The Visual Road Home ~ Oct 29, 2013

The roads home provide visual delights at every turn. Autumn is a great time to travel the coast. The winds of spring and summer have settled into breezes and the sun remains warm. 

 

Hwy 46 ~ From Paso Robles to Cambria



North of Cambria ~ Hwy 1

 

 Way to Big Sur ~ Hwy 1

 

Golden Gate Bridge ~ Hwy 101



Mt. Tamalpais ~ Hwy 101

 

The Vineyard Trail Next Door

  

If you come to a fork in the road, take it ~ Yogi Berra



We Ride a Serendipitous Trail ~ Oct 28, 2013

For the last three days Las Vegas has hovered at 85 degrees, 70ish at night. A slight breeze came up yesterday and cooled the afternoon a bit.   

I woke up about 5:30am with a soft howl in my ears that sounded like it was coming from the windows. I reached behind the curtains to feel a major draft and realize it's the wind. We are, after all, on the 27th floor. It seems that last night's said breeze turned into a red flag wind warning, with gusts of 40-80 depending on your location. Are those ripples in my water glass?

Windy Day

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We're on the road about 9am and the wind is indeed howling: tumbleweeds and dust devils are dancing in the vast openness, clouds of dust are drifting across the highway. The Expedition holds her own so we barely feel it. As a precaution, however, we keep a healthy distance behind large trucks and stay on the upwind side. A parade of big rigs bobbing and weaving down the interstate is not a comforting site.

Did you know that the first noted use of "serendipity" in the English language was by Horace Walpole? In a letter to Horace Mann in January 1794 he said he formed it from the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip whose heroes were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of. That sounds about right.

We got a little turned around in Bakersfield trying to find our way to Costco so it took a little longer than expected to get there. We pull up to a pump and a truck pulls in behind us. The driver gets out and says "Hi Rod". There stands Jeff,  a friend of his from Santa Rosa. They've traveled together to Las Vegas for the March NASCAR races a number of times. Turns out Jeff is on his way to Missouri on some family business. What are the odds?

We decide to push on towards the coast for the night. Once out of Bakersfield, we head up I5 for a bit and turn left onto Hwy 46 for Paso Robles. It's a road less traveled, freshly paved, winding through ranches, vineyards and rolling hills. The remnants of a storm moving east provide some great visuals.

 
We stayed at the Best Western in Paso Robles last November on our way home from Arizona so we stop there again. They upgraded our room for coming back ~ cool beans. This also means we can walk up to Big Bad Bubba's BBQ for dinner (worth checking out if you're in the area). Long drive today so it's early to bed, looking forward to getting home tomorrow. I love traveling but it's oh so nice to sleep in your own bed.



Bringing Down the House ~ Oct 27, 2013

Today's event is at 1pm so we use the morning to get organized. We always over pack (scouts at heart) but we are prepared for anything. It will make checking out a little easier if we only have to make one trip to the car tomorrow so we schlep the hanging clothes bag (never touched), shoe bag (too hot for boots or slippers), laundry, spare books and snack bags down to the rig. After a leisurely breakfast and a little play time in the casino, we head out to the taxi stand for the short drive to the Thomas and Mack Center.

 

This is the final day of the event and it's going down to the wire. You couldn't have written a better script for 17,000 PBR fans. There are 35 riders in the first round with hopes of finishing in the money. The top 15 move into the final round. If you win the event there's a $250,000 paycheck, if you win the world championship there's a $1,000,000 paycheck. And trust me if you've ever watched bull riding you know that every cent is EARNED.

The riders start from last to first so the top two ride last in every round. Silvano Alves rides Cowtown Slinger for 88.25 points. J.B.'s bull is Harlem Shake, but he's acting up so much in the chute there is concern for the safety of both rider and bull. The judges make the call and J.B. will ride Ford Hammer Down. He's at the chutes on the other end of the arena, so action stops for a bit while he walks down and gets reset. Think about how hard it would be to stay focused after all this hullaballoo. Evidently no problem for J.B. his ride earns 91 points, here's a link:

 

http://www.pbr.com/en/media/videos/2013/10/monster-ride-jb-mauney-91-points-on-ford-hammer-down.aspx

 

In the final go round Silvano rides Big Tex Rocks. The bull didn't perform well so he is again give an opportunity for a re-ride. Much to everyone's surprise he takes the re-ride option on Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey. He scores in the high 80's but the point is mute.

