One last morning in the San Diego area – we hop on the motorcycle and head back to La Jolla for breakfast at the Sugar and Scribe. It’s right across the street from The Cottage and looked too good to not visit! Irish-inspired food and an amazing looking bakery – I had a croissant egg sandwich and Ashley tried a quiche. Everything was delicious and it’s so nice to have a salad served with breakfast! We enjoyed our breakfasts and coffees before heading back home.

Almost packed up and finally met our neighbors. Wendy was really nice and a delight to chat with – she told us about the company she’s been contracting for over the last four years and it sounds like it might be a great opportunity for us. She had an info pack that she shared with us. We’ll look into it as a possibility to make some money on the road. Additionally, it would allow us to write off all our travel expenses (which, in our case, is basically everything) as work expenses. Interesting possibility that we’ll have to look into further.

Heading out, we drove up to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. It’s a beautiful stretch of land that has been set aside as it was without/before any development. The parking lot was nearly empty so we had our pick of spots. It’s a short walk under the highway to the shore, so we walked over and then down the beach. Spotted some surfers out catching the waves so we sat and watched their attempts for a bit.

Back past the RV we hiked up the road into the reserve, proper. Up the hill we went, exploring every trail that was offered. They were all short and offered fabulous views – not only of the bluffs and vegetation but also of the ocean.

At one point a puff of water caught our attention. After a few moments of watching we confirmed that there were whales! We could see the sprays of water as they breathed out, their backs breaking the surface, and tails as they dove back down. How fun!

The parking lot closes just before dark, so we didn’t get to finish all of the trails in the park before having to leave. We headed back and had plenty of time to navigate out – right into rush hour traffic. The GPS didn’t show much of a difference between traffic on the freeway and on the highway, so we headed north on the 101 for a bit, in the chance that we might find somewhere along the beach to stay the night. No luck, though, since we were on the wrong side of the street to quickly pull over and check out any opportunity that might have come up. Back in Oceanside, we decide to head back to Temecula for the evening. End up beating Bill and Carol home and get to enjoy a delightful supper with them while recounting our adventures over the past few days.

What a full day! On Jennie’s recommendation, we headed north to La Jolla for breakfast, to The Cottage. We had coffee cake as an appetizer with our coffee. It was absolutely delicious and roughly the size of Ashley’s head! Ultra light and fluffy… I chose the lemon ricotta pancakes with blueberries grilled inside and Ashley had a Tuscan omelet with potatoes and a scone on the side. Everything was amazingly delicious… we didn’t stop eating until we basically ran out of food, by which time we were stuffed to the gills.

We had to stroll around for a bit to let everything settle, meandering around the area and checking out shops.

Back at the motorcycle, we headed south, following the shore line down past Mission Bay and on to Coronado “Island”. We went past the bridge and headed out across the peninsula to reach it, passing by the Silver Strand State Beach – wow, is it beautiful! Blue ocean and white sand beach… And it stretched for a couple of miles! It’s easy to see how delightful that would be if the weather were warm, to go hang out during the day, soaking up the sun and playing in the water. Of course, since it was still a tad chilly and the water is definitely not warmed up, I think we spotted about 5 people out there.

Circled around Coronado a couple of times and then headed across the big bridge over to San Diego. Big bridge, large enough that naval ships can pass underneath it.

We meandered downtown, to the Gaslamp distric. Found a parking spot and walked around for a bit. As always, we just aren’t city people and only stopped a couple of places to check them out. Still full from breakfast, we didn’t want anything to eat so no point in checking out restaurants (including the BarleyMash that Bill recommended – a friend of the family is a co-owner). So we hopped on the motorcycle and headed back to the RV. Much quicker trip when you’re going directly there and not meandering around!

Back home we changed cycle types and headed out for a bicycle ride. Went over to Fiesta Island and made two loops around it. Beautiful place to ride and only a few cars to pay attention to. That’s certainly nice! Lots of cyclists and we were passed pretty regularly. We’re partially out of practice (and recovering from a cold) and partially they just ride faster than us! (We aren’t fast, but we are persistent!)

