Reflections

REFLECTIONS BY CAROL

Amazed: at the Grand Canyon-what a magnificent sight, even though some of the drive was either with closed eyes or with my head in the floor because I'm afraid of the heights. Once I got my on my feet and felt a little secure I thoroughly enjoyed the view. Awesome! I was also amazed by the hugeness of Hoover Dam, too bad the heat drove us away so we didn't really tour it the way we might have liked.

Dazzled: by the bright lights of Vegas. I truly enjoyed seeing The Blue Man Group but know that this is not the place for me.  I guess I'm too cheap to want to take a chance on winning a little while losing a lot. Also dazzled by the sights of Hollywood, even though we didn't see any "stars" as far as we know. Maybe they were the people honking at the "crazies who were driving slow and taking pictures of everything they saw".

Delighted: at the fun we had going to Disneyland again. Even though I cannot do some of the rides of my youth I still loved every minute of it and want to be able to take my girls and their families. 

Disconcerted: by the poverty around us, the helplessness of some, and more so by the extravagance of the majority.

Fascinated: by the fields of vegetables and fruits as we drove through the Salinas Valley and also by the vast fields of grapes in the Napa and Sonoma areas.

Intrigued: at the history behind Alcatraz and the San Francisco Bay area. I want to read more about how the town was impacted after the earthquake and fires of 1906.

Overwhelmed: by the miles and miles and miles of desert land but also by the mountains. Curious about all the different shapes and kinds and how were they formed.

Thankful: that we made it home with no incidents (Diane, dare I say no injuries??) or accidents; for my parents who took us on the first trip to California; but most of all thankful that I have two sisters with whom I enjoy spending time and making memories together.

REFLECTIONS BY DIANE

Kathy had a fortune yesterday that read "Family is more valuable than money".  No truer words could be spoken for our sister trip this year.  Brian knew that when he graciously and lovingly gave me this trip as a Valentine's gift.  In his words, "I thought about all the typical 'things' [to give as a gift] but didn't come up with the right thing...Then, I thought, I could give you something that I know you love; I know you love the time you get to spend with your sisters...So, I want to give you your sister trip."  I'm deeply grateful to him for that and for the freedom he always gives me to be who I am and the trust and faith he has in me.

We set out to relive a precious memory from our childhood and to create new memories.  We took along old photos and memorabilia, hats and a doll and even a used coupon book from Disneyland.  We had a letter with Daddy's words written to his friend in California which laid out our plans in 1966.  As it turns out, we drove out of Seymour on July 3, 1966.  This year, we left Frisco on July 7.  We tried to imagine the road conditions back then, the weather, the roadside parks and restaurants, the motels and hotels.  Things have changed, yet much has remained the same.  The desert was still hot and dusty and a million miles long.  The beauty of the mountains and forests was indescribable.  The ocean was much more than "just a lot of water", as I was fond of saying when I was 11.  I realize with greater clarity how Moma and Daddy sacrificed to give us a trip of this magnitude back then, and I can only imagine how much we must have driven them crazy with our arguments and complaints and "I wants".  I doubt we said many "thank yous" and "how beautifuls".

But we know this now.  We are who we are today because of the experiences we had together as a family.  Some were better than others.  Some were downright difficult, such as dealing with Robert's diabetes and Moma's aneurysm.  Most, however, were uplifting and educational and absolutely fun!!  That's what we remembered and celebrated on this trip. 

To Carol and Kathy, I say "Cheers!" and I can't wait till next year's trip!  To Brian, Bradley and Kyle:  I love you with all my heart and I'm glad to be back with you.  (Hopefully Kyle will say the same when he returns from Spain.)  To our friends and family who may be reading this:  Thanks for following us on this journey and praying for us and encouraging us.

REFLECTIONS BY KATHY

Even though I’d been to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam with James, Blaine and Dillon in ’97 and Los Angeles, Hollywood and Disneyland with Dillon in ’08, it was still so much fun to experience it with Carol and Diane recalling our trip of ’66.  We kind of amazed ourselves at things we could remember, but there were also lots of things we couldn’t.

