A birthday celebration and lovely evening…With a thoughtful gift for me!…

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Heather’s daughter Hannah sent these lovely flowers with her mom to give to me last night. I’ve never met Hannah and couldn’t believe this thoughtful gesture. Hopefully, soon, I will meet her. Thank you, Hannah!

When Miles got his driver’s license on his 16th birthday yesterday, it was fun to celebrate his special day at Pizza Luce last night. He couldn’t have been more excited; seven of us shared his enthusiasm at dinner. The food was good, the ambiance was festive, and it was fun to be with family again.

Heather walked in the door holding the above flowers, and I said, “How thoughtful to give flowers to Miles on his birthday!” Heather giggled, “These aren’t for Miles. They are for you!” I was stymied about why there were flowers for me until she explained they were from her adult daughter Hannah, whom I’d never met, who could not join us at Mother’s Day brunch on Sunday.

I couldn’t get Hannah’s number quickly enough to thank her for her thoughtfulness, especially when she hadn’t met me yet. We both feel fortunate, along with Greg, to have Heather in our family with her four children and our six grandchildren in Minnesota.

There’s no doubt in my mind that being away all these years has only accelerated the appreciation of our family members. When we lived in the US almost 12 years ago, we loved and appreciated our family. But there is an added element of appreciating how much our kids, grandchildren, and now Heather’s family mean to us, having been away for so long.

We are so happy that Greg and Heather have found one another and brought their total seven children into their love equation. We’ve been busy seeing everyone since we arrived here last Wednesday and look forward to many more get-togethers over the next few months until we head to Cleveland.

In about 30 minutes this morning, we leave to go to a highly reviewed physical therapy clinic only a few miles from here. I am struggling to be mobile right now, most likely due to my heart condition, and I need some help improving my mobility. My exercise regime wasn’t sufficient enough to affect a change, and I’m willing to admit defeat and accept professional help.

I must improve my strength and mobility before I have the surgery. Right now, I am having trouble getting up out of a chair or out of bed. My walking is difficult and unsteady. Indeed, if I don’t do something right now, I could fall, and that could be a fiasco. We have so many plans over the next few months, and I want to be able to participate in all the activities with family and friends.

Tomorrow, I will report what I’ve discovered at this morning’s assessment. We have no plans tonight, and after the appointment, we’ll head to the market to pick up a few items for tonight’s and tomorrow’s dinner. We try to avoid dining out every night, not only due to huge portions and also not knowing what’s in the food but also to save a little.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 14, 2014:

This creative display is so Morocco, with brilliant colors that are beautifully presented. For more photos, please click here.

A lovely Mother’s Day and into the evening…Thanks for all the warm wishes!…

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A gorgeous pink rose in the garden at our new Campanario, Madeira (Spain) location.

Somehow, Greg and Heather found a lovely restaurant for Sunday’s Mother’s Day Brunch at Cosmos Restaurant in the Lofton Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, close to the Target Center. With all the bad press about downtown Minneapolis being dangerous these days, this location was safe, and we felt comfortable.

The beautiful location had ample seating and no waiting, which is odd for Mother’s Day, as waiting to be seated and served on this busy day can be tedious. The food was fresh, hot, and well prepared, and our table for eight worked out well. In attendance were Tom and I, Greg, Maisie, 17, and Miles,16, whose birthday is today (Madighan was at work), Heather and two of her four children, Megan, 15, and her son, Doug, 23.

The time went quickly, and before we knew it, the brunch ended, and Tom and I were on our way back to the hotel with no plans for the remainder of the day. We arrived at 1:00 pm after stopping and picking up a Chicken Bowl from Chipotle (not as good as I remember) for me for dinner. Tom had Panera Chicken Wild Rice soup that he heated in the microwave in the hotel’s kitchen on the main floor, along with plenty of crackers.