J.B. has won on points with one more bull to ride. He draws Wipeout and scores 93 points. The cheering is deafening. J.B has twice finished 2nd and twice finished 3rd so he is on top of the world. Paycheck for the day $1,250,000

Final Ride ~ J.B. Mauney and Wipeout

Photo credit Andy Watson

“There’s no better feeling. You dream of something all your life and to eventually get it ..... feels like you’ve done conquered the world.”

 

Silvano Alves, the Brazilian who has won the last two PBR World Championships is a total class act and a great ambassador for the sport. As soon as J.B.'s bull is out of the arena, he's out to congratulate him.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_SukoIyhE0k

It's a gorgeous afternoon so we decide to walk over to the MGM grand for lunch. It's 2 miles (sure looks closer), but we've mastered the buck and weave to stay in the shade most of the way. The Vegas monorail starts at the MGM Grand and ends at our hotel so it's a great way to get back home and see yet another perspective of the city.

This a been an experience of a life time, a total rush. There's much to be said for living in the moment, for closing the door on real life for a couple of days and just doing what pleases you.

Street Walking in Vegas ~ Oct 26, 2013

Gotcha! Not what you're thinking at all, curb your imagination and read on. 

 

 

Opened the curtains in our 27th floor aerie to an amazing sunrise reflected in the windows of the Wynn. Since we've been doing a lot of sitting the last few days it's time for a walk. Temperatures are in the mid eighties, which is warm for me, but large hotels cast mighty shadows. After breakfast we take off down the Strip.

There is something for everyone here: shows, fine dining, sports events, gambling, and shopping. Where else could you find the Chapel of the Bells wedding chapel next door to the Strip Gun Club? There are hucksters and entrepreneurs on every corner. People watching is spontaneous entertainment: short story scripts everywhere you look.

Wynn Atrium

 

We declare a turnaround point at the Wynn and stop in to look around. By the time we returned to our hotel we were astonished to find we'd walked 5.3 miles. (iPhone app from Kaiser called Every Body Walk! logs time, distance, calories and your route via GPS).

 

We head out to Thomas and Mack Stadium a little after 5pm. Our taxi driver tells us not to worry about standing in line for the return trip. He handed us his card and said "call me when the event is over and walk up to CVS Pharmacy (about a quarter of a mile) I'll pick you up there".

 

 Eight seconds is an eternity

10 months, 26 events, 71 riders, 2,500 outs and no one has seen a race like this one in the 20 year history of the PBR. It's the best bulls vs. the best riders. The venue was more electric than the night before, the crowd larger and louder.  
 

Since mid season J.B. Mauney has been on fire, overcoming a 3,000 point deficit. Tonight he's in second place, by only 19.75 points, so he rides next to last. The feeling is that J.B. is betting on himself and leader Silvano Alves is betting on J.B. to fail. 

Silvano has a penchant for not taking re-rides and keeping low scores (judges award one to rider if the bull is not performing well) and on a previous night he didn't take advantage of the opportunity and kept a score of 70 something. This may come back to bite him. 

Some of the riders have theme songs and when J.B. enters the chutes you hear the first few bars of George Thorogood's "Bad to the Bone" and 15,000 fans go nuts. He scores 90.75 points on Breakdown. Silvano's bull tonight is Trueblood and the clock is stopped at 6.9 seconds due to a touch, 1.1 seconds short of an 8 second ride (rider cannot touch the bull with free arm).

 

Click on the link below to see J.B.'s ride on Breakdown

 

http://www.pbr.com/en/media/videos/2013/10/monster-ride-jb-mauney-wins-round-4.aspx

J.B. Mauney is only 26 and being the World Champion has been his dream for over 20 years. He regained control tonight with only the final two rounds to go tomorrow. Past champion Kody Lostroh captured the moment: "There've been a lot of great races throughout PBR history, but this year with guys swapping places at the Finals, it's inspiring to watch.”
 

We've been screaming, clapping and cheering for a couple of hours and need to take a few breaths and calm down before we reverse direction on the 120 plus steps of what we've dubbed the Stairway to Heaven.  Since we have a personal taxi tonight we just amble out of the arena and stroll over to the CVS parking lot. He's pulling in as we walk up ~ big time tip. Back to the hotel for a late dinner, a little gaming, and a few chapters of Louis L'Amour.

