Alien Encounters and Final Thoughts

A few days earlier, we had already decided to bypass Lake Tahoe. So on Monday, we cut through Yosemite whose main roads were also impacted by fires. There were a lot of travelers, but during this entire trip I never felt rushed or crowded in by people. We stopped to take some photos and dip our feet in a crystal clear lake.

Then we headed toward Area 51, a place we have now discovered is best to remain un-discovered. Jose thought it would be fun to stay at the only hotel right in the midst of it all in Rachel, NV - The A'Le'Inn. It was an experience never to be forgotten as we entered our 70's trailer with the marblized, deep shag carpeting where we had to share the bathroom with the couple next door. Need I say more? We were out of there by 7:00 the next morning and left Rachel, NV and the aliens in the dust.

We arrived back in little Kanab mid-day, where I receved the best greeting ever from my little guy, Eclipse. The cats couldn't be bothered, but I squished each of them anyway!

What I learned on my summer vacation:

#1 - DON'T GET SICK.

2. I really do miss the ocean, be it Atlantic or Pacific.

3. Start saving for that little cabin in the woods.

4. Eating sticky caramel/almond/pecan/macadamia popcorn on the ferry is the best EVER!

5. Don't leave your food unattended around any of the birds hanging around. There are many signs displayed to remind you of this.

6. Sparkling vineyards are most likely "scarecrows", but I like thinking that they are going to become champagne instead.

7. Thank goodness I only need to keep up with the Joneses, and not the Hearst's.

8. Steer clear of Vegas and LA highways at all costs.

9. Other drivers are extremely polite to cars with out of state plates with cargo carriers atop and camping gear stuffed to the roof.

10. A good travelling companion is important (thanks to Jose for being a trooper) AND there's nothing like getting back home to the critters.

Thanks to friends and family who followed along on our wild trip!

Love, Diane

San Francisco

Upon Raven's recommendation, we left the car in the ferry parking lot and sailed into San Francisco via Oakland/Alameda Ferry. I feel better today - not so foggy. However, there was fog over the Golden Gate bridge when we first headed out which I hear is pretty common. We could see bits of the red frame peeking through beyond the Bay Bridge. The bay was choppy and alive with sailboats and these red-orange speed boats for the thrill seekers riding the waves.

The plan was to grab something for lunch, check out Piers 39 & 41, and take a cable car ride through the Streets of San Francisco - one of my favorite 70s cop shows. I was excited to see Nob Hill and hear the ring-a-ding of the trolleys. The ride was so worth it, totally living up to my expectations. I would have grabbed the side rail and hung off the car as it climbed the steep hills. but they wouldn't let me. It was invigorating to be in a big city again...I would love to go back and spend several days there.

The ferry ride back to the car allowed several beautiful vews of the Golden Gate - a perfect ending!

Leaving the Oakland area, delays in finding a rest room led to a bigger delay. I was so excited to finally see a Starbucks and place to freshen up that I pulled into parking lot prematurely jostling into a parking space. Jose and I got out to inspect the tire which resembled a sudden blister on a pinched finger.

It was Sunday around 7:00 p.m. and the auto shops were closed already. so we had to stop for the night in Livermore. Luckily, the tire was still inflated enough to transport us to one of the group of hotels right next door.

Getting in so early provided a great opportunity for me to catch up on the blog and get a good night's sleep. we were up at 7:00 a.m. and found a WalMart's tire center, and they had us back on the road by 9:00. By the way, while waiting for the new tire to be installed, I became well informed of the many hazardous conditions in the life of a car tire. Mine was aptly called - pinch shock! THINGS TO AVOID: potholes and curbs! RECOMMENDATIONS: get a new tire and remove the old one from service. Hysterical!!

Monterey - A Big Fat Greek Festival!

For a holiday weekend, Monterey was surprisingly easy to drive through. We even found a parking spot right in front of the harbor. Another surprise is that we ran into a Greek festival - lots of dancing, music and pastry!

Also checked out their waterfront shops which were a bit tacky but fun. All you could smell was cotton candy, and of course lots of fried seafood. Definitely getting our fill of things you can't get in Kanab.

We walked around a bit, bought pastry to go of course, and got back on the road...

Did we miss Carmel by the Sea?

Seems like Clint wants to keep this town a secret - is he still the mayor?? After leaving Big Sur and the little cabin in the woods, we kept our eyes peeled for turnoffs into Carmel but never saw any good indicators. So we continued onto Monterey, which was just as well since we are trying to catch up on our jam packed schedule. (Sorry, Jeri - we never made it to Bodega Bay, site of Hitchcock's The Birds. Never saw a sign for it either. Maybe next time around!)

The above photo is a friend we met in Monterey at Fisherman's Wharf - Cody, a ball of fluff!

Almost Home

We spent last night in Livermore, Ca because we ran over a curb and a tire was ruined. Got the tire replaced and headed back east. We were in Tonopah earlier and are now turned in for the night in Rachel, Nv, gateway to Area 51. Our motel is the Little A'Le'Inn. Our "room" is half of a trailer and we share the bathroom with the couple in the other half, a biker couple. We knew this was going to be "different" and it certainly is. See the GPS tracking site, link at the top of the page, for a picture of our luxurious suite.

Diane has drafted some more updates which she will post soon.

This is the last night of our trip. we plan to be home tomorrow before dinner to give tons of hugs to Matilda, Eclipse, Gordy, Daniel and Charlotte. We have missed them a lot. Thank you to all the people who have cared for our loved ones while we have been having fun.

Jose

Nepanthe is an Ethereal Dream World

Little cabin in the woods...