Foy
Resident Geologist
While we didn't spend a single night outside of the Hampton Inn Channel Islands Harbor, we did manage to put 800 miles on our specially-prepared Chrysler Town and Country minivan as we got out and about In the Port Hueneme, Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Mountains, and San Rafael Mountains, with a quick drive across the southernmost tip of the Valley and up and over Tejon Pass.
Restricted to day-tripping while visiting our son just before his deployment, we took a day-trip out to Santa Cruz Island and got in a pair of loop trail hikes. We'll definitely return there with camping gear in order to get more miles in during a day, as the boat ride out and back only allowed us about 5 hours on the island. What a neat place.
Took the knarly (well, for a minivan) drive up to San Marcos Pass, thence across the Camino del Cielo to a point above Carpentiera, then down the gravel road into the Santa Ynez River Canyon, finally reaching Big Caliente Hot Springs after a 2.5 hour slog from Oxnard. The waters were terrific and we much enjoyed the drive out and back. Came down Gibraltar Rd to Santa Barbara/Montecito on the return trip. We're still a bit annoyed Oprah didn't return our calls--we drove right past her house!
Drove up though Ojai on CA 33 and over the Pine Mountain summit and down the other side. Wanted to run up to the Wallace Creek site along the San Andreas Fault but time was running short, so we went through Maricopa to I-5, then up and over Tejon Pass ("The Grapevine"?), with what appeared to be half the population of the state on Monday afternoon. Should have known better, I know. Great drive, though, with lots of great scenery and not one, but two CHP chases of crotch-rocket bikers along CA 33 to spice things up.
To avoid the joys of US 101 from Ventura to Bob Hope Airport in Burbank yesterday morning, we took CA 34 to CA 118 and thus enjoyed another nice drive through farm country.
One of these days, I'll have to get the truck and camper out there. We did see a couple of you WTW-ers rigs along Ocean Rd in Oxnard while out walking in the early mornings.
Thanks for all of the advice for things to see and places to go. Ventura County and Santa Barbara County are nice places to visit. I don't think I'd enjoy LA County very much. We had a fairly banzai drive from Bob Hope out US 101 on the night of our arrival--at 10:00pm, no less. Seems like it never quits along there.
Oh, and if anyone's in the market for a used minivan from the Fox Rent-a-Car fleet, avoid the blue ones.
Foy
Restricted to day-tripping while visiting our son just before his deployment, we took a day-trip out to Santa Cruz Island and got in a pair of loop trail hikes. We'll definitely return there with camping gear in order to get more miles in during a day, as the boat ride out and back only allowed us about 5 hours on the island. What a neat place.
Took the knarly (well, for a minivan) drive up to San Marcos Pass, thence across the Camino del Cielo to a point above Carpentiera, then down the gravel road into the Santa Ynez River Canyon, finally reaching Big Caliente Hot Springs after a 2.5 hour slog from Oxnard. The waters were terrific and we much enjoyed the drive out and back. Came down Gibraltar Rd to Santa Barbara/Montecito on the return trip. We're still a bit annoyed Oprah didn't return our calls--we drove right past her house!
Drove up though Ojai on CA 33 and over the Pine Mountain summit and down the other side. Wanted to run up to the Wallace Creek site along the San Andreas Fault but time was running short, so we went through Maricopa to I-5, then up and over Tejon Pass ("The Grapevine"?), with what appeared to be half the population of the state on Monday afternoon. Should have known better, I know. Great drive, though, with lots of great scenery and not one, but two CHP chases of crotch-rocket bikers along CA 33 to spice things up.
To avoid the joys of US 101 from Ventura to Bob Hope Airport in Burbank yesterday morning, we took CA 34 to CA 118 and thus enjoyed another nice drive through farm country.
One of these days, I'll have to get the truck and camper out there. We did see a couple of you WTW-ers rigs along Ocean Rd in Oxnard while out walking in the early mornings.
Thanks for all of the advice for things to see and places to go. Ventura County and Santa Barbara County are nice places to visit. I don't think I'd enjoy LA County very much. We had a fairly banzai drive from Bob Hope out US 101 on the night of our arrival--at 10:00pm, no less. Seems like it never quits along there.
Oh, and if anyone's in the market for a used minivan from the Fox Rent-a-Car fleet, avoid the blue ones.
Foy