Day 99

September 15, 2017                                                                                                       Day 99

Again with no sleep.  All night long traffic was constantly going by and loud noises kept occurring behind me which I found out was due to a wrecking yard being on the other side of the cement wall I was right next to.  Last night, Joe from Fillmore Welding had texted me that he would call me today at 09:30 so until then I got dressed in clean clothes, put dry shampoo in my hair and threw my hat back on to hide the hair.   It has now been about four days since I last took a shower during which I have backpacked at least twenty miles.  So without a shower and feeling quite disgusting I sat in my camper, eating a banana and a honey sandwich (for I was out of food) while trying to catch up in my journal.

At 09:30, Joe called and wanted me to take pictures of the damage so he could assess the job so I got out and crawled underneath my camper to take the pictures.  While I was laying on the ground, under my camper, a Snap-On truck pulled up and the guy saw I had Wisconsin plates and asked if I was alright.  He pulled over and I explained what was all going on and he gave me his number and told me to call if the welding guy didn't pan out and he would figure someway to get me fixed up!  Got to love a fellow Wisconsinite!

After I sent the pictures I never heard anything back so I messaged the welder again to see if the pictures went thru and he said he will be near me within twenty minutes.  I was like, "hold your horses and lets talk pricing."  Here he said his minimum was $340.00 and if it went over four hours it was an additional $85.00 per hour.  So I called up my dad in Wisconsin and although he was at work, in the loader and busy, he still answered my call and was really patient with me and told me that that was an outrageous price and to not pay that.  So with his advice I told the welder I could not afford that and can really only afford $200.00, $300.00 at the most.  He then told me that lets just see what the job looks like and he will give me a price and if I don't like it I can find someone else.  So I then waited for him to show up.    I called my dad in Wisconsin twice and though he was busy at work he took the time out of his day to help me and was so patient! How did I get to be so lucky that he came into my life?

While I waited for the welder to show up I gave myself a pep talk and said to look tough and be hard.  I told myself that I would not budge from my price and to look like I knew what I was talking about.  I should mention that I am the worst person at negotiating and I hate confrontation.  When he pulled up he turned out to be a nice man and after assessing the work said that he would only charge me $200.00 for the job.  So I moved my vehicle slowly down the street to an empty lot where he would be able to pull up next to me and go about his work.  The next couple hours were spent talking about what he was doing and answering all my questions and then talking about his family.  My dad had wanted him to do something else to my camper via welding but this guy suggested not doing it and I just did not really know anything about welding to argue my point.  After he fixed the broken spring shackle I had him reinforce the other welds to hopefully prevent any more mishaps in the future.

All in all he seemed to be a very nice and sincere man and I just hope that the job he did would hold up and be good enough for the rest of my journey.  During the time he was welding my camper another man had pulled up in a jeep asking if I needed a new tire for he owned a boat place down the road; however, it would turn out he didn't have the ones I needed.  The guy welding my camper also mentioned that I needed to go home and get a new trailer which is obviously out of the question.  One home is too far away and two I can not just pick up my camper off my trailer and place it on a different one.  I know he meant it all to be helpful but I was kind of offended by it only because this camper is my "baby" and I don't like hearing that something is wrong with it or its not up to par.  In my mind it is perfect and the oddities make it unique.

With my camper fixed up we said our goodbyes and I proceeded to make phone calls to find someone that carried the size tire that I needed.  One place, Randy's Tires, was the closest one which was eight miles and about twenty minutes away but would be able to get the tire I needed.  So I drove in the direction praying my tire would not pop along the way.  Thankfully, I did make it there and they were able to go get the tire I needed and put it on for me.  They were all very nice and I really liked the business they had.  Sixty-five dollars later I was finally all put back together and headed towards a Walmart to get some deli meat and cheese. Oh and wouldn't you just guess what happened when I got to the said Walmart?  You were correct, it has no deli section although it says it is a super Walmart! While I was at the store I was on the phone with my mom and we just started laughing when I realized I was back in one of those stupid Walmart's.  So I ended up buying cookie dough and while talking with her I learned that her and dad were actually going out for their anniversary which I couldn't believe and I was just so happy and excited for them!

