Spring and shots are coming...start planning forward....

California here we come….

It was May and Arizona is still beautiful, but we needed to do a road trip. Time to head west to California and take in the sights along the way.

Many friends had told us about Oatman, Arizona with the donkeys owning the streets…heading along I40 I saw the sign that says, Route 66 Oatman. That must be the turn…yes it works but let me not recommend that road. I decided I would drive down the middle and if another car came then move over. Road was right next to the cliff but once we got into Oatman I found that we could leave the other direction which took us into Laughlin, Nevada to spend the night.

I am not a fond person of casinos…I really have a hard time sitting still. We did stay at the Golden Nugget and experienced their Chicken Pot Pie which was one of the tastiest I have ever had!

The next day we drove to Camarillo, California which would become our homebase for the next 5 days. We checked into the Residence Inn and along with their breakfast enjoyed having this place for our homestay. Curly took a rest and I went and toured the Camarillo Ranch House.

The home and the grounds are beautiful and today it is used for touring, weddings, etc.

There are a few special things that Curly appreciates on the agenda when we travel. The number one is fine dining and the second is too. Our first stop was in Oxnard, California at the Tierra Sur At Herzog Wine Cellar. The next day we explored more of Camarillo and stopped for a Happy hour at Twenty 88 Food & Drink. Everything on their signature cocktails from Cat’s Pajamas to Jalapeno Apricot Margarita made it a special time.

The following day it was time to venture up to Solvang, California. I had visited before but Curly had not. We enjoyed stopping at the Bradbury Dam – Lake Cachuma with the idea when we hit Solvang, we would have their delicate Danish Pastries. Mission accomplished by stopping at

Birkholm’s Bakery. Such a lovely town with the Windmill and Danish character everywhere.

The next morning off for a nice walk and roll along Ventura Beach. The walkways are nice wide concrete which makes it accessible for Curly to go off and roam around.

Our oldest daughter knew of her father’s love of dining and suggested we try Geoffrey’s in Malibu. We were not disappointed with the delicious dinner and views were amazing!

The following day was special starting in Santa Barbara with Clam Chowder at Brophy Bros. The restaurant is upstairs, so we opted to bring the clam chowder back to the hotel for lunch.

The evening was spent at the lovely San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California with dining at the Stonehouse.

Our final jaunt before returning to Arizona was the beautiful, informative Ronald Reagan Library. Leaving and moving forward with the memory of one of his quotes,

“If you ever start feeling sorry for yourself, try visiting hospitals.” We are blessed!