Wrapping up our second loop we head back home. Changing clothes we go for a stroll along the bay, enjoying the view as the sun sets over the water. Can smell a lot of grilling going on – guess we’re finally ready for something to eat. 😀 Fix some skillet veggies for supper, play a game, and then time for bed.

Feeling better still upon waking, so we pack up and head over to Oceanside and then south into San Diego. Aiming for Mission Bay RV Campground. They accept Passport America but no reservations, so we’re not positive that we’ll be able to get a spot. Fortunately, we can and are quickly settled. (Though we have to leave our trailer over in the overflow parking. That’s a wee annoyance, as there’s more than enough space to leave it in our spot since we don’t have a tow vehicle.)

After lunch we hop on the motorcycle and head further south. We circle around Mission Bay itself, tour Fiesta Island, and then head down to the Sunset Cliffs. Beautiful spot along the road to stop and look down into/over the ocean. While there,  Ashley spots a seal in the water.

Back on the road, we continue down the peninsula to the tip of Point Loma – Cabrillo State Marine Reserve. Our National Parks Pass comes in handy at the historic monument and we take a few minutes to wander around and see what there is. Beautiful views across the bay of San Diego and down in to Mexico, a statue of Mr. Cabrillo, and a historic lighthouse. After our quick tour we head back north and toward home – it’s been a chilly ride and we’re ready to warm up.

The steaks are thawed when we return, so Ashley seasons them and puts some vegetables in the oven to roast. Everything turns out absolutely delicious! We relax in front of the TV before bed.

Monday I felt maybe 10%. Spent the day in bed. Ashley made chicken noodle soup from scratch – tasted great to me!

Tuesday I felt better, but still not well enough that I wanted to venture down to San Diego in the RV. Walked down the street for some coffee to get out of the house for a few minutes. Walk was nice.

I woke up feeling not-so-great so after breakfast (omelettes for everyone!) I laid in bed for most of the afternoon. Ashley went shopping with Carol. We had a delicious supper.

Shortly after Bill and Carol headed to the office we hopped on the motorcycle and steered toward IdyllWild, a town in the mountains. Bill helped us plan out a fun route through the country, avoiding the major roads that the GPS tried to send us through.

Wound our way through Wine Country and ended up in Hemet where we stopped to check out the Farmer’s Market. Ashley found a soap/candle maker that she liked and picked up a scented candle for the RV (she’s been wanting one for months now) and we found a hummus/dip vendor that was fabulous. I walked a bit closer just to see what he was offering and he asked if I wanted a sample. Sure! So he gave me one, then another, then another. After the first I was going to get one, it was so tasty. But Ashley was still looking at candles so I was going to wait and let her pick one. And another and another – he gave me at least 7 samples. And they were all amazing! There was a price break at 3 and another at 5 – we would have gotten more than three if we thought they might fit somewhere on the motorcycle. 😀 And then, to top it off, we didn’t have quite enough in cash (the only form of payment he accepted) so we got a further discount. (I felt bad, but I certainly didn’t want to have to choose one to put back!)

On up the mountain we wound – what a fun ride and a fabulous series of views. You can really see all the way through the valley from there!

Into IdyllWild, a little mountain community in the San Jancity mountains. It was beautiful – built into the pine forest on the mountain top. We loved the feeling of being back in the forest, smelling the trees. Wandered around and through town – exploring shops, eating our picnic lunch, and stopping for a coffee. I loved the first art gallery we visited (Singerton Fine Arts) and enjoyed chatting with the painter there. His paintings reminded both of us Lennon’s work (a past art teacher), but more involved and intricate. He included gold flake, inks, and more to give layers of depth to the work.

It’s interesting how differently people are wired, and how obvious it can be. Dan really lights up when he talks about the ocean, about water. Ashley enjoys visiting the beach, but that’s about it. A mountain town set amid the trees and rocks, however, is where she feels most comfortable and really seems most peaceful.

After visiting everywhere that caught our eye we headed back down the road. We wound around and around and eventually made a turn that we remembered from the trip in via the RV. After a few miles, we ran into a traffic jam. We crept along for a bit, skipped a few, and finally decided to detour down a side road. Our random decision worked out perfectly, as we were back on familiar roads after 1/4 of a mile and actually shortened our route.

