Peppy's Dream Moving Adventure Blog

Above: Miss Lucy's Kitchen in Saugerites, New York and Eric Enjoying His Lunch

We ate lunch at a fabulous little restaurant called Miss Lucy’s Kitchen. Their motto is “We aim to feed.” It was the longest wait we ever had for a meal, but it was worth the wait!  We started to talk about how people outside of NY just aren't in the hurry that New Yorkers are.  This is something we're both going to have to get used to -- especially me.  I'm Peppy!

We then toured the town of Woodstock, which is chock full of art galleries, book stores, hippie shops (tons of tie-dye to be found!) and great restaurants. We walked around there for a few hours and then headed back to the KOA Kampground. Eric found a friend, Ted, whose RV is next to ours, and he showed us how to get the TV going. Wheeeeee! I haven’t watched TV in almost a week and really didn’t think of it much, but I must admit I’m happy to have it again!
 
The Madonnas are finally home from their Alaskan Adventure and we will be going back there tomorrow afternoon and will stay overnight. We can’t wait to see my sister, Lenae, brother-in-law, Rich, and niece and nephew, Keri and Eddie. I hope we’ll get to play a game of Scott’s Granny’s Game!

Tonight, after a dinner of leftovers, and watching the grand finale of “So You Think You Can Dance,” Eric and I reorganized a lot of the cabinets in the RV. We fit a lot more stuff and the place looks better than ever!

Took the best shower I’ve had since leaving New York City!  This place is really nice.  Here’s what has happened since leaving the city:  I’m hardly wearing make-up anymore.  I’m the kind of dress-up girl that rarely leaves the house without make-up, and would never DREAM of going anywhere without taking a shower first.  Now, because I’m taking showers in campground bathrooms, I’m walking around first thing in the morning – straight from bed -- with my hair going in every direction possible, no make-up and wearing a t-shirt, shorts and slippers!  I wave and say hello to every person I pass, and they don’t scream in fright, so I guess I must look okay!

There’s a freedom to knowing you’ve never seen these people before, and you’ll never see these people again.  You don’t worry about being judged.  It’s liberating!  That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop wearing make-up.  No, not at all.  I love my make-up, my jewelry, and my high heels.  I’m a dress-up girl forever!  It just means that I’m adapting to our life on the road, and actually enjoying it!

After our showers, we went to Milford, about 5 miles from the campground, where the great mountain bike single-track trails are located.  There is also a great greenway, called “Upper Charles Trail” which is all paved and easy riding for a novice like me.  We rode for a couple of miles, passing others on foot, bicycle, roller blades, and lots of families with kids in strollers, or on the back of the bike.  It was really pleasant riding and very scenic, too.  Now, Eric is off finding his challenging single-track, while I sit here in the RV with the generator running, and the air conditioner on, typing this blog.

Eric came back and we went to Milford Bicycle, the mountain bike store.  They told Eric that riders are at the trails between 8:00am and 10:00am, so we’ll be there tomorrow and he will try to hook up with some riders to do the trails.

After the bike shop we saw a Jiffy Lube and Eric wanted to get the oil changed (Mr. Maintenance!), so we stopped in.  They were FANTASTIC and Eric and I HIGHLY recommend the Jiffy Lube in Milford, Mass. — if you’re ever in the neighborhood!.  They did an oil change, an oil treatment, changed the lube in the differential, and a transmission flush and topped off all our fluids.  Eric said they were so efficient and thorough and he really has peace of mind now, traveling so far across the country.

After the Jiffy Lube we were STARVING, so we saw a nice restaurant nearby called Casa Brasil Buffet.  It was SO delicious and we really enjoyed eating something different. Then, Eric got a haircut — #1 buzz.  Short and sweet!

We’re back at Circle CG Farm and we’re excited about Eric’s ride tomorrow!  Then we're off to Cape Cod for the day.  We're looking forward to some fabulous seafood!

This morning we left Bellingham a little before noon and wanted to find a place to eat brunch, before heading on the road to our next destination – Verona, New York.  We drove for at LEAST five miles and didn’t see one restaurant, until we finally saw a little place called “Judy’s Place – Breakfast and Lunch.”   We walked in and the waitress said, “Sorry, we’re closing.”  We thought we were on Candid Camera or something (I guess I’m dating myself with that reference).  Then she said, “We close at noon on Sundays.”  We couldn’t believe it.  What kind of town IS this?  Anyway, we then found a place called “Coffee Sensations,” which must be a chain, because we noticed one in Cape Cod, too.  We had delicious wraps and got some desserts to go.  You don’t realize until you leave New York how lucky we are that there is a restaurant on every corner.  There’s just so much variety in the city and there’s slim pickin’s outside the city, unless you go to a real tourist town – like Woodstock or Cape Cod.

We got on the road to Verona after brunch, and arrived at around 5:30pm.  We are staying at The Villages at Turning Stone RV Park, an enterprise of the Oneida Indian Nation.  It’s right down the road from the Turning Stone Resort and Casino.  The place is very fancy and all the sites are paved, with lawns around them.  I think it’s much nicer than dirt roads, although the woods and ponds in other campsites are picturesque.  The truth is, I’m just NOT a nature girl – never will be!  I used to say that my idea of "roughing it" was a motel, instead of a hotel.  Well, I've been roughing it since we left Whitestone, because our Chinook is not the height of luxury, but it's cozy and romantic, and camping has been fun and totally different than anything I've ever done before. 

We left the casino $10 up!

There’s a free shuttle that picks you up right at your campsite and brings you to the casino – 24 hours a day – 7 days a week!  The last time Eric and I were at a casino together was 23 years ago – September 27, 1984 – the day my niece, Keri, was born.  My in-laws asked us to join them on a trip to Atlantic City.  We discovered VERY quickly that we are NOT gamblers.  We’re sore losers.  It was exactly the same tonight.  We started with $100.  We played some of the slot machines, but they’re no fun, because you don’t even pull the one-armed bandit anymore.  You just push a button.  We also played roulette, but our favorite was the Money Wheel.  We played that for about an hour and left with $110.  We were so happy we were up $10.  I’m sure Turning Point will soon be inviting us for a free weekend, since we’re such high rollers!!!!!

We’ll be heading to Niagara Falls tomorrow.  My parents honeymooned there 56 years ago, so I’m really looking forward to seeing it for myself!

Last night was the worst night’s sleep I’ve had since we left New York.  It wasn’t my cozy, comfortable bed.  Oh, no.  It was the fact that Turning Stone Campground is right near a railroad and every time the train passes (which seemed to be every half hour), they blow that loud horn!  I felt like I was in MY COUSIN VINNY.  Remember that scene?  Very funny.  Not so funny when it’s you and you were at a casino until midnight and didn’t go to bed until 2:00am and are being woken up every half hour! 

Anyway, we’ve been on the road for over 2 weeks now, and I haven’t driven the RV at all, so I told Eric today was the day!  I practiced on the grounds of Turning Stone Campground, where the speed limit is 5 miles an hour.  Just my speed!  I actually found it very comfortable and easy to drive (although I won’t be parallel parking it anytime soon). 

We left Turning Stone at 12:30pm (with Eric driving) and headed north for Niagara Falls.  After about an hour, I took over driving.  I think driving on the thruway is easy, because you just have to concentrate on staying in your lane.  There’s nothing else to worry about.  Eric put me on cruise control, so I didn’t even have to work the gas pedal!  I kept saying that line from RAINMAN, “I’m an excellent driver.”  We stopped for lunch and I was able to park it by myself.  Wheeeeeeee!

After lunch, Eric took over again (he’s really a much better driver) and we got to Niagara Falls Campground at 5:30pm.  I did some laundry and Eric worked around the RV.  He opened the awning on the side, which is really nice.  Every campsite has a table and benches, so we can eat outside if we want, and not be in the sun!

Eric received an email from his Vietnam Trails riding buddy, Dana, with three pictures  he sent of Eric doing some jumps.  Pretty awesome, eh?

Tomorrow we hit the Falls.  Can’t wait!

Here’s what I realized this morning:  Campgrounds are very quiet places.  This is our fifth campground and it hit me that the only sounds I’ve ever heard are children playing and dogs barking – and the dog barking is very rare.  Campgrounds have quiet times – usually 11:00pm to 8:00am.  I’ve never heard a sound during those hours.

There was a dog that woke me every morning while we were still living on Leggett Place.  I named him Sir Yap-a-lot, because he was little and the sound he made was more of a yapping than a barking.  That doesn’t mean he wasn’t loud.  He was!  Anyway, I hated this dog.  I was SO mad at this dog.  I was like Elaine in that episode of SEINFELD when she hires Newman and Kramer to kidnap the dog. 

Through some investigation, I found out that the dog had been rescued by my lovely neighbors, Skip and Carol, and he really was the cutest thing.  He just liked to bark a lot at midnight and 6:30am every day and, being the light sleeper that I am, I always woke up.  I used to get mad, because I thought people were putting their dog out for the night, but he has one of those little doors that lets him come and go as he pleases.  Once I knew the story behind his being on Leggett Place, I didn’t get mad anymore.  I was just happy they rescued him and were giving him a nice home!  I also knew we were leaving, so it was just something to put up with until we sold the house!

Back to the campgrounds:  People in campgrounds are quiet, respectful, law-abiding citizens.  It’s not like I expected anything else, but I did imagine lots of teenagers or young twenty-somethings having parties.  I haven’t experienced that at all.  It’s mostly families.  They really keep to themselves, but are always ready with a “hello” and a smile when they pass you.  It would be an amazing story to find out where each family had just come from and where each was going.  I’m sure if you knocked on their door and asked them they’d invite you in, give you a tour of their RV and tell you their life stories.  I’m sure of it.  I just don’t have the nerve to knock!

Let me tell you something else.  Ours is always the smallest RV in the park.  There might be a tent set up somewhere (campgrounds DO include real campers, too!), or someone might be towing something smaller than ours, but most of the RVs are mini-mansions with pop-out sides and big TVs and most of them tow cars, so when they get to the campground they can drive around.  I’d really like to see inside one of those but — again – no nerve.

Our RV is the perfect size for us.  It would be more convenient to tow a car behind, so we could just leave the RV hooked up and drive around, but that would be just one more complication, and we were trying to simplify!  It also makes driving a lot more difficult and I don’t think I’d have the confidence to drive with a car being towed behind!

Drove just about 10 miles to NIAGARA FALLS.  First we went to the AQUARIUM OF NIAGARA, which was fabulous.  We really enjoyed looking at all the fish, and of course Eric knew each species without even reading about them.  He should have been a marine biologist!

We were able to leave the RV in the aquarium parking lot and just walk across a short footbridge to catch the trolley to the falls.  We bought tickets for THE MAID OF THE MIST and put on our blue plastic ponchos.  What a sight!  What a feeling!  First of all, just looking at the falls is overwhelming, because they’re so huge and it’s just such an amazing sight, but going on the boat and traveling right past them – with the water spraying you like you’re in the shower – was just so much fun and so exciting.  It was totally exhilarating!  We met a lovely mother and daughter on vacation from Wisconsin – Mary and Gina – and we took photos of them with their camera and they did the same for us.  Then, they took a picture of us and we took a picture of them.  I hope they will check out this blog to see themselves!

After the Falls we got back on the trolley and got the full tour of the area.  We could have gotten off the trolley at different spots and seen even more, but we wanted to head back, because we were hoping to get to our next campground before dark. 

We got back on the road and arrived at our campground at around 8:00pm.  INDIAN CREEK CAMPING RESORTS is in a beautiful town called Geneva-on-the-Lake.  It is, literally, right on Lake Erie and Eric and I caught a beautiful sunset on the lake.  The lake is so large it looks like an ocean.  You can’t see land ANYWHERE.  Amazing!

This campground is fabulous.  We had a late dinner at a restaurant right on the campgrounds – FARONE'S – and it was delicious!  We had the nicest young waiter – Ron – who just graduated from college in May and will be leaving here next week to start a great job in Columbus.

We’re so excited, because we’re heading to Cleveland tomorrow to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Rock on!

Got up this morning and drove into town to Mary’s Kitchen for a lovely home-style breakfast.  Then we headed to Cleveland for the ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME, which is only 45 miles away. 

The ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME is an amazing building.  Right now, there is an exhibit of giant guitars on display outside the main entrance, called GUITARMANIA.  Many artists were asked to decorate the guitars in their own style and the result is an amazing array of beautiful and creative works of art by sculpting, painting, or creating mosaics on the surface of the guitars.  Here are a few of my favorites:

There are six floors to the Hall of Fame and Museum and we spent the next six hours covering every inch.  We did it all, but did it quickly, without reading every word or looking at every single item.  If you wanted to do that, you could easily spend 2-3 days in the museum.  We loved it, but it was a little over-stimulating for me, and a little bit TMI (if you know what I mean).  Eric had more patience to read and examine in more detail.  We loved learning more about our favorite artists and bands, and finding out about some we didn’t know anything about.  The amount of memorabilia in there is absolutely amazing – from John Lennon’s report cards and swimming certificate to Jim Morrison’s Cub Scout uniform, to the original written song lyrics of some of rock’s greatest hits.

There was a film showing every artist that’s been inducted into the ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME and a 12-minute video called, “Video Killed the Radio Star” showing how video impacted the music world.

In the picture above, Eric is standing next to one of Roy Orbison's favorite cars. 

We loved it all and I know Eric was really looking forward to this.  He wore his favorite Door’s t-shirt!  There is a Doors exhibit now through October and, of course, that was his favorite part.  Tons of trivia and memorabilia.

All in all, it was a great day and we would recommend it highly to anyone who has any interest in the history of rock.

It was a fast drive back to the campground, and we’re on our way to Chicago tomorrow!

We were picked up at the campsite this morning by Kelly, a lovely young woman from Enterprise Car Rental.  She took us back to their office and we got a 2007 white PT Cruiser!  We were so happy, because we know the car very well, and I’ve been missing mine a lot, so it was great to ride in one again!

By the time we got to Chicago, there was a college football game starting in SOLDIER FIELD Football Stadium, and there was also a free jazz festival (all weekend), so the city was CRAZY!  There was also a baseball game at WRIGLEY FIELD.  What a day!

We went up to Jerry’s apartment, which was spectacular.  It is in an historic building called, The Pattington.  Built in the early 1900's, Pattington is located in the Uptown Chicago Area on Irving Park, one Blk west of Lake Shore Drive.  Jerry had done a lot of work to the apartment over the past few years, and it was so beautiful.  Huge and spacious, with lots of windows, beautiful wood floors, with gorgeous crown moldings, great furniture, art, a balcony, French doors into the dining room, etc.

I thought it was the most beautiful apartment I had ever been in, and I’ve been in some nice apartments!  He just sold it (quite easily, I might add) because he’s moving over an hour out of the city.  He’s very excited about his move, and he's now going through the exact same things we went through a month ago – the packing, the phone calls, the change-of-address, etc.  We’re so glad we got to see his apartment before he moved!

We went locally to a great restaurant and had lunch, then walked to Wrigley Field where a game had just ended.  We saw a bridal party taking pictures and I took some pictures of them, too.  I guess they’re big Cubs fans, because the bride had a Cubs garter belt on!!!

Then we got in the car and drove on Lake Shore Drive, taking in all the views of the boats, the beach, the parks, and the Chicago skyline, but because of the football game, a lot of the exits were closed and there was a lot of traffic.  So, we decided to go to the most “touristy” place of all – Navy Pier.  It was a lot of fun and the weather was so perfect – not too hot, no humidity, a slight breeze -- just pleasant and cool. 

We walked around a lot and went through the SMITH MUSEUM OF STAINED GLASS WINDOWS, which is a permanent display of 150 stained glass windows.  I thought of my friends, Geri and Larry, because I know they would LOVE this place.  They really appreciate fine stained glass!

I loved them all, but here are a few more favorites:

Then, we got back in the car and drove back to Jerry’s neighborhood (just a few miles away) and had Thai food at a great restaurant called THAI AROMA.  Yum!  After we dropped Jerry back at home, we drove back to WINDY CITY CAMPGROUND.  We were exhausted.  It was a long day, but so great.  I LOVE Chicago!

Since we had such a nice dinner last night, we decided to go back down the hill to Aunt Bee’s Restaurant for breakfast this morning.  Then we headed over to MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, which was only about 10 minutes away.  Here's a picture of our guides, Charlie and Kath:

We signed up for the two-hour “New Entrance Tour.”  This entrance was created in the 1920s, but it’s still called the “New Entrance Tour” or the “Frozen Niagara” tour.  Here’s some info on our tour:

 Emphasis on: Deep pits; high domes; dry cave passages; dripstone area at exit; dynamic cave being carved by water.
Landmarks: New Entrance, Roosevelt's Dome, Silo Pit, Grand Central Station, Big Break, Fairy Ceiling, Flat Ceiling, Frozen Niagara flowstone formation, Travertine Tour Route.
Elevation Change: 250 feet.
Number of Stairs: 500, nearly 200 descended inside New Entrance.
Steep Hill Climbs: Yes.

I’m not much of an adventurer, so this was really something new for me.  Eric was really excited about the caves, so I wasn’t going to be a party pooper, but the guide made me REALLY nervous when he talked about how tight some of the paths were.  I am only slightly claustrophobic, but the thought of tight cave walls really got to me.

We first walked down 300 steps through the caves.  The steps were made of metal and had a metal railing, so except for the occasional spider, the dampness making it all very slippery, and some tight squeezes (even for us), it was pretty tame.  Then, we came to a big room with rows and rows of benches, called Grand Central Station, where the guide gave a speech and answered questions.  We found the trivia and history of the caves very interesting.  

Next, we headed up a path with more steps and lots more rocks to a third area called “Frozen Niagara.”  It had all the stalagmites and stalactites.  It was all very beautiful.  I took a lot of pictures, but I’m afraid they don’t capture the experience very well.

After we left the caves, we got on the road, left Kentucky (which we really loved) and headed south to Nashville, Tennessee.  We had a great lunch at RIPPY’S on Lower Broadway, which is the center of Nashville’s honky tonk scene. 

As you can see from the photo, below, I found my girl -- Betty Boop -- in Nashville.  What a pleasant surprise!

I also got to "meet" one of my favorites -- Dolly Parton! 

According to one of the post cards I bought, “At any time, day or night, you may see some of the superstars of country music here.  This is where the music and dreams begin!”  We loved it!  So colorful and “touristy.”   Definitely the place to be at night, with bands in every bar on the block.  Even during the day, it was very exciting!

After lunch we headed south, past Chattanooga (and I kept singing the Glenn Miller song, Chattanooga Choo Choo, to Eric).  We left Tennessee and headed into Georgia to ALLATOONA LANDING CAMPGROUND outside Cartersville.  It’s been a VERY full day – the tour of the cave in Kentucky, lunch in Nashville, Tennessee, and now staying overnight in a campground in Georgia.  Three states in one day!   We’re really making time!  Tomorrow we will drive through Georgia into Florida and will arrive in Delray Beach to see my parents on Saturday afternoon.  We can’t wait!!!

Woke up early this morning and got a cab from the campground to the AUDUBON AQUARIUM OF THE AMERICAS.  We were so impressed with this aquarium.  It was huge and there were so many different exhibits, including a sea otter, penguins (which swam right up to the glass to visit with you), the sting ray bay (where you could pet and feed the sting-rays), the baby shark (whom you could also pet -- he felt like sandpaper!), the teeny tiny sea horses (SO teeny), the frogs, the rain forest and, of course, all the great fish!

While we were buying our tickets, we saw a group of ladies from the RED HAT SOCIETY  I've never seen such a big group before.  They were beautiful!

As you can see, I made a friend.  This penguin was up against the glass trying to see me as much as I wanted to see him!

At noon, we went to see the HURRICANE ON THE BAYOU documentary at the Entergy IMAX theater right next door to the aquarium.  It was so sad and touching and Eric and I both cried.  It is not just depressing to see the devastation that Katrina brought to this beautiful city, but it is also frightening to think that it could happen again, because the wetlands are disappearing.

After the movie, we went back to the aquarium to finish viewing all the exhibits. 

Notice the little green frog on the bigger brown frog's back?  How cute is that? 

Then we walked along the Mississippi River to the French Quarter, where we shopped and had lunch at PETUNIAS RESTAURANT on St. Louis.  Our friends, Sergio and Lourdes, had recommended it highly and said we had to get the crepes.  We happily complied!  It was as good as they said it would be.

We continued our walk of the French Quarter, ending up at CAFÉ DU MONDE
Where I got a café au lait and Eric and I shared 3 beignets.   They were covered in heaps of powdered sugar and were so delicious. 

After that treat, we went to JACKSON SQUARE, home of the Cabildo and Presbytere Museums. 
This park was so beautiful, so pristine, clean and perfectly manicured.  Eric and I were so impressed.

We flagged a cab and went back to the campground to shower and change before Sergio, Lourdes and Angela picked us up for dinner.  They took us back to their house, which is on the other side of the Mississippi River, in a beautiful suburb of New Orleans.  I mentioned in yesterday’s blog that they are big Betty Boop collectors and Eric and I could not believe our eyes.  Their collections are fantastic, but are not limited to Betty Boop.  They also collect a lot of DISNEY figurines, WARNER BROTHERS, advertising memorabilia, and ALICE IN WONDERLAND figurines.  Their daughter, Angela, loves THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (from the Disney cartoon). 

They have everything displayed so beautifully and were truly lucky, because they didn’t lose anything in the hurricane, even though their home had extensive damage.  I took a LOT of pictures of their collections, but are only showing you one, because I'd rather show you Sergio's art.  He is an amazing artist who loves to draw Betty Boop.  He only does it for his own pleasure, but he could do it professionally!

After getting a tour of their beautiful home and lovely backyard garden (including tall plantain trees, which they use to cook their traditional Cuban dishes), they took us to a local sushi restaurant called EASTERN (Chinese and Japanese Cuisine).  We had another great meal and really enjoyed their company.  They are such a lovely family and getting to spend time with them has really been the highlight of our trip to New Orleans!

Tomorrow Eric and I will take a bus or boat tour of the city.  No more walking for me until the next city we visit.  My feet were killing me today after all the walking we did!

Here are the pictures Sergio took of us Monday night at Jackson Square and at our delightful dinner at THE COURT OF TWO SISTERS:

Now, on to today:

Eric and I got up very early today and took the GRAYLINES SUPER CITY TOUR advertised as a tour where you “travel through three centuries of history, legends and romance as you encounter “The City That Care Forgot!”  We went through the French Quarter, Jackson Square, a historic cemetery (where we got out to photograph the old tombs and crypts), drove by Lake Pontchartrain, drove down St. Charles Avenue, and the Garden District.  The driver was also our tour guide and he never stopped talking for two hours, telling us stories of Voodoo and piracy on the Bayou St. John, the waterway used by Jean Lafitte and his band of pirates, and told us about the architecture of all the beautiful mansions we passed.

 After the tour, we walked around the French Quarter, visiting streets and stores we had not yet seen.  We did some serious shopping today, and it was fantastic!   My favorite shop was called ROAD KILL boutique on Rue Decatur, where I bought the most fabulous purse.  It’s made of a fabric with skulls and crossbones and roses.

Then we went to a great restaurant called COOP'S PLACE for lunch.  We had another fantastic meal of New Orleans cookin’!  We both had cups of gumbo, fried mushrooms with horseradish sauce, fried crawfish, and I had a shrimp remoulade salad, while Eric had the fried shrimp sandwich with French fries.  YUM!

We walked around some more, including the Flea Market, where I bought a great eyeglass case for my sunglasses, a cute top, skirt and a t-shirt, and Eric bought two CDs of New Orleans music.  Then went to Café du Monde (again) for more café au lait and beignets!

Betty Boop is VERY popular in New Orleans.  We have seen her on tons of souvenirs, including purses, t-shirts, wallets, and figurines.  Here's a big statue we saw in a shop:

As we were walking, holding hands, enjoying all the sights and sounds of this beautiful city, Eric said, “I love this place.”  It really touched me, because he’s not usually as enthusiastic about things as I am, and I can see he really loves New Orleans as much as I do.  It has definitely been our favorite city so far.  I can’t imagine anything topping it, but we have a long way to go!

We walked and shopped some more, Eric bought a t-shirt with skeletons drinking on it, and then we hailed a cab to take us to the post office.  Eric and the driver waited while I ran in and got a bunch of post card stamps, and then we came home.  We were both exhausted, but Eric started doing maintenance and washing the RV and I did two loads of laundry!

It is now only 9:00pm, but we are both ready for bed, especially since we’re leaving VERY early tomorrow for OAK ALLEY PLANTATION, a national historic landmark built in 1839.  It’s an hour’s drive from New Orleans, and we want to get there in time for the “plantation planter’s breakfast.”  This is yet another place our friends, Sergio and Lourdes, recommended to us, and we are really looking forward to it.  After that, we are heading to our next destination – Memphis, Tennessee, so we can visit GRACELAND!  So, it’s early to bed and early to rise (and let’s hope we’re healthy, wealthy and wise!).

We got up really early this morning to head to OAK ALLEY PLANTATION in Vacherie, LA, about an hour outside New Orleans.  It was another place that Sergio and Lourdes recommended very highly.  I told Sergio that he and Lourdes should be tour guides themselves, as they know all the best places to go!

We were really sad to leave New Orleans.  It has been the most beautiful three days and we enjoyed every minute.  If you’ve been to New Orleans, you know what I’m talking about, and if you’ve never been – you simply MUST go!

We got to OAK ALLEY in time for the Plantation Planter’s Breakfast, which included two eggs, grits, a biscuit and ham or bacon with coffee or juice.  They also had beignets, but I figured I shouldn’t have them three days in a row!

After breakfast, we went into the gift shop which was huge and brimming with beautiful things, including Christmas ornaments, decorative items for the home, books, clothing, candles, sauces and spices, postcards (I got some!) and other gifts.  A great place to shop!

Then, we took the walk to the “big house” where the tours are held.  The twenty-eight live giant oak trees in two well-spaced rows of 14 comprise “Oak Alley.”  They were planted in the early 1700’s.  This shaded path of oaks leads to the mansion that Jacques Telesphore Roman, a wealthy Creole sugar planter, built for his young wife in 1839.

Lovely ladies in period costume give the tours and our tour guide, Darlene (on the left), did a great job of telling the history of the house, the people who lived there over the past 170 years and what life was like when it was first built.  The mansion has been beautifully restored and every room is filled with authentic antiques.  Of course, this thrilled me, as I got to see the most beautiful furniture, accessories, paintings and chandeliers.

After the tour, we walked the grounds, looking at the antique cars in the garage, and visiting the cemetery of the last owners, who lived in the house during the 20th century.

We hit the road around 2:00pm and drove to the SWINGING BRIDGE RV PARK in Jackson, Mississippi.  The campground is right behind a shopping center, so there are restaurants and stores within walking distance.  That’s a treat!  We had a great meal at EL SOMBRERO Mexican Restaurant and then parked the RV.

My Mom called us a few minutes ago to tell us that my Aunt Lillian, my father's only sibling, died today, after a long illness.  Our thoughts are with our cousins, Ann, Pete, Lindsay, Timmy, Larry, Debbie, Michael, Chris and, of course, our Uncle Frank.

Eric's sister, Robin, had her second hip replacement today.  We are waiting for my niece, Melissa, to call and let us know how it went.  We wish her well!

Today is my sister, Audrey's birthday.  We hope it was wonderful and wish her all good things in the year ahead!

Tomorrow we will get to Memphis.  We are really looking forward to GRACELAND and plan to spend the weekend there.

GRACELAND is a place that everyone should visit.  Not only because Elvis lived such a fabulous life, but also because it is wonderful to see how people from all over the world worship him, even after being gone for 30 years.  Elvis was so talented.  We got to hear so much of his music, got to see so many clips from his movies and concerts.  That boy could move!  He had that special something that just made him so special -- a real star.  He was the king.  And he still is – especially in Memphis!

Elvis' Living Room with stained-glass peacock inserts in the doorway:

We took the PLATINUM tour, which is a great way to see the full Graceland experience.  It includes an audio-guided tour of Graceland Mansion and grounds, along with self-guided tours of Elvis’ two custom airplanes, Elvis’ Automobile Museum, the Sincerely Elvis Museum, which has beautiful displays of his clothing and jumpsuits, and Elvis After Dark, which showed even more memorabilia.

A handsome portrait of Elvis graces the staircase to the bedrooms (which were off limits to visitors) and his elegant dining room:

:

Elvis knew how to live.  That’s for sure.  He had a fabulous mansion, all the toys a boy could want, including many cars, motorcycles, scooters, golf carts and trikes, which were all on view at the Automobile Museum.  His two airplanes were completely gutted and renovated, so that they were more a house with wings, including full bedrooms, televisions, living rooms and fancy bathrooms.

Elvis' blue and yellow Media Room complete with three televisions (so he could watch all three major networks at once) and the lightening bolt he used as his logo (with the initials TCB, which stood for Taking Care of Business!):

His grounds included a meditation garden and a small cemetery, where Elvis, his parents, his grandmother, and his brother (who died at birth) are buried.  There was also a shooting range, stables with horses (which were on view), a beautiful built-in pool, and beautiful lawns and landscaping.

Elvis' pool room, which was draped on all four walls and the ceiling with a colorful fabric:

His trophy room included hundreds of trophies, awards, and gold and platinum records.

Elvis is so beloved that every year around the time of his birthday and the anniversary of his death, people from all over the world send floral arrangements – both real and silk or plastic, along with photos, portraits, and other expressions of their adoration.  It was really quite touching.

They showed a lot of interviews with Elvis, and he really seemed like such a nice boy.  Always respectful, well-spoken, and even a little shy.  Eric and I came away with a new-found respect and admiration for his talent and his humanitarian work, which you don’t hear too much about.  It is a shame that he fell into the world of drugs and that his life ended way too soon.

After spending the entire day at Graceland, we went back to the RV and took a 2-hour nap, then did two loads of laundry before heading back out.  We walked over to the HEARTBREAK HOTEL, which is right by the campground, and had a drink in the JUNGLE ROOM (while we watched more concert footage of Elvis). 

Then, we got on the free shuttle to the famous (or should I say infamous) BEALE STREET in downtown Memphis (Home of the Blues…Birthplace of Rock N’ Roll).  This area felt just like the French Quarter in New Orleans, but it is only 3 blocks long.  There are about 40 bars and restaurants in this 3-block area and each one has live music.