In no time, evening rolled in, and we had dinner and streamed a few movies while settling in for the night. It was all pleasant and relaxing after several busy days in a row. We’ll celebrate Miles’ 16th birthday at dinner at Pizza Luca, a short walk across the hotel parking lot. Today, Miles goes for his driving test and hopefully passes, adding all the more cause for celebration.

This morning at 8:00 am, we headed downstairs for the included breakfast at the hotel. It’s not a big deal breakfast as is the case for most included breakfast at any hotel, usually consisting of premade scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausages, cereal, fruit, coffee, and tea. Fortunately, they have hard-boiled eggs, and I don’t eat premade scrambled eggs since they contain wheat and chemicals.

Dining out frequently creates a few issues for me, but I always find something suitable for my way of eating. Tonight at Pizza Luce, it’s easy when they serve gluten-free meatballs with sugar-free sauce topped with mozzarella. I love this dish and often order it when we go there for dinner.

This morning, I called a well-known physical therapy clinic nearby to see if my insurance would pay for services. Lately, as my heart issues have escalated, I’ve had more difficulty walking and using my arms. As much as I try to exercise on my own, I need professional help and monitoring to build my strength for surgery over the next three months.

I am waiting to hear back from them after they check with my Medicare and Plan G to ensure I am covered. If I can build my strength and stamina before the surgery, I will do better after it’s over. We’ll see how this goes.

In the interim, we should get a call back for an appointment with Costco’s Hearing Aid Center for Tom. He’s finally decided to buy correctly adjusted and fitted hearing aids when his hearing has worsened over the past few years. It will be great for him and for me to have a conversation with him without raising my voice. If he can’t read my lips, he can’t tell what I am saying.

That’s it for today, dear readers. Thank you for countless and thoughtful Mother’s Day wishes from many readers, family, and friends. I am very grateful.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 13, 2014:

We couldn’t imagine that tourists would visit during the peak of summer due to the heat. For more photos, please click here.

Happy Mother’s Day to all!…We’re off to brunch with the family…

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Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and grandmas!

This morning, we’re rushing to get out the door to go to Mother’s Day brunch at a fabulous restaurant downtown Minneapolis, Cosmos, with Greg, our three grandchildren, Heather, and two of her children, whom we’ll meet for the first time. We would have been just as content to go to a Perkins or other casual restaurant, but on this day, it would be impossible to get a table without waiting for an hour or more in the crowded lobby area.

I am making this a short post since we’ll have to get out the door in about 20 minutes to arrive at the venue for the 10:45 reservation. Parking downtown will be at a premium, so we want to ensure we arrive on time.

Since we arrived here last Wednesday evening, we have been busy every day and evening with family and have had a great time. Knowing this will continue over the next few months, making the time pass more quickly until my upcoming appointments at Cleveland Clinic on August 28, gives me peace of mind while we both thoroughly enjoy ourselves.

We thought last night would be quiet, spending time in the hotel room while we munched on items we’d purchased at the grocery store for light meals when we didn’t feel like dining out. This hotel room has a refrigerator but not a microwave or stove. However, we can use the microwave in the main floor kitchen whenever we’d like.

As we settled in for the evening, Tom noticed a message from nephew Kevin asking if we wanted to come to Mary and Eugene’s home to play cards. We jumped at the chance, and by 4:00 pm, after stopping for food to bring, we were situated at their table, ready to begin playing Buck Euchre. We had a great time and returned to the hotel by 11:00 pm.

We move to another nearby hotel with a kitchen on May 23. We’ll decide whether to stay there through the long wait or return here during that period. The determining factor will be determining how important a kitchen is to us. We like this Hyatt hotel but will try a Residence Inn until June 11. We shall see how it goes.

It’s time for us to head out. We’ll be back tomorrow with more.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 12, 2014:

The jewelry prices were very reasonable in the souk in Marrakesh, Morocco. For more photos, please click here.

Busy and fun times…

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The two of us were in front of the “White Mosque” in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in May 2014.

