2004 Tour home

Keeping up with the Joneses!-The first two weeks of our journey

Getting ready for our 5 month journey around the country was a lofty task which included planning ahead for things like the expiration dates of registrations and insurance policies. It meant getting ready for 5 months of some sort of homeschooling and putting together a sense of what to see. It meant getting plans together for the "what ifs", and preparing three buildings and their needs for billing, sitting and, for two of them, even potential sales.

Add Robin's part in "The Reluctant Dragon" and my penchant for making props and the "need" to support Howard Dean and attendence at the caucus and the fact that I closed our business of over 10 years on Feb. 1, that we still weren't finished moving out of the buildings-well, suffice it to say that after six-weeks of intense and long lists, I was a walking lump of fatigue. At the last minute, Apple lost our computer, the gerbil got sick and I showed up with a heart murmur. Oh my...

The first basic idea was to follow the seasons, to try to keep the weather temperate-not too cold or hot. It was apparent that a concert tour would take an unmanageable amount of planning and limit our freedom to wander so we decided to bring the instruments and play when beckoned in livingrooms for a "pass-the-hat" and dinner. Robin might do some comedy. I built a bracket to accomodate the harp behind the one soft chair which we moved forward.

For a year, we collected addresses from our inn guests and talked up the tour to friends who gave us their "favorites". We collected books. We read: Travels with Charley, a bit of Howard Zinn's history of America's Peoples. Grannies' Attic was a source of old National Geographics. All in all, we have with us about 200 pounds of books, papers and maps, great American novels and stuff one or both of us wants to read. The favorites file on the computer is vast. We even have sites on all the American Presidents and Jim Hightower's list of non-profits-WAY too much stuff, but then this country is way too vast to really see even in 4-5 months.

Some of our interests include natural wonders, native American culture, local cultural stereotypes and foods, history and oddball museums. Of course, there are all sorts of just plain "must sees".

It turned out that my heart is just fine, the lost computer showed up the same day as my stress test. Robin showed the gerbil the best care any gerbil every recieved, but had a midnight burial at harbor the night before we left.

We actually did leave on Friday the 13th (I hear it is actually good luck in the goddess reality) on a rainy but not unpleasant day for driving. The drive to Long Beach, WA, was a fight to keep the eyes open. We had rushed to the ferry, to miss the 3-hour midday break in the schedule, and didn't have time to properly stock the RV kitchen. We were catching up for days-eating out a lot and gradually discovering what cooking gadgets as well as consumables we were lacking.

 February 13-14 - Long Beach, WA

Washington rest and a bit of fun at Marsh's Free Museum, a bit of shopping, and a great Thai dinner. Robin looks great in his new bowler hat.

 February 15 - Tillamook, OR

Tour of Tillamook Cheese Factory. This was the highpoint of today. My cheese-loving son and I watched from the upstairs windows as large loaves of our favorite extra sharp and its relatives, briskly shot down the production lines getting cut, wrapped and in some cases bypassed and thrown into large garbage cans. The most fun to watch was this thing in a circle with large tubes which curved down to the outside of the circle-all going up and down to a great rhythmn. I think this was part of the packaging process, but then the loaves shot out from there for the final end seals.

They were selling the cheese in their vast store for about $5 more than Costco and being that our favorite cheese is aged for two years, there was no reason to buy it there. The tour was free and obviously the store, with all its cooking gadgets, souvenirs and gourmet foods made the free tours more than pay for themselves. There was a long line at checkout.

We continued down the coast and then went inland to visit my brother and his family. (Photos of Oregon sunset) He is a thoughtful Republican who knows that he would never vote for Bush. I asked him if he ever listens to Rush Limbaugh and he surprised me by saying, "We listen to everything". He gave us a great book on CD about Paul O'Neill and his experience as Treasury Secretary. The next day, Robin and I listened to it all the way through without stopping-5 CDs. In short, Bush is more and more insulated from the common guy and even his own cabinet. Three people were really trying to make a positive difference: Powell, Whitman and O'Neill. Two down.

