May 8-9, 2013
Carol's comments:
I get up fairly early to go for a walk with Lynne and her
walking group. She has been meeting regularly for years with a walking group in
the next town up the coast. I’ve been hearing about her friends in the club for
a long time, so it’s nice to meet some of them at last. Not too many are
walking today, as it’s threatening rain, but the mild drizzle actually makes
for pleasant walking conditions, and the sun gradually appears. Although Jack
and I lived just a couple of miles from where we’re walking, there are lots of
things on this route that I never saw before. Like these “boathouses”: they’re
on a quiet street of normal-looking beach houses, about 2 blocks back from the
beach. These “boats” have never been on water—they were built in the 1920s from
lumber salvaged from an old bathhouse. Each is about 1100 sq ft of living
space. Cute!
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| Boathouses in Encinitas, CA. Actually two rental units. |
After our walk, Lynne and I go home to pack for our trip
to Palm Springs. We’re leaving Jack and Marc behind for a couple of days, to
work on their various projects. We head off a little before noon and
immediately realize that we’re hungry. We decide to go to one of our old
haunts, the Hideaway Café, a divy little restaurant that’s actually in an old
garage, covered in ivy. It’s tiny, with only about 6 or 7 tables, but the food
is great. I’m happy to see the place hasn’t changed a bit since we used to come
here, including the menu. I have my old favorite, avocado stuffed with tuna
salad. Still great.
Now, hunger pangs assuaged, we’re ready to hit the road
for Palm Springs. The drive is only a little over 2 hrs. Lynne has scored us
one of her usual great deals, at a swank B&B called Korakia (Greek for
“crow”) that she and Marc used to stay at a lot, before it got too pricy. (We’re
NOT paying full price.) We are staying in what is an old 1918 California adobe
house. It’s part of an estate of various
buildings from the early 20th century that have a Moroccan theme, and it feels
like another world when you enter the gates. This place is amazing! We have our
own private citrus grove and outside stone jacuzzi. And it’s within a short
walking distance of downtown Palm Springs. We’re lucking out on the weather
too—it’s a lot cooler than they said it would be, for the time being at least.
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| We have our own citrus orchard in our unit's enclosure. |
.JPG) |
| This glass and metal "wall" pivots and can be left open to the outside. |
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| Our bathroom sink. |
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| Our private stone jacuzzi on our patio. |
After settling in and unpacking, we walk downtown. The
most noticeable thing about Palm Springs for me is the nearness of the massive,
rocky mountain that forms the backdrop for the city. It feels like you can
reach out and touch it—it’s very fortress-like, so close to downtown. Lots of
trendy shops, boutiques, restaurants and salons, many flowers, and retro
hotels. This place was known for many years as the hangout of the Hollywood
“Rat Pack,” the name used to refer to a gang of popular actors that were all
friends, including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop and
Sammy Davis Jr. Lynne and I are in search of the authentic Rat Pack experience.
After shopping and sightseeing, we have Moroccan tea back
at the Korakia, and then stroll over to a nearby restaurant for a light supper
(really Happy Hour snacks, but it’s quite enough). Afterward we relax back in
our little house, sitting under the citrus trees while candles burn all around
us. (The staff lights the candles around 7:30 pm every evening.) I could get
used to this.
We wake up early and take a walk before breakfast, which
is delivered to our house. We eat outside in the courtyard and plan our busy
day.
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| Breakfast on the patio! |
We’ve scheduled manicures/pedicures in the morning, and in the afternoon
we have tickets to see the Palm Springs Follies, a Las Vegas type entertainment
at a restored theater downtown, that’s been running for 22 years (but they
change the show every year). The current show features “the music and
dance of the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, all performed by a cast old enough to have
lived it,” as their website says. It’s a great show of professional singers and
dancers, and the youngest cast member is in their late 50s. Some of these
long-legged showgirls in their fancy, skimpy outfits are in their mid 70s! The
oldest male performer is 84, and he’s hoofing it and turning cartwheels along
with the rest of them. Amazing. The featured headliner for today’s show is
Lesley Gore, one of my favorite female singers of the early 1960s, most famous
for her #1 hit “It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To.” She’s 67 now and
still looks and sounds pretty good. My big excitement was talking to her and
having Lynne take our photo together after the show.
