We are home! 08-05-19

It was a 490 mile day, leaving from Mary's in San Juan Bautista at 9:15am and arriving at our house at 7:11pm.  I had some things from Mabel to deliver to her daughter in Tehachapi in the high desert, which is a loop east from I-5.  I trusted the GPS and didn't go where I intended to go, so Karen, Mabel's daughter, met me in Mojave and we transferred from our car to hers.  It was 106F and I found the sole spot of shade from a skinny tree in the McDonald's parking lot.  Too hot for KoKo to walk on the asphalt so he had to wait until I found another shady spot for him.  Then we headed east on highway 58 to where it meets I-15 just south of Barstow.  Had a pit stop at Lenwood, which is all fast food places, gas stations, an outlet mall, and a few motels.  We used to stop there on our way to Lake Havasu City when I took care of Corky, the Poodle Prince.  It has grown a lot and now spreads on both sides of the highway.  It was 108F there.  South in heavy traffic on I-15 to the 91 Freeway and then just two miles home.  KoKo had to immediately take a walk.  Poor guy being cooped up in the car all day with just a few rest areas to have a little walk and a piddle.  I don't think he really enjoyed the road trip.  Now he is passed out in his chair and I am about to pass out in my chair.  Emptied the ice chest and brought in the necessary things for both of us, but the car is still packed - all that workshop stuff and clothes (mostly clean since Mabel let me do a load at her house) and my Featherweight which Mabel serviced for me and taught me how to do it, and...  well, the stuff I seem to take on a road trip.  Tomorrow, or even Wednesday, is soon enough to unpack.  

I'll have some more pictures from the road, but too tired tonight.

KoKo observing the people parking at McDonald's.

 This scrawy tree cast the only shade in the parking lot.  I parked on the line, taking up two parking spots, but KoKo deserved it!!

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Wordless Wednesday 08-03-16

 

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Trip to Paradise Sewing - Poway, CA 03-30-13

Last week I drove my ailing sewing machines to Paradise Sewing in Poway and posted about it here:  http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=3236658054810119404#editor/target=post;postID=4332629632242670996

Corky is at Camp Del for the weekend, so he went with me yesterday to pick up the machines.  I had intended to take a picture of the outside sign at the store and forgot.  And I forgot again yesterday!  It is in a small strip mall with a Western Dental office on the street end.  www.paradisesewing.com/   They specialize in Pfaff machines, but work on all makes.  
They serviced and cleaned my two Pfaff 1222e machines and my friend Liz' Feather Weight. And the amazing Jinny worked and worked to see if the spare parts machine would run.  She did it and gave me instructions to run in every couple months, at least, in order to keep it as a viable spare parts source.


This is the eye catching display right in front of the door in the shop.  The orange bolt was on the cutting table, so it is missing here.
 

There isn't a huge selection of fabrics, but some nice choices, and a nice display of patterns with sewn samples to catch my eye.  The large, well-lit classroom was in use while I was there.

 It is about a two hour drive to Poway and this time I went inland from Placentia and picked up I-15 south.  I knew I would have traffic, it being Good Friday and takeoff day for Easter weekend trips, but it wasn't bad going down.  On the way home we were late enough for the northbound traffic to be building, so we drove at 25 mph or less (mostly) for many miles.  I had to pull off on a lonely road just south of Temecula because Corky was screaming that he had to go.  We walked up and down along the roadside, to no avail - he didn't REALLY have to go.  When we were on the road again he curled up in his bed and went so soundly to sleep that he didn't wake until we pulled in the garage. The traffic did lighten up after we passed the 215 cutoff and then it was good sailing to home. 
 

It is very different terrain from driving on I-5 which is on the west side of these coastal mountains.  Here everything is huge boulders and rocky soil.  Lots of avocado and citrus groves and an amazing number of nursery growing fields toward the south. 
 

You can see the light traffic on the southbound lanes, while I was crawling along at 20mph or so.
 