Robin and I have great respect for O'Neill after "reading" this book about him. He is a man who has never lost his connection with the common person and can think out of the box and solve problems. It is just such a principled and clear-thinking guy that seems to threaten the Bushies and that they seem to want out of their administration. It is one thing having the liberals write about the Bushies and quite another to have one of their own expose things from the inside.

 February 16 - Newport, OR

We went out for breakfast and then took off for Florence. We toured the Newport Aquarium, where we had seen Keiko a few years before. Although it is still a first class aquarium, the obvious loss of Keiko as a draw meant it was a bit more down at the heal than before. The leafy sea dragons were incredible! Robin had fun making funny photos of him and me in the little booth. We stayed at Sea and Sand RV Park, Depoe Bay. In back of the campsite, we went for a great hike in the dunes. Got some great photos. (Photos of Newport Aquarium. Photos of Oregon Dunes.)

 February 17 - Oregon Redwoods

We took a wonderful hike through the redwood trees and got some dramatic photos looking up. The experience of John Steinbeck and "Charley" came back to us as we wondered if, like Charley, Lucky might not consider these giants trees at all. He didn't seem to discriminate. (Photos of Redwoods.)

 February 18 - Florence, OR

A county park just south of Florence. Having been through Oregon several times before, I was alerted to the wonders of myrtlewood. I still have salad bowls from the 1970s and wanted to add to my collection. We stopped at the Myrtlewood Factory and while perusing the really wonderful stock of bowls, I asked if we might have a tour of the factory. The answer was "yes". It turned out that the newer owner of the plant was a retired corporate guy and he was delighted to show us how they roughed the bowls, dried them, hand-lathed them and sanded them. He actually made a plate as we watched. Robin was really taked in with this. There was a guy making a 14" wide bowl out of a single piece of wood which was probably 500 years old. Myrtle only grows in southern Oregon and Israel and in Israel, the trees are more like bushes. Myrtle is actually referred to in the Bible. No one is sure how myrtle came to grow only in southern Oregon and no where else in this country except that it does very well in this climate with its mist from the sea.

Myrtle is harder than walnut and has an amazing range of color, from a mellow pink-like cherry, to grey to a dark brown. The darker pieces might be mistaken for walnut, with its fine grain. For his birthday, I got Robin a small cheese cutter, the kind with a wire and a myrtlewood base. Also got some great smaller salad bowls.

From past tours, we knew to be looking for a small locally-run aquarium named Ocean World. There it was, with a new paint job and a new seal act. We had been hoping to see “Fred”, but instead saw two new ones. At least half of the allure of the place is its really strange and funny shore, which is probably about the same size as the aquarium itself. We both birthday shopped for each other. (Photos of Ocean World.)

 February 19 - California Redwoods

Giant Redwoods RV park-Myers Flat, CA. We were the only ones here except a guy in a tent who we never saw.

 February 20 - Santa Rosa, CA

This morning, because the left tail lights all went out the day before, we pulled into the auto place right outside the park to find padlocks on the doors. A guy on his way out stopped and let me into the building all the while complaining about the slobby habits of the millionaire owners. He couldn't find the right bulb inside, but harvested one from a car sitting in the yard. That one bulb lit all the others too and we were really to go. For his good deed, I gave him "Water Calls"-my song CD. He said he needed some healing and would contact me on my website. Then we were off to Mendocino and the Out of This World store. A great shop with all sorts of games and gadgets.

After a brief perusal, we left for Santa Rosa and Steve and Trudy Bhaerman. Steve is aka Swami Beyondananda (www.wakeuplaughing.com) and the two of them were so welcoming and generous, even though Steve is hot on a book which he wants to get out by late March for his candidacy for "precedent". (Photo of Steve and Trudy.)

We ate at a fabulous Chinese restaurant and came home with some great leftovers. Trudy and I spent a long wonderful swill in their outdoor hottub in the late evening.