Eric and I saw a bridal party at Wrigley Field in Chicago.  Here's a bride in the middle of Beale Street (on her phone, no less!):

There were also tons of souvenir shops.  The street is closed to traffic (with a large police presence) and the streets are crowded with people drinking (all drinks are served in plastic cups and syringes (I know, it was strange) and you are allowed to carry your drinks around with you.  They have horse and carriage rides, just like in New Orleans, and New York.  It was fun, colorful and exciting!  Even though I always thought New York was the most exciting city in the world, we don't have anything like the French Quarter or Beale Street!

We went to ALFRED’S ON BEALE for dinner and more drinks (hey – we’re on Beale Street) and then walked around until the shuttle bus came to pick us up at 11:30pm.

The view from our second-floor outdoor seating at Alfred's:

Beale Street's Finest:

We have a LONG day of driving tomorrow, as we are going through Arkansas and into Oklahoma (about 6 hours).  We will try to pass through Little Rock.  I always think of Marilyn Monroe when I see or hear “Little Rock,” because of that song she sang with Jane Russell in GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES – “Two Little Girls From Little Rock.”  So, that should be fun!

This morning Eric and I could not get out of bed.  I don’t know why we were so tired, but perhaps it was because we had such a stressful night getting to the campground and got to bed late.  Anyway, we finally got up after 10:00am and left DAKOTA RIDGE RV RESORT at 11:30am.  We went right across the street to a real biker bar called SUSIE’S BAR AND GRILL.  I thought of all the Susies I know (sister-in-law, cousins, and friends), and knew they’d appreciate these pictures!

When we walked in (Eric in his bicycling t-shirt, jeans and sneakers, and me in my denim Capri pants and baby-doll top) we definitely attracted looks.  We were definitely not the typical visitor to Susie’s!  There was a young couple in complete biker gear having a beer.  We started talking to them and they were so nice we ended up taking a picture of them.

We told them of our travels and they told us that they traveled the country in an RV for a year, with their bike on a trailer behind.  That would be a fabulous way to travel – the convenience of having the RV, plus the convenience of the bike whenever you want to go sightseeing!  We also got to meet Ginger, the owner (there is no longer a Susie!).

I had a grilled cheese with fries and Eric had their breakfast burrito.  Both were really delicious.  Their iced tea was the best I’ve had in a while (really dark and not watery).  We were so happy that we found Susie’s, because we like to make every meal an adventure, and this certainly was!

After we ate, we started down West Colfax, which is a main street in Golden that goes all the way to Denver (about 10 miles).  Eric wanted to replace the speakers in the front of the RV, because one was blown and it just didn’t sound that great (especially to him).  We saw a car stereo place and we stopped by.  They said they could do it in ½ hour (which was amazing), so Eric took me to a nearby nail salon and I got a manicure/pedicure while he got the new speakers installed.

I had not had a manicure/pedicure since Chicago, which was a month ago, so I was in desperate need.  Although they did a good job, I have to say, again – it was no SUNSHINE NAILS!  Cindy and the girls at SUNSHINE NAILS in New Hyde Park (2217 Hillside Avenue) do such a fantastic job.  They are so sweet, friendly, and hard-working.  Cindy has just moved into the space I used to occupy with PEPPY’S DREAM, and my friend, Julie, sent me some pictures, which follow.  As you can see, she put down a new floor and did a lot of renovating.  The place looks fantastic!  I wish I could be there to congratulate Cindy in person!  She provides all nail services, as well as massage, waxing, and also sells furniture and accessories like pocketbooks and jewelry.  You must go see it, so you can see all she has done!

After Eric picked me up, we decided to drive the 10 miles down West Colfax to Denver.  We had no plans, but just wanted to see the city.  Downtown Denver is beautiful.  We saw a lot of great buildings, including the Denver Mint!  We drove up and down the streets and then drove a little further out of town to the residential areas, which had lots of really old, beautiful homes.  Some were Victorian, with lots of gingerbread; some were brick bungalow-style homes, with just as much character. 

We found a “trendy” part of town, with lots of great little coffee houses, bars and restaurants.  Then, we saw a park and decided to drive around and see what it was like.  Next thing you know, we see a big sign for the DENVER ZOO and decided we should go.  I thought we wouldn’t do much walking today, because Eric hurt his big toe yesterday while mountain biking, but he said it was much better and did hurt, but not too much to walk.  So, we went to the zoo!

It was really fantastic.  We have been to three aquariums since we left New York, but hadn’t made it to a zoo yet, so this was a real treat.  I don’t know when we last visited a zoo, but I can tell you, it’s been a while!

We saw lots of great animals and enjoyed every minute, but I would definitely say the highlights for me were the baby giraffe (with his mother and father), the elephants (I don’t know why, but I just love elephants!), the felines (the leopard was my favorite, of course!), and Bird World.  I just love birds and there were so many beauties!  Eric's favorites were the Malayan Tapir and the Andean Condor (which has a 10-foot wing span).

Here's the Malayan Tapir, which was very hard to photograph, since he kept diving under the water.  He has very interesting coloring, because he is part black and part gray. 

Here are two more pictures of the Malayan Tapir, which I found on the internet, so you can see what he looks like!

 Here's the Andean Condor that Eric liked so much.  He's in the vulture family!

Speaking of manicures, this guy could certainly use one:

Check out this shot I got of a bat in flight.  I'm quite the photographer, eh?  Actually, it was just luck, but I told Eric, "I meant to do that!"  See the other bats hanging from the ceiling?

We stayed until the zoo closed and then went back to the “trendy” stretch of restaurants and went to PARALLEL SEVENTEEN, which served contemporary Vietnamese cuisine.  We had a lovely meal.  We shared two appetizers: Fresh vegetarian summer rolls with peanut sauce and pommes frites (purple, Yukon gold and sweet potato fries with creamy nuoc cham).  I had the Sizzling Saigon Crepe, stuffed with sprouts, mushrooms, onions and shrimp, while Eric had the Jasmine tea smoked duck confit with mango chutney, lychee compote and orange mint slaw.

For dessert, we shared a Wanton Wonton (fried cinnamon wontons layered with French vanilla bean ice cream and roasted pears, topped with star anise honey.

Then, we headed back down West Colfax to the GOLDEN TERRACE SOUTH RV RESORT.  Tomorrow, we will leave Colorado (which we have really enjoyed) and drive to Moab (and Arches National Park) in Utah.  Eric is very excited about riding Slickrock in Moab, which is a mountain biking Mecca.  This should be a REAL adventure!

Nothing gets you out of bed like the thought of “All You Can Eat Pancakes!”  We usually get up around 9:00am, but today we were out of bed by 7:30am, took showers, got dressed and were over to the outdoor breakfast concession stand by a little after 8:00am.  It was REALLY cold out, even though we’re in Arizona!  We heard there’s been a heat wave in New York.  We believe the weather’s been better in New York than in Arizona!  Anyway, it was too cold for us to eat outside (although lots of other people were sitting at the picnic benches nearby), so we went back to the RV and had breakfast.  It was really good and we were stuffed.

We left for the PETRIFIED FOREST even though Eric was less-than-enthusiastic about it.  He just didn’t understand how there could be a forest when all you could see for miles and miles was desert and shrubs.

We drove for about a half hour before reaching the entrance, but found out that you pass through about 20 miles of the PAINTED DESERT and tour the PAINTED DESERT INN before reaching the PETRIFIED FOREST. 

The Painted Desert was really beautiful.  There was a big basin called “the Badlands,” which is a dried-up lake bed which left smooth, colorful hills with horizontal stripes of oranges, reds, greens, whites, yellows, etc.

The Painted Desert Inn, built of petrified wood and other native stone, is a 30-room building that was originally a tourist attraction offering food, liquor and a shop for Native American crafts in the 1920s.  It has been beautifully restored and now serves as a museum and souvenir shop selling all authentic Indian crafts.

The panels of glass in the ceiling represent original art found on Native American pottery:

These are the men who built the Painted Desert Inn.

We finally reached the Petrified Forest and both Eric and I were so impressed. 

The tree trunks are all laying down and broken into large and small pieces.  From afar they look like regular tree trunks, but upon closer inspection, you can see that they are rock and not wood.  If you try to move a log, you can see that it weighs hundreds of pounds. 

Can you believe this is a tree trunk?

They look so out of place that Eric said they must have been brought in from another location, but we read about it and found out that they were buried millions of years ago and have slowly been uncovered by erosion.  Some of the logs could just barely be seen sticking out from the ground, leading us to believe there are probably thousands more still buried.

They look like wood, but appearances can be deceiving!

There were certain areas where you could actually touch the petrified wood and see them up close.  The colors of the trunks, which are now stone or rock, were magnificent.  Eric felt it was somewhat surreal, because these petrified trees seem so out of place in the desert.

There are signs everywhere that federal law prohibits collection or removal of petrified wood or any natural, archeological, or historical object from its setting.  Violators will be fined, imprisoned, or both.  They actually give you a form when you enter, which you must fill out if you witness anyone stealing rocks. 

Eric kept picking up little pieces (pebble sized) and I kept saying, “put that down or I’ll turn you in.”  I also kept watching other people saying, “I’ve got my eye on him.”  I can understand why they don’t want people stealing, because I’m sure before they made these laws people would throw entire logs in the back of their trucks and display them in their homes.  It’s just not appropriate to remove anything from it’s natural habitat, whether it’s an animal or a rock!

We hiked around for a while then returned to the RV, where we made friends with a giant black crow.  He was so used to people that he let us get within 10 feet without moving.  Then, when we got closer, instead of flying away, he simply walked further down the wall where he was sitting, so he could keep us at a safe distance.  He sat and crowed (which crows are known to do) much to our amusement.

Finally, we headed west on I-40 to our next destination – Williams, Arizona, which is just 50 miles from the Grand Canyon.  Williams is famous for having Route 66 run through it.

In 1926, U. S. Highway 66 was established through Williams, Arizona. A little over half a century later, on October 13th, 1984, it became the last bypassed town along the "Mother Road," as old Highway 66 became Interstate 40.

Today, all of downtown Williams is on the National Register of Historic Places, and its largely-unchanged main street evokes images of the legendary route. Williams the town is also like a slice of small-town America, a place where they still hold a local beauty queen contest, and seven visiting travel writers make the local paper.

We went to the Visitor’s Information Center, where they had a lovely little museum and gave us lots of great information about mountain biking in the area, going to the Grand Canyon, and local tourist attractions.

We then registered at the GRAND CANYON RAILWAY RV PARK, which is FABULOUS.  It’s probably the nicest RV park we’ve been in.  I guess it’s because it’s relatively new and because it’s next to the nicest hotel in town.  It’s also packed with giant RVs.  Ours is, by far, the smallest one in the park.  The bathrooms are to die for!  Too bad we could only get a reservation for tonight, because 80 rigs are pulling in tomorrow (I guess because it’s Columbus Day).  So, we have to move to another RV park tomorrow, which is about ½ mile away.  It won’t be as beautiful, I’m sure, but we’re hoping it will be nice!

After settling in, Eric worked on his bike, so he would be ready for a mountain bike ride tomorrow.  Then, we headed out to Route 66, just about ½ mile away, to do a little shopping and eat dinner. 

Eric at a local souvenir/jewelry store, the Turquoise Tepee, playing cards with his new buddies:

Eric got a ROUTE 66 t-shirt and a KOKOPELLI t-shirt.  Kokopelli is Eric’s new best friend.  Since he rode KOKOPELLI’S TRAIL in Colorado Springs, we’ve seen him everywhere – Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and now Arizona.  We already bought a tiny hand-made ceramic fridge magnet, and a silver and turquoise key chain.

After shopping, we went across the street to the RED RAVEN RESTAURANT.  The minute I walked in, this restaurant appealed to me, because the walls were lined with plates, pictures, and a shelf, high above, lined with vases, bowls, pitchers, teapots, etc.  It was beautifully decorated.

Eric started with the Southwest Egg Rolls, stuffed with chicken and a savory mixture of southwest flavors, served with a creamy Chipotle sauce.  He followed that with the Crispy Shrimp salad (shrimp dipped in a light Tempura batter and deep fried to perfection, served on a bed of fresh salad greens lightly tossed with Ginger-Sesame dressing and topped with sprouts, red cabbage, tomato and red onion).

I had the Seafood Gumbo and grilled swordfish with a pineapple cranberry salsa, mashed potatoes and broccoli.  Everything was SO delicious.  We were so stuffed that we took our cappuccino chocolate mousse to go.

We drove around for a while, down Route 66, looking at all the great stores, hotels, motels, and restaurants.

We are not sure where we’re going tomorrow.  We’re sure we’re going to visit the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff (for mountain biking) and Sedona (for spa treatments for me and mountain biking for Eric), but we’re not sure in what order we’ll do all this!

Before I begin today’s story, I have to show you a picture of my gorgeous nephew, Eddie, playing soccer in college.  He’s the one on the right, in white.

Okay, now on to our day:

We had a late start to SEDONA this morning, because I haven’t been feeling well.  I am pretty sure it is my allergies, but for two days my nose was running and my head was very stuffed.  It’s now the third day, and I was thinking maybe it was a cold, but it’s just not progressing the way a cold does.  I just keep sneezing and blowing my nose!  It feels like allergies, I just never have a 3-day episode like this.

Even though I didn’t feel great, the laundry room was right near our rig, so I wanted to do a few loads of laundry (it just builds up SO fast!) and Eric had a lot of stuff to do outside the RV, so we didn’t leave Williams until after noon.

The ride to Sedona was fantastic.  Route 89A off I-17 is gorgeous.  We never knew Arizona had so many mountains.  We always imagined the terrain as desert and pretty flat, which was why Eric didn’t want to drive through the bottom of the U.S. (through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona).  He just doesn’t like flat terrain.  He’s a mountain man.  So, that’s why we drove north through Colorado, and Utah, and just came south for the Grand Canyon.  Eric’s been looking at his atlas a lot, and is always looking for mountainous regions.

The following are pictures of COCONINO NATIONAL FOREST taken in the park and on 89A on our way to Sedona:

See how I caught myself in the side view mirror taking the picture?  Cute, huh?

Eric and I thought these rocks looked fake -- like the set of a movie!

Someone told us there was great mountain biking in Sedona, so we researched it on the web and came up with a shop called MOUNTAIN BIKE HEAVEN in the heart of Sedona.

After we stopped at the “Call of the Canyon West Fork” of COCONINO NATIONAL FOREST to take pictures, we headed straight for the bike shop. 

It was small and the owner wasn’t there, because he and his wife just had a baby, but the guy working sold Eric a map of the trails and told him he would probably find some people to ride with there tomorrow.

After that, we headed to the RV camp in town, but they were completely booked!  I asked the woman why it was so busy, because we’ve only had that happen once or twice in two months, and first she said it was because it was the weekend (it’s Tuesday).  Then, when she realized she made a mistake, she said it was because it was November (it’s October) and then she said people come to see the changing of the leaves.  All the way down 89A we saw magnificent scenery, gorgeous mountains and streams, cliffs, and rocks, forests and parks, but we didn’t see anything but green.  There isn’t any changing of the leaves – at least not yet!

Anyway, they recommended another place, 12 miles away, in Cornville, AZ (yes, Cornville!) called LO LO MAI SPRINGS OUTDOOR RESORT.  We drove there and they were able to accommodate us.  We registered, looked at our site and then left to drive the 12 miles back to Sedona to have a very late lunch.  I also wanted to check out the day spa I had found online, to see if I could get my hair cut and touched-up, massage, manicure and pedicure tomorrow, while Eric rides.

FANGO DAY SPA, also in the heart of Sedona, is a lovely little spa, hidden away on a side street off 89A.  The women there were so lovely and I had a consultation with Lomisa, who will cut and color my hair.  I also made an appointment for a massage with Faith and manicure/pedicure with Regina, so it will really be a day of beauty and relaxation for me.  I’m so looking forward to it!

It was 4:00pm and we were both really hungry.  We went to the RED PLANET DINER, which was decorated with aliens, spaceships and anything else you can imagine from  outer-space, but also looked like a 50s diner.  Cute combination!   The back of the t-shirts the staff wore said, “Welcome Earthlings!” and the bathroom doors had giant aliens painted on them and said, “Maliens” and “Femaliens.”

We started with deep fried dill pickles with a ranch dressing, just because it was something we never even heard of before.  Delicious!  Then, I had the taco salad, which was lettuce, onions, red peppers, tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, beans and shrimp in a taco shell bowl and Eric had a turkey burger with cole slaw.  All very good!

It was now after 5:00pm and we didn’t know what else to do.  Since I wasn’t feeling well and now Eric had a headache (what a pair!), we decided to just head back to the campground and settle in for the night.  I really wanted to lie down, and convinced Eric to take a nap with me.  I awoke at 7:30pm, but he was still sleeping.  There’s no internet or cell phone service in Cornville (at least not that we can get), so I won’t be able to post this blog until we leave here, or at least find a place where I can get online.

I hope we both feel better in the morning!

The first thing we did this morning, after leaving LO LO MAI SPRINGS OUTDOOR RESORT was stop nearby to feed four horses we had seen yesterday.  We bought carrots at SAFEWAY last night, so we were well-prepared.  Let me tell you, horses LOVE carrots.  It must be like candy for them, because they just can’t get enough.  If you want a horse to follow you to the ends of the earth, just carry a handful of carrots and it will be no problem.  We had four beautiful horses each trying to get a carrot at the same time, and nudging us with their beautiful heads if we were too slow in delivery.

Next, we went into town, back to SAFEWAY for my morning STARBUCKS, and then we headed north on 89A, the most scenic route we’ve taken in our 8-week trip, stopping again a few times, to walk around the park, take in the views, and try to memorize the beautiful vistas.

By lunchtime, we were in Flagstaff.  What we’ve learned from driving around America is that you can’t just stop to eat at the first place you see.  You have to drive around a town, until you find the “trendy” section, where there are no BURGER KINGS, or APPLEBEES, or WENDY’S.  We don’t eat fast food, but we also don’t like chain restaurants, unless we’re desperate (which means I'm starving).

We went down Route 66 (our favorite route!) and found a quaint part of Flagstaff that had lots of little boutiques, art galleries and great little restaurants.  We went to a place called MOUNTAIN OASIS on East Aspen Street and had a wonderful lunch.  We started with Japanese Nori Rolls (organic Sushi rice, plum paste, scallions, carrots, cucumber, fresh avocado wrapped in Nori (seaweed) paper.

Eric had a Spinach Melt Wrap (spinach, roasted red peppers, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, combined with organic brown rice and topped with pepper jack cheese  Mine was a Hummus Wrap (hummus, avocado, cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, black olives and lettuce).

The best part of this restaurant is that every month they feature another artist’s work, which is for sale.  This month, the artist is a woman named LISA ALBINGER, whose work is very unusual.  The thing I love about her is that she is whimsical, yet dark.  She starts with a sort of decoupage/collage, where she glues different objects and papers to the canvas.  Then she paints over it all, using only cotton swabs and paper towels.

Another thing she does, which I just adore, is she will continue a painting off the canvas and onto the frame, so I think she must paint with the frame already on.  I have a feeling she might buy cheap paintings and paint right over them.  Some of her paintings don’t have a frame at all and look like they might be painted right on wood.

I fell in love with one of her paintings, but really enjoyed them all.  If you like the paintings below, please visit her website to see much more and read all about her.  I haven’t been taken with an artist like this in a long time!

This is my favorite, photographed as it hung on the wall in MOUNTAIN OASIS:

Here are some others, some copied from her website, some photographed in the restaurant:

See how her paintings continue, right onto the frame?  I LOVE that!

She definitely has a thing for bunnies.  She describes this one as Gene Kelly as a bunny!

This one is a little different than the others in the restaurant, but she has another whole series that are less whimsical and dark, depicting beautiful women and nature.

After lunch, we walked around Flagstaff, enjoying the gorgeous weather and window shopping at all the trendy stores.  We got back on the road and headed back to Williams but, before we got to the campground, we stopped first at DEER FARM petting zoo, where you can feed the Deer and pet (or just gaze lovingly at) the reindeer, wallabies, llamas, mini donkeys, mini horses, mini cattle (zebu), axis deer, potbelly pig, talking birds, coatimundi, marmosets, and new as of this year a baby camel and two baby bison.

 This is Sparky.  He was very shy, but sweet!

We brought out carrot supply into the zoo, but they told us we couldn’t feed the animals carrots (they’re all on a special diet – who knew?), so they put our carrots in the fridge and Eric bought a little cup of some kind of deer food and we went in. 

The deer are hysterical.  There must be twenty or thirty and as soon as they see you coming with that cup they swarm you, nudge you, and won’t leave you alone until you give them some.  It was actually a little scary.  I could hardly take pictures, because they thought the camera was food and kept trying to eat it!

We loved petting the baby goats and the potbelly pig, but the marmosets (whom you can’t pet) have such tiny, funny little faces!

This little girl was like the Pied Piper of Deer Farm!

After we had our fill (or, should I say, the deer had THEIR fill), we went back to RAILSIDE RV RESORT, where we had spent two lovely days earlier this week.  We took a nap, then ate in.  Tomorrow, we are finally heading to the Grand Canyon (I hope!).

Today is Eric’s youngest sister, Susan’s, birthday.  HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUSAN!!!  It was great talking to you today.  Hope you had a fabulous day!

Eric and I are both feeling better, but are still suffering from the hot, dry change in climate.  Eric actually got a bloody nose this morning!  His headache is gone and the Drixoral, which Dr. Larry recommended, really helped me.  Nevertheless, we decided we definitely didn’t want to go further south in Arizona, because it would just get hotter and drier and we are already suffering from the effects of this drastic change in climate.

We had planned to go to the Grand Canyon for over a week, but hadn’t made it yet.  We were clearly procrastinating.  I don’t know why, but Eric was not very enthusiastic about going.  Part of it was the fact that he felt riding down the mountain in Moab was more spectacular, because he was actually IN the canyon, not just on the edge looking over.  Since they don’t let you mountain bike the Grand Canyon, and Eric’s not into hiking, we were just going to look over the edge.  I told him it would impress him, because it is SO huge – after all, GRAND is in its name!

My problem is: I’m afraid of heights.  It’s not the kind of fear that makes me afraid to go up to the top of the Empire State Building.  I feel safe there.  It’s the kind of fear that makes me nervous standing at the edge of a balcony, or if people walk too close to the edge of a cliff.  You know what I mean.  I’m afraid of falling off (or someone else falling off).

The combination of his being kind of blasé and me being more than a little afraid made us keep putting it off.  We went to Sedona for a few days, then Flagstaff, then back to Williams.  But I was determined that I wasn’t going to finish this trip without seeing the Grand Canyon, and Eric agreed that it was worth doing.  So, today we finally went.

We were already in Williams, so we went to Route 66 (our new favorite hangout) and had breakfast at the TYPHOON SALOON AND RESTAURANT in WILD WEST JUNCTION.  It had the feeling of an old west saloon (although they don’t serve liquor), and had lots of great western memorabilia.

Eric, and a few others, making me EXTREMELY nervous:

It was a fast trip from Williams to Tusayan, Arizona, where the Grand Canyon is located – less than an hour away.  We parked the car on the side of the road and went to see some of the views.  Spectacular!  It’s really just so much bigger than you can imagine.  We walked around a bit, took some pictures, then got back in the RV, drove a couple more miles, parked the car in the RV lot, got on the shuttle bus, and went to the GRAND CANYON VISITOR CENTER, on the South Rim.

We walked to the view from there, and ended up being just about a half mile up from where we originally stopped, but the views seem to be the same all around.  There are miles and miles of beautiful mountains with tiers of color, occasional trees and shrubs, and a LONG way down.  I guess the views would differ depending on the time of day, time of year and weather conditions, but I guess I was as blasé as Eric, because we only walked about a mile altogether and I had seen quite enough.  There were just too many people standing out on rocks, posing for pictures, or taking pictures, and it made me so nervous!

We took the shuttle bus back to the RV and, in less than 4 hours, were back on the road to Williams.  We came, we saw, we photographed.  I’m glad we went.  It was definitely worth the trip.  If you’re interested, you can take a jeep, helicopter, airplane, bus, mule, horse, raft, or hike the canyon, but none of that is my cup of tea, and Eric felt the same way.

The thing that amazed Eric the most is that all of the canyon was under water millions of years ago.  Boy, have things changed!

Listening to the people as we passed, we heard so many different languages.  People from all over the world come to see the Grand Canyon!

Seeing the size of the people in relation to the canyon, really puts it all in perspective!

After the short drive back to Williams, we registered at RAILSIDE RV RESORT and talked about our day.  The truth is, we were glad we went, but we both had a better time visiting our friends in New Orleans and Chicago, visiting Graceland, or seeing the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Those days were much more memorable for us.

Having decided that we don’t want to go further south in Arizona, we decided to head West on I-40 and see where it takes us.  We will probably head into California, before meeting our friends in Las Vegas on the 22nd.  After that, we’re heading to San Diego, and this dream vacation will come to an end.  I’m really not happy about it, and neither is Eric.

We could easily do this for a year!

We left RAILSIDE RV RESORT, and Williams, with some regret, as we had a lovely time there.  We decided to go to SELIGMAN, ARIZONA, because we kept seeing that town on maps of Route 66.  Since Eric’s sister, Ellen, is married to a Seligman, we thought it would be fun to visit the town.

Route 66 runs parallel to I-40, but not all the way through, so – to be safe – we decided to take I-40 there.  Route 66 used to run from Chicago all the way through to Los Angeles, but after I-40 was built, parts of Route 66 were permanently closed.  Route 66, also called “The Mother Road” (by John Steinbeck in “The Grapes of Wrath”) and “America’s Main Street” (by an ad writer when it was first built) is now called “Historic Route 66” and, when it runs through a town, that town automatically becomes a tourist attraction.

So it was with Seligman, Arizona!  We got off the exit and drove through town.  It was small and cute with a lot of souvenir stores, just like Williams.  We saw that there was a “town square” and that there were a lot of people gathered.  Something was definitely happening in Seligman today!  We parked and got out.  Turns out it was the SELIGMAN RT. 66 CLASSIC CAR SHOW, hosted by the Seligman Chamber of Commerce.

Didn't I tell you Betty was EVERYWHERE?

There were so many great cars there: A Corvette, Camaro, Mustang, Impala, GTO, Chevelle, and many others.  Eric loves vintage cars, so he was happy to have the chance to get a good look at all these classics.  The owners were “proud papas” thrilled to have someone admire their “babies.”  Eric talked to all of them, and I took pictures.

While driving on I-40, we had seen a man on a bicycle, loaded down with backpacks and other bags.  Eric noted that it’s illegal to ride a bicycle on an interstate and he figured the guy had been on Route 66 and had to get off, just like we did, when the road ended.  Sure enough, we saw him in town later and went over to talk to him.  Turns out, he’s from Germany, started his odyssey in British Columbia and was on a ROUTE 66 ROAD TRIP, riding his bicycle straight from Chicago all the way to Los Angeles.  He was an older gentleman, and I couldn’t believe he could ride like that, day after day, in the heat of the day, camping at night in his little tent.  I told Eric, “He must have good lungs and strong legs!” 

Next, we went into the HISTORIC SELIGMAN SUNDRIES store and bought some souvenirs, and some coffee, before going around town, taking pictures of anything that had a “SELIGMAN” on it!
We were told that the best place in town to eat was the ROADKILL CAFÉ (“You Kill It, We Grill It”), so we headed over there.  Everything on the menu has names like “Splatter Platter” or “Highway Hash.”  I wish I could remember the clever names of our dishes, but they escape me.  Anyway, Eric had a Turkey BLT Club sandwich and I had crab cakes.  The service was really slow, but the food was worth waiting for!

This lovely stuffed leopard greeted you at the door!

This guy stared at me all during lunch!

Leaving Seligman, we got on Route 66 and took it all the way to Kingman where it ends and we had to get back on I-40.  We were heading to NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA, to stay in an RV camp right on the Colorado River.  (I know.  Who knew the Colorado River was also in California?).  By now, we were following the directions of our GPS system (Betty) and she told us to get off Exit 44 and get on Oatman Highway (aka Route 66).  Little did we know we could have taken I-40 all the way, but Betty sometimes chooses routes that are more scenic and this one was definitely interesting.

We ended up going about 15 miles through treacherous, dangerous, and – for me – stomach churning, nerve wracking road conditions, as we wound our way through mountains, where the car was on the outside lane and the drop was at least a thousand feet.  And I thought the Grand Canyon was scary!  This perilous drive went on for about 40 minutes, and Eric was enjoying himself, driving slowly and carefully as the sun went down in the west.  I was so nervous I was lying on the couch in the back, because I couldn’t bear to look.

When we finally got through the mountains, we were in the middle of nowhere and Betty had “frozen.”  She wouldn’t talk, she wouldn’t move.  We couldn’t get her to “calculate” the route.  I turned her on and off a couple of times.  Nothing.  So, with darkness all around us, and the desert to the right and left (and in front and behind) we drove along Historic Route 66, not knowing where we were headed, but just hoping we’d find a town or, at least, I-40.  I couldn’t believe Betty had let us down, just when we needed her most!

We finally DID find I-40 and got back on.  We crossed the border from Arizona to California.  It was kind of an important moment, because – after 9 weeks on the road -- we had finally made it to California, even though we’ll be leaving to go to Nevada.  We saw a sign for NEEDLES and exited.  You’d think our troubles were over, wouldn’t you?  But we couldn’t find the NEEDLES MARINA PARK.  I went online and they had NO directions on their website.  Eric and I each stopped and asked for directions at two different gas stations and we still couldn’t find the place! 

We ended up trying two RV parks before finally pulling into the DESERT VIEW RV RESORT.  
This place is really nice, so we’re happy to be here, but it was still a stressful experience.  It’s a good thing we had planned on eating in tonight, because by the time we got here it was almost 9:00pm!

All in all, it was a great day.  Seligman turned out to be a great surprise and we had a wonderful afternoon there.  I just hope that tomorrow, in the light of day, Needles, California is just as wonderful!

Before I close, I want to give a “shout out” to our dear friend, Artie, who is recovering from surgery.  It was great to talk to you today, Artie, and we hope you are feeling MUCH better REAL soon!

DESERT VIEW RV RESORT was different than any other RV resort we’ve stayed at in all 9 weeks on the road.  If we get to a campground late, we usually fill out “night registration” and pay in the morning at the office, which is located near the entrance.  In this case, we didn’t see the office, so we just drove around until we found an empty space and parked.  This morning a guy on a golf cart drove up to us and asked us when we arrived last night (8:30pm).  Eric told him I was going to go to the office on our way out, and he told Eric there was no office and they come to your site to get your information and payment.  Such service!

