California was calling my name. It was January of 2014, and I wanted to get away from the cold winter weather. I also wanted to visit my sister Stephanie and my blogging friend Rosie in Los Angeles, as well as my dearest friend Jayne in San Francisco.
In July of 2015, I wanted to stop in California to visit my sister on my way home from teaching for a year in China. We planned to visit the Channel Islands during my time there. I would also visit my blogging friend Rosie and we’d go to Joshua Tree National Park together.
I had been to California several times in the distant past. I went on a 3-month road trip in 1979 with my first husband, Bill. That time, we visited Redwood National Forest, Crescent City, Death Valley and Yosemite.
Since Bill and I lived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for four years, from 1980-1984, we took another trip to San Francisco in the early 1980s, probably 1983.
In 2014, I would get to visit my sister and some good friends, and see some places I hadn’t seen on my first couple of trips.
In 2015, I’d also visit Stephanie and Rosie, and see a few more places.
Anacapa Island
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
I would be in California from January 3-13, 2014 and again from July 15-20, 2015.
~ wander.essence ~ 
Memories….Sightseeing, Redwoods, Napa Valley , Road trip from LA to San Diego along Highway 1, the Bay Area…never ending ! My first visit was in 1975. My brother was there and I enrolled for Journalism course at Stanford Univ (Summer school). Thereafter visited every year and last was in 2016. Hope the present crisis ends soon fires and virus.
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I’m glad to know you have great memories of California, Indra. I loved the times I’ve been there, though they have been few. Did you love the journalism school at Stanford? Wow, you’ve been a lot, probably more than me. I hope this crisis ends soon, like you said, fires, virus, and (I might add) Trumpism.
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Stanford was straight out of a small town in India and there was so much to read, see and do. Loved it.
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I bet you did! I’ve never been there myself. 🙂
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Love the old photos from the 80s, Cathy. We were different people then, in a different world, weren’t we? 🙂 🙂 It seems to be constant worry now, about things we can’t fix! How is your daughter these days?
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It’s so much fun to dig out those old photos sometimes, Jo. And to share them on the blog. We were definitely different people then. It’s amazing all the changes we go through in our lives. My daughter is okay; she just went on vacation in New Hampshire with her dad and family; I think she was glad to have some company after being unemployed and isolated so long. I’m hoping she’ll come up here for a visit.
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I have never been to California. I doubt it’s in my near future either, so I will look forward to your photos instead. I loved these old ones with your fab 80s hair. Mine looked quite similar then, I haven’t always worn it so short.
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My 80s hair was really something. That was before I had to dye it to keep it brown. Now it’s just naturally white. And much more tame, since I straighten it. It was usually out of control in those days. 🙂
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Nostalgic trip for me too. I did the same journey, more or less, sometime in the late eighties I think. And yes, I too had big hair, was much slimmer then and about 3 inches taller! I loved Venice Beach, I found it quite real, but my friend’s very right-wing husband spoiled it for me by continually muttering about how he’d ‘lock ’em all up, scroungers one and all’. I reckon he is a committed Trump supporter now!
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Three inches taller? I’d love to see those pics of you with the big hair! Venice is always fun and quirky, but too bad about that right-wing guy who had to ruin it for you. In my opinion, we have too many right-wingers unleashed in this country now. It makes me want to escape ASAP.
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Fantastic pictures! 🙂
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Thanks so much, Pit. 🙂
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