Back home, we hopped in the Mustang (Ashley was surprised at the rumble when it turned on) and headed over to the Lindsey’s to pick up the RV. It’s been 72 hours so we needed to shuffle around again. Back at the house I hopped in the hot tub for a bit before getting ready for our dinner. Bill and Carol invited Dan, Michelle, and the girls to join us at a Chinese restaurant for the evening! We had a fabulous meal – everything was delicious! They had a huge lazy susan in the middle of the table and so the different dishes were placed on there and just circled around the table for everyone to sample from.

After supper, everyone parted ways. We headed back to the house and after chatting for a bit stumbled off for food-induced slumber.

Ashley went to school with Carol to see Bella receive her student of the month award. Bella was thrilled that Ashley joined for the big day. 😀

Ran for groceries for tonight’s white bean & chicken chili. Put everything together in the crock pot.

We debated heading out to IdylWyld today but decided to save that for tomorrow and just run some errands today. Headed up to the super Target in Murietta to see if they would duplicate Ashley’s prescription from her current glasses so she could get a new pair – they won’t, so she’s going to stick with her current frames. Do need to order some new contacts, however.

Stopped for coffee to plan out a trip to San Diego this weekend – no wifi available, however, so we just spent the time chatting. Then a stop at a yogurt shop for a treat on the way home.

Chili smelled delicious as we walked in the door! Started researching the trip down to San Diego – it’s a short drive but it would be fun to stay right on the beach in the RV and motorcycle into/around town. Lots of campgrounds along the way, but the Reserve America website is frustrating to try and navigate… So still looking at different options.

Bill and Carol called, headed home, so we pause our research. Shortly after they arrive we sit down to eat – everything is delicious! Another delightful evening spent chatting after we finish.

We headed off to Old Town for breakfast. Yesterday Ashley looked at the menus for some different restaurants and EAT Marketplace looked delicious to both of us – so we had to try it! Plus, they do their best to source local food and cook seasonally, which is something that we both appreciate. We loved the feel of the interior and had a hard time deciding what to try. I settled on a breakfast burrito while Ashley tried the fritatta. I think that when it was delivered the lady basically apologized that it was so big, saying that’s not a normal slice. It was very large, but who’s going to complain about that? Everything was delicious!

After finishing breakfast we went to move the motorcycle out of the parking lot and into street parking so that we could walk around the rest of the area…. and realized that I had not only left the key in the ignition but left it turned on. So the battery was pretty darn low. Fortunately, it push started easily, so we hopped on and headed back out to Wine Country to see some new scenery and get the battery charged back up.

Back in Old Town we parked and set off on foot to explore. Checked out some of the shops, thoroughly enjoyed the tea shop.

Soon enough it was time to head back to the house to meet Michelle and the twins. We parked the bike, changed clothes and walked a couple of blocks over to the nearby park. The girls played for a few minutes and then sat shyly behind their mom. Apparently we’re new again and they weren’t having any part of us. 😀

After chatting for a bit all of us walked back up toward the house, to the school to pick up Bella. Once she was out, we went our separate ways to get ready for the afternoon/evening.

As soon as they were ready, Dan, Michelle and the girls came to pick us up and we all headed out to the winery they are members of, Ponte. We had a tasting and really enjoyed ourselves. The wine was good, the scenery was even better, and the family was fabulous. Wrapping up, we headed back to their house for chatting and supper. We had a wonderful time, chatting, dining, and generally just enjoying their company.

As of last night, at least, I think that Dan is now convinced that he should bicycle to/from work and that they should start going camping for vacations. I told them that I’m happy to be a bad influence – we’ll see how well that pans out, both in implementation and enjoyment.

Carol came and picked us up and we visited with her and Bill before heading off to bed.

As per the usual Wednesday schedule, Michelle came by and dropped off the twins with grandma (and us) before walking Bella across the street to preschool. We were new again, so the girls were shy and quiet. It wasn’t long before Michelle was back and we chatted for a bit – making plans for lunch in the afternoon. She recommended a route for our bicycle ride.

