Laguna Seca Raceway, Carmel, Ca

The big bike races, aka the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix motorcycle races, are held each summer in Carmel, California. We chose a shade tree at the top of the hill near what is called the corkscrew. The cycles come across the top of the hill about 200 mph and then slow into a curve and go downhill through the corkscrew towards the bottom of the track. We saw several near mishaps. The one in front turned out to be the winner with his teammate behind him.


From the other side of the hill crowds overlook most of the track. We were there in the middle of a heat wave and everyone seemed miserable at times in the middle of the day. One day we spent in the vendor section of the track gathering freebies. Another was spent in the paddock section.

We had paddock passes which allow you to mingle with the riders and their teams. This is where they work on the cycles. The team members have autograph sessions and plenty of freebies and posters are nearby. I am visiting with the Kawasaki team.

Leon did not need a Red Bull energy drink. Just the excitement of being there made him think he had wings.

Behind him is the corkscrew which was in our viewing area. It turned out to be a great experience and we had a wonderful visit with his friends: Bud, Robert, and Rose.


For more photos visit Flickr

Carmel & Pebble Beach, Ca

Carmel lives up to its reputation in my opinion. We walked among the shops, drank morning coffee on the beach, visited the nearby mission, and stopped at Clint Eastwood's Hogsbreath Saloon. For more Carmel photos visit this link.


We especially enjoyed the nearby 17 mile drive at Pebble Beach. Pebble Beach is filled with high dollar homes and golf courses but the designated route leads you past wildlife, oceanside, and tourists. We watched golfers while eating lunch at Poppy Hills Golf Course after wading in the ocean.


On one portion of the drive there is an abundance of Monterey Cypress, windswept by time and the ocean breezes, with cottages nestled underneath.

All along 17 mile drive there were places to stop whether for a walk, to watch some golfers, to enjoy the view of or wade in the ocean, or to perhaps watch a seal climb up on a rock among hundreds of birds. We watched the sea lions manipulate their way to the beach for some sunning and an afternoon nap. It just seemed to be that time of day. More photos

Monterey, Ca

In mid July we traveled north to Carmel Valley, California where we stayed with Robert and Rose. Not far away is Monterey, an old fishing port that was once famous for its sardine industry. It is also the subject of John Steinbeck's book Cannery Row. The more modern Monterey was much to our liking. We strolled the streets, watched the aquatic activity in the bay, dined, snacked, and soaked up the sun.


One of the old sardine factories has been converted to an aquarium with some excellent displays. There are more
photos on Flickr

Tehachapi, Ca

We spent most of the summer in Stallion Springs, a fast growing small community about 15 minutes from Tehachapi. The summer breezes and cool summer nights make this an exceptional place for the hot summer months.


Tehachapi sits at about 4000 feet in the Tehachapi Mountains at the western edge of the Mojave Desert. The wind provides a great resource as evidenced by the wind turbines that dot the countryside. Only 45 minutes down the mountain and we are in Bakersfield where Leon grew up.


Tehachapi is rapidly changing from a small town where apple orchards were abundant. The orchards open in late summer and sell their prize product to the public.


Sunsets from Stallion Springs Drive were usually awesome but during the late summer fire on the Grapevine south of Bakersfield sunset took on an amazing appearance with all of the heavy smoke in the air.

For more photos of Tehachapi visit this link.

Palmdale, Ca

On July 1 we went to the desert west of Los Angeles near Palmdale. Here we parked at Alex and Mindy's house in the midst of many riding trails. We spent a few days stirring up the dust and visiting.

Leon's grandsons, Gunnar and Blade, spent hours riding, when they weren't in the house playing computer games.

Four Corners, Co

We left Cortez, Colorado on June 18 and continued west to California taking the backroads before we connected with the interstate. We couldn't resist a stop at Four Corners, if for no other reason than to see what was there.


Leon found the common point of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah interesting. But he also couldn't resist trying the Indian taco. We continued on 160 before connecting with Interstate 40. We were in the monument valley area and observed many of the giant rock formations along the road.

Cortez, CO

We left Arkansas in mid June heading to California with a planned stop in Cortez, Colorado. We were not on I 40 long before we opted for the back roads. Our first stop was at Boiling Springs State Park near Woodward, Oklahoma. It was a nice campground with a bike trail that we couldn't resist. From there we took the mountain route into New Mexico and enjoyed camping along the Red River at June Bug Campground near Red River, NM. It wasn't long before I was alongside the Red River with fly rod in hand.

We stopped in Cortez to visit with Leon's high school chum, Greg, and his wife Elaine. They showed us one fine time.

We accompanied Elaine, Greg, and their friends Sherman and Diane on this 66 mile ride in the San Juan National Forest north of Cortez.


The scenery in the mountains north of Cortez was absolutely awesome. We couldn't have found a better place to ride the quad or better people to ride with.