In the morning, Trudy gave Robin an astrology reading which fueled an elaborate discussion with me about his plans for his life. They include: getting on the map as an actor and writer-in that order. In the reading, he had been told he must be in control of the business aspect, himself, as he has three capricorns in his north node (I hope I have that right, as I am not an astrologer). Robin is planning to become "rich and famous" and wanted to convert a ferry boat into a floating vacation boat, or something on that order. I asked him about "saving the world" or giving something back. Oh yes, he will certainly do that too-no specifics yet.

 February 21-22 - San Jose, CA

We left in late morning for San Jose and the Ferraros. It is always wonderful to pull up to the Ferraro's in San Jose. Pat has lived here for 32 years and in that time the whole of San Jose has gone through huge changes. Their home is like nothing else around it. There is a small vege garden in front and chickens and rabbits in the back on a steep slope which reaches down to the creek. An urban farm of sorts. Lucky didn't appreciate that all furry creatures must remain outdoors, but he, like us, is always welcome to food- in his case left over cat food and an assortment of bones left from the family dog who departed the scene only a month ago. There were warm hugs all around.

Cari's amazing calligraphic art(see www.proseandletters.com) has evolved into extraordinary expressions of spiritual reality with subtle water colors and hand-made paper books. She says the guys in the family seem to be completely unmoved by this work, but I insisted that Robin should see these things, even though she was unsure about it, he was suitably awed. A new alphabet she designed was recently accepted into a national magazine. I really encouraged her to get some pieces mass-produced, not only to get the work more recognized, but to build a reputation as well as an income.

This discussion happened while the boys and Pat were at the Tech, a great techie museum in San Jose. They had gone off in the electric car. It felt great to have some "girl time". We sat for hours and drank tea.

 February 23 - Monterey, CA

Pat helped us get to Costco for a new battery. He left and we started off for Monterey. It became obvious that we needed help hooking up the battery properly and that San Jose had resources for getting the few other things fixed that weren't working, like the water heater and the stove. Although the RV guys were expensive, that night, I had my first hot shower in the RV! We set off for Monterey in early afternoon.

We went to the Monterey Aquarium and stayed until they closed. Incredible place! Even after the Newport Aquarium and all the others we've seen, Monterey was the best! I became mesmerized by the close-up movie of the little creatures eating. Some of them throw out a piece of mucus, stuff sticks to it and the animal brings it in and swallows the whole thing. Other creatures eat sand, others eat smaller ones of their own kind. It was all captured in amazing clarity.

Afterwards, we walked around Cannery Row. We had just begun to read John Steinbeck's novel and tried to imagine the place in 1945. Dinner at Bubba Gumps was noisy but tasty.

In the business of the days events, Bart called with the news that Grace, our step grandmother, had passed away. At nearly 96, it was a relief and she feels to be in a great new place.

We stayed in Carmel Valley in an RV park on a river. We got there after dark and chose the only slot left on the river-of course. So far, this is by far the most expensive RV park-$45/night! We got there after they were closed.

 February 24 - Carmel, CA

The owners of the Carmel River RV Park are very helpful, and it is level and private.The river is actually on the other side of some trees and quite inaccessible, but it is very quiet here and delightful. A pleasant energy.

The high point of today was a scooter ride around the coast of Carmel. The coast here is among the most colorful along the whole west coast with its vegetation and the white sand and nearly tropical looking ocean. This was our first adventure on our new scooters and although it was a bit bumpy, the ride was exquisite and not too difficult. The way back was in the dark after a great Italian feed. It was really dark, except for an occasional car's headlights which showed us the way. Gotta live with just a bit of danger, after all! (Photos of Carmel.)

Tomorrow, we are planning to celebrate Robin's birthday with a special sitting for a portrait. I guess if I have learned anything, we must go with the stream of life. We have been trying to figure out what to do for his birthday. He wanted to go to Universal Studios on his birthday, but, well, it is just too far and there are many other things to so and people to visit, first. We will just have to see what presents itself.

 February 25 - Carmel, CA

Our second night by the river included more loud rain, but we are getting used to it by now. This weather is more like Seattle's and although the hills are looking uncharacteristically lush and lovely, the Californians are constantly commenting about how we must be feeling at home. We have seen more "cats and dogs" rain here than is even normal for the Northwest.