At my vehicle, we skyped one more time so that my dad could assess the welding work and although he was not all that impressed we all hoped it would hold up.  Finally, I was headed in a direction other than backwards and I set my sights on Death Valley National Park.   The first potential camping location had no cell service which normally would not matter to me but I wanted to appease my mom so I decided to continue looking.  The second place, I didn't even stop at I just drove by and in my gut felt like it was not the right place so I kept going.  I did not mind the drive at all for it was actually really relaxing, the weather was perfect, and the land was wide open with mountains completely surrounding me.  Everything was also accentuated for the sun was going down behind me and turned the landscape into a palette of purple.

At long last, I found some land to park at which was located just two minutes south of Spangler Hills OHVA - Wagon Wheel BLM and only an hour south of Death Valley National Park.  As I parked, I called my mom to let her know where I was and that I had made it somewhere for the night.  Then I immediately passed out after eating a half grilled cheese and a sparkling water for dinner.

Day 98

September 14, 2017                                                                                                Day 98

As I said yesterday I was up by 02:00 am and could not get back to sleep for I was so cold and uncomfortable.  I decided to say the hell with it and just get up and stepping out of my tent into the darkness I started to boil some water to make my oatmeal and coffee.  I then took my oatmeal and coffee and brought it into my tent where I sat there eating it where I was out of the wind.  I then walked to the porta-potty without the aid of a flashlight for the moon and stars were out and casting enough light that I could easily see where I was walking.  At 05:00 am I had all I could take with sitting in my tent staring off into a void so I started packing everything up.  I thought I was making so much noise and would wake the people up around me for it was so quite out and every move I made sounded like a shard of thunder going off.

In any case, I was packed and off on the trail by 06:00 climbing up to Cavern Point to see the sun finish its ascent into the sky; which provided a beautiful view of the ocean and the other islands.   From there I hiked west on the North Bluff trail which reminded me of walking on the dirt roads next to wheat fields back home for the grass had the same color and texture.  The hike itself was not that interesting but it was peaceful to be out there in the early morning with no one else around.  When I had descended down to Scorpion Beach it was only around 09:00 and I had hiked approximately six miles.  I was going to see how much renting a kayak or a snorkel and mask would be but they were not yet open.  Once they did open I found out it was $13.00 for a mask and snorkel and then I realized I did not bring my credit card with me so it didn't matter anyways.

Needless to say I was utterly bored all day long for I was not about to go on another seven mile hike.  I spent the time until the boat would come sitting on the beach and staring at the water.  By 11:00, I couldn't stand it so I went and ate the last of my oatmeal and thus the last of my food.  Until 15:00, I spent the time walking around, trying to nap on the beach but failing and walking in the water wishing I had brought my card so I could go on a kayak trip.  Finally, the Island Packer showed up and the  next hour was spent loading everything up.

The boat ride back was enjoyable and we came across a large pod of common dolphins hunting along with some sea lions.  Throughout the ride, I was starving and couldn't stop thinking about going to an In N Out and feasting on some unhealthy food.  We pulled into the marina ten minutes after five and unfortunately the visitor center was closed so I was not able to acquire my sticker or stamp.   As soon as I had service I texted Sal to let him know I was back on the mainland and I also messaged everyone else who had left messages of various sorts on my phone.  When I got to my vehicle I called my mom to tell her I had made it back and to inform her of how everything went.

Pulling out of the marina I headed straight to an In N Out and ordered a double cheeseburger with fries and devoured it all while looking for somewhere to camp for the night where I could hopefully set up my shower.  After eating, I headed in the direction of Death Valley National Park where there seemed to be multiple sites for free camping.  However; along the way my plans were altered in a way I did not want.