When he came back, he had a woman in the golf cart with him.  She had a clipboard.  She got out, approached the RV and I got out to greet her.  I tried to hand her my charge card, but she told me that they only take cash or personal checks.  That seemed very strange to me, but I paid her and filled out the form she had.  She gave me my copy and they left.  It struck us both as so strange that they don’t have an office and they don’t take credit cards.  Doesn’t seem very business-like, does it?  Anyway, the accommodations were very nice!

We had breakfast at a place called WAGON WHEEL RESTAURANT in Needles, on Historic Route 66.   Needles is called “The Gateway to California,” because you have to pass through it to enter California on I-40 or Historic Route 66.

After a hearty breakfast, we headed out of town to BARSTOW, which was just over an hour away.  It was a cute, little town.  We gassed up ($3.49 a gallon – by far, the most we’ve paid this entire trip), got Starbucks (yeah!) and then drove around a little.

I noticed that there were lots of beautiful murals on the walls of the businesses in town.  This one in particular attracted my eye.  It depicted the military in the 1850s using camels, because they could cross the desert with only a drink every couple of days.  When the Civil War started, they gave up on the camels.  Interesting, eh?

Here are some other interesting facts about BARSTOW:
Route 66 ran through Barstow and the town's name is mentioned in the lyrics to the song, "Route 66" and in the Black Eyed Peas song "Like That" as Will.I.Am. raps that he "(has) a style that's way out like Barstow" commenting on Barstow's distance from the BEP's home city of Los Angeles. Barstow is also mentioned in Hunter S. Thompson's novel "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," in Quentin Tarantino's film "Kill Bill Vol. II," and in numerous other films and television shows.

I saw an Antique Mall, so Eric read his book while I shopped for about a half hour.  I saw lots of cute stuff, but nothing that I had to have.

We drove on to SAN BERNARDINO.  There were several exits off I-40 for the city, and we didn’t know which one was best, so we just got off one exit and started driving around.  First we drove through a really nice business district, where we saw courthouses, a beautiful library, etc.  Then, we hit a not-so-nice neighborhood, so we kept driving.  We entered a nicer neighborhood, with lots of stores on a major thoroughfare.  Nothing special.

Here’s SAN BERNARDINO’S biggest claim to fame -- did you know the entire McDonald’s empire started in good old San Bernardino?

1948 - On December 12, siblings Richard and Maurice McDonald convert their "barbecue" restaurant on "E" Street into a fast food restaurant, McDonald's, by introducing their Speedee Service System. Glen Bell, inspired by their success opens Bell's Hamburgers on the corner of Oak and Mount Vernon Avenues. Bell would later open Taco Tia at Base Line and Acacia in 1954, El Taco, and in 1962, Taco Bell in Downey, California.

1952 - Neal Baker, a friend of Glen Bell's and an admirer of the McDonalds', opens the first Bakers' Drive Thru. This local chain now has 35 stores in the Inland Empire.

1961 - Dick and Mac McDonald sell Ray Kroc business rights to their restaurants for $2.7 million dollars; they retain the original McDonald’s as "The Big M." Kroc opens a McDonalds across the street. Today, the Kroc restaurant remains boarded up, the original McDonalds was demolished, though a McDonalds museum exists at the original site (with a building built in the 1970s), which is run by Albert Okura, founder of the local chicken chain, Juan Pollo.”

I’m sure there are wonderful places to visit in San Bernardino, but we weren’t able to find them tonight and it was getting late, so we headed south about 8 miles to GRAND TERRACE to the TERRACE VILLAGE RV PARK.

We’ll ask the people at the office tomorrow morning where we should go to enjoy the best of San Bernardino.

Yesterday, when we were in San Bernardino, Eric started to freak out a little.  He didn’t like San Bernardino at all.  There was a lot of litter on the streets, the neighborhoods we saw (while only a small part of the city) were not that great, and it was very flat and “desert like” – very few trees, small shrubs, and lots of dirt and sand.

He also expressed his fear that mountain biking in San Diego will be unfulfilling compared to New York, where there were beautiful parks and forests to ride through.  He loves the mountains and trees – think Upstate New York.  The truth is, Eric really moved more for me than for him.  He could have stayed in New York and dealt with the cold much better than me.  He doesn’t like the ice and snow, but he doesn’t mind the cold like I do.  I HATE the cold.  I was the one who really wanted to get away from the cold and San Diego seemed like the perfect place for us.  He's happy about the climate, and likes the fact that it's pretty mountainous.  I’m hoping that he will see that the mountain biking in San Diego can be just as great, even though the terrain is a little different.

He said he was afraid that San Diego would be the same as the parts of San Bernardino we visited.  I assured him that San Diego was FABULOUS.  That it was a paradise.  That he would LOVE it.  But, he wanted to see for himself.  So, we decided to head there today.  We were only a few hours away.   It was a fast drive.

We got here around 2:00pm and drove into HILLCREST, (Metro San Diego’s hippest community). a lovely area with lots of great restaurants and stores.  It’s also the residential and commercial hub of San Diego’s gay and lesbian community (no wonder it’s such a hip neighborhood!).

We went into a sushi restaurant, but they were closed.  Turns out, they close at 2:30pm and reopen at 5:00pm.  Weird, huh?  We went across the street to a Thai restaurant, called TASTE OF THAI. Turns out they close at 3:00pm, but they were willing to serve us.  What is UP with that?  In New York, restaurants may not open for lunch, but if they DO they usually stay open through dinner.  Does anyone know of a restaurant in New York that closes between lunch and dinner?  I told Eric we have VERY bad luck with that, because we have gone into a few restaurants on our trip that closed just as we entered!

Anyway, our lunch specials at TASTE OF THAI were delicious.  I had the Shrimp in Chili Sauce (very spicy).  Eric had the Chicken with Peanut Sauce (spinach and cabbage with coconut milk peanut sauce).  Both meals came with soup, tossed green salad, spring roll and fried wontons.  They were very nice and didn’t rush us at all, although we are very fast eaters!

After lunch we walked around town, looking in the windows of some stores, and shopping in others.  BLUESTOCKING BOOKS is a fantastic bookstore with so many great cards, postcards, magnets and, of course, books!  The woman behind the counter was so friendly and we all ended up talking for about a half hour.  We told her we were soon settling in San Diego and she told us we would be very happy.  I was so happy she said that, because I know Eric is nervous about it all.

This is the fabulous logo for WEAR IT AGAIN SAM:

I bought a few things in the bookstore, and then wandered into a place called WEAR IT AGAIN SAM, a classic vintage clothing store.  It’s a good thing I didn’t have time to try things on, because they had FABULOUS vintage dresses.  Eric promised me we’d go back soon.

A few doors down there was a STARBUCKS and after getting an iced latte, we headed back to the car and I turned on the computer to find a campground.  We found a place just 8 miles away called CAMPLAND ON THE BAY, which was voted 2006 Best Campground in San Diego.  Considering there are over 40 campgrounds in San Diego, I guess that’s saying a lot.

Turns out, it’s really fabulous and we’re about 50 feet away from Mission Bay.  They rent boats, quads, skates and bikes and have all kinds of activities like yoga, aerobics, and horseshoes.  If we were staying longer, I would try to catch a class or two!

After registering and checking out our site, we left to go into the GASLAMP QUARTER, which is a really hot spot in San Diego.  It’s kind of like the French Quarter in New Orleans, or Beale Street in Memphis, but much more refined (although I’m sure not as colorful or as much fun).  We couldn’t find a spot for over a half hour, and they wouldn’t let us park in the outdoor parking lot, so we didn’t get to eat in one of the many, many restaurants, or window shop at all the art galleries.  I’m sure it was very expensive and I told Eric this was definitely a place to bring friends when they come to visit us!

We left the GASLAMP QUARTER frustrated, but happy that at least we had seen it.  We headed back towards the campground and found a fabulous SUSHI restaurant that was still open on a Monday night at 8:30pm and had a delicious meal.  HAIKU JAPANESE RESTAURANT was hopping and they had a big-screen TV, so Eric could watch the football game.  Sushi and football.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

We were back at the campground in 5 minutes and Eric said he was going to go for a night ride along the bay.  That was almost an hour ago and he’s been talking to our “neighbor” ever since!  Turns out the guy just bought a mountain bike, so Eric’s been in his glory, showing him all the “armor” he uses, and giving him tips.

I’ve been watching HEROES and blogging.  The blog is something I really enjoy.  I enjoy working on the computer, and it’s also nice to go back through our day, remembering what we did, and documenting the places we visited.  Sometimes I have lots of pictures, but I didn’t take any today.

I told my friend Katie, who is also my webmaster (she designed my website for PEPPY'S DREAM  and my blog) that I am so grateful to have this record of our trip.  I never kept a diary or a journal, so this is new to me, but already Eric and I are already forgetting places we’ve gone or things we’ve done and the blog is a great resource.

Katie is a multi-talented artist.  She designs rugs and is also a jazz singer, amongst other things.  She’s what I would call a Bohemian, who just happens to often work in the corporate world.  We met when we both worked for Price Waterhouse, but the corporate world didn’t suit either one of us very well and it drew us to each other.  I quit to open my shop, and she quit to go out on her own.  I was so lucky to get Katie to design my website, because she usually works with big corporate clients, but loves to design websites for artists, photographers, designers, etc.  She has her own blog and talked about our cross-country journey in today’s entry.  I thought you might want to check it out, so here’s the link: (http://www.coloraddict.com.).  You can also look at her rug designs (http://KatieUlanov.com), her communications and design website (http://NonlinearNYC.com), or her band (http://WEEPwithKatie.com).  I told you she was multi-talented!

Eric seems to like what we've seen of San Diego so far.  He enjoyed the trendy neighborhoods we visited, and was happy to see how clean and well-maintained it was.  Although he is not completely won over yet, he says he feels better about our move.  (I'm happy to hear that, as I'm not ready to go back to New York!)

Tomorrow we are heading to the San Diego Zoo.  It’s kind of nice to be tourists here, before we actually move here.  I’m sure when we get here in a few weeks we’ll be too busy finding an apartment, unpacking, and settling in to do much sightseeing, so this is our big chance!

We got a late start this morning, because I wanted to do a few loads of laundry in the fancy Laundromat at our campground.  They’ve got a big-screen TV!

After the laundry was done, Eric and I drove to MISSION HILLS, another cool neighborhood in San Diego, which is actually very close to HILLCREST.  We saw a bike shop and decided to stop, so Eric could ask them about local mountain biking and maybe buy a map of the trails.  The owner of MISSION HILLS BICYCLES, Eryn Pecka was really great.  He spoke to us for about 20 minutes, explaining the nature of San Diego mountain biking.  It is very different from New York as San Diego is, basically, a desert, so there are no trees.  He said there is lots of great, challenging mountain-biking in and around San Diego, but it’s not the same kind of terrain Eric’s used to.

Eric is kind of in a state of shock.  I guess he just didn’t think about it enough before we left and now it’s hitting him really hard.  The reality of it all is upon him and he doesn’t know if he can cope with the change.  He spoke of buying a motorcycle, because he said that would be more fun to ride around town than road riding.  He spoke about driving a car a couple of hours north to find mountain biking in a more familiar atmosphere.  He talked a lot, and I listened.  I tried to tell him that if San Diego is not going to make him happy, we could go somewhere else, just as long as it doesn’t get cold!  I’m not stuck on San Diego.  I picked it because it seemed like the perfect place for both of us, but – if it’s not – I’ll go anywhere he wants.  I just want him to be happy!  I think Eric’s just having a mini-meltdown and will be fine, but who knows?

After a fast lunch at a Mexican restaurant we went to the SAN DIEGO ZOO.

These gorillas were so cute.  The husband was grooming the wife.  Can you see how her elbow is resting on her knee?  Such a human pose! 

This funny-looking bird had the most gorgeous blue feathers!

It was really fun and we saw so many great exhibits.  When we visited the DENVER ZOO we weren’t able to see the gorillas, monkeys and orangutans, so we made sure to see them all today.  They were fabulous!  Such personalities!  The mothers with their babies were the cutest, but there was one gorilla who really made everyone laugh.

There was a big crowd at the big glass exhibit and they were playing, sitting, eating, and napping.  All of a sudden, one of the gorillas came right up to the glass.  It was a photo opportunity and everyone got their cameras ready.  What did the gorilla do?  He sat right down with his BACK right up against the glass, so no one could get a good picture of him.  He was RIGHT there, but he knew we wanted to see his face and he purposely put his back to us.  He was teasing us!  Everyone laughed so hard, because we all knew how smart he was and that he got us all!

It's hard to tell, but this is a sleeping panda bear!

Eric said his favorites were the Malayan Tapirs (again).  This time they weren’t swimming, so we got to see them walking around.  They really are the strangest looking animals, and their coloring makes them look like they’re wearing white underwear!  Too bad I wasn't able to get a picture!

This gorilla was so serene.  He just sat in the same position for a while and looked like he was meditating or doing yoga!

Eric also loves the Birds of Prey – the eagles and the condors.  They’re so regal!  The pandas were adorable, but they were both taking a nap, and the baby is only on a web cam so far, because it’s just a few weeks old!

It's hard to see the birds in the picture, below, but the landscaping is so gorgeous, I thought I'd show it to you anyway!

The reptile house is great, but the biggest challenge is finding the snakes and lizards, because they really blend into their environments so perfectly!

The Pink Flamingos are simply Devine!

The hippos were adorable and you can see them underwater, where they spend most of their time. 

We left the zoo at closing time and drove around San Diego, looking at more neighborhoods.  They all seem nice and probably expensive!  We haven’t seen a bad neighborhood yet, but we haven’t driven that far.

We went back to HILLCREST to ARRIVEDERCI RISTORANTE (Nouvelle Italian Cuisine) for dinner.  The place was packed.  We started by sharing a Mushroom soup, which was just pureed mushrooms with seasonings to die for.  We loved it!  We also shared a Trecolori Fantastica salad, which had radicchio, arugala, Belgium endive, walnuts, goat cheese and a house vinaigrette dressing.

For dinner, Eric had the Pollo Millegusti, chicken breast stuffed with imported cheese and spinach in a wild mushroom sauce.  I had the spaghetti with lobster, shrimp and mushrooms in a pink sauce.  It was so good.  We had a piece of chocolate mousse cake to finish off a delightful meal.  I would definitely recommend this restaurant!

After dinner we drove around a little bit more and Eric was able to get us back to the campground without using our GPS system.  I was impressed, because I had no idea how to go and he only did it once before!  He said he’s learning this town like the back of his hand!

We have no plans for tomorrow, but will probably drive around and see more neighborhoods in the area.  I’m hoping Eric will fall in love with San Diego and see that it really is the place for us.   If not, I’ve already told him I will go wherever he goes.  We’re a team!

As Albert Hammond wrote in 1972,
“Seems it never rains in southern California
Seems I've often heard that kind of talk before
It never rains in California, but girl don't they warn ya
It pours, man it pours.”

We got a VERY late start today.  We slept until 11:00am.  Can you believe it?  I guess it was partly because we knew we were staying at the campground another 2 days and didn’t have to worry about check out (which is usually 11:00am).  Also, it was raining early this morning (yes – raining!).  It has rained twice since we’ve been here, but both times it was in the middle of the night, or in the morning before we got up.  It’s kind of like Florida rain.  It starts out cloudy and wet, but then the sun comes out and it’s another gorgeous day!

We didn’t leave the campground until 3:00pm.  We decided to drive to some new neighborhoods, but first we went to RALPHS supermarket (first in California™) on Mission Boulevard.  We only needed to pick up a few necessities – like bottled water, laundry detergent and cereal, but it’s so frustrating, because of course we see other stuff we’d like to buy, but we either can’t fit it in the RV, or it needs to be kept refrigerated and our fridge is so “iffy” that we can’t take a chance.

After shopping, I walked around the corner to STARBUCKS (there are a LOT of them here – wheeeeeeeee!).  Then, we took a drive up La Jolla Boulevard.  It was pretty and the houses were nice, but we weren’t that impressed.

So far, HILLCREST is our favorite neighborhood.  Hillcrest just turned 100!  They had a lot of wonderful celebratory events, but they all ended before we got here!

We decided to head to Hillcrest (where else) for dinner and chose NAMI SUSHI BAR & FUSION JAPANESE RESTAURANT.  They have a HAPPY HOUR Monday through Wednesday from 5-7pm with ½ price on selected sushi rolls!  We started with two Miso Soups and got two rolls from the ½ price list and one "White Dragon" special roll.  They were all delicious and, because they were very busy and the rolls took a while to come, they gave us a free bowl of edamame.  I thought that was SO sweet!

Ater dinner we walked around the neighborhood.  In our three trips around Hillcrest, I have noticed three or four shops that sell vintage clothing which say “BUY SELL TRADE.”  Some of them are more costume-y places, which are hot right now, since Halloween is just two weeks away.  The other places have real vintage clothing, but most of it is 70s and newer, and I prefer 60s and older.  The only place I’ve seen so far that really excited me was WEAR IT AGAIN SAM, which had older, more elegant clothing and jewelry.  I can’t wait to go back there and shop!

We decided to find a place for dessert and had several choices, but then we saw CORVETTE DINER BAR & GRILL.  It was fabulous!  They have a DJ nightly and great entertainment, including a magician on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Dan the Balloon Man on Friday and Saturday nights. 

The entire diner is TOTALLY filled with 1950s memorabilia and collectibles.  The front is all black/white/pink (which I adore) and the hostesses are dressed in poodle skirts and saddle shoes.  There’s a soda fountain on the left with all the seats to sit at the counter.  On the right were a bunch of tables with formica tops and chrome chairs. 

We walked through to the back, which is black/white/red and were surrounded by Marilyn, Elvis, and Coca-Cola.  There was even a real yellow Corvette in the middle of the floor.  All the waiters, waitresses, hostesses and bartenders are in 50s uniforms, and all look adorable.  We sat in a fabulous booth in the middle of all the fun, and our waitress, Lulu was a doll.  We got an ELVIS SHAKE (banana, peanut butter, marshmallow all shook up (uh huh huh) and a piece of Giant Chocolate Fudge Fantasy Cake (rich and moist with creamy fudge frosting).  It was so much that we only tasted the cake and took the rest home and just finished the shake, which was FABULOUS with pieces of peanuts and banana blended into it). 

When we were finished, we were about to leave, but Lulu told us we had to stay, because the staff was going to dance.  We sat back down and watched them all line up and do a line dance.  They also invited all the kids to come up and they did and participated in the dance (and did a great job, too!).  It was a lot of fun and we promised we’d return soon.

When we got back to the RV, Eric and I did a lot of research on the computer, finding local and nearby places to mountain bike.  He was encouraged by the reviews we read (from other mountain bikers) and found some of the places on the map.  We will do more investigating by going to more mountain bike shops and driving to some of the parks to see the trails.

Eric is feeling more positive about the mountain biking situation, which of course makes me feel better.  I just want him to be happy.  That is of the utmost importance to me.  Nothing else really matters much, besides Eric.  He is my everything.

The last couple of days were very tense, because I felt like I let him down and I felt he was disappointed.  I think he was just really nervous.  I can’t explain why I’m not nervous about moving here.  I guess it’s because I require so little.  I need a place to live, a place to work, and Eric (and Starbucks).  That’s all I really need.  I know I can find a yoga studio, or an antique shop anywhere.  I’ve already found vintage shops I like and a neighborhood that’s fun to walk around.  It doesn’t take much to make me happy.  I just want him to be happy.

The first thing we did today was go to a local bike shop called BICYCLE WAREHOUSE (“It’s your world.  Ride it!”) on Santa Fe Street.

This place really is a warehouse – it’s huge and filled with everything a mountain biker or road rider could possibly want.  A young man named Kellen spoke to Eric for a while, telling him about his experiences with San Diego mountain biking and Eric bought two books: SAN DIEGO MOUNTAIN BIKE GUIDE by Daniel Greenstadt, and MOUNTAIN BIKING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S BEST 100 TRAILS (second edition) edited by Delaine Fragnoli and Don Douglass.

Kellen showed Eric a bulletin board where people looking for someone to ride with can post their names and numbers, and where group rides are announced.  Kellen said group rides start out from the bike shop and end back there, so it’s really convenient.  Eric was happy to learn all of this.  I think it’s finally sinking in that he will have all the riding he needs right here, or very close by.

After we left the bike shop we drove a few miles to a restaurant called HOMETOWN BUFFET in Clairemont.  It was one of those all-you-can-eat places, but it is remarkably cheap compared to New York.  Lunch is $8.26 per person (including tax – no tips).  They only have breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.  Otherwise, it’s open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.  Dinner is just a dollar or so more than lunch.  If you’re a big eater, it’s definitely a bargain.  We noticed it was mostly seniors, and thought that maybe there was a senior residence close by.  Eric and I never heard of Hometown Buffet before, but now we’ve seen 2 or 3 commercials on TV, so I guess it’s a pretty popular place here.  I have since learned it’s a chain and there are locations all over the U.S.!

Me and the Sea Otter!

We were stuffed when we left and headed straight to SEAWORLD.  We were shocked to find out it was $57 per person, after already paying $15 to park the RV.  I don’t know how families can afford it.  We didn’t realize it was an amusement park with various rides, and also had many “attractions” and “shows.”

SHAMU: BELIEVE:

DOLPHIN DISCOVERY:

We saw THE SHAMU SHOW: BELIEVE and DOLPHIN DISCOVERY, each of which was about a half hour long.  We walked around a lot, visiting SHARK ENCOUNTER, ROCKY POINT PRESERVE, WILD ARCTIC, PENGUIN ENCOUNTER, FORBIDDEN REEF, and ANHEUSER-BUSCH HOSPITALITY CENTER (visiting with the Clydesdales in their stables).  We didn’t go on any of the rides.  One ride was closed, due to “wind conditions.”  The others got you wet, and we weren’t dressed for it.

SHARK ENCOUNTER:

PENGUINS!

Since we didn’t get there until almost 2:00pm, we missed some of the attractions.  There was some kind of show called PETS RULE with dogs, and we missed the CLYDESDALE show (but we did get to see them up close and personal in their stalls, even though we didn’t have carrots with us (darn!).  The Clydesdales are SO huge.  It's amazing.  I've always thought horses were big animals, but the Clydesdales are so big they make regular horses look like ponies!

The MANATEE exhibit was closed for the day, which was very disappointing, because I think they’re so cute.

The lonely polar bear:

My favorite part was the walrus in the underwater tank, because he was so funny and I really think he was trying to make everyone laugh, although I could be wrong.  He had pieces of fish in his mouth and he kept spitting them out, right up against the glass, and then sucking them all in again.  Eric said maybe that’s how he gets all the flavor out of the fish, but I doubt if that’s what they do in their natural habitat, since they don’t have many glass walls in the ocean!  Anyway, he was HUGE – I mean they’re literally the size of an elephant but with stumpy little legs.  Their tusks are at least a foot long and their “moustaches” are about 8 inches long.

The comic walrus:

The Clydesdales and the Anheuser-Busch Hospitality Center:

Eric’s favorite part was the stingray pool, where you could actually pet the stingrays.  They’re so sweet and come right up to you for some lovin’.  They’re so silky soft and smooth.  The dolphins also come right up to you, but stay just far enough away so you can’t pet them.  When you make eye contact with the dolphins, they just look so intelligent.  I wish I could swim with the dolphins.  I’m not much of a swimmer, but I’d just love to give a dolphin a hug!  I also wanted to hug the polar bear, because he really looked lonely and a little depressed.  Eric said they’re very solitary animals, so maybe it’s just their personality.

We stayed until they made us leave at 5:30pm and it took us about 6 minutes to get back to the campground.  No matter where we go (Hillcrest, Mission Hill, SeaWorld, San Diego Zoo, La Jolla, Pacific Beach) we always seem to be just 10-15 minutes from where we started!  We came back to the campground and I took a nap while Eric read through his bicycle books and studied his maps.   He woke me at 8:00pm and we got dressed and went out to dinner.

We drove around to what we thought was a new neighborhood.  There were lots of tattoo shops, a few bicycle shops, a lot of head shops (selling flavored tobaccos and bongs) and thrift shops and resale shops.  It was very young and very cool.  We parked and walked around, looking for a restaurant.  There are more sushi restaurants than any other kind in San Diego.  Just sushi restaurant after sushi restaurant.  We looked at one restaurant and realized it was HAIKU SUSHI, where we had ended up on Monday night!  We thought we had driven to a new neighborhood, but were back where we started on Monday night!

We decided to go back to HAIKU SUSHI, but would get hot dishes, instead of sushi.  We started with three appetizers: Soft shell crab (deep fried Japanese style), Shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings), and Deep fried stuffed jalapeno peppers.  Then, we shared an entrée of Seafood Yakisoba (a Japanese noodle dish).  Everything was so good.  We finished with Fried Green Tea Ice Cream (again).  It was so good last time, how could we resist?

After dinner, we walked around the neighborhood and ended up in a place called THE HIGH ROAD LIFESTYLE STORE (2,500 feet of the coolest Sh-t @ the beach).  The guy had a few piercings on his face and had little rhinestones glued on the outer sides of his eyes.  He was definitely a hippie, 2007 style.  He and Eric talked while I walked around the shop.  There were t-shirts, bicycles, wet suits, bongs (quality hand-blown glass), and lots of other items I couldn’t really identify.  It was a weird combination of merchandise, to say the least.  He was telling Eric how wonderful San Diego is.

He said he has lived in a lot of different cities (he’s originally from Omaha, Nebraska and spent some time in Scottsdale, Arizona), and he said San Diego has everything going for it.  He was very sweet and positive and said we should move to PACIFIC BEACH, because it’s such a great neighborhood with lots of college kids.  I pointed out to him that we were too old, but he insisted we would love it there and said there were lots of families on his block.  He said we should rent a house, instead of an apartment (which seemed like a great idea to Eric).  I promised him we’d look into it!

We arrived back at the campground just in time to watch Jerry Seinfeld on Jay Leno.  It was a great day in San Diego.  We are leaving tomorrow to head towards Las Vegas.  We will probably spend the night in Hesperia, California tomorrow night at DESERT WILLOW RV PARK.

I really didn’t want to leave San Diego this morning.  I have fallen in love.  It’s no surprise, because I knew I would love it.  I’m just surprised at how fast it happened.  It’s growing on Eric, too.  He really enjoyed our time there.  He liked the restaurants, the stores, the views, the neighborhoods, and visiting various bicycle shops.  He just hasn’t taken that big step of riding yet.  I guess he wants to wait until we get back in a few weeks.

We ate breakfast in and checked out of the RV park at noon.  I had a project I wanted to do, and Eric was game.  The whole time we’ve been in San Diego, I had noticed these big metal boxes on street corners that were hand-painted with different themes.  Eric told me they were transformer boxes, which contain the electrical circuits and wiring for houses and apartments. 

Here's an unpainted transformer box.  Pretty ugly, eh?

I eventually found out they were all in Pacific Beach (or “PB” as it’s called by the locals).  This beautification of something inherently ugly really appealed to me.  So, I decided to drive around and photograph as many as I could, before we headed out of town.  As you can see, the art is not necessarily museum-worthy, but makes the corners more interesting, more beautiful, and definitely more whimsical!

The first one I ever saw was just around the corner from our campground.  It's also my favorite -- the mermaid with the heart! 

After photographing a lot of the boxes, we parked on Garnet Avenue, one of our favorite streets in PB, and had lunch at a place called CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, which is a chain serving fresh, delicious Mexican fast food.  You get on line and choose a burrito, fajita burrito, burrito bowl (no tortilla) tacos or salad.  Then you choose chicken, steak, carnitas (pork), barbacoa (shredded beef), or vegetarian (they had no seafood).  Then they add one of four salsas (mild to hot), sour cream, cheese, peppers, shredded lettuce, onions, and you can add extras (chips and salsa, guacamole) and a drink.

I got the Burrito Bowl with everything but meat.  It starts with cilantro-lime rice, choice of pinto or vegetarian black beans, and then I added on all the goodies.  Eric got three crispy corn tortillas with chicken and all the extras.  It was all yummy and I can definitely see myself having a bowl once a week when I get back to San Diego

We headed to our next stop – Hesperia, California!  Eric and I both said it sounds like something out of a Greek myth, and we were right!  HESPERIA is defined as “one of the Hesperides” (really explains it all doesn’t it?).  Actually, they’re “nymphs who tend a blissful garden in a far western corner of the world, located near the Atlas mountains in Libya, or on a distant blessed island at the edge of the encircling Oceanus, the world-ocean.”  Who knew?  Anyway, HESPERIA is a small town in California,  which is not far from San Bernardino.  We are on our way to Vegas to meet our friends, Geri and Larry, and see my cousin, Audrey.  We can’t wait!

We got the last site at DESERT WILLOW RV RESORT, so we were feeling really lucky!    We checked out our site, relaxed for a while and then left to go get dinner.  The manager of the office told us there were a bunch of restaurants on one strip a few miles away. 

We passed by CHILIS and APPLEBEES (as we try to avoid the chains we had in New York at all costs) and decided to go to THE ROADHOUSE GRILL STEAKHOUSE & SALOON.  They have locations all over California, but I had never seen one before.  They have big barrels of peanuts in the waiting area (and we had to wait about 15 minutes for a table), and buckets of peanuts on each table.  Everyone throws the peanut shells on the floor, so it’s a big, fun, mess.

We started with the Jalapeno Artichoke Dip.  I got the Garlic Citrus Trout and Eric got the Grilled Chicken Sandwich.  We were so full we didn’t get dessert.  I know it’s a shock, but we’ve both been eating SO much and VERY rarely pass on dessert.

By the way, in case you haven’t noticed from the pictures I’ve posted on the blog, I am officially fat.  I know you may not believe it.  You think I’m exaggerating, because I’ve gained and lost weight before, but I’m not kidding – I’m fat.  Even Eric says so.  He has no qualms about saying so.  It doesn't hurt my feelings, because I know it’s true.  It almost doesn't seem real, because no one I know has seen me (until we get to VEGAS).  The people who I meet every day don't know I used to be thinner.  So, it doesn't really make me feel as fat as I would if I was this heavy back in New York.  I know I've gained weight, even though I haven't stepped on a scale, because I don’t fit into some of my clothes, and I just feel different.

