GOOD BYE VALENCIA - HELLO SANTA CRUZ, CA

Well we said our good byes to the four A's (Adam, Alma, Amanda, and Aldan) on Monday.  We had a great time being here.  However, it was time to do some more traveling.  Besides, it really wasn't goodbye as we will see them again in Carmel for Memorial Day weekend.  We will be there for six days, and then we will head for Branson, MO.  We will be doing workamping there from June 10 until mid-October.  More about that later.

We spent a few days at an Elks Lodge in Atascadero which is near Paso Robles.  This area is known for its vineyards which are every where you look.  In Atascadero we found a park with a lake.  There is a walking trail that goes around the lake.  We walked around the lake that is 1.3 miles around.  We did it 3 times in just over an hour (and of course Angel was with us all the way).  We really enjoy walking, and try to get in at least an hour every day.

We arrived in the town of Felton which is just 7 miles north of Santa Cruz this afternoon.  We are staying at a campground that is in the middle of Redwoods.  It is hard to believe that trees could be this big around and be so tall.   What is amazing is that these are not nearly as big as the trees further up the coast.  We will be seeing them next week.

We are spending 3 days here so we hope to see as much as we can.  We will be getting together with a friend of mine that I have not seen since my 50th surprise birthday that Andrea threw me.  Nick was a customer I had out here in California back in 1988-89.  My how time flies.  We are really looking forwad to seeing him in the while we are in the area.  We will have more in a few days. 

Miles of smiles, Charlie and Andrea

SAN SIMEON, CAMBRIA and PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA

On Sunday we took a drive with Adam, Alma, and the kids (and of course Angel) in their new (almost new)mini-van.  With 3 rows of seating it was very comfortable.  We stayed at a Best Western on the beach in San Simeon.  We stayed there a few years ago and remembered how much we enjoyed it.  It is a pet friendly hotel which makes it great for us.  We had an ocean view room with a fire place.   Really nice.  I don't know how many of you have ever been to this area of California, but if you haven't, you really need to.  It is just beautiful.  Just up the road from the hotel is Hearst Castle, and just beyond that is Piedras Blancas that is an Elephant Seal Vista Point.  Each year in the Spring the beach is just loaded with seal pups that go through a molting process of sheding their birthday coat.  What we saw when we visited was hundreds of seals just lying around, making noise and some were playing.  As pups, they sure were big.

After our stay in San Simeon we visited a friend of Adam's that is a major sponsor of the theater that Adam is the Managing Director for at the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Ca.  Anyone who is familiar with drums or bongos is most likely familiar with the name Remo.  To make a long story short we visited their home in Cambria.  The house was beautiful and view of the pacific from the back porch was just amazing.  From there we followed them to their vineyard in Paso Robles which was about a 45 minute drive.  Yes, I did say vineyard.  Remo and his wife Ami where so gracious and showed us around their property.  It was truly a once in life time expierence.  They do not process the grapes, but instead sell them to Opolo Winery that produce several hundred cases of Remo Belli Vineyard Zinfandel that I must say is fantastic.    

We are still in Valencia and will be until April 25 at which time we will begin our travels to northern California.  We will have more on that later as our plans start to firm up.  Still a few weeks to go so we are making the best of our time here with the kids and the local area.

Until next time, miles of smiles.

Charlie, Andrea and Angel