There’s a famous poem, “The Dash”, saying that all of the important things in your life are what happen “in the dash"--the dash between the years a person is born and dies.  When I was reflecting on this trip, that poem came to mind.  I guess my poem would have to be called “The Comma”.  Although we had our specific destinations and things we were going to do--Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Disneyland (specifically It’s A Small World and The Mad Hatter), Los Angeles, Hollywood, Knotts Berry Farm, former McDaniel’s house, San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge, Napa Valley, having picnics and drinking Shasta colas, staying in cheap motels, visiting our cousin Lisa and her husband Jim, losing underwear in the desert, posing for pictures in places we’d posed 46 years ago, taking along memorabilia from ’66--it was not just doing those things and going to those destinations that made this trip so special.  It was what happened along the way, between those destinations and things, “in the comma”, that made it truly special.  It was the singing together, the talks, the laughs (and occasional eye-rolling), the beautiful and sometimes depressing places we saw along the way, playing TriBond to fill the long hours in the car, dealing with the dirty old man in Hollywood, the low toilets in Motel 6, us getting irritated with Garmin and Garmin getting irritated with us, the spitting guy that sold us our Hollywood tour, dressing alike, Diane telling “our story” to anyone who would listen.

I like “our story”.  I feel very blessed that we were raised realizing the importance of family, that Carol, Diane and I have each other and that we can still take a 2 week vacation together!  Now, that’s love!

Day 15 - Home, Sweet Home!

Alarm clocks were set for 5:30 since we had another long day of driving ahead of us.  We were headed out, in our matching dresses I might add, on our last stretch home a little after 7:00.  Once again, we spent our time reading, doing puzzles, singing (no radio station seemed to last too long before losing its signal, but we were pleasantly surprised that most of the stations we did find played lots of our oldie favorites) and talking about life experiences.  It was especially hard for the driver (Diane, at this point) because there was lots and lots of nothing.  We tried discussing what we might like to do on next year's sister trip, but we couldn't seem to focus on it for very long.  I think all we could really decide was:  2 weeks is too long and no road trips!  Unpacking that car at every stop and repacking the next morning was not much fun!  We made it to Lubbock around 1:30 and stopped at Blaine's house.  We hadn't been out of the car many times for anybody to see us in our matching dresses, so we were looking forward to his reaction.  It was just as I expected--"Oh, Lord!", then a laugh.  We planned on picking some lunch up to eat in the car on the way to Seymour, but Diane decided it would be more fun to go in somewhere, so we stopped at Raising Cane's.  Wouldn't you know we'd run into someone that we knew!  Zac Miller (graduated with Dillon and we grew up with his mom and aunts) was there with a few of his friends.  It was a little embarrassing for us, but figured it was a lot more embarrassing to him for his friends to know that he knew these 3 old ladies that were dressed alike!  Since we had originally planned on eating in the car, we didn't invite Blaine to eat with us, but I texted him and told him he could join us.  He works weekends for a mobile xray company and told me he'd been called out for a job.  I have to wonder if he just didn't want to be seen in public with us!  After eating, we were back on the road and arrived in Seymour a little after 5:00.  To save on time, we had James meet us in town to pick me up.  After all of my stuff was unloaded, Carol and Diane's things rearranged, pictures taken, hugs given, the 2 of them were back on the road again.  Three hours later, I'm sure they were as glad to get back home as I was!

Please check back for our last entry which will be our individual reflections of our trip.

So glad to see this sign!

Outside of Lubbock where we had our first picnic.

Day 14 - London Bridge is Falling Down

...and so are our arches.  All this walking seems like good exercise, but we look like 3 old ladies when we pile out of the car.  (No cracks, please!)

Today we were up and at 'em and leaving Barstow at 7am.  We drove about 3 hours to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where the London Bridge was erected after London got rid of it.  It wasn't built to withstand automobile traffic back then, so they sold it to Lake Havasu City.  I wonder if there was a want ad for that transaction.  We can attest to the fact that London Bridge is not falling down.  Afterwards we were back on I-40 with a lot  of trucks, a lot of desert, and some strong storms with lightning.  Kathy was the lucky driver during the storm once again.  There really isn't much else to report because our days consist of many hours of driving, working puzzles and Sudoku, reading, making up games and singing along with the oldies (songs, that is).

