Lots has happened since we last spoke.

Happiness is Nevada in my rear view mirror 🎶🎶.

St. George gets an award for coping. Best town in which to stop over between Rockies and West Coast. Lots of low BMI, pale skin, and fair hair… very nice and mannerly folk in Southern Utah. 

A fortuitous fill up in Parowan led to a curiosity serving investigation of Brian Head. That’s the name of the place…  Brian Head. It’s known for great powder in winter and has a quaint summer activity center.  

  

 
  
  After a few more dizzy spells, a Leroy Jenkins burger platter, the worlds slowest chairlift (Navajo), a “flow” trail brake test down Dreamcatcher and Color Country, and one OTB… We departed BH via the scenic route. 

The land between Boulder and Torrey has got to be seen to be believed. Des’s favorite was the Dixie National Forest. The highest timbered plateau in North America. The tiered aspen groves and ridiculously expansive meadows above 10,000 feet were calling me to  set up a permanent way station somewhere down one of the side roads. Jen especially liked the Escalante or Grand Staircase aspect. There’s good reason this part of the lower 48 was the last to be surveyed and mapped. The ruggedness and resistance to conventional overland travel make it a hermit’s  paradise. Kai recalls the eerie tunnel-like, tree lined roads and being monitored all the while by way too many deer and free range cattle.  

    
   
     
 
  Finally, a group favorite was the midday storm that brought a forty degree temperature drop and a lot of frozen precip to the drive. Some weird food and a welcome hotel room was found in Torrey.  

   
Side trip to Moab was revealing… Yes, hot but a really good vibe. 

Spent half a day cruising Main, dining with Derek at Spoke Cafe, and most importantly doing the obligatory hike, swim, and leap at Mill Creek canyon.  
    

    
   

  
The drive out to Western Colorado began with postcard alley Hwy 128. Legitimately “epic” vistas of THE Colorado river meandering through deep red rock canyons… 

Memorable.

Never made it to any of the famous trails but feel ready to head back there come Fall or Spring.
Moab… 

Hardly knew ya but already miss ya.

We made the best out of our last couple of days in Santa Barbara. The ocean was flat but weather was breezy, sunny and warm. Jen cruised the strand and hopped off her bike to SUP for an hour in front of the Biltmore Four Seasons. One lonely seal darted by. Apparently, there has been lots of shark activity in the last few weeks. Hammerheads mostly, and reportedly aggressive- that’s if you’re a seal or spear fisherman. This prompted the cancellation of the weekly Night Moves Duathalon at Ledbetter beach for awhile. But it was just Des’ luck that the swim/run race was ON on Wednesday night. He swam 1 k in choppy, cold water and ran 5k. He won his age group, of course! Kai wrestled with a gut bug and missed out on the duathalon event. While shopping on upper State street Kai made a new friend, Mojo, at the print shop. He barked for treats and seemed to like Kai more than us. Kathe Ireland (former SI swimsuit model and Santa Barbara local) ate with us at Farmer’s Deli. Okay she was seated with her son while Jen smiled and nodded her way!  It was great to see old friends Sandy, Andy, and Jackie. I’ll miss the Kyoto Japanese dinners too.  Paragliding with the Eagle crew and surfing will have to wait for another trip.

Suddenly, it was departure time. We timed the-around -LA route perfectly. Too bad it just got hotter and hotter and hotter as we drove east. Only one way out really, and that’s to Vegas. Temperature topped at 120 degrees and was over 110 for hours on the road. However, the torture ended in St. George UT. Storm clouds rolled in and a slight drizzle capped off the long day. 

    
    
     

   
    
   

   
     
    

    
 

We arrived in Santa Barbara on Sunday night and happened on to a nice, eccentric motel called the Agave Inn. Ledbetter beach and Shoreline Park are beautiful so we’ve spent most of our day time there. Des made a new friend at The Surf and Wear Beachouse. Kim has run his shop for 40 years and it’s a combination “surf Mecca” and museum. He designed the surfboard that appears in the movie, “Apocalypse Now”.  We also met up with 2 other old friends. Sandy and her sweetie Leela were finishing up a California tour. And, Andy, a former radiology resident with Des,  lives here full time and took us all out for Italian food. We plan to surfboard shop today!