The marriage and van survived

As we hold our first grand daughter we look to the future, but it is the past that has given us the will to continue to grow. The experience of sharing so many things in the past prepares us to gain the utmost from the future.

Three months and 12,500 miles have been shared. The 75 square feet of space has been shared for three months. The challenges of prolonged travel have been shared. All shared without incident. The time was wonderful -- except for three days scattered throughout the trip. No one can be expected to agree all the time.

The adventure allowed us to focus on the experience and on each other. The adventure allowed each of us to focus on our partner without the challenges of daily responsibilities -- similar to our dating days of times long ago. I didn't dwell on the two hours it took one of us to be ready to travel each day. Cheryl didn't dwell on the time needed to see sports venues, stops for adult beverages and someone always sitting in the middle of the only real couch. It was amazing to me that these ticky tacky issues were kept in perspective. (I have to report, however, the time was actually 2 hours and 9 minutes to get ready each day.)



Our lives grew. More importantly, our lives grew together. Our marriage, our relationship is richer and stronger for the time we spent together.


Travels with Cheryl was an outstanding event in our lives. I recommend it highly! I should amend that to read "Travels with your special person" is recommended. I hope Cheryl is satisfied to travel with me.

The van survived as well. It discarded two hubcaps for unknown reasons. It experienced one small scratch when I did not notice a post while backing up in a campground in Tennessee.


Husband, wife and Pleasure Way van returned home, but are ready to be on the road again.


Keep an eye out for us. We're the ones with the perpetual smiles on our faces. We're the ones excited about celebrating our 42 nd wedding anniversary and many more after that.

The final legs

We've decided to follow the Pacific Coast up to Lincoln City, Oregon before heading inland. The coast has treated us kindly offering sunshine and calm weather along the way. While the sun is bright as we move north it is getting cooler. We have used the furnace for the first time in weeks. The last time we turned on some heat at night was in New York in early October.
Purring along the coast we began to reminisce about the trip and started to generate a list of favorites. The list filled so quickly with highlights it is sufficient to say the trip has been a success.
We are richer for having come this way. The trip will surely be part of our lives, a very rich and rewarding part. It is more than we dreamed it would be. The sights, the people, the situations have given us a deeper understanding of the diversity that comes together to make this an incredible nation.
What resembled Peewee's great adventure when we began talking about traveling developed into what will be a highlight of our lives.

Carmel by the sea

Carmel-by-the-Sea and a little "motel therapy" has brightened the dispositions and restored our perspective (only the 6Th motel stay of the trip). Everywhere in this town we see character. The beach introduced through the sprawling branches of cypress trees, the streets lined with unique shops, the absence of chain retailers and commercialized beaches, the narrow blocks and streets yield a close, comfortable familiar feeling. Carmel has ambiance, a character that refreshes the spirits.
Modern hotels offer glitz and glamor, ambiance and amenities but the maturity of the Normandy Inn puts forth a calm, comforting aura in which to relax. We feel the road tension melt away. It also might be the maturity of the property appeals to the maturity of this traveling couple. The dining experiences are equally ladened with the same character to create an wonderful evening.
This break from the Pleasure Way revitalizes the search for opportunities filled with fun and growth. It fortifies the basic optimism that makes the trip so interesting.

One foot, so many dances

ONE FOOTPRINT, SO MANY DANCES

Walking on the beach at Morro Bay I noticed a foot print in the sand. The foot print was similar to prints I had seen on the trails in Big Bend, Texas, on the sands of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and many places we have traveled over the last three months. That footprint, while it is basically the same, plays out so differently depending on the conditions and places where it was made. The diversity of the outcomes is wide ranging from the toil of every day work and responsibilities to the joy of local festivals.

Whether the prints are made by David Brezina as he builds his life and his future on his Iowa farm, or Nat Geraths as he manages the health care options for veterans in the Chicago VA hospital, or Minnie Smith as she bakes her pies in her Asheville, NC restaurant - the prints reflect a purposeful and positive stride from which we all benefit. Their work, like so many of our neighbors, make it possible for our people to move ahead. The foot prints of those at work create the backbone of our culture.

Those same foot prints could be seen in the entrails of the pumpkins that the people from the village of Cooperstown NY made as they came together to celebrate Fall with the annual Pumpkin Regatta. The kids in the mariachi band performing in Tucson to celebrate children's literature made smaller versions of the prints. The surfers we've seen all along the California Coast create more of the foot prints in the sand. These prints of joy add cultural fiber to the backbone to make a more complete culture.

We are able to celebrate because we can dance so differently.

ONE FOOTPRINT, SO MANY DANCES.

Pacific Coast Highway

A less traveled road without a schedule is proving interesting as we slowly move along the Pacific Coast Highway. Each passing mile brings new sights and situations. From overstated wealth to the homes and communities of those struggling to make a living can be seen as we drive along. From the youthful vitality of the surfers riding the waves to the checker boards in the sun outside the retirement homes all ages can be seen along the roadway. From the high rises filled with people pursuing their jobs and careers to the RV parks filled with retirees or vacationers seeking relaxation line the highway.
The diversity we have experienced throughout the trip is evident mile by mile as we move along the coast. Living side by side are people who approach life so differently. This makes our experiences interesting.

Another observation I had not considered is the vastness of the agriculture industry along the coast. I had long held the opinion that California agriculture centered in the interior valleys. To see mile after mile of produce, some being planted, some being harvested surprised me with its vastness. Again the huge fields of produce growing beyond the reaches of the developers wanting plant the foundations of new condominiums. I hope the developers are never granted the opportunity to replace these fields. That hope is based on two reasons. First, the fields are nice to see. (I was going to say something about the aesthetics of seeing the fields, but I couldn't spell aesthetics.) Secondly, as evidenced by the shape of my body, I like to eat.

An amazing fact as we move into the 11th week of travel and have covered over 11,000 miles is that we have turned on the windshield wipers twice. One time in Alex Bay, New York and once in Pennsecola, Florida each occasion we drove through a thunder storm of relatively short duration.

A Down Day

Time to leave San Diego. That in itself is a bit of a downer. To enjoy the ocean and beaches as much as possible we decided to travel up the Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego to Oregon. As we came into the Los Angeles area we recognized the Santa Monica pier from movies and tv so decided to stop.
This is where the real downer began. Approaching the pier we saw the plaques and equipment for Muscle Beach. I approached the site. No one invited me to join them.
Just to the right we see the beach volleyball courts where all those people with buff bodies frolic in the sun and sand. Much to my chagrin, once again, no one invited me to join.
At this point I did what any good, red blooded American couch potato would do when the ego is bruised by reality, I found a bar on the pier and had a beer. The beverage was tasty.
Guess the day wasn't a total loss.

Back to the Pacific

Out of the desert to find the ocean breeze. San Diego greeted us with great weather and a variety of tourist activities. Even sitting in the campground sipping an adult beverage brings a contented smile to our faces and warm feelings for this life we are living.
Cheryl puzzled yesterday, "Why would anyone move away from here?"
After some thought I could not think of a good reason. In fact leaving after a few days of visiting will be a challenge. This is close enough to home to return soon and regularly. The warm weather, the swimming pool, Balboa Park with its museums, the zoo and then the waterfront calls.
We enjoyed dinner after walking along the water and meandering through Seaport Village. The sunset over the water viewed from the restaurant was enough to ensure a memorable evening. The days are memorable as well. While thoughts of returning home begin to play in our mind, the beauty of San Diego calls us to enjoy the days here to the fullest.