Channel Islands - the road trip

Thursday morning I set out from the loft, sans-a-doggie, for a trip to the Channel Islands. My mother has always wanted to visit the islands and I thought it would be a fun mother-daughter bonding. We hadn't taken a trip together since our jaunt from Albuquerque to Los Angeles in May of '06. Tsunami stayed with Greg for some Papa-Puppy bonding.

I set off about 8:30 AM and head to the Orchid Spa, better known as White Oak Orchids. We dropped off some plants that needed better love than we can provide. I visited my lycaste orchid which is actually some other type of orchid, according to the nice spa attendants. However, I had let to go too far and it was hanging on by a dear leaf. I'll pray for it.

Once the plants were settled, off down highway 1 to my Mom's. Quick arrival and departure, with me learning that the spare water-proof jacket had a camouflage pattern that, if caught in a New England forest, would make me impossible to see. See, she had ordered one for herself and then found it wasn't water-proof. So she called & complained, they said that it was a fluke and sent her another. Since, I don't have rain/drizzle gear, I was borrowing her 2nd jacket. Boy did we make a team, mom & daughter dressed in brown hiking boots, deep blue denim and matching maple forest camouflage jackets. You could tell I was me, as I was wearing a hat.

But that is getting ahead of ourselves - that was our outfit today. Yesterday, we took 101 and flew down the coast in a vain attempt to reach the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History before it closed. I blame our stop at a Mexican joint in King City for our delay. Regardless, it was a beautiful drive. California is filled with lush and beauty.

When we hit Goleta, we realized there was no way we were going to make the museum, so we stopped at the Sterling Preserve - a new park that mom read about in Sunset magazine and wanted to see. It was low on wildflowers - as was Santa Cruz Island, however we made due. I got to practice more with my nifty new watch toys. Greg generously gave me a GPS tracking watch for my walk-a-half-marathon training. Mom gave me a heart rate monitor watch for the same reason. I love both. When I go walking, I will be wearing both - see photo below.

The southern sun was warming and delightful. We did 1.8 miles in 39:53. Not up to my goal - staying below 15 minute miles.


Our next stop was Trader Joe's - for hiking food supplies. Then to the hotel, La Quinta - which is clean and utilitarian. And finally over to the harbor for a dinner at Milano Cafe or something like that. All fine and dandy. Early to bed to get ready for today's trip to Santa Cruz Island.

Bed time - we'll save the Santa Cruz Island stories of the traveling DeLano Twins for tomorrow.