On June 15 the fab four packed a picnic and went to Mesa Verde National Park for the day. We learned about kivas, pithouses, monoliths and the culture of the Ancestral Puebloans, the politically correct term for the Indians that were called Anasazi.

We explored the Spruce House and some of the smaller sites and stopped at many of the overlooks viewing the abundant ruins along Chapin Mesa Road.

At the overlooks you could view many of the ruins across the canyon floor. Some are open for tours; others are not.


We took another day trip with the quads; this time to the canyonlands area west of Cortez. The scenery was quite different from our mountain ride but equally as interesting.

How excited we were to look across the river and spot our own ancient ruins.

It called for further investigation so through the river we went. Elaine loves to splash through mud puddles but sometimes she prefers to wade through the deeper waters!

No sooner had we crossed back through the river than Leon looked back and spotted another ruin. And again we had to take a closer look. We could only imagine what these ruins would look like if they were excavated.

We were obviously on a rarely traveled path. Greg led the way back to the road.


This ride was as close to a roller coaster ride as I care to get. It was another great day. You can see more photos of our Colorado trip.

Hot Springs, AR

Between trips we managed to spend several weeks in Hot Springs, Susan's home. This was Leon's first introduction to Bill Clinton's hometown. So of course he saw Bill's school, childhood barber shop, neighborhood hamburger joint, school, home, etc. Why even a trip to Little Rock was in order where we drove by the Presidential Museum. My daughter Kay and I had to catch up on phone calls while going to lunch at the River Walk alongside the Arkansas River.

Hot Springs is fortunate to have 3 man-made lakes that encircle the city along the Ouachita River. Here is a view of Lake Ouachita from the picnic spot on Hickory Nut Mountain.

We made several jaunts to the old down town where I enjoyed sharing some of the history of this well-known resort town and it's intriguing past. We once "bathed the world" and then took their money in gambling houses, auction houses, and even houses of ill repute! Since the 1960s when illegal gambling came to a halt, Hot Springs has become more of a family resort.

Leon is wading the creek below the falls on Falls Branch Trail at Lake Catherine State Park. We also hiked almost every trail on North Mountain.

Before leaving town on June 10 Leon and Kay shared a birthday cake while my son Jeff, sister Mary, and son-in-law John looked on. We were delighted that Leon's friend Bud showed up for a short visit also.

Then we stayed one more day when we learned Klara and Robert would be in town. So we celebrated with a meal at Back Porch Grill.

More photos: Hot Springs

Branson, MO

The scenery of the area around Branson and southern Missouri is alone worth the trip. This is the dam that holds back Table Rock Lake. Bull Shoals Lake is also located here. We stayed at the SKP campground, Turkey Creek RV Village, in Hollister. We were glad we went in mid May before the summer traffic jams began.


The Oak Ridge Boys put on a really fine show and we had gotten excellent seats. We liked to start the morning with a hike. After the first show we would find ourselves at the Outback Pub waiting for the next show of the day!


We enjoyed several shows in the four days we were in Branson. One of our favorites was Jim Stafford. We also saw Charro, Glen Campbell, Shoji Tubuchi, and the Oak Ridge Boys. The opulence of the bathrooms at Shoji Tubuchi was quite a surprise.


We hiked several of the trails located in Branson. The Lakeside Forest Wilderness Area was just blocks from the hustle and bustle of the center of town and yet quiet and secluded. There we hiked down 315 steps to the river and then made the steep climb back up the hill (315 more steps).
Another enjoyable hike is this one alongside the stream below Table Rock Dam.
More Photos: Branson

Fayetteville, AR

On May 12 we traveled to Fayetteville in the northwest corner of Arkansas to share in the celebration as Susan's daughter was receiving her master's degree from the University of Arkansas. It seemed that John had also earned his through his patience and help.


As Leon would learn later, Razorback fans love their hogs and this was just his first introduction to hog heaven. He was lucky enough to be back in Arkansas for the majority of football season, at least after USC pounded the hogs in their first football game.


We stayed at nephew Will's house. Here Susan, Kay and Will get in a little visiting time on the square.


This was a fine opportunity for Gracie and Breck to throw a party for Kay and friends in their Fayetteville home.

Memphis, Tn

On the way back to Arkansas from Alabama seemed the opportune time to stop in Memphis, Tennessee and visit Graceland.


This turned out to be an excellent tour and well worth the price. This is the music room just inside the front door. The interior of the house made you feel like you had stepped back into the 50s.


From Graceland a visit to Beale Steet, the street of B.B.King fame, was in order. Musicians strolled the streets with their instruments heading to work .. or play. We also took the trolley ride that runs through the old part of town.


Then it was time to wander over to the Peabody Hotel and check on the ducks. We just missed their parade across the red carpet that runs between the fountain and elevator that takes them to their penthouse home.

What a way to end the day while I reminisced about old times spent in Memphis. We drove back down to Tunica, Mississippi where we spent several nights at the various casinos and took advantage of their "free campgrounds."