October 27th - Pismo Beach

Carolina’s Notes
Officially Two months on the road. Today I got up late from a terrible night sleep. Anyway, I had to get packing up what little I had and get showered. I did take extra time getting ready to put on my face. Tony did all the unhooking of the RV equipment and making the coffee. Guys are just naturally faster at getting showered and dressed because they don’t have to wear make-up. We did pick up my prescription from Rite Aid and I waited in a line so that’s just a busy store. I’m glad I didn’t wait yesterday. Now it is time to move down Highway 101 to our next destination. My brother mentioned several good points of interests so we are trying to hit those towns. The first town we drove through was San Luis Obispo. Avila Hot Springs Resort was unable to house Harry so we couldn’t hook up and stay. Pismo Beach has several RV parks so that’s where we decided to stay. Our home for the next two days is Pismo Coast Village RV Resort. We are really close to the Pacific Ocean but not on the ocean. It seems like a nice place and they offer the amenities that we need. So far we’ve eaten our own food. This will help take some of the heaviness off our wallet. We spent more than planned visiting the wineries in Paso Robles but we did enjoy the experience despite our bickering. The weather seems to be changing; clouds are rolling around and the sun has disappeared but pops out from time to time. I’m not sure what we’ll get ourselves into today but for now I’m catching up on journalizing. We plan on driving back to San Luis Obispo to visit the hot spots offered.

Well, we went out on our bikes and went around Pismo Beach’s Boardwalk. We found lots of activity despite the sun hiding behind the clouds. We met a gentleman native to California and knew Pismo Beach area well. He gave us his insight on the good eateries in this area and other worldly advice that was helpful in our life-changing journey. It was time well spent chatting with this gentleman and I was grateful to him. We bicycled around town some more until we decided to stop at one of the eateries mentioned by the Californian. Splash Café had great clam chowder and award winning to boot. Splash Cafe has several prestigious articles posted to grace their wall. I was glad we stopped. At the Café, I toasted with Tony no bickering and he grinned and joined my toast. After our eats, we were ready to get back to Harry. We were trying to decide if we were ambitious enough to head back toward San Luis Obispo to soak in a mineral hot spring spa. I confessed to Tony that I was looking forward to a quiet evening at home with a fire. He informed me that he didn’t need to rush to soak but if we change our minds that the place is open until midnight and last appointment is 10:30 p.m.

We got back to Harry and actually hung out inside until Tony mentioned DQ. Since I am an ice cream junkie that’s all I needed to hear. However, the closest DQ was about seventy miles away. I just happened to be looking at a visitor’s guide of this area of CA and found an ice creamery by the name of Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab. We were in luck they were open and ready to serve us. We ate our creations there and got home and flaked out in front of the TV. We watched an entertaining show about RVs. The show happened to take place at Pismo Coast Village RV Resort earlier this year. The show explored the vehicles still in use from a time gone; the show features vehicles from the 1950’s and so forth. As I said it was quiet entertaining and I was glad I found the program. Then it was time for bed.

Tony’s Notes
Carolina captures everything quite well. It was a windy day, and we enjoyed the immediate area. It was colder today than what we had experienced the past couple of days. We had decided to stay in the Pismo Beach area for a couple days so that we could drive to San Luis Obispo, Shell Beach, and Avila Beach before heading down toward L.A.

When we left the Bay area, we were planning to head over to an RV Park one hour south of Lake Tahoe, and one hour north of Yosemite National Park. However, after checking the weather forecast, and seeing that the area would drop to 22 degrees at night, I could NOT handle that kind of cold weather. I am very pleased that we headed south and enjoyed Paso Robles. Yosemite and Lake Tahoe will have to be part of our next sabbatical during summer months.

October 26th

Carolina’s Notes
I got up late and slow because I had too much fun yesterday and last night. I just threw on clothes in hopes of swimming in the pool later. Tony & I decided to stay one more day in Paso Robles so we can experience some of the amenities at Wine Country RV Resort. They have a pool and Jacuzzi. The sun is shining so that is reason enough to stay. We have WiFi here so I spent lots of time catching up on my notes and computer work. We ate breakfast at home. We need to eat at home because with all the amenities from yesterday it was a heavy wallet day. I figure if Tony is going to be working soon then he’ll have these memories to fuel his long hour days. We’ll enjoy the spa facilities here and enjoy the sun.

Well we spent too much time with computer work and daylight was fading fast. I realized that I left my sunglasses at Falcon Nest after searching and calling Falcon Nest. We dashed right over to claim my lost item. Since we were back in wine tasting country we decided to continue our tour. Today the stops consisted of the recommended places on our ad card from Wine Country RV Resort. We visited Pear Valley Winery, Penman Springs and Clautiere Vineyard. Each was special in its own unique way. On the way home to Harry, I wanted to stop at Rite Aid to fill my prescription wanting to kill two birds with one stone and we were in the neighborhood. Tony agreed but in hindsight we should have continued with the romantic evening. Well tension arose when Tony made a left hand turn on a red arrow that just turned red; we were lucky that the police office in close proximity didn’t issue us a ticket especially after tasting wine. Tony was shaken by it and I thought he was mad because I wanted to divert to accomplish my task. I was sorrowful for the trip because Rite Aid was too busy to fill the prescription immediately and I wasn’t going to wait. The only upside to this is that tomorrow I won’t have to wait. We were fighting daylight because the goal was always to play in pool and hot tub. Needless to say despite bickering we both calmed down and went on with the nice evening. We quickly changed into our swim suits and dashed to the Adult Spa Area at Wine Country RV Resort. We had the place to our selves as the sun went to bed and the moon came shining. I apologized once again to Tony and it was nice soaking in the hot tub. For some of the visitors to our blog (aka readers) of my note, please be advised that married life can be strange at times. The things both husbands and wives deal with that they thought that they never would becomes the stuff dealt with a lot. Just remember the old saying…never say never. There is such truth to the two become one. Sometimes the traits you fell in love with are the very traits that make you want to strangle the one you love. I won’t because I wouldn’t last a day in prison. Anyway, marriage is a constant project that needs attention and work otherwise the marriage could wind up in trouble or dissolving. Again I thought a lot of my worries and concerns would be taken care of once on the road; boy was I mistaken. My fight against the heights was just the beginning. I have a lot of work to do for me so I can get healthy again in mind, body and spirit. Each bickering session I have with Tony takes its toll on me. My stomach feels it first; my stomach immediately feels in turmoil. In my past, continuous stomach turmoil caused my stomach to bleed. I, in a joking way, said to many family members and friends that I hope Tony doesn’t throw me out of the RV. It is ironic that maybe I knew that there might be truth to that statement. Anyway, we are going to continue with our romantic evening despite the trip to Rite Aid.