I don’t know how different I look, because the only mirror in the RV lets me see myself from the chest up, so it's hard to get an overall view.  There are very rarely full length mirrors in the campground bathrooms and, even when there are, it’s not like I can examine my naked fatness without fearing that someone will walk in.  I had floor to ceiling mirrors in the bathroom in my house, and also on the closet doors in my bedroom, so I know what I USED to look like.  I can only imagine what I look like now.  I don’t really want to see.

I’m sure I’ve gained at least 10 pounds since we left on vacation.  Ten pounds on a 5 foot frame is a LOT of weight.  You do the math.  I don’t think it happened slowly or gradually, either.  I think I gained 5 pounds the first 2 weeks we were on the road and 5 pounds the second 2 weeks and I have just been gaining minimally since then.  I’m not the only one.  Eric gained weight, too, but he’s so thin that it’s hardly noticeable.  But it’s VERY noticeable on me.  I don’t like it.  Believe me.  I hate the way I feel, but it’s just too hard to do anything about it right now.  I’m not the type to start jogging around the campground every morning, or riding my bicycle up a mountain.  Eric’s not even riding his bicycle.

We could start skipping meals, or eating just salads, but we both feel like we're still on vacation, albeit the longest vacation EVER, and we're still enjoying discovering new restaurants.  Let’s face it – we LOVE to eat out!  We’ve both resigned ourselves to being fat and out of shape until we get settled in San Diego.  We’re hoping (very optimistically) that being back in a normal environment will help us to get back in shape by working out, eliminating desserts, making better food choices, and getting back into a routine.  I’m looking forward to taking yoga classes again, and want to ride my bicycle more, too.  I’m hoping all the unpacking, cleaning and organizing will help, too!  I think I will lose weight as soon as I stop sitting in the passenger seat of an RV for hours a day, and do more than walk around a zoo!  I just have to be fat for a few more weeks.  Bear with me!

Anyway, enough about me!  We will be leaving here tomorrow and should hit Las Vegas.  Even though I have no interest in gambling, I’ve always wanted to go to Vegas.  It’s just another colorful, fun place to visit!

I really want to tell you all about our fabulous day in Las Vegas.  We had such a great time and saw so many great sights, but foremost on our minds are the California wildfires.  We have cousins in Malibu and Los Angeles and also friends who live there, and we are praying that they are all okay and that they were not affected by the fires.

We had NO idea about the fires in San Diego until 5:30pm today.  We don’t have cable at this campground, but we do still get one channel (CBS).  We haven’t been watching much TV, because we were not in the RV a lot at all lately.  Since Sunday we’ve been with our cousin and our friends, and we haven’t read newspapers or heard anyone talking, so we just thought the fires were in Malibu, and that the smoke had blown down to San Diego.

Today, Audrey and Geri both told us that the fires were in San Diego, but we told them they were wrong, that it was just smoke.  They didn’t argue with us, because they figured we’d find out eventually and they didn’t want to ruin our day.  It’s a good thing, because when we found out what was going on in San Diego, our day WAS ruined!

First of all, Eric had a bad headache last night, but when he woke up this morning he felt better.  Geri and Larry picked us up at 9:30am and we went to THE OMELET HOUSE for breakfast.  It’s a really fun restaurant, because they have antique curios and display cases all over the restaurant with great ceramic pieces – cookie jars, salt & pepper shakers, teapots, etc.  When we first walked in the door, we were greeted by a curio filled with Betty Boop.  It was FABULOUS!  Geri and Larry love Betty Boop, too, and have an amazing collection, so we all enjoyed the display.

The menu is also very entertaining.  They have about 40 different types of omelets and they all have funny names.  I had a GREEN HORNET, which had avocado, tomato and cheddar cheese.  Eric had a BLT and Larry and Geri both had egg white omelets with spinach and mushrooms.  Everything was delicious and the portions were huge.

After breakfast we went to THE STRATOSPHERE, where Audrey works and where Geri and Larry are staying.  We thought we were going to meet Audrey and she was going to take us up to the Observation Deck, but we couldn’t get in touch with her.  Geri and Larry knew where she worked, so we went to her office and her co-worker, Rosina, was kind enough to try to find Audrey, but she had already gone to lunch.  Rosina took us to the observation deck (through the VIP area) and we went up in a private elevator.  We felt VERY special!

The boys on the observation deck:

The views from the observation deck at the top of The Stratosphere’s tower are really spectacular.  Its panoramic vistas of the Strip, downtown Las Vegas and the hills and mountains are amazing.

Geri, ace photographer, captures the moment!

We saw a bridal party here, and at the Bellagio!

You can walk all the way around, so you get a 360 degree view from 1,149 feet up.  It’s the 8th tallest building in the world!  They also have three rides at the top, which are CRAZY scary.  I would never go on any of them.

The first, called X SCREAM , is only one minute long.  You get in a car like a roller coaster, but it’s on a see-saw that looms 27 feet out over the edge.  First you go backwards, and then you go forwards and it seems like you are going to go straight down, but it stops.  It’s unbelievable.

Then, there’s INSANITY – THE RIDE.  Extending 64 feet over the north edge of the tower, the inverted centrifuge spins passengers at up to three Gs.  As the speed increases, riders are pulled out in "escape-proof" seats to an angle of 70 degrees, with nothing to look at but the Las Vegas Strip more than 900 feet below.

Finally, there’s one called BIG SHOT, which is a 160-feet freefall from the top of the tower to the base, but you’re almost 1,000 feet up, so it’s extra scary!  Eric wanted to go on all the rides, but no one would go with him, and he said it’s no fun by yourself!

We left the tower and went back to Audrey’s office to see where she worked.  We got to meet her boss and some of her co-workers, and made plans to visit her mom and then have dinner together tonight.  She went back to work, and we went off to the Strip.

We parked at the Monte Carlo and walked right next door to NEW YORK, NEW YORK.  It’s adorable.  They have a Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, and Chrysler Building, amongst other famous New York landmarks.  You can imagine our surprise as we were walking through the "city streets" and found GREENBERG'S DELI.  After visiting Seligman, Arizona, it was a thrill to see our name in lights!

That's Eric inside the deli, with the dark glasses!

Geri on "Broadway"

The Brooklyn Bridge!

New York, New York's homage to Rockefeller Center, one of my absolute favorite places in Manhattan:

The fabulous Bellagio Hotel:

We walked around, took lots of pictures, and then went over to THE BELLAGIO, which is simply stunning.  Upon entering their extraordinary lobby, you are greeted by 2,000 dynamic hand-blown glass flowers, by world-renowned artist, DALE CHIHULY. 

There are mosaic floors everywhere, in gorgeous geometric and floral designs.  Fountains provide the soothing sounds of water flowing from cherubs, angels and beautiful goddesses.

There are velvet couches, large armchairs, and inlaid wood tables at which to sit and relax.  The views of the pool and sculpted gardens outside through the floor-to-ceiling windows were magnificent.  The curtains were silk, with thick fringe on the edges.  It’s sumptuous, luxurious, and opulent.  In other words, it’s my kind of hotel!

We walked over to the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, located on the main floor of THE BELLAGIO.  Apparently, they change the display seasonally and the current exhibit is “Autumn Harvest.”  The plants, flowers and trees reflect the fall colors and there were huge carved pumpkins, gourds, and other fall harvests.  From the ceiling hung huge glass leaves in all the fall colors.

There was a huge display of green and red apples pouring out of a giant basket.  There were gazebos, a bridge made of twigs over a pond, water features, and fabulous lighting.  I can just imagine how fantastic it must look for the holidays, and in the Spring, when everything is in bloom.

We also saw a bridal party there.  I cannot imagine a more beautiful place to get married, and the weather was absolutely perfect today, too!

We had more places to visit on our list, but unfortunately, Eric was not feeling well again.  He had a headache and a terrible neck ache.  So, we drove back to the RV and he laid down while I relaxed for an hour before Geri and Larry came to pick me up.  That's when we heard about the fires, and saw how serious it was in San Diego.  There was Katie Couric, live from San Diego, reporting on the devastation.

Eric wasn’t feeling well enough to go out again, but I wanted to see my cousin Minna (Audrey’s mom), who I hadn’t seen in about 20 years.  Geri and Larry picked me up and we met Audrey at SAMMY’S WOODFIRED PIZZA where we had eaten the other night.  She left her car there and got into the car with us and we went off to Minna’s place.  Minna's husband, John, wasn’t at home, but we got to visit with her for about a half hour.  It was great to see her.  It was as if no time had passed and we reminisced and filled each other in on family for a while.  She loves Vegas and has a great life there.  We were talking about what Eric and I will do now, because we can’t go back to San Diego for a while, if at all.

I have been having problems with my camera for a few weeks and it died again today, so I didn’t have it with me.  Otherwise, I would have taken a picture of Minna, so all the cousins reading my blog can see how great she looks!  When we left, she gave me a care package with bottles of flavored water, snacks, and some other goodies for the RV.  It was wonderful, and I really appreciate it!  I was just sorry that Eric couldn’t come, and that I didn't get to see John.

After we left Minna’s, we went to SAMMY’S WOODFIRED PIZZA for dinner again.  It was so good on Sunday night and I knew Geri and Larry would like their menu.  Audrey and I shared the same Margherita Pizza and Grilled Shrimp Salad that we had on Sunday.  Geri and Larry shared the Lobster Bisque, the Grilled Shrimp Salad and a Shrimp Calzone that would have made George Costanza proud (remember the episode with the calzones and George Steinbrenner?).

Audrey left to go home and Geri and Larry dropped me off back at the campground.  We were hoping that Eric would be much better, but he was still feeling really sick.  These headaches/neckaches are pretty much like migraines, because he gets nauseous and can’t stand light, so they’re pretty horrible and I feel totally helpless, because there’s nothing I can do to make him feel better.

He finally fell asleep and I’m sitting here typing away, wondering what is going to become of us.  It’s kind of scary, because we definitely can’t go back to San Diego now, when the city is in the middle of a natural disaster.  We are lucky, because we don’t have any commitments there – no jobs or apartment.  Our belongings are all in storage (and we don’t know if the warehouse survived the fire – I’ll try to find out tomorrow), and we will continue to travel in the RV until we can figure out where to go and what to do.  I also feel lucky, because we could have just settled there when this happened.  I know, at the very least, that my allergies and asthma would have been negatively impacted by all the smoke.

I feel grateful that things turned out the way they did, and that we are here with family and friends whose advice and counsel we really trust, instead of just somewhere alone.  Geri and Larry are such good friends and they would do anything for us.  We are so lucky they’re here with us.  It’s so comforting.

I also know that Audrey and Minna would help us in any way they can.  Audrey has already gone out of her way to make sure this vacation was fantastic.  She got Geri and Larry a great rate at the hotel, got us coupons and discounts, the VIP treatment, and free tickets to shows.  We really appreciate our friends and family and all they have done for us.

It’s kind of weird that this happened in San Diego, because Eric was having some trepidation about moving there, and now he’s even more hesitant, because he is afraid this will happen again (and, of course, it could).  I guess we’ll just have to continue our vacation a little longer (which is no great sacrifice) until we figure out what to do next.

Eric wasn’t feeling great this morning, although he said he felt MUCH better than last night.  Even so, he decided to stay home and rest while I went out sightseeing with Geri and Larry.  They picked me up at 9:15am and we went back to THE OMELET HOUSE for breakfast.  They have such good food there and we really enjoyed another great meal.  Larry and Geri got some adorable Betty Boop salt and pepper shakers.  The perfect souvenir of our great vacation together!

We headed to Henderson, Nevada to visit the ETHEL M CHOCOLATE FACTORY and Cactus Gardens. 

We first walked around the cactus gardens, but were disappointed to see that every single cactus, large and small, tall and short, fat and thin, was wrapped in Christmas lights.  They are preparing for the holidays and have them covered in lights from November until January.  It really looked silly and out-of-place, and some of the cacti were wrapped so tightly that it looked painful for the plant!  We didn’t enjoy it much at all.

Thank goodness the factory tour was much better.  ETHEL M CHOCOLATES was started by Forrest Mars, Sr., the founder of MARS candy company and named for his mother.  They are gourmet chocolates of the highest quality.  The self-guided tour and visit to the cactus garden is free, and you also get free samples of chocolates!  Although you can see the factory and all the machines used to make the chocolates through a viewing window, you really can’t see much of anything being made.

A sculpture of cards, made entirely of chocolate!

There were some conveyer belts, and some of the machines looked like they were working, but we didn’t see any chocolate come out at the end (like when Lucy and Ethel worked at the factory).  There were signs everywhere with clever sayings, like "Exercise is a dirty word.  Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate."  This was attributed to Charles M. Schultz.  There was also, "Chocolate is cheaper than therapy.  And you don't need an appointment!" and "The 12 step Chocolate Program: Never be more than 12 steps away from chocolate!"  There was also one that said, "There are four basic food groups that are essential for good health: Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and Cocoa!"

Before I found out who Ethel M was, I thought maybe Ethel M was Ethel Mertz (or it could have been Ethel Merman).  The MARS company also make M&Ms and there’s a big souvenir store that sells everything you could ever want with the M&Ms characters on it.

There’s also a lovely shop called “Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge” where you can get chocolates, ice cream and chocolate drinks, too.  I had an Iced Mochaccino and bought Eric a four-piece sample of truffles.  Geri, Larry and I annoyed the sample lady by repeatedly passing by her and getting free samples.  We thought it was funny, but she took her job VERY seriously.

We left the factory, drove to HOOVER DAM and went on the POWER PLANT TOUR, which included a short film depicting the history of the dam and a visit to the Power Plant.  Lake Mead, the largest man-made lake in the United States, was created by Hoover Dam.  The whole construction process of the dam is mind-boggling.  The fact that they were even able to do it – and almost 80 years ago – is amazing and impressive.  It is one of the greatest engineering works in history!

We all enjoyed the tour so much.  It was not only educational and interesting, but there was also a lot of artwork to appreciate – murals, terrazzo floors, and sculptures.  We had a wonderful time, and of course we kept making jokes about the best dam tour, the best dam time, the best dam day, etc.  It was a lot of fun.

When we got back to town, they dropped me off at the RV and Eric and I got ready to go to dinner and a show with Geri and Larry.  They picked us up again at 6:15pm and brought us back to THE STRATOSPHERE where my cousin, Audrey, had arranged for us to get free tickets to the AMERICAN SUPERSTARS TRIBUTE SHOW.

We first went to NAGA CHINA EXPRESS, an adorable Chinese/Japanese restaurant in the hotel that was decorated in black/white and red.  The chairs were all red lacquer and the waitresses wore cute red and black kimono-style jackets.

We had some appetizers, Miso soup, and four different sushi rolls.  It was all great.  I was the only one who wanted dessert, so I had some Green Tea ice cream.  After dinner, we went up the escalator to the theater and got the VIP treatment at the show.  They gave us excellent seats.  At 8:30pm the show started.

They had performers portraying Britney Spears, Elvis, Tim McGraw, Michael Jackson and Christina Aguilera.  They were all really talented and most of them looked a LOT like the artist and sounded just like them, too.  Eric and I were very impressed.  Unfortunately, it was too loud for Geri and Larry, so they left and met up with us again when the show was over.

Eric and I have spent so much time at loud concerts, including my 3 years singing with a band in the 80s, so we’re pretty immune to the loud music and pulsating bass.  We felt bad that they couldn’t stay, but we were having too much fun to leave, and after Audrey was kind enough to get us the tickets, we really wanted to stay!

The stars of AMERICAN SUPERSTARS, along with the five gorgeous showgirls who, if you ask me, are the REAL stars (they're in almost every single number -- in different costumes!)

Elvis stands by himself after the show, taking pictures with all his female fans!

After the show, Geri and Larry were waiting outside and we walked around the hotel for another hour, looking at shops and talking about our three days together, which was really fun (except for Eric being sick!).

They are headed back to New York early tomorrow morning and we will miss them.  It was so good to have them with us for a few days and so nice to have good friends close by again.  The good news is that Geri and Larry are world travelers, so we know they will come visit us wherever we end up!

We awoke to the sound of activity outside -- a LOT of activity.  I couldn’t imagine what was going on.  It was the sound of HUNDREDS (maybe THOUSANDS) of people arriving and setting up for the San Francisco 49ers vs. the New Orleans Saints football game.  I think I already mentioned that our campground is right behind MONSTER PARK, where the games are played.  Most of the people in the campground were there for the game.  The parking lot across the street was filled with people preparing for tailgating parties.  There were people selling 49ers souvenirs; people selling beer.  There were people directing traffic (which was crazy).  It was loud and hectic, to say the least.

On the way back from my shower at 10:00am, there were at LEAST 5 different groups of people throwing footballs back and forth.  Were they warming up to watch the game?  I am the furthest thing from a sports fan (I mean the FURTHEST), so I have never been within 50 miles of a football stadium on the day of a game.  I had no idea people were this enthusiastic about the game, but I guess I should have known.

Jimmy was coming to pick us up, to bring us back to THE CASTRO for brunch.  We felt terrible, because we were afraid he would hit tons of traffic, but he said it wasn’t bad at all.  We drove back to town and went to HOME for their fabulous brunch.

The place is adorable, with a large front room and smaller back room (where we were seated).  There is a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, which Eric did with great enthusiasm.  He has always loved Bloody Marys, but many times he complains that there isn’t anything more than mix and vodka.  Here, they had about 10 different kinds of hot sauce, pearl onions, celery, horseradish, olives, lemons, limes, tomato juice, and Bloody Mary mix.  They give you a glass with ice and vodka and you do the rest!  He made his very spicy with lots of horseradish – just how we like it!
I had a mimosa and Jim had coffee.

Jim had the croissant sandwich, with scrambled eggs, bacon, cheddar cheese and breakfast potatoes.  I had the Eggs Florentine, with an English muffin, poached eggs, sautéed spinach, hollandaise, and breakfast potatoes.  Eric had the Eggs Benedict, with an English muffin, poached eggs, Canadian bacon, hollandaise and breakfast potatoes.  They also put cranberry bread and chocolate bread on the table, which was to die for.

We left – stuffed and happy (especially from the Bloody Mary and Mimosa!) and walked around THE CASTRO for a few hours, going in and out of all the stores.  It was remarkably warm out today.  I wore a t-shirt with a light cardigan over it, and had to take the cardigan off and put it around my waist.  Eric was wearing a sweatshirt over a t-shirt and had to take his sweatshirt off.  It felt like 80 degrees, but the temperature was really only about 65 degrees.  The sun was just SO strong!

Some of the beautiful houses in THE CASTRO: 

A fabulous three dimensional mural by COLETTE CRUTCHER painted in 1998:

Jimmy had his eye on a great pair of VANS sneakers (classic slip-ons) so we went to a shoe store and we bought them for him.  We felt he deserved something special for doing so much for us over the past few days.  He has not only driven us around, and shown us the sights, but he also gave us all the information about our campground, and local mountain biking.

Jimmy's fabulous new VANS:

Eric also needed a new pair of sneakers – badly – but he didn’t like anything they had at this shoe store, so Jimmy suggested that we go downtown.  He said there was a DSW there, which has tons of shoes for men and women.  So, we hopped on the trolley, which was really fun, and headed down to the area where Eric and I stayed on our honeymoon, in June of 1984.  On our honeymoon we stayed at the St. Francis Hotel and had a view of Union Square.  We stood there today and thought about how much time has passed.  We had a wonderful time back then, and we had a wonderful day today, too!  Jimmy told us that Union Square was renovated years ago, and it looked quite different than when we were there.

Eric at DSW trying on sneakers:

We went into DSW and Eric bought a great pair of black sneakers.  We shopped around town, in H&M, Macy’s, and some other stores, and walked all over. 

Eric and Jimmy at DSW.  Please note that Jimmy is holding my purse.  Now THAT'S a friend! 

Then, we hopped back on the trolley and went back to THE CASTRO.  We went up to Jim’s apartment and relaxed for a while.  By now, it was dinner time, so we went to the BAGDAD CAFÉ on Market Street.  Jim and I had salads and Eric had a chicken sandwich.

The Trolley!

My handsome boys:

Some of the amazing choices at Gelateria Naia:

We walked around a bit more, going into some record shops, and then went to GELATERIA NAIA on Castro Street for dessert.  All I can say is, WOW!  They had the most unbelievable flavors of sorbetto and gelato I have ever seen.  It was hard to choose, and they said we could have two flavors in the small cup.

I got Nutella and Espresso (my favorite things – chocolate and coffee!).  Eric got Banana Walnut and Madagascar Vanilla.  Jim got Pumpkin and Pistachio. 

They make all their gelato and sorbetto the traditional way using high-quality, natural ingredients, many of which come from Italy.  Some ingredients come from local businesses; others are imported from around the world.  They don’t use artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.  It really was fantastic.  If our freezer was working better, we would have taken some to go!

By now, we were full and exhausted (and, because the sun was down and I had just eaten gelato, I was freezing!), so we piled back into Jimmy’s car and he drove us back to the campground.  Fortunately, the game ended hours ago and the only remains were the tons of garbage strewn about the parking lot.  It is really disgusting how much people litter and it’s horrible that they can’t clean up after themselves.  We were happy to see that it was much quieter in the RV campground and there should be no rude awakenings tomorrow morning!

Jimmy's Tiny Garage:

We will be renting a car tomorrow morning, so we won’t need to bother Jimmy anymore.   He has been so kind, not only chauffeuring us around, but also showing us all the sights.  We really had fun last night and all day today.

We are going to investigate mountain biking in the San Francisco area and see if we can’t get Eric out on a ride.  He also still wants to get the front wheels aligned on the RV (the never-ending quest for alignment!), so we have plenty to keep us busy while Jim’s at work!

Before I forget, I have to show you the chandelier in the office of CANDLESTICK RV PARK in San Francisco.  Eric and I have been in over 30 campgrounds in the last 80 days -- and some were pretty darn fancy -- but NONE had a chandelier.  This is a BIG chandelier, too.  At least 4 feet tall.  Enjoy!

Okay, now on to today's story:

We woke up really early this morning, because we had to be at BRANDON TIRE in San Rafael before 8:00am to get the new ball joints on the RV.  Once again, I drove the Dodge Grand Caravan and Eric followed me in the RV.  Once again, we had to go up and down some UNBELIEVABLE hills (this IS San Francisco, after all).  I’ve mentioned before that I don’t like heights, and the hills have the same effect.  I’m actually more scared going UP the hills, because I’m afraid I won’t make it and I’ll roll backwards.  Going down the hills isn’t fun, but at least I know the brakes will work!  Meanwhile, when I was younger, I’d go on any roller coaster I could find.  It scared me half to death, but I loved it.  I’ve gotten soft in my old age.  I’m a scaredy cat!

We got to BRANDON TIRE and dropped off the RV, then got back on 101 going south and went to SAUSALITO for breakfast.  We ate at a cute little diner called THE LIGHTHOUSE CAFE.  I had raspberry pancakes, made with fresh raspberries, which was so good you didn’t need syrup!  Eric had a bacon and avocado omelet with mushrooms and jack cheese.

One of the two elephants framing the entrance to Viña del Mar Plaza in Sausalito, in honor of their sister city of Viña del Mar, Chile:

The fountain in Sausalito:

We walked around Sausalito for a while.  The shops there are all beautiful, selling expensive jewelry, artwork, clothing, and furniture, but it was all brand new, so it didn’t appeal to me too much.  I much prefer vintage or antique.  There was one shop that had art, accessories and jewelry that was all hand made by artists from all over the country, and that was wonderful.

Betty in Sausalito!

There was one artist, Mark Brown from Massachusetts, who uses vintage tins and other found objects to make robots and then puts a clock in the stomach.  They were adorable!  If you’d like to see more of his work, click on these links:
http://www.uncommongoods.com/item/item.jsp?itemId=15734&gclid=CMPboum-uI8CFQh6gwodMivLcQ
http://www.uncommongoods.com/artist/artist.jsp?artistId=10560
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/cr_home_accessories/article/0,,HGTV_3255_3273674,00.html

JON ANDERSON'S creation using FIMO clay -- all made by hand and not painted: 

We went into the studio of JOHN WILMER, who does antique restoration, sells prints, paintings and photography, and also had some beautiful pieces of furniture for sale.  He was a lovely gentleman with two beautiful collies, both over 15 years old, who were so sweet.  Eric really enjoyed petting them.  He has become a real dog lover over the last few months.  He is unable to resist petting any dogs we see and it sometimes slows our progress a great deal as he befriends every four-legged creature on the street!  It’s very sweet, and the animals seem to love him as much as he loves them!

It was chilly in Sausalito this morning, and I don’t have any jackets in the RV, since I didn’t think I’d be traveling north in October!  We stopped at SOTTOVENTO and I got a great fleece zip-up jacket in a chocolate brown with cream trim, which has SAUSALITO embroidered on it in red letters.  I felt cozy for the rest of the day!

We stopped in at PINESTREET PAPERY, which had gorgeous cards, journals, wrapping papers, books, and other beautiful accessories for the home.  I could have stayed there all day!  I bought a sheet of beautiful wrapping paper that is a map of the U.S.  Since we’ve been traveling across this beautiful country of ours, I have become very interested in maps of the U.S.  I was never very good at geography, but now love to study the map!  This has been very educational for me – and I think for Eric, too!

We then drove all around the town (up into the mountains) to look at the neighborhood.  Most of the homes have an unbelievable view of the bay.  The homes there cost at least a million, and renting an apartment is as expensive as Manhattan.  It’s definitely an exclusive place to live.

We finally left Sausalito and headed to MUIR WOODS.  On the way up the mountain, we stopped at BIKE RX, a mountain bike shop in Mill Valley, and Eric bought a map of MARIN COUNTY, including Mt. Tamalpais, to see if there is good single-track there (turns out there’s really not).

We then headed to MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT, who will celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2008.  Many of the trees there are over 600 years old (they can be as old as 2,000 years old!), but the 295 acres of redwoods was donated to the federal government by William Kent and his wife in 1905.  In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the area as a national monument and, at William Kent’s request, it was named for conservationist John Muir.

It's very hard to tell, because they blend so well, but there were four deer at the entrance to the park.  They were only about 10 feet away:

MUIR WOODS is so impressive.  The trees there are the tallest living things on EARTH.  It’s amazing to think that a tree could just keep growing and growing and growing until they are almost 400 feet tall!  The trunks of some are the size of a normal tree, they’re just extraordinarily tall.  Others are so big you could hide 10 people behind them!

These are pictures of a scale model of the forest in the Information Center:

The real thing:

There is a lovely boardwalk with railings you can walk along to see all the trees and read all the plaques with information and history.  Then, there are steps you can climb to take a different view of the forest.  It’s all so beautiful, so historic, so tranquil and so majestic.  We loved it.  We stayed a few hours, had a fast lunch of sandwiches in their café, and then headed up the mountain to Mt. Tamalpais.

It was another harrowing trip for me, with miles of curvy roads up the mountain, but Eric had a great time.  There were houses all the way up (I can’t believe people live up there), and we enjoyed the views from every angle.

We went all the way back down the mountain and headed back to San Rafael to see if the RV was finished.  We got back to BRANDON TIRE around 3:00pm and only had to wait a few minutes.  Eric was thrilled.  They did a great job and the RV is now riding perfectly.  No more veering to the right if you take your hands off the steering wheel for a second.

I think Eric is finally happy with the RV.  In the past three months, it has had an oil change, six new tires, new brakes, new shocks, new ball joints, and has been balanced and aligned.  He’s happy, so I’m happy!

We got back to the campground at 4:30pm and we were both exhausted.  I had called my college friend, Nancy, this morning to see if we could get together with her, her partner, Donna, and their son, Joshua.  We were hoping to see them tonight, and wanted to bring Jimmy along to meet them.  I left a message at their house and still hadn’t heard back from them when we got back to the campground. 

We decided to take a nap and set the alarm for 6:00pm.  When the alarm went off and we still hadn’t heard from Nancy, we decided to go back to sleep.  We called Jimmy and he said he was tired, too (we had kept him out late Saturday, Sunday and Monday) and was going to go to bed early.  We went back to sleep for a while and then took showers and were doing things outside the RV when Nancy called, so we missed her call.

While Eric was in the shower in the men's bathroom, there was a man on the toilet.  He suddenly asked Eric if he felt the earthquake and Eric said he hadn’t.  When I met him back at the RV after our showers, he asked me if I felt an earthquake and told me what the guy on the toilet had said.  I told him I hadn’t felt anything and the guy on the toilet was drunk.  We turned on the TV and they were reporting a 5.6 earthquake!  I couldn’t believe it.  First, we were in San Diego and the day after we left the wildfires started.  Now, we’re in San Francisco and there’s an earthquake!  Eric feels like he brings disaster wherever he goes!

Anyway, we saw that we had missed Nancy’s call, so we called her back, but it was almost 8:00pm, so we decided we’d all get together tomorrow (Halloween) for an early dinner.

Eric and I now had a second wind, after our nap, so we went back to NOE VALLEY.  On the way there, my sister, Audrey, called.  She is so funny.  She was begging us to come home, because we’ve already escaped wild fires and now there’s been an earthquake in San Francisco!  She said we could click our heels and be home safe in New York with the snow and the cold.  I told her thank you for your concern, but we’ll stay here, thank you very much!

A window display in NOE VALLEY had a beautiful table setting with place cards.  My mom's name is Hazel, and she IS a grandma!  I couldn't resist!'

We got to NOE VALLEY and went to PASTA POMODORO for dinner.  Eric had chicken cutlet parmigiana and I had a seafood risotto. 

We wanted to go back to GELATERIA NAIA for gelato for a third day in a row, but decided it wasn’t fair to go back without Jimmy!  So, we drove around NOE VALLEY looking for someplace to get dessert.

A genuine rickshaw, which has been attached to a bicycle, was chained to a tree.  It reminded me of the rickshaw episode of SEINFELD (everything reminds me of an episode of SEINFELD!):

Believe it or not, we found a place called BELGANO CHOCOLATIER GELATORIA on the corner of 24th Street and Sanchez.  It was just 10:00pm and the place was closed, but I tapped on the window and made pleading faces, with my hands clasped, begging, and he opened the door to let us have dessert.  What a guy!  I got a small cup of chocolate espresso and Eric had a bigger cup of vanilla and mango. 

