From Modesto to Winslow, AZ, and New Mexico.

     I decided to take the very long way home. So, I left Modesto around 1:00 in the afternoon because I was not able to connect with my cousin in San Francisco. Best laid plans… I decided that if I was going to take the most scenic route home that I needed to go back and stay the night with my daughter again in Paso Robles. I actually picked a route and then missed my turn. I did not fret because I know my way around enough in California that I found a way to get where I wanted to go. So in my roundabout way I ended up on Hwy 5 and going south, which is kind of where I wanted to be any way. I drove down towards hwy 158 and crossed over to 101 through Pacheco Pass. This was what I thought a good idea until traffic came to a screeching stop and I found out there was a fire right by San Luis Reservoir. The firemen had it under control thank goodness, because the hills all around California are bone draw and look like straw. It looks like it is going to be a huge season for fires.

      While driving south on 101 I decided on a whim to go see the mission San Juan Bautista. It was built in June of 1797 June to be exact. Like most of the missions in California it was built with the help of the Native American Indians while the priests tried to convert them to religion, of their own faith of course. It was very quaint and I took a lot of pictures. I love how the missions have beautiful gardens in the middle of the enclosure. The mission is about 2mi. east of 101 on hwy 156. The whole town is really quaint.

     I managed to find the Masonic Temple in San Juan Bautista. Funny, it was right there across the street. I was taking pictures of it and discovered it was a Masonic Lodge when I was looking in the camera view finder. I only had about 15 minutes at the mission because they were closing. So, after getting back in my car I headed for hwy 101.

     I decided to take hwy 156 to the coast, Monterey actually. I arrived and was so excited to see Cannery Row and Steinbeck country. I have been here often in the past and loved it. In high school we toured Steinbeck’s house and Cannery Row and then the state capitol. I did not stay and take pictures. I will do that another trip. I could not find parking close to the place I wanted to take pictures.

On to Carmel, this city has more BMW’s, Mercedes, and Jaguars etc. The homes in this area are huge, beautiful, expensive and well hidden from the streets. I stumbled across yet another mission and decided to go see it because it was only 1 mile up the road from Hwy 1. It is called the Carmel Mission by the sea. It is a very beautiful mission. Bells are hanging from the towers and in the garden. Statues are everywhere, along with fountains. Beautiful red Bougainvillea is hanging around on the buildings, and on the walls. Inside the church is so well kept up. As with most of the missions in California it is currently being used by the Catholic Church. There was a Catholic Mass in progress when I arrived and had to wait to go in to take my pictures. It was well worth the wait. I could have spent a lot more time checking out every nook and cranny of this mission but I was on a time schedule.

     I decided to drive down Hwy 1 to get back to my daughter’s house. I guess it turned out to be a bad idea. Once I got close enough to see the ocean the fog started to roll in. It reminded me of how time passes. It just kind of rolls in slowly and silently and suddenly you are totally engulfed like a blanket. What a rude awakening.

     As I proceeded around the perilous turns, and I do mean very perilous, with the fog and sharp turns I began to get motion sickness. The fog was playing with my eyes and my mind. I looked for a place to try to get some pictures of the sun setting on the ocean. Best laid plans…yahdah yahdah yahdah  Every single turnout was not in a place to take exciting sun setting pictures. Darn it. Of course the fog made the sun speedily disappear completely and I gave up the idea of a sunset picture. I did manage to get a few of the ocean from Hwy 1 complete with fog rolling in.

      I had forgotten how beautiful and majestic the redwood trees are. You knew you were in Big Sur before you had a chance to read any signs. The trees, campfire smells and the mix of the salty ocean air and fog brought back memories of camping trips in the Big Sur campgrounds.

     The redwood trees are so interesting with the highly textured trunks. You can’t forget the bright yellow colored banana slugs crawling up the sides of the trees. The slugs definitely are not trying to hide out

     I stayed the night at my daughter’s house and then had breakfast at the “Touch of Paso” restaurant. It just seemed like the right thing to do as I was leaving town. I ate my favorite breakfast there, Country eggs and hash browns with coffee. I sat there again looking around and reminiscing about the past and the life I once had in this town of Paso Robles. There was some really good times and some not so good. Both emotions surfaced in this particular restaurant. I looked around the place one last time as I was leaving to come home to Fort Collins. I loved looking at the wineries that line the road out of town. I marveled at how much Paso has changed since I left. On the surface I would say all for the better. I do not know about the politics any longer nor did I ask. I felt like I was leaving the only real hometown I had ever known in my whole life.

      I drove out on hwy 46 to Bakersfield and then switched to hwy 40 that lead to Needles, CA and on to Kingman, AZ. I stopped at a gas station in California; I think the name of the town was Needle Springs. Oh my God was it hot! I think it must have been at least 110 degrees F.

    The Mohave Desert area so you know it is hot. The drive from Bakersfield to Kingman is boring. Nothing to look at, pretty flat and very hot with dust swirls every now and again. I decided this trip I was not going to stop in Kingman. I drove on to Flagstaff, AZ and stayed the night in a small hotel for the night. The next morning I drove to Winslow, AZ and had to stop and take pictures of the statue of the guy leaning on the lamp post with his guitar.

 Behind him is a wall with windows and painting on it. The center of the intersection next to this statue has a huge white road sign painted in the street. It says Arizona Route 66 in the shape of the road sign. Many of the stores in town are out of business and what few are open has people painting them and making them look like a tourist town. I hope it works for them.

     I left Winslow not being able to find a coffee shop open anywhere and drove on to my next destination. I stopped at several places on the Navajo reservation. I bought gifts for my grandkids, and found coffee. I stopped at two more place on the reservation and bought gas and drinks. I talked a great deal with the Navajo women in one of the shops. Mostly because I choose to buy a white hand carved buffalo, but we also talked a great deal about grandkids.

    The Navajo woman was a grandmother also. Turns out she was impressed that I wanted the white buffalo. She said the Navajo people believe the white buffalo is special. That is brings in the change in peoples thinking. I told her I agreed that there is a shift in the way people are thinking with this newest generation.