I guess we need to apologize to all the motorcycle riders who drove down the middle of two lanes of traffic in California.  Brian pointed out that lane splitting is an acceptable and legal practice in some states, including California.  (Just in case he was wrong, I checked for myself and confirmed that he's right.)  You learn something new everyday.

Day 13 - On the Road Again

It's a lie to say we couldn't wait to get on the road again.  Honestly, we were dreading it like crazy.  We had just a little bit more to do in San Francisco, so we were on the 101 with all the commuters again this morning.  We parked in our familiar garage, then walked a few blocks to get tickets for the cable car.  We hung on to the bars along the outside of the car, right beside the driver, and sang "Rice A Roni, the San Francisco Treat", hoot!...just like on television many years ago.  We saw many of the same places we walked to previously - Lombard Street, Chinatown, Nob Hill - plus many more that we never made it to, including Union Square.  They made us get off at the end of the line but we had return tickets as well.  Thinking we'd be smart and walk to the next stop to avoid the long line, at least 6 cable cars passed us up before one finally had room.  Then all these rude people tried to get on before we did.  Trust me, we've learned a few rude tricks of our own.  We know how to cut people off in traffic, ride a motorcycle between cars on the highway, go around people on the wrong side of the rode and scare them when they almost turn into you, run traffic lights - an endless list.  We'll try not to use any of our newfound tactics on you.

We bought our last souvenirs, ate at In-N-Out Burger (first time for all of us) and headed out of town.  The wierdest thing happened.  Yesterday when we drove across the Oakland Bridge, it cost $5 to go into Oakland and a mere $4 to come back across into San Francisco.  Today when we crossed the Oakland Bridge, we had Daddy's money out and ready to hand to the toll booth person, but lo and behold, there were no booths!  Do they move those things in and out every day on a whim?  After several miles, we decided to pocket the money for other things.  Don't know what happened to those booths.  That's another thing we noticed about California in general.  They make their own rules and change them to suit themselves at any time.  It's hard for us rule followers to figure out.

Another interesting thing about this trip.  We are the minority.  We may look like many of the people we encountered in each city we visited, but we couldn't understand what was being said by almost anyone we overheard while we stood in lines, rode public transportation, etc.  California is a melting pot and it draws people from all over the world.

8pm.  We arrive in Barstow, check in to our Motel 6, get an AARP discount that we didn't ask for (that hurts).  We are eating a very late dinner at McDonalds and writing our blog but we can't wait to get some rest and drive 700 miles tomorrow.

We couldn't quite figure out why this lady felt the need to do her yoga
here.  Notice her bells in her right hand.  She stood there and tinkled her
bells while doing her yoga. 

Day 12 - Wine A Little; It Makes You Feel Better

Today was all about the wine.  We had no idea what we were doing when we left the motel this morning other than we were driving to Napa Valley to do a wine tour and tasting.  We had searched the web last night and found a winery that sounded interesting.  We sent an email and made a reservation, but when we got there this morning, they didn't have us on their list.

Back to the trip to Napa.  It was our first time to go across the Oakland Bay Bridge.  Even with rush hour traffic, the trip wasn't too bad.   Perhaps that's because Kathy was driving and not Carol or me.  However, she scared the living daylights out of us when she tried to drive and take a picture at the same time.  She SEEMED to be oblivious to the brake lights in front of her.  She says she saw them, but Carol and I beg to differ.  Regardless, we both gasped "KATHY!" and she jerked and griped at us for griping at her!  (You can tell we're late into the 2nd week of our trip.) 

We made it safely to Napa, discovered we weren't on the tour list, but we were quickly assigned a tour guide and we had a great time.  The weather was perfect.  The wine was good but dry.  The surroundings were beautiful.  We enjoyed seeing the process from start to finish.  This was a small boutique winery that doesn't sell or buy grapes from anyone else.  The grapes they produce go into the wine they make, and you can only buy the wine at their vineyard or through their club.  It was a fun experience.