Gosh, we are having a great time! Not only have we loved time spent with family in these few short days since our arrival, but we met a lovely couple at the hotel with whom we’ve had breakfast the past three mornings, who left to return to Wisconsin.

We were contemplating what we’d do tonight, and then Tom’s nephew and friend Kevin contacted us to ask if we’d like to come to Mary’s and Eugene’s home to play Buck Euchre. Of course, we said a resounding “yes!”. This will be reminiscent of the month we just spent in Apache Junction playing cards day after day, night after night, with the same group of Tom’s family members, now that everyone is back here.

On our way to Mary and Eugene’s home in Andover, another 45-minute drive, we’ll stop and get some prepared food trays to bring since these get-togethers are often more about snack foods rather than big multi-item dinners. Everyone usually brings snacks to share, which essentially proves to be equivalent to a full meal. We already have my light white wine to bring, and Tom has his beverages of choice.

As it turned out, Tom’s sister Rita, who visited Apache Junction while we were all still there, has been in hospital in Rapid City, South Dakota, for several days after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis shortly after she returned from Arizona. It was “touch and go” for Rita during the first 48 hours. However, she has turned the corner and is now on the mend.

This condition is highly contagious, and the incubation period was as long as 11 days, which constituted the last time we were all together. Thank God, none of us “caught” it from Rita, and all is well.

We’ve been very busy since we arrived here on Wednesday. Last night, we met up with more of Tom’s family members at Billy’s Bar and Grill in Anoka, Minnesota, a 45-minute drive from our hotel. There were 11 of us gathered around make-shift tables, and we enjoyed food and drinks at the festive establishment.

Yes, I know I should have taken photos, but the lively and animated conversations kept me distracted and made me forget about taking photos. I know this happens a lot, but our entire lives aren’t always played out online in photos unless we travel to interesting and exotic places. Hopefully, those days will come again some time in the future. Only time will tell.

This morning, Tom headed to the bank to get cash for playing cards and a birthday gift for my grandson, Miles, whose birthday is on Monday. While he was at the bank, they sent me a code to authorize the transaction since the account has my phone number number. Tom can’t ever remember our phone numbers, so he was delayed in getting the cash.

I’ve encouraged Tom to memorize both of our numbers and turn off “Do Not Disturb” on his phone each morning, especially while we’re in Minnesota when family and friends are attempting to reach us.  If he doesn’t turn on “Do Not Disturb” when we go to bed, his phone invariably wakes me up during the night. I am a light sleeper and when startled by the phone, have a hard time going back to sleep.

Tomorrow, Mother’s Day, we’re going to brunch with Greg, and our three grandchildren and Greg’s girlfriend Heather and two of her children. It will be fun to meet Heather’s children and spend more time with our grandkids.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 11, 2014:

Roses grown in Morocco are beautiful in the spring. (Previously posted). For more photos, please click here.

Cleveland Clinic update… Fantastic evening with my son Greg and family…

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My 17-year-old granddaughter Maisie and I were at the Children’s Theater last night.

While we were on the challenging road trip from California to Minnesota, I received a notice for a few bills for upcoming tests and cardiology appointments in MyChart, which had been set up for me weeks ago without any recent updates.

When I called CC’s billing department, they advised me to ignore the bills since my Medicare and Plan G supplement would cover them 100%. It was a relief to see my new insurance plans doing their job.

When I hung up and looked further into the bills, I noticed the appointment date of August 28, over three months from now. Then I returned to MyChart to see if I was booked for three appointments on said date, starting at 12:45 pm, including tests and consultations.

I sighed in relief, seeing the appointments in place. Little did I know this was how I would be informed about upcoming appointments at the prestigious facility via My Chart rather than a call or email. Nonetheless, I was relieved. How I found out is irrelevant. The fact I have the appointments is of the utmost importance.

