Traveling with Hounds

Even though I had a very long journey, luckily I had two great road companions with me, my two crazy but sweet dogs.   These two are used to road trips by now and have probably traveled across the country more than most people have.   For the most part the  hounds slept on this long journey, only groggily waking when they felt the car slow down to stop for gas.   Once my  dogs feel the car start to  slow down, there's no going back.   They  know it's time to get out and stretch their legs.  They start getting quite antsy and vocal.   

For those of you who travel with your dogs, you know there is no such thing as a  "quick stop" with them.  They have to go for stroll, do their business, stroll some more, then get some water, say hi to any one who might happen by.   And they like to take their sweet time doing all this.    So every stop adds at least 15-20 minutes to the journey.   But I much prefer traveling with them than without.   

I will admit though, it's much easier and pleasant to travel with them  outside of summer.  Traveling with them this time of year, can be challenging due to the extreme heat in a lot of places.   I'm constantly worry they aren't staying  cool enough in the car when we are driving.  That worry grows significantly when we have to stop for breaks.   After they've done their business and are back in the car drinking water, I run quickly to take my own potty break and am always afraid they are going to get too hot in the few minutes I'm gone.   I much prefer traveling with them when it's cooler vs. when temps are 90+ degrees!

Almost 15 hours in the car...Ugh!

I did a major detour on the way to New Mexico.  I stopped to visit some family for a few days.   I knew it was going to be a long drive from there to New Mexico, but thought it was just under 14 hours.  Imagine my surprise, and disappointment, when I plugged the New Mexico address in to my Nav system and it showed three route options, with the quickest being over 16 hours!   The other two options were 18 and 19 hours .  Boy this detour had turned out to be bigger than I expected.  

Funny thing though, when I plugged the address into my phone on google maps, it was just 13 1/2 hours!   Now I prefer to use my car's navigation because cell service can be very spotty on these long drives across the country.  However, I decided to try and follow the cell navigation.   At this point, knocking even an hour off the drive would be great.   My goal was to arrive before it got dark.

I have to say, this was not the prettiest of drives.   Driving through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas can be so desolate at times and doesn't always have the best scenery.

Toggling between the cell and car navigation, I was able to knock at least an hour off the original estimated travel time and arrived about 15 minutes before it got dark.  Whew, what a long day.

But now I get to wake up in my happy place to amazing views!

Traveling weather...

I've hit all kinds of weather in the last few days.  I drove in 80+ degree weather all day Saturday.  Got to my destination and it was in the 60s during the day and 30s at night.  A quick side trip where it was in the 70s and woke up to snow this morning. 

Sunrise this morning

Sunrise yesterday

Yet Another Road Trip

It was time to make that drive again, from LA to New Mexico.   We didn't hit any storms this time, just sunny blue skies.   There's nothing like 14 hours in the car, to make you think or rethink the decisions in your life.   Of course I had my trusted travel companions, my crazy pups.   Didn't matter that I put the back seats down so they had a large space to roam in, they still chose to squeeze into the passenger seat together.   But we made it.   After the miserably hot summer/fall we've had in LA, it' nice to be in cool weather!   New Mexico is just so beautiful.

A Most Beautiful Drive

The drive from Los Angeles truly is beautiful.   This time of the year, it's beyond HOT (temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit) for most of the drive.   However, the scenery is just astonishing.   As we drove across the southwest, we saw several pockets of rain around us, a lightning storm ahead of us, two rainbows and one double rainbow!  Not to mention, the mountains, the white sands and the overall beautiful landscape.   We lucked out that despite all the crazy weather we could see around us, we didn't hit any storms ourselves.  That is until almost 8 hours into our trip.  Just passed Wilcox, Arizona, the skies went black and it started pouring the rain.  We could barely see what was in front of us, then suddenly the skies lit up with lightning!   I thought for sure the car was going to get hit.  The dogs both got very quiet and tried to settle in.

Everyone knows I LOVE a good storm, but this was quite scary to drive in.   As anyone who has made this journey knows, there aren't many options to call it a night once you're east of Tucson.   I was starting to wish I had stopped in Wilcox for the night.   But at this point, I really had no option other than to tread on and make it to Lordsburg.    I was quite happy to finally rest my head on a pillow at the Hampton Inn.   Even after all those hours in the car, the dogs were ready to relax too.

A Road Trip with my best buds!

