Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Portland, known as the "City of Roses" (although not apparent in January), sits between the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. It's a pretty big city; much larger than either of us pictured. Home to Columbia Sportswear and Nike, the city definitely has a casual feel to it.
It was a clear day for driving up from Talent and once off the mountains, it's relatively flat for the last 2 hours. To the east however, we had a spectacular view of Mt. Hood. It's ginormous (yes, that is a word), over 11,000 feet and the highest mountain in Oregon. Since Lisa did such a great job on the Siskiyou Summit, I thought the Mt. Hood drive might be fun for her. Then I read it was actually a volcano and there's a slight chance it might erupt. She can drive through snow but I'm not sure how good she'd be at molten ash so we decided to stick to the highway. Maybe we'll hit it on the way back after she's got a few more miles under her belt.
Lisa's friend Amy Long hosted us for a couple nights. She transferred from Chicago to Portland 2 years ago and recently lost her job so will likely move back. We met a friend of mine's brother and his family for dinner that night and of the six of us at the table, only 2 were gainfully employed. We are no longer a minority! How liberating! I need a speech writer! Maybe it could start something like this..."I HAD a job"...
Portland's outdoor life is prevalent. Everyone bikes, walks and hikes no matter what the weather. It's the rainy season now but if the locals hike in the rain, so do the HOs. Plus, we knew after a good hike we were rewarding ourselves with a trip to the Willamette wine country for the night... so if that's not incentive to get your hike-on I don't know what is.
Amy took us to the Columbia River Gorge to hike the Multnomah Falls. It's 2.5 mile hike up to the mother of all waterfalls in Oregon and it's loaded with 45 degree angle switchbacks almost the entire way. Before heading up, there was a little sign telling us about the condition of the trail; it was icy and snowy and not recommended for hiking today. Ok, but if they REALLY didn't want us up there they should have put up police tape. A lot of police tape. We're from Chicago...we understand police tape. So, despite the warning to the the wimps, we went up. What an awesome hike! As we started out we thought it was raining but realized it was the residue from the the waterfall that was crashing at the bottom. The trail was really narrow so in the icy spots we had to tuck ourselves into the side of the mountain...the alternative wouldn't have been pretty. As we got higher and looked across the Columbia River we could see the State of Washington. You could almost swim there it's so close. It took us about 1.5 hours to finish the roundtrip and nobody got hurt. So, I'm glad we went even though it was a bit icy and we had to hold on in some spots so we wouldn't fall off a cliff. And, yes I'm glad we went even though on the way down a big rock fell from above and only missed Lisa's head by 3 feet. Ok, that part was scary, but I said nobody got hurt didn't I?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Continuing on the Lewis and Clark trail, we set our sights on Oregon. When we pass through an area that I think has a beautiful landscape, I write about it in the blog so you can look it up in your spare time if you want. And we've been lucky to see some beauties on this trip. But, forget what you've read so far. This time I'm serious. Driving up through the southern part of Oregon through the Siskiyou Mountains had the most breathtaking topography I have EVER seen. And you're going to say "Come on Eileen" we've heard this before. And I'm going to respond "I hate that song"...but I'm really serious this time.
Just over the California border into Oregon is an expansive mountain range that left us pointing in every direction saying "wow...look at that". The all but empty red-clay Shasta River masks an entire side of the mountain for miles. Up above was a lush green mountain range with colors neither of us had never seen before. Apparently, because of the high elevation, it rains and snows a lot which keeps everything bright and healthy year-round. We had to drive through the Siskiyou Summit, which is the most dangerous pass on Highway 5, an interstate going all the way through Oregon. And I can't tell you how happy I was Lisa was driving. I don't intentionally put her behind the wheel on the difficult routes but when it happens, know that I am nothing short of encouraging and supportive...much like the coxswain on a rowing team. We no sooner passed all the greenery when everything turned dark and we drove right into a wild snow storm on the mountain top. I'm not exaggerating when I say it was a white knuckle drive for several miles as she slowly maneuvered around semi trucks on the dirty, unplowed gravely mountain road. I'm also not exaggerating when I tell you she's paying to get my car washed. It was absolutely filthy when she finally decided to get us off that God-forsaken mountain. I can't stand a dirty car.
Talent, Oregon, 1/2 way between San Fran and Portland, is where we were staying for the night. A friend of ours has an aunt there she wanted us to meet. She lives in the foothills and we found out the hard way you don't want to go up those lumber roads in the dark. The roads are not clearly marked and obviously there are no streetlights. Trixie was completely unglued and nearly walked out on us (trust me, she wouldn't get far...I hid the owner's manual). It got to a point it was just easier to shut her off. Sometimes that Brit gets on my very last nerve.
Lovely Aunt Jody Woodruff had home-made soup, salad and a fire ready for us. The next day she grabbed her walking stick and took us on a tour all along the winding streets pointing out indigenous trees, teaching us about the climate and telling us why she likes it so much in Talent. 28 years ago she went on an excellent adventure with her late husband, ended up here and never looked back. And, she takes full advantage of what Oregon has to offer...from snow-shoeing, cross country skiing, hiking, kayaking, writing for the local newspaper and then down to the nearby town of Ashland for live music. Oh, and by the way she's 78! She admitted she has a lot of girlfriends but it gets a little lonely at times and she'd like to meet a companion (great...more competition). She told us her neighbors run a Sufi retreat (which is a liberal breakout of the Muslim religion) and although she said there's potential to meet men, she doesn't want to join the movement. She also tried the local Buddhist temple but said it was full of women probably looking for men, too. We talked about on-line dating and she agreed to a quick photo shoot. So we snapped a few shots and will check our mailboxes in the next few months for her wedding invitation. I'm sure we'll get to do the readings.
Ok, let's give it up to Lisa for doing such a great post on her own. She's entertaining...and yes, my muse. But now, I'm behind a few days so need to get you caught up. Strap on your seatbelts, here we go...