You may ask why the appointments are so far out when my Mitral and Tricuspid valves are severely regurgitating. Isn’t this an emergency? They take cases based on when they were requested and how urgent the cases are. I am still walking around and not in the hospital. Many patients are already in hospital, have had heart attacks or strokes, or are bedridden at home. These cases would supersede the urgency of my case.

I will continue to watch for potentially dangerous symptoms, like shortness of breath, swollen legs and ankles, and chest pain, none of which I have right now. Sure, I feel like a walking time bomb, but I can almost function somewhat normally. My biggest issue is my inability to walk since my legs and my arms feel like lead, a sign of poor blood flow to the extremities.

However, I will wait with determination and a positive attitude, making every attempt to live generally over the next three months. Tom is very helpful and supportive, as are family members and friends. No doubt, time will pass quickly while we keep busy with social events and time spent with those we love.

Speaking of “those we love,” last night, at 5:30, Greg and the kids picked me up to go out to dinner at Champs and then off to downtown Minneapolis to the Art Institute’s Children’s Theater, where the musical. “Frog and Toad” was being performed. What a delightful musical! It was full of humor, great singing and dancing, and excellent acting. It couldn’t have been more fun.

My grandkids, as did Greg and his girlfriend Heather, were stuck by my side and joined us at the theater. My 17-year-old granddaughter Maisie, shown in the above photo with me, was a constant joy, as were Madighan and Miles. How lucky I am to have them.

Tom got together with his son TJ and had a great time visiting with him, as always. We both ended up back at the hotel around 9:30 pm, and shortly after, I went to bed for another great night’s sleep. Tom didn’t join me until about 11:30 when I was already sound asleep. Today, I feel good.

At 3:30 today, we’ll be at Billy’s Bar and Grill in Anoka, a 45-minute drive, to meet with his sisters and other family members. Billy’s is a weekly tradition in his family; we will join them all each Friday while we are in Minnesota.

Yes, our lives are up in the air, but somehow, we will make it through.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today. May 10. 2014:

Undercover at the ATM area, where there were multiple machines. For more photos, please click here.

We’re finally made it…Quite a challenging road trip…Tomorrow, details of my upcoming appointments at Cleveland Clinic…

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The snowstorm was much worse than shown in this photo as we left Layton, Utah.

We finally made it to Minnesota and arrived at the hotel last night at about 6:00 pm. It was a relief the long and stressful road trip was over after encountering 2½ days of challenging driving during a blizzard in Utah and Wyoming, the longest stretches during the four days of travel.

I tried to take photos during the blizzard but found it impossible during “whiteouts.” I was so busy hanging onto my seat that I couldn’t get a photo through an open window when the wind was blowing at 70 to 80 mph, nor could I get a photo through the windshield, which was covered with snow between each fast swipe.

Numerous accidents along the highway often slowed us down for long stretches, including cars, but more so semi trucks that toppled over in the high winds. What an ordeal. I couldn’t imagine how we’d get through it without being scathed. If we got trapped, we had a big blanket in the SUV, our mugs of Crystal Light iced tea, lemonade, and some protein bars. We were as prepared as we could be.

The Virgin River Gorge in Utah.

But, thank God, we made it through with Tom’s expert driving skills, although at times, I thought he took too many chances and asked him to slow down on several occasions. He was determined to get through it. We had a couple of close calls when vehicles started sliding toward us.

Thank goodness, living in Minnesota most of his life, he had acquired excellent driving skills in inclement weather. But, even for the more expert drivers, driving through this nightmare was a real challenge. After the blizzard, the high winds remained, and more accidents occurred.

Getting out of the SUV to go to the restroom at a petro station or rest area almost blew me away. I hesitated to walk outdoors on the way back to the car. Whew! The winds continued after we arrived in Nebraska but finally died down on the final day.

The Layton Utah Temple is a three-story, nearly 94,000-square-foot structure. It sits on a slope between the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains and the valley floor at 1400 Oak Hills Drive. The sacred structure is the second house of the Lord in Davis County.

