“Heavy with photos” post ahead.
Whew! We’ve had an interesting couple of days. I’m not sure where I last left off but we headed up the Pacific Coast Highway as far as Cambria. We would have loved to go further but mudslides have blocked parts of Big Sur and it would have taken too much time to travel in that area. I’ve been to Big Sur before. Don hasn’t. Hopefully, we’ll do that in the future.
Cambria is absolutely charming, filled with Victorian cottages and lovely shops.
Picket fences everywhere, with charming gardens. We happened upon a lovely group of shops. The garden shop made my heart beat faster…lots of creative planting using junk and funky pots and I took lots of photos for inspiration. Here are a few.
I would love to have spent a few hours there, but we were pressed for time. It was amazing.
Lots of antique shops, which I didn’t have time to visit. Sigh. But here we are on the streets of Cambria.
After Cambria we drove east for a few hours until we reached I-5 and we stopped there for the night. It was obviously a big truck stop but there were also a lot of firefighters staying there, as well. We saw smoke from some of the fires, which created a surreal, horrifying, yet beautiful orange haze over the mountains. The smell of smoke was everywhere.
Sunrise from our motel.
Then up the 5 through the Central Valley, with citrus farms as far as the eye can see, until we connected with the 80. East on the 80, which goes through the Sierra mountains. I drove that stretch and the views were awe inspiring. Unbelievably beautiful. We stopped at a vista point that overlooked Donner Lake.
All I could think of, of course, was the infamous Donner Pass incident way back when. In fact, Don said he was feeling a bit ‘peckish.’
The photos don’t do it justice. Stunningly beautiful.
After crossing into Nevada, we stopped in Sparks, thinking we’d buy a couple of t-shirts for Don. No t-shirts. We did have some lunch there. After Don said that the pain in his left leg, which has been a constant since I got here, was getting worse, I suggested we visit an Urgent Care. He had had a swelling behind his knee, which eventually went away, but now his ankle was swollen and his calf hurt a great deal. He agreed to go, so we ended up at an Urgent Care a few blocks away.
The doctor was concerned that it might be a blood clot, as were we. I was on the phone with my sister while I was waiting. My brother-in-law has a history of blood clots in his legs, so I wanted her thoughts on the symptoms.
They did an ultra sound, and even though we were prepared for blood thinners, it turned out there was no clot. Some sort of trauma for sure, whether from body surfing or the repeated up and down, up and down of many sets of stairs backstage during the show’s run, we’re not sure.
By that time, it was 6:30, so I took control of the situation and booked a motel in town for the night. We’re now about a day behind on our planned journey, but it was worth it to make sure that Don was okay.
Sigh. Onward today through Nevada and into Utah.
I’m sorry I haven’t been replying to comments, but there just isn’t time! I’m reading every one of them, I promise.
More soon!
Happy Thursday.
Really enjoying these trip posts and the pretty photos. Safe travels and I look forward to reading and seeing more!
I’m so glad that it wasn’t a blood clot! Thanks for the wonderful photos!
Glad it wasn’t a blood clot.
Can’t believe they had no t-shirts for ‘Don’ and ‘Sparks’. What were they thinking!
Hope you have a great drive today.
Sounds like a great adventure to me…minus the suspected blood clot worry. Keep on taking pics for all of us…I certainly am enjoying them. Safe travels! ;)
Happy to hear it wasn’t a blood clot. Our bodies do strange things as we get older. I love that part of California. I miss the whole state. Kick myself every day for moving away. Have a happy journey. xo Laura
I’m enjoying your posts as you travel home because it brings back some wonderful memories for me. A number of years ago, my husband and I took a ‘six week tour’ (coast to coast) around the United States. We had a great time! We never planned ahead as to where we would be sleeping each night. Just hit the road each morning to a new adventure! At that time we had a brand new car and put almost 12,000 miles on it. There are so many beautiful places to see in this country of ours. We know we didn’t see it all but what we did see was so well worth it. After we got back home we had friends ask us… “After spending all that time together in a car, are you still talking to each other”? Our answer was, we loved every minute of it and yes, we are still talking to each other.
Enjoy this precious time together and safe travels.
xoxoxo
So glad there was no bad news at the UC center. Better to check when you had the chance. I’m sure it will make the rest of the trip a bit more stress-free.
Wonderful pictures! I remember a few years ago when flying home from Oregon, and everyone in the plane realized we smelled smoke. As people were commenting on it, the pilot came on and said that even though we were very high above, what we were smelling were the wildfires burning in the mountains below us.
I think we are all enjoying your trip and thank you for sharing with us!! Have a great Thursday!
Prayers for Don! So glad he saw a doctor. Have a great time on your travels.
Your photos remind me why I think I’m lucky to live where I do. Cambria is a favorite of ours, anywhere on the Central Coast, really. I’m happy you both are enjoying magnificent scenery and great weather. Whew, about Don’s medical incident. Ice a bit when he can in the evenings at the hotel.
Beautiful pictures. Brings back memories. My brother taught at University of the Pacific at Stockton in the early 80s. Hubby and I flew out and really enjoyed exploring little towns around Stockton. So very glad that Don didn’t have a blood clot! Enjoy your trip home. (I think your readers are enjoying it almost as much as you are.)
glad you heard good news at the urgent care center, but will pray for no more health troubles/ worries for you two, especially as you travel and all the time!
too bad there weren’t any “sparks” t-shirts for don! :(
thanks for the beautiful photos. and the one of you two is great, a keeper! i’ve only been to los angeles briefly (for a cruise), but the rest of california looks very tempting! enjoy, enjoy and safe travels …
kathy in iowa
Whew, scary; glad Don is okay; what a worry.