California is a super long state. Really, check out the map on the blog...it's L-O-N-G long...and if you've kept up with us, we've driven all of it! Last place on the whistle stop is San Rafael. Lisa's friends TK and Kate have lived there 6 years and have a deceivingly large home. By that I mean we each had our own bedroom! So, 2 nights apart PLUS our own rooms...pinch me!! These two were so ready for us, the beef braciole was in the crockpot and the PICNIC was packed. They had proscuitto, strawberries, cheese and crackers all packed up for our day out. Now, I don't even know these people but they have fixed a non-leftover lunch, a home-cooked meal and I get my own bed!!! Seriously, who do I owe? And, I didn't even tell you about the fireplace yet! Oh vay...
Off to the Russian River vineyards with the gals. What a beautiful day to take in some wine, nosh and listen to Lisa and TK tell high school stories with belly laughs. Such a treat to listen to friends connect as if no time has passed.
Our tour directors, TK and Kate not only belong to a few wine clubs but they have a great sense of the entire Northern California area. We were fortunate to get fun facts not only of the vineyards but of all the national parks in the U.S. TK is a supervisor in the Golden Gate National Recreation area and Kate is the Superintendent of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. I'm not sure how much these titles translate to our readers but I'll just say this...they have big girl jobs. And, since they're with the government, they will most likely be employed through their retirement. Job security is good these days as we reach the highest unemployment rate in our history. But anyway, one of the cool things was TK carried a bat-phone since she was on-call while we were touring the vineyards (thank God she's not my doctor). The phone rang...big news (for us)...a body washed ashore at her park. She took the call as if someone just ordered a pizza. She asked questions (what's the sex of the body, how long do you think it's been dead, do you want extra sauce with that). Seemed like a very routine call for her and she wasn't willing to pour her wine out to solve the crime. Apparently, people jump off the Golden Gate Bridge not intending to survive and it takes days for them to wash ashore. Lucky for TK, sometimes they wash-up in her jurisdiction. We were fascinated because we know if someone jumped off the Michigan Avenue bridge in Chicago, all they would get is dirty and a big, fat fine. It just doesn't seem fair does it?
We drove all around in the valley through beautiful, winding roads with huge redwood trees. I'm not sure the scenery could have been more California. The great thing about taking road trips is the excellent adventure that lies ahead. We're with 2 veterans who fortunately had no idea where we were going either but were more than willing to explore. We drove for a bit on one of the most scenic drives in this wine country and stumble into a hidden gem. The town of Occidental is deeply nestled into Sonoma (there's a song there I just know it). What a spirited, old Bohemian town so full of character and characters. Homestyle italian restaurants, eclectic shops, a tiny post office and of course, a darling tavern. We had 8 eyes wide open as we happened upon this lovely surprise. And, I bet you figured out by now, we didn't stop in the post office.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
My name is Eileen Quigley and I approve this post...
IT'S BEEN A FABULOUS ONE! Everyday we not only blessed with wonderful, generous hosts but we are also experiencing new adventures and highlights! From snowshoeing in Taos, to biking in Santa Monica, to lots of wine tasting, to touring Presidential Museums, to trying to think of ways to LOSE all of the Marcia Brady audio cds, to various farmer's markets, to celebrating mass in random churches (note: Saint Monica's in Santa Monica is VERY liberal), picnicking at well-thought out spots with our left-overs, working with Trixie, our British GPS (thanks Dad and Arleen), to seeing Shasta lake, to looking out Amy Long's windows in Portland and seeing Mount Hood miles away, to sitting by the Kramer's fire-pit and roasting s'mores, to meeting our new friend Jennifer Grey and her mother, Joel Grey's ex-wife, to pant shopping in Phoenix (thanks again Anne...good thing you hadn't dropped off those Goodwill bags yet!) and to Quigs' blog...she stays up to the wee-hours to write them, jostles me awake to read them, and I end up laughing too hard to fall back asleep! Again, God is good and we are very fortunate to be living this amazing cross-country experience. Enjoy!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Petaluma is a victorian town located north of San Francisco in Sonoma County and is one of the few places in California that survived the 1906 earthquake. The town is full of architecturally beautiful and sound buildings, including many with iron fronts that can withstand fire, which is a concern to Californians. There are also several houses in the town designed by architect Julia Morgan, the same architect who designed the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Yes, that's the same Hearst Castle we didn't see a few days ago because we didn't make reservations. It's still a sore point so I'm going to move on.
I stayed with a college friend, Arden Kwan and her 2 daughters, 2 dogs and I don't know how many friends came in and out over a 2 day period. It's a small town and nobody locks any doors so everyone is free to roam about the town. I'm a city girl so I locked my suitcase once I got in her house. I couldn't risk someone stealing my socks as I didn't pack that many and laundry is a luxury. Anyway, I read the best way to see Petaluma was with one of the town's docents dressed in Victorian garb. Unfortunately, tours are only May-December. I don't mean to be an ungrateful guest but I could not talk one of my hostesses into dressing the part. They offered the plain-clothes tour so I went along. We walked all all around the downtown and gathered bits and pieces of the town's history. Strangely, when we hit certain spots there was a distinctive odor in the air. I was reminded that in California, marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes. Seems there are a lot of sick people in Petaluma. There was even one man at the bus stop sharing his medicine with a friend. I guess that's another nice part of being in a small town.
Arden and I went on an short wine tour of Sonoma. You could spend all day at the vineyards if you had the money for a driver. We went from the Tattinger champagne vineyard with lovely sit-down table service to running in and out of some wineries. Our final stop was Sebastiani which is a fairly big vineyard and lots of wine hosts to serve you. We lucked out and got a really friendly and knowledgeable woman to serve us. There was a recent scandal in the newspapers about in-fighting with this particular vineyard we were dying to hear about. She was reluctant to talk but told us the vineyard was a family owned winery for 107 years until a month ago. There was a falling out and the family ended up selling the vineyard to the Firestone family. She gave us a company line that it was a really good fit, blah blah blah. But, all I could think of was Andrew Firestone's Polish cleaning lady bride is probably going to get a few more new outfits out of this acquisition.