We had a great dinner and breakfast with Marylin and Gary in their hometown of Layton, Utah. It was a charming town of 82,000 people with a strong Mormon influence. They drove us to see their new temple and showed us the snowy, peaked mountains surrounding the quaint and charming town.

When we went to dinner at a Mongolian-pot-type restaurant, I proceeded to order a glass of wine, reminded that no alcohol can be served in Utah unless under exceptional circumstances. I ordered an iced tea and forgot about the wine, or lack thereof, in seconds.

In the morning, we met up with them for breakfast and then were on our way. The skies were cloudy, and a light dusting of snow covered the car. An hour after leaving Layton, we were entrenched in what became the most challenging long drive in a blizzard neither of us had experienced, especially for such an extended period. As we read along the way, Wyoming is one of the US’s most deadly locations to travel. We certainly got a taste of that.

As mentioned above, once we reached Nebraska, the blizzard ended, and many miles later, the winds died down, and we could enjoy the remainder of the trip. We drove through Nebraska and Iowa and then entered Minnesota, encountering traffic. The last few hours seemed painstaking.

The Wasatch Mountains, also known as the Wasatch Range, border Layton, Utah, to the east. The Wasatch Range is a 160-mile mountain range from the Utah-Idaho border to central Utah. It’s the western edge of the Rocky Mountains and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region. The Wasatch Mountains are the most prominent landmarks in the area and define the east boundary of Davis County. The mountains are still rising today due to the Wasatch fault, which causes the earth’s crust to shift suddenly. It was beautiful to see.

Since Tom was still full from a massive breakfast at Perkins in Lincoln, Nebraska, he wasn’t hungry for dinner, but I’d only eaten a small omelet and two pieces of Tom’s bacon for breakfast. Nine hours later, I was ready for something for dinner. We walked across the parking lot of our hotel to the Pizza Luce restaurant, where I had an appetizer size of gluten-free meatballs with sauce and mozzarella. Tom ate my garlic toast.

Back at the hotel, I set up the room’s TV to work with the streaming apps on my phone, and we relaxed and watched a few shows until bedtime. We both had an uninterrupted good night’s sleep. This morning, we ate at the hotel “included breakfast” and met a lovely couple our age. We enjoyed a lively conversation with them for over an hour.

Tom headed out the door 30 minutes ago when he noticed a retiree lunch for railroad guys starting at 11:30. He didn’t tell any of them he was coming, and it will be a fun surprise for his old railroad buddies. At around 5:30, my son Greg will pick me up to join them for dinner and a musical at the Minneapolis Children’s Theater after that. All three of my grandchildren and Greg’s lovely girlfriend, Heather, will be attending. It will surely be a pleasant evening.

In the future, we’ll be posting daily as we have in the past. Tomorrow, I will share the details and dates of my appointments at Cleveland Clinic.

I appreciate your patience with the lack of posts in the past few weeks.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 9, 2014:

My friend Joan posted this on Facebook last night, and it caught my eye this morning. So true. For more photos, please click here.

We’re on the move again…Leaving Los Angeles…Heading to Mesquite, Nevada…

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Marisol Cocina Mexicana is a Baja-style cantina at the west end of Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California. It serves authentic Mexican food, including tacos, fajitas, and margaritas, and has views of the Pacific Coastline and Los Angeles. Marisol also has outdoor dining, live music, and rooftop seating.

We are sorry for today’s late post. I decided to write the text on my phone while on the road trip toward Utah and upload photos once we arrived at the Hotel in Mesquite, Nevada, this afternoon.

At the Hotel, I will be better able to post photos using my laptop and upload the entire post at that time. We are glad we planned two days for the road trip to Utah, which is over 700 miles. We didn’t want to make the long drive in one day.

We can only imagine the value of the properties along the beach.

Also, we stopped every few hours to get out of the vehicle and walk. I am wearing compression stockings, a priority with my current heart condition.