Tony made a terrific dinner plus did all the dishes. I thanked him sincerely and told him how lucky I am to have him doing all the things he does. I realize many wives would just love if their husband would pick up their dishes from the other room. I try very hard to thank Tony repeatedly so he doesn’t feel taken for granted. The rest of the night I plan on relaxing in Harry.

Tony’s Notes
We got up late and we were hurting a bit from our over indulgence. I was totally surprised with myself that I ended up out tasting more wine again today. We bought several different types of wine. I bought a dessert wine and a port. However, the best winery and wine was still Francesco’s Merlot at Falcon Nest.

We had a good day despite any tension. It was hard though. For some reason, Carolina’s anger flares up far too often. I struggle with this because I find it to be extremely unhealthy for the both of us. I desire fitness and health. I also desire living a long healthy life together. I do not want to die at a young age because of stress, tension, or just through an accident caused from tense distractions. Wayne Dyer has commented in his books about not dying with your music still in you. I feel I still have a lot of music still in me.

We had a nice day, and after dinner, and after I finished the dishes, Carolina was engrossed in the computer, so I took a short five minute walk. When I returned, I found the lights off, and the door locked. She was angry that I left and did not tell her I was going somewhere. She felt that I should have said I was going for walk or asked her to go. She seemed to think I was trying to get away from her and she said that if I wanted time alone, I should have told her. I was really frustrated and confused, because I just went for a short walk and truly thought nothing of it. The resort we were staying at had a huge hot tub at the top of a hill, with a waterfall and fire pit. I wanted to walk over and see if they had lit a fire in the pit. I thought it would be nice to sit in the hot tub, listen to the waterfall, and get mesmerized by the fire while looking up at the stars. However, when I got there, there was no fire lit and the hot tub was full of men in there 70’s and 80’s. I went back home, but did not expect to find Carolina angry, again.

I do not think that either of us slept very well that night because we both went to bed angry with each other and very unsure about our future together. It is amazing that one day can be absolute bliss and the next go so badly.

Anyway, if anyone is reading the notes in this blog, if you are reading this one for October 26th, be sure to also read October 25th for some balance.

October 25th - Paso Robles, California

Carolina Notes
Tony and I got up in Wal-Mart’s parking lot and threw on clothes so we could hunt for coffee. We found a Starbuck’s inside an Albertson’s grocery store. We solicited the employees and natives for hot spots in Paso Robles. The choices became quite a laundry list. We were grateful. We took our coffee back to Harry because the lobby to drink coffee was not very comfortable for Tony or I. We got back to Harry and decided to ride our bike around downtown Paso Robles and see how things shape up.

On our bike ride, we hunted for some more coffee plus food. We stopped at Paso Robles Inn and solicited more employees for the best Hot Springs Spas in the area. We were given more details on the wine tasting spots and favorites of the individual passing on the advice plus the best spa to visit. Time was ticking away from us so we decided to get busy with our day. The Inn didn’t offer the breakfast cuisine that we were looking to eat. We ventured onward and found Vic’s Restaurant. The food was good and the service was not great. Anyway, we were fed and the clock was ticking so we headed back to Harry. We wanted to check the spa out so we went directly to River Oaks Hot Springs Spa. Tony booked a nice package but we needed to find a place to hang our hats. We went to the only RV place in town…Wine Country RV Resort. We had only forty-five minutes to get a place and hook up before we had to be at River Oaks Hot Springs Spa. The hook up got intense because of the usual scenario. I had no patience for Tony’s ways of doing things, etc. and his annoyance with my ways and me. As quickly as it started Tony tried to end. I was still fuming by the time we hit the door of the spa. The staff was all relaxed and ready to service TLC to us. Let’s just say it took some coaxing from Tony to get me to even partake. I was uptight about not showering and my legs hadn’t been shaved in a week and the intense bickering certainly didn’t help. Well as usual we made the best of it. It didn’t take long for Tony & me to put our bickering behind us and enjoy the amenities. It was time well spent. This spa treatment brought us closer than we’ve been in months. Thanks River Oaks!

We went onward to experience some wine tasting in the area. It was 5:30 p.m. on a Sunday and most vineyards were closed. Falcon Nest was open and most happy to service. Tony & I continued the romance that River Oaks started. We enjoyed everything that Falcon Nest gave to their clientele. Thank you!

We got home and ordered pizza enjoyed more of the evening then watched TV to give time for the food and drink to settle before we hit the bed. Despite not knowing how the day would shape up we had a blast! Thanks to my brother’s input we stopped in a great town and had lots of great experiences. A great ending to a great day…thanks again to all.

Tony’s Notes
Yes, we woke up in the Wal-Mart parking lot. However, I had a very nice relaxing, and peaceful night sleep. The Starbuck’s that we got our coffee at was inside a grocery store, so sitting there drinking coffee from a paper cup did not sound appealing. I prefer an actual china cup. So, we walked back to Harry and drank coffee and planned our day.

I drove into the downtown area and looked for a place to park. Parking is not that easy when you are pulling fifty-three feet behind you. With the car in tow, we are longer than a regular bus. However, I found a place to park and we got the tandem bike on the road. The restaurant, Vic’s, had a really good breakfast. Our waitress was not quite all there; she looked a little wore down from years of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes. The clerk at the Paso Robles Inn pointed us in the right direction.

I drove over to the River Oaks Hot Springs Spa to check it out. I was looking for a natural hot spring water pool like the one we soaked in back in Thermopolis, Wyoming. They had private natural hot spring pools. They were both inside and outside, but completely private. A private hot spring for our use sounded great to me. It was only twenty bucks for the two of us. However, I couldn’t help but look over the other spa services. They had a “Wine Makers Package” which included two full body massages, an hour in a private hot spring pool, and a bottle of wine. I had not had a full body massage in six years, and liked the idea of someone squeezing the toxins out of my body’s muscle tissues. So, without going out and asking Carolina, I went ahead and booked this $175 package.

We had one hour to drive up the road to the “Wine Country RV Resort”, get a campsite, and get back on time for our spa day. Carolina was not happy with me, and I was seriously second guessing myself for the over indulgence of a full spa treatment. I easily could have spent the twenty dollars for use of the private hot spring pool, and been happy. Anyway, the RV Resort was very high-end, top notch. It was the best RV Park we had stayed at to date. Also, it was an eighty-five degree, sunny, beautiful day. We got a spot, went and parked, and I unhooked the car and was ready to go. I figured that I could come back and hook up the electric, water, cable, and sewer when we returned. Carolina was angry and I was really not so sure a spa day would work out because her anger takes away positive thoughts of relaxation.