Las Vegas Flashback ~ October 25, 2013

Rod describes the drive from Bakersfield to Las Vegas as miles and miles of miles and miles. Truer words were never spoken, but the desert has magic and mystery at every turn.

Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day,

rarely of what they had seen.

Louis L'Amour

Photo Credit ~ http://trailofcrumbsblog.wordpress.com

Arrived in Las Vegas in the early afternoon and were immediately introduced to the "Spaghetti Bowl". We may complain about Bay Area roads, but nothing holds a candle to this maze. Driving on city streets in Vegas is no picnic either so we decided then and there to leave Pearl parked at the hotel for the weekend. Time to walk, take a taxi or hop the monorail to get around town.

Picked up the event tickets at the Thomas and Mack Center at UNLV and headed east to find our hotel. In the 4500 block of Las Vegas Boulevard we stopped in our tracks at the site of the "Pink Elephant" Motel.  

circa 1962

 circa 2013

Circa 2013 

A mere 27 years ago we spent our second night as Mr. and Mrs. here, in what we've always described as the quintessential dive. The only difference today is that it's now listed on the Roadside America website as an Offbeat Tourist Attraction. Rumor has it the elephant came from Disney World and used to trumpet loudly, but after causing several accidents the owner was told to remove the sound mechanism. Can we pick 'em or what?

Once settled at the Las Vegas Hotel (LVH) we had a bite to eat and left for the event. We ask the concierge about getting a taxi to the venue. He points to the place to be and said "tell the driver not to take the Strip, it's the long way around". Taxis charge by the time it takes you to get where you're going and this city has really long signals.

Thomas and Mack has at least 50 steps up to the front entrance. On the left side of the staircase is an escalator. We started up the stairs and a gentleman standing nearby said "You might want to consider taking the escalator, its the one free thing you'll get in Las Vegas." We decided on the stairs because we wanted some exercise, but after three days in Vegas we got his point. Our seats were up another 77 stairs overlooking the center of the arena. Needless to say our knees got some exercise over the weekend.  

The defending world champion Silvano Alves arrived in Vegas with a 538.5 point lead over J.B. Mauney and then J.B. took the lead by 30.75 points after Round 2 on Thursday. Silvano reclaimed the No. 1 position tonight by 19.75 points. The fans are going nuts as the suspense builds, the atmosphere is electric. The bulls are also vying for a world championship. Will be it be Asteroid or Bushwacker?

 

                            

Add to the mix and the world's greatest (singing and dancing) rodeo clown, Flint Rasmussen, and you've got the total package, pure entertainment every night of the event.

After letting the crowd thin a bit we head out to get a taxi back to the hotel. There are only 500 people in a line. It took over an hour but it was a balmy 70 degrees and we had a great conversation with a couple from Quebec who had flown in for a birthday celebration. Once back at the hotel we grabbed a bite to eat and unwound in the casino for a bit. Well tomorrow is here, we best get some shuteye.



Toughest Sport on Dirt ~ Oct 24, 2013

So most of you already know we're fans of the PBR (Professional Bull Riders). Trisha got us hooked back in 2006 and we've been following J.B. Mauney ever since he turned pro that year at the age of 19. He has attitude, swagger, a smile that could light up New York City and a dream of winning the World Championship. He's matured a lot in seven years and he just might reach his goal this year. 

J.B. Mauney

The second half of this season, after some time off, he began chipping away at the lead of Silvano Alves, the two time world champion from Brazil. Silvano was on track to win the title for an unprecedented third year in a row. When J.B. won the last two events of the regular season earlier this month and inched closer to Silvano we started getting excited.

We have always wanted to go the PBR Finals in Las Vegas and Rod promised to take me back to Vegas 27 years ago (we'll get to that story tomorrow). So, on the spur of a moment we packed up the Expedition and took off. First stop is Bakersfield, the half way point.

Over the Hill and Through the Woods ~ Sept 27, 2013

It's clear, sunny and 42 degrees. After breakfast we head over the Kingsbury Grade and down to the Carson Valley and Hwy 395. This is a road that needs to be experienced: quintessential high desert, open spaces, and few travelers. Spring and Fall provide magical miles of color. This corridor has been used since the California gold rush and was known by several names including El Camino Sierra and it provides access for the highest point in the in the contiguous United States, Mt. Whitney, and the lowest point in North America, Death Valley.