Please note the 2WestwardHos reconnected as planned and Lisa will post separately about her visit with friends in San Francisco.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
Wait, is it the long and WINEY road or the long and WINDING road? After a few stops in the vineyards, it's all the same. We're heading up north on PCH towards San Francisco but need to break up it up because after all, this isn't a race. So we thought we'd stop 1/2 way between Santa Monica and San Francisco to take in a few grapes...I mean sights. About 4 hours into our drive is the Pasa Robles wine region, known mostly for it's Zinfandels (red, not white...for crying out loud we're not that broke). We noticed it was quiet in the area, which has pros and cons when visiting wineries. The pros are we get undivided attention and good pours. It's unfortunate that I'm going to list this as a con...but, it's also the big pour. And, it's a con only because none of the wineries have rooms upstairs we can fall into after 37 tastings.
One of the places we stopped was the Firestone Winery and we literally had it to ourselves. It was a beautiful setting and the perfect set-up to corner the wine hostess with questions about the Firestone family. Actually, we only cared about one member...Andrew Firestone. He was a good-looking simpleton searching for an equally intelligent bride on "The Bachelor" (remember, we're still in California so all this information is critical). We knew he and "Jen from Chicago" broke off their engagement but Lisa was convinced he married the Polish cleaning lady. After several sly inquiries from us, our wine hostess was not giving up any info. I figure she must make a little over minimum wage to be that tight lipped about the family. She did, however, tell us we were free to roam about, watch the video and read the family history strewn around the room. As mentioned previously in the blog, Lisa is a dedicated follower of CSI and Law and Order. So, as any good detective would do, she marched right to the family photos and low and behold, there it was. A Firestone family picture...and her keen eye (maybe both eyes...she's had lasik surgery) focused directly on Andrew's bride. The woman is indeed foreign and if the rumors hold true, she's is now probably the best dressed Polish cleaning woman in California. Once again, case closed thanks to Lisa's extensive tv viewing.
We stayed in a coastal town about 25 minutes from Pasa Robles called Moonstone Beach. What an unbelievable setting. It's a one street town with darling ranch-style hotels/cabins and restaurants directly across from the ocean. We found inexpensive lodging and a room with a fireplace. This time it was gas so with one flip of the switch, the fire didn't go out until we left the next day.
We were 10 minutes from the Hearst Castle and the good news is it's still fairly empty around us so we felt no need to make a tour reservation. On-line booking shows 24 tickets left so we're safe. Then, we get there and somehow in a one hour period, every RV that was within driving distance pulled up and took all the tour tickets. Ugh!!! Ok, we've been gone for over 2 weeks and let's face it, we really haven't had any true blunders to date. Maybe we were due. We were really disappointed because it was on our list of must-sees on the trip. It's the most expensive house ever built in America and we got stuck reading about it in the museum and paying $6.00 to see a National Geographic movie about the construction. It just wasn't the same. We vowed to come back some day with our husbands in our Airstream campers, park in the RV section and waltz up to the ticket window with our secured reservations for the 11:20 tour.
Along the coast we stop to see the elephant seals. Every year at this time they come ashore to breed, give birth and molt. It's fascinating to watch and listen to them try to claim their territory. They flip sand at each other, arch their backs and scream at the top of their lungs. I likened it to taking a really tired 3 year old to the beach.
The coastal drive is rainy, foggy and winding and that is not a good mix. We stop for lunch in a town called Gorda and realize we both feel a little queezy. What was to be an incredible scenic drive along the coast has turned into a horrible pinball game with us thrashing about in the hairpin turns. At this point, we decide since we can't see anything through the fog, we're just going to jump on the highway. We bring in the atlas and ask the waiter what the best route is to get to the highway. We may as well have asked him for the "exit built into the mountains for city-folk who just don't feel like driving anymore". Well, there's no special route and the only way out is 65 miles away! Now what? Well, we just have to suck it up and find a way to get us through this ride. Once back in the car we figured one way to get our mind off the ride was to listen to a book on tape. We've got the perfect one, too. Maureen McCormick reading her mind-numbing tale "Here's the Story. Surviving Marcia Brady". It's a masterpiece surely to land in the classics someday. Who would have guessed she gave up a 1000 stroke a day hair-brushing habit for pot, cocaine and sex. We found ourselves talking to the cd screaming "no Mo...not again" as she re-tells in gory detail all the times she slips into the hands of evil and stays up for days on end, missing audition after audition for movies starring nobody we've ever heard of. At one point when she spoke of the Brady Reunion Show, she referred to them as "The Boozy Bunch" because they were all strung out on the set. It's brilliant and hard to believe she squeezed her entire life into a 6 hour cd set. I don't want to ruin it for everyone so please post a comment if you wish to borrow this autographed copy when we get home and it will be available on a first come, first served basis.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Inauguration Day. We're in CA so festivities are early but we're ready to watch it all unfold...as ready as you can be in your pajamas. We have a 6 and 8 year old with us because it was important enough to their parents to keep them home to watch history. Our hosts, the Kramers, are wonderful and warm people. Aaron is a creative, thoughtful artist who makes magical things out of garbage. No lie...check out his website (www.urban-objects.com) and see all the crazy stuff he creates. He's like his own recycling program. Joan and I have been friends for a long time. We worked together for about 12 years and sealed our friendship on a month-long business trip to Japan where we spent 16 hours a day working with 10 men shorter than us...and neither of us could pass for tall. Fortunately, we ended up better friends because of the trip, making the Kramer's a required stop on this journey. They have 2 darling daughters we were not only happy to hang out with, but we also knew there was a good chance they went to school with kids who had parents in the entertainment field (I know...we are SO shallow, but we are determined to see someone famous). We were prepared to run carpool duties for the next couple shifts if we had to. But then, suddenly, on this most historic day in our country's history we are bestowed with the gift of all gifts...a star. Yes, a star walked right into the Kramer home to drop off her child with us. Not nearly as embarrassed as we should have been sitting in our pajamas, we were casually greeted by Jennifer Grey and her mother as they dropped off a 6 year old for an inauguration play-date. Jennifer Grey, sure, you know her...star of "Dirty Dancing". We all exchanged niceties as if it was just a normal morning. But it wasn't. We saw a star. I told you we were determined. Just because we don't have jobs doesn't mean we don't have goals. It was a triumphant morning which only goes to show you...NOBODY PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER.