Once at the spa, during check-in, we had to fill out forms to provide some type of waiver if we had any ill effects from their services. Carolina had filled out a portion of the form that was set aside for the massage therapist. When I said to her that she did not need to fill out that part of the form, she was even angrier, annoyed with me, and slightly embarrassed. She walked outside, and both the clerk and I were not sure she was coming back inside. I walked out and told her to relax and come and enjoy.

They provided us a locker with a lock & key, and a robe and towel. I took a quick shower, and met Carolina in our private hot spring pool. It was really nice. The water smelled like sulfur, just like in Thermopolis. It was a large eight person hot tub with the natural spring water pumped into it. It was private and fantastic not to where a swimsuit. It was also exposed to the outside; it was like being outside but there were three cedar walls on each side with the fourth open to the great outdoors. Once Carolina and I were both soaking, she began to relax. I will spare anyone reading this blog of the erotic details beyond anything written so far. After thirty minutes, our massage therapists knocked on the door, and that was our queue to get our robes on and open the door.

We each were escorted to separate rooms. My massage therapist told me to get on the massage table face down, and she left the room to give me a chance to get on the table face down and covered up with a warm blanket. The next hour was bliss. She gave me a great deep tissue massage. I remembered that years ago, when Carolina and I were working out regularly, and doing yoga, we had committed to getting massages at least once per quarter. That never happened.

I had a fantastic massage. Prior to this massage, I had a kink in my neck. I had cracked my neck like cracking your knuckles. I had done this in my sleep, but it causes a very stiff neck the next day. This masseuse took care of it and I felt great. Afterwards, I showered, to get the body oils off, and then went back to our private hot spring pool. There was a bottle of chilled Chardonnay next to the pool. I got in the pool and relaxed while waiting for Carolina to join me.

When Carolina arrived, I poured the wine and we both had a great time. It was truly a great and passionate experience. Once we had exhausted ourselves, we showered, got dressed, and considered booking another day. However, it was Sunday and they were closed on Mondays, so we decided to hold off.

We started up the road, and being that it was already after 5pm, we were not sure if any of the local wineries would still be open. We drove through a vineyard, up to a winery called Pear Valley, the workers were still there but they were closed. They told us that the winery next door was open until 7:30pm. So, we drove next door; about two miles, and found Falcon Nest.

We walked in and were greeted by three pretty girls saying, “Welcome”. They were just customers out tasting wine, and I think they were a bit lit up. Anyway, the wine pourer behind the counter asked if we were both tasting, and I said ‘yes’. His name was Francesco, and he was the owner.

The place was not as fancy looking as some of the other wineries we had drove past. However, Francesco had 150 acres, and had been venting there for over twenty years. He poured some fantastic wines. All were red. He made us an Antipasto plate of imported deli meats and cheeses. I bought three bottles of his Merlot at $38 a bottle, plus I bought a jar of his homemade Pesto sauce, and tomato sauce. Carolina and I were the only customers there and when they closed at 7:30pm, Francesco and his wife, Carolyn, sat and drank wine with us for quite a while. We told them that we did not mean to keep them, and they just laughed and said, “We live here, our house is right next door”.

They had a really nice banquet room attached to the tasting room. Francesco turned on the dance floor lights, and music, and Carolina and I danced the night away. I enjoyed Francesco’s and Carolyn’s company, and I think they enjoyed listening to our stories. We talked and drank for what seemed like hours, and then we settled the bill and headed for home. Francesco told me to come back next year and he would let us park Harry in his yard and put me to work in the vineyard. I think he wants me to know just how hard work it is and I think he would work me like slave labor. However, the idea definitely is intriguing.

We got back to Harry, and I finished hooking up the RV. We then continued to finish off another bottle of Merlot, and ate pizza. We had quite the romantic night and it continued on for hours into the late night. It truly ended up being a fantastic day in paradise.

October 24th

Carolina’s Notes
I got up and got ready to get to my nephew’s hockey game and to venture onward down the coast. Tony did all the hooking up. All I had to do was to get ready. I spent more time than planned to get ready. Tony was reassuring that all would work out. We hit more pumpkin festival type traffic, which put us farther behind our time. Once close enough to the ice rink, we got lost. Again, things became intense but Tony got me to the rink so I could watch my nephew play hockey. I watched his team defeat their opponents and I enjoyed seeing raw hockey. NHL is sometimes tough to watch because of all the penalties. I had a chance just to watch the boys play…it was a great thrill! After the game, my brother wanted to grab burgers from a famous burger joint. Val’s restaurant was voted best burgers in the West and I agree. We have to write our pals back at Little Tony’s and tell them we found a great hamburger in the West. I was glad my brother suggested coming.

It was getting late and we all had to get going. My brother offered for us to come to his house and stay and park Harry on the street but we declined. We didn’t want to cause any issue for him and his home association. My brother suggested stopping in Paso Robles, CA. He said it is another must see. We thanked him for everything and got on our way. It was 4:30 p.m. It is later than we normally head out but Tony was wanted to get heading south. I would have preferred heading out tomorrow morning. Anyway, we drove about two hundred miles, which was longer than I wanted. We drove all the way to Paso Robles and bunked at the Walmart. We made ourselves comfortable. We didn’t want dinner because of our big meal at Val’s. We did want to munch so we nibbled on chips and salsa and washed it down with some Corona. We watched the movie Hitch on my laptop then crawled into bed. All in all everything worked out nicely despite the hiccups.

Tony’s Notes
We got a late start getting out of Half Moon Bay. Once in downtown Oakland, we found the Oakland Ice Center, and I drove around looking for a place to safely park a motorhome with a car in tow. I found a place and took up four parking meters. There was a homeless guy doing a little panhandling, so I gave him two dollars in quarters to feed the meters, and handed him five bucks to keep an eye on my vehicles while I was inside watching the last thirty minutes of Kyle’s hockey game.

We followed Ed after the game to Val’s restaurant, and we ate half pound cheeseburgers, with French fries and a chocolate shake. Nothing but health food for us. I was full the rest of the day.
Once we said our goodbyes, we drove through the metropolitan area and on down US101. It got dark, and it was pitch black outside. Ed had said we should stop at Paso Robles, so when I saw the exit, we pulled off the highway and drove around until we found the Wal-Mart. We asked their permission to sleep in the parking lot. We picked up a six pack and relaxed

October 23rd

Carolina’s Notes
Today is Tony’s sister’s birthday. Happy Birthday!