We walked around the town of Napa for a bit but couldn't find anything all that interesting.  Someone said we should go to the Beringer Vineyard and Winery, so we took off for St. Helena, about 18 miles north of Napa.  That was the best decision we could have made.  The weather was still warm, the sun was shining, the grounds were lush, and our host, Mark, was helpful.  He figured out pretty quickly what we liked and made sure to give us the best tasting experience possible.  As opposed to the small vineyard we visited earlier, this one is large and well known and they sell wine all over the country.

Our trip is winding down.  We're having Diet Cokes at McDonald's in Sonoma and planning our trip home.  We're trying to figure out why we'll have to drive almost nonstop for 3 days when it seemed so much more leisurely getting here. 

I know another reason why it's hard to think about getting back to the real world.  We'll have to start our diets all over again.  How boring is that?  That's the price we'll pay for having a great time.  No "wining" allowed. 

Well, except for maybe this.  Last night we wanted to do a couple of loads of laundry.  They claim to have machines at the Motel 6, but as one might expect, they weren't in the best shape.  We used our trusty Garmin to find a laundromat in the area.  After one wild goose chase - which took us up mountains and on windy, twisty roads AT NIGHT (at least we saw a doe and her fawn up there), just to find out that there was no such laundromat - we finally found one just up the street from our local McDonald's hangout.  We gathered all our quarters and stuck them into the washers in the nick of time, just before the 9pm last call.  All was good.  We then put the clothing into a dryer, dumped the last of our quarters into the slot, and it whirled around for one turn before it quit.  It just quit!  Like it thought our clothes were dry!  We had to cash in more dollars and put everything into another dryer.  We decided it was defective because after 30 minutes, nothing was dry.  We were tired and grumpy and just wanted to get in bed.  We slept with wet laundry all over the room.  So much for taking fewer clothes next time.

O'Brien Estate Winery

O'Brien Estate Winery

Beringer Vineyards

Beringer Vineyards

Vineyards were everywhere!

Day 11 - Escape from Alcatraz

So it was up and at 'em early today. We had to drive to Fisherman's Wharf to get our tickets to Alcatraz and then be in line for our 9:10 departure to the island.  We managed to get ready soon enough for a quick breakfast at McDonalds and then off to the city.

We were successful in finding a great parking lot directly across from Pier 33.  Once again it was quite chilly so we were glad to have the right clothing. These people know exactly what to do with tourists such as us--stick a camera out there--they will pay out like crazy for a picture! We thoroughly enjoyed our audio tour of the prison and grounds. Also there were such wonderful views of the bay area from Alcatraz.

After our return trip we browsed the shops of Pier 39. You could find just about anything there. We had lunch at the Wipe Out Bar and Grill and all of a sudden noticed that the sun was out for the first time since coming so we found the car and drove over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was spectacular. Continuing on to Vista Point we discovered an area to take pictures of San Francisco and upon leaving there we drove through the town of Sausalito.

We decided to make it an early evening so we quickly drove through Golden Gate Park and then to Twin Peaks, which was a nightmare! Winding roads up the hill just to get a picture that we could probably buy on a postcard for 50 cents!!!!!! Yikes. Diane and Kathy earned another meal for this one since Carol was just about in the floorboard the whole way.

Our evening ahead sounds very exciting; planning for our last full day in San Francisco and washing clothes! WooHoo!

Before loading the ferry to Alcatraz.

Arriving at the island.

Inside the cell blocks.

Golden Gate bridge faintly in the background.

Escape from Alcatraz.

Fake heads were used to trick the guards.

Driving over the Golden Gate bridge.

Waterfall in Golden Gate Park.

Looking down from the top of Twin Peaks.

Day 10 - The Streets of San Francisco

Rush hour traffic in San Francisco is about the same as it is in Dallas - too many cars in too little space with too little time to get there.  We made a practice run this morning to Fisherman's Wharf to make sure we'll be on time tomorrow for our ferry to Alcatraz.  So at 8am we were driving north with everyone else.  Most of them seemed to be interested in the Financial District.  We parked in the same lot we used yesterday since that is now familiar territory.  In jeans and jackets and tennis shoes, we took off for Lombard Street, the steep and winding street that you've seen on TV.  We had to walk at a 45 degree angle to keep from rolling backwards.  It was an absolutely beautiful area and view from the top.

