Day 25: Last Day in Orange

Yesterday I found that our car battery was dead, so we jumped it and it started up again for us a couple of times. Yet, since it was the original battery in the 2005 car I knew it was likely at the end of it's days. I was right. This morning it was dead. So before church I removed the battery and put it in Carol's trunk. After church we stopped at Sears and got a new Diehard. Should be good for the next 8years (or so they claim).

CrossPointe Church in Yorba Linda is doing great. I've been familiar with the church for a number of years, and have preached there a few times in the past. They went through a big trial in the last 3 years, but with a faithful core, new leadership and a renewed vision God is blessing them in greater ways than ever before. The 10AM service (one of three each Sunday) was super. Excellent music, video and Brian's sermon on Elijah was really good. I stole some ideas, too.

Back at "home" I put the new battery in our car, then headed out to lunch with friends Mary Ann and her son Jason Lievanos. Somewhere I had heard about Lucille's BBQ out here and wanted to give it a try. We weren't disappointed! Real Southern food!

One thing that facsinates Gail are the cell tower "trees". Californians put up cell towers and disguise them as trees. That's one in the picture. It's the "tree" in the center.

On Friday we purchased "2 for 1" tickets from Disney that gave us entry into both parks. So today we visited Disney's California Adventure for the first time. It has some very cool rides, including Soarin' Over California, which is a simulated hang gliding trip over the state. They have a ginormous Ferris Wheel that gave panoramic views. If you look at the pics you can see the snow covered San Gabriel Mountains in the background. The small mountain in the center is Disney's "Matterhorn". The other direction we could see Catalina Island off the coast.

After two days in Disney's parks my conclusion is that to really enjoy it to the max you need to be with kids. So next time we will do that.

Back at home, as the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics are now on, I'm finishing off yesterday's burrito from Pancho's and the last slice of banberry pie from Polly's. We've got to pack up tonight because we head out tomorrow. First stop is to see Russ and Michele and Wyatt Poland. Then we head west to pick up the coast highway and north. Don't know where we'll stop tomorrow night.

It's always good for us to come "home" to Orange County. (Gail was at one time a real housewife here) and visit with great friends. But onward we go.

Gail here - We have been truly blessed to attend great church services while we have been gone, but I miss my home church. And I miss my Monday Night Ladies! And I miss my grandbabies! And my kids, and . . . . . .

Day 24: A shopping and eating and rainy day

With a local rainfall of 1.35 inches today it wasn't a day for outdoor activity. Hey, it even hailed a bit this afternoon.

But we both went out to do some shopping and dining. I continued shopping for a couple of hats and found one. He had hoped to find a baseball hat from Orange High School, where I last hurled the horsehide, but none of the local sporting goods stores carried them. Like the good sport that he is, Richard went along. At the mall there was a Sees Candies store. Sees is always a must- stop- at site when in CA. I picked up a couple of boxes of sugar-free peanut brittle - one for Dad and one for me.

Gail and Carol headed to search for a new purse for Gail, but apparently couldn't find the right one.

Relaxing at the Zaz home today has encompassed a jigsaw puzzle for the girls and watching Napoleon Dynamite for me. I'm starting to understand that movie and the true meaning of it's uncommon depth. Flippin' sweet.

Pancho's is a local Mexican restaurant here in Orange. Although it's been around for 30 years or more, we ate there today for just the second time. The generous portions were so great that both of us had to take part of our meals home in a box.

Dessert? Richard, Mario (Richard's son-in-law) and I made a run to Polly's and picked up apple and banberry (banana/strawberry with no sugar added) pies. If only Polly's would expand to the Outer Banks. Going to Polly's for a slice of pie was one of our favorite treats during our first year of marital bliss.



Now we're watching the last night of Olympic competetion. Tomorrow we'll go to CrossPointe Church in Yorba Linda, then after lunch with friends, to Disney's California Adventure for the first time. Don't you wish you lived ten minutes from Disneyland?

Gail here - It has taken me all day today to come down from the high I experienced last night when Elvis sang to me. What a thrill!

