Celebrations - 3 Birthdays and a Wedding

After leaving Jalama, we are treated to a beautiful drive towards San Diego.

Jalama Road

Jalama Road

Channel Islands

El Camino Real Mission Bell marker

Sea cliffs by Santa Barbara

Although we enjoy seeing the mission bell mile markers along the historic El Camino Real, we wish the State of California had spent some of the multi-millions of dollars they lavished on these expensive markers on more rest areas instead.

Beautiful, that is, until we hit the LA Freeways

Are we there yet?

Finally, we reach lagoon just before the Leucadia Exit.

Batiquitos Lagoon with Amtrak train

Time to celebrate 3 birthdays and a wedding

Hap's 93rd

Jessica's 21st

Doris' 86th

Mark and Jill married the week before in Santa Fe

Hap's 93rd Birthday

Trick mug reveals photo when full

Hap marks all the places he's been in the World - He's covered an amazing amount of it

Marking out parts of Europe

Many birthday wishes

and a toast with Jessica

followed by many more

Jessica's 21st Birthday

Although Jessica (Philip and Sue's daughter and Peter's niece) turned 21 the week or so before, since we're all together, why not celebrate hers as well at a Solona Beach institution, the Belly Up.

Belly Up

Dancers floor show

father and daughter share a toast

with all the usual suspects

and the next day afterwards.

Doris' 86th Birthday

Chart House in Cardiff

Close up of glass work

Doris contemplates her birthday candle

Jill and Mark's Wedding

Celebration dinner @ Cheng's Chinese

Jessica and Holly wish them well

so do Marti and Peter

Wedding announcement photo
(Hap, Patti, Jill, and Mark)

Family Goof Offs 

Jill does Liza

Mark does Leon Russell

Philip does Outlaw

Peter as Pina Cola man

Holly as Miss Manners

and as Nancy Sinatra

Jalama Beach

Since Peter sold Splinter, we're on the hunt for a replacement RV to satisfy our itchy travelling feet. To check out a floor plan we're really interested in, we decide to rent one for our trip south for Hap's 93rd birthday. Although we reserved the RV for an early departure on a Monday, the previous renters don't return it until later and it needed some work. Consequently, we don't actually drive it out of the lot until 3:30pm just as the wind picks up for the first rain of the season.

Our rented wheels/home for the next week -
Winnebago View 24J

By the time we get back home and load everything into the RV, it's well after 9pm and the storm has settled in.  We decide to cancel our plans for Morro Bay and leave better rested in the morning after the storm passes. Tuesday (a day late) we're off as the clouds are clearing.

Elkhorn Slough

East of Eden outside of Salinas

Puppies get comfortable in the new RV and seem to approve of it, although we're not sure ourselves about the corner bed. Sarah - you were right, the bed sucks. We won't be getting this model.

Mary settles in for the ride

Checkers sez where's lunch?

We make good time into Central California and stop in Shell Beach to look at a possible used Navion IQ CL (one without any slides).

Shell Beach

Fields and dunes by Lompoc

The road into Jalama Beach regresses back in time

from farm lands

through ranch lands

beyond civilization.

We made it!

The road down to the Jalama Beach

We score a coveted campsite right on the beach

Now that's a Campsite

The beach itself

Long flat beaches that go on forever. Notice - no people!

Interesting patterns in the sandstone cliffs, but no fossilized whale bones

Red sunset as storm clouds gather again

We are awoken in the middle of the night by high winds and heavy rain.  Even though the RV is rocking back and forth, we are very glad to be dry and far enough from the angry surf.  The clouds clear early next day and we enjoy a long walk on the beach looking for fossils in the sand cliffs.  After the walk, we decide to sample the famous burgers at the Jalama Store.  Sunset Magazine, why did you have to tell the world about this wonderful spot?

Saint David and Peter in front of store

Yum -  Jalama Burgers and beer

Burger joint with a view

Jalama's main activity is SURFING!

Humm - NO WETSUITS - they must get a lot of surfers

Yup - and they start young

That afternoon we take some time to kick back and enjoy our time @ Jalama

David enjoys a good read

Big camp fire for last evening

Sigh - Gorgeous day and we gotta leave. Jalama bye for now, but we'll be back!

Splinter Goes to a New Home

While at Burning Man, Peter meets Mike and Cork from Redding.  Mike owns a similar camper van and loves it, so Cork offers to buy Splinter from Peter.  As Peter has been coveting an RV with slides, he agrees and the deal is made.  We meet them at the Nut Tree Airport to complete the transaction on a day the temps are hovering around 105 degrees.  While the Redding guys are fine with the heat, us coastal dwellers suffer.

Mike, Cork, and Peter with Splinter

It's a Friday afternoon and already traffic has piled up coming out of the Bay Area, so we decide to take I-5 south to avoid the weekend crowd.

Downtown Sacramento

Golden Hills of California

As we travel south we are treated with deepening shadows on the hills and monsoon clouds coming in.

Deepening Shadows

Monsoon Clouds

The sunset turns spectacular over Pacheco Pass.

Starting up Pacheco Pass

Almost to the Summit

By the time we pass Casa de las Fruitas and head towards Hollister, the sunset is in full swing.

Sunset over Fields

Bye, bye Splinter!
We had a great time with you and hope Cork will enjoy you as much as we did.

Now the hunt is on for our next RV.

Burning Man 2011 = Burn keyword

There's a good reason Burning Man is aptly named.  It's *not* a poster event for the lowest carbon footprint. Yes - the Man certainly gets burnt to the ground as part of the cerimonies, but then again so do many other things as well. In fact, just about everything that burns gets burned - acetylene, gasoline, propane, wood, fireworks, etc.

Burning Art Cars

Many of these cars spew flames and explosions, especially at night. Here's some particularly good ones:

The Steam Punk Octopus in action:




Trojan Horse Burn

The larger burns generally follow along in several stages:

Fire Dancers

Fireworks

Followed by explosions

which ignite the structure

until it's entirely engulfed in flames.

The crowds love it... and shout for more.

Transfixed audience

The Man Burn

Of course, the main event is the burning of the Man itself.

Pre-burn fire dancers

Spectacular fireworks show

The Man ignites

and burns.

That's it folks - time to pack up and go home.

Leaving the next morning...

Shane's hitching a ride, Doug looks a little worst for wear

See you again next year!