From there we walked over to Chinatown.  We were specifically looking for the Fortune Cookie Factory and eventually found it in a back alley.  Kathy paid $.50 to get a picture of the woman forming the cookies.  It was very fascinating and the samples were delicious and fresh.  We were amazed at the open air fish markets and veggie stands.

By the time we got back to Fisherman's Wharf, we had decided to take a Duck Boat tour.  What an experience!  Our tour director was funny and informative and he really enjoyed getting the tourists involved, especially the children.  It was an odd feeling when we left the asphalt road and entered the water in the port area.  The most fun was quacking like ducks and being obnoxious as we rolled down the road. 

Other things we saw today included Ghirardelli Square (as in the chocolate, of which we wanted more than the one measly sample they gave us), Haight-Ashbury District (remember the '60s and hippies and Charles Manson?), Telegraph Hill, and a closer look from the outfield of AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.  We found it interesting that much of the port area - any flat land at the base of the hills - was built on a landfill after the 1906 earthquake demolished so much of the city.

Now sit back and enjoy a few pictures from our day.  More tomorrow!!!

Interesting incline.  Not a whole lot of fun to walk up!

Looking toward the top of Lombard Street.

Looking down from the top of Lombard.

Fortune cookie factory.

Guess who got pooped on?

Where's Waldo????

Driving the duck.

Day 9 - Do You Know the Way to San Jose??

How about to San Francisco?  The day was going great as we left Paso Robles and drove up 101 to Salinas.  We located 3 homes where our Benge relatives lived in Salinas, trying to remember them way back when.  One of the neighbors watched us very closely as though he thought we were casing the place.  My tendency is to just tell people what we're doing, but Carol and Kathy think I'm nuts and that no one really wants to know.  Salinas obviously has fertile soil, as we saw miles and miles of fields growing vegetables and fruits.  As Carol remembered, lettuce was growing in a field just blocks from the Benge home.

Shortly after leaving Salinas, we stopped at a roadside stand to buy fresh produce - peaches, strawberries and nuts.  I wanted to buy avocados, 7 for $1, but I knew they wouldn't travel well.  We couldn't get to Belmont, where we're bedding down for the next 4 nights, without at least one traffic jam.  We found it as we tried to get back on Highway 1, but once again, everyone in California was going to the beach today, this time to New Brighton State Beach at Monterey Bay.  We ditched that plan as quickly as we could, which meant at 5 mph for 7 miles.  Ugh!! 

After settling in to our Motel 6, we drove into San Francisco to check out Fisherman's Wharf so we'd know where we're going for the next few days.  BIG MISTAKE!!!  The Giants had just ended a game and all their loyal fans were pouring out of the stadium, just as we got to that part of town.  So after another long delay and lots of traffic, we wound our way around on Embarcadero until we found Fisherman's Wharf, Piers 33 and 39, and we could see Alcatraz in the distance.  We had a great dinner at Boudin Bistro and Bakery, then came to our local McDonalds to blog and drink. 

Did we tell you how cold it is in San Francisco this week?  Put it this way:  we stopped at a 7-11 as soon as we parked our car because our shorts and sleeveless shirts did nothing to keep us warm in 58 degree temperatures and a wind chill factor of, say, 40.  We now are the proud owners of matching polar fleece jackets with a San Francisco logo and we'll wear them every day from now on.

With my baby in '66.

And with my baby in 2012.

Workers in the fields.

My baby keeping Diane company.

Day 8 - Having Fun in the Sun on Santa Monica Boulevard

Once the decision was made to venture further north today instead of tomorrow, we knew we'd need to get up early enough to pack and load the car. It's a beautiful day to drive along the coast.

