One. Last. Road trip. Tijuana to Nevada City

MAY 19, 2013

The vast beauty of California's Central Valley

The final week in So Cal was pretty amazing.  I had a tequila shot in Tijuana, swam with seals in La Jolla Cove, did yoga every morning with humming birds drumming around me, raced a aquathon that included an ocean swim and barefoot beach run, had friends visit from both Minnesota and Michigan, and spent the most amazing day with Lindy on her birthday which served as my final hurrah before leaving town.

Central Valley brush fire or meth lab explosion? I'll never know.

The original plan was to drive the coast and camp somewhere near Big Sur.  I just couldn’t bring myself to drive the central valley again.  As the pics here from my previous drive show, it’s so dry and soulless, there’s just nothing to see.  And besides, I am already pretty well stocked on meth, the region’s chief export. 

I have driven the California coast before though this was the first time I did so in one shot.  All the camp sites were full and hotels in Monterrey and Santa Cruz were both dirty and outrageously expensive.  After crushing a vegan mint chip milkshake at Saturn Café, I flipped that little switch in the back of my head that allows my mind and body to remain oblivious to the time of day and night it is, and drove right through. 

Yup.  A bit better view on the PCH than the alternative inland drive.

 

I expect no less from the town of Petaluma

Day one in Nevada City was a success.  I found the food co-op for breakfast at 7 a.m., just 19 hours after leaving San Diego.  There was a sign hanging for a room for rent with the warnings, “Vegetarian, must love animals.”  Hey! That’s me.  My new room is nice and clean and comes with a huuuuge shaded backyard.  My rommmates are a massage therapist, an 8 year old black lab, and a 40 year old parrot that likes pasta.  It’s a good start, though I can’t move in until tomorrow so I’m headed to a campsite on a lake a few miles down the road. 

My yoga studio for the day.

I’m exhausted.  Today went as well as it could have, though my weekend has melded into one long emotional day that started with yoga on Friday morning and is about to end now, Sunday night.  

Short Timing in San Diego, CA

“The woman was a dream I had, though rather hard to keep.”

-  Bouncin’ Round the Room by Trey Anastasio

The California humming birds are way more docile than the ones in the Midwest

Back in San Diego the decision has been made – this will not be my home. 

I have just committed to a three week sublease.  That will be the longest stretch of my head hitting the same pillow since last summer.  After those three weeks I’ll press on.  Right now I’m hedging toward Nevada City.  But anything is possible. 

It’s a real bummer things didn’t work here.  I will be leaving behind seals that play under me when I swim, humming birds that fly around when I do yoga, and one of by best friends who hugs me when I visit her.  It's not a bad life. 

These little guys are so curious and friendly I swear they'd eat right out of your hand.

Well, they would if you hand happened to be a bright colored flower.

Adventure at Salt Point State Park, CA

APRIL 28, 2013

“Where you at?  I want to go on an ADVENTURE.”

- text message from my friend Ashley

I love messages like that.  Especially since this is one of the rare times that we were within a days drive of each other.   At her suggestion, we meet at Salt Point State Park on the west coast, about 2 or so hours north of Marin. 

It was an amazingly clear day in the sky and in the water.  We jumped from rock to rock like little kids, looked at tide pools, and climb big sandstone rocks.  I need this kind of nature time and company way more often. 

Underwater!

I'm going to name my first dog Cairyn

Clearly an adventure

Heat and My Stupidity in Truckee, CA

APRIL 26, 2013

Many of my friends back in Minneapolis have at one time or another completed the Lake Tahoe Century Ride.  It’s a cycling ride that circles Lake Tahoe with an additional little jaunt to the town of Truckee.  Since I was only 50 miles from Truckee and 75 to Tahoe, I thought I’d check it out.

The whole trip was a bit of a cluster.  After 5 minutes of walking the 90 degree heat in Truckee I had seen all the kitschy touristy stuff I needed for a day and pressed on.  As much as I wanted to head to Tahoe and back on two wheels, my legs were worthless from back to back bike + run bricks the previous two days. 

I got about 1/3 of the way around the lake when I decided to get a tea to caffeinate my sleepy head.  When I got out of the car I could tell something was off a bit.  I had my keys.  I had my wallet.  I even had my own mug.  What was it? ….no shoes.  And where were my shoes?  For the first time since leaving Florida years ago, I had managed to take off a pair of shoe and completely leave them behind.  Who needs shoes when it’s warm and sandy!?   Well, I do if I want to walk in a coffee shop.  I retreated back to Kings Beach on the other side of the lake to reclaim my shoes which were still right there next to the beach where I took them off an hour prior. 

I decided to continue down the west side of the lake and cut out much of the Nevada side.  Almost immediately I pick up a hitchhiker who’s also headed south.  Now, I can get along with a lot of people.  This guy was not one of those people.  There’s something about most conspiracy theories that seem reeeeally interesting when I watch specials about them on The History Channel.  Yet, when some random guy in my passengers seat drones on and on about them I can’t wait to get rid of his ass.  I lie about my final destination and drop him short of the south shore of Lake Tahoe and head south toward Folsom.  

Note:  Neither of the pics here are from Tahoe. They are from the drive southwest back through Napa. All my Tahoe pics were lost thanks to my new Android phone.