Mount Baldy

This weekend was our second-to-last weekend here.  It's hard to believe, but our weekends in Southern California are sadly coming to a close.  We wanted to use our Universal Studios passes one more time before we left, so yesterday we did just that.  We arrived as the park was opening, so in just half of a day we were able to fit in everything that we missed the first time we went. We were excited that the Studio Tour yesterday took us through the entire backlot (the first time we went there was filming going on, so we were not able to see  New York Street/Metropolitan Area, Brownstone Street, and Courthouse Square).

Today Jodi had a beginners photography class that I (Tim) gave to her for her birthday.  To keep ourselves busy during the 5-hour class, Bogey and I went for a scenic drive and a hike up Mount Baldy, I figured it would only be fair to pay homage to the mountain named after my hairline.  I also thought it would be fantastic to take the "more" scenic route to get to Mount Baldy.  Well, the drive was amazingly scenic and fantastic until Bogey got car sick.  He rode in the car from sea to shining sea, along the Pacific Coast Highway and has never gotten car sick until today.  But to be fair, that was more consistently windy than any road he has previously been on.  Luckily for me, he was not sitting on Jodi's lap as he usual is, and he got over it quickly as it only happened that one time.   

I knew that we didn't have the time or the energy to make the 9.2 mile round-trip to the summit of Mount Baldy.  So instead we hiked the 2.5 miles (one way) and 2050' of elevation gain to the Ski Hut.  The elevation at the Ski Hut is 8210', which is 1854' and 2 miles of hiking below the summit.  Our route took us by San Antonio Falls, which I was surprised to still see running at the end of June.  I was more amazed with the clarity of the water than the waterfall itself, but either way it was very cool to see.  My pictures do not do the waterfall justice so here is a better one by someone who probably attended one of the classes that Jodi attended.  

After 90 minutes of hiking Bogey and I finally made it to the Ski Hut.  There we took a quick break to eat lunch and admire the views.  Due to the heat, Bogey had to take several breaks during our ascent, but I didn't mind the breather.  Before we made our descent, I thought I would check to see if they would allow us to ride the ski lift down the mountain.   I was skeptical, but thought it was worth a shot so I didn't have to carry Bogey when he overheated (well that, and we were a little pressed for time).  The ski lift attendants said "go for it, just put the dog on your lap."  So there I was riding a ski lift down the mountain with Bogey on my lap and a tight grip on his harness.  He sat there looking around, just as still and as calm as ever.  To tell you the truth I was much less calm than Bogey.  I think all six of our legs were glad they were able to rest instead of retracing the 2.5 miles and 2050' of elevation change.  Even with the ride down the mountain, Bogey was so tired that he was asleep before I pulled the car out of our parking spot.  

We have interviews this week with a facility in Las Vegas, for our next assignment.  Depending on how the interviews go, we may have to spend most of our last Southern California weekend in Nevada searching for housing in Vegas.  My vote is for the Cesars Palace Villa from The Hangover, but if Jodi can't get a sig' on her beeper in the house of Ceaser, then it may be out. 

Until next time, here are the rest of the pictures.  

Beaches and Baseball three-peat

We apologize for being a few weeks behind on our postings, we have been on the go, non-stop for the past few weeks.

The 1st weekend in June we went back to Orange to spend the weekend with a college teammate of Tim's (Lawren) and his family.   On Sunday we went to Newport Beach where we ate lunch at the end of the pier and Tim gave surfing a try.  He almost got up a few times, but stopped trying after about 20 minutes because he was too cold to stay in the water without wearing a wet suit.

A few nights later Tim returned to Orange County to see the Rays play the Angels at Angels Stadium with Lawren.  Tim is happy he successfully completed the Southern California MLB trifecta.

The next day we flew to North Carolina to attend Daniel and Rebekah's High School Graduation.  It was great spending time with family and friends throughout the weekend.  We returned from North Carolina on Monday.  Wednesday evening Tim's Aunt Louisa and Cousin Elizabeth came into town for a long weekend of sight seeing in Southern California.  Yesterday we made stops at The Rose Bowl Stadium, The Pasadena Chalk Festival, The LA Farmers Market, and The Santa Monica Pier.  It was so nice to be with family, we had a great time visiting and being tourists with Louisa and Elizabeth.

Here are the rest of the pictures.

Central Coast

The Lone Cypress

We took the long Memorial Day weekend to tour California's Central Coast.  After work on Friday we headed north to Monterey.  Our route took us past James Dean Memorial Junction, (the site of James Dean's fatal car accident).  Before we began touring the Monterey Peninsula Saturday morning, I (Tim) went down the street from our hotel to take pictures of the house where my Aunt and Uncle lived during the 19-early-70's.  My Father also lived in that house, after he decided to turn what was supposed to be a visit into a permanent stay.

Once I returned we loaded up the car and headed into Monterey.   After a quick drive through Cannery Row, we headed to the infamous 17-mile drive at Pebble Beach, where we weaved along the coast, around spectacular golf courses and mansions.  The highlight of the drive for me was obviously stopping at the Pebble Beach Golf Links.  After eating a picnic lunch on the beach of Spanish Bay we got back in the car and headed south to Cambria on the Pacific Coast Highway.  The drive was as amazing as expected, until we came upon a small stretch of the highway (20 miles north of Cambria) which was closed due to a massive rockslide that washed the road into the Pacific. The good news was that only a small portion of the highway was closed, the bad news was that the only detour is 100 miles long.  During this 2-hour detour we quickly learned the Central Coast is as stunningly remote as it is beautiful.  After a full day of taking in some of the most beautiful views and sights that we had ever seen, we finally arrived in Cambria as the sun was setting over the Pacific.

We spent Sunday bundled up walking around the coast and the funky little beach town of Cambria.  Although it was clear and sunny, the high temperature on the coast was only in the 40's but felt much colder as there was a steady 20-30 mph breeze.  Jodi and I both agreed this was the coldest weather we had ever been a part of during Memorial Day Weekend.  We spent the rest of the day touring the former residence of Mr. W.R. Hearst at the Hearst Castle.  Luckily it was a clear day, the views of the coast from the Castle were amazing, and the property itself was not to shabby either.

On our way home on Monday we made a stop at the quaint Danish village of Solvang, which was complete with Danish windmills, shops and bakeries.  After strolling around the town we ended our time there by sharing some of Arnie's Famous Aebleskiver.  Apparently aebleskiver is to Solvang what beignets are to New Orleans (except for no one has ever heard of either Solvang or an aebleskiver).   The line for the Arnie's Famous aebleskiver was down the sidewalk, which is how we found out about these delicious gems.  We figured if everyone was waiting in a long line them, then they had to be a Solvang must do.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the pictures.