Almost out of the town of Fillmore, at around 20:00, my spring shackle on the drivers side of my trailer decided it wanted to break on me.  What is it with everything occurring at night when everything is closed?  Well its safe to say I was cursing up a storm but although I acted really upset I wasn't really that frustrated I just kind of accepted it.  I noticed that it had broken when I looked in one of my mirrors and saw that my camper was no longer directly behind me but was at an angle.  I pulled over on the side of a really busy highway to inspect the damage and that is when I realized what had happened and that my tire was almost at the point of popping for it was rubbing on a bolt.  I immediately called up my parents to tell them what happened and then I tried to call a few places but no one answered which I had figured would happen.  I then skyped with my dad in Wisconsin to show him the damage and verify that it was indeed a broken spring shackle.  All during this situation, Sal had texted me to see if I was okay and then Luke called me to check on me also.  I have to say that I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life.

All of this texting, calling, and skyping was occurring at the same time so it was kind of frustrating to try to deal with all of it but I was thankful to have so many caring people.  While I was skyping my dad one of the places had called me back so I quickly hung up with him to answer the phone.  The guy couldn't help me but verified that the town I was in was a safe one and told me that if I could get my vehicle across the road I could park behind the Valerio gas station for the night.  So once the traffic cleared out some I made my way across the highway, parked and called my parents back.  We skyped one more time so I could crawl under my camper and my dad in Wisconsin could explain some things to me.  I have the best parents a girl could ask for!

Once we said our goodbyes I prepped for the night and walked to the gas station to use the restroom and to buy a beer and twix bar.  Then I sat inside my camper, drinking the flavorless beer and loving on my chocolate bar while writing in my journal.  I called my mom back, again, for I had forgotten to wish them a happy anniversary.  Afterwards, I tried to write some more but I was just way too exhausted, after being on an island and then dealing with my camper breaking, so I called it a night and crawled under the covers finally warm and comfortable.

 

Day 97

September 13, 2017                                                                                              Day 97

Needless to say I was up before first light and began making coffee and letting my oatmeal sit.  Thanks to my friend, Sal, my oatmeal is no longer boring and contains: chia seeds, quinoa, dried cranberries, honey and cinnamon.  While both my coffee and oatmeal steeped I packed up my tent and was visited by two island foxes which were adorable.  I was finished with my oatmeal, cleaned up, packed and on the trail by 07:00 with the sun just starting to come up in front of me. 

Hills, inclines, decline, up, down.  It never ends!  The whole hike was either uphill or downhill with maybe a half mile of flat surface.   Surprisingly after the first couple miles my body realized I wasn’t stopping and decided to dial in and get with the program.  If only I could always just skip to the part where my body adjusts and misses the difficult part.  The hike was absolutely breathtaking and there was a consistent cool breeze so although sweat was literally pouring off my arms I felt cool.  I saw another island fox and nine gambles quail; one of which didn’t follow the others and kept running in front of me so I stopped, for I felt bad, and let it disappear.  Then I almost made myself fall over for I thought I was about to step on a lizard and tried to miss it; here it was just a rock I had kicked. HaHa.

To entertain myself on the 14 mile hike when the hills weren’t too steep I would do intervals of tightening my abs for thirty steps then releasing for thirty steps and repeated that for around fifteen minutes upon which I became distracted with my own thoughts and lost count.  When I first started the hike and the sun was coming up a few tears welled up in my eyes for I was just so happy and could not believe that I am where I am.  I never understood people who cried from being happy for it just never made sense to me but being here in this moment I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I could now understand that feeling.

Before I knew it I was nearing the steep climb up Montañon Ridge where I had to use both hands at some spots to climb up. It was tough but not as bad as I anticipated.  With only one more climb up to go I stopped to snack on one of my delicious bloks (tropical punch flavored).  While up there I turned my phone off of airplane mode just out of curiosity and was surprised to receive messages.  I messaged Sal to let him know I made it to the island and my first campsite and then we proceeded to talk for some time.  I also messaged Luke and I spoke to both of them simultaneously then when I went to message my little brother to have him let mom know I was okay I lost service: how typical.  So with that I continued on my way and the view was stunning from atop Montañon Ridge.  From there the rest of the hike was all downhill.

Now, I cannot decide if I prefer breathing like Darth Vader and struggling for breath going uphill or if I would rather endure the pain in my knees as I go downhill.  Wow, I should like an old person! The hike down was rather boring for it was like walking on a road and it was really rocky so every step had to be done with caution.  The entire hike went by very quickly to where I thought that maybe I had miscalculated the distance but alas I did not.  So by 11:30 am I had hiked 14 miles in 4.5 hours and was at my campsite.