Day 23PM: The Magic Kingdom Revisited

Gail was surprised a couple of weeks ago when I said that while in CA I wanted to go to Disneyland. But we haven't been there since our first year of marriage and that was 32 years ago. We've been to the copycat place in Orlando, but that's not the same. The plan was to go tomorrow (Saturday), but the weather forecast is for mucho rain all day. So we spent the afternoon and evening at the happiest place on earth...or so they say.

The rides were fun. Got to do the Indiana Jones ride for the first time and old faithfuls like Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, The Haunted Mansion. Gail insisted on the Jungle Cruise. And the Elvis tribute act was actually very good. Gail screamed with the girls.

Now that I've got that out of my system I'll defer the next trip for when the grandkids are old enough to go with us. It is, after all, primarily a place for kids. Note the picture of the stroller parking spot.

After Disney we went to Polly's Pies, a must visit spot for us whenever we're out here. Polly is always good to us. But we're dead tired!

Day 23AM: Adam and Melissa Hoffman

Adam and Melissa are part of Nags Head Church's Global Missions Team. If you read the church blog you'll find links to Adam's missiological posts there. Both of them are Outer Bankers. Adam is from Colington and was a regular at NHC in his high school days. Melissa is from Hatteras Island. Some of you might remember Adam from his bass playing days with the Christian ska band "One Truth Freedom".

Now they are in Pasadena, CA with the US Center for World Mission. There they work in teaching and training college students about the world's cultures and the need to take the Gospel to every part of the earth. The goal is pretty simple: expose American young people to the world and the need and then send thme out as missionaries.

They drove down from Pasadena this morning and together with our friend Richard we had breakfast at Watsons Drug Store at the Circle in Old Towne Orange. Movie scenes have been filmed there because of it's old time atmosphere. We ate outside and had a great conversation with them.

Old Towne Orange is full of antique stores, so we took some time to browse a couple. Lots of fun in there and things that trigger memories. Antique stores tell a lot of history.

Since tomorrow is supposed to be a rain out here (watch for mud slides from CA on Saturday's news) we're thinking to do Disneyland today. They're open until midnight. What rides shall we do?

Day 22: Reunion

Back in the 70's I spent a total of 35 months living here in Orange, CA. That encompassed a year and a half of high school, the summer after my senior year of high school and the first 14 months of our marriage. (Gail was with me during that last stint...) Not a lot of time but some of the best time in my ever increasing lifetime.

For me those 18 months during 10th and 11th grades were the time God used to do more shaping and molding in my young spiritual life than any other. And the relationships I made then with other kids who were also discovering life in Christ in a very powerful way have been lifelong and deep. So for me to come back here, even almost 40 years later, always sparks memories that bring me great joy.

For Gail and I it was where we spent that first year of marriage that is so crucial. To me, moving to California from VA a week after saying "I do" was like going home. She had never been here before and knew only a couple of people here. And it was far away from the hometown where she had lived her whole life. But she fell in love with it as well and loves to return almost as much as I do.

Tonight we were privileged to gather with a house full of some of those very special people who were such great friends back in the day. We still maintain contact with them via Facebook and email and the occasional visit. It was a lot of fun catching up. Now many of us are grandparents!And there was the openness of sharing what was going on in our lives that can only be shared with people you trust and love. Before we left we had a time of prayer together that was extra special, like the cherry on top of the sundae.

This is what makes the church so powerful in our lives. The relationships represented tonight were forged in a church decades ago. We were brought together by God, most of us as teenagers, and still love to be together. Those kinds of friendships are eternal. That church, that we loved so much no longer exists as a church. But tonight, in a small way, it came back to life. And even though we have all gone different directions and many of us are scattered across the country, the Spirit that united us still lives within us.

It was so good to see them all again. I can't wait for the next time. Tonight was, indeed, dress rehearsal for eternity. Isn't that what every gathering of the church should be?

If only I had remembered to take some pictures!

Gail here - We have been on the road for 3 weeks and the cold weather has followed us everywhere. Today, for the first time, I kicked off my shoes, and sat out in the sun for a few hours. You can sit out in the sun here and not sweat! It was wonderful! Longing for Spring.