Tony got up and threw on clothes. I got up and drank coffee before taking a shower. While I was getting cleaned up, Tony went and did a load of laundry. The sun is shining so I don’t want to hang around indoors. Once I was cleaned up, we ventured into downtown Half Moon Bay. Tony and I were hungry so we ate at Joe’s Restaurant. We are repeating our steps from yesterday into downtown Half Moon Bay so we can complete the same tasks as yesterday. Yes it’s a Do Over. We need to mail additional items from the Post Office not included in yesterday’s drop off as well as get over to the library. We need the Internet to complete some of our computer tasks. We are learning to deal with the Internet challenges but if Pelican Point RV Park had WiFi it would be a non-issue. Again being indoors on a gorgeous day is a necessary evil especially now that Tony is pursuing short-term contract work. The goal is to be inside for a short time and get into our beach chairs down at the state park.

Tony is having success with his job search. He has to spend more time at the library than planned but it is necessary. I’m sure that we’ll be able to enjoy some sunshine just not as long as we had hoped. It feels good to have the blog caught up. I’ve posted my notes and some shots from yesterday’s activities; I am awaiting Tony’s notes and then we’ll be golden.

We left the library and headed toward the state park but the entrance fee was ten dollars and daylight was escaping so I said skip it. Tony and I went to Safeway to buy groceries so we could go home. Tony started packing up for the next day’s travels and I flaked out watching TV. Tony made me macaroni and cheese to go with our ready to serve chicken and it was delicious. We didn’t enjoy the sun as hoped but we enjoyed the time we had spent with each other today.

Tony’s Notes
Once we were home for the evening, I went for a bike ride along the paved beach trail. It was dusk, and it was quite peaceful by the ocean side bike riding. We enjoyed our stay in Bay area.
I did manage to get three phone interviews. One was for a three week assignment in California to assist with some analyst work involving evaluation of several PACS systems. However, there is one in the Phoenix area for a three to sixth month contract that would be perfect for me.

I am hopeful that today’s minor successes are good signs to being able to find short term work assignments on the road.

October 22nd

Carolina’s Notes
Tony got up and took a shower while I drank coffee and caught up on journalizing and post card writing. The day is gloomy and cold so I’m not hurrying to take a shower. I will take a shower at a leisurely pace. Tony is also trying hard to catch up on journalizing so once we have Internet again we can post to our blog. I’m just enjoying the leisurely pace today. Well at least for now the sun is burning the cloud cover away, which is good.

Once I was cleaned up we ventured into downtown Half Moon Bay. We wanted to mail our items from the Post Office and grab a pumpkin treat from a bakery. Obviously, the trip to the bakery was not on the healthy eating plan but we enjoyed our pumpkin treats. We walked from the bakery to Post Office so we tried to burn off some of the calories. We had to get over to the library because we need the Internet to complete some of computer tasks. Again being indoors on a gorgeous day is a necessary evil. If Pelican Point RV Park had WiFi it would be a non-issue. We are going to try to make this library trip brief so we can enjoy the sunshine. Mission accomplished our blog postings and Facebook postings are current as of yesterday.

I wanted to get back to Harry so I could drop off my laptop and use my own restroom before going to our next destination. Once at home, Tony wanted to do maintenance on the Black Tank and dump both Gray and Black tanks. Once those tasks were done, Tony wanted to go to dinner. We landed at Miramar Beach Restaurant. It is located right off the Pacific Ocean. It was perfect for watching a sunset while eating dinner. It was a wonderfully romantic experience. While I was enjoying my dinner, I was able to watch the local rhythm such as Parasailors, runners, and couples strolling. The service and cuisine were superb; the only draw back is the heaviness on our wallet. Once the sun went to bed, Tony and I were ready to get back home. We stopped at Safeway grocery store to pick up my ice cream. At home we watched TV and settled down for bed. It was a nice day and a nice evening. I am very grateful for all the blessings that have been given to me. This journey is a chance of a lifetime and I’m having a blast.

Tony’s Notes
We spent a longer time, and good part of the sunny afternoon, in a library doing work. We should have been out exploring on our bicycle and enjoying the awesome weather. However, I was quite focused on my job search activities and landing an interview ot two for short term contract work to sustain this adventure.

As it was, I was able to make contact with several recruiters for opportunities in California, the Bay area, and in Phoenix, Arizona. I was also able to finally get caught up on all my journal entries and was very happy with these accomplishments.

The Miramar restaurant was fabulous. I had the best Lobster tail I ever had, and my Filet Mignon was awesome, too. We had a very nice relaxing day.

Tomorrow, Friday, would be our last day in Half Moon Bay, and then Saturday we unhook and take the RV, pulling the car, into downtown Oakland to go watch my nephew Kyle play hockey. Then, after hockey, we head toward our next destination to a campground that is in between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park.

October 21st

Carolina’s Notes
Tony got up and took a shower while I ventured downstairs to see what was happening in the homestead. My sister-in-law was working. She rolled out the Red Carpet for us. I didn’t bring an over night bag so she washed our clothes, lent us toiletries, and made breakfast all the while she worked. That was multitasking at its best. Tony & I are hanging out for the mail drop. We are anticipating a couple packages. For now, we are catching up on our computer tasks and Tony is pursuing short-term contract work.

Tony did job searching most of the morning. I took the family dog for a walk. Lisa had to go to my niece’s school for fundraising efforts. Most of the day was spent around my brother’s house waiting for the mail to arrive. It was time for my niece’s dance class and still no mail so my sister-in-law invited me to accompany them. I did and while I was gone Tony went to Walgreen’s to pick up some pictures that we had uploaded for printing.

I enjoyed my time with my sister-in-law while my niece was attending dance class. My niece likes her time in dance because she gets to invoke some independence away from mom and dad. My sister-in-law and I went out for some girl time. My sister-in-law had an errand then we stopped at a discount store so she could do some window-shopping. Well she found a couple tops that looked great on her so she went ahead and purchased them. The purchase wasn’t in her budget but I told her that they weren’t a fortune that she shouldn’t feel guilty. We went back to check on my niece and my sister-in-law realized her timing was way off and she had to tweak her scheduling. She contacted my brother to take my nephew to his after school commitment and she would get dinner ready after they came home. This meant it was going to be too late for Tony and I to stay and have dinner with the family again. Tony and I had to get back to Harry, our necessaries were there and we needed our creature comforts. Lisa instead had a drink and appetizers with us at a Chevy’s restaurant. It was great. It was time for my sister-in-law to dash and Tony & I were ready to get home to Harry.

On our way back to Harry, Tony was still thirsty so we stopped in downtown Half Moon Bay and had one drink. We got home and got settled in for the night. Tony did make an ice cream run after realizing our ice cream supply wasn’t sufficient for tonight’s portion. I was glad he went because I really enjoyed my ice cream. I fell asleep watching TV until Tony took me to bed. We had a nice ending to a nice day.

Tony’s Notes
It was a good day. I was able to get quite a bit done in ramping up the job search activities.

