I’ve included lots of hyperlinks in this post…thinking you may be interested in some of the places and issues discussed. Let me know if you think I might be overdoing it.
We had originally planned on driving to Williams, California on our first day and then on to Santa Cruz to hike in the Redwood Basin State Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Basin_Redwoods_State_Park, then on to Santa Barbara the next day.
Well, we decided to go to the Redwoods another time; opting to get to Santa Barbara a day early to spend more time with Donn’s friends and family. That being said, Sacramento or thereabouts, would be our first stop. We got a late start. With the car chocked to the gills and a full tank of gas, we headed out. Mileage 297634. With our new tires and the load centered, Amaryllis ran great. I forgot my necklace and earings on my bureau….it just wasn’t meant to be. I’ll find some nicer ones in San Miguel.
I-5 down through Oregon is stunning. Smith Summit, Madrona forests https://www.fidalgoweather.net/2016/07/pacific-madrona-rules.html on both sides of the freeway, Siskiyou Summit, Yreka , then Mt. Shasta. At a couple of rest stops, we saw deer being quite comfortable with the tourists. They do keep their distance but love the irrigated grass.
At around 12:30 we arrived in Mt Shasta where we had lunch at our first Big Bear Diner. (Our diet will begin in Mexico). FYI, Mt. Shasta is a truly stunning mountain. Everyone should see it at least once in their lifetime. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Shasta
At lunch we made the decision where we’d end up for the night. Woodland, CA was our choice. Just north of Sacramento, that would give us plenty of time to get to Santa Barbara, go to the DMV and relax.
We stayed at a Days Inn that night. I’ll give it one star (the bed was comfortable).
We got up super early and got on the road by 5am. An early start was key to get through Sacramento’s early rush hour. The San Joaquin Valley https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Joaquin_Valley is bursting with lush orchards right now. Last Winter and Springs rains filled up Shasta Lake https://bridgebayhouseboats.com/5-things-to-do-while-visiting-shasta-lake/. Everything is being irrigated. But the farmers still complain about never having enough water. “Fire Nancy Pelosi” signs https://www.campaignpros.com/products/fire-nancy-pelosi-18×24-yard-sign-set-of-2?variant=31093303443587 everywhere. There has never NOT been a water battle with farmers. It seems to be the very nature of agriculture. https://sjvwater.org/water-scarcity-pits-farmer-against-farmer-in-south-san-joaquin-valley-water-district/
After more rest stops along the way, we finally got to the 41 and headed west toward the 101 and Paso Robles. We passed by the fork in the road where James Dean “Bought the Farm” in his Porsche Spider. It’s now called the James Dean Memorial Junction. https://www.discover-central-california.com/james-dean-memorial/.
Almost to Santa Barbara now. Getting to the 101…heading south through Templeton, Atascadero, San Luis Oblispo…stopping for lunch in Pismo beach https://www.splashcafe.com/pismo-beach/, a fill-up in Nipomo, then on through Santa Maria, turning left on the 154 through Los Olivos https://losolivosca.com/and Santa Ynez, up over San Marcos Pass, passing the FULL Cachuma Reservoir and down into beautiful Santa Barbara https://santabarbaraca.gov/. We headed straight for the DMV in Goleta where Donn got a replacement registration for the car. This is a ‘must have’ to cross into Mexico.
Got to Donn’s son Trevor’s house at 2:35. His wonderful wife Geovana was there waiting for us. Mileage 298534.
We had a great dinner with Donn’s sons Ian and Trevor, Geovana and Aiden https://sma-ole.com/2023/07/20/noras-list-of-books/ (See “A Bed for Pablo”)…the coolest grandson anyone could wish for. It is Fiesta week in Santa Barbara https://www.sbfiesta.org/….so the streets are crowded with partyers (is that a word?)
The weather has been beautiful. Santa Barbara temperatures are pleasant. We are not looking forward to the Arizona heat. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
One thing I might want to mention: If you’re driving through California, you need to get used to the fact that most of the rest stops are closed. Seven of the eight that we passed were closed. Bummer!
Ok.. I know this is tedious…but I think our trip should be memorialized somehow.
The car is packed tight with machinery and everything else that would fit. We are both anxious about crossing the border with so much stuff. We will hang out in Santa Barbara until Tuesday morning when we hit the road again. Please stay tuned.
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