I forget what comes next...
Apparently we really did forget the rest of that little gem, because here we are, back in SLO fixing all the things that aren’t broken on the Westy! Not that we’re complaining. This is the happiest place on earth according to Oprah herself. There is so much to do here that we could never be bored.
Last weekend we flew to Detroit for Tom’s cousin’s wedding. We had a blast celebrating with family and friends and we totally dominated the cousin dance-off! Here are a few pics from the beautiful reception.
Apparently we really did forget the rest of that little gem, because here we are, back in SLO fixing all the things that aren’t broken on the Westy! Not that we’re complaining. This is the happiest place on earth according to Oprah herself. There is so much to do here that we could never be bored.
Last weekend we flew to Detroit for Tom’s cousin’s wedding. We had a blast celebrating with family and friends and we totally dominated the cousin dance-off! Here are a few pics from the beautiful reception.
After the quick trip back home, we flew back to Sacramento and spent the day with Scott Blunk and his family. It was great to see him and catch up. Since the drive from SLO up to Sacramento, the Westy had been acting up quite a bit. We had taken her in for a few minor repairs which in turn seemed to have caused a whole new slew of problems. We decided to drive back to the shop in SLO that had been so great to us to see if they could figure out what was going on.
On the way south, we decided to take a new route. Since we had already driven down the coast on Route 1/Pacific Coast Highway and we had driven back north via I-5, we decided to split the middle and drive back to SLO via Route 101, which follows the historic El Camino Real (The Royal Road). The Camino Real was used to connect all the Spanish missions in California for the stagecoach drivers.
First we hit the Tesla factory and headquarters in Freemont, CA. Unfortunately they don’t give tours to random fans who show up in green buses, but everyone there was really nice. We toured around the parking lot a bit and checked out some of the employee Tesla vehicles.
On the way south, we decided to take a new route. Since we had already driven down the coast on Route 1/Pacific Coast Highway and we had driven back north via I-5, we decided to split the middle and drive back to SLO via Route 101, which follows the historic El Camino Real (The Royal Road). The Camino Real was used to connect all the Spanish missions in California for the stagecoach drivers.
First we hit the Tesla factory and headquarters in Freemont, CA. Unfortunately they don’t give tours to random fans who show up in green buses, but everyone there was really nice. We toured around the parking lot a bit and checked out some of the employee Tesla vehicles.
Next we headed to Pinnacles National Monument for some hiking and possible rock climbing. We ended up finding a great hike up to a 360 degree panorama of the park. Then we headed down to another trail which went through a bunch of caves (requiring headlamps and MASSIVE control of this girl’s claustrophobic tendencies). We got a great video of the view, but Tom’s camera pooped out and we got a pretty grainy shot of me proudly exiting the cave without having a panic attack.
From Pinnacles, we continued back to SLO and had a lovely Westy dinner parked by the pier in Pismo Beach. That night we camped in the parking lot at Broad Street VW so we would be there first thing in the morning for them to check out our girl!
The next day we left the Westy in the capable hands of the guys at Broad Street. We headed out on our bikes to explore more of downtown. After lunch we headed back to Madonna Mtn for more mountain biking and hiking. On the way Tom rode through some brush and some unfortunate briars that immediately gave him two flat tires! So much for the biking! We called the guys at Broad Street and John, the owner, drove out to pick us up. He even stopped with us at a bike shop on the way back so Tom could drop of his bike for repairs. These guys are really amazing. They had checked out the Westy and found a few things that needed tightening. They also gave us a small list (the length of my arm) of things that we should consider replacing/updating in the future. We decided since they do such great work (and there is nothing like this place in Chicago!) we would have them work on the exhaust the next day and then we would be on our way.
That night we camped at Avila Beach, where they have pullouts all along the beach road specifically for camping! We had amazing views and even made some animal friends (raccoons, pelicans, and sea lions).
The next day we left the Westy in the capable hands of the guys at Broad Street. We headed out on our bikes to explore more of downtown. After lunch we headed back to Madonna Mtn for more mountain biking and hiking. On the way Tom rode through some brush and some unfortunate briars that immediately gave him two flat tires! So much for the biking! We called the guys at Broad Street and John, the owner, drove out to pick us up. He even stopped with us at a bike shop on the way back so Tom could drop of his bike for repairs. These guys are really amazing. They had checked out the Westy and found a few things that needed tightening. They also gave us a small list (the length of my arm) of things that we should consider replacing/updating in the future. We decided since they do such great work (and there is nothing like this place in Chicago!) we would have them work on the exhaust the next day and then we would be on our way.
That night we camped at Avila Beach, where they have pullouts all along the beach road specifically for camping! We had amazing views and even made some animal friends (raccoons, pelicans, and sea lions).
The next day John offered us the use of his car for the day, since he felt bad that we were kind of stranded on our bikes (even though we were having a blast!). Not just any car, but his personal 1973 Porche 914! It was super fun to drive around town. He recommended a hike along the ridge at Shell Beach that was amazing. We came back to the shop and found out that the exhaust work was going to take another day (apparently they needed to take apart a few other things to access the exhaust leak) so we called up our SLO Hero, Will King, to see if we could crash at his place for the night.
We picked up the keys from Will’s roommate and headed to his place for a shower. We had managed to get a reservation at the opening night of a new restaurant in town, Sidecar, so we headed out for some awesome food. Every Thursday night in SLO is an incredible farmer’s market, so we were also able to check that out on our way to the restaurant. Sidecar was awesome, if you are in the area definitely check it out!
Today we are hanging out in Pismo Beach again while waiting for the green light on the Westy. It’s Veteran’s Day and there was a big ceremony out on the pier this morning. Thank you to all the vets out there who make our country safe for Tom and I to travel around like fools. We really appreciate everything that you stand to protect!
Today we are hanging out in Pismo Beach again while waiting for the green light on the Westy. It’s Veteran’s Day and there was a big ceremony out on the pier this morning. Thank you to all the vets out there who make our country safe for Tom and I to travel around like fools. We really appreciate everything that you stand to protect!
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