This is what has become of me.  I'm now a fat cow begging for gelato on the streets of San Francisco.  Aren't you ashamed of me?  I'm pretty ashamed of myself.  I told Eric I want to find a scale, because I've been telling people I've gained at least 10 pounds, but Eric says it's probably more like 20.  Since he's had better views of me than I have, I have to assume he knows what he's talking about.  You can tell we're deeply in love, because there are some women who would file for divorce if their husband told them they gained 20 pounds.  Fortunately, he still loves me (although he DOES want me to lose it).  We discussed (over gelato) our plans for change when we settle down.  We will both eat healthier, eat in a lot more, and get back to exercising.  He will lose all the weight he's gained in about a week, as soon as he starts mountain biking regularly again.  I will have a LOT more work to do, since I've gained more than him, and I'm naturally a lot more sedentary than he is.  I WILL do it, though.  I'm determined! 

On the ride home, my mother called.  Did I mention I have the coolest mother in the world, who is still up at 1:00am in Florida?)  We spoke all the way home while Eric followed Betty's directions, ate his gelato and drove.

I had my Mom laughing, because I told her how all the natural disasters have been occurring wherever we go and promised we wouldn’t go back to Florida, because there would certainly be a hurricane!

We got back to the RV and Eric promptly fell back to sleep and here I sit, typing away, and watching LENO on TV.  We had a wonderful day today.  It was such a good idea (of Eric’s) to rent the car, because we were able to go sightseeing all over while the RV was being fixed, and it makes driving around San Francisco MUCH easier, because of the hills.  Those hills are scary enough in a car.  In the RV it seems like you’re just not going to make it up, and not going to be able to stop coming down!  Yikes!

Tomorrow, we will sleep in, relax and then drive around town to see more sights before meeting up with our friends for an early dinner.  Maybe we’ll find some kind of costume to wear.  After all, it’s HALLOWEEN!

"San Francisco has only one drawback. 'Tis hard to leave."  So said Rudyard Kipling, and we have to agree!

We knew we had to leave, but we really enjoyed San Francisco so much.  It is where we honeymooned 23 years ago, it reminds us both of New York, it is where our friends live, and it’s a fantastic city!

We left the campground this morning and returned the rental car to ENTERPRISE.  This is the second car we have rented from ENTERPRISE on our trip, and both times we have had a completely positive experience.  They are great!

We went back to NOE VALLEY a third time (we really love that neighborhood – and it turns out that’s where Nancy, Donna and Joshua live!).  Since we were in the RV, we figured it would be easier to park there than in THE CASTRO.  We had lunch at JOE’S 24th STREET CAFÉ.   I had a falafel wrap and Eric had a BLT.

This adorable girl is on the website at AMBIANCESF.COM. 

A store across the street caught my eye immediately.  It is called AMBIANCE and the window was beautiful -- filled with vintage Asian ceramic figurines, a leopard-upholstered seat, a 50s lamp with a leopard shade, and some beautiful clothes.  The other side of the window had some vintage mannequin heads, vintage ceramic dishes and some hand-painted furniture.

When I walked inside, they had crystal chandeliers and more great vintage items, but they weren’t for sale!  They were the display accessories and the items for sale were all new shoes, purses, and clothing.  They were beautiful, but I’m not really into new!

I got my Starbucks for the day and, as we drove down 24th Street, I photographed another transformer box (one of the nicest I've seen) and some beautifully hand-painted murals we had been admiring for days.  Enjoy!

This series of photos are all of one building and depict different periods in history.  I'm sure it has significant meaning, but I really didn't have the time to figure it all out!

After that, we drove about 20 minutes to Burlingame to visit the PEZ MUSEUM.

Gary Doss, owner of the fabulous PEZ MUSEUM!

We got a spot right in front (sweet!) and went inside to find shelves and shelves of PEZ for sale.  They’re all in their original packages, in mint condition, but some are brand new and some are older, and have been discontinued, so if you’re trying to fill in your collection, this is the place to go (or you can visit their website, which is great!).

A lovely woman greeted us (I never got her name) and then Gary Doss, the owner, curator and collector helped us pick out Pez dispensers to buy.  We looked them all over (and there are a LOT, so it took a while).  I got the Yosemite Sam and Eric got the Tazmanian Devil (Taz).  I haven’t had Pez in a long time, and they’re as good as I remembered!

The flag Gary is pointing to is made completely of Pez!

After we made our purchases, we went into the “inner sanctum” – the Pez and Classic Toy Museum.  They have over 550 Pez dispensers – the world’s largest display!  The museum has been featured on CNN, The Discovery Channel and in Ripley’s Believe it or Not, amongst many other places.  They’re even in the Guinness Book of World Records, because they now have the world’s largest Pez dispenser (over 7 feet tall!).

Gary showed us all around the museum, filling us in on the history of Pez.  His collection of Pez dispensers is beautifully displayed and also includes all kinds of ephemera – posters, magazine ads and original advertising. 

He also showed us his collection of classic toys – Mr. Potato Head, TinkerToys, Lincoln Logs and the original Easy Bake Oven!  It was so much fun.  Eric and I reminisced about toys we had as a child (I had the TinkerToys; Eric had the Lincoln Logs).  I also saw the View-Master I had as a child (which I still have) and Colorforms, which I loved.

They even had curtains made from Pez fabric!

It was so much fun – a real blast from the past – and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  It is adventures like this that have made our cross-country trip so memorable.  If you’re ever in the San Francisco area, we highly recommend it!

The collectible Elvis Pez set!

We left Burlingame and headed south to California 1 (Pacific Coast Highway), which was the route we drove down on our honeymoon.  It is so scenic and we had a great ride.  There was a lot of fog at one point, and we could only see about 20 feet in front of us, but when the fog cleared the waves were crashing on the rocks below and it was amazing!

This picture was taken about 3:00pm in the afternoon!

We saw lots of pumpkin patches, fields of strawberries, garlic, artichokes and many vineyards, too!

Lemos Farm, in Half Moon Bay, was absolutely adorable!

We arrived in Gilroy, California, where the GARLIC FESTIVAL is held every year.  We are staying at the GARLIC FARM RV PARK on Garlic Farm Way.  It’s all about garlic here!  Meanwhile, we just stopped stinking from our meal in San Francisco at THE STINKING ROSE, and now we’re in the Garlic Capital of the World!

The campground is really great.  They have a big-screen TV and pool table in the main building, but it closes at 6:00pm.  We visited our site, and then went back out to eat dinner.  We went to TASSO’S OLD HOUSE RESTAURANT, specializing in American, Italian and Greek Cuisine.  We started with the Dungeness crab cocktail (like shrimp cocktail).  I had Salmon Florentine, grilled salmon on a bed of spinach with mushrooms, string beans and cauliflower.  Eric had Chicken Jerusalem – sautéed with artichokes and mushrooms in a white wine sauce, and a baked potato.
We shared a tiny dessert of chocolate mousse, which was really light and delicious and just enough to satisfy our sweet tooth (or should I say sweet teeth?).

We drove back to the campground and relaxed, watched the news, looking for stories about the fires in San Diego and the earthquakes in San Francisco.  We haven’t seen anything about either, so we’re thinking things are getting back to normal.  We sure hope so!

We woke up in Gilroy, California, the Garlic Capital of the World, and I could SWEAR I smelled garlic as I made my way to the shower!  Eric said it was my imagination, and maybe it was.

We had brunch at Scotty’s Restaurant (now serving American, Mexican, Oriental & Hawaiian Food).  They’re in the front of the Gilroy Bowl, a bowling alley, where they also have karaoke.

This menu was the strangest we have ever seen.  They had regular breakfast items, but also had Hawaiian style eggs (with spam or fish) and Japanese or Mexican breakfast choices.  I had grilled cheese with tomato (my favorite) and a bowl of New England Clam chowder.  Eric had a giant spinach salad.  There were lots of great shops on the strip, including two or three antique shops.  Eric promised he would take me there to shop tomorrow.  Wheeee!

After brunch we headed down to MONTEREY to visit the MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM.

A school of anchovies -- yum!

As before (this is our forth visit to an aquarium in 12 weeks!), the sea otters are my favorites. I love them because they always swim and float on their backs.  They groom themselves like cats and play with toys.  They each have different personalities.  They are the cutest things EVER! 

This guy came right up to the glass and gave us a little show!

They are so cute, so full of personality, and so interesting to watch.  Do you know that they are in the water most of the time and have one million hairs per square inch, which keeps them warm in the cold water?  ONE MILLION HAIRS PER SQUARE INCH!  Think about it!  They actually have a piece of sea otter fur on display, so you can feel it.  It’s no wonder they were hunted for their fur.  Nothing could keep you warmer.  I wear vintage fur, but don’t think I could wear an otter fur.  I just love them too much!

A spiny crab -- wouldn't want to have to hold this guy!

We also loved the Giant Octopus.  They are so smart and they taste through their suction cups!  They are hand-fed by trainers and can differentiate which trainer is feeding them by feeling their skin with their suction cups.  Some are shy, but others love attention and affection.  Imagine petting an octopus!

We also got to see a baby white shark, which was saved from a fisherman’s net.  The aquarium was larger than Niagara Falls, but much smaller than Tampa or New Orleans.  They usually have a penguin display (which is also one of my favorites), but that is closed for renovation.

The aquarium also includes a big display showing the history of Cannery Row (made famous by John Steinbeck in his novel of the same name).  There was a huge sardine factory there in the 1930s (Monterey was the Sardine Capital of the World), which flourished until they ran out of sardines in 1945!!!

After 3 hours in the aquarium we walked over to Cannery Row and ate at WILLY’S SMOKEHOUSE BBQ AND GRILL for an early dinner.  We decided to share four appetizers (which were REALLY small).  We had:
(1) Two Dungeness crab and Pacific Gulf shrimp cakes on Jicama slaw with lemon aioli,
(2) A “Smoked ‘Choke”, which is a fire-roasted Ocean Mist Farms artichoke stuffed with Gouda cheese and spicy bread crumbs, served with a BBQ mayo,
(3) Crispy Monterey Bay Calamari with Cajun spices and lemon-caper mayo, and
(4) BBQ Black Mussels with applewood-smoked bacon and roasted tomatoes in a BBQ broth.

Everything was really delicious, but the servings were REALLY small.  The two crab cakes were each about the size of a silver dollar.  There were about 10 pieces of calamari, and about 12 mussels.  The only thing that was normal size was the artichoke, because I guess they only come in one size!

We decided to go somewhere else for dessert.  Eric walked a block over to get the RV (because we were afraid our meter would run out), and I walked across the street to a souvenir store to buy postcards.

Right next to the souvenir store was Crepes A-Go-Go, where you can get practically anything in a crepe, along with espressos, sorbets and gelatos.  We got two crepes (to go) – peanut butter and Nutella and banana and Nutella.  I wanted chocolate, but they were out of chocolate.  How can they be out of chocolate?  I didn’t understand it myself!  Nutella is fabulous, too, so it was a great substitution.

We ate them at the table in the RV and they were heavenly.  Hot and gooey and sweet and delicious.  We found out there are eight locations in the U.S. and now Eric wants to open one in San Diego called “Crepes A-Go-Go San Diego.”  You have to admit, it DOES roll off the tongue!

After our crepes, we headed back to Gilroy and stopped at SAFEWAY to pick up some things we needed for the RV.  Safeway has to be the greatest supermarket in the entire world.  Why?  Because they have a STARBUCKS in each one – that’s why!

We got what we needed and headed back to GARLIC FARM RV PARK for the night.  We are watching TV and I’m working on the computer.  I emailed Bonnie, my cousin, Audrey’s friend in San Diego, who is a realtor.  She is going to help us find a house or apartment to rent.  I can’t believe we’re getting close to the end of this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.  Eric is determined to go back to San Diego, even though I said we could try to find someplace else to settle, since I felt he wasn’t that happy with the mountain biking situation.  He feels San Diego is a good place for us to live right now, and that he will adjust to the mountain bike terrain there.  He said we can stay there for at least a year and see how we like it.

So, soon we’ll be back in San Diego, but this time we’ll be staying for a while!

THIS is why we moved to California.  It’s November 3rd and I was out all day in a t-shirt – no jacket, no long sleeves, no gloves, no scarf.  It was sunny, glorious and 80 degrees.  Every time I step outside and my entire body doesn’t contract from the cold, I say a prayer of thanks.  I am so grateful that my dream of escaping the cold has finally come true.

Our first stop today was on the strip on Monterey Street, where I saw all the great antique malls.  Eric had about 50 more pages to read in his book, so he was happy to relax in the RV and read while I shopped.

First, I went to COLLECTIVE PAST, which was great.  I spent over an hour going through all the beautiful items they had on display.  They had lots of great costume jewelry, ceramics and other vintage items.  I found an adorable purse, which has a lot of personality.  The price was right and I couldn’t resist!

After checking in with Eric (he was still reading), I went over to GARBO’S ANTIQUE MALL, on the next block, and found lots more to look at.  I could have spent another hour there, but we wanted to grab a fast bite before heading to see our friend Jimmy again (we needed more Jimmy!) in Campbell.  He was staying at his friend Paul’s house (near San Jose).  We had made plans to meet for dinner and see each other one last time, before we head south again.

It was 2:30pm and we were meeting Jimmy and Paul at 5:00pm for dinner, but we only had cereal for breakfast, so we were hungry!  We walked down the block to HAPPY DOG PIZZA CO. and had an “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” salad with romaine, radiccio, toasted walnuts, gorgonzola cheese and a gorgonzola balsamic dressing and a 14” thin crust pizza with mushrooms.  Excellent! 

They had lots of artwork on the walls and every picture had a dog in it somewhere.  It was adorable.  I went to the rest room and there were tons of pictures of dogs in there, too!  The owner must be a real dog lover!

We left Gilroy and headed north to Campbell to meet up with Jimmy and Paul.  It was about an hour’s ride.  I couldn’t go into Paul’s place, because he has two cats, but we got to see the complex where he lives and it was great.  His condo is on the ground floor, in an open area off the street, and he has a permanent parking spot under a carport.  It’s exactly like my cousin, Audrey’s, in Las Vegas, because you don’t have any stairs and you always get a parking spot (and your car isn’t sitting in the sun!).  If Eric and I can find a place like that to buy in San Diego, we’d be very happy!

We left our RV on the street, got into Paul’s car and drove to BLUE SKY CHINESE RESTAURANT.  We had Wanton Soup, dumplings, and a few entrees, including Crab Egg Foo Young, Kung Pao Scallops, and a chicken dish (I don’t eat chicken, so I didn’t pay much attention!).  It was all really good and we had a fun time.

Paul had been forewarned that Eric and I are BIG on desserts (at least until we go on our diets in San Diego), so he then took us on a driving tour of Campbell, showing us the highlights, before taking us to GELATO CLASSICO ("too good to share"), a new place that had just opened a few weeks ago.

I had my usual (chocolate and peanut butter); Jimmy had something with caramel; Eric had lychee gelato and strawberry sorbet; and Paul had Bananas Foster.  The shop has large brown suede couches and chairs, so we made ourselves comfortable while we enjoyed the delicious smoothness of this sweet, intense flavorful treat.  They have a big-screen TV on the wall showing chefs whipping up delectable treats like cheesecake, mousse and truffles.  If the crowd tonight is any indication, this place will be a huge success!

We drove back to Paul’s place and said our goodbyes.  Then we headed back to Gilroy to the campground.  Now, Eric’s asleep and I’m watching SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE as I type this.

Tomorrow we will visit Downtown Monterey.  We are staying one more day and will be leaving on Monday morning for San Luis Obispo, which we also visited on our honeymoon!

We got a REALLY late start this morning.  We woke up at 10:00am but, lucky for us, we had to turn the clocks back, so it was only 9:00am!!!  We turned on the TV and JAWS was on, so you know we had to watch it.  We had missed most of it and it was already up to the part where the three guys are on the boat.  It’s such a classic, and we hadn’t seen it in a long time, so we watched the last hour.  It was everything we remembered.

After showers we headed into town, I got my Starbucks, we filled up on gas, and headed to Monterey.  We drove around Downtown Monterey (not very impressive) and then went to Fisherman’s Wharf and parked the RV. 

It was such a gorgeous day – just perfect.  We looked at all the boats in the marina (there were hundreds), walked along the boardwalk, and then spotted the MARITIME MUSEUM OF MONTEREY.

This museum celebrates the region’s historic ties to the sea.  We saw a film explaining the history of Monterey, which was California’s first capital.  Exhibit displays include scale models of ships, collections made of ivory and abalone, and objects brought up from shipwrecks off the Monterey Coast.

This Caretto, a utilitarian Sicilian cart on display in the lobby of the museum, was brought to the United States in the 1950s and is still used every year in the Fiesta Italia Santa Rosalia.

This First Order Fresnel Lens guided ships along the Central California Coast:

Memorabilia from the Del Monte Hotel:

A collection of Abalone shell items, including a giant abalone shell!

The museum was wonderful (as you can see from the photos).  Everything was so beautifully displayed.  Most of the collection previously belonged to Allen Knight and was donated by his wife after he died with the understanding that a museum would be built.  It took a few years (and a $1 million donation from another benefactor), but the museum opened in its current location in 1992.  We had a great time looking at all the artifacts.

Eric enjoying the model ships:

A sewing box, used for intricate embroidery, made of paper mache and ivory:

We worked up an appetite at the museum, so we headed to the wharf where there is restaurant after restaurant after souvenir shop after souvenir shop.  It’s all food and souvenirs! 

We looked at menu after menu, but decided to eat at OLD FISHERMAN’S GROTTO, because they had a sign stating that they only serve fish caught responsibly.  We learned at the Monterey Bay Aquarium that there are certain fish that are caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways.  We are going to stick to eating those fish.  Dungeness Crab is on the “Best Choices” list and Eric had a hankering for some since we got to San Francisco.  We had Dungeness Crab Cocktail in Gilroy, but he wanted the real thing (where you have to crack it open and get all messy to get the meat).  

He ordered the “Fisherman’s Platter,” which included a crab cake, half a Dungeness Crab, two large scallops, and one shrimp on a bed of rice with broccoli and carrots.   I had the “New Orleans,” which was lemon sole stuffed with crab and shrimp on mashed potatoes with broccoli and carrots.  The food was really good and the views of the water were fabulous. 

There were two people in kayaks getting a lesson and it made me think of my sister, Audrey, who is a kayaking enthusiast.  I wonder if she learned the same way.  The teacher was standing in the water while the people were learning the techniques and he even turned the kayak over, dunking them, so he could teach them how to use the oar to turn themselves upright again.

There were sea gulls at the window, begging for scraps, but no one would feed them.  I wanted to, but Eric said he’s sure they don’t like you to do that.  They were so cute and were very persistent!

After dinner, we walked around some more, but it was getting very chilly, so we stopped at CAROUSEL’S CANDIES on the wharf and bought some fudge and a candy apple before heading back to the RV.  We had to get back to the campground (and the cable TV) by 7:00pm, because Eric wanted to watch THE SIMPSONS.  They were repeating two half-hour episodes at 7:00pm and then at 8:00pm they had the TREEHOUSE OF HORROR Halloween special.  Eric is a big SIMPSONS fan, so he didn’t want to miss it.

Unfortunately, we hit a traffic jam on the way home on 101N, and there was a LOT of fog, too.  We still made it back in time (thank goodness) and Eric was happily watching while I figured out where we’ll stay next (Pismo Beach) and what town we’ll visit (San Luis Obispo).  We will be visiting a lot of great towns on our way down to San Diego, and we’re really looking forward to this last week on the road.

We left PISMO SANDS RV PARK in Oceano at around 1:00pm.  Eric still wasn’t feeling well, but he insisted on driving.  We took 101 South to Buellton, which was only a little over an hour away, and got to our next campground, FLYING FLAGS RV RESORT at around 2:30pm.

This was a world's record (at least for us) for going from one campground to another.  We usually leave campgrounds earlier (around 11:00am) and arrive later (after 6:00pm).  So leaving at 12:30pm and arriving at 2:30pm was pretty darn fast!

Eric immediately took a nap and I did two loads of laundry in the lovely laundry room that was just steps away from our RV.  (I didn't take this picture -- I found it on their website!)

When I was finished, he was still up (and still had a headache), so I figured I’d lie down with him and we both fell asleep for an hour or so.  We woke up at around 5:00pm and I wanted to get something to eat, and thought Eric would do better with some food in his stomach, too.  All we had eaten all day was some cold cereal for breakfast (and I had a Starbucks and some Pez, too!).

Our friend, Jimmy, in San Francisco recommended a place called PEA SOUP ANDERSEN’S (World Famous Split Pea Soup), which is located in Buellton.  We had seen a lot of billboards advertising it, but didn’t give it much thought.   He said it’s really cute and he stops there when he goes south to LA or Palm Springs.  We googled it and it turns out it’s about 4 blocks from our campground on Avenue of the Flags!

The outside of Pea Soup Andersen's:

These two are called "Hap-Pea" and "Pea-Wee."  I thought I'd make a perfect addition to the team as "Pep-Pea!"

I don't know if you can tell, but these guys are splitting peas!

The restaurant was a perfect choice, because this way Eric didn’t have to drive very far.  They’ve been in business since 1924, so there's a lot of history everywhere.  We really enjoyed looking at their gift shop and bakery.  You can buy all kinds of cheese, mixes to make your own pea soup, and lots of other great foods and candies.  They had fudge, but we resisted!!!

Here's another picture of Hap-Pea and Pea-Wee:

I don't know why Pea-Wee has a bandage on his face, but it looks like he just had something removed at the dermatologist.  That can't be good for business! 

We sat down in the restaurant which was really quaint.  They had a very nice menu, but as soon as I saw it I decided to get their “All You Can Eat Pea Soup with two kinds of bread.”  I really love soup, and pea soup is one of my favorites.  Eric got a bowl of pea soup and a chicken Caesar salad.  Both came with a free drink, and you had a choice of coffee, tea, soda or thick shake.  We decided to go for the shake, but it was really just soft serve ice cream in a glass!  I was a little disappointed, but at least we already taken care of dessert!

The pea soup was delicious and I managed to finish two bowls!  I took some pictures of the outside after dinner and then we came back to the campground. 

We’re now relaxing and watching TV.  I know Eric must be feeling better, because he wanted to eat the candy apple we bought on Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey.  It was SO good. 

I'm searching online, trying to find a massage therapist to give us each a massage tomorrow.  Eric had a fabulous massage by our friend, Rosemary, when he had a bad head/neck ache in New York, right before we left.  He also got a massage in New Paltz, the week after we left, but I haven’t been able to convince him to get another one – until now.  He’s finally giving in and will get one to see if it helps his condition.  Keep your fingers crossed!

When we were little, my grandfather used to sing a song to me and my sisters:  "Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you, Getting to like you, Getting to hope you like me..."

The song, from THE KING AND I, always comes to mind when I am in a new situation.  And so it was today, as we drove around San Diego.

We got a very late start today.  When Eric and I go back to work, we are in for a RUDE awakening.  An EARLY awakening, that is!  I have always loved to sleep late, but I was so stressed the last few months in New York that I rarely slept past 6:00am.  The day we started sleeping in the RV, I was so comfy and cozy and started sleeping really well.

Eric, who was always an early riser, rarely slept until 9:00am.  That all changed once we started sleeping in the RV.  We would usually sleep until 9:00am, which was the latest we could stay in bed without really rushing to check out at 11:00am.  Most campgrounds have an 11:00am checkout, but if it’s noon, we’ll usually sleep in until 10:00am.

This morning we both slept until 10:00am.  It’s really not the norm, unless we’re up really late (which we weren’t).  We said that as soon as we get an apartment we’re going to start setting the alarm earlier and earlier, so that we get used to getting up earlier.  I’m sure when I go back to work I’ll have to be up by 6:30am or 7:00am, so I better get used to it!

We called ENTERPRISE this morning (they’ll pick you up!) and they picked us up at 1:00pm.  We got a small silver KIA, which has windows you have to roll down manually and locks you have to open manually.  NOT a luxury automobile, but it’s great on gas and fits into small spots -- perfect for zipping around San Diego.

Amy, the girl who picked us up and handled our paperwork, was adorable and told us about the neighborhoods she liked and where she had lived since she moved here from Colorado six years ago.  She also told us about the cars that ENTERPRISE sells, which are called “BEST BUYS.”  We might check out these cars, because I told Eric that I don’t really care what I use to commute or drive around town.  I just want a reliable set of wheels!  He will probably buy a brand new 2008 Mini Cooper, which is the car he’s wanted for a while.

We got in the car and went to find someplace to have brunch.  We had seen BRUEGGER’S BAGELS a few times and decided to stop in.  It’s kind of like fast food bagels.  You tell them what you want, they make it and you pick out your drink, etc., and put it all on a tray.  I know some delis are like that, too, but this is a chain.

I got a Smoked Salmon bagel, which comes with cream cheese, onion, red pepper and capers.  It was yummy!  Eric got a sesame seed bagel with cream cheese (so very, very plain – even though they had all sorts of fun cream cheeses!).  We also each had a bag of chips – Eric had Jalapeno and I had Lime and Pepper.

Bonnie, our realtor, had sent us an email, before she went on vacation, listing different apartments she thought we would be interested in.  We decided to go visit the buildings (even though we wouldn’t be able to see the exact apartment), so we could check out the neighborhoods.  I had forgotten my notebook with all the addresses and Betty (our GPS system), so we had to go back to the RV. 

We headed out and visited La Jolla (REALLY nice), University City (very nice), and two other neighborhoods (we didn’t know their names), which were just “nice.”  We walked around the buildings where the apartments were and talked to people in the neighborhood, asking them about living in the area.

Eric and I feel that the apartment is more important than the neighborhood, since we’ll only be staying there for about a year.  So, even if the commute isn’t the greatest, or our neighbors aren’t the most considerate, it won’t be forever.  It’s much more important to be fussy about where we buy.

We drove for hours, until it got dark.  Tomorrow, we will be visiting Hillcrest and Mission Beach North, to see what’s available in those neighborhoods.  Eric and I would rather stay closer to “town,” rather than being up in the hills, where it’s definitely more sub-urban.

We worked up an appetite, so we decided to go back to CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, where I had my delicious Veggie Bowl and Eric had his Chicken Burrito.  Their food is SO good – so fresh!  While we were eating, I saw someone I knew (which blew my mind).  It was Amy – from ENTERPRISE!  We called to her and she was surprised to see us, too!  I told her it was such a thrill to see a familiar face, since we really don’t know anybody in town!  She asked us how our day had gone and how we were enjoying the car.  We told her we did a LOT of driving and that everything was going well.

After dinner, we drove around looking for a gelato place (our new favorite dessert), but couldn’t find one, so we ended up at COLD STONE CREAMERY (not a bad alternative).  I got my favorite combination – chocolate and peanut butter.  Eric got cheesecake ice cream with blueberries, strawberries and graham crackers mixed in.  We waited until we got back to the campground to eat our ice cream, but – unfortunately – there was no one at the security gate to let us in and we had left the card key that opens the gate in the RV!  Fortunately, there was a small gate to walk through, and Eric was able to go to the RV and retrieve the card key, so we could get back in!

We settled in for the night, ate our ice cream (yum!) and watched TV.  It’s nice having the rental car, because it just makes getting around town so much easier.  The RV is great, because you always have everything with you, but it’s hard to find big spaces to park, hard to get in and out of parking lots without scraping the bottom of the bike rack on inclines (don’t ask – it drives Eric CRAZY), and it’s a gas guzzler.  Eric said we’ll probably save over $50 a week by driving the KIA around, instead of the RV.

Starting today, we’re renting the RV site and the car week by week.  We’re hoping to rent an apartment and buy a car within the next couple of weeks.  We’re looking forward to going back to Hillcrest tomorrow.  We’ll visit some of our favorite stores, and see what apartments and houses have rentals.  It’s really very exciting!

San Diego is paradise.  It’s mid-November and we’ve not had to put on even a light jacket since we got here.  We were cold all the way down the coast (remember, I had to buy a jacket in Sausalito!), but it’s so warm here we don’t even need to put the heat on at night.  It’s t-shirts all the way.  Paradise, I tell you.  It is supposed to get a little colder next week, but it’s been around 75-80 all week!  THIS is what I moved for.  This is what I live for – winter without cold weather.  It’s inconceivable, but a lot of people who live here take it for granted.

We got another late start this morning (lazy slobs that we are).  We didn’t even leave the campground until 1:00pm.  We decided to go to Hillcrest for lunch at CORVETTE DINER, which we loved when we visited San Diego last month.  This place is SO much fun!  Our server, Scarlett, was the cutest girl with bright red hair and red lipstick.  She had so much personality.  Eric and I just fell in love with her!   The last time we were in, we fell in love with Lulu, our other server.  I think all the waitresses there must audition for the job, rather than interview, because they are such great performers.  Scarlett really is in show business, which came as no surprise!

The first thing they do when you sit down is throw a bunch of straws at you.  It’s really shocking, but then you realize what it is and you just laugh.  They’re all in bowling shirts and Capri pants, or poodle skirts with saddle shoes.  They’re more costumes than uniforms.

I had the Wednesday Special – Vegetable Lasagna.  Eric had the Popeye (spinach) salad.  Both portions were so huge that we brought back enough to have dinner tonight.  We topped it off with the World’s Smallest Brownie Sundae, which was just enough to satisfy our sweet tooth.

After that, we started driving around to look at more rentals that our realtor, Bonnie, had sent me in an email.  We drove to eight places today.  We were in LA JOLLA ("The Jewel"), MISSION HILLS, and PACIFIC BEACH, among others. 

It's so much easier zipping around in our little KIA RIO! 

Some places we looked at were fabulous, some didn’t thrill us at all.  There were a couple that are in a gated community and are very fancy.  The thing is, we won’t use the exercise room, or pool, or club house, or barbecue very much, so it seems like a waste to pay for all that and not even take advantage of it.  We just want a safe place to live, where we will have room to put all 130 boxes we shipped from New York.

My theory is:  We need a place to put the RV.  We need a place to live.  We need a place to store all our stuff, until we move into a condo.  So, if we could find a place where we could park the RV free, that’s big enough to hold all the boxes until we move again (so we don't have to pay for storage), and is in a nice neighborhood, then that would be perfect.  Unfortunately, it’s very hard to find.

Eric says we may as well sell the RV (boo hoo), because we probably won’t have much chance to use it in the next couple of years, at least for more than a long weekend.  He feels that if we sold it, we wouldn’t have to worry about storing it and the money we got would pay for our rent!  That’s all true, but it’s not going to be easy to sell a small RV (at least I don’t think so).

Eric also wishes we could just buy a condo right now, because he hates the thought of settling in and having to move again.  I just don’t want to buy until I really know San Diego, because I want to stay where we buy for a while and I don’t want to regret a “hasty purchase” because it turns out that I work far away, or it’s inconvenient to get there, or the neighborhood isn’t what we thought, etc., etc.  If we rent for a year, we’ll get to know where we really want to live.  It all makes sense to me.  We just have to find a place to rent!