I was long overdue for a road trip to New Mexico.  I had needed to go for several weeks to take care of some things, but just couldn't seem to make it work.   Well finally the stars aligned and I was able to take enough time off to hit the road.   First question, should I take both of my crazy hounds?   As some of my loyal followers know, my hound Lucy Grace, is a great travel companion.  She's totally chill in the car and very well behaved when staying at even the fanciest of hotels.  Now Bella, aka, The Terrorist, is another story.  I'd only done one TEST road trip with her.  She was actually much more well behaved than I expected, but still that was a 90 minute car ride and 2 night stay.  How would she fair on a  14 hour ride and a week+ in a hotel?   After much consternation, I just couldn't bring myself to put her in a kennel, so off we went.  I loaded up the 4Runner and we began our journey!   Would it be a great adventure or something else?

Finally time to reflect...

These few days away meant a lot to me.  I got to spend time with my best pal, Lucy Grace.   I got to relax poolside and even got in time for some writing.  It was nice not having an agenda or having to run from one place to another, but the time off just wasn't enough.

Ojai is a special place for me.    We took my Mom here for a few days the first time she ever came to visit me in LA.   She loved the place and we had such a great time.  It was great to come back to a place where I have such fond memories of my Mom and I thought of her often.   I know she was here with me, enjoying the peace and calm that is Ojai.  From the early morning walks around the grounds to the time spent at the spa, I could feel her presence.   It really made it hard to leave.   I can't wait to go back again.  Maybe a long weekend in the fall Mom? 

Finding some peace, still seeking the calm...

I have several friends who say it always takes them 3 or 4 days to unwind when they go on vacation.  I’ve never been one of those people.   I’m usually in vacation mode, as soon as I’m at the gate at the airport.  However, for some reason on this trip, I have not been able to get in vacation mode and let go.  As much as I was counting down the days, I still haven’t been able to completely relax.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m enjoying my time here but I arrived in Ojai on Sunday and it’s already Wednesday.   I can’t believe how fast time has gone by.  I need a few more days. 

While I’ve had no real agenda and have not been running at a hectic pace, my days still feel a little too structured.   I enjoy being able to take a workout class in the middle of the day, or even at 10am but somehow it makes me feel scheduled.   My mind is not truly at rest, I still don't feel the sense of calm I was so desperately seeking.

Maybe I should spend the day in bed tomorrow or maybe I should have planned for 2 weeks!

When Does the Relaxation Actually Begin?

The Traveling Hillbilly needed a little quiet time to relax and recharge.  The plan was to head to Ojai for several days with no agenda, no to do list!   I couldn't wait to get on the road first thing Saturday get to Ojai and spend the next several days doing nothing, but hiking, lounging by the pool, taking the dog for some long walks.   My planned relaxation would be a little longer coming.  First, the hotel was sold out on Saturday.  Not to be deterred, I booked a room at the Four Seasons Westlake Village.  I made plans to meet some friends for dinner in the area and thought this will be a great start to my time off.   Unfortunately this Four Seasons isn't truly pet friendly.  I'd say it's more like pet tolerant.  While small pets are allowed in the hotel, you must remain in the room with them at all times.  So my dinner plans for that Saturday night had to be adjusted.   After brunch on Sunday morning, it was time to get on the road.   I wanted to get to Ojai in time to take advantage of one the great benefits of booking with Am Ex, NOON check in.

I was disappointed to hear the room they had ready for us was not exactly a "pet friendly" room.  It was on the 2nd floor and not near any grassy areas to walk the dog. I asked if there was another room available that might be more appropriate for a dog.  While there was another option, it wasn't ready yet.  I decided to wait for the room and headed to the store to pick up some supplies and walked my hound around the little downtown area for bit. After almost two hours, I decided to head back to the hotel assuming the room had to be ready by now.  It wasn't and now I had food in the car and a dog ready to pass out from the heat.  Lucy Grace, just plopped down on the lobby floor and refused to take another step.  I asked if the front desk if they could just put me in any room at this point, downgrade my room, whatever it took to get me in a room, so I could get my dog some water and let  both of us just relax.  After all that was the point of this whole trip and I had been waiting counting down the hours to my trip since late Friday.

Finally almost 36 hours after my journey of rest and relaxation was to begin, it started!  I had the chance to settle in and relax.   While things didn't exactly start out as planned, I did get to have dinner with some dear friends and brunch with another one before evening arriving in Ojai. 

Now that I'm finally settled, I hope the days ahead bring me the calm and peace I'm a seeking.

Dogs Really Are Man's Best Friend

My friend and I decided to do a last minted road trip.  My only requirement, was that I had to be able to take the hound.  I've been traveling so much lately my four legged best buddy has spent more time in a kennel than at home with me.   For a quick getaway we wanted something close, no more than a 2-3 hour drive.  We settled on Santa Ynez area and found a great pet friendly Marriott in the area.   It's amazing how relaxing just getting a couple hours outside of town can be.  This was no major adventure, but a great trip none the less.  

