if we get there we can get some tickets. This is the first time Buffalo Springfield will be together since the late 60's I think. And the list of bands goes on and on.
Today is a great day folks! All that lucky penny rubbin' must have paid off...Peace.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Road Ramblings.
My dirty feet are resting on the dash, toes pressed against the windshield.
The hole in my jeans reveals that I haven't shaved very well for awhile.
The haze over the ocean feels like my it's seeping into my head.
The rock formations seem so out of place, standing in the middle of the ocean.
Yet they seem to fit so perfectly.
The waves crash against a seamless beach.
The sun seems to highlight every detail of each roaring wave.
The cool air from being tucked between the mountain and the trees feels good in my messy hair.
I see a sign that said ELK, obviously to watch for them.
Instead it makes me think of home and where I actually belong.
Maybe no where, maybe everywhere.
The beads and trinkets hanging from the rear view mirror are making shadows on my boyfriends hand as he holds the steering wheel.
The hole in my jeans reveals that I haven't shaved very well for awhile.
The haze over the ocean feels like my it's seeping into my head.
The rock formations seem so out of place, standing in the middle of the ocean.
Yet they seem to fit so perfectly.
The waves crash against a seamless beach.
The sun seems to highlight every detail of each roaring wave.
The cool air from being tucked between the mountain and the trees feels good in my messy hair.
I see a sign that said ELK, obviously to watch for them.
Instead it makes me think of home and where I actually belong.
Maybe no where, maybe everywhere.
The beads and trinkets hanging from the rear view mirror are making shadows on my boyfriends hand as he holds the steering wheel.
Engine troubles, foamy beer bubbles.
10/19
We picked the van up and it was kind of running right. Still not shifting as it should, but working.
Southern Oregon is just as beautiful and magical as the north.
We made it to Brookings! Oregon that is, not really on purpose but I wanted to check out Harris Beach. Which was by far one of the best beaches in our travels so far.
The sun seemed to be shining oh so perfectly through the rock formations in the water and reflecting off the remnants of the waves crashing into the shore.
We got to the beach by following this crazy little narrow path that switched back and forth, over and around rocks in our way. Rico at one point told me to climb up on this huge bolder, I asked if he had taken out a life insurance policy on me before we left? He didn't think it was as funny as I did. We walked around, my flip flops in hand, I poked and explored the sea life, while enjoying it immensely. Starfish gathered in packs on huge rocks, mostly purple and then the odd ball orange one every once in awhile.
We sat at one point and watched two guys in a kayak, try to make it past the waves to go fishing. Which they finally did do but their attempts keep everyone on the beach watching. And we actually clapped and applauded when they did.
It was quite relaxing and comforting to have sand squished between my toes and walking in just far enough to the ocean to get the bottoms of my rolled up pants wet.
We walked into town to check out the Brookings on this side of the country. (There is a Brookings, SD, that is only 17 miles from where I grew up.) We followed the little trail, watching the birds and little critters cross before us. Got a bite to eat in town, most everything was closed already and the one glass of wine I had made me a little sleepy. It sure was tasty though.
10/20
After a wonderful night on the beach in our campground, we awoke and got the van started and our stuff packed. I said, "It sounds like it's knocking," he said, "it is." What a shitty way to start a day.
We drove the couple miles to town and found a shop. Once again, no good news. Sheesh! The nice mechanic fairy has to come along sometime.
He said that we could continue driving it but the knocking in the engine would probably get louder and it would just blow up. Really? I love this van, why can't it just love me back?
We made a team decision and kept on driving. Did I mention that we are having trouble with the ignition still? So the steering column cover is now just off, so the wires can be wiggled when it needs to be started.
Outside of the repair shop I found a lucky penny. I've been rubbing the hell out of it. The knocking noise has remained away for now.
We crossed the California border! We were trying to get to Eureka, the guy said there is a VW repair place there.
We saw the Trees of Mystery outside of Klamath. It is quite amazing to see trees growing so huge for one and in such messed up formations for another. It was intriguing. They had a really neat Native American museum. We took the tram up went to the observation deck. It was a pretty foggy day so we didn't really get to see all that we had hoped. There were some chipmunks up there who were entertaining.