We were thrilled to see the Santa Monica Pier. I hadn’t been here since I was a teenager.

Unfortunately, we have to drive back through Las Vegas to access the best roads to Utah. We’ll soon enter Nevada as we make our way to Mesquite, Nevada, where, as mentioned, we will stay tonight.

Palm trees line the boulevard by the Santa Monica Pier, a popular tourist attraction.

We had a great time in LA hanging out with my sister Julie. We laughed, we cried, and we reminisced. Tom kept busy in the hotel room for a few hours each day, enabling Julie and I to catch up. When the three of us were together for meals, the conversation was lively and animated.

Famous buildings line the boulevard, including the famous Georgian Hotel.

At one point, Julie and I went through many of our posts and our busy YouTube channel. It was such fun sharing everything with her in person. She loves animals like I do, making it all the more enjoyable.

Seeing the cousins at yesterday’s lunch at Katella Deli was delightful. Sure, we all looked older but familiar after decades apart. The conversations flowed with ease. The food, ambiance, and service were impeccable. Hopefully, we will see everyone again in the future.

Tom, standing next to a cannon.

However, I don’t know when we’ll return to California. It’s crowded with outrageous traffic, and this morning, we paid $6.50 a gallon for the lowest-priced fuel option. This is the most we have ever paid for fuel anywhere in the world.

Maybe next time, we will meet up with Julie somewhere in the world. Only time will tell.

That’s it for today, dear readers. We will stay in touch along the way.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 3, 2014:

We wrote about losing our friend Lane, who passed away the prior day. Here is a photo of Lane and Peggy and their beloved dog. For the story, please click here.

Sightseeing in California…

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Wen didn’t realize until last night that Julie lives in Brentwood, a famous and popular area of Los Angeles. We noticed these bottle brush plants in the garden in front of her building, where small two-bedroom apartments are valued at over $1,000,000. Wow!

We have to leave to pick up Julie in about 50 minutes, so I will be rushing through today’s post to be able to walk out the door on time. Once we pick her up, we’ll head to a famous deli in Los Alamitos restaurant for the reunion lunch with my cousins whom I haven’t seen in 60 years. There will be eight of us.

On our way to sightseeing in Santa Monica, we noticed this sign for one of the oldest and longest streets in Los Angeles.

Tomorrow, I will report back, hopefully, with photos of the group, keeping in mind that some do not want their photo posted online. I always respect such a request.

After lunch, we’ll head back another 45 minutes to Julie’s place, where we’ll spend the evening. If we get hungry, we’ll order carry-out food to be delivered, have dinner, and do a load of laundry at Julie’s house. With that, we’ll be ready to embark on the next leg of our journey.

One can only imagine the cost of this narrow vacant lot in the expensive area. It appears that construction has begun, or perhaps it has been sitting this way for a while due to the pandemic.

I spoke to Marylin and Gary this morning, and they are looking forward to seeing us in Salt Lake City on May 5 for dinner. We will drive toward their area and find a hotel near the restaurant so that on May 6, we can commence the balance and longest portion of our road trip. It’s odd, but we must return to Las Vegas to drive to Salt Lake City. There is no easier or quicker means of getting there. It feels funny that we’ll be heading back there but will only stay one night before we continue on to Utah the following day.

Santa Monica State Beach is a 3.5-mile-long beach in Los Angeles, California, known for its soft sand, bike trails, and many activities. The beach is located on the edge of Los Angeles and overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

We had fun seeing the Santa Monica Pier, which I hadn’t seen since I lived in California 55 years ago. I was brought up in Long Beach, about an hour from Los Angeles, and I had no desire to return there when it was so long ago, and we don’t have any family or friends there.

We had no interest in embarking on the long walk on the pier since Julie has a severe ankle injury and my walking, well, as you know, isn’t that good. Instead, we took several photos, people watched and reveled in the exciting area. I had a vision of gorgeous people in skimpy clothes on skateboards, as shown in commercials for this area.