Win one for the Gipper...
We spent the afternoon at the Ronald Reagan Library (www.reaganlibrary.net). The setting has a breathtakng view of the Simi Valley and we lucked out with another beautiful, sunny day. The first stop is the Gallery of the Presidents where pictures of all 44 Presidents hang-yes, all 44. We were surprised at 2:30 p.m. to see Obama's picture hanging so uniformly with the others. The guard told us they hung it at 12:01 after he was sworn in. A "wow" moment. This is a library everyone should have on their list of things to see. We were in peaceful times during his eight years at the helm and he managed to negotiate a decrease in nuclear arsenals with the Soviets without bloodshed. He was also instrumental in ending the Cold War and having the Berlin Wall torn down. Not only that, but Ronny used to be a Democrat when he was a big Hollywood actor...who knew? Right at the front door of the Library stands a giant bronze statue of him decked out in cowboy attire. We recognized it immediately because we saw a similar one at the National Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City. I know, I know...now we're just showing off.
The pictures on this post have nothing to do with anything. Lisa thought we might want to try working for TMZ so we headed out this morning to see if we could get a glimpse of a few more stars...maybe sell the pictures and make a little dough. So, we rented a tandem bike and peddled up the boardwalk towards Malibu. Nobody. So, we head back south towards Venice and we spot something. They're filming "The Biggest Loser". Lisa thought if we stare straight ahead they may use the clip in the show. Of course, I stared directly at the camera and now she's sure we'll be on the cutting room floor. I wanted to tell her the real reason we'd probably be cut is because she was wearing a baseball hat under her bike helmut...who does that? Anyway, the one picture was taken on the set of Numbers that was sitting in a parking lot. I carefully dismounted from the back of the bike, ran over to a trailer and snapped the shot. I had to run back to the getaway tandem without getting caught by the unarmed security guard. Success! I have no idea who the character is but that's why there's Google.
The 2nd shot is of one of California's finest. We spotted him pointing his radar on Highway 1. Very exciting. We hid behind a bush and waited for an opportune moment to snap the shot. BAM...he nailed a VW Bug speeding down the PCH! Check out the photo...he's actually reading the speed.
And, now, we wait by the phone for TMZ to call. Gosh this has been an exciting day.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Santa Monica is not only beautiful but a lot of stars live here...and we're going to hunt them down. Ok, maybe not hunt, but we really want to see at least one. We figured a good way to do this is to take one of our infamous walks (you just wait, people are going to be writing about these walks in history books). We're staying with the our friends, Joan and Aaron Kramer, who live on a bluff about 4 houses from the beach so we had an interesting route to travel and were sure we'd see somebody...even if it was George Michael coming out of a bathroom. Well, an hour and 15 minutes later and the only thing resembling stars were the trailers for the show "Numbers". Nobody was even on location except the caterer. We're not giving up though...we still have a couple days left here and we will succeed on this mission.
We decided to check out the Getty Villa in Malibu (www. getty.edu). J. Paul Getty wanted a venue to exhibit his extensive Roman and Greek antiques so he hired an architect to help him build an exact replica of a first century Roman country house, the Villa dei Papiri. In 79 A.D., the original villa was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvious and was later excavated in the 1700s. Obviously, a lot of research went into the museum and it was really quite interesting how much detail went into the grounds, including a full herb garden because it was thought the Roman's made use of all of their land. Sage was one of the herbs we saw in the garden. We were told it was not only used for cooking but also for coloring Cleopatra's hair. I wish I had a shovel because I'm going to need to use Cleo's secret hair remedy in about 2 weeks.
So much time and money was spent on the Villa. But, more interesting was the fact that this miserly old man wouldn't pull together a few million bucks in ransom money to get his grandson out of hock in Italy in the early 70's. The amount the kidnappers were looking for was pocket change to this old grandpa but he wouldn't budge. If he didn't have such alligator arms towards his family, he probably wouldn't have a grandson that was hard of hearing and a great-grandson that felt the need to cheat with Sienna Miller leaving his wife with 4 kids. (for those of you who don't know, Balthazar plays "Tommy Walker" on "Brothers and Sisters"...try to keep up, we're in People Magazine land right now).
Joan gave us a local tour of Venice in the late afternoon. We wanted to see how Venice Beach would celebrate Martin Luther King's Birthday. The crowd was thick and there wasn't anyone we really wanted to meet...or smell. Whoa...the wafting incense mixed with dirty people had me seriously thinking about setting up a nose-plug kiosk. And, I wouldn't even sell them. I would give them away to anyone presenting an out-of-state i.d. I have to wonder, do we look like that because we're unemployed? Be honest, we've posted some recent pictures. I know you can't smell us but we are showering every day (well, I am anyway...I can only vouch that I hear the water running when Lisa is in the bathroom). After glancing down just a few blocks, we saw no real networking possibilities for employment or rich husbands. Or poor husbands. Or decent conversation for that matter. We both took a pass on the guy wearing only an American flag Speedo as his attire. Was he a former Lehman Brothers employee that had to sell ALL his clothes to make ends meet? And, what does he wear when his Speedo is in the laundry? We will never know the answers to those questions. Unfortunately, I think the area has taken a downturn since Bay Watch was cancelled. I also think the crowd probably turned seedier after the release of the David Hasselhoff hamburger eating clip his darling daughter released. I'd like to believe that back in the day when Pam and Hoff were bouncing around in their bathing suits saving lives, the boardwalk was full of upstanding citizens who smelled good. Perhaps we were just about 15 years late on the scene.
