After such a busy, hectic day yesterday, today we hung around home until the cycle was repaired – 12:30 pm. Picked it up and loaded in RV and took off for Salinas at 1:30 on Hwy 101. It is sunny and 75 and we only have about 125 miles to go today. Made it up the large grade over Cuesta Pass in Los Padres NF without having to stop today. Just a bit overheated. Yea!
Rolling hills north of SLO.
As we roll along 101, we see street signs for bear and deer crossing. Trader Jo’s stores, cattle under a huge tree in the shade, vineyards, wineries with names such as Opolo, LaVinge, rose bushes (?) in the median, many types of trees in every shade of green imaginable. Train tracks appear and disappear among the very dry brown grass on the hills. We see signs for San Miguel Mission…this might be part of it:
Several other signs to see other missions along the way and the El Camino Mission bells continue to lead us through the countryside. We pass Camp Roberts (Army Nat. Guard) land and lament that the buildings look so neglected. Assume it is still used for their maneuvers as we saw army vehicles parked in several places. Cross over the San Antonio River which actually had water in it. Unusual sight! Sign for an RV Ranch (interesting name for an RV park.) Six horses grazing – all of them different colors from white (yes I made a wish on it…lol) to brown to black. Pretty! This town below looked like it wasn’t a town – just a whole lot of oil wells and the accompanying storage and pipes. Wow – lots of them.
Huge agricultural area through the valleys…lettuce, Romaine, and ???, trees planted in rows (peaches?), Saw signs for Dole and other companies, and as we got farther along, the traditional white buses with port-a-potties onthe back taking the workers back from the fields. Even saw about 10 heads of wrapped iceburg lettuce on the side of the road. Oops. An occasional palm tree waves over a ranch home to remind us we’re in CA.
Huge areas planted with grapevines and even areas where there are stakes shoved into the ground without any plants yet. Don’t think you can tell but in the pix above the shrub in the foreground is shaking in the 25-30 mpr winds! Wow. Must be a lot of northerly winds as many of the trees on the ranches are permanently bent!
3:45 pm – arrive at the Salinas Elk’s lodge, et up and I cooked chicken with saute’d onions and mini red and orange peppers and tossed with light alfredo sauce and whole wheat noodles. Easy and yummy after a day on the road.
Checking out sights to see while here. Looks like wonderful sight-seeing drives ahead – over to the coast – Monterey, Pebble Beach, Big Sur among them. Will start tomorrow! LIG!
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