Day 21: Coast to coast to coast

After traveling from Yuma, AZ this morning we first caught a glimpse of the Pacific just north of San Diego on I-5. Gail saw it first. We've now visited the Atlantic in Florida, the Gulf in FL, AL, MS and LA and the Pacific here. Coast to coast to coast.

The desert in CA is different than what we saw in AZ. Just west of the Colorado River that forms the boundary between the states are these amazing sand dunes. Think Jockey's Ridge times a hundred (or more). The Imperial Valley has numerous farms, which is impressive in itself since it is desert. I told Gail,"This is where The Real McCoys lived". (Only the boomers will understand.)

The Border Patrol is on the job. I guess we've gone through about 4 check points.

As we got closer to the coast the elevation went from sea level to near over 4,000 ft as we crossed the mountains and descended into the San Diego area. There we met friends Lamar and Teresa Keener from our college days for lunch at Claim Jumpers in La Mesa. The Keeners (that's them with us in the pic) are the publishers of (among other things) the Christian Examiner, a Christian newspaper. And as always (as is my experience) Claim Jumpers puts more food on the plate than I can legally consume. But it was a great Cobb salad.

The drive up from San Diego to Orange was pretty quick. Didn't run in to any real traffic until the last 7 or 8 miles. I'm glad. I've been caught in California freeway traffic when it was gridlocked. But it kept moving and we arrived at our destination and place of rest for the next few days. We're staying with our close friends, Richard and Carol Zazuetta, and hope to see lots of others while we're here. Among those are the Polands, who left Nags Head for CA, and Adam and Melissa Hoffman, who are part of NHC's global missions team, headquartered in Pasadena.

It will be nice to eat some home-cooked meals!!! Thanks Carol.

Gail here - I love this country! I have loved watching the landscape change everytime we travel. The desert is absolutely beautiful (in the winter). I would not want to visit in the summer. - Gail

Day 20B: Pics

Day 20:Old Tucson and 3:10 to Yuma

"Old Tucson" is a western movie set where tons of movies and western TV shows have been filmed. Four John Wayne movies were shot there, including one of my favorites, "McClintock!". Scenes from Tombstone and The Three Amigos, The Outlaw Josie Wales.... Episodes of Bonanza, Gunsmoke, the "Minnesota" episodes of Little House on the Prairie and all of The High Chapparal came from Old Tucson's streets. It's open to the public and is really quite interesting. All the great movie cowboys either died in the streets or rode off into the sunset there.

The better part of our day was there. Lots of fun! I got "volunteered" to participate in one of their skits, enabling me to show off my bass drum skills honed 40 years ago in band. (Pictures tomorrow. The camera got left in the car and I'm not going back out for it.)

Just up the road from Old Tucson is the western half of the Sagauro National Park and the Sonora Desert Museum. There we walked through lots of desert fauna and wildlife. We're still so impressed with the beauty of the Arizona desert. Thankfully today was sunny and pleasant.

Late in the afternoon we made our way to Yuma, our last stop before California, which is just about 2 miles from our motel. Maybe we'll sleep in a bit longer since as soon as we cross the Colorado River we'll gain an hour and be on Pacific time. Plans are to eat lunch with friends in San Diego, then run up the Santa Ana Freeway to Orange, where we'll be staying with friends through the weekend.

While in Orange I'll be shopping for a new set of tires!

PS - Gail here. I think everyone has things and places that they would like to see/do during their lifetime. I'm getting to see a lot during our trip. But I always wanted to see the huge cactus that look like people, with arms. During the past 3 days, I have seen thousands of them, they just fascinate me! - Gail

Day 19: Gunfight at the OK Corral

As I was enjoying a cup of coffee and reading the paper in the motel lobby at 7AM (I go there to let Sleeping Beauty continue) a man was hoping to catch a taxi to take him up the road a couple of miles where he could catch the Greyhound bus. Seems his wife left him here (I didn't ask). The desk clerk dialed the numbers of both cab companies. One was disconnected. The other said, "Call back later". So I offered to give him a lift and he was happy to accept it. See what you miss by sleeping in?