Monday, January 19, 2009
After all the fun in San Diego, we needed to get back on the learning trail so Sunday we were off to Yorba Linda to visit the Nixon Library. We went with an open mind hoping to find out what Tricky Dick was all about and what great things he did for this country. After all, he was elected into office twice before we were even allowed to vote. The location was nice. And, I could end the story here. But, to be fair, it is likely 1 out of the 3 people reading this blog (plus one of the Westward HOs) is a republican so we welcome your insight on his legacy. The library was literally filled with propaganda and every little memento they found under Dick's bed. It was like a well-designed scrapbooking class about their daughters, first-dog Checkers and hundreds of trips abroad. A few things we picked up was the Vietnam War ended under his command (but only after he escalated it), he created the EPA and a man walked on the moon. Interestingly, there wasn't one syllable of information on Watergate. It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out Nixon only served 5 of his eight years but the story is written as if he fulfilled his duty, moved away and died of a stroke. It's like somebody stole the entire exhibit of his resignation. So, my suggestion would be to put a sign at the exit "For the rest of the story, please Google "I AM NOT A CROOK". Thank you for visiting the Nixon Library".
To Santa Monica we go. What a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway...the first highway in America! Beach town after beach town we drove cranking our necks trying to get a glimpse of the homes that make up these places. These are not your typical cookie-cutter suburbs...every house was unique from ranch-style bungalows to multi-family dwellings. Also unique were the people. We saw families, professionals, surfers and probably families of professional surfers. It would be great to be able to afford one of these homes but neither of us fits the profile. Right now, we're neither professionals nor surfers. Lisa will have to do a bit of back rehab before she tries to tackle the board. For me, I'm more likely to go the professional route before I don a wet-suit...they're so unflattering. So for now, we'll continue California dreaming in the Hyundai making up stories about the people who live here.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Rise and shine to see San Diego by day. First thing to tackle was Balboa Park, the largest urban cultural park in the United States. It's a few blocks from Tommy's house so we decided that would be our walk today. Now, it sounds a bit geriatric that we are taking "walks" in these great cities but there's a reason for that. You can really take in a city and feel like a local when you're walking. Plus, Lisa is a runner but she is suffering from a herniated disc. I, on the other hand, am not a runner and am secretly happy about her ailment. Truth be told, it is better to have a walking partner when you explore a new city. So, I'm just saying if I see any improvement in Lisa's condition to the point that I think she might be able to run, it will not be a coincidence that she has a set-back. I will not cause any permanent damage because I'M her friend, but, there will be just enough so she has to continue walking with me.
Balboa Park is magnificent (www.balboapark.org). It is 1200 acres filled with museums, the famous San Diego Zoo and several other of the city's finest cultural venues. There are 5 walking trails to choose from which are GPS ready. We left Trixie in the car as we've not actually taken her out in public and this wasn't a good venue to test her social skills. We ended up going on the 3.6 mile difficult route which took us through a lot of the park's attractions. Many of the buildings have been around since the late 1800's and are quite grandiose in size. It was 75 degrees at 9:30 this morning so we were getting a workout. Going down the trails was great but there was a lot of huffing and puffing when we had to climb back up. At one point, the trail hit a dead-end because of what looked like a recent mud-slide. We had to make a choice on which way to go and the problem is, if you make the wrong guess, you could be on the trail that goes 5+ miles and we were already hot and starving. Ok, admitedly, Trixie probably would have helped us at this point. But, since Lisa watches a lot of CSI and Law and Order my gut told me she should lead. And, my gut was right. She lead us safely back on to our trail and we continued on the path. Just another reason I'm glad Lisa has a herniated disc as I'd probably still be trying to find my way home.
As we traveled farther west there are a few noticable changes. The architecture for example, has much more of a Spanish influence in California. New Mexico and Arizona had a stronger Native American/Mexican traits in the structures. The buildings in San Diego are much more ornate than what we've seen so far.
The other change we've seen is in the trucks. The farther west we go, the bigger the pick-up trucks on the road. Lisa couldn't wait to get her hands behind the wheel of Tommy's big rig. It's a jacked up Ford pick-up and when the engine is revved the pipes blare like a monster truck. At home, we'd be calling the Po Po on a daily basis if this rig belonged to one of our neighbors. Out West, they're just part of the landscape. We noticed the biggest difference between the Arizona and San Diego rig is the rear view mirror decor. If you buy a monster truck in Arizona, the dreamcatcher for the rear view mirror must be part of the standard package. Or, maybe the dealer throws it in as a thank you for getting that 8,000 pound piece of metal off his lot. San Diego drivers seem less interested in the internal decor. It's all function in California and these trucks seat 6 adults comfortably (we tried it Saturday night so my research is based on fact). Plus, Dude, you can put your surfboard in the back! Actually, I'm pretty sure you can fit the contents of a 4 bedroom house in these trucks. Which is risky because having this type of rig also makes you available to move all your friends when they ask. So, if you don't want to be in the moving business for the rest of your life, either don't show them your big monster truck or buy a sedan. And, maybe hang a dreamcatcher from the mirror just for kicks.