And of course, as we were getting ready to leave the van didn't want to start. So a jiggle of some wires and we were off. Seriously, if I rub this penny any harder I might have a penny fused into my fingers. Great something else to worry about. Melissa-penny-fingers.
So we made it to Eureka but kind of just kept driving through because we didn't know where Mr. VW Genius was located. We ended up just outside of there in some small town at the camp grounds. They do have a brewery here that we went and got a couple of frothy beers at, I think we both though we deserved one after the past few days. They say that they are the first organic brewery in the U.S. They were good beer and very wholesome I'm sure.
While waiting for laundry, Rico found who could just be Mr. VW Genius guy. About two minutes later as I browsed Craigslist looking for parts and whatnot, I found a van that had been smashed into and was being parted out. Guess what? It's the parts we need. And guess who's selling them? Yep. Mr.VW Genius guy. How strange. I'm really hoping that he still has the van and the parts. This is why I believe that everything happens for a reason. :)
We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of vans...Peace.
We picked the van up and it was kind of running right. Still not shifting as it should, but working.
Southern Oregon is just as beautiful and magical as the north.
We made it to Brookings! Oregon that is, not really on purpose but I wanted to check out Harris Beach. Which was by far one of the best beaches in our travels so far.
The sun seemed to be shining oh so perfectly through the rock formations in the water and reflecting off the remnants of the waves crashing into the shore.
We got to the beach by following this crazy little narrow path that switched back and forth, over and around rocks in our way. Rico at one point told me to climb up on this huge bolder, I asked if he had taken out a life insurance policy on me before we left? He didn't think it was as funny as I did. We walked around, my flip flops in hand, I poked and explored the sea life, while enjoying it immensely. Starfish gathered in packs on huge rocks, mostly purple and then the odd ball orange one every once in awhile.
We sat at one point and watched two guys in a kayak, try to make it past the waves to go fishing. Which they finally did do but their attempts keep everyone on the beach watching. And we actually clapped and applauded when they did.
It was quite relaxing and comforting to have sand squished between my toes and walking in just far enough to the ocean to get the bottoms of my rolled up pants wet.
We walked into town to check out the Brookings on this side of the country. (There is a Brookings, SD, that is only 17 miles from where I grew up.) We followed the little trail, watching the birds and little critters cross before us. Got a bite to eat in town, most everything was closed already and the one glass of wine I had made me a little sleepy. It sure was tasty though.
10/20
After a wonderful night on the beach in our campground, we awoke and got the van started and our stuff packed. I said, "It sounds like it's knocking," he said, "it is." What a shitty way to start a day.
We drove the couple miles to town and found a shop. Once again, no good news. Sheesh! The nice mechanic fairy has to come along sometime.
He said that we could continue driving it but the knocking in the engine would probably get louder and it would just blow up. Really? I love this van, why can't it just love me back?
We made a team decision and kept on driving. Did I mention that we are having trouble with the ignition still? So the steering column cover is now just off, so the wires can be wiggled when it needs to be started.
Outside of the repair shop I found a lucky penny. I've been rubbing the hell out of it. The knocking noise has remained away for now.
We crossed the California border! We were trying to get to Eureka, the guy said there is a VW repair place there.
We saw the Trees of Mystery outside of Klamath. It is quite amazing to see trees growing so huge for one and in such messed up formations for another. It was intriguing. They had a really neat Native American museum. We took the tram up went to the observation deck. It was a pretty foggy day so we didn't really get to see all that we had hoped. There were some chipmunks up there who were entertaining.
And of course, as we were getting ready to leave the van didn't want to start. So a jiggle of some wires and we were off. Seriously, if I rub this penny any harder I might have a penny fused into my fingers. Great something else to worry about. Melissa-penny-fingers.
So we made it to Eureka but kind of just kept driving through because we didn't know where Mr. VW Genius was located. We ended up just outside of there in some small town at the camp grounds. They do have a brewery here that we went and got a couple of frothy beers at, I think we both though we deserved one after the past few days. They say that they are the first organic brewery in the U.S. They were good beer and very wholesome I'm sure.
