First Two Days

Wow, we've come a long way in the last two days. Yesterday we were on the 10:30 ferry to Port Angeles. It's always kind of sad leaving Victoria, knowing it will be six months before we return. We had a nice departure, going past the Ocean Point Hotel, where my sister was married way back when!

We had a really quick exit from the ferry and were through customs right away. Last year we were the very last vehicle to get cleared! The weather was awesome the entire way, getting up to 20C. It was a little strange not stopping in Tacoma to see Robin and Serge because that is always the start of our six month adventure. This year, they are waiting for us in Bucerias instead.  We got all the way to Eugene Oregon last night, had a great sleep and were so surprised to wake up to incredible fog and only 7C on the thermometer.

So that was the first three hours of our trip today. We had no rain, just amazing thick fog. Finally, just like magic, when we crossed into California, the sun came out and we've had blue skies the rest of the day. This is the day I will remember as one of scent sensations! Just around lunch time, I said to Gail "Can you smell onions cooking?" She said, "Yeah, onions or garlic." Well, what do you know, just up ahead was a large truck hauling tons and tons of onions. It must have been the sun cooking them up to a smell for me! By this point, just outside Redding California, the temperature was reading 30C. Later on, we passed the usual stinky farms; a factory that must have been making Parmesan cheese, very nasty,; and then then the most wonderful smell of fresh basil. We have no idea what or where it came from, but it was about five minutes of driving in an Italian kitchen! Marvellous!

We drove for just over ten hours today and now are in our hotel n Madera California, with very spotty internet access. Tomorrow, we head south and then east, into Arizona and will spend the night with our friend Barry.