Taking a stroll through downtown San Luis Obispo, California was a nice break from our drive. It has that great college town vibe that I’m very familiar with, being a Davis resident. This town is the birthplace of Jamba Juice, so of course we indulged.
It was a good day for a hike to the top of a mountain. Dad and I summited Mt. Pinos (8,847 ft.) in the Transverse Ranges of Southern California. It’s the high point of Ventura County and I intend to chalk it up to my list of “bagged” peaks. It was very windy, which I imagine is probably common given its location between the cool coast and the hot interior valleys. There are two ways to get there. We chose the shortest one.
This mountain is sacred to the Chumash people, so treat it with respect.
For Memorial Day weekend, Dad and I stayed in the Los Padres National Forest southwest of Bakersfield. Our campground was well named: Valle Vista for those who understand Spanish. The golden hills in the late afternoon sun with the San Joaquin Valley as a backdrop was a beautiful sight.
Believe it or not, it was rather chilly at night.
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Ah, the Sonoran Desert in the Spring. I really enjoyed this spot in southern Arizona. The cactus is in bloom and the pollen is in the air. We took a morning drive and hike to a canyon with a natural arch. Along the way we met some folks who were dealing with a flat tire of their own. We stuck around to make sure they had water and a spare in the trunk. This thing seems to be going around.
Later we drove to Tucson and went out to dinner with our friends Chelsea and Zack. It was great to see them but sadly we missed the rest of the family (Lilly and Mike). Come out to see us in California anytime, you guys.
On the road at last! We made it to Mojave National Preserve for our first actual camping night. Unfortunately, it was windy and very cold. We bundled up and made the best of it. The next morning was calm and warm. (It’s funny how if you wait long enough, sooner or later the weather will be nice.) We started our day with a backroads drive through the Preserve. We saw desert mountains and a vast Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) forest.
I do love the desert in the Spring.
We’re still in Davis getting a new tire for Dad’s car. We’re having a great day so far, though. Going out to lunch followed by another walk on the UC Davis Arboretum trail. At the big pond there were lots of signs asking people not to feed the ducks (and explaining why). There was a guy doing it anyway and the ducks loved him.
I guess some people just don’t pay attention.
As the song says, I like to ride around Davis in part because it’s flat. What I don’t like at all, however, is getting a flat tire on the first day of our Spring Break road trip. Dad’s front tire was attacked by a rogue tree branch in a parking lot of all places. Luckily, we were close to home.
The day was not a total loss because Dad and I went on lots of walks and spent some quality time together. I guess that’s the whole point of a road trip even if you’re stuck in the same place.