Robin's birthday was just such a "cats and dogs" day. We were to meet our portrait artist, who we had found in a tourist brochure for Cannery Row, at the Fisherman's Wharf. By cel phone, we homed in on Sapporo's, an upstairs Japanese restaurant. She surmised that they would be pretty much empty on this rainy Wednesday and not adverse to an artistic process and she was right.

Baila Berks, portrait artist, was short, amply built and dark complexioned and arrived as described in a green beret and matching green coat. She was about 60 and had the alive hands of a well-weathered artist. These were not at all the long and delicate ones, but short and what would be chubby if they weren't so well utilized and agile. (They reminded me of Ray Eames'.)

Baila had studied at the Boston Museum School and started doing portraits when she was traveling around the country and found herself out of money, many decades ago. She was used to doing 6 hours a day of those fast charcoal characteratures you see on boardwalks and other tourist places. In our cases, she ended up doing three-two of Robin and one of me. Her first rendition of Robin was a longer pastel. He wore his bowler hat straight on and the portrait was straight on as well. Her second one of him was a profile with the hat tilted-a very different look. Of me she did one of her quickest charcoals. I guess we'll have to live with these for a while to know if they have any resemblence to us. Portrait art is a risky business. For her labors, she earned $75 and one half of a bento box lunch.

Afterwards, we looked around the wharf, which didn't offer all that much. I added to my aquatic stuffed animal collection with a walrus and an octopus. We bought 2 lottery tickets and won another. We kept winning just enough to keep going through about six of them. A $2 gambling extravaganza!

Robin carried his birthday glow throughout the day. In the evening, we ended up at a fabulous Swiss restaurant in the Barnyard in Carmel Valley and dined on cheese fondu and then beef fondu which we cooked in a seasoned broth instead of oil. It was sensational! For desert, a pre-recorded tape started playing happy birthday, a cake hat was set on his head and the birthday boy was given his free desert of cheesecake. When all this was delivered, the waiter brought in a large paper mache cow and told Robin to "make a wish and kiss the cow". By then, there was no one else in the small room and we felt quite free to laugh out loud.

We decided to go back to the place by the river for one more night.

 February 26 - Santa Cruz, CA

I woke up knowing that I needed to call Barbara Vogl in Santa Cruz and so I did. She had been waiting to hear from us. It turned out that the journey she expected to be on had been moved up and she was home. We made plans to see her for dinner.

A quick stop at the Thunderbird Bookstore and Restaurant for a couple of books and lunch and we were off to the John Steinbeck Center in Salinas. I knew by the brochure I had seen that it was a modern building of some grandure. What we found when we got there was a contrasting, down-at-the-heal mixed-race neighborhood. There was no RV-sized parking at the center, so we found street parking with a couple of down-on-their luck looking characters hovering about. When we walked into the Center, I asked if we were safe over there. An unqualified "yes" set me more at ease. (I wonder what Steinbeck would have thought about this snazzy center to his honor in this place where common people might have been displaced.)

Unfortunately, the day we attended, all the movies were being transfered to DVD and so were unavailable for viewing. However, the displays were really fun and the grand finale was the real Rosinante which looked exactly as both of us had imagined it. Robin was a bit shorter in the attention span, but what I have started to realize is that he reads so much faster than I do that my pace is too slow. I kept dragging him back to have him read diffferent things. Sometimes this was good-he would have missed something. Sometimes he said, "I already read that".

We went to the other part of the museum which is about farming. There were displays on the history of agribiz, shipping practices and how they have evolved, labor issues. I quizzed him some on the facts on the way out.

The store had a wealth of goodies-books by the great man, movies of his books, etc. I have been collecting a few refrigerator magnets and we got one of those. Also, Robin had created a food label for garlic, his favorite herb, and so for a rich $5, we acquired a color copy of that.

As we arrived back at the RV, three police cars were just arriving up the street where a woman was standing in the street with her hands in the air. I heard them ask if she had a gun. We quickly got in the RV and drove toward the highway.

Afterward, we headed north to spend the evening with Barbara. She was bubbly as usual. So young at 79!