Once I found my campsite, I removed my shoes and socks which were wet with sweat and to my surprise I only had a few blisters and some worn skin on my ankles since I am not used to having high boots.  I put on my chacos and went about setting up my tent.  The campground was full and the groups of kids (okay so they may be close to my age; but still) next to me were very load.  I was not a fan of how close everyone was to each other but the grounds had porta-potties and drinking water which I didn’t need for I found out in the three days and two nights that I would be on the island I only drank 1.5 liters.   Once my site was set up I was once again bored so I heated up the rest of my dinner and had that for lunch/dinner for it was only 12:30.

As I sat there eating, I wondered what the hell I was going to do to pass all this extra time; especially, since I am now staying here tonight and tomorrow until 16:00! Had I known I would have hiked so fast I may not have stayed another night but what is done is done.  I walked around for a bit and meandered down to the rocky beach where I sat there looking out over the ocean.  I slowly inched my way into the water for I hate cold water and the water took my breath away though once I was in it was actually quite comfortable.  I emerged myself and then got out and sat on the beach some more until I was just too cold.  Back at the campsite, I sat at the picnic table staring off into nothing until I couldn’t take it anymore and headed into my tent. 

I don’t know if it is due to all the warm weather I have been in for the last month or so but I get colder so much faster now; even when it is only in the 70s.  Laying down in the tent, I had forced myself to stay awake up 18:00, I was uncomfortable and cold.  I had all my clothes on, my towel over my legs along with my hiking pants trying to keep myself warm but it didn’t work.  I tossed and turned all night long and eventually at 02:00 I couldn’t take it any longer and decided to just give up and get out. 

Eating my Blok!

Day 96

September 12, 2017                                                                                            Day 96

My alarm sounded off at 04:30 and then again at 04:35 but I didn’t want to wake up.   I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes, crawl deeper into the covers and continue my slumber.  Unfortunately, I had to wake up if I was going to follow thru on all my plans to go to the Santa Cruz Island within the Channel Islands National Park.  The last couple days I have been making hundreds of phone calls to plan this trip from booking the boat to booking my campsites and asking a million questions.  I have to say that for someone who hates planning trips I am fairly decent at it.  So I got up and as my oatmeal cooked and my coffee grew in strength I zombie walked to the showers to obviously shower and get dressed in my hiking clothes.  Back at my camper, I grabbed my oatmeal and coffee and sat inside my camper while I ate; looking up some last minute information.  Then I put on my new hiking boots, that I will now call my galaxy boots for they look out of this world and are nowhere near my style but they are comfortable, and proceeded to hook up and pull away from my spot.  At the entrance, I wrote a short note and dropped off my key and then I pulled away from the best RV Park I have been to and I have a feeling that I will ever be too. I know that as soon as I acquire internet service I will be writing up an awesome review of that place.

The drive to Ventura, California was only an hour drive and I had to be there by 08:00 so I left at 06:00 just in case I ran into any sort of traffic.  The closer to Ventura that I got the fewer vehicles I encountered which I liked and as I pulled into the marina a mist clung to the air.  Since I was an hour early I parked and called up my mom to let her know I made it.  We talked for a while until I had to say goodbye so I could make sure my pack was ready to go for my adventure.

At 08:00, the doors opened and I went in to sign my name, deliver my campsite numbers, emergency contact and to receive my parking passes.  From there my pack was weighed at 36 pounds and then I removed my water and fuel for transport on the boat.  Then I waited ever so patiently…haha yeah right.  Finally, at 09:00 we were allowed to board the boat and like always I went straight to the top deck and I couldn’t believe how excited I was to be back on a boat and on the water!  I do miss operating a boat and being able to go out on the water more than I thought I would.

The boat ride to the island was tiring to say the least and after we saw my first wild sea lions I fell asleep only to abruptly jerk away.  Boy did I jump too!  After an hour ride, I could see Santa Cruz Island and we were docking at Scorpion Beach to let the first set of passengers, gear and kayaks off.  It took quite some time to unload but I passed the time by looking over the boat into the crystal clear water.  I could see all the way to the bottom and there was kelp and fish everywhere.

