Take Me to Texas ~ West Coast RV Adventure 2023 ~ Day 32-34 and Home!

 California Feelin’

 

Hope Travels 2023  ~  The West Coast RV Adventure  ~  Day 6

 

Yep, I woke up with a new feeling…I think it’s a California Feelin’. (You may not know the song, but it works!)  After driving over 350 miles per day for the last five days, we’re finally at the fun part of our trip! We are on the California coast, and Mom says I get to go to the beach today! It’s brisk and overcast outside; Mom says it’s fog. I think it feels kinda nice. But before I tell you about the beach, I need to tell you a few things. After I wrote to y’all last night, my Dad gave me a bath in the LHOW’s shower. I guess it wasn’t that bad, and Mom was sure snuggly afterwards, so it was probably worth it.  

 

 

Before the beach, Mom and Dad went for brunch at a place called the Madonna Inn. Boy, was this place a piece of work! I had to stay in the LHOW, but Mom and Dad told me all about it. A man (architect) and woman (interior designer) built it in 1958. Yep, it’s as old as Dad! And nothing has changed since then!! Well, clearly, they didn’t understand the word “moderation” and must have agreed with Dolly Parton, that “too much is never enough!” This place defines Kitschy, and I’ve never used that word before!! There’s no doubt that pink was their favorite color, and they really had a thing for making the restrooms conversation pieces. Check out these pictures! And don’t ask me how mom got the pics of Dad in that crazy cave urinal, but lots of women were doing it…. 

  

 

The bakery had a cake that made Mom’s knees weak. It’s a Champagne Cake. When she saw the pink curled chocolate, she knew exactly what it was. Mom grew up eating them from the Home Bakery in Vallejo, California. She’d have them for birthdays and special occasions. Sometimes she shared a mini one with her beloved Gram. And lots of times, she and her friend, Claire, would stop there and consume crazy amounts of baked calories just because they could. They were really skinny then, so it was ok. It took all the will power she had, but Mom did not get a piece of the cake. Some memories are better left untouched. 

 

 

After brunch, they walked through the beautiful gardens. The flowers mom works so hard to grow at home in Plano, either grow wild here or in huge mounds. Many of them reminded her of her home in Vallejo, where her Dad (my brothers call her Papa) would joyfully spend hours in the garden, planting, weeding, deadheading and harvesting, whistling all the while. I guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree…  So I’m just warning ya, you’re going to see lots of pictures of flowers! 

 

Finally, we got to head to the beach!  Mom was so excited when she caught her first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean! Spooners Cove in Montana de Oro State Park was our destination. They like dogs there, so I got to explore and sniff my way around my first Pacific Coast beach. Mom tricked me with the wave thing….but I’m smarter now. I even walked right into a calm part of water where a river met the ocean. Dad liked skipping stones there too. There were lots of dead sailboat jellyfish on the beach. Dad was afraid they’d hurt my paws if I stepped on them, so we were really careful. They sure are a pretty royal blue though. 

Of course, some kids wanted to pet me. It happens almost every day, and if it’s not a kid, it’s an adult who either has a dachshund or had one at some point. I always try to be gracious after Mom tells me they’re some of the good guys. We walked the whole beach. It was really pretty and very different than anything I’ve ever experienced before. But boy, does that fresh air and wind make a girl tired! 

 

Next we went to cute little Avila Beach. On the way we saw lots of mustard coloring the rolling hills gold. You can see why the area is called Montanas de Oro, Mountains of Gold. We sat on the beach and soaked up the sun while Mom and I wrote and Dad relaxed. It’s really stressful driving the LHOW in small beach towns. Of course, some more cute Little’s wanted to come pet me, so I obliged.

 

 

As we walked back to the LHOW, there was a Farmer’s Market and band playing. Check out the very eclectic folks enjoying the super fun scene! 

 

Well, that’s a wrap on our first day on the California Coast. I’m loving that California Feeling! 

#HopeTravels

#MakingMayoMemories

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