’23 Mar: Road Trip In The Central Coast

I always enjoy this patio in Steve and Celina’s home in the Camarillo Leisure Village.

Bagel and Marley wishing Steve a Happy Happy Birthday!

Sam, Gideon, Celina, Steve

Celina has a plot here in the community garden as well as..

..so many flourishing herbs to go in her FABulous food.

A view from the community center. The whole village is like this – one story houses set in large rolling lawns with all the wires happily underground. There are so many activities available too.

Celina is taking advantage of Tai Chi!

After a lovely night’s sleep I’m off to Paso Robles.

I just found this on the internet and I need to put it here!

“Several unique museums are based in Camarillo, including the Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing’s World War II Aviation Museum, the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, the Pleasant Valley Historical Society Museum and the Adolfo Camarillo Ranch House.”

Susan and Fred living off the grid in Paso Robles in a house They Built.. By Themselves. What?!

And it’s a big house too! Below are some pictures of the great room that is indeed a Great Room! (Hey, SELF, lighten these pictures.)

Susan gathered each of these stones from so many special places and built this labyrinth that we walked on. It’s name is The Santa Rosa Labyrinth and it has a story. You can look it up and google will tell you.

More of the labyrinth.

One of the many special rocks outlining the labyrinth’s paths. All the rocks are special…

They call that small building in the back the pump house. All the solar collections are on the building and on the frame behind it feeding into the batteries inside the pump house that then feed the whole property. Their water is from a well and held in a huge tank, the waste goes to a septic tank, there must be some other off-grid accommodations I’m forgetting right now.

A water feature and The Dog!

Susan sent me home with a crocheted-by-her dish washer and a jar of liquid gold, also made by Susan, to dissolve in water for the garden.

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They call this sunset view from the back patio ‘The Burning Bush’.

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Before we went to the house we did a drive-about in the area.

We visited Kiler Ridge Olive Oil where we had a tasting and enjoyed the views.

An olive wood bowl for sale.

Becky and Jack invited the whole gang up to their beach house in Morro Bay. Ann and Ljubica couldn’t make it and Lourdes is back in Arizona, but the rest of us did!

Marija, Becky, Alicia, Marsha, Maxine, me

Everyone else came on Thursday and left on Sunday but I came on Friday and left on Monday. This is the picture Jack took of everyone on their balcony. Mighty nice view of the iconic Morro Rock. (btw, from what I heard, the Big Event of Thursday was shopping!)

We ate early at a nice place on the bay. We were cozy on the patio surrounded by the forest of heaters.

And after dinner Becky and Jack taught us a card game and lively competition ensued!

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In the morning we ate a big breakfast and then headed out for the Big Event, an electric boat ride around the bay.

Maxine was COLD but three hoodies did the trick!

After the boat ride we all went shopping along the bay, and then went back to the house for a yummy left-overs lunch. And then Marija, Marsha, Alicia, and Maxine went shopping Again up to Cambria. I stayed back with Becky and Jack for a most pleasant and relaxing afternoon.

Alicia, with the help of her sous chefs, made us a beef stew dinner and it was delightful.

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Everyone else was off in the morning and Hazel, Becky, Jack, and I went for a nice walk down by The Rock.

Jack and Hazel the Dog.

For a final delight Becky and I went to a very good concert at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Check it out. 100 voices with a crazy rare 47 men, a full orchestra, a comfortable and welcoming venue. It was fun!