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| Lesley Gore and Carol, after Palm Springs Follies show |
Still searching for the Rat Pack experience, we go to
Melvyn’s for dinner. This is a vintage inn and restaurant where the Rat Pack
gang used to hang out and which apparently many celebs still frequent today. It
has a great piano bar, with a singer/pianist who can really sing the old songs
well. Lots of fun. (But didn’t see any more celebs. Guess I’ll have to be
satisfied with Lesley.)
Our time here is all too short: tomorrow we’re moving on
to a ranch in Desert Hot Springs that’s owned by good friends of Lynne and
Marc, who are generously letting us stay for a few days in their guest house.
Marc and Jack are driving out here tomorrow for the weekend.
Jack’s comments:
While Carol and Lynne are living the high life, Marc and I
are living the life of bachelors. I’ve
used this time to get a lot done on my book. Yesterday I took off early to get
some work done on the RoadTrek and get a haircut. My first stop was to get some
gas. Talk about sticker shock. The gas station in Solana Beach is charging
$4.239 per gallon for regular. Compare that to $3.149 per gallon in east Texas.
With all the fume controls on the pumps, I (fortunately) can’t fill the tank
all the way. I still need to change the oil, fill the propane tank, and get a
haircut. I decide to head up to Oceanside along the coast highway (US 101) which runs
along the ocean. We used to have a beach condominium in Oceanside and I want to
see what it looks like.
The drive is slow, but beautiful. It’s a sunny day and lots,
and I mean lots, of people are out running, walking, biking, surfing and engaging
in other forms of exercise. I notice the obesity population count here is very
low compared to the area surrounding Roanoke, VA. All these beach towns are contiguous and
if it were not for the town signs, one would think you’re driving through one
long beach town stretching all the way from San Diego to the US Marine base at
Camp Pendleton.
As I pass through Carlsbad, I note a Jiffy Lube and stop
there to get my crankcase oil changed and other fluids checked. Lots of donut
shops around so I have a cup of coffee and a donut while waiting for the
RoadTrek.
As I head further and further
north I note the price of gas is going down, but still no propane fill stations
or barbershop signs. Whatever happened to the old barbershop poles? Finally I
reach Oceanside. Everything has changed. Lots, and I mean lots, of condos and people
everywhere. Looks like a city. I can't find our old condo which sat right on
the beach. What’s happened to it? Has it been “upscaled” out of existence, or
has my memory faded?
I give up and continue my search for a barber shop. I
finally find one that actually has all men in it cutting hair. As I walk in I
note that I’m the only white guy in the shop. They look at me and I look at
them. Then I sit down and get my usual bald-headed scalping for a reasonable
barber shop price. And, I didn’t have to listen to rap music as all the barbers
are old like me.
Finally I break down and start asking everyone where I can find
a propane fill station. I get directed to a Shell station along Palomar Airport
Road and get it filled. I finish filling my gas tank at $3.909 per gallon.
Still outrageous, but 33 cents less than in Solana Beach.
I decide to take Interstate 5 south to Solana Beach. Lots
of traffic on this 8- to 10-lane highway and it’s just 11:30 am. Looks a lot
like the beltway in Washington, DC. Makes me remember why Carol and I moved away from
the San Diego area. Still, it's a typical and lovely day in the San Diego area. NO humidity, 70 degrees and sunny. I just have to remember to stay off the freeways.
Bird species count: Vermilion
flycatcher, turkey vulture, Bell’s vireo, *golden-fronted woodpecker, Say’s
phoebe, northern cardinal, greater roadrunner, house finch, common raven, *northern
rough-winged swallow, *summer tanager, *prothonotary warbler, *yellow-breasted
chat, *yellow-rumped warbler, northern mockingbird, mourning dove, cliff
swallow, Mexican jay, black-headed grosbeak, black-chinned hummingbird, Wilson’s warbler, *Scott’s oriole,
chipping sparrow, house sparrow, lesser goldfinch, black-crested titmouse,
acorn woodpecker, scrub jay, *western kingbird, white-winged dove, *canyon
towhee, *Grace’s warbler, *zone-tailed hawk, *curve-billed thrasher, Bullock’s
oriole, Gambel’s quail, great horned owl, black-throated sparrow, *cactus wren,
ladder-backed woodpecker, white-crowned sparrow, brownheaded cowbird, Brewer’s
blackbird, *pyrrhuloxia, hooded oriole, verdin, crow, Anna’s hummingbird
State count: 11
[Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Arkansas,
Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California]
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