The afternoon was reserved for Coronado. Lisa has never been and this was the one thing she wanted to see. We picked up Tommy's friend Richer to act as our tour guide. We tooled all around Coronado, the Hotel Del and walked the beach. Yes, it's January and we had sand between our toes! The Hotel is 120 years old and is the main attraction to the island. The Hotel Del has been host to so many stars and dignitaries it was hard to believe how many men thought it was appropriate to sit at at a table, remove their shirt, and start eating. Sorry, but that's just GROSS. Trust me, these were NOT men you wanted to see with their shirts off. Anyway, from there we went to Imperial Beach which is the most southwestern end of our country. Hard to believe, but it's the end...we're done, finished, no more America. Next stop is Mexico. You can actually drive right into Mexico from Imperial Beach. We talked about going until Tommy revealed he doesn't have a passport. It's like pealing back an onion with this guy! He has an Irish last name, says he Mexican , lives 15 minutes from his people and no passport. We knew border control would let us gringos in but Tommy would pose a threat. He would have been taken from his monster truck, interrogated and ended up living in Tiajuana selling chicklets on the beach because he had no papers. We just couldn't risk it...mainly because we didn't have a key to his house. So, we opted to save an international trip with him once he got his affairs in order...or his story straight.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
San Diego or bust...5.5 hours so it should be a breeze, figuratively speaking since we are literally driving through the desert. It's just sand dunes for miles and miles. We had to go through 3 border controls, which, I have to admit, concerned me. Lisa's newly acquired savage tan from Arizona should have raised some eyebrows at the checkpoints. Interestingly, we were waived through by Mexican uniformed immigration officers. I wonder if anyone ever checks their papers.
We made a quick stop in Yuma for lunch. Yes, another left-over picnic. Hey, if you're tired of reading about our leftover lunches, think how we feel. Anyway, we hit the jackpot because we found an actual picnic bench (it's the little things in life). We were on historical Main Street in Yuma which made downtown Michigan City, Indiana look glamorous. We saw about 6 people shopping around in the few stores that were open. That poor street has Lutes Casino, which doesn't even have gaming anymore, 4 hair salons and a home store with Christmas decorations still in the display window advertising "20% off". Hey Yuma, it's January 16. Christmas is long past and if you plan on moving your merchandise, you probably need to mark it down to about 70% off. However, I would steer clear of the signage company that made that indoor mall sign.
San Diego was 77 degrees and beautiful when we pulled in. Our host is Tommy McQuinn and we met him last year at a dinner party I hosted. He was a guest of one of my friends and as we were planning this trip, we were trying to figure out if we knew anybody in San Diego we could stay with. Then we remembered Tommy and the theme of the party soon turned into the dinner party I hosted "in his honor". One must be crafty when looking for free lodging with people you barely know. Tommy fell into the trap and is now sleeping on the couch for 2 nights. Had I known it would be this easy I would have hosted dinner parties for out-of-towners every weekend last year.
Tommy's name is deceiving as it sounds like he's a member of the Irish tribe. In fact, Tommy is really a McMexican and is not at all Irish. But the more we get to know him, he is more of a Mexi-can't than a Mexi-can. We speak more Spanish than he does. I'm thinking about checking his papers when he's not looking.
To show us a bit of San Diego, Tommy took us to the Park Manor, one of the oldest hotels in San Diego. The top of the hotel is a bar with a wrap around balcony so you get a breathtaking view of the city. And the bar was loaded with men...about 400 of them! Great odds right? Well, not one of them was interested in either of us. Now, we aren't that hard to look at but we couldn't get even a nibble. Hmm, what could it be. Oh wait...they're ALL gay. Well, at least we had a legitimate excuse for not meeting anyone this time.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
It was hot today...the thermometer topped out at 77 degrees. But, as is always pointed out by Arizonians, "it's a dry heat". When I lived here in the mid '80s for a spell I used to say the same thing. When it got up to 115 degrees and people in Chicago would ask me if it was too hot, instead of just fessing up that I felt like I was being cooked in a brick pizza oven I would say "oh, no, it's a dry heat". As a point of reference, fire is also a dry heat.
Today however, was just a normal hot day in the desert. It was a good day to layout and that's exactly what one of us did...the one that doesn't have the pasty Irish skin. The one with the pasty Irish skin tooled around this afternoon with her nieces and nephew to create lasting and loving memories. And if for some reason they forget what a wonderful day we had during the 2 Westward Hos roadtrip, I have pictures and receipts to prove it.
The tanner 1/2 of the Hos got an extra special gift today. Flashback to Oklahoma City a week ago. As we brought our clothes up to the hotel room, Lisa noticed something was missing. After checking under some shirts and sweaters, she was correct. She forgot to pack her pants. They were hanging behind a door in her condo in Chicago. Fortunately, she remembered to wear pants so we were both safe at this point. She called back home thinking one of our friends could pack them up and send them here to my sister's house. But, that thought passed and she bought a cheap pair at Old Navy in Ok City with the thought of having my nieces take her out to a store to buy a couple pairs of pants once we hit Arizona. And, they had to be on the cheap because in the past week, she hasn't gotten a job so she's still on a budget. Once we pulled in to Phoenix, my sister happened to mention she had a bag of clothes in the garage going to the Salvation Army. Lisa, half-kidding, asked if she had any pants in the bag. Low and behold, after returning from a long walk this morning, my sister laid out several pairs of pants and Lisa is now the proud owner of the 3 in the picture. Good things come to those who wait.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
We've clocked 2350 miles in 6 days. But, is somebody moving the states around while we're sleeping? This trip was planned around 5 hours of driving time from point A to point B, leaving enough time to make stops and still get to our destination by dark. So total car time should be about 8 hours. This is the 2nd time we plugged our route into Trixie and she spit out some ridiculous timeframe to reach our goal. Calling her a liar and swearing at her doesn't help (at least that's what we've heard). So today, our 5 hour jaunt from Santa Fe was suddenly 8 hours without stops. And, to top it off, 328 miles of it was on the same road! That one road consisted of red clay, Indian Reservations and casinos. Once we left New Mexico and arrived in Arizona, the same road consisted of BROWN dirt, Indian Reservations and casinos. You get the picture. We did get off to make a stop through the Petrified Forest in Holbrook, AZ. Apparently, it's been around some 10,000 years so we thought it sounded interesting. Once we got to the gate, the guard told us the trip would take about 2 hours. We couldn't spare the time so we had to jump back on that road again. Plus, some of the people we saw in the parking lot looked old enough to be the original inhabitants and since we don't drive a Winnebago, we felt a little out of place. So, if any of you get out there in the next 30 years, please make sure to send us your pictures.
