Day 2 - San Francisco Area

Our journey in the car was pleasant until the freeway closure on Hwy 99 (we never did find the cause). After being stopped for quite awhile six miles from the Kingsburg exit, we followed several others off the freeway down the on-ramp, then took side roads through the many fertile fields trying to decide what was being grown. At each potential freeway entrance there was still quite a lineup so we continued the detour. The GPS never let us get lost. We were eventually delayed only one hour.

Our visit with Betsie and Claire was most enjoyable. Betsie's brother Greg and fiancee Annie, plus Claire's daughter Anna and husband John joined us for dinner. It's sometimes amazing how little kids grow up to be interesting adults.

Hope, Idaho Trip - Day 1

We are finally off! It's worse than when we were working - now it takes us two weeks to get ready. Being a volunteer does have it's drawbacks - getting signs ready for the annual Mission Hills Garden Club Walk and Treasurer Reports for the Library monthly meeting, plus Ruth (Don) taking on the shipping of Amazon sales, plus tax returns, plus...

Anyway, we got done and packed and loaded and helped to get an escaped dog back to its home and...

we're in Tulare. Traffic wasn't too bad (except through LA as usual) and we did have some rain. At one point it was raining so hard we had to turn off our audio book because we couldn't hear it. But it did let up.

We stopped at the Pyramid Lake information center for the first time (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Lake_(California) and enjoyed their displays (and rest rooms). I hope they've fixed their water fountains by the next time we come through.

Gasoline prices - pretty much over $4.00/gallon (mostly $4.15-4.25 for regular unleaded, cash price) and we found a place for $3.97 with a 50 cent charge for credit card. Sounded good. But we're still not used to paying $50.00+ for a fill-up.

Dinner: http://blackbeardiner.com/ good food but plentiful - we shared a meal and were satisfied.

Onwards to Foster City tomorrow.

Escape to Borrego Springs

Reason: time to seal the tub and escape the fumes for a couple days. Poor cats.
But they will be locked out.

The Blue Danube & Prague

One more travel opportunity we couldn't resist - we do enjoy river travel. This one started in Budapest - we had been there in 1972 and everything seemed pretty grey under communism. Now it seems to be booming and it's a beautiful city with a lot of history. We had city tours and time to explore on our own.

The ship was the River Aria with Grand Circle Travel. We've decided we like being taken care of - transportation, pickup/delivery from/to airports, etc. The meals on the ship are always wonderful, the program directors knowledgeable and helpful. We had a total of seven nights on the ship.

Our next stop was Brataslava in Slovakia, another historic city. Then to Vienna - and a tour of the Opera House - with the Christmas markets starting to be set up. Then to Linz. Don took the tour to Salzburg - I remembered it from 1972 so I stayed back and went shopping with two Minnesota sisters we had met on the ship. That was fun.

Our last stop on the Danube was Linz - another interesting city.

Egypt - 2010

We finally made it to Egypt and what a place! It is a land of contrasts and it was especially interesting to be there during Ramadan - no daylight savings time, no eating or drinking (even water) between sunrise and sunset, museums and shops on varying open/closed schedules, and much celebration and eating after sunset for the faithful. I highly recommend Overseas Adventure Travel - they took such very good care of the 14 of us in our group. The food was fantastic and very satisfying (mostly Mediterranean - hummus, tahini, pita bread, baba ghanoush, a soft white cheese to die for, grilled chicken, kofta, rice pilaf, grilled tomatoes, french fries, wonderful pastries made with nuts and honey, etc.).

We saw the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, visited several tombs in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor, went into King Tut's tomb, visited the Howard Carter home (due to be open to the public next year), took a hot air balloon ride around Queen Hatshepsut's temple, had a too-short but wonderful Nile cruise (Luxor to Aswan), a camel ride (note that Ruth got the biggest camel), saw a sunrise on the way to Abu Simbel, had a felucca (sail boat) ride to a botanical garden, a horse-drawn carriage ride through the back streets and markets of Luxor, visited a farm and also a women's sewing center, had mint tea in a Nubian home and dinner with a family in their home in Aswan. And of course we visited the Pyramids and Sphinx, and saw the "solar" boat in the Cheops Boat Museum (put together after 4000 years), and a trip to the oldest step pyramid at Saqqara. We also went to the Citadel of Salah Al-Din in Cairo, visiting the mosque, a Coptic (Egyptian) Orthodox Church and Jewish Synagogue. It is amazing to learn the similarities between the religions - we sometimes pay more attention to the differences. Of course there were the markets and vendors - bargaining required.

Tarek, our guide and Egyptologist, was wonderful and everyone in our group was easy-going and noncomplaining (no novice travelers in this group). It was a fabulous trip and the hardest part was the long bus ride in the sky to get home.

Use our name if you book with Grand Circle or Overseas Travel Adventures (http://www.oattravel.com/) - you'll get a discount.

A Full Day in Jamestown

Thursday was a very full day.

First our breakfast (a very nice vegetarian omelette).

Next, arrival of our newly retired friend Betsie from the San Francisco area (only a 3-hour drive). It was good to see and be with her most of the day.

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park is only a couple of blocks from Jamestown's Main street. It turned out to to be very remarkable. We enjoyed a guided tour of the still-working Roundhouse that holds seven locomotives at a time. They had just completed the complete renovation of their locomotive No. 3. Since the 1920's it has been in over 100 movies and television shows (e.g., High Noon, Petticoat Junction). They had built and have installed a brand new steam boiler on locomotive that meets all the modern steam boiler regulations. You can see in Ruth's and Betsie's faces how excited they were to be there.

Returning to the hotel we discovered the lights weren't working in our room, and walking into town (next door) all the stores and eateries were without power also. So we hung out on the balcony outside where there was a warm breeze (oh yes, it was quite hot that day).

Then it was time for Betsie to return (another three-hour drive) for hockey practice.

So we checked out Sonora. What a busy, crowded place. Not quiet and small like Jamestown (good choice, Don). Don had also found on the internet some entertainment for us:

Sierra Repertory Theatre "The Marvelous Wonderettes"

by Roger Bean, Music by Various

Off-Broadway's brand new smash! When the band doesn't show at Springfield High's prom, The Wonderettes -- Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy and Suzy -- step in to save the day. The girls belt out 50s favorites like "It's My Party," "Mr. Sandman" and "It's In His Kiss," trade teenage gossip and share their big, bold hopes and dreams. You've never had this much fun at a prom and you will never forget THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES! "Hilariously inventive and highly entertaining, bubbly and irrepressible!" Associated Press

My goodness, the energy those gals have!

We head back to San Diego in the morning. It's been a pleasant sojourn. Next month, Egypt.

Historic Jamestown, CA

We've made it to Jamestown, California along Historic Highway 49. Our apologies to Norm driving his beautiful long RV along the winding roads last year. They're still very winding and steep - even in our smaller Honda CRV.

The hotel is wonderful - old seeming yet sufficiently modern (TV tucked away into a small armoire, wireless internet). Don is loo0king forward to checking out Railtown (http://www.railtown1897.org/railtown/default.asp) I suspect is the real reason we're here. It's o.k. with me.

this is our room:

Fiery Lola Montez

Queen-sized bed and claw foot tub compliment this antique filled room next to our balcony. Separate sitting room and a TV/VCR.