Posts

Showing posts from October, 2020

Carpenteria State Park, CA

Image
I spent my last morning at the ocean, right at the beach, across from my campsite. I will have to say, with the wind, at 63,° it was chilly, but comfortable with my winter cap and jacket. The marine layer was hanging around, and prevented the sun from coming out. I reluctantly pulled myself away right before noon, and got ready to hit the road for an over 3 1/2 hour drive towards San Diego. I wish I could say that I had the time to visit some relatives in the area, but this was going to be a quick pit stop to have my spare tire rack mounted, then home. I got to the shop just before 4 p.m. and the guys said they could mount the rack right away! I was surprised, but of course welcomed the chance to take care of it today. In less than an hour they were done, and I could settle into one of their parking spaces for my last night before heading home. The shop next door apparently has a night shift, and Nick, from Persia, stopped by for a chat. He brought some Persian tea and sugar cubes for

Pismo Beach, CA

Image
I was lucky enough to secure two nights at Pismo Beach, Oceano State Beach.  Check in wasn't until 2 p.m., so I parked on the street and found my spot on the beach. I tried going into the water and could only make it up to mid-calf, as I thought it was incredibly cold. Jo Jo hates the water and was a bit nervous thinking that I would dip him in, but in this case there was no way that I could do that to him. There was a beach trail close to my campsite even though it took 15 minutes  going straight up and down the sand dunes to reach the beach. I have to say it was quite a work out quite and a view, and I did this at least twice a day over the next couple of days. The park is also wedged in between a lagoon like area and full of fog in the morning while it was cool. I thought I was being smart, the next morning, by getting up at dawn to drive to the parking lot right next to the beach. But little did I know it that surfers are that dedicated, and the parking lot was completely fille

Ojai, and Heading to the Ocean

Image
Well, with the piece of mind knowing that my accommodations are all set for the next 5 days I don't have to worry about where to spend the night. I just have to think about getting there and making sure I arrive. My urban evening next to the winery was just fine, and finally cooled, as I woke up admiring the old-fashioned street lamps that lined the railroad tracks. I'm just thankful that the train wasn't running, otherwise that would have been beyond loud. I wound up in Ojai, CA, which was very familiar, since I was here last year. It's a very charming and quaint town, and I'm just disappointed that my timing is off again regarding a visit to the Beatrice Wood Arts Center. They are only open on the weekends. One of these days I will time it right. I enjoyed a stop at the Ojai Olive Oil farm which was quite tucked away at the foothills of the mountains. It is 40 acres of olive trees that apparently are pretty old. I have two olive trees at my house, but they are you