We did make one stop on our drive to have a quick lunch. Yes, on another lonely picnic bench...and yes, they were leftovers-but it was chicken fajitas this time. Always searching for the right spot to take it easy, we ended up on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. Oh, c'mon, I couldn't resist. Of course we had to go see if there really was such a place in the Eagles song "Take It Easy"! And, there is. It's a couple of stores living off that one verse selling chotchkies and blasting Eagles songs all day in the street. Talk about beating a dead horse! But, there was an empty bench, sunshine and music so we stayed.
Destination today was my sister's house outside of Phoenix. Sister, husband, 3 kids, a dog, cat and a home cooked meal awaited us. My sister is a caterer and unbelievable cook; hence the rush past the Petrified Forest to get here in time for dinner. And the noise level was a welcome change from our long journey. Everyone talking at once, kids wanting to change the rings on our cell phones, acrobatics in the living room and American Idol was on tv. It was all pretty great. Now tomorrow, I will give my sister the spices I bought from "14th Generation" Charlie. I intentionally didn't give them to her tonight because they are hot crushed peppers of some sort and I feared she might want to use them immediately and it potentially could have ruined the meal I had been looking forward to for a week. Selfish, yes, but we've been eating leftovers on park benches...I wasn't taking any risks.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Santa Fe...where the sun shines 360 days a year! And that's a fact. It never gets too cold here but we're told they get all four seasons so it's almost the perfect climate. It was a gorgeous day to head up to Taos to check out the ski area. It's about 70 miles away and there is a mountain pass that takes you along some of the most beautiful part of the country you would ever see. We decided to use GPS Trixie since we really haven't heard her British accent in a few days and figured she missed us. On the way to Taos, we stopped in a little town called Chimayo. The town is home to a Sanctuario, sometimes referred to as the "Lourdes of America" where hundreds of thousands of people come each year in search of a miracle. It's also home to the Peligrino Cafe where Charlie works. He said he is "14th generation" and sells all types of dried spices in front of the restaurant. He approached us and said we looked like we were from out of town. We may have given him a clue since Lisa had a map in her hand we were studying intently. But, he's from the land of miracles so maybe he was praying two suckers from Chicago would appear... and his prayers were answered. He gave an elaborate tasting demonstration of several spices that we couldn't live without. We, of course, were looking for the tale that since he's "14th generation" (with a really good dentist since he had a beautiful set of choppers) he grows everything off his land (except the sandwich baggies) and this is how he feeds his family of 30. But, such was not the case. Some guy from Mexico sells him the spices and people like us buy them. He was a true salesman with the gift of gab and the only way to get out of there was to purchase some of his wares and scram. Today we were grateful for Trixie. She was truly our miracle as she got us safely out of Chimayo only $12.00 in debt.
From Chimayo we headed to Taos for some snow-shoeing at 9,000 ft. elevation. All our ski wear was with us so we used the car to turn us into the Sport Spice gals. We followed a beautiful snow shoe trail for about 50 yards and were immediately lost. To the right was a small river and although we had just left the land of miracles, neither of us felt we earned any special powers to get over the water without getting wet. To the left was a 1700 foot climb back up to the trail we lost (ok, 50 feet but it was ALL uphill in deep snow). After using several trees as our pulleys and few tumbles in the snow, we managed to get back on track and shoe for an hour in the warm sunlight of the Taos mountains. And yes, along the way we did stop to talk about just how lucky we are.
Monday, January 12, 2009
We drove the Hyundai Santa Fe straight into Santa Fe last night. No, we will not be changing cars every in every major city we hit this just a coincidence (I hope). Santa Fe means "holy faith" and is home of the oldest church and oldest home in the U.S. We headed out to see a few of the old relics as well as take in a visit to the state capitol which is here in Santa Fe. The capitol is a simple looking building from the outside but inside it holds about $5.2 million worth of art on its walls. The governor, Bill Richardson, happened to be in today. We didn't get a chance to meet him because he had a news conference. So, we talked to the receptionist and asked her to let him know if he could just clear up his little corruption misunderstanding, he could take a job in Washington and we would be happy to send down a replacement governor from Illinois. I feel pretty confident she will relay the message.
The city is loaded with beautiful artwork...an art market second only to New York in sales. Any of you looking to purchase art we would recommend purchasing a Ford F150 to drive down and make your purchase as many of the pieces we saw were grand in size.
The town is also loaded with gastrointestinal gems. Great breakfast in the hotel, followed by lunch at the famous Pasquels, a big fat nap (hey, unemployed people get tired, too) then off with dinner at El Farol (www.elfarolsf.com). El Farol is situated on Canyon Road in the art district and is the oldest bar in Santa Fe. Canyon Road was the main trail between the mountains and town and one day some brilliant man realized it was a long haul between these two spots and the cowboys needed a place to get a drink. He also decided Mondays would be 40% off food and bottles of wine (oh wait, maybe that's the current owner). Anyway, the place was loaded with the SF locals and lucky for us they were holding auditions for musicians tonight. The acts come in and play and the patrons decide who gets a permanent gig. Faith was the first act. She was probably mid 50's and her act was a bit dated. Her story (according to us) was they cut the music program at school this year and teaching piano lessons alone isn't paying the bills so she really needs the gig. She is a keyboard player and bi-lingual singer so her set went anywhere from Leroy Brown to The Maccarena. Before we left, the manager told us Faith won't be playing in the front room because her style isn't quite in-line with the clients. They do, however, have a backyard where they need entertainers so he would find a spot for her there. Perhaps the marquee will read "There's Faith in the Backyard"...fitting for this area.
A couple other things in Santa Fe...the hair is long on both men and women. Much of it is shoe-polish black but, if you aren't blessed to have that color your whole life, you just let it grow out. We actually haven't seen a hair salon in town so it may be against the law to cut or color your hair in Santa Fe. This is a good fact to know as Lisa and I have already discussed we will probably be driving back to Chicago with hats on because of our out-growth...or we just stay here because nobody will notice.