October 20th

Carolina Notes
Last night ended poorly and I was still feeling the ill effects. I eventually threw on clothes and went to Peet’s Coffee with Tony. We chose Peet’s Coffee because the WiFi is free and we could sip coffee while checking emails, etc. I don’t have much to say so I’m keeping my mouth shut. I hope today will turn out ok. I told Tony that maybe he should go on about his day without me and he declined. We will try to make the best of today and forget the harsh and intense conversation last night.

We went to Peet’s Coffee and did computer work; I finished quicker because I didn’t have as much as Tony. Since I had spare time I wandered to a dollar store and Rite Aide. My shopping spree rang up at a total of $2.18. I know I’m a big spender. Once Tony was done with working on his computer we were off. We decided to go to San Francisco. We wanted to wander Fisherman’s Wharf. We ventured to Pier 39 there we soaked in the atmosphere and weather and enjoyed, enjoyed, enjoyed. It was time to eat clam chowder so we ate at Fog Harbor Fish House. Tony & I were discussing getting together with my brother. Then came a text message from my sister-in-law; it was definitely ESP…spooky. Fog Harbor Fish House’s food and service were great but the price was heavy on our wallet. After our meal, it was time to venture to Ghirardelli Square. We walked through the store and ate our free sample then headed back toward the car. We wanted to make sure that we weren’t late for our dinner date with my brother and his family. Tony and I got to my brother’s and ate out at a local pizza joint. We enjoyed it but it was an early night because it was a work and school night. Tony and I stayed overnight because we had some cocktails and more visiting time. Most of the family went to bed at a reasonable hour but my sister-in-law and I stayed up watching TV. It wasn’t long before I knew it was my bedtime. So off I went.

Tony’s Notes
It turned out to be a good day. Walking around Fisherman’s Wharf was enjoyable. We made our way over the Bay Bridge toward Danville during rush hour. One of our lessons along this journey was learned today. Carolina used to have to drive from our home in Harper Woods, Michigan to her job in Southfield, Michigan. Her twenty mile commute to work would sometimes take an hour to an hour and a half. She would sometimes cry because she wanted something different. Part of this sabbatical is to get away from that commute. However, making our way from San Francisco to Danville during rush hour, Carolina made the comment that she did not realize how good she had it. For me, it is really the same thing. The job I had voluntarily left was something most people truly desire. I only had a twelve mile commute, and plenty of autonomy. This sabbatical has helped refresh my thoughts to be less pessimistic, and back to my optimistic self; at least I am getting there in my thoughts. We still have a ways to go.

We had picked up a couple good bottles of wine, and when we got to Ed and Lisa’s, we all had a glass of wine. Then, we were off to get some gourmet pizza with chicken, artichokes, sundried tomatoes, and fresh basil toppings; along with too much beer.

Carolina and I had not packed an overnight bag, but we spent the night and woke up to our clean clothes, thanks to Lisa.

October 19th

Carolina’s Notes
Tony got up and took a shower while I lingered in bed. Last night I had a hard time falling back to sleep once I was in the bed. I also awoke still woozy and I’m not sure exactly why. My guess is that I’m fighting having a migraine. I’ve been indulging in all sorts of food and drink that I should avoid or at least in moderation. This whole sabbatical has been an exercise of over indulgences clearly not what Tony and I had intended. I eventually got up and sipped coffee then got showered and dressed. Tony arranged our continued stay here at Pelican Point RV Park. I was relieved because I really didn’t feel up to traveling or packing.

We both wanted to get to the library so we could accomplish some computer tasks. On the way, we stopped in downtown Half Moon Bay where all the pumpkin festivities were over the weekend. The bakery that had pumpkin rolls was closed Mondays so we were disappointed. We needed to eat so we explored more and came upon a restaurant called Chez Shea. It was a wonderful experience! It serves international organic cuisine and only serves breakfast on the weekends. We almost left and the clerk said that they would cook us one of their egg dishes. Tony didn’t even get any dirty looks. The food, service and price were fabulous! Chez Shea is a must experience whenever in Half Moon Bay, CA. After breakfast, we made our way to the library to accomplish our work.

We got to the library and accomplished quite a bit. We were there for about three hours. The time spent was a necessary evil. The weather was questionable so it was better to get some of computer chores done. When we were exiting the library it was raining. I was glad we got to the library.

On the way home we stopped at Cameron’s Pub so we could have a bite to eat. Tony thought that I might even be able to catch Monday Night Football. We enjoyed ourselves and we were even able to catch a baseball playoff game. We got home and had a deep conversation, which led to hurt feelings for both Tony & I. We walked along the coastline trail to work out the hurt but we were unsuccessful so we got home. I got ready for bed and flipped channels and Tony just crawled into bed. Maybe tomorrow won’t bring a poor ending to a decent day.

Tony’s Notes
It was a good day, and I was able to get quite a bit done at the library. I am almost completely caught on journal entries.

I have started to job search, and have updated my resume, and online profiles for employment. My goal has always been to find a short term contract on the road. Ideally, I would like to find a health system in a warm southern state that needs a project manager for anywhere from eight weeks to six months. Also, ideally, something that pays a rate that will allow me to pay my monthly expenses, and save some additional dollars for future months to allow us to extend this journey into spring and summer.

If I could find an organization that has something like a radiology information system implementation that has gone bad, and that they need someone short-term to finish the project and move on.

I do not really want to take a full time job, and then six months later put in a two week notice, that would not be fair to the hiring organization. I have to find an IT Project Manager or Healthcare IT Project Manager that pays an appropriate rate. I cannot take a low wage job because it will not meet our monthly expenses. If I am not successful finding something over the next month, we will have to get back to southeast Michigan, winterize the RV, fire up the house, and start looking for fulltime employment. I would love to find something in southern California or southern Arizona until spring. That way, we could make our way east later next year after touring through southern Utah to see Bryce Canyon, Zion, or Arches National Parks.

Also, as money starts to become limited, and we become desperate for income, we will have to limit choices and direction. We still have enough to get by for about four months, but a job search could actually take that long in today’s competitive environment. I am hoping that by January, because of stimulus dollars entering into healthcare, there will be funding for healthcare IT projects that will cause a need for project managers looking for contract work. I just do not want to go back to Michigan and shovel snow this winter.

Also, at the planning stages of this sabbatical, one of the deliverables was to eat very healthy, exercise very regularly, and document the entire process with before and after photos; to get healthier. However, instead, we have gotten fatter, been eating out more often, and drinking alcoholic beverages far more often than ever before. We have been vacationing. So, we have spent more money than budgeted, which has an impact on the duration of the sabbatical; we have probably spent at least a month and a half of expenses too much. Had we been disciplined, we would still have at least five months saved still instead of almost four.