It was nice to walk around Solvang, with the hound in tow. So many places were dog friendly, Lucy Grace felt very welcome and loved all the attention she got!  After a couple of hours walking around the quaint little town of Solvang, it was time to head to Dierberg for a little anniversary party.   My friend is a wine club member there, so we got to taste for free and spent the afternoon, sitting on the lawn, listening to music and chowing down on some wood-fired pizza.  The pizza was made www.fireandwinecatering.com and it was delicious!   What a great way to spend a Saturday. 

We followed this chill Saturday afternoon with dinner at Sides Hardware and Shoes.  Lucy Grace was thrilled to see she wasn't the only hound out on the patio.   She got to meet some new four legged friends and so did we.    All in all a nice relaxing weekend, made all the better by sharing not only with one of my good friends, but with my best buddy, the amazing Lucy Grace!

The weekend goes by too fast...

So the Traveling Hillbilly arrived at that beautiful house on Friday and now here it is Sunday night already.  Where did the long weekend go?  I'm just not ready to leave and get back into the hustle and bustle of my normal day to day.   We had an amazing experience at the J Bubble Room yesterday.   A five course tasting of delicious food, paired with wonderful wines was an amazing way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon. 












And what better way to spend a Sunday than by having a great brunch at the BarnDiva, followed by a lazy afternoon and then a great home cooked dinner? 

Great time, catching up with great friends and to top it all off, Die Hard just happens to be on tonight!

My new home....at least for the next few days

I hope to enjoy some good wine, spend time with good friends, relax and get centered over the next few days.   And where better to do it than at this beautiful place?

A Tough Year

Sorry there haven't been post in the past year, but last year was a tough year for the Traveling Hillbilly.   Given some serious family health issues, the Traveling Hillbilly was not able to travel for most of last year.  However, the goal for this year is to change that and make 2015, a year full of adventure.  

What better way to start that than a road trip to northern California to catch up with dear friends?   The drive from LA to Healdsburg was absolutely beautiful.   It was surprisingly quite green.  When I travel to foreign places, I'm often in awe of the beauty that exists in this world.  But the drive yesterday, reminded me just how beautiful California truly is.  The rolling greens hills, against the back drop of a stunningly blue sky made the long drive quite enjoyable.  

The Scenic Wineries and then some..

Today we started out at Calcareous Vineyard calcareous.com.   What a beautiful, panoramic view they have! It has to be one the best views I've seen in Paso.   Plus they have a lot of great outdoor seating to enjoy the view.   They have wine and food pairings on the weekend, but not during the week so I can't speak for the food.   However, the Traveling Hillbilly thinks this might be a great place to grab lunch or a snack.

After that we headed to Chateau Margene chateaumargene.com.  Given it was not on a hilltop the view was not quite as spectacular as Calcareous, but was still a beautiful place.  Wines were pricey, but good.

For lunch we headed to Aron Hill Vineyards aronhillvineyards.com.   They have delicious salads and paninis.   We didn't do a tasting here, but I did order a glass of their Chardonnay with my lunch.  It was delicious.


We had time for one more stop before calling it a day.  We headed to Herman Story hermanstorywines.com.   They are typically only open Thursday-Sunday, but thanks to our friend Edgar, of Bodega de Edgar, bodegadeedgar.com we were able to get an appointment.  They treated us so well and we got to try a lot of great wines!   Russell and his team seem to truly enjoy what they do and you can tell they have a lot of fun there.   Hank, Russell's dog, was also on sight and he was a lot of fun too!

The Traveling Hillbilly Will not Be Deterred by the 405 Closing!

What better way to spend the long holiday weekend than wine tasting in Paso Robles?   Actually heading up on Sunday to go wine tasting Mon-Wed is better, this way you beat the crowds.   Traffic on the 405 wasn't too bad heading out Sunday morning, however we figured why run the risk of getting stuck and headed up PCH.  Plus, it's much more scenic drive.  

We had a great day driving up the coast and stopped at one of my favorite wineries, Zaca Mesa zacamesa.com on the way to Paso.  With Monday being a holiday, it was packed on Sunday.  It's not nearly as much fun to do a tasting when it's so crowded.  The staff is just so busy pouring they do not really have time to talk to you and share information about the wines.  Despite the crowds, the wines of course were delicious and we got to meet Cheeseburger, commonly know as Cheese, a boxer/great Dane mix!   He was a pretty cool dog.

We figured we could make one more stop before heading to the hotel, so we stopped at Fess Parker fessparker.com They also make some great wines, but their wines are little on the pricier side, so it's usually not the best place to try and buy and everyday red.  However, they had quite the deal on one of their blends.   Unfortunately it wasn't on the tasting menu so we bought a bottle to try and then wound up buying a whole case.   The price was just too good to pass up.