We're in a lovely hotel, Inn of the Governors (www.innofthegovernors.com). Very New Mexico, quaint, and after checking in noticed a guy with firewood and he said his room included a fireplace. Of course, our one-day advance on-line, double coupon, AAA discount booking didn't include one. But after an 8.5 hour drive through Oklahoma and Texas, we had fireplace envy and thought we deserved the upgrade. We'll both get jobs eventually so we splurged and I think we've made 16 tee-pee fires and gone through 2 cords of wood since we arrived.
Now, I just have to remember to call the unemployment office tomorrow so I get my check.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Jesus Christ is Lord Not A Swear Word...
That was on the side of an 18 wheeler blowing through Oklahoma this morning. Wonder who paid for that ad? Anyway, today was our longest day in the car as we wanted to make it through the Texas panhandle to Santa Fe in one day. We went to early mass this morning in OKC and on the road by 10 with sights on a place for the perfect picnic. We ate at the Cattleman's Cafe the other night (www.cattlemensrestaurant.com) in Oklahoma City...gem of a place, full of cowboy-hat wearing locals sitting in comfy leather booths. You order your typical steak that's 1/4 side of beef and it comes with an iceberg lettuce salad and rolls that are so dense they weighed in almost as much as the meat. They have special side dishes as well, including lamb fries. What are lamb fries? Funny you should ask. Well, they are often confused with rocky mountain oysters. Ok, you give? Lamb fries are fried lamb testicles and the latter are fried bull testicles. We ordered the baked potato.
We ended up with leftover steak and decided McLean, Texas (pop. 830) would be getting our picnic business today. And, we were actually the only business they had. This one-street town was deserted. Nothing, and I mean nothing was going on there. Even the tumbleweed was lonely. We saw a handful of pick-up trucks and 2 cowboys but other than that, it was unemployed-Chicago-on-a-budget-eating leftovers. I think the bench was glad to see us.
On our way to Santa Fe we drove through Amarillo, Texas where the Big Texan advertises a FREE 72 oz. steak on billboards for over 100 miles outside of town. We just had to stop to see what all the hoopla was about. I swear had we not just finished our cattleman's steak 30 minutes before on that lonely bench, I'm sure we would have polished off a 72 ouncer no problem...because it was free and as you may have noticed, we ARE on a budget.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Day 3 we wake in OK City to frigid weather--29F, but sunny so our touring wasn't hampered. Quigs' friend, Hal (a Sooner) flew in from Chicago this morning (delayed a day due a bunch of that white stuff falling). Great to have a local tour guide. We hit the National Cowboy Museum-Giddy Up! It was loaded with artifacts from, rodeos, good-looking ranchers, western movies, the military and Native Americans. And who knew the very first cowboys hailed from Ireland! The Duke with a brogue would've changed western movies forever. The National Memorial in downtown OK City was a somber site to say the least. Happy Hour @ Sonic drive-thru was a first for us..2:00-4:00 half-priced non-alcoholic drinks (cherry limeade the local favorite)...plus, they deliver the "toxic" beverages to your car (regretfully, not on roller skates...an enhancement we'll make when we buy a franchise in Chicago). The day was topped off with a delicious dinner @ Hal's mother's home..Claira (aka Duka). She was a wonderful hostess and we enjoyed meeting Hal's sister, her family and Aunt Priss. And, what do you know, the OK City Thunder beat the Bulls tonight! Going into the game, the locals told us, the Thunder was 5-32 so big win for the home team. (Of course, they are also still licking their wounds after their Sooners lost to the Gators so there is renewed hope in this sleepy little town).
A little trivia...the inventors of the parking meter and the grocery cart were both from OK City. (I'd like to get my hands on that meter guy...especially now that Chicago is fetching $3.50 an hour 24/7).
Friday, January 9, 2009
What a day in Independence, MO. Up first thing to beat the crowds to the Truman Presidential Library (we got lucky-no lines...no kidding). That was one busy president...taking over for FDR and had to end WWII, drop a nuclear bomb on Japan, sign NATO, start the Cold War and assisted Israel in establishing themselves a state (which of course, started another war...sound familiar? but who can keep track of all this stuff). Anyway, a short movie about his life pointed out he had bad vision...but nowhere did they mention a lazy eye (for those of you not following along in this riveting tale, please refer to January 8 blog).
We also hit the Leila Hair Museum (since we were in town). This place contains bracelets, rings, lockets and horseshoe wreaths made of weaved human hair...and most framed in shadow boxes. It's the only hair museum in the world (shocker). I know you wish I'd stop now but I'd like you to feel as creepy as we did. When we asked our personal guide if there was a lot of traffic that came through the museum, she responded "nobody came in yesterday and you're the 3rd people I've seen today". Knowing we're both out of work and Lisa is very crafty, I feel I now have to sleep with one eye open in fear I'll wake up with an asymmetrical hair cut so she can make birthday presents for her loved ones this year.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Springfield...to Independence
Great day...early morning mass in St. James in Bronzeville rectory...got a blessing from the congregation (which we needed) and off we went to begin our excellent adventure. Listened to NPR on the way to Springfield and learned all about lazy eyes. We toured the Lincoln Presidential Library and found out Abe had a lazy eye from getting kicked in the head by a horse...who knew! Put the Lincoln Library on your list of things to do...fascinating history on the Civil War which doesn't seem too different from the wars we're fighting today. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
So happy to have a GPS in the car. Her name is Trixie and she has a British accent so she speaks a little more gently when we make a wrong turn...we're going to enjoy having a 3rd person in the car for this long trip.
We made it safely to Independence, MO to the Truman Best Western. I think we're the only 4 wheeler in the place but the door has a double lock so we should be fine. Watching the Oklahoma-Florida game now since we're headed to Sooner-land tomorrow and want to be able to talk football to the locals when we arrive.
Monday, January 5, 2009
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