This has become our new job – Eric drives and I plug all the addresses into Betty and navigate us all over town.  It’s not all fun and games.  We were getting on each other’s nerves today.  No cause for alarm.  Nothing we haven’t experienced before.  We’re both a little stressed these days, what with apartments, jobs, and unpacking on our minds.

Yesterday we saw four places; today – eight.  Tomorrow – who knows? 

We got back to the RV around 6:00pm and it was already dark.  Eric decided to go for a ride around the neighborhood.  He hasn’t ridden in about a month (maybe more) and I think it’s driving him crazy.  Maybe he’ll get into a routine of riding every day again, even if it’s not mountain biking.  He got back and was in a much better mood.  He said he explored the area a little, found a great bicycling path and rode about 15 miles, until the light on his handlebars died.  He says he would have stayed out later, if the light had held out!

We had a dinner of leftovers and watched TV.  I’m looking forward to another day out tomorrow, in beautiful San Diego, finding the perfect “love nest” for me and Eric.  I know we will find it, with Bonnie’s help!

Our friend Jimmy in San Francisco is SO funny (which is one reason why we LOVE him so much).  He will send us the funniest pictures of places he’s been and things he’s seen.  Sometimes, he’ll do it just to make us jealous.  Like the picture, below, which he sent in an email tonight with the caption, “Guess where I am?”  It’s the server at GELATERIA NAIA, our favorite gelato spot in San Francisco.  It made me and Eric laugh SO hard.  He knows we would be there every night, if we lived in S.F.

If I'm not mistaken, that's Jimmy's favorite flavor -- pumpkin!

He also sent this picture, asking, “How many more do you need?”  That’s because I insisted on saving the cute plastic cups that the gelato was served in.  I thought you gave the cups back, so they could be washed and re-used, but they just throw them away.  Well, not only am I against that (because I’m into recycling), but they’re so cute and they are the perfect serving of ice cream, sorbet, gelato or pudding, so I washed them and have them in the RV.  Jimmy is slowly building a complete service for me (and I didn't even have to register!), because they come in different sizes and different colors.  So, if you come to visit you can expect to have dessert in a cute little cup like this!

So here’s how our third day of apartment-hunting went:

We started the day with a big brunch at THE BROKEN YOLK CAFÉ (“We’ve Got Huevos!”).  We had wanted to try this place since our last visit, when we first spotted it.  I just loved the name!  It’s a typical diner, which was VERY hard to find in many places across the country.  We’re happy to see they have a great one in San Diego!  This restaurant opened in 1979 and was voted “Best Breakfast.”  I had the tortilla soup and grilled cheese (on rye with tomato) and Eric had the BLT.  Both were really good.  The waitress asked us about New York.  It seems everywhere we go, as soon as we open our mouths, we give ourselves away.  It’s a good thing we’re not on the lam!

So, here’s our day in a nutshell:
1. I plug the address of a prospective apartment/condo/house into Betty;
2. Eric drives us there in our zippy little Kia Rio;
3. We look at the outside of the building/complex/house;
4. I plug the next address into Betty.

We did get to see two apartments on the inside today, since I called to inquire about an apartment and he said he was going over there to show it to someone else and we could come, too.  There were two apartments available in one 8-unit building.  Both were up a long flight of stairs.  The building was in an okay neighborhood on an okay block, but the apartments weren’t that great.  They’re fine for young people, because they were clean and nice, but too small for us, and we really want something a little “fancier.”  If we were 25 and broke, it would be perfect, because the price was right, but I’m happy we can afford something a little better.

We were a little disappointed, because the place we liked best from yesterday’s search was already gone this afternoon.  You have to act fast if you like a place, because the good ones get snatched up really fast.

After five hours out and about, we came back and Eric immediately took a nap while I went on http://sandiego.craigslist.org/ and searched for at least another hour for more apartments we might like.  Since I don’t have a printer in the RV (boo hoo), I have to hand-write all the details of the apartments in my little notebook.  It’s a lot of work reading every ad and writing down the ones that we might like, but it’s worth it -- if we can find a great place to live!

We are ready to take a break (especially Eric), but I really feel like I have to keep searching, so I may go out on my own tomorrow.  I think I can drive the car, program Betty and look at all the places by myself.  If I like the buildings, I can make an appointment to see the apartment and then he’ll go with me.  This part is really pretty boring, since you’re just looking at the outside of the building.  We learned the neighborhoods we like and don’t like, so I’m going to narrow my search dramatically and will only go to the neighborhoods we like best.  Wish me luck!

Today is the 16th.  I will be in my 40s for just one more month.  One month from today I turn 50.  You’d think I was dreading it, but I’m not.  I’m REALLY looking forward to it.  I think 50 is FABULOUS!  I can’t wait to be 50.  I actually started telling people I was 50 months ago.  I always do that.  I’m like 4 year old when it comes to age. 

For instance, I would tell people I’m 45½, which no one over 10 usually does.  Then starting in July (when it was still six months until my next birthday), I’d start saying I was 46.  Who does that?

I always wanted to be older than I was.  I was the youngest of three sisters, so was “the baby.”  I was also always the youngest in my class, since I was born in December, so I was never older than ANYONE.  I also looked so much younger than I was (when I was 18, I looked about 12), so I was anxious to “grow up.”  Well, I’ve finally made it.  As Sally O’Malley says, “I’m 50!”

If you don’t know Sally O’Malley, click here to watch Molly Shannon in a recent SNL skit featuring one of her classic characters:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCuYg0PNt2o

When I lived in New York and winter came, I would ALWAYS be miserable.  I would actually cry sometimes, because I hated the cold so much.  I’d go into hibernation.  I didn’t want to do anything, go anywhere.  It was so hard for me to be social in the winter!  About 20 years ago I started talking to Eric about moving.  I used to say to him, “Promise me.  Promise me I will spend my 50th birthday living in San Diego.”  And he did.  And (like all my other dreams), Eric made this one come true.  It doesn’t really matter what else happens – where we live or what job I get – the fact that I live in San Diego and won’t have to freeze on my birthday is SUCH a gift.  It’s the best birthday gift I’ve ever gotten!

So, I haven’t even told you about our day!  Well, we got ANOTHER late start (such a bad routine we’ve gotten into).  We went for brunch to an adorable place called JAVANICAN COFFEE HOUSE in Pacific Beach.  Founded in 1977, it was the first established coffee house in Pacific Beach!  Now, you all know how much I love my STARBUCKS, but Eric and I like to support local businesses and avoid chains at all costs (all chains but Starbucks!).

Eric got a “Works Wrap” with cream cheese, turkey, swiss, cheddar, tomato and sprouts.  I had a “Vegetarian Wrap” with hummus, avocado, cucumber, tomato, sprouts, basil and mixed greens.  They were both SO delicious.  The girl who worked there (and made our wraps) was very interested in our accents and kept trying to achieve the perfect New Yawk accent.  I think she must have been an actress!  Her name is Durae (pronounced like puree).  We told her we were apartment hunting.  We had such a nice conversation and she gave us great advice as to which neighborhoods to look in, and which to avoid.

After brunch, I brought Eric back to the campground, so he could gear up and go for a ride.  I headed out by myself in the KIA RIO with Betty in hand and my notebook at my side.  I looked at about 10 places and even got to see one on the inside (VERY disappointing). 

I really enjoyed driving around town by myself.  Eric and I are really getting to know some of the neighborhoods and I’m loving it!

I finished driving around by late afternoon and headed back to the campground.  What I realized is that Eric and I are too old to “hang” with the kids.  We need a more upscale, sophisticated dwelling and that’s what we’re going to see tomorrow.  I made appointments for us to see four different apartments in three different neighborhoods – Pacific Beach, Hillcrest and Clairemont.

Eric got back about an hour after I did.  He had a nice ride through town, visited BICYCLE WAREHOUSE (which we discovered is VERY close to where we’re staying).  They told him where a trail was, so he rode over there and did a little bit of “off road riding.”  It wasn’t much of a ride for him, but at least he got out two days in a row!  I think he’s feeling good about getting back into a routine.  He’s been pouring over maps trying to figure out which trail he wants to hit next.

I spoke to Bonnie, our realtor.  We still haven’t met, but she is absolutely wonderful.  We have been communicating via phone and email.  She has been giving us great advice and recommendations on places to search.  It’s so helpful to have someone on your side, who has no agenda, and who knows the town like the back of her hand.  We really appreciate it and can’t wait to finally meet her, so we can thank her properly!

We decided to go to Garnet Avenue for dinner.  There are so many great restaurants, shops and bars and it’s a fun place to visit.  We ended up at FILIPPI'S PIZZA GROTTO.  They had a VERY basic, home-style menu.  I got the eggplant parmigiana, and Eric got the chicken cutlet parmigiana, both of which came with soup, salad, a side of pasta and garlic bread.

Their décor was absolutely adorable.  Every time you finish a bottle of wine (the kind with the raffia wrapped around the bottom), they let you write on it, or decorate it, and it gets hung in the dining room.  There were hundreds (if not thousands) all over the place.  It was a lot of fun to look at them all. 

This picture hung over our table.  The hostess told us it was her favorite.  We liked it, too!

By the time our dinner came, we were both practically full.  The minestrone soup was a bowl, not a cup and was chock full of pasta, beans and vegetables.  The salad was tremendous, with broccoli, olives, lettuce, tomato, chick peas, and red cabbage.  The big basket of garlic bread was more like grandma pizza, because it had garlic, tomato sauce and herbs, but no cheese.  Everything was really good and we really enjoyed it.

We both took home our leftovers and they give it to you in Chinese food containers!  The best thing about this place is the price -- $36, including tax and tip!  You just can’t beat that for a great meal.

We decided to walk around a little, going in and out of shops (which are open late).  Then, we went over a couple of blocks to COLD STONE CREAMERY (again).  I got the same thing (I’m SO predictable) – Peanut Butter Cup Perfection.  Eric got half vanilla and half cake batter in a chocolate-dipped cone.  We brought it back to the RV and enjoyed our dessert while we watched TV.

I’m very excited about the four apartments we’re going to see tomorrow.  I'm really hoping that one of these apartments will be "the place for us" and I am keeping my fingers crossed (whych alwais makez it verry diffyclt to tipe)!  Please keep your fingers crossed, too!

Today is my 100th blog entry.  I can’t believe it.  It’s been so much fun keeping track of where we’ve gone and what we’ve done; who we’ve met and how things happened.  I am grateful to my friend, Katie, for setting this whole thing up for me.  I am grateful to all my friends and family who have been faithful readers.  It’s brought me comfort to know that there are those around the country who care enough to keep track of us.  Thank you for that!

It also makes me happy to know that I can go back and re-read this in order to reminisce or just to remember things we’ve forgotten!  Sometimes, Eric and I will be talking about something and we’ll ask what state we were in when we went to this place, or that restaurant and it’s hard to remember, but I have the blog!

Anyway, we got a very early start today (I’m proud to say!).  We had four apartments to look at in four hours: a 10:00am, an 11:00am, a 12:00pm and a 1:00pm.  They were in four different neighborhoods, so we had to keep a tight schedule! 

The first was on La Jolla Boulevard in Pacific Beach.  It was nice, on the third floor, with an elevator.  When you walk into the building there’s a small courtyard with a fountain.  The apartment was nice, but not too impressive and a little pricey. 

The second was on First Avenue in Hillcrest in a beautiful old building.  They had a big courtyard with a bigger fountain.  The apartment was also on the third floor, with an elevator.  It had just been renovated with a completely new kitchen, new carpeting and it had a fireplace in the living room (which we would never use).  It was kind of small, and it was expensive, too.

The third was in Clairemont, in a cute little complex with a swimming pool in the middle, instead of a fountain.  It had nice landscaping with lots of big trees and even a little lawn in the back.  The apartment was nice, with a cute kitchen and it was very clean.  It was very reasonably priced.

The fourth was in Pacific Beach in a super-snazzy condominium complex called PLAZA APARTMENTS.  They have a circular driveway, so if your limo needs to drop you off, they can drive up to the front door, let you out and then drive back to the street.  When you go through the glass doors, there is a huge lobby, with leather couches, snazzy wicker and leather chairs, and floor to ceiling windows looking out on a large pond with a fountain in the middle and ducks swimming around.  Eric and I couldn’t agree on whether or not they brought in the ducks, or the ducks just discovered the pond themselves.  The landscaping around the pond was beautiful.

Some apartments in the building have balconies that look out on the ducks in the pond.  There are three pools and three Jacuzzis (it’s a huge complex), a meeting room, a library, laundry room, etc.  The young man who showed us the apartment actually lived there with a roommate (unlike the other places where the manager of the building showed us the apartment).

When he let us in, we saw immediately that the place was a pig sty.  I mean, there was junk everywhere.  There was also much too much furniture, so it was hard to walk around.  He showed us his roommate’s bedroom, which had no furniture, but had clothing in neat piles all over the floor.  They ARE moving, so I guess it was understandable.  The bathroom in that bedroom had a sink outside and then a tiny room with just a toilet and shower.

He then showed us the galley kitchen, which was filthy.  There were dirty dishes everywhere; food and dirt all over the floor.  I didn’t want to look too much.  I just saw the mess and kept walking. 

He then showed us his bedroom, which had a box spring, a mattress, and then another mattress on top of it.  I wanted to ask him if he was “The Prince and the Pea.”  The bed was about 4 feet HIGH!  He was a tall dude – maybe 6’-4”, so I told Eric that maybe it had something to do with him being so tall, but it didn’t make sense at all.

His room was also a pig sty.  I just don’t understand how you can expect someone to rent an apartment that’s filled with furniture, dirty, sloppy, and messy.  I didn’t even want to stand there, let alone live there!  The rugs were stained and filthy.  The place was such a disaster.  We were out of there in about 5 minutes.  We didn’t even have to say anything.  I think he knew right away. 

When we left, Eric and I laughed about how crazy that apartment was.  The only people who would be willing to rent it would be two sloppy, dirty, messy guys just like these, who wouldn’t care or notice how disgusting it was.  The rent was very high, I guess because the building was so fancy and had so much to offer, but the apartment was no big deal.  If two guys were sharing, the rent wouldn’t be much at all, so that’s probably who will end up there.  We didn’t like the layout and the balcony (although we could see the ducks) was tiny and had Astroturf on the floor.  The bathrooms were yucky.  No normal person (or couple) would EVER live in that place.  Meanwhile, we found out that the apartments sell for over $350,000.  That's CA-RAZY!

After our fourth apartment we were finished for the day (and were exhausted).  We hadn’t eaten a thing yet, so we headed over to our favorite street – Garnet Avenue – to find a restaurant.  We ended up at CHINA INN off Garnet on Hornblend Street.  It was just okay and I’m sure we won’t be heading back there anytime soon.  I don’t know if we’ll find good Chinese food outside New York.  It seems like the few places where we’ve had traditional Chinese Food it has been disappointing.  I don’t know why.

Maybe I’m spoiled, because I’m used to the way Chinese food is made in New York.  I have had pizza and bagels outside New York and have been perfectly satisfied, but the Chinese food isn’t that great.  I’m sure if we had Chinese food in San Francisco’s Chinatown, it would have been great (I remember it was on our honeymoon 23 years ago), but we didn’t make it there this trip.

After lunch we headed back to the RV to relax.  We watched TV, read, I worked on the computer, and we ended up taking a nap in the late afternoon.  We woke up at 7:00pm and, after freshening up, headed back out for dinner.   We decided to go to “our place” to celebrate 100 days since we left New York.  We also wanted to toast our friends, Elaine and Brian, since today is six years since their first date (which we arranged).  They have been married for a few years and are the cutest couple.  We love them dearly.  Congratulations, lovebirds!

 “Our place” is HAIKU SUSHI RESTAURANT, because it is the first restaurant we ever went to in San Diego on our first trip in October.  We went there twice in 5 days and have now been there 2 times since we got back on Monday.  The sushi is SO, SO good and they are very sweet and friendly. 

Tonight is the first time we went on a Saturday night and the place was packed.  We started with shumai and edamame and then had three rolls: spicy tuna, shrimp tempura and special lobster.  YUM! 

We love sushi!

For dessert, we had our traditional Fried Green Tea Ice Cream, which is super delicious!

After dinner we walked around, went into a few shops, and then headed back to the RV.  The thing that gets me every time I walk out the door is that it is mid-November and I don’t even need a jacket.  It’s funny, though, because I’ve seen girls wearing coats already.  I guess, to them, it’s cold out, but they have NO idea!

Eric wanted to get to bed early, since he’s hoping to get a really early start tomorrow to go riding at MISSION TRAILS REGIONAL PARK, which is about 10 miles away. 

While he’s riding, I’ll hang around the campground and do laundry.  Wheee!

I am hoping that we find a suitable apartment very soon, because it’s not much fun living in the RV when you’re not traveling!  We miss our stuff, too!  We really want to get our things out of storage.  I miss my clothes, my shoes, my purses.  I want to dress up again!

Our first week in San Diego has been relativey uneventful.  We've gotten a rental car and worked on getting an apartment, but that's about it!

Today, Eric woke up before 6:00am and was gone before 7:00am.  He went to MISSION TRAILS REGIONAL PARK to go mountain biking.  I slept until about 9:30am, relaxed and watched TV, and then did 3 loads of laundry in the campground.  The laundry room is only about 100 feet away from our RV, so I was able to put the loads in and go back and forth between the RV and machines, instead of having to hang out there the whole time.

When I was almost done, Eric came back (around 12:30pm).  We wanted to go out to lunch and drive around some more this afternoon.  I had spoken to Bonnie, our realtor, this morning.  She told me that her mom owns a restaurant in San Diego called NYPD (NEW YORK PIZZA DEPARTMENT).  It is on Friars Road, about 10 minutes from our campground.

It is decorated in all red, white and black, which I love.  It’s also VERY New York!  From the moment I entered, I knew that Marsha, Bonnie’s mom, was behind the counter.  I haven’t met Bonnie yet, but her picture appears in her emails, and Bonnie told me she resembled her Mom (which she does).  We ordered our lunch (a Caesar salad and vegetarian calzone to share) and then I told Marsha that I knew Bonnie and that I was Audrey’s cousin.  Marsha knows my cousin, Audrey, because Audrey and Bonnie have been good friends for a long time.

I told Marsha what a great help Bonnie has been in our search for an apartment, and that we were so looking forward to meeting her and her husband, Michael, and daughter, Nicole.

We sat down to enjoy our Caesar salad and calzone.  The portions were huge and we couldn’t even finish the salad!  They were both really good.  The veggie calzone had mushrooms, black olives, bell peppers, onions, ricotta and mozzarella cheese and came with a cup of delicious tomato sauce for dipping.  It was really cheesy, which we love.  It was delicious!

NYPD is famous for using 100% real cheese, fresh veggies, fresh meats and fresh hand-tossed dough made daily.  It all tasted very fresh and delicious.  We talked with Marsha for a while and then left, promising to come back.  After all, we haven’t even tasted their pizza yet!!!

After lunch, we decided to drive around a little.  We got on Balboa and just drove.  We saw a mattress store that was having a big sale, so we decided to go in, since we hope to be mattress shopping VERY soon!

I have wanted to try the TEMPUR-PEDIC mattress for a long time.  We did the “Goldilocks thing” and tried each type of TEMPUR-PEDIC mattress and SEALY POSTURPEDIC “TRUE FORM MEMORY FOAM,” which is SEALY’S version of the same thing. 

I actually found the SEALY version to be more comfortable than the TEMPUR-PEDIC, and it was about half the price!  The Queen TEMPUR-PEDIC was over $3,000 and the SEALY was $1,699.

We told the salesman that we don’t even have an apartment yet, so we’re not ready to buy, but I definitely like the foam better than regular mattresses.

We forgot to jump on one end with a glass of wine on the other (like they do in the commercials), so we’ll have to do that next time we go!

After our mattress adventure, we drove down Balboa to Garnet and went down our favorite strip of stores.  What they need in this town is a Gelato place, because we can’t find one!  Eric says that our friend, Jimmy, may not agree to come visit us, unless we find one!  Eric feels that Jimmy wouldn’t want to come to a town that doesn’t sell gelato!

We ended up at our new favorite – COLD STONE CREAMERY, where I (again) got the Peanut Butter Cup Perfection (Chocolate ice cream, Reese’s peanut butter cups, peanut butter, and fudge).  It never disappoints!  Eric got something called Birthday Cake Remix (cake batter ice cream with rainbow sprinkles and brownie and fudge).  Yummy!

It was so warm and sunny when we left the campground, but now it was overcast and it felt cold out to me.  I was only wearing a t-shirt, but I could have used a cardigan or sweatshirt today.  We decided to go back to the campground to eat our ice cream and relax.

Of course, I fell asleep while Eric looked at maps and read his mountain biking book.  He found his ride today to be totally unsatisfactory.   He met up with a couple of guys and they were really nice and he rode with them, but he said it wasn’t mountain biking at all.  He says he believes there’s no real mountain biking in California, partly because of the terrain, and partly because in California they don’t like you riding the mountains, because they think mountain bikers ruin the trails for hikers and horse-back riders.

Some mountain bikers are irresponsible and do ruin the trails, but Eric and his friends in New York were always very conscientious about cleaning the trails, marking them and making sure they didn’t affect the trails in a negative way.  Unfortunately, there must be more bad apples in California, because mountain bikers are almost disliked in California!  It’s weird and depressing.

It is very disheartening, because Eric is riding again, but not enjoying it at all.  He’s really just doing it to get out there and get some exercise, but it’s not fulfilling him in the zen-like way that mountain biking in New York did.  He just needs the trees and green or challenging jumps to make it great.

There are a LOT of trails, so I keep asking him to try them all, and I’m hoping that he will find at least one that’s worthwhile.  It’s not just that there are no trees, it’s just that they’re not challenging.  He says I could do the trails, and if I could do it, then – believe me – it’s not something he’s interested in.  Also, he says it’s very dry and dusty, because there’s no rain, so you “suck dust” all the way.  Sounds like fun, eh?  My poor baby.  I so want him to be happy and this is a BIG adjustment for him.

He says he’ll buy a road bike and become a roadie again (which he did for years when he was young, but mostly to commute, not for fun).  The problem with road-riding is that it doesn’t offer the challenges he loves – the jumps and heart-pumping climbs to find a big downhill on the other side.  He keeps showing me pictures in the biking magazines of Utah and Colorado, which have some nice green trails, along with great challenging single-track.  The problem with Southern California seems to be the lack of green, and the lack of challenging rides.  I’m just asking him to be patient and see if he can find happiness riding in San Diego and thereabouts.

Tonight, after we ate a dinner in the RV of leftovers, Eric told me he wants to learn how to use the computer.  I was flabbergasted, but happy!  I showed him how to get onto the internet and how to Google.  He had a hard time typing, because most of the letters are worn off on my keyboard (it’s the way I type), but I did most of the typing and made him move the mouse and do the clicking!

We looked at information about different trails in California, Utah, and Colorado Springs and then he asked about videos of mountain biking, so we went to YOU TUBE and found tons of great mountain biking videos, even some at parks in New York where Eric used to ride regularly.  He really enjoyed watching the videos, showing me jumps he had done, pointing out the downhills, log runs, jumps and rides in the beautiful New York woods he loves and misses.

We talked a lot about the adjustment we both have to make.  I admit it’s much harder for him, because I already have everything I need here, but I still have to get a job, live in a new place, and make a new life here, just like him.  He just has the further adjustment of learning to live with the limitations mountain biking has in California.  I pray that he finds happiness here, because if he’s not happy, I’m not happy!

Our week at the MISSION BAY RV RESORT was up, and check out is at noon.  Last Monday, when it was 12:05pm, I was coming out of the bathrooms after taking a shower when I saw this man knocking on the back door of the RV.  He asked if we were extending our stay or checking out.  I told him we were extending, and I would be in the office soon to register.  When I got into the RV and looked at the clock, I couldn’t believe it.  It was 5 minutes after checkout and he was already knocking?

Fast forward one week.  Eric and I are standing in the RV and it’s 12:10pm.  A knock at the door.  The same guy.  The same question.  I told him we’re staying another week and he says we have to go register.  What I want to ask him is if he was in the Navy, because he obviously runs a tight ship!  But I don’t say anything, I just close the door and roll my eyes at Eric.

We have traveled 13 weeks and stayed at about 40 campgrounds and no one – ever – came by and asked us if we were extending or checking out.  Sometimes we stayed an HOUR past checkout – even more – and they never bothered us.  Most places are very laid back.  Not this place.  At noon, he goes around in his little golf cart and knocks on doors!

So, I go into the office to register and she tells me that there’s a big group coming in (because it’s Thanksgiving Week) and we have to move to another spot.  Now, I could have argued that we were already there and she should put the new people in the other spot (which only makes sense to me), but the new spot was actually better for us (closer to the restrooms AND laundry!), so we moved.

This place is very nice, very clean and very convenient, but I DO NOT LIKE THESE PEOPLE!  The "Captain" SO annoying and the woman in the office was mean, too!  Can you imagine staying at a hotel and having someone knock on your door at 5 or 10 minutes after checkout?  Now, I haven’t traveled much, so maybe they DO knock on your door (or call you).  Can someone please tell me how that works?

I could see if someone was coming in to our spot and needed to get in, but there are about 50 empty spots in the campground right now, so I don’t understand why they made us move.  I think they were just busting our chops.  Know what I mean?  It's 10:30pm and there's still no one in our old spot.  Annoying, I tell you.  They're just mean and annoying!

Anyway, we moved and then left to go see another apartment in Hillcrest.  We stopped for a fast lunch on Washington Avenue at LOS PANCHOS TACO SHOP.  This is a chain of restaurants that are all over San Diego.  The food was fresh, fabulous and CHEAP!  I had 5 fish rolled tacos ($3.50) (I only ate two and was full) with a side order of refried beans ($1.50).  Eric had the Chicken Quesadilla ($3.75) with a side order of guacamole ($1.25).  Add two bottles of water and the whole thing was under $13.50!

After lunch we just had to drive a couple of blocks to Third Avenue to see the apartment in UpTown Villa Apartments.  The building itself is really beautiful.  I met with Janine, the building manager, and she showed me the exercise room, the laundry room, and the Skytop Jacuzzi and sundeck area (on the roof).  Then, she showed me the apartment, on the third floor, which was really nice and clean, but very small with very little closet space.

One thing I’ve noticed about all the apartment complexes is that they’re behind gates, or sometimes behind glass doors, but once you walk into the complex, you’re outside again.  Most of them have fountains in the middle (I don’t think this did, but I may be wrong).  When you leave your apartment to walk to the laundry room, or exercise room, you are outside.  If it’s raining, you wouldn’t get wet, because there’s an overhang above you, but there are no other walls, just a railing to look down into the courtyard.

You know how mild the weather is when you see that they build ALL the apartments like this.  It’s strange, because in New York everything is enclosed and/or underground.  Here the more outdoors, the better.  People don’t even want to walk down a hallway indoors!

After looking at the apartment, Eric drove me to a Starbucks on Fifth Street, and then we drove around a lot more, exploring another neighborhood where I saw a long strip of design stores.  This reminded me of the D&D building in Manhattan, and I was wondering if they were open to the public, or just “to the trade.”  I must find out!

We were heading back to the campground when we finally saw it – a Gelato place!  Eureka!  Gelato Vero Caffe is on the corner of Washington Street and India Street in Mission Hills.  We have been searching for a gelato place since we got here a week ago.  I knew they’d sell gelato somewhere!  We pulled into a parking lot across the street to turn around, so we could go across the street, and then I saw a sign that said, “HOLISTIC HEALTH SPECIALISTS – CHAIR MASSAGES.”  Eric had another headache, and I always want a massage, so I said, “Let’s go in!”  He readily agreed. 

From the moment we walked in, the place felt very calm and tranquil.  We were greeted by Amber, who got us scheduled for massages very quickly, even though we had just walked in off the street.  It seems we had perfect timing, because the therapists were between clients!

We were so lucky, because we were able to get table massages (they didn’t have the chair there at the time).  I got a 15 minute massage by Leah.  Her healing hands really felt great.  They specialize in TUINA MASSAGE, which I never heard of before.  TUINA is the oldest known system of massage.  It is recorded in the Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine in 2300 B.C. as one of the five major therapies of the time.  TUINA has remained an organized and systematically developed system of massage ever since.  I’m not sure how it works – but it felt fantastic!

Eric got a half-hour table massage by Jodi.  He was supposed to get a 15-minute massage, too, but was enjoying it so much and feeling so much better that when I came out of my 15-minute by Leah, Jodi informed us that Eric would be getting another 15 minutes.  Good for him!  I was so happy he was enjoying it.

When he came out, he said he felt great and he looked so much better.  I was relaxed and renewed from my massage by Leah. 

They also have an acupuncturist, which was recommended to both of us.  They said you can get great results with bad allergies or migraine headaches.  We will definitely look into that, too.

Eric purchased a bottle of PO SUM ON MEDICATED OIL, which is like Bengay, but much more natural and smells just mildly of peppermint.  I promised to massage it into his neck each evening.  We told them we would definitely be back for more massages, and they even have a special for new clients -- $49 for one hour.  Sounds great to me!

After our massages, we went across the street to get our gelato.  We were so relaxed and felt so much better.  I got a small cup of Hazelnut and Dark Chocolate.  Eric got a small cup of Pear sorbet and Tahitian Vanilla gelato.  They were all delicious!  What a wonderful afternoon!

After eating our gelato, we drove around some more and then came back to the RV.  Eric was so relaxed after his massage that he immediately fell asleep and I watched TV and worked on the computer.

I have been thinking of our friends, Geri and Larry, who are on a small boat with about 20 other people, cruising down the Amazon.  Talk about adventures!  We can’t wait to hear all about it and see Geri’s pictures!

I spoke to my Mom and my friend, Artie, on the phone, and then Eric woke up and we went out to dinner.  Since it was 8:30pm, we decided to go to IHOP and get pancakes.  I had the chocolate chip and Eric had the carrot cake pancakes.  Both were yummy.  I told Eric we were saving time AND money, because it was dinner and dessert all in one!  He had to agree!

We got back around 10:00pm and I did some research on PT Cruisers, because we are going to look at some tomorrow.  I want to have another PT, because it gets good gas mileage, I am comfortable driving it, and it is great for throwing furniture and other stuff in the back.  Since I will be “decorating on a shoestring” and frequenting flea markets, garage sales and thrift shops, I anticipate needing a way to get all my bargains home!