The Traveling Hillbilly Get's Locked Up!

The Traveling Hillbilly has been to San Francisco many times.   Many times, I've tried to go to Alcatraz, but it's always sold out.  I was determined to go this time, and was smart enough to make reservations in advance.  For those who have never been, it is worth the trip.   Aside from getting the chance to see one of the most well known and mythical prisons, you get some of the best views of the city!

I also recommend the audio tour.  I don't normally like audio tours.  I find they tend to slow the tour down and provide a little too much information.  But this one was very interesting.   Who knew that many of the families of those who worked at the prison actually lived on the island?  I also did not know about the occupation of Alcatraz by a group of Indian tribes in 1969 and last for 19 months.   There were also close to 80 kids that lived on the island, right along with the prisoners.  We actually got to meet one of those kids, Ernest Lageson.   His dad was a guard at the prison and was one of the nine hostages taken in one of the most well know escape attempts.  The escape attempt failed but it turned into a 3 day siege at the prison which resulted in two dead guards and three dead prisoners.  The other three "escapees" where later tried in court, two were sentenced to death and died in the gas chamber a couple of years later and one was given a life sentence.  Aside from this drama,  Lageson claimed it was an idyllic life and was like living in a small town.  

Approaching the island from the ferry

Being inside the prison was actually a little eerie.  I can't image what life must have been like there or what it would be like in any prison for that matter.   The cells were so small, only 5 feet wide by 9 feet deep.  There was just enough room for a small cot, toilet and sink.  Each cell had one small shelf, along with a very small metal table and stool built into the wall.   The days and nights must have passed achingly slowly.  I think the most torturous things for the prisoners was knowing that the vibrant life in San Francisco was so close by.   From the island, the city looks so close and I can see why many prisoners thought they could just swim to freedom.

Elephant Seals? Is There Really Such a Thing?

After taking a few pictures in Pismo Beach, it’s back in the car to continue our journey.  As we drive along, I suddenly see a vista point with a sign that says elephant seals.   I have heard about this place and we decide to turn and see if we can actually see any seals.    Boy did we see seals!   They were everywhere and they were huge!   The whole beach was littered with seals, sleeping, playing and swimming.  It was a site to see!

As we are observing the seals and laughing at their odd but amusing behavior, a cloud rolls in.   Suddenly the blue sky is overcome by clouds and we no longer have our sunny blue skies.   We get back in the car with the hope we’ll turn a corner or two and be back in the sunshine.    But no such luck!  At about 4:30 the rain starts and about 4:45 it’s dark.   So much for our scenic drive!  We are now driving along the winding road, in the pitch dark, in the rain.    It becomes a true roller coaster ride and we know we are in for a long night ahead.

The Traveling Hillbilly Goes Road Trippin’

Back a few months ago, the Traveling Hillbilly got a “save the date” notice for a friend’s wedding.  This friend just happens to live in San Francisco, so I decided then and there to make this a road trip adventure.  My friend Jon and I hit the road the Thursday before the wedding and started the long drive up the coast.   As a lot of you know, the Traveling Hillbilly has done this drive before and highly recommends it.  It is such a beautiful, scenic drive.   It takes you through some of the most amazing scenery California has to offer. 

So off we go.  Unfortunately it’s cloudy and raining lightly as we head out of Los Angeles.  Our first stop is Mo’s Barbeque in Pismo Beach, a great place for a late lunch.  Yum!   It’s a little chilly but the clouds have gone and now there’s nothing but blue skies.   We just can’t wait to see the beautiful sunset to come in just a few short hours.  

Our adventure has truly begun!

A Great Morning Run

There's nothing like getting up and running before most of the world has awaken.   The Traveling Hillbilly recommends running first thing in the morning when on vacation.  It gives you a chance to explore your new surroundings in the calm, peace and quiet of the day.   This morning, as I rounded the corner for my second lap around the trail, I spotted a deer.   We looked at each other, paused for a moment and then just watched one another.    Surprisingly the deer didn't run away.  She kept a close eye on me as she proceeded to graze, but stayed close.   Just one of those magical moments that make you realize how inconsequential most of the things we stress about everyday truly are.

My favorite Four Vines is Gone!

The Traveling Hillbilly has been very disappointed to discover that my favorite winery, Four Vines, has been sold and is no longer.   It is now called Cypher.   We stopped and tried to do a tasting but it was very crowded.    We'll try and go back tomorrow before the crowds hit.   I'm trying to keep an open mind but I don't see how they can live up to Four Vines.