With those passengers finally off we boated an additional 20 minutes to Prisoner Harbor where I was dropped off; along with a couple that was doing the same trek as I.  Upon unloading, I immediately took to the trail to the campsite for I didn’t know exactly how many miles it was (later I found out it was 3.5 miles) and it was 11:00.  Right away with the hills!  I was breathing like Darth Vader immediately; however, I was not really out of breath which I know that probably makes no sense at all.   The entire hike was uphill with I think only one downhill section. My legs were on fire and I did not anticipate that there would be such hills: I probably should have looked at a topographical map.  I just hope that the 14 mile hike tomorrow is not this bad.  I have to say though that the views are to die for and make up for all the uphill battles!  Looking out over the ocean the water is crystal clear and a brilliant blue and is accentuated by sheering high cliffs.

When I arrived at the campground I chose the far site that was under a tree and went about setting up my tent.  Then I started to boil some water to add to my re-hydrated meal of Chana Masala.  I seemed to sit there forever waiting for the water to boil and when it finally was at a boil I poured it into the bag, stirred it and then closed the bag to let it sit for fifteen minutes.  During that time, I walked around and the couple had now joined me at the campground.  They sat down at a picnic table near me and the woman remarked that she was not expecting such steep terrain and I completely agreed with her and we both hoped tomorrows hike wouldn’t be so tough.

With my meal cooked I sat there eating it and rereading the label on it at least twenty times out of boredom.  After only a few bites I was full but forced myself to eat at least half of it so that I would have the energy needed for tomorrow and the meal itself was delicious.  I then sealed up the rest and placed it in my pack and put my pack in the “fox” proof box.  It was only around 14:00 but I was completely bored and discovered that I do not do well being bored.  Next time I will for sure deal with the extra weight and bring a book and my journal.  There was nowhere nearby that I really could hike to so at 15:00 I crawled into my tent and lay on my thermarest mattress.  I then proceeded to put on every article of clothing I had with me since I did not have a sleeping bag and knew that I would be cold tonight and probably not sleep well. 

With all my clothes on me I did wake up throughout the night freezing cold and uncomfortable for normally I would put my extra clothes under my head to act as a pillow.  I spent the majority of the night on my stomach for I was the warmest in that position.  The only reason I continued on this trip knowing I did not have a sleeping bag is because I knew it wouldn’t get to the point where it would be so cold that it would harm me in any way; it would just be uncomfortable.  In my opinion I could sacrifice  the comfort of luxuries to enjoy this adventure I may never be able to experience again and I was not about to let something so small as having no sleeping bag prevent me from going on this adventure. 

 

Day 95

September 11, 2017                                                                                                       Day 95

Last night I slept so well and actually slept in until around 08:00 and I felt amazing when I did get up.  It was a beautiful day out and I pulled on my jean shorts and dark navy blue top before climbing out of the camper.  I made some coffee and a sandwich for breakfast for I am trying to eat all my lunch meat and cheese now before I leave for the islands and it goes bad.  Speaking of my lunch meat this roast beef I acquired is by far the worst roast beef I have ever had and it is so difficult to chew!  Normal people may just get rid of it and buy different stuff but not me I refuse to waste it or spend more money.  

Once I called and reserved my campsite and the boat to take me to the island I walked down to the office to see if I could pay for another night.  Mike, whom I believe is the owner of the park, was outside talking to some people and he followed me inside the office where we got to talking about the homeless situation in Los Angeles.  I really enjoy talking with him and find it quite interesting and while we spoke his daughter and little granddaughter came in so I said I would let them be so they could spend some time together.  He verified that I wanted to stay another night and when I said yes he completely surprised me and said I did not have to pay!  He told me that my last night was on him for I am not costing him anything to stay and he wants me to save my money for my adventure!! I literally have no words for I still to this day can't believe it.  The complete generosity of it all blew my mind.  It just verifies that people can surprise you when you least expect it and I just wish there was some way that I could express how much that meant to me!  All day yesterday I was contemplating whether to pay for another night for it was more money than I was planning on spending in housing but my mom convinced me to stay another night even if cost me money.  So to have this happen…I am beyond words and just so completely and utterly thankful!!  Leaving the office, I immediately called my mom and told her the amazing news and pretty much nothing could ruin the mood I was in.