HOWEVER, oh my, the traffic was awful! Since it's a Saturday, I guess everyone wanted to go to the beach today. We drove to Santa Monica and walked in the sand and along the pier. We tried to shop a little but one of us needed to go to the bathroom, and can you believe they don't have bathrooms in any of those stores??? We had to go to a parking garage to even find a bathroom. Then the sign on the wall made it clear we shouldn't start a fire in there or use drugs or alcohol there or remove their toilet paper and paper towels or cut, dye or shampoo our hair. LIKE WE WANTED TO DO ANY OF THAT!!!! So, two hours later we were back on the road, but don't kid yourself, that didn't mean we got anywhere. All of those beach goers were on the Pacific Coast Highway. It was slow going most of the way, and much to Carol's dismay--since she was driving--a major portion of our drive was mountainous once we decided to ditch Highway 1. We drove through the San Marcos Pass, which seemed like the longest 28 miles of Carol's life. She made that "schikkkk" noise with her mouth now and then, as though that would help her stay on the road on a sharp curve.

We pulled in to Paso Robles around 6:30, unloaded the car, and came to Denny's to eat dinner. Luckily they have free WiFi, which is where we sit right now, drinking decaf and Diet Coke and planning our day tomorrow. Kathy is freezing in here, but she's the one with a Diet Coke. ??? That's not so weird - Kathy was cold at Las Vegas and Hoover Dam!!

If we didn't mention it, the views were absolutely gorgeous along the coast and in the mountains. It was a drive well worth our time. We'll probably see more of the same tomorrow as we drive to Salinas and then on to San Francisco.

Happy Anniversary to Moma and Daddy! We miss them and Robert very much and wish they were here.

Santa Monica Pier

Cars lining the road.

Day 7 - Everyone Just Wants to be a Star

This has been such an eventful day!  We started out by walking to Hollywood Boulevard and reading the names on the Walk of Fame.  We had breakfast at a McDonald's along the way, where we must have encountered no less than 4 unfortunate souls who were begging for food.  Talk about making it hard to enjoy your meal!  Just as we were leaving the joint, we were approached by a young man who wanted us to purchase a sight-seeing tour from him.  Kathy had already told us that's the way they do it, but Carol and I were skeptical. However, this guy was from Ireland and he was funny and believable and he gave us a "deal".  We decided to take a chance.  It turned out to be a wonderful way to see historic landmarks, such as Chateau Marmont and Rodeo Drive, and the homes of the stars, such as Lucille Ball and George Clooney.  When we drove up Mulholland Drive to get a closer look at the HOLLYWOOD sign, we saw a huge home overlooking Los Angeles which is being renovated by Ron Howard.

We had lunch at a sandwich shop where the owner had allowed me to use their restroom before our tour.  As with most of the establishments, it was for patrons only, and I told him I'd buy something if I need to but I need to use his bathroom.  I said, "We'll come back after our tour", and I know he
thought, "Yeah, right.  That's what they all say."  But we did go back there and it was very good.  We
shopped for souvenirs in a hole-in-the-wall next door but we got out of there as soon as we could
after the manager made inappropriate and lewd remarks to us.  Kathy said he rubbed her on the back
with his pen anytime we got too far away from her.  He was so creepy, we just wanted to get back to
the motel....fast! 

It was time to mark another item off our must-do list, which was to see the Glen McDaniel home on
Bellagio in Bel Air.  Kathy drove in gosh-awful traffic and did a pretty good (and scary) job of
getting us there.  The streets were crazy curvy and narrow.  The house was beautiful and elegant, and
it's so hard to believe that we stayed somewhere so nice all those years ago.  Too bad we never heard
back from the current owners when we asked to come visit the property.  They probably thought we were nuts to even ask.

Dinner was appetizers and dessert at Mel's Drive In Diner.  It was a nostalgic experience with juke
boxes at each table and waitresses with cute little uniforms from the '50s. 

We've decided to move on a day early so we can have more time in San Francisco.  We'll be in Paso
Robles tomorrow night in yet another Motel 6.  Hopefully it will be as close to the action as this one
has been.

On a sad note, we may have seen the ambulance today as it transported Sage Stallone after he was found dead in his home on Mulholland.  We had hoped to see a movie star in Hollywood, but unfortunately, this was as close as we came.  So many sad and lonely people in the world.  Everyone just wants to be a star.

Beverly Hills Hotel - "Hotel California"

Witch's House

Former McDaniel home in Bel-Air