Blogs from Ventura, California, United States, North America - page 2

Today we left Morro bay at about 10am after an all you can eat waffle breakfast that was included at the motel :) verrry yummy! It was my first day of driving today so was pretty nervous as I hopped into the car....pulled out of the driveway and almost hit a car who was zooming past as I was just edging there!! Not a great start! But then once I got going I was fine. It was hard to constantly be trying to stay on the left hand side of the lane so we didnt move into the lane next to us on the right cos its such a diff feeling being on the other side of the car! As we were driving we decided to stop in at Santa barbara - which we knew was ... read more

It's been almost one week since we returned and the most consistent comment from anyone has been "so then what happened? Your blog left us hanging!" Before I tie this incredible trip up, let me recap the last blissful days of our journey. I left off as we arrived in Escalante, Utah. Easily becoming one of our favorite places, this town is small and surrounded by the most amazing mountains and petrified sandstone formations. The vast majority of our visit this year was during a thunderstorm - seems to be the story of our trip, huh? But we welcomed the rain and the thunder and lightening. We both felt tired and appreciated two quiet days to unwind and reminisce about our travels. The house is owned by a couple who live next door - a bit ... read more

Tuesday night and all errands are complete. One load of laundry and a lot of packing to go. We will be away at 4am on Friday morning for the trip of a life time. First stop is Tucson, Arizona. While the immigration policy prevents me from wanting to spend too much money there, the resort we will stay at will be a perfect place to decompress, relax and get into "road trip" state of mind. My colleagues at work have been absolutely lovely and so supportive as I have been wrapping everything up. I have taken a vow of no email and I can already feel the symptoms of withdrawal. I am 100% certain that everything will be just fine in my absence and I will return refreshed, re-energized and with a clearer perspective of my ... read more

We are about five weeks out from our trip of a lifetime. Part sabbatical and part vacation, this trip promises to be a transformative adventure! I am visiting eight presidential libraries and covering 5,700 miles. A lot of firsts ahead! Arizona, Texas, NOLA, Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. What a trip! What I am most looking forward to: the wide, open road; the hot Texas sun; bats in Austin; the legacies of very different presidents, spanning great philosophical ground; dusting powdered sugar off after beignets in NOLA; the heart of the French Quarter; visiting Graceland; red rock country. What I am least looking forward to: spending any money in Arizona (lamest immigration law, ever!); doing laundry in dusty little nowhere towns; lugging all our gear in and out of hotels.... read more

Travel Blog After spending a nice few days dodging raindrops on the California coast just north of LA (hold-up in a funky-good motel in downtown Santa Barbara) we decided to explore going out to the islands that we kept seeing across bay. There are five islands, about an hours boat ride from Ventura CA, that have been a national park since 1980, the Channel Islands. Promoted as North America’s Galapagos we thought it was worth taking a look! The forecast finally presented 3 clear days so we made plans, which wasn’t easy because the storms have been rolling in off the Pacific pretty regularly. Access to the islands is very controlled, much like the trips we take to Cumberland Island GA (also a National Park). The weather cleared, and with reservations in hand and backpacks loaded ... read more