To the east the valley drops down to tracts of homes and wide swaths of vineyards.  Temecula has many wineries - some with fabulous restaurants attached.  Fifty years ago it was a "wide spot" on a two lane road - we used to drive this way to go fishing in at Lake Skinner.  Now Temecula is a growing, growing, growing city with a major highway down the middle.  Ah, California.

Things seen on the road 06-21-12

I saw a number of these trucks on the highway and wondered what they hauled.  Then I saw one loaded, but I wasn't quick enough to take a picture.

Can you guess what this special flatbed might carry?

It only carries two items at a time.

The blades for the wind turbines that "grow" all over the West.  Two blades are loaded tip to base and extend the length of the flatbed.  They are very long. 

I can understand why someone needs this much hay (or is it alfalfa).  I have never seen so many horses while traveling the West - there are hundreds, maybe thousands in pastures and corrals along the way.  When I asked someone what the horses are used for I was told most of them are never ridden, the owners just enjoy having them.
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Idaho Falls, ID - Baker, CA 06-17-12

After going through the rest of my road trip pictures this is all I could salvage.  Once the highway gets into southern Utah everything starts to look the same and Nevada is actually all the same!  Desert.  Past Baker, through Barstow and Apple Valley all attention is required in the traffic going into the Los Angeles basin.  It was especially heavy yesterday, I suspect partially due to Father's Day travel, but also just the beginning of summer vacations.  After all, summer officially arrives on Wednesday. 

 
I have always been surprised at how ugly the carpet is in motels and hotels.  This one isn't half bad, but needs to be in a large room, not the hallway.  This was Holiday Inn Express (HIE) in Idaho Falls.

 
In Idaho lots of blue sky, fluffy white clouds and straight lonely highway - Interstate 15.
  

 
I saw groups of pronghorn antelope pretty far off the highway.  Everything is so flat that even these small creatures stand out - especially if they have their white heart-shaped butts turned toward the road. 

 
A common tree is a European import from the 1800s that has spread throughout the west.  The grey foliage of the Russian Olive is very distinctive.

 
Sweet clover growing along the pavement is a sign of Summer - the sweet fragrance is nice.

 
Another sign of Summer is highway construction.  In Montana they say there are two seasons - Winter and Construction.  Seems to be true in Idaho also.

 
I stopped in Dillard, Idaho, for gas, a Safeway deli sandwich, a Starbuck's latte and a visit to this charming little quilt shop.  They were have a weekly special - for every one yard of fabric you buy they give you a free fat quarter.  Yes, I came off with free fat quarters - four!

 
The first time I have seen green dust!  It was being produced by some sort of mowing machine.

 
This cell-tower-tree is in Orem, Utah.  I thought they only grew in California!

 
I met Beverly Hart for lunch in Orem, Utah, the next town over from where she lives.  The restaurant, La Jolla Groves, was excellent and lovely with lemon trees in the dining room.  Beverly and I have been Blog friends for a few years, so it was special to finally meet in person. 

The dessert menu was especially temping so we shared:  

"La Jolla Groves Lemon Cake -  Moist Lemon Bundt Cake Served with our Handmade Crème Anglaise Under a Caramel Dome with Berries and Mint."  Fantastic and a lovely presentation.

 
Not far south I was once again in red rock country. 

 
Almost to the Nevada line is St. George, Utah, where this entire mountain was removed to make a road cut wide enough for the Interstate.  Awesome when you consider the earth displaced.

 
On the tops of the remaining mountain large new homes have been built - I suppose it is a great view.

 
South of St. George the road goes down, down, down through the Virgin River Gorge, a section of the highway that I love.  It has become increasing dry over the past decade or so and the Virgin River is merely a dry stream bed in the northern part of the gorge.

 
SERIOUS earth moving took place to build this road.  The vertical walls are protected in some places with hanging veils of chainlink (the darker section on the left - you can just see a little uncovered rock at the far edge).  There is also a concrete barrier with chainlink fencing on top to (hopefully) catch any stray boulders that break away from the cliff face.
 

 
It is like running through a towering maze in tiny cars.  It doesn't do to think of how much rock is towering above!