We drove 23 miles to Tombstone, "The town too tough to die". Lots of great history there. Established as a mining boom town in the late 1870's, with all the trappings and corruption of a wild west town. Of course, Tombstone's most famous claim to fame is the gunfight in which the Earp bros and Doc Holliday infamously gunned down some cowboys who had become burrs in their saddles.

The historic district looks similar in some respects to how it might have appeared back in the thrilling days of yesteryear, with wooden sidewalks. The streets have been paved and the brothels are gone. But there are saloons and lots of shops. We visited the old Cochise Co. Courthouse as well as the OK Corral, the Bird Cage Theater, museums of old west stuff and Boot Hill Cemetery.

At the corral they did a supposedly factually accurate re-enactment of the gunfight. The acting was somewhat hokey, but it was entertaining. I met David Bales, the pastor of the Christian Cowboy Church of Tombstone in a shop he owns. He also recommended The Longbranch for lunch. I took a break from Mexican, but not Gail. Can't get enough!

This is also the region where the Apache cheiftains Cochise and Geronimo fought (and lost) trying to save their land.

And did I say it was cold and rainy today? We started out with a sweater and windbreaker, but after lunch traded them in for our winter coats. We should awake to see fresh snow on the peaks around us. And here in Benson we're at 4,000+ elevation. It reminded me of a typical winter day at home.

I love to find little Mexican restaurants where the emphasis is not on the decor but on the food. We found one for dinner tonight and it was muy delicioso. Tomorrow we will check out some natural parks around Tucson then drive to Yuma (a border town where AZ, CA and Mexico come together) for the night. Another deal was found via Priceline. A three diamond room that sells for $125 AAA price online is ours for $50!

PS - Gail here. So, I thought I would add a few comments here and there on the highlight of my day. I got my first Senior Citizen perk several years ago at the bank, when we qualified for the senior checking (50+) It was a stunning, but giddy moment. Now I look for those perks. At the restaurant tonight, I noticed the sign which gave a buy one entree, get 2nd half price on Mondays, to those 55+. Bingo!! But my bubble was burst when we did not qualify, because Rick was 6 months short. Bummer!

Day 18:In the desert you can't remember your name

Cielo Vista Church turned out to be a very great place to worship. We felt right at home there; so much was like NHC. It's a church founded in 1954. The founding pastor, now retired, is still teaching a Sunday school class and was visionary enough to back away and let the next generation lead the church into the 21st century. And they've done so in a great way. Great worship, great message, great facilities. God has been so great to us in allowing us to worship with 3 different churches, all with hearts for mission in their communities. We haven't been disappointed, and frankly that's a pleasant surprise for me.

Before leaving El Paso Gail wanted to drive down to the Rio Grande and look across the river into Mexico. So we did. Not much to say about that.

The drive from El Paso to our present digs in Benson, AZ is just under 300 miles. So after church we drove west, stopping in Las Cruces, NM at Andele for a great Mexican meal. They have a salsa bar where you can pick your own degree of heat. Whenever Mexican food causes me to break out in a sweat it's a good thing.

Not far into NM all traffic is pulled over for a border inspection. We've seen lots of Border Patrol presence the last couple of days.

Once again God didn't disappoint with the scenery He created along I-10. The desert is really a beautiful place. We've seen snow-topped mountains and spent an hour before sunset driving through the Sagauro National Park. One of Gail's desires has been to see these iconic cacti that we think are typical of the Old West. But really they're only to be found here in the Sonoran Desert of AZ and Mexico and in a spot in CA.

Three weeks into the trip we're getting pretty good at finding motel deals. This one might be the best yet - a three diamond Best Western that is really nice for $50/night. Thanks Priceline!

Tomorrow we'll do some more sightseeing (more cacti to see) and go to Tombstone where the OK Corral and Boot Hill Cemetery await. Gail's finding more in the Sonoran area around Tucson she wants to see, so it looks like it will be Wednesday before we arrive in California.

And today we topped the 4000 mark on the odometer.

More pics will be up on FB shortly.

Day 17: Que paso'? El Paso!

The trip from San Antonio to El Paso is over 500 miles, so we got an earlier than usual start for us - 9AM. It was raining for the first hour or so, then overcast for about half of the trip. But as we got into desert the clouds gradually disappeared and gave way to a clear blue sunny sky. It also warmed up nicely. We even turned on the AC in the car.