At 10:00, I drove to REI for I desperately needed to buy new hiking boots so I could stop losing toe nails.  I spent a solid hour or two in there trying on shoes, which I hate shoe shopping by the way, and finally settled on a pair of La Sportivas that I normally wouldn’t buy due to the futuristic look of them but they felt so comfortable.  I also figured that if they ended up not working out for me I would return them and get the other pair of shoes that I really wanted for it was between the two and it was a tough call.  I also acquired a pair of Chacos so that I could have camp shoes that I can cross streams in while backpacking.  I then went downstairs to look at sleeping bags but didn’t see any I liked so I made my purchases and headed to the other REI store that had just opened.  There I spent an additional hour looking for a sleeping bag and having the people there look for the three bags they were supposed to have in the store but apparently couldn’t find.  I give them props though for taking all that time and personal to look for the bags but I walked out of there with no sleeping bag and knowing it was going to a cold and uncomfortable couple of nights.

Finally back at my camper, I started packing everything up for my trip and also eating some food.  Once my pack was ready to go I then did my dishes and cleaned up in preparation for leaving early in the morning.   Mike stopped by for I had asked him if the water in the laundry room and bathroom were potable so that I could fill up my camelpak and water bottles.  I also gave my flight plan for the next couple days to my mother and to Sal in case anything was to happen.  Before heading to bed I spoke to my neighbor for some time and then called it a night and I have to admit I was quite sad to be leaving the RV park in the morning for this place felt quite homey. 

My little camper amongst the big boys!

Day 94

September 10, 2017                                                                                                      Day 94

Waking up around 09:00, we walked back to his vehicle him in normal clothes me in my outfit and heels from last night so that was a tad odd and uncomfortable. Ha. This time the drive was a little more quite for I think we were both quite tired from the lack of sleep.  When he dropped me off I showed him my camper and then we hugged goodbye and I went straight to cooking some oatmeal and coffee.  While I had all of that sitting I put a load of my blankets and clothes in the washer machine that only cost $1.00 per load!  I have to say I cannot believe how dirty my blanket gets even when I wash my feet every night before getting into bed.  I was originally going to go to the tar pits around noon; however, I got into doing laundry and trying to catch up on my blog and journal that it just didn’t happen.  Before working on my blog, I spent the better part of the day calling about backpacking on Santa Cruz Island within the Channel Islands National Park.  What made calling around take so long was that my phone kept dropping all my calls so it took forever!

By the time I had a plan it was around 13:00 and I just didn’t feel like going anywhere (maybe I’m lazy?) and dealing with traffic did not appeal to me.  The main decision though as to why I didn’t go to the tar pits was that it would cost $12.00 to park and an additional $12.00 to get in.  I wanted to do the island trip way more so I chose to save the money and put it towards going to the island.  That is the one thing about being on a budget that kind of sucks: that one has to choose between things sometimes for one cannot do it all. 

Once everything was washed and dried for a total of $4.50 and I made my bed, which in itself takes at least fifteen minutes, and I took a shower.  After that I began to plan some more and then spent the rest of the evening updating my blog and finishing off my bottle of wine.  I have to say having a picnic table to work on makes things so much more comfortable.   Although I barely acquired any sleep last night I have had a bundle of energy all day long and I contribute that to my coffee.  So as I sipped on my wine and typed up my blog I jammed out to tunes on my Pandora.  In general, today went pretty well though I was a tad upset that I didn’t go out and explore but I stand by my reasoning not to.  Due to not going out I was able to accomplish laundry, updating my blog and I was able to talk to a lot of people at the RV Park for they are all just so nice!  I also skyped my mom at some point and then eventually just called it a night and forced myself to go to sleep. 