I should have hired a Sabbatical Coach for about $1,200 dollars; I think it would have been money well spent. Being a project manager, I should have been able to document a plan and execute the plan as written. However, a Sabbatical coach could have helped document and driven us to meet the deliverables.

Anyway, it is what it is!

October 18th

Carolina’s Notes
Tony and I awoke in my brother’s spare bedroom. We hung out to see how the morning and day would shape up. We made ourselves at home and took showers, etc. Then everyone was at home and wanting to show us some of the sights that San Francisco area had. My brother treated to a wonderful early dinner at Sam’s Café in Tiburon. We enjoyed our time spent together then it was time for my brother and his family to dash to their commitments.

Tony and I made our way back to Harry through the streets of San Francisco. This tour was different from my stay here in 1994. We traveled Highway 101, which gave me a different perspective on life in this metropolis. We came upon Moss Beach and decided to go to Moss Beach Distillery. We had one drink and watched the sun set on the Pacific Ocean and spoke to a delightful couple. I was pleased that we stopped.

We got home to Harry and I was feeling a bit woozy. I got myself ready for lounging in front of the TV and informed Tony that I’d unpack my overnight bag in the morning. I flaked in front of the TV until Tony told me it was time to go to bed.

Tony’s Notes
Yes, we woke up feeling a little rough. That was no surprise because I drank like a fish the day before. Ed made us a spinach and feta egg white omelet that was far superior to the Main Street Grill’s $10 omelet.

By mid-afternoon, we followed Ed, Lisa, Kyle, and Morgan in their car to Tiburon and ate at Sam’s. I had a great Halibut Salad. The restaurant had a fantastic view of the Bay. You could see part of the Golden Gate Bridge, and Angel Island. Far across the Bay was the downtown San Francisco skyline. After we ate, we walked around a little bit and chatted about the area.

Back in 1994, Carolina and I had flown into the San Francisco area and visited for nine days. That had been one of our first real vacations. Back then, Ed & Lisa were living in a condo in downtown Danville, and had no children. They spoiled us. We had rode bicycles through Fishman’s Wharf, the Presidio, Museums, and over the Golden Gate Bridge down into Sausalito. I remember that we took a ferry back to Fisherman’s Wharf. During that visit, we had stayed in Monterey, visited Carmel, toured through the Monterey Aquarium, and Cannery Row. We also made a day in Napa Valley tasting wine all day. So, during this trip, I was not sure if I would do those things, or just relax, get caught up on these journal entries, or start looking for work.

Anyway, after we ate today at Sam’s, Carolina and I made our way along US101 to Route One, and along the Pacific Coast. It is a gorgeous drive through Sausalito, over the Golden Gate Bridge, through San Francisco, and along the coast toward Half Moon Bay. The views were fantastic, but I always think about seeing cars go over the edge like in the movies.

Stopping at Moss Beach Distillery was a must. We were there in time to sip a margarita while watching a perfect sunset. We also had the opportunity to meet a very nice couple who were watching the sunset with us.

October 17th

Carolina’s Notes
I got up and I was relieved that the pain was gone. I am most grateful. The weather was cloudy and cold. Tony & I still wanted to walk the coastline trail. Tony wanted to do some laundry so we grabbed our clothes so they could swish around while we were walking. We executed our plan and threw on clothes and brushed our teeth and hair. The walk was nice despite the fog; the signs are there that the fog might burn off. Another day of sunshine would be great! We headed back to finish our clothes and to get ready to meet my brother, Ed.

The fogged burned off and Tony & I made it to Ed’s house. We visited with his family and some of their friends. I had a blast! I was able to meet some of my niece’s friends Sara and Alyssa and Alyssa’s Dad Don. Don was gracious to show us his wine cellar. This was a tremendous treat. It was fascinating seeing what he’s done to convert part of his garage into a wine cellar. Tony was making his own wine for years but it was on a much smaller scale. I was in awe of his creation.

I enjoyed the time I spent with my family and their friends.

We stayed the night at my brother’s house and they rolled out the red carpet. Thank you!

Tony’s Notes
We had a real nice walk on the beach path, and got two loads of laundry done at the same time. That was pretty cool. It amazes me that going to the Laundromat saves time and money compared to doing them back home one load at a time.

We packed up an ‘overnight’ bag, and headed out to Ed & Lisa’s in Danville. It took an hour to get through the Art & Pumpkin Festival traffic. However, while crossing the San Mateo Bridge, there was still a lot of traffic heading toward HMB. I was surprised people would sit in hours of traffic to make their way to pumpkin patches, and so forth.

We had a great day, I drank beer all day and wine all night; definitely NOT the norm for me. Ed made a fantastic Mongolian Beef dish with brown rice.

Their neighbor, Don and his wife, Karen, came over and visited. I hung out with Karen and Lisa in the evening, next to an outdoor fire. Everyone else watched baseball. It is typical for me to hang with the girls.

Later in the evening, Don took us over to do a barrel tasting. Don had built an extensive wine cellar in part of his garage. He had 90 gallon barrels. He had just crushed about six hundred pounds of grapes for this season’s batches. Don had won multiple awards for his wine. I can definitely see him eventually owning a winery; he is an excellent vintner. We also tasted some Grappa, Lemon cello, and some Cherries soaked in Grappa. It was a great time and I finally went to bed at 1am.

October 16th - Half Moon Bay

Carolina’s Notes
I got up and took a shower right away. The sun was shining and there was no time to waste indoors. When we checked in yesterday the attendant informed us that there was a trail to the beach. I wanted to explore this trail before we ventured anywhere. Tony was more than willing to accompany me. We had a blast! The trail went out to beach as well around the coastline terrain. There is a golf coarse right there where the two coexisted in harmony. I was elated. Seriously, this was a great way to start my day. We didn’t tote the camera but Tony clicked pictures with his camera phone.

After our hike, we got back to Harry to water up, hit the restroom, and basically freshen up. Then we wanted to investigate downtown Half Moon Bay to prep for the pumpkin festival on Saturday and Sunday. We ate brunch at Half Moon Bay Grill and it was enjoyable. Then we walked the quaint downtown area; we visited art galleries and coffee shops. We were hunting for free Internet Access and kept coming up short. We got into the car to head back by the highway and Tony was able to find out that the local library offers such services. I mentioned that local libraries offer free services to Tony at the beginning of the journey but he was very skeptical of this fact. It is nice to know that this town does offer such services. Anyway, the sun is shining and not a cloud in the sky and Tony & I are enjoying it all. I even found a Hallmark store to buy postcards, a couple of Halloween cards, and a Get-Well Gift for our one granddaughter. I am so very pleased that things seemed to be going smoothly.

