Osso and Pacco move to New Mexico

Osso, the weather, as you will see on the TV is actually warm in southern Arizona. Should be easy driving through Phoenix to Tucson to New Mexico. Good to see that you are taking your time, good meals, good drinks, hot baths and lots of sleep.
We're with you.

Osso, I'm glad you checked in. If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flow.... No that's not it. Be sure to stop hereand kiss the nice young man at the counter. He's my son. Tell him his mom loves him.

Thanks for the update, Osso - glad all works fairly well!

Yay! Thanks for checking in Osso. You and Pacco have a lot of virtual company in the car.

Way to go, gal. Happy trails!

I'll keep this short, which is too bad since I have lots to talk about. I'm using a laptop for the first time and can hardly see the keyboard, what with the dim fluorescent ceiling light and the black keyboard. Hmmm, that sentence took less time than I thought, maybe I'll do more of them.

Got tires checked at Firestone before starting out - Volvo tires always look low to me. Fine, good to go. Light drizzle.
Then it started... the rains came down, unfortunately just on the quite curvy and often puddling part of the 101 just north of San Francisco. The numbers of lanes change there seemingly every few yards - lots of on and off ramps. Had wipers going fastest speed and not fast enough. Could barely see the white lane markers.. breathe in, breathe out. Tense half hour.. I was afraid to try to get off, couldn't possibly stop, and forgetting to breathe going ahead. People kept good distance: I think I wasn't the only driver freaking. Then came the tunnel and not only a respite but, in its way, a gate to heaven - the San Francisco Bay with the city beyond it lit by a wild sky and the golden gate bridge with its arms out, calm, not particulaly crowded, and... the merest drizzle over all.
Crossing the bridge was glorious. 19th Avenue through the Park, smoothe. 280 through the Peninsula, beautiful again.

I kept going a couple of hours and stopped at a mission town a couple of miles off of 101 called San Juan Battista. I try and stop there whenever the time is right because of the Mission Cafe... serious breakfasts, including highly regarded by me biscuits and gravy, and good coffee.

Rain no problem for the rest of the day, for me. I was a good girl and didn't go over 85 between Salinas and Paso Robles. Then as I got tired and the highway got more crowded around Atascadero and San Luis Obispo I tucked into the slow lane more often.

I kept trying to find a place to stop for a photo. You're not supposed to stop on the highway, and there isn't much of a shoulder space to park on in any case.. I got off at Soledad, another mission town, to take a picture of the hills to the west, which were then near purple with a lot of sage green planting... but by the time I got parked the highway was too high for me to see past. Pooh.

I got as far as Buellton, which is 140 miles north of LA. Not bad.
Buellton is the home of Andersen's Pea Soup, which I must say I've never cared for. Lovely area though. I think it is part of the Santa Inez valley, a beautiful area. Again, I wanted to photo the light green hills, oak trees, the black cattle... ah, they're in my mind.

As I went past those hills, between Santa Maria and Buellton, I was listening to Prokoviev's Winter Bonfire, which I've not heard before.
Earlier, going through the area around Salinas, I had a Monterey station on playing Janis Joplin wailing O, Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz... and yesterday, cutting tight curves in the dark forest, the Stones were doing Lady Jane, the perfect song for it.

Tomorrow the big city. I know I won't hit a computer at my bro-in-law's, so it'll be a while.

Let me apologize, first to BBB for not noticing before that you offered that I could stay there a bit if Diane and Dys are still ill. Thank you, girl.
And Dys and Diane, I just glanced over the sickness, seemingly. I didn't really, in my mind, but I failed to say anything about hoping you both feel better.

Love to all.

Swimpy, I missed your son!

Yay! A report from the road! You seemed to have no problem expressing yourself on that practically invisible laptop. Wonderful images - I feel as though I have them in my mind now, too.

Thanks for that lively report, osso!

Thanks for the report, osso. I'm following your progress with great interest.

Aw, that's too bad.

It sounds like you had a great day anyway, even if it started out a little scary.

I thought I woulf reprint the map from Page 9 for the benefit of those of us who are geographically challenged about the path of your trek. Osso came down 101 and spent the first night in Petaluma (not shown on the map but just north of San Francisco). The second night was in Buelton (also not shown but north of LA). Today the road turns east.
Thanks for the reports, osso.

Good idea, rjb. It's nice to follow along.

Stay safe, Osso. Check in when you can.

Thanks, RJB! All those places osso mentioned just sounded like old pop songs to me! :wink: Made me feel very nostalgic!

by the time she gets to Phoenix she'll be tired.

.. & somewhere near Salinas it rained!

if I here from Osso this evening I will post her current status

The North Pole Radar is inferior to the A2K tracking system.

Go, Osso! Go, Pacco!

Oh good! Thanks, dys.