While waiting for laundry, Rico found who could just be Mr. VW Genius guy. About two minutes later as I browsed Craigslist looking for parts and whatnot, I found a van that had been smashed into and was being parted out. Guess what? It's the parts we need. And guess who's selling them? Yep. Mr.VW Genius guy. How strange. I'm really hoping that he still has the van and the parts. This is why I believe that everything happens for a reason. :)
We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of vans...Peace.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
10/16
We arrived at the shop around 9 A.M., after getting Dutch Brothers coffee. Not recommended. We got the pressure sensor and I sat in the sun reading my book waiting for it to be done. Kind of a tranquil way to spend a morning. Baby spiders creeped across my pages and flies landed on occasion. Cars passed on the highway and tools clanged on the stubborn old van. We got running again and Dan gave us our bill. (He was very good to us.) Highway 34 Towing is amazing. They treated us very, very well and did a good job. Even Gail at dispatch made me feel safer the night in the rest stop.
We got back on the highway and headed to the coast. We entered into Newport in the afternoon and found a spot to park down by the bay. It is a very touristy little town. Lots of people walking up and down the sidewalks enjoying the days sun. They were popping in and out of all the little shops along the way. We did this later. The nostalgia of it all wears off fast though. Every shop has kind of the same things. Just like any other touristy town.
The smell of fresh seafood lingered up and down the streets and the barking of sea lions echoed. We had some time to walk around before the underwater sea show thing. We went down and laughed at the sea lion fights going on below the docks. We went back and watched the underwater show, it was about ten minutes of a diver picking up sea life and some kid narrating what it all was. Not that great.
We ping ponged around, coming in and out of some little shops. Then continued driving.
There were lots of people on the beaches as we passed, sure looked beautiful. The trees on the highway coming out of Newport looked like they were picked straight from a Salvador Dali painting. The ocean front houses are magnificent. Some are painted calm soothing colors and others can't be missed with all their bold colors. The aroma of great smelling wood in campfires fill our noses.
We decided to stop in Yachats at the mushroom festival, I had just read about it in a newspaper. It was a lot of little local vendors and a room filled with more varieties then I knew existed. We bought some apples, a cucumber, of course Rico got some baked goods and some lotion. It was cool to see all the little local artists and their arts. It said it was for all fun-guys and fun-gals. :)
We were walking back to the van and saw a place called Cheese and Crackers. When we walked in you couldn't miss that delicious bakery smell. Some nice man there gave us samples of four different cheeses. One of which tasted like and old attic but actually had a lot of flavor after the old taste went away. We took a few for the road. I heart cheese!!
We just picked up two little hitchhiker kids, Sprocket and Captain. They were on their way to New Orleans for Halloween. Sprocket had a little kitten traveling with him, wearing tie-dye and sporting some dreads. Captain was quieter of the two. They offered to get us stoned, we declined. They then told us a kind of pointless story about hot boxing in a tent on Newport Beach the night before. We let them out when we got to the sea lion caves. I gave them some granola bars that they seemed quite elated about and headed back towards the road.
We went to the sea lion caves, which contained not one sea lion. We did get to go in a cave 200ft underground though. Still not as exciting as I thought it would be. We did have an excellent view of the most photographed lighthouse in the U.S. apparently.
We found a campground outside of Dunes City and set up for the night. It was quiet and had pressure washer showers.
Got up around 8 A.M. and thought we would be in California sometime today. Thought is the key word here. We were leaving the campground and he said that it wouldn't shift. We drove to Reedsport and found a Napa. I thought it would be a good idea to stop at least in a place that had a shop and Napa. He went into Napa and the guys suggested a shop but it is Sunday and no one is open. We drove the van to the shop that they suggested and no longer then 10 minutes had passed and the sheriff pulled up. I told her that we were having car troubles to which she said someone had called us in. So small town.
So here we are holed up all day in a hotel. It's alright. We have cable, a heated pool, that I took a dip in earlier and we don't have to walk through any kind of woods to get to the bathroom or pee in mother nature! I still wish we were in the van somewhere. I am keeping a good attitude and hope that it's not anything too big. Keepin' the faith. Peace.
