June 5 It's time to move and we are up and on the road early as its our longest driving day so far. I start out behind the wheel and take us 184 miles down I-5, long, straight, boring, but as I log more miles behind the wheel I am feeling better about my ability to handle the rig. We grab a quick lunch at Kettleman City and Capt Dan takes the wheel to cut over to Paso Robles, down to Atascadero and over the hill to Morro Bay. This is when I get out the camera....love those golden hills of California. As we head over the hill from Atascadero to Morro Bay the temperature begins to drop and the blue sky disappears behind a nice cloud cover, we come around a turn and there are the stacks and then Morro Roc comes into view, its a very familiar site. The park at Morro Bay is right at the end of Highway 41. Right at the Dunes. It's an older park and the spaces for big rigs are really tight....actually the space is a good size but getting around the corners and backed in is really tight. Once we are settled we go explore the gates through the park and right into the dunes, this really is a great location and the new from our dining table is great! We just relax and try to remember what was on the schedule for this leg of the trip, they we take a breath and remind ourselves, we are retired! there is no schedule that can't be adjusted and we need dinner at Taco Temple. Now Dan has talked about Taco Temple since we have been together but all I have had from there is Carrot Cake! So now we head over and I have a Blackened Cod Taco (1) how anyone could eat 2 is beyond me. It is delicious and certainly not your usual mexican fare. We do get the carrot cake....to go. and several hours latter we share half and save the rest for tomorrow.
June 6 Drop me off for a manicure and Capt Dan takes Butter off to Port San Luis for a swim. I get a manicure and just chill. This is a nice way to relax, I go do a little shopping while they are still at the port. Then when he calls and they are coming back we go do a little Costco shopping. Larry and Joyce's for dinner…..really good tri-tip bar b q. Larry did promise me that recipe. hint hint!! They have great plans for the yard and next time we come through there will be a place to park the Lake House…and Joyce gives me a dental referral for this pain in my mouth.
June 7. Dentist said he can see me right away, so I head out myself, well there is this thing about small towns and narrow streets and a dual, but I make it and learn I have an abccess from a fractured tooth that had a root canal….jolly fun. I get a referral to a oral surgeon who cannot see me for 2 weeks, as that isn’t going to happen, the Dentists office finds me another oral surgeon who can see me on Thursday for a consult. But Thursday we have to relocate to Paso Robles…so I get on the phone and talk to Vines. We can come in early..like 10, that takes the scheduling conflict off the table and I remind myself “you’re retired, relax”.
June 8. There still is that issue of getting the truck serviced, somewhere on the road we managed to roll over 100,000 miles and we need an oil change and a little leak taken care of. Larry is going to let us borrow a car, so up at dawn and over the hill to get the car at 6:45 (thats a really good friend, cause he took a day off) then to Santa Margarita and drop the truck. Over to the Porch for breakfast then a quick run to return the Too small dog collar for Butter, and the truck is done, well the oil change is done the leaks are another issue, so we make arrangements to leave the truck with them on Thursday late and they will do the work on Friday and call us….this is not sounding relaxing but we have to take good care of that truck, she is our ticket to life on the road. We had touched bases with Dan"s niece Mattie and arranged to meet her for dinner at Tognazzinis Dockside in Morro Bay. Really good food and great visit, did I mention Ollalie berry Pie, almost as good as Strawberry shortcake.
June 9th Now this day was laid out to work and still have fun. Up in the morning and move to Vines in Paso Robles, for those who don’t know this is a 32 mile move, but the first 16 is over the hills and its time for me to take a turn at the hills. So I take the wheel and again my driving lessons prove their worth as I navigate what is easy in a car and a challenge with almost 8 tons and 39ft behind you. The vines is a lovely park, well resort. A little too close to 101 and the highway noise but big wide spaces and nice trees. Now we are off to the dental consult, and yep, that tooth has to come out, the Dr has an opening in the Paso Robles office at 8 in the morning, well that couldn’t have worked out better as we are now in Paso Robles. Now it’s beach time for Butter, that dog loves the beach, especially Port San Luis Obispo. She is running into the water before Dan can throw the ball. We wear her out and then head to Avila farms for a pie. Ollalie Berry we hope, but we end up with peach, thats fine with me. Then back to pick up Larrys car, drop the truck off at Switzers just before they close at 4:30 and head back to Paso 25 miles away…..yep, nothing goes that easy this week, we arrive home with no keys! Call Switzers quick!!! He’s still there and we explain the issue, he says he’ll wait for us to come back so back we go, after all whats the choice!, back to margarita, lots of thank you's, and back to paso, well almost back. I really want a beer. I had spotted a sign for Barrelhouse Brewing Co. and we find our way over there. One of the nicest things about the outdoor brewpub is that dogs are welcome.
June 10 Fri. Up early today. Fresh novocaine in the morning! So the molar is gone by 830 and I really want to go home for a nap. Luckily we are retired and I get to do just that! Central Coast Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, deserves a plug here because these people are great! Everybody from the front desk to Dr. Bush, they were all terrific. Switzers calls and the truck is done! so glad, so we pick it up and drop off the loaner car. CaptDan has lots of old friends here in the area and really wants to touch bases with several before we head out on this adventure of ours, so we hook up with Jim and go visit with him for a part of the afternoon. Then make plans to have Bruce over for dinner tomorrow. Now I want to see Some family so we decide to invite Polly and Doug to dinner also. Its a dinner party!
June 11 Sat. We met up with Deb at the Cowgirl Cafe in Atascadero. While trying to find her I turn around and find Danny hugging a strange woman, well strange to me. Larry’s sister! This is still a small town. We have a good meal and a great visit with Deb. It really is about family. Now we ge back home and make Macaroni salad and prep the tri-tip. by 530 our guests arrive and need no introductions as Bruce is good friend with Polly and Dougs son-in-law. SMALL WORLD. The weather turns out perfect, I thought we were going to have a hot evening and the wind picked up just enough to blow the heat away and we had sweater weather as we dine out on the patio.
June 12 Sunday. Now we turn back a page or two to life at the condo and Dan had a ornamental wall hanging/motorcyclist bell. He didn’t want to pack it away or just give it away to anybody. He wanted Gary Hull to have it. A kindred spirit and family. Well we finally were able to make plans to go to his place Sunday morning and he told his brother Ray and so we delivered the bell and got to visit with family for a good long time, when Ray and Margaritte pulled up in a motorcycle and side car….It’s a Ural, we looked at them at the State Fair in Salem a few years back. It seems as they prepare for her retirement they are going to take long tips on the motorcycles, and the first one will be to the northwest on the Ural. What fun that sounds like. Gary decided that he wanted to reciprocate and gifted me with our grandma’s cookie jar. Great cookie jar and it will reside back at Tina’s when we turn through Stockton again.
We had plans to go wine tasting this afternoon with Larry and Joyce so it’s time to hook up with them and head over to Derby!. What a great winery and tasting room. Its the old almond growers alliance building they renovated and it is just beautiful. And the wine is pretty darn good too. Then we decide Peruvian sounds good for dinner and we are going to Mistura. Really great food and we bring in a bottle of the wine we just bought.
June 13 we are moving again......
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