We got back to Harry to walk the beach during low-tide. It was great! Then it was time to get to Harry to have supper. On my way up the stairs, I was grabbing the rail and a bee stung me in my right hand. OUCH!! I was stung once before in the butt at the age of 18 years but I don’t remember it hurting as much as today’s event. We attended to my bee sting then decided to stay at home so I asked Tony to fix me a drink; my pal Jack and Coke. I plan on watching baseball and relaxing. I’m going to try not whine so Tony doesn’t get annoyed with me.

Tony’s Notes
We had a very nice cardio walk along the trail. It went through the golf coarse and also went through a resort area. Everything was landscaped and immaculate. Off to our right were multi-million dollar homes, and the left was a beautiful coastline view. We met other folks out walking, and one gentleman taught a little about the timing for high and low tides. He had said that there were two high tides and two low tides per day. He also said low tide would be about 3:30pm. Carolina and I decided to take another walk down by the beach later today to have a chance to walk further out during low tide.

Downtown HMB (Half Moon Bay, but the locals seemed to use the acronym often) was very charming. There were many very nice shops and art galleries. The Main Street Grill was OK, but I could tell that my $10 omelet had been made with thawed frozen spinach and old caramelized onions. They were expensive but low quality. We did stop at the library to use the Wi-Fi Hotspot. It was probably the best connection we had since the journey began. Carolina had tried to tell me that libraries would have free Wi-Fi.

We got out to the beach for a low tide walk by about 4pm. You could definitely tell it was low tide because everything that had been covered in water earlier that morning was accessible. We walked out and found rocks covered with mussels and clams. I also spotted a few large star fish and urchins. I would have loved to grab a star fish but they were still alive, and I knew to leave them alone. We snapped a few photos, and got back to Harry for some dinner. I was glad that Carolina’s bee sting did not cause a bad reaction. I know her hand hurt, but by morning it was gone.

October 15th

Carolina’s Notes
I got up to rain and so I just threw on clothes and brushed my teeth and hair. We need to get moving so Tony ran to Starbucks to get a pitcher of coffee instead of brewing our own. Yesterday the grounds got caught in the coffee maker and neither one of us wanted that delay this morning.

The first part of the journey was flat which was delightful for me considering I decided to fly solo again to tackle the fear of heights issue. Then reality hit and here came the mountains; that up and down and rocking back and forth was awful. This was complicated by busy traffic. My nervous system was starting the countdown and I was trying hard not to continue its sequence. California just has a lot of people in its state so it is always Rush Hour. Our task at hand was to get centrally located to my brother’s house without being too far away. We scoped out a state campground first; it’s called Anthony Chabot Campground (East Bay). The mountainous terrain became bad to worse. We found ourselves on a two-lane road without guardrails and had a steep drop off. My panic went from Defcon 2 to TOTAL MELTDOWN. Yep, I started crying like a baby; I mean really bellowing. Tony boldly ordered for me to be quiet if I plan for him to keep his composure and drive safely. I couldn’t argue with logic so I immediately shut up and proceeded with my quiet nervous breakdown. Tony did accomplish reaching the campground safely despite my meltdown. His efforts were futile because there was no availability for our rig. This was just as well because the sites were unlevel since they were positioned right at the top of the mountain. The positioning of the campground made me even more upset to convince myself to want to stay. In other words, if the campsites would have been level I might have acclimated but because it was slanted and at a drop-off. It felt like we were going to fall off even if we could hook up. I didn’t get out to look and walk around; my viewpoint is based my position at the kitchen table in the RV. When I wasn’t having a nervous breakdown, I did manage to look out the passenger window to find some of the most breath taking views of Castro Valley area had to offer. I am sorrowful that I didn't have the composure to click pictures because I know Tony was unable to sight see. Tony would have loved some pictures of that mountaintop for our blog. The trip down was better probably because it wasn’t uncharted territory for me. When we arrived back into Castro Valley it was Rush Hour and we still had to figure out home base. We decided to scope out Half Moon Bay, CA. We found lodging for four days at Pelican Point RV Park. We lucked out because of a cancellation; the downfall was it wasn’t for a week. At this point, I am relieved not to have to be driving because I am ready to stop. We will have to find other accommodations because we plan on being here for a week. Some of our other choice accommodations didn’t have availability. Staying in California will prove to be more expensive then originally budgeted. I imagine when we go onward to different states will be have to sleep at rest areas or parking lots. For now, I am grateful to be stopped. I’m exhausted and don’t feel like doing a thing. When I have a panic attack it zaps all my energy. Tony is a trooper because he’s still trying to make our campground site perfect for our company. I’m not sure if my brother and his family will actually come but Tony is trying to get everything ready. Honestly, I’m just not thinking about that right now.

Tony’s Notes
Once we left Corning, California, it was flat on through the Sacramento Valley. As we approached the Bay Area, there were more hills. However, it was the drive up the hillside to the Chabot Campground that did Carolina in for the day. It was a white knuckle drive up. The drop-offs were straight down, and the road was narrow. The campground itself was beautiful. The camp sites were surrounded by very mature pines, and they did have about twelve full hook up sites. Unfortunately, they were all reserved. They were level sites for the RV, but once a person would step out they were standing on a slant looking almost 3,000 feet down, over the bay area and Lake Chabot. It was very beautiful. The sites would have been thirty-two dollars a night and even though they were within twenty-five miles of Ed and Lisa’s house, it would still take a while to drive/climb up and down the mountain. So, I was glad to move on and felt disappointment that we had wasted the time driving up there.

The drive over to Half Moon Bay was through some busy rush hour traffic and we had to cross the San Mateo Bridge. We were lucky to get a spot at Pelican Point RV Park because it was the Art & Pumpkin Festival this coming weekend, and it is evidently a big deal. I was told that over two hundred thousand people would come to the festival. Half Moon Bay is a small town with only a couple two-lane roads in or out. The RV Park was the most expensive one on our journey so far. There was no RV Parks any closer to Ed & Lisa’s house, and Half Moon Bay is a very beautiful area. Not to mention we were right on the Pacific Coast and had a pretty good view.

October 14th - Concord, California

Carolina’s Notes
I got up desperately needing a shower. I cleaned up while Tony packed up and hooked up in the rain. It is raining steady and at times very hard. It won’t be nice and easy heading out into these conditions. I’m grateful that I didn’t wake up to a blizzard.