Day 93

September 9, 2017                                                                                                               Day 93

All night I tossed and turned not able to get comfortable and I was up before my alarm went off at 04:00 am.  I got dressed and ate a banana for breakfast.  Leaving the Balboa RV Park, I drove to Mulholland drive to make it to the Hollywood Bowl overlook for the sunrise; although, I anticipated not being able to really see it thru all the smog of the city.  The drive was fun to do in the dark with all the twists in the road and though everyone suggested doing the drive in the daytime to check out the views I honestly don’t think I would have seen that much in either case.   I made it to the overlook before sunrise and thankfully the gate was open so I could park.  When sunrise was supposedly occurring I climbed the stairs to the overlook.  The overlook to me felt “dirty” and the view was nothing too spectacular.  I shot off a few pictures and then headed back down to my vehicle to drive to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

On the way there I drove past Hollywood Boulevard and saw the “walk of fame” stars as I drove by but did not stop for I was not really interested in all of that.  I found free parking until 08:00 right near Rodeo drive and got out to walk around while talking to my mom.   All the stores were not open yet, which I expected, so it was quite enjoyable to be able to walk around with almost no one on the sidewalk.  As I walked by, talking with my mom, I looked into the windows at all the wonderful things I would never in a million years be able to afford.  I passed one woman’s boutique that had some really beautiful lingerie that I would have loved to have but I knew that would never happen!  From there I walked down a residential area near the garden and the homes there were very beautiful and unique.  I was back at my vehicle before 08:00, upon which I said goodbye to my mother, and headed to Santa Monica Pier.

I found parking for $6.00, for six hours, right near Venice Beach and after paying I grabbed my bag and walked to the Venice Beach boardwalk.  Upon setting foot on the boardwalk and figuring out which side of the walk I was supposed to be on I headed right in the direction of the Santa Monica Pier.  As I walked on, there were very few people out and all the volleyball nets were filled up with players.  Walking on the pier was nothing special and the rides were not yet going so to pass the time I spoke with my grandmother from Wisconsin.  There was not much to see in my opinion for it was an ocean and I have lived on one for about four years.  I did notice that there were a lot of people who were walking around talking to themselves so that was really creepy.

From the pier, I walked back the way I came and headed across the beach to the water where I set up my towel and sat down.  As I sat down, my older brother returned my phone call from earlier and we proceeded to Skype so that I could see my nieces.  We skyped, as I sat there on the beach, for a good hour and today marked the first time that I heard my youngest niece Alix say my name! Those two girls are just so darn adorable and how do I hate not seeing them growing up.  I fear that they will grow up not really knowing me and being distant which I do not want at all.  When we hung up, I tried to write in my journal but I was actually quite cold near the water for there was a constant breeze and I was also hungry.  So I packed up and walked back to my vehicle thinking that I don’t know what all the talk was about Venice Beach.

As I sat in my vehicle, eating the sandwich I made, I realized I missed the main section of Venice Beach and Muscle Beach.  Instead of going right to Santa Monica Pier I needed to go left so that is exactly what I did after I finished my sandwich.  Going left I soon came upon the real action which to me was just like a town fair with vendors selling their homemade things.  Only a few actually had art that was worth even looking at (in my opinion) and I speed walk thru almost all of it.  One vendor I really wanted to stop at but I knew that if I did I would want to buy something.  It was a father and son from Africa that were selling wood carvings of masks in the shapes of wildlife and they were currently working on one as I passed by.  They were absolutely stunning!  I had to stop by muscle beach which was basically two men that were buffed beyond belief and seemed to be doing more walking around then actually working out.  I then stopped at the skateboarding park and swung by the basketball court.  In essence I think I just got a workout walking all around and it was not really my cup of tea but I am glad that I went at least.

Back at my vehicle I drove back to my camper where I snacked, had some wine and then took a thirty minute nap.  At which I point I started getting ready for dinner tonight with someone I knew back from high school.  Once I was ready, I sat in my chair with my feet propped up on my yeti cooler and waited for him to arrive.  When he pulled in we greeted each other and then I jumped into his car and off we went.  Riding together on the way to dinner at Hugo’s we chatted and laughed effortlessly the entire time which surprised me.  We missed our turn a few times but we made it there none the less and headed in to get a table.  Oddly I didn’t feel uncomfortable at all like one usually is when they are seeing someone for the first time in a long time and there are those moments of awkward silence.  I actually felt very confident and comfortable in his presence.  Once we finally decided on what to eat we continued our conversation and kept it going throughout the meal.  

