Thursday was get ready to travel day. Laundry, groceries at an Hispanic Mercado (market) – interesting brands and signage! A DQ for a treat (hadn’t had ice cream for too long!). Yummy homemade chili from the freezer.
May 10 – Friday was travel day. 69 and sun as we leave Salinas…they are finally getting clear and warm weather now that we are leaving…LOL.
We knew we were approaching Gilroy – this was one of many signs offering local goodies.
Stopped for lunch at Gilroy, CA – Garlic Capital of the World.
Main Street
Historic District building
Ate the Garlic City Cafe which was highly rated on TripAdvisor. And it was awesome. I had the creamy garlic soup which was to die for. Jerry’s burger had about a dozen roasted garlic cloves on the top along with blue cheese dressing, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion! WOW – I had a few bites of that plus a couple of his garlic french fries.
On the road again sights: hitchhiker with a white bucket on his head…(many uses, I’m sure); lots of traffic, beige hills with varying amount of green trees; green and brown striped earth of newly emerging crops; signs for sweet cherries and berries. 
Steeper hills – these look like beige velvet!
Pass Casa de Fruta – RV Park at winery with eatery, too. RV friendly parking! Steep grade skirting to the north and east of the San Luis Reservoir Rec Area. Lake looked really low. More agriculture near Los Banos – 91 degrees on bank here.
Another steep grade with construction at the bottom of the hill. We just came around a corner of the mountain with no idea the traffic was backed up and Jerry was able to stop in time. As he looked in his rear view mirror, here comes the truck we had seen with a heavy load barrelling towards us and it was evident he wasn’t going to be able to stop. Jerry pulled over as far as he could into the now stopped left lane and the truck had room to scoot by us on the shoulder and part of our right lane! Egads. Close call!
We are now in tree-growing land. Almonds, pistachios and horses, hay, corn!, and business with Italian-sounding names. Passed acres of pistachio trees which were flowering and producing a terrible odor.
Town of Madera had roses and stella de ora lilies growing profusely in the boulevard down the main street. Saw a dozen temporary easy ups selling flowers and balloons for Mother’s Day gifts. Names of streets here are 20-1/2, 15-3/4 etc. We begin to see mountains again after many miles of flatland with none in sight. In the distance, under the clouds were the Sierra Nat. Forest, Sequoia Nat. Forest, John Muir Wilderness and Kaiser Wilderness. The terrain changes to boulder strewn high hills.
Approaching Coarsegold …scary – a sign, “Chains may be required at any time.” Soon we are in Oakhurst, 13,000 people and 2289’. Took us longer than we had hoped with slow traffic in the mountains and two slow downs for construction.
4:30 - find the Elk’s and get parked. Very friendly people here. A few spots away are Kenny and Debbie Tripp who we met first at the Salinas Elks! Went in for a drink and excellent lasagna dinner prepared by the RV group from the Elks. Spinach salad, garlic toast and a delicious strawberry dessert in ice cream dishes, over a cookie and a cream cheese concoction…topped with whipped cream! Wow.
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