It’s a shame your trip is so rushed but it’s so often the case with a lot of us; you need to get home, tend to your yard and prep for Hartford, but it’s so right to just appreciate everything along the way that you DO get to see and experience and, well, no surprise that Cambria was your kind of place, Claudia! I’d hoped you wouldn’t be disappointed with Cambria…I know you have a lot of cool and funky shops in your NY locale already…but there were readers on the blog than just myself who seemed to be enamored with that part of Calif’s Central Coast, so I knew I wasn’t alone in how I, too, loved it, when we all spoke of it here.
I was on one of those “If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium” whirlwind tours of See-Europe-In-Three-Weeks when I was a not-worldly and very-young/naive age 21 who still lived at home with her parents although I’d been out working in the world full-time for a few years…only way, for me, I could really get there to see any of the bigger world across the ocean…and although those kinds of vacations are hugely mocked, I have been grateful throughout my life that I did it, when I did it, and how I did it because, if I hadn’t, I’d still be here, now as a senior-aged person, never having seen so many great sights that I did. Sure, we had enormously-long days and missed a whole lot of stuff when we were mere miles from other key places but I think they really did pack in a lot, all things considered. I’d always figured it would be my first trip, a ‘sample’, hoping I’d get back for more in-depth travel, but life doesn’t always work out that way. So, savor the moment, right? You’re really seeing ‘everything’ when you think about it…you’ve already done beach-seaside, now the gorgeous lake/mountain areas ala Donner Pass; to come, will be The Plains; ah, simply terrific to traverse America; glad for you; hope I can do it someday also!
Have a continued great trip; hope the weather isn’t TOO hot out there on the road! And hope Don’s leg gets better. Sitting for a lot of hours in the vehicle and maybe if the seat was hitting him right at the wrong place above the back of the knee, it might have aggravated the existing soreness. I have two bad knees and if I sit in a car seat for longer than 2 hrs, my knees always begin to trouble me; it’s a real nuisance.
Thankfully, Don doesn’t have a blood clot and hopefully his injury will heal well. Without the blood clot worry,may you feel free to enjoy the journey and beautiful vistas to the full! Enjoy!
Donner lake is beautiful…too bad it’s history is so tragic…I think I would feel a bit peckish if I were there too!…I’m very glad that Don is ok…
I wasn’t expecting you to post today, so…happy surprise! So relieved that Don’s troubles were not a clot. Hope his pain is lessening. There are lots of wide open spaces ahead of you, I know that route too well. Happy Trails to you.
What lovely views! It is such a pleasure to drive across this great country of ours. I’m so glad Don didn’t have a blood clot. My ER visit found that my enzyme levels were OK so the Dr wasn’t sure what was wrong but put me on clear liquids for 24 hours to let my pancreas rest. I’m feeling better today. Keep taking those photos! I must say you are not having any luck with those t-shirts for Don! Hugs!
We’ll have to add Cambria to our list of places to visit one day. It is the name of our 2nd youngest daughter!
I’m so glad Don is okay. Worth the extra day to make sure that he’s okay.
Enjoy the rest of your journey.
X Chy
What a great trip! (Except for the trip to Urgent Care, but better safe than sorry) Great photos
What time shall I expect you this evening? I-80 runs straight through my back yard,and all points East! Remember standing invitation? -Judy A
P.S. I just arrived home from your neck of the woods. @@
?
Thank you for sharing these gorgeous photos. Northern California is beautiful. I would have loved to visit those shops. Glad that Don is doing better. Will keep him in my prayers for a speedy recovery.
Marilyn
I am so happy that Don is okay. I hope to travel in The West next year so I am interested in your route. Have fun!
dear Claudia,
I love the photos and I am glad you are with Don. Also glad your husband does not have a blood clot. I know we are all glad to see you standing there beside him, you, being all pretty, with smiles and wearing a cute shirt, girl!
love to you~~
Katheryn
As a hot Southern girl (as in temperature* down here..the back of the shirt “100% refrigerated air” was a hoot and a cool one at that.
How wonderful that you were able to join Don in California. I’m happy to hear that he is okay. Enjoy your trek across the country. I hope you like Utah, that’s where I live. Have a fun trip!
Cambria is my favorite place to renew my spirit. It’s only 4 hours from my home, and I go there with my dogs as often as I can. I see you found Grow! It’s a little gem. The owner, Nick, is the son of the people who own Cambria Shores Inn on Moonstone Beach, and he and Jan know everything about succulents and tillandsia. I hope you made it into Home Arts on Main Street. My other favorite shop. Sorry part of 101 is closed. That drive is stunning.
Oh dear, I’m so sorry to hear about Don’s leg, Claudia, but relieved that he saw someone and a bloodclot was ruled out. That must have been quite a scare! Perhaps the long hours in the car is adding to the discomfort? Although it does seem as if you’re making a lot of stops to look around shops and towns and that gorgeous landscape. Hoping he will be fine and you will enjoy the coming days of your Most Excellent Adventure! xx. (P.S. Cambria is charming, and what fun to find that eclectic garden shop.)
Claudia I love that picture of you and Don, you look perfect together, so relaxed and happy.
xoxo
Sue