Musings

March - a good month to excape wind and rain and head south. The ostensible reason, "to travel some of the Mother Road, Route 66, the first transcontinental paved highway". Some highlights of the trip:

First, rain in Oregon, just what we were hoping to outrun:

Reward - the Oregon coast at Brookings, just north of the California border.

Then, the dramatic coast of California between Monterey and Big Sur.

Brunch at Deetjens in Big Sur Inn (www.deetjens.com/‎) - wonderful food in a quirky, intimate atmosphere.

Sadly fog obscured the surf from Big Sur to San Luis Obispo, and we didn't really enjoy sunshine until we arrived at
The Old Mission Santa Barbara (www.santabarbaramission.org/‎), built in 1786. Its beauty and peace quickly restored our road-riven nerves...

And then, our destination! After the I-5, Route 66 is a step back in time.

Burgers and Shakes...

And, for a modern touch, lattes!

Drove Route 66 from Santa Monica Boulevard in Las Angeles to Kingman Arizona before turning north again. Our favourite non-freeway route home led us though the majestic High Sierra Mountains to Mammoth Lakes. Friends directed us to Convict Lake, just south of Mammoth - lovely in winter and we couldn't help but imagine how it would look in spring, summer, and fall.