Leaving Hugo’s, he surprised me once more by actually getting the vehicle door for me which I completely was not expecting for I know no one from back home who does that!  It was really quite nice and I am not like some feminist women who find that demeaning I actually think it’s a courtesy and possibly a sign of respect.  From the restaurant we drove to the Griffith Observatory once again missing our turn…twice.  Which I think just added to the evening and was absolutely hilarious.  When we neared the observatory traffic was horrendous even at 20:00!  We slowly inched our way down the hill to find a spot to park quite the ways away.  I switched my shoes from the heels I had on to my flats and off we went, in the dark, back up the winding hill to the observatory.  Seeing the observatory all lit up at night was beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Luke as we walked.  Once we reached the observatory we proceeded inside and spent our time, until close at 22:00, going from exhibit to exhibit laughing and making fun of how the little kids would just cut right in front of us.  We also thought it interesting how none of the buttons worked and everything we looked into we couldn’t see anything!

With the closing of the observatory we proceeded back down to the vehicle talking continuously and apparently we both could not walk a straight line for we kept bumping into each other.  After we switched positions on the road we declared it was due to the one on the inside kept moving over when a vehicle approached…natural instinct! HaHa.  Back at the car we drove around and finally decided to head to The Mint to listen to some music and have a drink.  At the entrance we discovered there was  a $12.00 cover charge we didn’t want to pay so we walked away only to have the bouncer whistle at us to come back and they changed it to $5.00 instead so in we went.  We grabbed a beer each and then sat down at a high top near the wall sitting side by side so we both could see the musicians on stage.

The guy that was singing on stage was absolutely amazing and we both enjoyed the sound of his voice. We talked as we listened to the music and both had two drinks each.  We were having such a wonderful time until a drunk woman came over and started talking to us.  You know those movies where the one person who is doing all the talking is muted?  That was exactly what happened here.  Luke and I could hear nothing that she said and we just made facial expressions to match her own.  When he left to use the restroom, I stood up to wait for him and hopefully get away from her but she kept talking and that’s when things got real.  She began questioning my trip and my entire life and pretty much repeated the same exact question over and over.  She told me that what I am doing is pointless and that I pretty much do not have a life and then she went on saying that going up the coast to Oregon and Washington won’t be any different then southern California and she is right because she has two degrees…in stupidity.  First, I told her that I have a degree in Zoology and that anyone with common sense knows that as one goes north the environment and wildlife change; it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

It takes a lot to piss me off but since I started this trip one sure way to piss me off is to say that what I am doing is pointless or stupid.  I had to keep reminding myself that she is just a drunk but I still couldn’t help but getting short and quite rude with her.  I wanted to hit her so badly and when Luke reappeared I looked at him and said we need to go now and headed straight for the door.  Once we got out he informed me that is “O,shit” (which I may have gotten what radar he said wrong for I don’t quite remember but it was along those lines) radar went straight up!  Outside, I explained what went down as we walked back to his vehicle. As we approached his car he wanted to walk around the block so that is what we did and as we were walking somewhere in the conversation it came up that he lived right around the corner!  I started laughing and looked at him asking why then are we walking around; why don’t we just go to his place and have some water before getting back in the vehicle.  So we walked there which was further then just around the corner in my opinion and doing all that walking in heels is not the most comfortable thing.  

At his place we got some water and sat down and started talking away.  Before we knew it we looked at the clock and it was 03:00 am!!  We didn’t realize that we had sat there talking for hours on end.  At this point, we decided I would just stay since it was already so late…or early?  We were both so exhausted at this point that I don't even recall falling asleep and when I woke in the morning I was still quite tired and surprised my allergies to cats never kicked in since his roommate had a cat. I do have to say this whole evening was a pleasant surprise!