We arrived at the shop around 9 A.M., after getting Dutch Brothers coffee. Not recommended. We got the pressure sensor and I sat in the sun reading my book waiting for it to be done. Kind of a tranquil way to spend a morning. Baby spiders creeped across my pages and flies landed on occasion. Cars passed on the highway and tools clanged on the stubborn old van. We got running again and Dan gave us our bill. (He was very good to us.) Highway 34 Towing is amazing. They treated us very, very well and did a good job. Even Gail at dispatch made me feel safer the night in the rest stop.
We got back on the highway and headed to the coast. We entered into Newport in the afternoon and found a spot to park down by the bay. It is a very touristy little town. Lots of people walking up and down the sidewalks enjoying the days sun. They were popping in and out of all the little shops along the way. We did this later. The nostalgia of it all wears off fast though. Every shop has kind of the same things. Just like any other touristy town.
The smell of fresh seafood lingered up and down the streets and the barking of sea lions echoed. We had some time to walk around before the underwater sea show thing. We went down and laughed at the sea lion fights going on below the docks. We went back and watched the underwater show, it was about ten minutes of a diver picking up sea life and some kid narrating what it all was. Not that great.
We ping ponged around, coming in and out of some little shops. Then continued driving.
There were lots of people on the beaches as we passed, sure looked beautiful. The trees on the highway coming out of Newport looked like they were picked straight from a Salvador Dali painting. The ocean front houses are magnificent. Some are painted calm soothing colors and others can't be missed with all their bold colors. The aroma of great smelling wood in campfires fill our noses.
We decided to stop in Yachats at the mushroom festival, I had just read about it in a newspaper. It was a lot of little local vendors and a room filled with more varieties then I knew existed. We bought some apples, a cucumber, of course Rico got some baked goods and some lotion. It was cool to see all the little local artists and their arts. It said it was for all fun-guys and fun-gals. :)
We were walking back to the van and saw a place called Cheese and Crackers. When we walked in you couldn't miss that delicious bakery smell. Some nice man there gave us samples of four different cheeses. One of which tasted like and old attic but actually had a lot of flavor after the old taste went away. We took a few for the road. I heart cheese!!
We just picked up two little hitchhiker kids, Sprocket and Captain. They were on their way to New Orleans for Halloween. Sprocket had a little kitten traveling with him, wearing tie-dye and sporting some dreads. Captain was quieter of the two. They offered to get us stoned, we declined. They then told us a kind of pointless story about hot boxing in a tent on Newport Beach the night before. We let them out when we got to the sea lion caves. I gave them some granola bars that they seemed quite elated about and headed back towards the road.
We went to the sea lion caves, which contained not one sea lion. We did get to go in a cave 200ft underground though. Still not as exciting as I thought it would be. We did have an excellent view of the most photographed lighthouse in the U.S. apparently.
We found a campground outside of Dunes City and set up for the night. It was quiet and had pressure washer showers.
Got up around 8 A.M. and thought we would be in California sometime today. Thought is the key word here. We were leaving the campground and he said that it wouldn't shift. We drove to Reedsport and found a Napa. I thought it would be a good idea to stop at least in a place that had a shop and Napa. He went into Napa and the guys suggested a shop but it is Sunday and no one is open. We drove the van to the shop that they suggested and no longer then 10 minutes had passed and the sheriff pulled up. I told her that we were having car troubles to which she said someone had called us in. So small town.
So here we are holed up all day in a hotel. It's alright. We have cable, a heated pool, that I took a dip in earlier and we don't have to walk through any kind of woods to get to the bathroom or pee in mother nature! I still wish we were in the van somewhere. I am keeping a good attitude and hope that it's not anything too big. Keepin' the faith. Peace.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Some snap shots of the world around us.
Leaving AK.
No one was too happy about the snow.
Wild beasts galore.
The Northern traveling bible.
Sign Post Forest.
And they got pretty close.
Hoku in the rearview.
Peanut butter and jelly dinner.
Rough start in beautiful Liard.
We left a mark on the way down.
These came in very handy. Thanks Tony and Ann.
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