Hello people, we have just three weeks left, before returning home from this three month road trip. I am currently writing this story at the desk of our son Raymond’s home office in Aliso Viejo.
We have left Marion behind at O’Neill Regional Park while we stay at Raymo and his partner Gino’s light-filled town home. We have slept in a bed in a house the past three nights, the first time away from Marion in 10 weeks. No star-filled night sky walks to visit the bathroom here. Here we celebrated Thanksgiving and Bill’s birthday, 69 times around the sun. Southern Orange County–amazing light, plentiful choices of great food and shopping, the Pacific Ocean, and a luxurious lifestyle for those who can afford to live here. This blog will travel back in time to our last day in Tucson Nov. 15. All photos by Kate Poss, unless otherwise noted.
Last day in Tucson
In the last blog I mentioned meeting a woman who subscribes to This is Whidbey. Her name is Lisa Harris and she runs the Harris Environmental Group, based in Tucson. We met at Exo Coffee nearby her work. She brought her aging dog Lola, who rested comfortably in her lap. We had an enjoyable visit and learned that Lisa lives on Whidbey part-time. Look forward to catching up with her next year on the island. We also visited with Bob Effertz, a friend we know on Whidbey, who spends time in Tucson. He invited us for tea at his winter home. Great to see him! We finished the day with dinner at La Indita, one of the best authentic Mexican restaurants in Tucson.
Julian, CA
We left our Gilbert Ray campground in Tucson at 6:30 AM Nov. 16, and drove for more than 10 hours before arriving in Julian, CA, an apple-growing region famous for its many pies in Northern San Diego County. What we like about Julian is its library and friendly librarian Liana, who remembered us from last year. Bill was in ecstacy with the smell of pies seductively scenting the air. Don’t miss the popular Julian Beer Company. We ordered their brisket and pulled pork. Excellent! They also have great pizzas. Camping for two nights at the William Heise County Park was only about 10 minutes away. We rehydrated among the oaks, pine and cedar after more than a month in the desert.
Hemet CA
After two nights camping in Julian, we drove along Hwy 79 toward Hemet. Stopping in Santa Ysabel, Bill was sidetracked once again by the smell of pies wafting through the vents at Julian Pie Company, part of the same chain we visited in Julian. Folks stood in long lines to pick up their holiday desserts at this popular place. We ate delicious lunch at the Farmhouse Country Eatery in Santa Ysabel. Their pulled pork and fries are remarkable.
We stayed the following two nights at my niece Janelle, her husband Kevin, and their daughter Lauren’s ranch home in the high desert of Hemet. Nellie, as we call her, raises more than 2 dozen hens, several roosters, and overnights a goat to protect her from marauding coyotes. The family have two dogs, two cats, and their daughter has a chameleon named Jewels and a lonely gecko who pines for his lady love who lives at Kevin’s cousin’s home. The family are so compassionate toward their animals, who reflect that love back. We attended church with this wonderful and loving family, and they treated us to lunch at Rosa’s Cafe & Tortilla Factory in nearby Temecula. The following day we swam in Temecula and we treated the girls to lunch at E.A.T. Marketplace, a farm to table eatery and store. We said our goodbyes and drove toward Carlsbad.
A night in Carlsbad
Ah, if I’d known how fun it was to camp at Carlsbad State Beach, we would have stayed longer. As it was, we stayed just a night. We want to come here next year for Thanksgiving. Crowded, right below Pacific Coast Highway, this fun, long campground sits above a great surfing beach. There are loads of flush toilets and showers. The atmosphere is fun and the highlight was a half-mile walk to The Camp Store, where a cool rocker played great tunes under the holiday lights. This beach is one of the best for walking and surfing and pelican watching.
Aliso Viejo
And our trip concludes this week with four days’ stay at our son Raymond and his partner Gino’s comfortable townhome. Light-filled with landscaped walking paths nearby, we were pampered by Raymo’s great cooking, Gino’s good humor, and licks by their faithful doggy family member Rogelio. We took many visits to nearby Gelson’s Market for delicious deli foods, Bill got a posh new haircut, Raymo made a delicious pulled pork for Thanksgiving dinner. Bill’s birthday Nov. 24 was celebrated in the City of Orange, which has ancient fig trees and interesting Craftsman-style homes that give the city its genius loci. That evening we drove to Dana Point for sunset and to admire an old ficus macrophylla, planted by the area’s founders, the Moulton family at Monarch Summit. The tree is wrapped in lights and its presence and beauty are the photos that conclude this week’s blog.