I must say goodbye for now.  It’s time for me to give Eric his PO SOM ON peppermint massage!

We woke up late (as usual) and didn’t have any place to go, so we just watched TV and hung out in the RV.  We watched a little football and watched a little of the parade (I was so happy it was a beautiful day in New York for all the people watching the parade, and all the people participating).  I waited until noon to call my sister’s house in New Paltz, NY.

We used to spend Thanksgiving with my family.  My two sisters, Lenae and Audrey, and Lenae’s husband, Rich, daughter, Keri, and son, Eddie.  It was always at Lenae and Rich's house upstate.  When my parents lived in NY, and for a few years after they moved to Florida, they’d be there, too.  I miss my family, but I hardly ever saw them anyway – we were spread out all over NY state and in Florida.  We just saw the family at Thanksgiving, graduations and other big events.  Thanksgiving was always a lot of fun.  My sister is a fantastic cook, so the meal was always amazing and we always ate too much.  She told me this year she was making garlic mashed potatoes.  She makes the BEST mashed potatoes!  Boo hoo!

When we used to go there, our only contribution to the big meal was dessert, which I would buy from a great bakery near our house in Whitestone.  Audrey would always bring great pre-dinner snacks, like salsa or hummus, and she always made a big salad (just like the one Elaine loved on SEINFELD!).  We’d listen to music, watch TV and play cards.  It was a day of hanging out, eating, and having fun.

Eric and I decided to go for a ride in the car.  I told him I’d like to go for a bicycle ride.  The campground is in MISSION BAY PARK and there’s a nice bicycle path that runs right by the water.  Eric didn’t want to ride, but he did want to get out of the RV and go for a ride in the car, so I agreed.  When we got out of the RV, the first thing we noticed was how packed the campground had gotten.  There were just a bunch of RVs before, with plenty of space in between, but now the place was really crowded – with very little spaces left open.  It’s amazing how many people get in their RVs and go on vacation for a holiday weekend!

We drove around Pacific Beach, on our favorite street – Garnet -- noticing that most privately-owned places were closed, but the chain stores and restaurants were open, but closing early.  The place was pretty much a ghost town.  No traffic at all.

We stopped at BRUEGGER’S BAGELS.  I really didn’t have much of an appetite, but figured I’d get some soup.  It was 1:45pm and they were closing at 2:00pm.  I couldn’t believe how many people were there, eating bagels on Thanksgiving!  They told me they were out of soup (it must be good soup!), so I just got a bagel and cream cheese.  Eric got one, too.  How pitiful are we?

We sat outside at a little table, surrounded by other people sitting outside at little tables.  It was almost surreal, being in such a warm climate, and sitting and eating a bagel on Thanksgiving.  Eric said it didn’t feel like Thanksgiving.  It really didn’t.  I guess people in warm climates have to get used to that (if they didn’t grow up celebrating holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas at the beach).

After our bagels, we got in the car and drove back to the campground to pick up jackets.  Even though it was a beautiful day in San Diego, it was still too chilly to be running around in a t-shirt, so Eric got his denim jacket and I got a sweatshirt.  Then, Eric took me down by the water (where I wanted to ride the bicycle).  We looked at all the seagulls and ducks flying around and swimming in Mission Bay.  We saw some pelicans, too, which are such cute birds.  I’m a real bird lover, so I totally enjoyed it. 

I tried taking pictures with my camera, but it is still acting up (Eric wants me to throw it in the garbage, but I refuse).  I hardly ever take it out with me anymore, because it’s so frustrating. I keep putting new batteries in and it stops working after about an hour's use.  You probably noticed there have been a LOT less pictures lately in the blog.  It's partly because we haven't been sightseeing as much, but it's also because the camera just won't work.  I'm glad I was able to get a couple of pictures.  I hope I can photograph our new apartment on Monday, so you can all see how cute it is!

There were people in the park having a “Thanksgiving picnic” under a big gazebo.  I don’t know if they were actually eating turkey, but they were having a lot of fun!  A little girl was flying a kite.  It was the perfect day for flying a kite, with the sun shining, the beautiful blue sky as a backdrop, and the kite sailing in the wind.

After our little excursion by the water, we decided to drive downtown, to “the city” and the Gaslamp Quarter.  We have not been there since our first visit in October.  We knew it would be very quiet, since it’s a holiday, and we were right!  There were a lot of restaurants open (and a lot of them were very crowded), but there were also some boutiques open.  I couldn’t believe it!  There were a lot of people on the streets, but the parking lots were empty and there was plenty of metered parking (and you didn’t have to put money in the meters!). 

We got a great spot and walked around town.  I went into a beautiful boutique called JACQUES LeLONG.  They had gorgeous clothes, accessories and shoes.  There were two beautiful girls behind the counter.  I said, “I can’t believe you girls are working on Thanksgiving!”  One said, “I can’t believe you’re shopping on Thanksgiving!”  I said, “Well, I have a good excuse.  My husband and I just moved here and we don’t know anyone!” 

The girl said, “Where’d you move from?”  I said, “New York,” and she said, “I’m from Jersey!”  We became instant friends.  Turns out she moved here last year.  She said she really loves it.  (Of course, she’s working in a gorgeous boutique in the Gaslamp Quarter, so what could be bad?)  After I browsed a little, Eric and I walked right next door to the GHIRARDELLI store. 

The moment you walk in, the smell of chocolate hits you – it’s fabulous.  Do you think they pipe it in?  They have a soda fountain in the back and we decided to have a little dessert (what else is new?).  We had two hot chocolates and shared a brownie sundae.  The entire place is decorated with posters of Ghirardelli advertising through the years.  The company has been in business since 1852 and started in San Francisco.  On the way out, I asked for a business card.  They didn’t have any, but gave us two free samples of their limited edition “Peppermint Bark” chocolate squares.  Sweet!

After dessert, we walked around a bit more.  We really got a good look at all the great restaurants in the neighborhood.  The only problem is, most of the time when you go Downtown, you can’t find a spot anywhere!  Parking is REALLY hard!   I admit, the last time we were there, we were in the RV, and next time we’ll be in the PT, but it’s still a LOT like parking in Manhattan.  I think we were lucky to have it “all to ourselves” today (along with everyone else who had the same idea).

After we left downtown, we just drove around, heading back towards the campground.  It was getting dark.  When we got back, I got on the computer and Eric asked to see videos on YOU TUBE of different mountain bike parks – some in NY, some in San Diego.  He enjoyed watching the New York videos, showing me jumps he had done at various parks he used to ride.

The ones we watched of mountain biking in San Diego were not very exciting.  Even I had to admit that it was not even worth putting on YOU TUBE.  I really understand how Eric feels.  After viewing the videos filmed in NY parks, and seeing how technical and challenging the rides were, and then watching the San Diego versions, I could see that riding here is very, very different – and not in a good way.  It looked like I could ride the trails in San Diego, and I’ve never gone mountain biking in my life.

He asked to see the CD that the guy he rode with in Massachusetts had sent.  So, I dug it out and put it in the computer.  We watched the slideshow of Eric and the other three guys riding VIETNAM TRAILS in Bellingham, Mass.  Eric said it was some of the best riding he ever did in his life.  I remember how happy he was that day.  He said he felt better just seeing himself doing all the jumps.  He said he's glad he has that documentation of what he was able to do.  The way he talks, it's like he'll never ride again.  It scares me.

Anyway, I think getting into the apartment is going to be a very positive change.  We are so looking forward to getting out of the RV.  It’s really getting to both of us.  We can’t wait to spread out, get our stuff, and start living a normal life again.  Living in an RV when you’re traveling is a fabulous adventure.  I recommend it highly to everyone -- even if you just took a week to travel, you’d get a great taste.  Unfortunately, living in an RV when you’re sitting in a campground day after day is just living in very tight quarters with nothing much to do.  If I didn’t have my computer, I’d go absolutely out of my mind.

Tomorrow we are supposed to pick up the PT Cruiser.  I hope all goes as planned.  Then, we just have one more weekend in the RV and we’ll be moving out on Monday and into our new place. I’m hoping it will make a big difference.  I keep telling people that after living in here for 15 weeks, living in a small 2-bedroom will feel like a MANSION!!

We woke up around 10:00am, watched an episode of DIRTY JOBS with MIKE ROWE (he was collecting alligator eggs in the Louisiana swamps), and then got ready to go bicycling.  This was quite a preparation, as I had not ridden my bicycle since August (Massachusetts) and it was a mess.  The tires were flat and it was filthy (from hanging on the back of the RV for 15 weeks).  Eric put air in the tires and he and I worked on both our bikes until they were road worthy.

First, we headed to MISSION BAY PARK (right where our campground is located) and rode almost all the way around.  We were actually right near Seaworld when we got to the end (2 miles).  We stopped to rest and I was sitting for less than 3 seconds when my phone rang.  It was my friend, Kris, calling from New York.  We spoke for about 20 minutes, and then Eric and I got back on the bikes and rode all the way back. 

It was a fun ride, on a paved road, with lots of people bicycling, walking, jogging, and roller-blading in both directions.  On one side – the whole way – is the cove, where you can watch the seagulls, many varieties of ducks, and occasionally see a pelican.  There are people kayaking and jet-skiing in the water.  On the other side is a beautiful park with benches, playgrounds, exercise equipment (with workout instructions!) and people picnicking, flying kites, and enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery.

After we finished that portion of the ride, we decided to ride into Pacific Beach to BRUEGGER’S BAGELS for lunch.  It was about a mile and a half away and we had really worked up an appetite!  We both got a bagel with cream cheese and some potato chips.  We didn’t want to eat too much, since we still had to ride back to the campground.

Lunch was very satisfying, since neither of us had eaten all day, and by now it was 3:00pm!  We headed back to the campground and got back a little after 4:00pm.  I was exhausted.  I was really proud of myself.  I hadn’t exercised at all in a long time, yet I was able to go over 6 miles!  I told Eric that I felt really great, especially since I didn’t complain or cry.

Now, you may think I’m joking, but one time Eric took me on a ride in Queens from our house to Kissena Park.  It was a long ride and I was exhausted by the time we got there, and knew we had to ride all the way back!  He took me on the paved path through all of Kissena Park and I kept complaining that I thought we should be heading home.  By the time we headed home, I was actually scared that I wouldn’t be able to make it.  We hit a really big hill and Eric was telling me to just pump my legs and I would be fine.  He was sure I could do it.  I started to cry.  I was upset, because I felt he was pushing me too hard, and I was scared, because I didn’t think I could make it all the way home.  Am I a baby or what?

We ended up stopping at Bowne Park, which is about a mile from our house, and we had ice cream from Mr. Softee.  I felt MUCH better after that, and a little rest, and was able to ride the rest of the way home.
 
See my big problem is I’m not the type to really push myself.  I never was.  I’m not lazy, but I have never been one to exercise.  I may be Peppy – I mean I do everything fast – but I need my rest and I don’t have the disposition that great athletes have – that ability to push past the pain or the exhaustion and just keep going.  The desire to be the BEST, to WIN, to EXCEL – I never had that drive.  I’m actually not very competitive at all.  I’m the kind of person who wants to do well, but wants everyone else to do well, too.  I’m more of a team player.  I think it holds you back in the sports arena!

When I was young, I loved to perform.  I sang; I danced.  Dancing is definitely a team effort.  When you’re in a show, you want everyone to do well.  You want the show to be a hit.  Maybe YOU want to stand out, to be the star, or to be the best singer or dancer or actor, but it’s really all about the show.  At least it was for me (again – team player).  Anyway, dancing was never exercise for me.  It was expression, it was fun, it was one of my greatest pleasures.  When you’re doing something you love, it’s not exercise.  That’s how I feel about Yoga now.  I LOVE Yoga.  I haven’t done it since I left NY, but I already found a place about a mile from our apartment!  I can’t wait to get started again.

So, anyway, back to the bicycling.  When I’m bicycling with Eric, it’s fun, because he’s such a great teacher and he’s fun to be with.  But when I went bicycling by myself, I really didn’t enjoy it at all.  Eric LOVES to ride.  He belongs on a bicycle.  He enjoys riding with others more than by himself, but he just loves to ride.  It’s his life.  When we were riding today, I told him, “This is where you belong – on a bicycle.  It’s what makes you happiest.  We’re going to find you great riding.  It doesn’t matter where.”

Eric missed his calling, because he should have been a teacher.  He’s so patient, so precise when he explains things, so encouraging.  It’s not just with bicycling.  He’s great at teaching lots of things.  Eric is really smart and he’s always been good at explaining things, when I don’t understand.  I remember when we were in Tampa, visiting my nephew, Brandon.  At lunch one afternoon, for some reason, Brandon and Eric got on the subject of air conditioning and Brandon asked exactly how an air conditioner worked.  He and Eric discussed it for the entire meal and Eric explained it so well that Brandon and I both understood it.  I never knew how an air conditioner works, I just knew it made the room nice and cool!

So, back (again) to the bicycling.  As we rode, Eric would warn me about things coming up, or instruct me in how to approach a hill or curb, or other obstacle.  He not only instructs, but he encourages you when you accomplish something with a “That’s it!” or a “There you go!”  He makes you feel good; that you’re doing well.  I love that about him. 

I know he’s like that when he rides with others, too, except sometimes people don’t appreciate it.  They may think he’s criticizing, but he says it in such a positive way.  He’s just trying to help.  If someone rides with Eric, they become a better rider, because he is not selfish with his talents.  He wants to impart his tricks and his techniques.  Eric told me a story about a guy (who shall remain nameless) that was able to do a stunt that Eric hadn’t yet tried.  Eric asked the guy for advice on how to accomplish it and the guy wouldn’t help.  I couldn’t believe it, when he told me.  How could someone be so selfish?  I told Eric, “He was afraid of you.  He knew if he told you how to do it, you would, and then he wouldn’t be so special.”

Eric wants me to be a great cyclist.  He always has.  He wants everyone to ride, and to be great.  If you’ve ever talked to Eric and the subject of mountain biking comes up, you know that he will try to convince you (whether you’re 12 or 72) that you should do it and he will offer to take you and show you the ropes.  He would “convert” the entire world to mountain bikers, if he could.  It’s just something he loves so much and believes in.  He thinks it’s the greatest sport in the world!

So, what do you think I did right after we got back to the campground?  Why, took a shower and then a nap, of course!  So, what do you think Eric did as soon as we got back to the campground?  Why, wax the PT Cruiser, of course!  He said he wasn’t tired at all, so I rested in the RV while he waxed the car until it got dark.  I was so happy he was feeling better. The ride was invigorating.  It was a little overcast, and a little windy, but the weather was still beautiful and it was a great day to be out and about.

At 7:30pm we decided to go out to find something to bring back to the RV for dinner.  There aren’t that many familiar fast-food places around here, except for McDonalds (which is EVERYWHERE).  We kept seeing a place called WIENERSCHNITZEL. 

We had actually seen them in other cities and other states, but we never had seen them in NY.  The other day, we got close enough to see their menu and saw they had a Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwich.  We were surprised, because we had NO idea what a place called WIENERSCHNITZEL would serve, but figured it was all hotdogs.  They DO have hotdogs on their menu, as well as a pastrami sandwich, corn dogs, and chili dogs. 

They don’t have anything I could eat except French fries or Jalapeno poppers, but I had leftover Tostado Salad from dinner yesterday, so I was all set.  We decided to go through their drive-through, since it was very close by, and Eric ordered a #4, which is a Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwich, with fries and a large drink. 

He got a raspberry iced tea (for me) and we also ordered the Jalapeno poppers and dessert – a Butterfinger Freezee and a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Freezee, which is vanilla soft-serve ice cream in a cup with either Butterfinger pieces or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup pieces mixed in.  I think every fast food place has a version of the mix-in ice cream dessert.

We figured we’d share the order of poppers and he’d have the sandwich and fries, while I ate the salad.  When we got the order, I looked in the bag and didn’t see the poppers.  I told them they forgot the poppers, but they said they were in there.  I searched the bag and realized why I hadn’t spotted them the first time.  There were 3 – normal sized poppers – in a little sack.  THREE!  I did find out they were 99 cents, so I guess it’s not TOO much of a rip-off, but if we had known, we would have gotten THREE orders!

We got back to the RV and realized they forgot to give us the iced tea.  Eric showed me the sandwich, which was just three chicken nuggets on a bun with some bacon, lettuce and cheese.  If you ordered the chicken nuggets you probably get three for 99 cents.  If you order the sandwich, you get the same three nuggets, but they give you two strips of bacon and a bun!

Eric said we hit a new low tonight and we’ll never go back there again.  I said not to feel too bad, because you don’t know unless you try!  We never go to Wendy’s, Burger King, McDonalds, or any other fast-food places, so we should have known this place would be just as bad, but since we never heard of it, we figured we’d give it a try.  Eric actually says McDonalds and Wendys are fine dining compared to this!

After dinner I did two loads of laundry (what else?).  I just wanted everything to be clean, so we wouldn’t have to worry about laundry tomorrow or Tuesday, when we will certainly be busy with other things.  The moving men are coming between 8:00am and 10:00am, and the bed is being delivered between 8:00am and 12:00pm, so things will be hoppin’ at our place tomorrow.  TIME WARNER CABLE is coming on Tuesday, between 11:30am and 1:30pm, so everything seems to be falling into place.

I never did get a piece of furniture to hold the TV, but then I had an idea, which I told to Eric.  Since we will have so many boxes hanging around, and will not need to open some of them for a while, why not put the TV on top of a couple of boxes?  I figure it will be easier for the cable guy to install if it’s not sitting on the floor.

We need to get a good night’s sleep tonight, as the alarm will go off at 5:45am tomorrow.  Tomorrow is a new beginning for us.  I know it will be a wonderful new phase in our lives!  Our next great adventure!

My entire day was devoted to laundry, packing, and organizing for our trip tomorrow.  Since we have to wake up at 3:30am, get picked up by the shuttle bus at 4:45am and the flight takes off at 6:15am, I figured I’d better get EVERYTHING done tonight!

Eric and I didn’t get up until 10:30am.  We went to bed very early – 10:30pm – which is really about three hours earlier than I have been going to sleep.  I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time, because I wasn’t tired.  I just turned the TV off, because Eric said we should go to bed early.

I guess I fell asleep around 11:30pm or midnight.  For some unknown reason, I woke up at 3:30am.  Was it in preparation for the alarm tomorrow morning?  I don’t know.  Anyway, as usual, I started sneezing and blowing my nose.  I fell back to sleep about an hour later.  I thought about getting up, because then I would be REALLY tired by early evening and to sleep early.  But I didn’t and we ended up both staying in bed until 10:30am.

The first thing Eric did was run some errands for me.  I needed 3 oz. bottles to take shampoo, conditioner, etc., and also one quart zip-lock bags to hold the bottles.  Who knew?  My friend, Geri, told me about that, and I confirmed it with Jimmy, who just flew.  Then I went to the airport website and saw their 3-1-1 rule.  Three oz. bottles in 1 quart zip-lock bags and one bag per person.

Eric also bought wraps, so I could make sandwiches for us for the plane.  I was kind of stupid, because I did a big food shopping in preparation for our company, and forgot we were leaving on Monday, so I bought stuff for us, too.  I had all the makings of a big salad, and a pound of Honey Turkey and Alpine Lace Swiss cheese.  Eric ate some of the turkey and Swiss this weekend, and I finished it up by making him two sandwiches.  I also made a big salad and had some for lunch and dinner, and so did Eric.  There was a little left and I threw it away.  I also threw away anything that will be rotten by next Monday.  I don't want to come home to moldy stuff in the fridge!

 If Eric doesn’t eat both wraps on the plane (we WILL be on two planes, with over an hour in between in Houston, so he’ll have plenty of time to be hungry!), we can have it for dinner that night.  For myself I made a salad wrap with Swiss cheese.  I also packed TWO zip-lock bags of Clementines and a zip-lock bag of grapes.  We will have enough snacks to last for days, but that’s okay, because they will be fine for snacks in the car while we’re driving around South Carolina!  I just don't like to waste good food.

After Eric came back from shopping he geared up and went for a ride to Balboa Park, which is only about 15 minutes from here.  He drove in the car and then parked and tried to find the trails.  He met a guy who was riding, and he showed Eric a trail, but Eric said it was a short ride, as there really aren’t many trails there.  He was back in two hours, but at least he got out for a while!

I did two loads of laundry, just so there wouldn’t be anything waiting when we got back, cleaned the apartment, and then proceeded to pack for the trip.

I packed my little pink and black suitcase on wheels.  I’m bringing a minimal amount of clothes – comfy pants, some velour, one skirt, and a bunch of t-shirts, a sweater set and my brown Sausalito fleece jacket.  I figure I can wear layers if it’s cold, so I’m not bothering with a coat.  It’s been about the same temperature in South Carolina as it’s been in San Diego, just a little cooler at night.

I was also able to fit Eric’s underwear, socks and t-shirts in my suitcase.  He has a carry-on with all of his bicycling stuff, and was also able to fit a pair of jeans in there.  We’re not bringing anything dressy, because we don’t anticipate going anywhere that requires dress-up.  I’m wearing one practical black purse, which I will use all week.  I’m bringing three pairs of shoes, but only because I can’t wear the same shoes day in and day out – it makes my feet hurt.  I am wearing very comfy flat sandals to the airport.  These are my most comfortable walking shoes, which I wore all across the country.  They're made of fabric, so they're pretty worn out, but they'll have to do.  I'm also bringing a pair of flat clogs that are comfy, but not good for extensive walking, and a pair of Maryjanes that are a little dressier, but also completely closed, in case it’s cold or raining.

I have a little pink and black tote bag that matches the suitcase.  I’m putting all the bottles in the zip-lock bags in one pocket, all my paperwork (for the shuttle, the flight info, the hotel info, and the car rental info) in another pocket, and all the food will go in the main compartment.  That will go under the seat in front of me and the suitcase on wheels and Eric’s carry-on will go in the overhead.  Eric will carry my laptop, which will also hold Betty (the GPS system) and all the power cords, plus the charger for our cell phone.  He'll put that under the seat in front of him.

I feel like I’ve thought of everything, and anything we’ve forgotten we will just have to buy at the airport or in South Carolina!

I’m so used to flying to visit my parents and I never had to worry about anything, because my Mom and I are pretty much the same size, so I could always borrow clothes from her.  I didn’t have to bring any toiletries, because I used all theirs, so I was always able to fly with a very light bag.   I’m SO glad this one is on wheels, because it’s REALLY stuffed!

Eric is busy reading all the information on South Carolina mountain biking that I printed off the computer.  He will be renting a mountain bike from Thursday through Sunday, so he will have four days to check out lots of different parks and trails.  We will arrive (if there are no delays) at the hotel at around 5:00pm on Christmas Eve.  Everything will be closed on Christmas Day, so we’ll probably just drive around and see some neighborhoods.  The bike shop he’s renting from is also closed on Wednesday, so we’ll be doing some driving on Wednesday, too, and then Thursday through Sunday he will ride, ride, ride.

I told him I’d either drop him off at the trails and pick him up, or he can drop me off in the city and pick me up, or I can stay in the hotel and watch TV while he's out riding.  I’m very easy!  Our flight takes off at 6:15am next Monday (New Year’s Eve), but because of the time difference we should be back in San Diego by noon!

I’m very excited about this trip.  It’s not really because I’m dying to go to South Carolina, but more because I’m anxious to know what our future holds.  If we both like South Carolina, there’s a good chance we’ll be moving there next summer.  I really want to know, because it’s hard to think about work, making friends, and getting into a routine if I know it’s just for six months.  Of course, no one really knows what the future holds, but I’d like to have a general idea of which coast I’ll be living on!

I’d like everyone who reads this to say a prayer for our safe travel, and also that Eric finds what he’s looking for out there.  I really want him to be happy.  I know I can make a life anywhere I go.  Doing my decoupage and jewelry mosaics this week made me so happy and I explained to Eric that the things I love can be done anywhere!  They teach yoga everywhere; I can do my crafts anywhere; I can work anywhere.  I just need to be warm and for HIM to be fulfilled and happy.

This has been a VERY long day, and if I didn’t sleep a little on BOTH flights, AND take a nap when we reached our hotel, I’d be a goner.

The alarm went off at 3:15am.  I snoozed once and then got out of bed, took a shower and got dressed.  Eric was right behind me.  I had done all the packing, got our clothes for the trip ready, and even made us snacks the night before.  I waited until the shuttle called to pack turkey/Swiss wraps, apples, grapes, chocolates (still left from my birthday), and clementines.  I took a lot of snacks because I know they never give you more than a bag of peanuts these days.  I remember when we were in Vegas with Geri and Larry, they were starving when they got off the plane, because they had a long flight and didn’t get anything to eat.  On the way home, they stopped and bought sandwiches to bring on the return flight.

The shuttle was on time at 4:30am, and we were at the airport before 5:00am.  I got our CONTINENTAL boarding passes through a kiosk and we had a short walk to the gate.  We relaxed until we got on the flight.  I immediately gave Eric a turkey/swiss wrap and I had a salad/swiss wrap.  We were half-way through when they came through with drinks.  Then, they served – BREAKFAST!  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  Okay, it was just a bowl of Wheaties with a tiny container of milk and a pouch of raisins, but it was breakfast!  We put away our wraps and had the cereal with milk and raisins.  I was impressed!

They also showed a movie – RATATOUILLE.  I really wanted to see that, and it looked SO cute, but I didn’t have the patience to listen with the earphones for 2 hours.  I just slept instead.

We took off on time and landed on time.  Unfortunately the connecting flight seemed like a million miles away.  We walked, and walked, up escalators, down escalators, and then finally had to get on a TRAIN to take us to the other terminal.  Who knew George Bush International Airport in Houston was so huge?  We got on the train, which had no seats – I guess because you’re only on it for a few minutes.

We got off the train and had to walk up MORE escalators, down halls, down escalators, and on and on and on.  At one point, we saw a woman with a small transport vehicle (like a golf cart with extra rows) and it said CONTINENTAL on the side.  Since we’re flying Continental, I asked if she could take us to Gate 84.  She said she could and we hopped on (with all four of our bags).  She took us at LEAST a half mile and we STILL had to walk more when we got off.

We finally got to Gate 84 and the woman behind the desk informed us that our flight was moved to Gate 88, so we had to go BACK up the escalator and walk down another long hallway.  We finally got there, with lots of time to spare, and relaxed until the second flight took off.

The plane for the second flight was very small, so they wouldn’t let us take our bigger bags with us.  They weren’t checked, like regular baggage, but they took them away and then brought them back to us right outside the gate when the flight was over.  That made me VERY nervous, but it all worked out okay.

Other than that, everything went super-smoothly.  Eric thought I was complaining too much about how far we had to walk, but it’s just that the bags were heavy and even though one of mine was on wheels it was still cumbersome and my arms were hurting!  Okay, so I’m a big, complaining baby, but I can’t help it!  Poor Eric, he had the computer, which is heavy and his carry-on, which was also very heavy, but he didn’t complain at all.

On the second flight, they served – LUNCH!  I know, it’s amazing!  This time it was even better – little turkey sandwiches on cute little buns with lettuce.  They gave you a packet of mayonnaise, a bag of chips, and a tiny little MILKY WAY bar!  Who could ask for anything more?  It really boggles my mind that we got TWO meals on two flights, when I was expecting two bags of nuts and brought enough fruit and sandwiches to feed a family of 4!

Eric bought a book of Stephen King short stories at the San Diego airport, so he read for most of both flights.  I like to sleep, and I did manage to doze a little on both flights.

We got to Columbia and walked a short distance to the ALAMO CAR RENTAL.  I requested a PT Cruiser, and the guy behind the counter thought it was VERY strange.  I told him that I drive one and I’m very comfortable with it.  He understood.  He was able to give us one (wheee!).  It’s silver and the minute I got into it, I felt completely at home!  This way, I won’t mind dropping Eric off and picking him up, or doing some driving if we go for a long ride.  I feel like I’m in my own car!

We plugged Betty in and programmed her to bring us to the HYATT PLACE HOTEL, which is in Irmo, South Carolina.  I guess it’s a suburb of Columbia.  I told Eric I could NEVER live in a place called Irmo.  It’s too much like Elmo.  Tickle me Irmo!

The hotel looks brand new.  We were greeted before we could get through the front entrance by a handsome young man.  He showed us the kiosk where we could check in automatically.  It gave us a receipt, and two room keys.  The whole thing took about 3 minutes!

The room is fabulous!  There’s a 42-inch high-definition flat panel TV.  Eric is in heaven.  It swivels so you can watch it from the 2 full size beds, or from the L-shaped couch with an ottoman.  The décor is so elegant—all in neutrals beiges, browns and creams.  The sink has a granite countertop.  They supply you with an ironing board and an iron, a blow dryer, an alarm clock, a fridge (by the wet bar), a coffee maker, and lots of other great amenities.  I’m so happy, since we will be spending an entire week here! 

As I mentioned before, we watched a little TV and took a nap.  We woke up around 7:30pm and went out for dinner.  There were lots of choices, but we decided to try YAMATO – the original Japanese Steakhouse of South Carolina – for some sushi.  First, they seated us at those tables where the chef is cooking right in front of you, but we told them we just wanted sushi, so they showed us to the sushi bar and we sat at a table right nearby.

Eric and I were surprised to see a NO SMOKING sign in the sushi bar, but there was a regular bar area right next to the sushi bar and smoking was obviously allowed in there, because I could smell it and it really bothered me.  I’m so sensitive to smoke!

Our hotel room is a no-smoking room and they actually tell you that if you smoke in the room they will charge you a $200 cleaning fee.  I love that!

We got our usual -- Edamame and Shrimp Shumai, but also got three rolls -- Spicy Tuna, Volcano and Japanese Bagel (which had smoked salmon, cream cheese and avocado).  It was all good, but not great -- certainly nothing like we've had in either NY or SD! 

We didn’t have dessert at the YAMATO, so we drove around and finally went into a Denny’s, which was decorated like an old-time diner.  It was very different from any other Denny’s we’d ever been in.  Really cute.  We shared a banana split, which was just what the doctor ordered!

We came back to the hotel, I unpacked, washed up, got in my pajamas, set up the computer and Eric took a shower and watched TV while I worked on the computer.

Tomorrow is Christmas Day, so most everything will be closed and it should be pretty quiet.  We’ll probably drive around a lot, so we will get to know some of the neighborhoods and drive into the actual city of Columbia.  We will do more driving on Wednesday, since the bike shop he’s renting his bike from won’t be open again until Thursday.  The weather report tonight said rain all weekend, which would be VERY bad for riding, so keep your fingers crossed for us!