This trip was hard to get through because the weather was rainy and cold and the truck drivers were flying by us and the mountain terrain was pretty intense. In spite of it all, I didn’t have a panic attack. I also flew solo today without any crutches. Tony did another excellent job of driving! I don’t think I could fair as well. We wound up hooking up at Heritage RV Park in Corning, CA (a little over 100 miles from Sacramento). This RV Park is part of the Passport America Discount RV Parks but because they were having a group stay with them we were unable to get the fifty percent discount. We didn’t want to drive any more today so Tony took the site. The sun came out and was still shinning so we decided to go for a bike ride. We traveled down the residential streets and on the way back to home base, found an olive shop that had tasting. Tony hasn’t done much for himself on this trip so I encouraged him to stop and sample the olives. This shop also sold olive oil. I wanted to buy some oil but Tony wanted to check our grape seed oil inventory in our Watkins stock before purchasing. We came upon a strip mall that had a Mexican Restaurant and Tony wanted some margaritas. I agreed and we enjoyed the evening. We shared a combo burrito plate. We had ended the event with some deep discussions about issues that wound up making the evening tense but we got back to Harry and tried to calm down. We did some computer work then went to bed. I wish I could learn just to keep some of my thoughts to myself. It wouldn’t spark such drama. I hope tomorrow will go smoother.

Tony’s Notes
It was a very beautiful mountainous drive through the northern part of California on I-5. I was glad to get into the Sacramento Valley and flat ground. Concord, California is the olive capital as far as I could tell. There were olive trees everywhere and I enjoyed tasting olives. I really enjoyed the margaritas, but I was once again disappointed when we started to bicker over nonsense. I definitely enjoyed the bike ride in the Sunshine and surrounded by Palm Trees.

October 13th - Leaving Crater Lake and Ashland, Oregon

Carolina’s Notes
We got up to a blizzard…yep. We couldn’t believe it, any of us. So we just threw on clothes, brushed our teeth and combed our hair. We didn’t sleep very much last night. Tony & I were uptight about being in the RV in a full-blown blizzard. Our neighbor found out that the conditions were going to worsen so we decided to head down the South Path. Our neighbor led the way down to the Visitor Center where we parted ways. Tony & I made a decision to get out of the snow because the Park Ranger that we ran into confirmed that the blizzard would force them to close roads. We traveled until we were able to stop in a town called Eagle Point so we could regroup. We had diverted from the original course during the blizzard/rainy weather so Tony decided to continue onto Ashland, OR and bypassing the Redwood National Park. So we stopped and ate at Extreme Juice. The food, espresso and service were great!! I am glad to be in a city to get back to Zen. I faired well considering the hazardous weather conditions. I contribute this to reading my prayer books to take my mind to a more peaceful and secure setting; instead on being focused on the dangerous driving conditions. Tony did a terrific job driving! I wanted to do my part and didn’t want to distract what he was trying to do. I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to have him worry if I was ok because he had enough to accomplish. Right now I’m enjoying the city life even if it’s for a while. Extreme Juice has WiFi so I can catch up on emails and other tasks.

We venture onward to Ashland, OR. We found accommodations in Talent, OR, which was just a few miles from Ashland. We hooked up at a park called American RV Resort; this park honors our Passport America Membership Discount so it is inexpensive to have amenities such as water, electric, sewer, cable TV and WiFi. Tony & I really needed a home base after the rough weather night in Crater Lake National Park. We felt that at any moment there would be a knock at our door asking us to vacate. Tony wanted to shower and get back to his Zen and American RV Resort gave him back his Zen. I’m guessing only by my observation but his Crater Lake experience didn’t leave him with a sense of peace. He was looking forward to seeing Crater Lake in all of its glory but weather conditions limited that experience. I craved my amenities that American RV Resort has to offer so I can check out sports channels to see if later I can watch playoff baseball or at least some highlights of baseball, football, and/or hockey. Anyway, all worked out great. We are fine and our vehicles are fine and we have a home base with creature comforts. Many people aren’t so lucky and I am thankful that I did get to see Crater Lake with my own five senses instead in a documentary. We are going to see what Ashland and the surrounding area has to offer.

Tony’s Notes
Well we enjoyed our trip into Ashland. We drove around the quaint downtown atmosphere then decided to park for free in front of a bank (my apologies, I don’t remember the name) and walked the streets. I must say that it felt good to walk off some of my nervous energy I was carrying from this morning’s journey down from Crater Lake. It was past lunchtime and we were hungry. We decided to eat out at an Italian Restaurant called Pasta Paitti. The food and service were just right and we were glad we stopped. We asked our waitress what she thought an out of towner from Michigan should experience while in Ashland. She recommended a walk in their park called Lithia Park. The waitress informed us that the same individual who designed Central Park in NY designed this park. On the way to the park, we came across an enchanting shop that contained flowers and chocolate in one (my apologies, I don’t remember the name). I convinced Tony that we had to stop. We shared/split some wonder chocolate treats. Now after our meal and dessert we knew we had to walk off some of the calories. We stopped at a famous drinking fountain that offers visitors samples of spring water. This spring water is authentic so it tastes like sulfur; the city also offers traditional drinking fountains to wash the sulfur taste out. A native clued Tony & I into the secret so we were spared the full shock of the sulfur. Our Lithia Park event was time well spent! It was rainy and cold but my umbrella provided some protection. Honestly, Tony & I hardly recognized the rain because we enjoyed the surroundings so much. We saw several deer grazing and even more ducks. The stream provided the perfect music; I couldn’t have asked for a better channel. Tony snapped some pictures so I hope they caught the elegance of this magical escape right in downtown.

We walked back to the car and on the way stopped at another chocolate shop and bought some to take home. We have dessert wine that we don’t want to go to waste and I figured it was a good time to pick up some chocolate. We wanted to get back to home base before dark. We also needed to pick up some groceries as well as check out a Hot Springs Spa (a native queued us). The Hot Springs didn’t pan out. We managed to pick up groceries but night fell while we were shopping. Tony & I wanted to get the groceries back to Harry. Once home again, the two of us decided to spend the rest of the evening hanging out in our RV.

Tony’s Notes
Waking up to a whiteout, with a bunch of snow scared me a bit. I was happy that just after daylight, the snow plow drove through and our RV neighbor was willing have me follow him down.

Once we drove about 3,000 feet down the mountain side, the snow disappeared and it was wet and raining, instead. I bee-lined out the entrance to the National Park, and drove through the National Forest as safely as I could go.

Ashland, Oregon was a very charming beautiful little town. The restaurant served a nice wine, and the meal was wonderful. The flower and chocolate shop served a liquid chocolate that we each drank with some pieces of pure dark chocolate laced with Lavender. You could taste the lavender; I love lavender. The natural hot springs was a clothing optional place, and was a very old and secluded place. We passed, and went home. The Ashland Spring water fountain was sulphury. We had a great visit in Ashland, and I really enjoyed the walk in the rain at Lithia Park.