 
A lot of the rock shows the layers of its creation - dark on light, light on dark -millions of years ago.

 
Slanting layers seem especially awesome.
And threatening.

 
Still heading downhill into the desert and Las Vegas.

The advent of solar power presented an opportunity to have lighted billboards in the middle of nowhere.  The extra "box" on a pole is a solar collector to provide the power. 

Almost the first glimpse of Las Vegas - looks like a mirage on the horizon.

Not far past the hills on the southern edge of Las Vegas the "serious" desert starts again.

Right at the edge of the pavement, which gets more water due to runoff, the Russian Thistle grows.  We are more familiar with it as the tumbling tumbleweed.

Down the long grade into Baker, CA, one of the hottest spots in the country.  I stopped for lunch at the "famous" Mad Greek restaurant.  In all the years I have driven past Baker it is the first time I have tried this well frequented place - my Gyro had a nice flavor, but was a bit too salty.  I drank a gallon of water!

This is the famous thermometer that shows just how hot it is in Baker, but it wasn't functioning.  My car thermometer read 99F.

After Baker I stopped for gas in Barstow and then had to pay attention to my driving - thus no pictures.

Last day at Glacier - heading home 06-14-12

I am a day behind on posting - sorry!  I am in Idaho Falls, Idaho, tonight after a 368 mile day, which seems paltry after my years of much longer days when on a Road Trip.  I just get too tired to keep driving - it isn't safe.  The photos below were taken (mostly) yesterday when I left Kalispell and retraced the route Joan Hodgeboom drove on our Glacier tour on Monday.  Instead of turning north up the east side of Glacier I continued east until I came to I-15 and turned south for home. 

 
The only Starbuck's in Kalispell is on the north end of town where all the new stores and shopping malls are located.  This is the first time I have seen a fireplace in a Starbuck's and it is an indoor/outdoor one at that!  Classy.  I started my trip with a Grande Latte.  But no snacks.

 
Instead I drove to West Glacier and stopped at Glacier Highland Restaurant where they serve those fabulous pancakes - and I ate the pancakes again.  Fabulous might not be a strong enough word.

 

The carved bear with the eye patch isn't the only bear around.  Here on the porch is one climbing a pole.

 

And there is a bench being held up by a bear with a cub at the near end.  They are quite charming and I wish I could take one home, but it wouldn't be as charming in Placentia!

 
It was almost constant rain while I was inside the park at West Glacier, not many tourists out.

 
Lake McDonald was very misty, the far snow-covered mountain is barely visible and the boats were just gently bumping their moorings in the mist.  Not too cold though  - about 52.

I stopped at Goat Lick to see if there were any licking goats - no luck.  But across the road and high on the hillside there were these four light spots.  

 
Hardly more recognizable when I enlarge the image - my camera is just not powerful enough.

 
Here is a picture that Loretta Armstrong took two years ago when she took Ruth McDowell's class and did a tour of the park.  She says this mother and baby were quite close to the road.  Mountain goats have long white coats and sharp, black horns.  Mountain sheep have beige coats and large curly horns.

 
Continuing across Hwy 2 along the bottom of the park I noticed that the snow markers were getting taller.  These posts with the white rectangles are placed to show the snowplows where the edge of the road is.  In some places they are only a few feet tall and others they can be eight or nine feet or more - an indication of the depths of snow reached at different spots.

 
Out on the high rolling plains east of the park there are many snow fences, made of metal and placed to divert the snow drifts off the roads.

 
After I turned south on I-15 I had a terrific tail wind that really pushed the car along.  This was the highest gas mileage I have ever had, but the wind died down and my mileage went back to the mid 20s!

 
This shot was in the same area as the Wordless Wednesday I posted yesterday.  Rain is falling over on the top of the hills, but I didn't have any on the highway.

 
With that kind of wind there are, of course, wind turbines.  This was quite a large wind farm and all of them were generating electricity yesterday.

 
This is out of order - somehow I missed posting it on Monday.  But the sky was about the same last evening.  I forget how late into the evening there is daylight at these latitudes - it was 10pm and the sun was just setting.