Santa Monica State Beach is a 3.5-mile-long beach in Los Angeles, California, known for its soft sand, bike trails, and many activities. The beach is located on the edge of Los Angeles and overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

Ha! That is not the case. They were just like us, ordinary folks in casual well-covered clothing without skateboards; since many tourists were our age, it’s unlikely they’d be on skateboards in bikinis. Nonetheless, the people and the dog watching were exceptional, and I couldn’t help but squeal with delight over everything we saw.

After sightseeing ended, we returned to Brentwood for another fantastic dinner we all thoroughly enjoyed. We dropped Julie off at about 9:00 pm and returned to our nearby hotel. I awoke during the night and had trouble going back to sleep. I try not to think unpleasant thoughts at night, so I watch a few funny videos to pull me back to sleep an hour later.

The best path to the Pier from Downtown is to walk under the historic Santa Monica Pier and Yacht Harbor sign at Ocean and Colorado and down the Pier bridge. If you are on Main Street or coming from hotels and other destinations along Pico, head towards the beach and take Ocean Front Walk.

I awoke this morning well-rested but later than I should have, and thus, I must rush to get today’s post uploaded before we need to leave. Our lunch is scheduled for 11:30, which will require driving in traffic. We’ll see how it goes.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 3, 2014:

A broken egg that I found yesterday in Marrakesh outside the door to our bedroom, most likely a bird egg that fell from the top of a door or a decorative item on the wall. For more photos, please click here.

Los Angeles is another world…The traffic is outrageous!…Fun dinner out with Julie…

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We encountered hundreds of wind turbines as we entered California.

It was a perfect road trip. We decided we’d be OK with burning some data on Google Fi at $10 a gig and would listen to podcasts while on this long road trip, ending in Minnesota around May 10. While here, we won’t listen to any Garage Logic and other podcasts as we do daily and save the episodes for the remainder of the drive across part of the US.

For our friends and readers who live outside the US, here is a map of the country showing how far we’ll be driving from Los Angeles to Minneapolis, with a stop in Salt Lake City.

United States political map

Road trips across the entire US can be made by car in about five days without having to drive 12-hour days. We prefer to drive about six hours daily since I have to be mindful of not getting swollen feet and legs on longer drives due to my heart condition.

Yesterday, we drove for about 6½ hours, and that was plenty. We stopped every few hours to get out of the vehicle and walk around. Plus, we stopped for breakfast at the beginning of our trip and then for fuel partway through.

But the magic of yesterday’s trip was using our new Bluetooth speaker, paired with Tom’s phone, to listen to the podcasts. Tom’s lousy hearing, especially when driving due to road noise, makes it easy for him to hear the podcasts. This made a world of difference to him, and I also enjoyed listening.

The hours flew by, and before we knew it, we checked into our hotel, the Comfort Inn in Santa Monica. We have never booked a Comfort Inn in the past and were concerned it wouldn’t be a good hotel. We didn’t expect much at $216 a night in this expensive area. But it’s OK with comfortable bedding, good parking, and clean rooms and facilities.

The traffic started picking up about one hour before we reached Los Angeles.

After all, this isn’t a “vacation.” This is a part of our daily travels concerning where we’ll rest our heads at night, and although in most cases, it’s lovely locations, hotels such as this are OK from time to time. We slept well and welcomed the larger bathroom and sleeping area over the tiny spaces in Apache Junction, living in a park model.

Fortunately, we could use some credits we’d accumulated with Expedia as VIP members, bringing the cost down by over $250 for the three nights. Dining out for the three of us will run an average of $175 per night. Breakfast is included with our hotel reservation. It’s the usually processed eggs, ham, and a few odds and ends, most of which I don’t eat. I had a small container of cream cheese, a dollop of processed eggs, and a few thin slices of Canadian bacon. That was fine. It will hold us until dinner tonight.