Driving 500 miles is no fun, but I-10 is fairly quiet and straight. And the changing landscape from the trees and rolling hills of central Texas to the mesas and desert of the southwest gave us great visual entertainment. Dry creek beds and yucca plants, along with cedar bushes and other plant life that thrive in desert climes were abundant. Cattle and horse ranches were plenty, along with some sheep, too. Wind mills on the ranches pump water up from the wells. As we got closer to El Paso we got into Texas oil country and oil wells.

But was most interesting were the hundreds of giant wind mills generating electric power. They were spread out over miles, on top of the mesas. Must be T. Boone Pickens at work.

El Paso is in the extreme SW corner of this gigantic state where Texas, Mexico and New Mexico meet. Across the Rio Grande is Ciudad Juarez. When I was 15 my family made the trip from VA to CA and we stayed in El Paso and spent a day across the river in Mexico. But if you've kept up with the news you know that Juarez is a battleground for Mexican drug cartels and not a safe place. So we'll forego a trip south of the border.

Tomorrow we'll attend Cielo Vista Church, then head west through New Mexico into Arizona.

Since most of the trip was spent in the car, the pics are of some of the scenery. By the way, the speed limit on I-10 for most of the way was 80 MPH! It made for a speedy delivery.

Day 16: The Alamo and River Walk, San Antonio

My first impression of San Antonio is that this would be a great place for a family vacation, rivaling that place in central Florida that seems to be such a magnet. And if not a family vacation, certainly a second honeymoon. There's history (the Alamo and Spanish missions), imagination and eateries (River Walk), and fun (Six Flags and Sea World are here). Just remember I told you so.

The story of the seige of the Alamo has fascinated me since I was a boy. Every man who fought for Texas died, knowing when it started that they would either win (which they knew was all but impossible) or die trying. That's courage and commitment to the max. This is sacred ground to every Texan.

Downtown also includes the River Walk, a scenic river level walk on both sides of the San Antonio River full of shops, restaurants, hotels and businesses. It's pretty cool. We took the boat tour and enjoyed learning about the history of the walk.

With both of us being serious Mexican food lovers and being deep in the heart of Texas we ate Mexican today...twice. I fully expect to eat my fill over the next couple of weeks while out west.

One of the extras today as we were leaving the Alamo was to witness the commissioning ceremony of a young United States Marine and Iraq veteran in front of the old mission. What a great venue to see and hear this member of the few and the proud take his oath to defend our country and watch his wife pin on his bars and see a proud Gunnery Sergeant give him his first salute. Semper Fi!

Tomorrow we're off to El Paso, an 8 hour drive. Then after finding (we hope) a church to worship with we'll continue on to Tucson and Tombstone, AZ.

Hope you're enjoying the Olympics as we are. Have a great weekend!

Day 15:Shalom and Howdy!

Our third week on the road started out with another great IHOP breakfast in Beaumont, TX and ended with us spending the evening watching the Olympics and getting some projects done on our laptops in San Antonio, home of the Alamo. The countryside changed from gator farms and bayous to cattle ranches and rolling hills. We also passed 3,000 miles on the trip.

On the way we stopped in Houston and a visit with Marilyn Dolley's brother Ron Aaronson. We met him at Congregation Beth Messiah, a messianic synagogue (Jews who believe Jesus is their Messiah and who accept the New Testament as God's Word as well as the Old) where he is a rabbi. He's a great guy, and was so excited to show us around their 3 year old facility. It's very nice! NHC could work really well there! Then he took us out for lunch!! BTW, Ron and Marilyn could be twins.

One interesting thing I saw while traveling in I-10 I had never seen before - a bouncing tire going the opposite way off our right shoulder. We were on a stretch that was a bridge about 15' above the ground level. I saw something black come up higher than the side rail of the bridge a couple of times and at first thought it was a bird. Then as I got closer I realized it was a tire bouncing - and a big tire, like off a truck. So I began to look for a truck missing a tire.