The weather here today was just slightly cooler than San Diego.  We DID get here at 5:00pm, so I’m sure it was warmer during the day.  It was definitely pretty warm, even when we went out for dinner, and I was happy about that!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, TO ALL OUR DEAR FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

We had to get down to the lobby by 9:30am if we wanted the free Continental Breakfast.  I usually could not care less, but Eric was interested, and he woke me up at 8:00am.  Since we hadn’t gone to bed until 1:30am, and I hadn’t slept very well, I was REALLY tired, but I got up.  We took showers, got dressed and went downstairs.  It ended up being worthwhile.

They had honeydew (too soft), red grapefruit (too tart) and fresh pineapple (just right).  They also had two kinds of yogurt in the little containers – including Activia, which I thought was really considerate!

You had a choice of about 5 or 6 different cold cereals, or you could make instant oatmeal (they all came in the pre-measured bowls).  They had regular milk and 2% milk, orange juice, apple juice, and STARBUCKS coffee!  I was REALLY impressed by that!

They had English muffins and bagels, and a toaster, so you could have them hot, if you wanted.  They supplied margarine, cream cheese and butter.

I had some fruit, a cup of decaf coffee, a glass of orange juice and a toasted English muffin with cream cheese.  Eric had a cup of tea, instant oatmeal, fruit, a toasted bagel and a toasted English muffin (I told you he was interested!).

After breakfast we went back upstairs.  I watched TV and Eric fell back to sleep.  I watched most of WALK THE LINE, and I really enjoyed it.  I missed the first 45 minutes.

When the movie was over, I woke Eric up and we went out for a ride in the car.  The first place we went to was WALGREENS.  Somehow, Eric lost his reading glasses (not his prescription -- just the kind you get at the drug store), so we had to pick up another pair.  We also desperately needed gum (what else am I going to spit out the window?).

After that, we drove to Downtown Columbia, to see the city.  It was much more deserted than even I imagined (and I imagined it would be quiet).  It was absolutely dead.  No stores open, no restaurants open, no buildings open.  Dead.  Like a ghost town.  It was almost disconcerting.  We did see a couple of people driving around or walking down the street – a couple.

The city is relatively small.  I mean, any city is small when you compare it to New York, even the city of San Diego is small.  When I say “city” I mean the part where all the businesses are – the tall buildings – the business center – the hub.  We saw a lot of small cities as we drove through America.  This is another one.  Parts were just like any other city in the country – the Bank of America building looked like it could have been in Manhattan.  But, there were streets that looked like “small town America.”  Eric was not impressed.  I didn’t fall in love, but I didn’t dislike it either.  I figure I could get a job anywhere, so why not here?

After that we decided to try to find Harbison State Forest, which is supposed to provide some good mountain biking just 10 minutes outside Columbia.  We drove north up I-26 to I-20 to 215, but saw no signs about any forest.  We went as far as Jenkinsville (which was about 3 blocks long) and then headed west on 213 to 76 and then south again.  No sign of it.  I asked Eric to talk to the concierge at our hotel but, just like a man, he didn’t want to ask for directions.  He had his atlas!  Well, we followed the atlas and look where it got us.  We drove about 40 miles and couldn’t see the forest for the trees!

At least we got a good look at the surrounding area of Columbia.  Eric said we couldn’t live here.  It was much too rural.  I agreed, but told him there were still plenty of cities we could check out.  It’s funny, because as long as we were in California, Eric hated it, put it down, made jokes about it, and was generally negative.  Now that we’re in South Carolina, San Diego is looking better and better to him.  He even said he’s glad we came here, because it’s making him appreciate San Diego more.  Don’t ask.

I don’t understand it myself.  He apologized a couple of times for “dragging me here.”  I told him I don’t mind at all.  He feels bad that we spent the money to come out here for a week, when we could have visited family.  I told him I wanted to come out here, because if he’s not going to be happy in San Diego, I want to figure out where he DOES want to live.  If it’s not here, we have to keep looking.

Eric makes his mind up VERY fast.  We had only been here a day when he decided this wasn’t the place for him.  He made up his mind just as fast about San Diego.  I told him we’re going to be here until Monday morning, so he better hold his judgment until we get back to San Diego and has a chance to think about it.

Now, he’s talking about moving to Northern California.  I had suggested that right after the fires, before we ever moved to San Diego, but Eric didn’t like the idea then.  Why that has changed, I’ll never know, but he’s liking California more and more.

I’ll let you know what he says when we get back there!

When we got back to Irmo, we decided we were hungry and went to the only restaurant in town that was open – DENNY’S.  I expected it to be quiet, since it IS Christmas Day, but it was so busy we actually had to wait for a seat.  Now, this wasn’t a restaurant filled with people who don’t celebrate Christmas, like the Chinese restaurants and movie theaters in New York.  This was a restaurant filled with people who DO celebrate Christmas who decided to go out to eat at 3:30pm to Denny’s!  Again – don’t ask – I don’t understand it myself.

I had clam chowder and a fish sandwich with mashed potatoes.  Eric had chicken fried chicken with mixed veggies and French fries.  He also had a vanilla shake; I had iced tea.  I took home half my sandwich; Eric took home a piece of chicken fried chicken.  I don’t even know WHY it’s called Chicken Fried Chicken and not just Fried Chicken, except it’s a cutlet and not the usual piece of chicken that’s breaded and fried, and it is prepared like the Chicken Fried Steak, except it’s chicken.  Are you confused yet?  I know I am!

When we got back, Eric took another nap.  That’s a sure sign that he’s not happy – he always sleeps more when he’s depressed.  When Eric's busy and happy he can be up for 20 hours -- work, then ride, then watch TV, etc.  Otherwise, he sleeps a LOT.  While he slept, I watched an episode of MONK, and then was turning channels and found that WALK THE LINE was on again, and this time I only missed the first 20 minutes.  I watched it until I came to the part where I came in this morning.  I hope to catch it from the beginning some day!  It’s a really good movie with great performances by everyone.  No wonder they were nominated for Oscars!

Now, Eric is up and watching basketball and I’m working on the computer.  Tomorrow we are going to find the bicycle shop, even though it won’t be open, so we’ll know exactly where we have to go on Thursday.  While we were driving around today, we passed at least 5 antique shops and antique malls, so I know I’ll have plenty to do while he’s riding for the next few days!  I also saw a STARBUCKS in the city, so I know I can have my decaf raspberry mocha if I want.  I told Eric all I need to do is find a yoga studio and I’m ready to move here!  Unfortunately, he doesn’t feel the same!

I forgot I had taken pictures of our cute balcony in San Diego on Clairemont Drive, so I’m including a few pictures of the flowers Eric planted in the pots I bought.  I think it looks so nice and told Eric that now WE have the nicest balcony in the complex!

There are two of these planters:

There are two of these large wall pockets:

The two taller pots surround the smaller, bigger pot:

Here are a few pictures of the hotel room.  It is SO lovely and I’m enjoying it SO much!

The living room area of the suite:

Here's a picture of Eric trying to steal the flat panel TV!

The dressing area, outside the bathroom, with the granite countertop, and the dresser:

There's a small wall that separates the living room from the bedroom, but the light from one room flows through the "windows."  It's very clever.

Here's a close-up of the rug, which is really pretty and comfy!

There are two of these lights in the living room, and two in between the full-size beds.

I hope tomorrow will be a little more productive than today.  I want Eric to find out where the riding is, so he’s ready to roll on Thursday morning, when he goes to rent the bike.  I think it’s very important he follows through, although it IS supposed to rain, in which case, he won’t get to find out much.  That would really be a shame.  I hope the weatherman is wrong!

We missed the free Continental Breakfast this morning.  We just went to bed too late to get up so early.  Last night we stayed up until after 1:30am.  We decided to watch some movies (which were $10.00 each).  First we watched THE SIMPSONS MOVIE, which was good, but I was dying to watch HAIRSPRAY, and Eric agreed to stay up to watch it.  I had seen it already, but he hadn’t and he had seen the show on Broadway, and the original movie, and I knew he’d love it.  He did!  I was moving my feet the entire time (bed dancing, since I was laying in bed and dancing at the same time).  It’s just that kind of score!  I also love every single dress, every piece of costume jewelry, every purse, every accessory.  It’s FABULOUS!

So, since we missed the free Continental Breakfast, we decided to really sleep in and didn’t get out of bed until after 10:30am.  We finally left the hotel room a little before noon and went across the street to the CRACKER BARREL restaurant and store.  We had never been to one before, which is pretty unbelievable considering there are 560 restaurants ALL across the ENTIRE United States!   We just always thought of them as a “chain” and – as I’ve said before – we usually try to avoid those.  This was just SO convenient, we couldn’t resist!

It really is my kind of place.  The entire restaurant is filled with antiques and collectibles.  There’s an interesting history, too.  The first one was opened in Lebanon, Tennessee in 1969, and there was an antique store down the road.  They asked the owners of the store to decorate the restaurant for them, because they wanted an old time look.  The same family has been decorating all the Cracker Barrel restaurants and stores since then.  There are approximately 1,000 antiques in each Cracker Barrel location.  That’s a job I’d love to have!

I didn't notice that I got this couple in the photo, but -- seeing as I did -- do you believe this guy?  He couldn't even take off his bluetooth for lunch!

I got a grilled cheese with a cup of vegetable soup and iced tea.  Eric got the Old Timer’s breakfast, with turkey sausage, scrambled eggs and a potato casserole.  It also came with grits and biscuits and gravy.  He had apple cider, which tasted like fresh-squeezed apples.  Really refreshing!  Everything was really delicious and we had a great time.

After brunch we took a ride.  When we went downstairs to the lobby before brunch, I insisted that Eric ask someone where the Harbison State Forest was located, since we drove over 40 miles yesterday and couldn’t find it.  Turns out, it’s less than THREE MILES from the hotel.  Can you believe it?  All we had to do was make a right out of the parking lot, make a left at the light, and go about 3 miles.  We went down there and checked it out.  In the parking lot we saw two guys in a pickup truck with mountain bikes in the back and I made Eric talk to them.  When I say “I made” him, I mean that he said, “What am I going to ask them?  Why should I talk to them?”  I finally convinced him and they turned out to be two really nice guys.

They have just begun mountain biking and it was their first time at Harbison State Forest, although they are locals.  They took Eric’s number and gave him theirs and said they’d try to hook up for a ride on Friday.  When Eric got back in the car, I said, “You can thank me now, or you can thank me later.”  Eric thanked me and admitted I was right, which is never easy for him.  I don’t know why he has to be so stubborn.  I always say, it doesn’t hurt to talk to people or ask questions.  If we had asked yesterday, we would have found the park in 5 minutes, instead of driving around, but I guess it worked out, because we got to see the more rural areas of Columbia (which we didn't really like) and Eric met the two guys today (which he wouldn't have done if we went to the forest yesterday).

After that, we drove to a local bicycle shop, but they were also closed today.  Then, we decided to go to OUTSPOKIN’ BICYCLES, where Eric is renting a bike tomorrow, so we could see where it was.  We knew they were closed, but now Eric has an idea of their location, so it will be easier to find tomorrow.

We got to see a lot of different neighborhoods in Columbia, some of which were really nice.  I even saw a yoga studio!  I told Eric I found my three requirements: antiques, Starbucks and Yoga!  I’m ready to move here, but I don’t think he is!

After that, we found a STARBUCKS and I got a Peppermint Mocha Latte.  I’ve already explained how they taste exactly like an Andes Candies (the mints).  FABULOUS!!!

By now it was after 4:30pm.  We drove back to the hotel and relaxed, watched TV, and then took a nap (what else?).  We woke up at 7:30pm and went out to dinner.  We drove around for a while, but most of the places are barbecue and ribs, so we ended up at CARRABBA’S ITALIAN GRILL.  I was excited as soon as we got to the door, because there were a lot of words stenciled on the door, and one of them was GELATO!  I said, “Look, Eric.  They have gelato!” 

When you sit down, they bring you fresh-baked bread with olive oil infused with herbs.  We could have eaten the whole loaf, it was so good, but we resisted!

We started with the Crab Cakes appetizer, (Two crab cakes made with jumbo lump crabmeat, seared in a cast iron skillet and served with a roasted red bell pepper sauce), which were really delicious.  Eric’s dinner came with a salad.  I had the Damian Platter, which was a trio of seafood dishes -- Spiedino di Mare (Shrimp and sea scallops coated with Italian breadcrumbs, grilled and topped with lemon butter sauce), grilled salmon and lobster ravioli.  It was all really good. 
Eric had the Pasta Sostanza (which is just like our friend, Joe’s name – Costanza (and like George’s in SEINFELD), except with an “S.”  It was tagliani pasta with artichoke hearts, grilled shrimp, mushrooms and spinach in a tomato sauce.  It was SO good.

We were really stuffed (Eric even took his leftovers back to the hotel), but we thought we'd have some gelato.  We asked the waitress what flavors they had, and she said she didn't know what we were talking about.  We said, "On the door -- it says you have gelato."  And she said -- and I swear, these were her exact words -- "Oh, that's just words they put on the door.  I don't even know what gelato is."  We explained to her that it was a kind of ice cream.  They didn't have any desserts we really wanted, so we just came back here.

We were going to watch another movie, but we have to get up really early tomorrow, because Eric wants to rent the bicycle at 8:00am, so he can get in a good ride.  We’re just hoping it’s not raining when we wake up.  It rained last night, but today turned out to be a really nice day.  We need the same weather tomorrow!

That’s when we knew we wouldn’t fit in here—when we saw the big sign for “Smoked Hog Jowls – 79 cents a pound!”  It’s not that we’ve never eaten pork, but I’ve never even HEARD of hog jowls, let alone eaten them.  It’s not just that.  We talk differently than most people in San Diego, but we REALLY sound different than the people here.  They look at us a little funny when we talk.  We didn’t notice that in Alabama, or Mississippi, or Louisiana, or Oklahoma, or even Texas.  I don’t know why I notice it here, but I do.  It’s not everybody.  Some people are REALLY friendly—like the people who work at the hotel, but I guess they’re used to people from other places.  That’s the business they’re in!

Anyway, Eric’s met a lot of nice people.  He had a great ride today in Harbison State Park.  We got up at 8:00am, went downstairs to the free Continental Breakfast, and then went to OUTSPOKIN' bike shop to rent his bicycle.  He got it for three days.  We went back to the hotel, he geared up and I drove him to the park and dropped him off.

My first stop was not far from where he was riding – on Broad River Road.  It was an antique mall called OLE TOWNE ANTIQUE MALL.  I spent at least an hour there.  It was pretty big and they had lots of great stuff.  I found two rhinestone pins – one is blue with aurora borealis stones; the other is red with aurora borealis stones—both in mint condition and at a great price.

Next, I decided to drive into the city, because there are supposed to be a lot of antique shops on Gervais—which is a main street in the city.  I drove there—without even using Betty (since Eric and I had done the drive 3 times already).  I found the MARKETPLACE ON MEETING, which is an antique mall on Meeting Street in West Columbia.

The mall was really nice, and the woman who ran the place was really great.  She would open a case for me and walk away, so I could “play.”  Her trust in me was really gratifying!  Most places watch you like a hawk.  I never watched people in my shop, and I found that when you think the best of people they won’t disappoint you.  I never had one piece of jewelry stolen in 5 years, and I had tons of pins, necklaces and bracelets where anyone could touch them.

I found two bracelets – one gold metal with big yellow danging stones, which Eric said look like horses' teeth.  He said, “It looks like a horse teeth bracelet!”  I said, “Don’t say that!  I wouldn’t wear a bracelet made of horses’ teeth!”  Anyway, they just look like big yellow stones to me!  The other bracelet was flat silver metal squares with faux turquoise stones and ornamental silver pieces.  It fit perfectly (some bracelets are too big on my scrawny wrists) and looked great.  I was happy with all my purchases and figured I’d better stop before I spent too much!

My hair was bothering me, and I had a couple of bad hair days, because I needed a trim, so I decided to find a salon and get a haircut.  I ended up at J THOMAS SALON & COLOR STUDIO.  Kristie was available to cut my hair, and did a great job.  I was out of there in one-half hour and decided it was time to go back to the hotel.  It was 2:30pm.

I got back to HYATT PLACE and jumped in the shower, because I hate feeling all “hairy” after getting a haircut.  I took my cell phone in the bathroom with me, because I knew the minute I got in the shower Eric would call—and he did!  He wanted to give my email address to his new friend.  He had a great ride and was exchanging information with the two guys he rode with.

He got back soon after (because one of the guys drove him back to the hotel, instead of him riding back).  He was exhausted, because he said although it wasn’t very technical, it WAS very challenging and he’s not in top shape anymore, so he really had to work hard.  He said they were “kicking his ass” because he had a hard time keeping up, but it was really fun.

I showed him my purchases, which he "oohed" and "ahhed" over (he's so sweet) and he told me all about his ride.  He was really happy, and enthusiastic, and felt great about his day.  It was wonderful!  Then we watched Dr. Phil and took a nap (what else?).  We woke up around 6:00pm and decided to just walk over to the Cracker Barrel, rather than get in the car and drive someplace.

It's really a fun place.  They have this peg game on each table and I kept trying to do better than I had done yesterday, but instead I was doing worse!

Eric had the grilled cheese with bacon, mashed potatoes with gravy and Vidalia onion rings.  I had the veggie soup (again) and salad with some biscuits.  We finished it off by sharing a piece of Chocolate Pecan pie.  It was gooey and delicious!

We walked back to the hotel and rented LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD.  The story line was ridiculously impossible, but I loved it anyway.  Eric calls it DIE HARD-Y HAR HAR.  He didn’t like it as much, because he said it was so unrealistic—but that’s the whole idea--that it could never really happen and the more unrealistic it is and the more he manages to avoid all the bullets, cars and helicopters coming at him, the more I like it. 

I love Bruce Willis in most everything he's ever done, and the new kid -- Justin Long -- is great in this film.  I liked him a lot in ED, which was a cute romantic comedy on TV a few seasons ago.

DIE HARD is one of our favorite movies, which we've seen a million times. I love the second one, too.  The third wasn’t a favorite of mine, but this is definitely one for my “can’t not watch” list—if it’s on TV, I’ll watch it.

Many of you who know me know about my “Can’t Not Watch” list.  It’s the list of movies that, if I find myself turning channels and find on TV, I have to watch.  I can’t not watch!  Some of them include SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, A FISH CALLED WANDA, BEETLEJUICE, DIE HARD, DAVE, MOONSTRUCK, E.T., and THE GREEN MILE.  We’re not talking classics here, like CASABLANCA, CITIZEN KANE or GONE WITH THE WIND.  These are just fun, contemporary movies that I find endlessly entertaining.  Eric feels the same about a lot of them, but I can watch a movie a HUNDRED times, if I really love it.

I’m the same way with some TV shows, too.  FRIENDS, SEINFELD, WILL & GRACE – I never get tired of them, and there are some episodes I know by heart!  If I like something…

So, it’s supposed to pour tomorrow.  Eric already heard from his “new friend” saying the ride was off tomorrow.  If it doesn’t rain, he’ll probably just ride Harbison State Forest again, but it probably will rain.  It’s pretty much raining along the entire East Coast.  Just our luck!

I say it was a wasted day, because it never really rained today, which is a shame, because we planned for a rainy day!  The TV, the radio and the newspapers all said it was going to rain all day today, so we ended up staying up really late last night.

After LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD, we watched most of ALONG CAME A SPIDER with Morgan Freeman.  He’s such a great actor it’s a pleasure to watch any film he’s in.  That ended at 3:00am.  It’s amazing how late Eric has been staying up lately.  It’s nothing for me – I’m a night owl – but for him to stay up until 3:00am is a miracle!

We didn’t mind staying up late, because we assumed it would be pouring this morning when we finally woke up.  I probably would have slept until noon, but some kids were making a lot of noise out in the hall and I looked at the clock.  It was 9:30am.  I tried to listen carefully, to see if I could hear rain outside, but I couldn’t.  I lay there, wanting to fall back to sleep, but SO curious as to whether or not it was raining that I couldn’t.  I finally got up, looked out the window and it was perfectly dry.  The sun wasn’t shining, but it wasn’t raining either.

We decided that Eric would gear up and we would drive an hour to a place called FATS (Forks Area Trail System) near Edgefield County in a town called Clarks Hill.  It was very close to Augusta, so we would be driving southwest, almost to Georgia.  We had gone only about 10 miles when it started to drizzle, then pour.  It might have been different if we kept driving, we might have driven through the clouds and come out to a sunny day on the other side, but Eric said it wasn’t worth driving all that way in the rain, so we turned around.

He decided that, since it was supposed to rain tomorrow, too, he would just return the bicycle.  The bike shop is closed on Sundays, so we had to return it by 5:00pm on Saturday.  So, here’s the weird thing.  By the time we drove the 10 miles back to Columbia and returned the bike, it had stopped raining.  It was about 1:00pm and we decided to get something to eat. 

We asked for a local place that wasn’t a chain and the guy in the bike shop recommended YESTERDAYS on Devine Street.  I got a piece of quiche with cucumber salad and macaroni and cheese sides, and Eric got the potato skins with chicken on top.  Their food was good, but nothing spectacular.

By the time we came out of there, the sun was shining!  We were both so mad and frustrated, because Eric could have ridden locally, at Harbison State Forest, even if we didn’t go to FATS.  He returned the bike because the newspaper, TV and radio all predicted rain today, but it never did happen!  They're all big liars -- or really bad at predicting weather!

We ended up driving around Columbia after lunch.  We stopped at another Starbucks and found a cute little neighborhood with lots of trendy little boutiques, galleries and shops.  It was the kind of neighborhood where I would love to have a shop.

It's hard to tell, but this entire tree was covered with red lights:

We drove around and found some really nice neighborhoods, and then some not-so-nice neighborhoods.  We saw a sign for an apartment for rent in a small building and I decided to call the realty company and ask about it.  Turns out it was 1,600 square feet – 3 bedrooms, 1-1/2 baths – for $1,200 a month.  Can you believe it?  It wasn’t the best neighborhood, but it was still nice, and the guy said it had just been rewired, with new wood floors, etc.  Can you imagine what a one-bedroom would cost?  The only problem is, the salaries are probably just as low as the rents, so what’s the use?

We got back to the hotel in the late afternoon and watched some TV and then took a nap.  We woke up and decided to go back into Columbia to see what their Friday nightlife was like.  We left at about 8:30pm.  We drove around a while, then parked in the same neighborhood where I had gotten my hair done, and walked around the neighborhood.  We finally decided to go to eat at a place called THE BLUE MARLIN.  It made us laugh, because we once went out to eat with Geri and Larry in College Point to a new restaurant called THE BLUE MARLIN and it was some of the worst food we ever ate.

It was about a year ago that we had this experience.  I think I had a coupon, since the restaurant in College Point had just opened, and the coupon said the restaurant was called THE BLUE FIN, but when we got there, I’m pretty sure it said THE BLUE MARLIN outside, so we were immediately confused.  The first sign that it wasn’t a great place was when we ordered drinks and they gave us cans – of iced tea, ginger ale, etc.  I figure even if you’re serving soda from a can, the least you can do is open it in the kitchen and pour it into a glass!  It was downhill from there.  The four of us laughed about that place for months.

This BLUE MARLIN in Columbia was the exact opposite.  It was very fancy, very beautiful and the food was one of the best meals we’ve had in a long time – maybe since San Francisco, New Orleans or Los Angeles!

We ordered drinks – a Shaken Betty martini for me (Raspberry vodka, Chambord, and pineapple juice) and a Bloody Mary for Eric.  My drink was SO perfect – sweet and not too strong!  Eric’s Bloody Mary was nice and spicy – just the way he likes it!

After looking over their extensive menu, we decided to have a dinner of appetizers, which is one of our favorite ways to try a lot of different dishes in one meal.  We started with two cups of soup: Classic She Crab Soup—Fresh lump crab meat in a rich, creamy soup served with a spoonful of sherry on the side; and New Orleans Seafood Gumbo—An original Orleans recipe with shrimp, crawfish, mahi, okra, etc.  The gumbo was the best I’ve ever had, and the crab soup was fabulous, too.

We had the soups with a salad – chunks of bleu cheese, candied pecans, cranberries and raspberry vinaigrette over mixed greens.

After that we shared Ahi Tuna Sashimi—Sesame seared tuna in teriyaki sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger; a Crab & Spinach Fondue—Fresh crab meat and spinach combined in a creamy mornay sauce served with toasted garlic crisps; and broiled scallops with a lima bean, tomato, and corn salsa.

There was so much food that we hardly touched the Crab & Spinach Fondue, so we brought it back to the hotel!  We were too stuffed for dessert, so we just got the check, put the leftovers in the car, and walked around the neighborhood.  There was an interesting combination of shops, art galleries, bars and restaurants.  The weather was perfect – 68 degrees – at night – on the Friday before New Year’s.  This is weather I could live with!

Here I am on Gervais Street -- the main strip in Columbia -- next to a giant urn!

We got back to the hotel and there was a fight on HBO, so Eric was happy and I decided to work on the computer.  We are going to wake up early tomorrow (8:00am).  If it’s not raining, we will get dressed, have the free Continental Breakfast and be at the bike shop by 10:00am, when they open, so Eric can rent the bike again.  We will drive to Clarks Hill and see if he can’t get in another great ride before we head back to San Diego.

As Tony Joe White wrote:

A rainy night in Georgia, a rainy night in Georgia
It seems like it's rainin' all over the world
I feel like it's rainin' all over the world

This song, recorded by the likes of Ray Charles, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Al Hirt, Herbie Mann, Nelson Riddle & his Orchestra, The Temptations Revue, B.J. Thomas, Conway Twitty, Hank Williams Jr., and the composer, really says it all.  When it rains here, it feels like it’s rainin’ all over the world. 

We got up at 8:00am and were downstairs having the free Continental Breakfast by a little after 9:00am.  It had rained during the night, but it wasn’t raining when we left.  Eric decided it probably wasn’t worth it to rent the bicycle again, because it really looked like rain, but we decided to drive to AUGUSTA, GEORGIA anyway, and – if by some chance it wasn’t raining there – we would find a bike store and rent a bike, so he could ride FATS, like he planned.

The ride took a little over an hour.  Augusta was a nice little town.  The first thing I saw when we got off the exit was a Starbucks, so I knew I would like it there right away.  We also saw a big billboard for an antique mall, so I was excited!  We followed directions I had taken off the internet for where the forest was, but – again – we couldn’t find any signs leading us to the main entrance, or the place where the trails start.  It started to rain, then pour.  It was teeming – really coming down.

We were just going to head back, but we figured I might as well do a little shopping.  Eric dropped me off at one antique mall, but it was just room after room of furniture.  Then, he took me a couple of blocks away to another place, called THE ANTIQUE MARKET, which seemed the same at first, but I asked the owner, Suzette, about accessories and she showed me a single booth that had hats, hankies, purses and costume jewelry.  I was in heaven!  I looked around and then she opened the cases for me, so I could see a couple of pieces.  Their prices were ridiculously low – much lower even than Columbia.  Suzette was so sweet and helpful.  It was a delightful experience.

I ended up getting a gorgeous navy blue petit point and needlepoint purse with a flower design, which is in mint condition, a round pin with lots of white stones (which will look fabulous on black), and a really old 1920s pin with three light blue plastic flowers with a blue glass marble in the center of each and three gold chains dangling with a blue glass marble at the end of each.  It’s SO pretty, so different, and I love anything with dangles, because the movement attracts the eye!
When I left the antique mall it was really coming down.

We drove to the Starbucks and, luckily, the had a drive thru, so I didn’t have to get out.  I got my iced decaf venti nonfat raspberry mocha latte and we hit the road.  It was only 70 miles, but Eric was driving very carefully (as he always does), so it took us an hour and a half to get back.  By the time we got here it was not even raining anymore, but it was still very dark and dreary out.

We came upstairs and Eric watched TV while I took a nap.  We had lots of leftovers from the last couple of days, so we brought it all downstairs at about 4:00pm and they heated everything up for us.  We watched TV in a little sitting area, ate our leftovers, and then bought a piece of chocolate cheesecake and came back upstairs.   We were stuffed from all the leftovers, but we knew we’d want something sweet later on and didn’t want to have to go back down.

We knew we were in for the night.  I was hoping to watch DREAMGIRLS, because it’s been on HBO for the past couple of days, but every time I find it it’s in the middle, and Eric wants to watch it from the very beginning (and I can’t really blame him).

After flipping through the channels 4 or 5 times (and Eric was ready to kill me), we decided to rent another movie.  We watched SUPERBAD, which is really funny.  There are three young actors in it (who play high school seniors) and they were hysterical.  We highly recommend it!

At around 11:00pm I ended up going downstairs to the lobby where they have a little snack bar and got a bottle of water for Eric and a grapefruit IZZE for me (sparkling water and fruit juice).  There’s something very cool about getting anything you want and just giving them the card key that opens your door.  They slide it through the register and it is automatically charged to your room.  Very cool.

Eric’s happily watching football and I’m almost finished with FOR ONE MORE DAY, which I am really enjoying.  It’s another beautiful book by Mitch Albom.

Tomorrow is supposed to be another rainy day and Eric was thinking about taking another drive to see more of South Carolina.  I was happy we took the drive today, even though he didn’t get to ride, because we saw a lot more of South Carolina, and a little bit of Georgia, too.

As Neil Sedaka sang:

Oo, I hear laughter in the rain
Walking hand in hand with the one I love
Oo, how I love the rainy days
And the happy way I feel inside

It’s been raining on and off for three days, but Eric and I haven’t let it ruin our good time.  We’ve been enjoying Columbia, Irmo, and the surrounding areas, and making the best of the wet weather.  The one thing I’m happy about is, even though it’s been raining, it’s been very warm – at least 65 degrees every day, most days about 70!  So, the rain doesn’t bother me much.

We really slept in this morning, even though we didn’t go to bed very late last night.  We watched SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE with John C. Reilly hosting, and turned off the TV around 1:00pm.

Eric woke me around 8:00am and asked if I wanted to go down to breakfast, but I wasn’t interested and we both fell back to sleep.  The next thing I knew, housekeeping was knocking on the door and it was 10:45am.  We told them we were still sleeping and they left.

We got up, took showers, got dressed and decided go out to do laundry, since there wasn’t much else to do.  I also wanted to try to get a manicure, so my nails would look nice on New Year’s Eve.

We