Snow on the mountains in California.

Speaking of dinner, we went to a fantastic restaurant in Brentwood, the Wood Ranch. The only odd thing both Julie and I observed was that the red wine was served too cold for our liking. We asked for room-temperature red wine, but the waiter informed us all the red wine was kept cold. These were good wines. I didn’t understand why they kept them so cold.

The waiter was happy to oblige and swapped our glasses for white wines, which are best chilled, and we were content. The smoky open-fire grilled food was delicious. Tom had the beef brisket with mashed potatoes, beans, and all three buns served at the table, which neither Julie nor I would eat. See the photo below.

These rolls looked and smelled delicious. My guy ate all three of them. He sure likes his bread, doesn’t he?

I failed to take other food photos, but the conversation was lively and animated, and I completely forgot to take food photos. Nonetheless, the meal was divine and well worth the $140 bill for us.

We will try another of Julie’s favorite restaurants closer to the beach tonight. Julie and I will look up menus today and see what works for all three of us. Tomorrow, the “cousins” lunch is in Los Alamitos, about 45 minutes from here in traffic. There will be nine of us.

I’m looking forward to seeing my cousins, whom I have seen in about 60 years. Oh, good grief, I must be old.

Tom will drive Julie and me to her doctor’s appointment at UCLA Medical this morning and pick us up when we’re done. Then, he’ll drop us off at her house, where she and I will stay and chat until he returns to pick us up around 4:00 pm to head to the beach and then dinner. He’ll gladly spend some quiet time alone in the hotel in the afternoon. It will be another good day.

This trip to California will certainly be worth the detour of our route to Minnesota, and of course, seeing my sister after four years is lovely.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 2, 2014:

It was odd to see these blue jeans in the souk. For more photos, please click here.

We are on the move… California or bust…

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Soon, I will replace my phone since the camera isn’t working well.

This morning, shortly after 8, the RAV 4 rental vehicle was loaded with our belongings, and we headed out the door. We were thrilled we got the roomy SUV for our road trip over the next several days with a 3-night stop in California to see my sister Julie. The rental contract for which we paid $1800 continues in Minnesota until May 30, when we will book another car.

We looked at old posts to recall how long it had been since we saw her. It was in November 2019 when she visited Minnesota while we were there.

So much has transpired since then. No doubt we will have plenty of catching up to do. We’ve occasionally chatted on the phone but nothing compares to talking in person.

After a short drive, we stopped for breakfast this morning at a Denny’s. The food was fresh and tasty and quickly we were back on the road.

As of now, on I10, we have 300 more miles to go until we reach our hotel in Santa Monica, a short distance from Julie’s house. We will get settled in our hotel, freshen up, and pick her up for our 6:30 dinner reservation.

We’ve yet to cross the Arizona/California border. We haven’t been on this road since 2013, on our way to San Diego to board our first cruise on Celebrity Century through the Panama Canal. It ended in Florida when we boarded another cruise after staying a few nights with my friend Carol.

That cruise took us to Belize, where we stayed for two and a half months. It was truly in the beginning of our exciting worldwide travels. We had no idea of the adventures that lie ahead of us.

Last evening, we had a lovely dinner at JJ Madison with Colleen and Margie. Afterward, we returned to our place, packed a few more items, streamed a few shows, and headed to bed by 11.

As we travel on this long highway to California we don’t see any exciting photo ops. We are in the Sonoran and soon-to-be Mohave deserts, a barren and mostly uninhabited area of the Southwest.

I continue to scan our surroundings for photo ops and will post anything worthy of posting. We will be back with more tomorrow.

We just entered California with 234 more miles to go.

Be well.

Photo from ten years ago today, May 1, 2014:

These dried fruits and nuts create an eye-appealing display. Most of the nuts are unsalted. On the right is a tray of essential oils, quality undetermined. For more photos, please click here.