We followed her recommendation and headed down the road into Wine Country again. Beautiful scenery, fabulous houses, and long rolling hills. Great way to start off the morning!

I tinkered with the printer for a bit – it’s now online but the computer can’t see it. Hmm… frustrating.

Michelle came back to pick up Bella and we all piled into the Tahoe for a trip over to Old Towne. Aiming for lunch, we head to “The Goat & Vine”. They are ready to seat us immediately, but on a high table with backless stools – that would be a touch nervewracking with the kiddos to keep an eye on so we wait for a table to open up. It ends up being at least 20 minutes, with us sitting on short stools outside (the girls were great) before they are able to squeeze us into a booth in the corner. As we are ordering, Dan happens to run by and waves in the window. He circles back and joins us just as the pizza arrives, so we’re able to eat and chat together. The pizza is fabulous, as is the hummus plate and Dan says his sandwich is also amazing. Michelle and Ashley get a cocktail of some sort that was really good too – pureed pear something or other.

Just a few doors down is a Cuban restaurant – the Havanah Kitchen – where Dan gets a salted latte, Ashley gets a latte, and I order a pour-over. They bring the Chemex to the table and Dan and Michelle are intrigued – having heard about pour-overs but never tried one. Dan was right in his suggestion, it was delicious!

Still having errands to run, Dan and Michelle swap cars and Dan drops us off at the house. We’ve already unhitched the trailer and moved it into the garage, so we’re ready to migrate the RV over to Michelle’s house (there’s a 72 hour limit on parking, officially) but we don’t know where they live so we wait for Bill and Carol to make it home from the office. Once they do, we caravan over to the Lindsey’s.

We get the grand tour (what a lovely house and an amazing patio/pool/jacuzzi!) and then it’s nearly time for supper. Tacos with either fish or chicken, or tortilla soup. I have at least one of everything and it’s all delicious! The fish sounds easy to make, as well, so we’re definitely going to have to add her recipe into our rotation. After dessert the kids put on a dancing show for us and slowly migrate into the living room to watch a movie. Grandma is the closest dozing off so we head on our way for the evening.

After seeing Bill and Carol off to work we hopped on the motorcycle and began wandering toward the ocean. A few miles up the freeway we got off a side road to ride along Lake Elsinore (and bypass the main part of town) before hopping on 74 to wind our way through the mountains and the San Bernardino National Forest. The road was a lot of fun (what twisty mountain road isn’t on the motorcycle) and dropped us off right in the heart of San Juan Capistrano, next to the old mission.

Ashley remembers visiting here when she was younger, but only vaguely. We parked and had lunch at a park across the train tracks. There was a school group playing nearby – they gathered for a train and walked right by us, oblivious that a) they didn’t know us and b) that we were even there. 😀

After lunch we walked around the Los Rios Historic District – many of the cottages there have been turned into businesses. We enjoyed perusing the art co-ops, checking out menues at restaurants, and generally seeing what there was to see. Stopped for coffee at the Hidden House Coffee Roasters. We both got a pour-over and loved the presentation – a little bamboo tray with our mug and a glass beaker with another serving. Walked around the mission perimiter but opted not to go in and tour the grounds.

Back on the bike, we headed out to Dana Point for a bit of an ocean view. We walked about the boardwalk (spotting the restaurant where Ashley first recalls having New York Cheesecake with Don) and sat for a bit to enjoy the view. We heard some seals barking and went over to watch them sunning themselves.

Unfortunately, time to head on back. We headed south on the Pacific Coast Highway, running parallel to the beach for a ways, then hopped on the freeway and on to a highway back over toward Temecula. The highway was busy and running slow. We watched a couple of other bikes split the lanes and finally followed along after sitting through the same stop light for a couple of cycles. (I was too far over between the lanes, sitting, and a motorcycle cop came up behind me and announced through their megaphone, “if you’re not going to split the lanes don’t block it Kentucky” Oops! Ha!  It was dusk when we made it home and cooling down quickly.

Back at the house we started getting supper ready and spent another delightful evening chatting with Bill and Carol.