We parked in a church parking lot and she came and got us and brought us home. She showed us her koi pond and her "hidden" garden. In the 20 years I have known her, I have seen her live in the original house up the hill, then in the little glorified shed at the bottom of the hill, then build a new little house next to the first(mostly by herself in her 60s until she stepped in a hole and broke her knee), and then connect the original home to the house she built with a long grand structure she intended as a retreat center, at one point. She now lives in the transitional space. This part of the meandering structure was partly in response to the requirements of local zoning as some neighbors had turned her in for a non-conforming use. She gets by without a stove and has for years, with a hot plate and large toaster oven.

These qualities are the less impressive parts of Barbara, as she involves herself with a newsletter on cybernetics, whole systems thinking and education. (For years, she was involved in homeschooling her kids and got together with other parents to create "The Free School".)

 February 27 - Big Sur, CA

At breakfast, Barbara told us about how she and some compatriots are helping a young man who is trying to extricate himself from a gang and from the criminal justice system. He is a teen with a difficult background who is being tried for a murder which was self defense. The "authorities" put him in a room with a rival gang member right before the hearing so that they could justify bringing him in in shackles. Barbara was due at a meeting to develop ways to help him.

On our way back to the RV, we went by to visit with Mary Duffield (Planetary Mary) and found she was not at home. I left a CD and a note. Mary is in her late 80s and still an amazing spirit. In her 60s she was still taking teenagers to S.America on her wooden boat. She is a HAM radio operator and now a webtv interneter. I really wanted to hear what she is up to, because it is always something wonderful.

After a quick trip to a mall for computer parts, we drove to Big Sur by way of the 17 Mile Drive-the most gorgeous coastal drive anywhere. The fee is now $8.25 just for a drive-through!

We stopped at Asilomar Beach and even as chilly as it was, Robin got in his bathing suit and a T-shirt and went into the surf, which was kicking up in magestic fashion after all the stormy weather. I took lots of photos as he and Lucky romped around. Two guys in uniforms asked if that young man was mine and suggested I get him ashore. They were kind and friendly and described to the boy how dangerous it was. He was pretty cold by then anyhow and went to the RV to get warm and dry. (Photos of Big Sur and Asilomar.)

We continued to Big Sur and finally entered the campground and cooked our own dinner and did laundry. At the beginning of this journey, Lucky seemed tentative about all the new places and smells. Now, his curiosity seems to be winning out. He is getting lots more chances to go on walks than at home and is quite avid about all the new experiences. We are bonding with him in a deeper way than before.

 February 28 - Big Sur, CA

Feb. 28 John Steinbeck's 102nd birthday. We left the campground around 1pm and basically spent the day driving slowing towards Hearst Castle. There is nothing like the dramatic and mountainous coastline of Big Sur. Then, all of a sudden, things get flat. A high point was the viewing of elephant seals lying on the beach only a few feet from the many people who had stopped to gaze. A giant male decided to have his way with a small female with no concern for any privacy-interesting for a 13 year old boy. (Photos of Elephant Seals.)

 February 29 - San Simeon, CA

San Simeon Today was mostly about going to the Hearst Castle. I had been several decades ago. By now, there was a new visitor center and large-screen movie. I wondered how Robin would like it. WELL, he decided he would add this to his life's plan-especially those two pools, indoors and out. He wanted to buy it. Not for sale. He wanted to build a replica. Not possible. I finally suggested that he do his own kind as this one has already been done. After the tour, which includes a five-mile bus ride up and then down and a well-informed tour-guide named Emily to ask lots of questions of, we went to the museum display where they had a kid-oriented treasure hunt. Robin had found these to be fun in England at the casltes there and I was surprised how he ran through the show hunting down the answers. A brilliant idea on the part of the museum designers.

I really enjoyed getting to know Mr. Hearst better. He must have been an amazing man to know, with his dreams, his ability to run all those papers and innovate ways to get the news out and his "common touch". I bought a book about Julia Morgan, the incredible woman architect who designed the castle to Mr. Hearst's specs and his wandering and changing visions. (Photos of Hearst Castle.)

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