A couple of miles down the road we had to exit off the interstate on to the service road. As we got closer we saw a yellow school bus facing the wrong way. Actually it was a "retired" bus (maybe headed to Mexico?) being towed. And it was missing not only a tire, but it's entire front axle was in pieces on the road! I think that solved the mystery of the bouncing tire.

We're in San Antonio for two nights. I found a great deal on a motel room - a suite with a kitchenette (not that we need it) for $34/night in a Quality Inn. Triple A membership has its advantages. Tomorrow we'll see some sites, including the Alamo and the River Walk. While in TX I also want to find some good TX barbecue.

Day 14: Exploring New Orleans, Cajun Country and Texas!

Today we opted to take a bus tour through the city of New Orleans to see some of the historical sites including the French Quarter, the Garden District, Downtown, cemetaries and the Lower 9th Ward where Katrina did the greatest damage.

The city has come a long way since Katrina in '05, but still has a long way to go. Many houses remain either abandoned or in great disrepair and many lots that once had houses are empty where they were destroyed. There is a lot of distrust and bitterness here from the residents toward the government. Essentially they feel abandoned. It was really depressing to see and hear. The Saints winning the Super Bowl has instilled a sense of hope and pride they've missed for the last 4.5 years.

"The Big Easy", if its only identity was Bourbon Street would be better known as "The Big Sleazy". What a moral cesspool. Fortunately there is much more to New Orleans and much to like. I love the local accent, which is much more similar sounding to Queens, NY than to the South. The French Acadian (Cajun and Creole) influence is everywhere, especially in the food! We again ate at Copelands (it was conveniently on our way out of town) and once again had a fabulous meal.

There is also a strong Haitian influence here that includes voodoo. So spiritually New Orleans truly is a dark place.

Leaving late afternoon we had a 5 hour drive to our next stop for the night, Beaumont, Texas. Again we took the "scenic route" on US 90 going through Cajun country. We're in Beaumont, a harbor city where oil is king only for a place to sleep. Tomorrow it's through Houston and on to San Antonio, home of the Alamo for a day or two.

And we're excited to start eating some great Mexican food for the next couple of weeks.

In the pics you'll see a house closed up after Katrina with notes from those who came in the recovery effort. Also check out the beads from Marti Gras hanging from the utility wires and trees. And Gail is helping Fats Domino play the keyboard on Bourbon Street. Don't ask me what's inside Rick's Cabaret. I don't think I want to know.

Today completed our second week on the road! We're over 2500 miles on the Toyota.

Day 13: Mardi Gras! (Fat Tuesday)

I've never had any desire to be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. The whole concept of over-indulgence and the behaviors typically related to it's observance on the day before a "holy" day (Ash Wednesday) turns me off as a Christian....

But, I have to admit, the parades we saw today were a lot of fun. At the least it was a new experience in a very different culture for us. Imagine tens of thousands of people lined up along a main street as hundreds of floats (we saw 3 parades back to back to back) go by. And every float is carrying lots of people who are tossing beads and trinkets to the crowds.

It was a chilly day with a brisk wind. Gail's been trying all day to get warm! But you endured the cold because it was such a unique experience. True, there were a lot of people getting sauced, and by the end of the day some were getting a bit obnoxious. But nothing too bad. And for those who are dying to know, these parades were in a fairly family friendly environment - lots of children present - and no one bared anything.

What is happening tonight in the French Quarter is I'm sure another story!

So we collected hundreds of strands of beads, as did everyone around us. Millions of those things must be given out during Mardi Gras. Saw some interesting, and mostly tacky floats. Heard some pretty good bands. And laughed a lot.

Paul and Jenny South were with us, along with their three kids, Tucker (a Nags Header), Griffin and Ann Claire. It was a lot of fun watching them react to the parade.

We wanted to eat this evening at a place with local flavor, and Gail found a great restaurant. Copelands. It became one of my top five all time places to eat real fast. Crawfish etoufee, shrimp creole, stuffed catfish, and red beans and rice that was so spicy it made Gail break out into a sweat! Plus, they had low carb cheesecake!!!

Tomorrw we're hoping to catch a guided bus tour through some of the historic sites of New Orleans before heading into Texas. Enjoy the pics!