 

 Hwy 395 north of Lee Vining

 

It's about a 100 mile drive to Lee Vining, the doorway to Mono Lake and Yosemite. We're headed for Yosemite today, but next time we come this way we plan to check out Bodie, Mono and June Lakes. Just outside Lee Vining we pick up Hwy 120, the eastern route into Yosemite. There is more fall color as we begin the climb towards the Tioga Pass (elevation 9,943 feet).

Hwy. 120

Tenaya Lake Elevation 8,150 Feet

Part of the drive takes us along the south edge of the Rim Fire area. You can still smell smoke. The fire started August 17th and as of this writing is 95% contained. What is fascinating is the capricious nature of how wildfires move. Some areas are burned, some simply scorched from heat, and in other spots there are unscathed patchs of green. 

As we drop down into the valley some of the iconic landmarks come into view: Cathedral Rock, El Capitan and Lost Arrow Spire.



 



The Yosemite Valley is not the way I remember it. It's more closed in and shadowed; buses, cars and people dominate the landscape at eye level. What's wrong with this picture? Oh wait! My last visit was 55 years ago. Trees grow a lot in half a century. One of the rangers told me the valley has lost 80% of its meadows in last 100 years. This explains a lot. Regardless of changes, it is still a magical place.

As usual we hadn't made plans regarding lodging, so we're flying on a wing and a prayer. First stop Yosemite Lodge and no rooms available. But, as I chatted with the hostess, she said "OMG, wait a minute, someone just cancelled". Serendipity rules!
 

Once settled we took a walk along the trail that skirts Yosemite Falls, now dry as a bone with only a small seep showing down near the base. Next stop is an excellent dinner at the Mountain Room and early to bed, we're headed to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks tomorrow.

Breaking News: There will be a short delay in this adventure's blog updates. We have a chance to check something off the proverbial bucket list and are headed for Las Vegas, NV for the PBR (Professional Bull Riding) World Finals tomorrow through next Tuesday. The last time we were in Vegas was 27 years ago. We got married in Gold Hill, NV and the day after headed south to see my folks in Yuma. We spent a "honeymoon" night in Las Vegas at the dive of all dives, the Pink Elephant Motel. We were too dazzled by the lights on the Strip and too tired from the road to make any reasonable decisions. Rod always promised he'd take me back so now he's making good on his promise.
 

 

 

The Art of Reconnecting

My darlin' husband is in Las Vegas with some of his buddies for NASCAR Week: the boys time out from work, women and the honey-do list. NASCAR 24/7 and a campsite across the road from Nellis AFB. Where else could you find the added attraction of jet flybys with your morning coffee?

I've started encouraging him to cultivate more of these grand escapes and reconnect with pals he doesn't see too often. My late friend Trisha and I used to take off several times a year to places like Benbow and Reno, or to explore back roads in the Sierras with our cameras. Now my adventures are taken with new friends, women I wouldn't have known had she not been in my life. A gift to all of us.

Rod and I've been together for three decades and love each other's company, but everyone needs some "me" time: Battery recharge, spontaneous afternoons or evenings with no promises to keep, time to reconnect with friends we don't see too often. It's good for the soul.

Jamie of the Jungle
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Yesterday I reconnected with my friend Maureen, a talented artist and a force to be reckoned with. We first got to know each other decades ago doing craft shows.

She is the creative genius behind the Funeria/Art Honors Life Gallery in Graton, an gallery dedicated to cremation urns and personal memorial art. It is filled with incredible works from artists around the world. Take a minute to check out the website at http://funeria.com/

The last time we crossed paths I organized the behind the scenes work area of the gallery and helped her prepare for an international show. We don't see each other too often now so on a whim I called to see if she wanted to go to a concert last weekend. She told me she was behind schedule and couldn't take the time. I'm sensing my organizing skills may again be needed so I told her to expect me Friday at 9am.

We spent most of yesterday packing up works to be shipped to clients or back to artists and re-organizing the back room. Good old fashioned physical labor, chatter and a lot of laughter. We accomplished quite a bit, but I'm going back over on Monday for awhile. It's much more fun than the treadmill and weights at the gym. We both know how important it is to spend time well, every minute is a gift.