Days 11-18

Berkeley, CA - Home of my favorite people.
Santa Cruz, too.

I love my family. Maman took this.

Last time we had seen Kim and David was when we said goodbye in Olive's NICU room.
It's so good to be together, in the sun.
To go on walks.

 And sits.

 In the California sun.

 Did I mention the sun?

The air in the Bay Area is the softest in the world. I can feel my skin relax.

 We spend the week driving and walking,

 Visiting and eating.

We go to a lot of bookstores.

 We loves the bookstores.

 Married hand with flight of beer.

Celebratory wedding cupcakes.

 More bookstores.

 And music stores.

 David.

Dinner on Fillmore street.
I'm going to pretend this is pronounced "Dy-No" and call it a dinosaur sighting.

 Another dinosaur sighting in SF.

 Done with my chai. In the sun.

 Papa and his licorice root.

Lil'.

 Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz sunset.

We laughed, we cried, we held each other tight.

 And we took photos.

Like we do.

Day 10

Morro Bay, CA - Berkeley, CA
Miles Driven - Approx 250 Miles


Let's go home!
Driving to my parents' house in Berkeley.

Woke up in beach town, Morro Bay,

And had important thrifting times.

"Just Married" magnet in the sun again. Because I can't stop taking photos of it.

Stopped for a sandwich at Ragged Point.

The view through a cool sculpture. (Photo by the amazing Jason)

 And hit the beach!

 The very beginning of the Pacific Ocean.

 I heart you, California.

 And I heart this guy too.

Day 9

Day 9
Las Vegas, NV - Morro Bay, CA
Miles Driven: Approx 555 Miles


Goodbye, fancy Vegas hotel!

 You were fancy and great.

And we enjoyed you greatly.

Pack up the flowers,

Let's go!

First stop, Death Valley Junction, CA. Home of the Amargosa Opera House.

Marta Becket was a Radio City Music Hall dancer in the 1960s. While traveling with her one woman show across the states, her car broke down near Death Valley Junction where she discovered an abandoned theater. She never left.

For over 40 years, she created dance shows and performed them every weekend. She danced in point shoes until she was 70 years old. Then we switched to more narrative shows.

 Marta performed her shows every weekend whether or not there was an audience.

 She painted the entire theater walls with an "homage to the past" audience.

Complete with cats.

 We bought every single VHS tape of her performances. Now we have to get a VCR.

Two young artists from the SF Bay Area took over management of the theater and hotel this past December. They created a show dedicated to Marta, now in her 90s, who still lives in the house behind the theater!

Across the street from the theater there is a art gallery that is sealed shut. Not sure who the artist is, but it's brand new. 

 Married hand driving.

 Married hand with taco.

 "Just Married" magnet in the desert.

 California palms.

 Dinner with Andy & Rachael in Silver Lake!

We took a wrong turn to look for a gas station on the way to the motel and pulled over to read the map.
Jason said "look where we are!"

:o)