Driving Down Memory Lane to Becky's House (Day 7 in California)

We got up and moving at 7:30am, packed up our car and collected Grayden and Audrey from Joe. We walked down to Libby Park where Alice was finishing up her workout class and we must have been quite the sight - one in a stroller and three little ones walking behind me holding hands. It all worked out though and Sofia loved being with her friends again. We walked over to a breakfast place and had a delicious breakfast before returning to Libby Park for a final playtime. The kids got up on the outdoor stage and had a great time playing and entertaining us. After walking back to our hotel, we said our goodbyes and promised a visit in Honolulu next!

We got on the road and I decided to take San Marcos Pass over the hills from Santa Barbara rather than staying on Hwy 101. It's a drive I took with my parents a million times on our way to and from Southern California and it's beautiful. Both girls were asleep for most of the drive, but it was fun to revisit the scenery and realize that it hasn't changed all that much. We drove past Lake Cachuma, where I went to science camp growing up and was surprised at how low the water levels are. I explained to Sofia all I learned about the Chumash Indians and how they lived in the area, which I learned at camp. We stopped at Dunn Middle School to see my old school and it too hasn't changed much, although looks a bit nicer. We returned to the little Los Olivos Market to pick up sandwiches and it's turned into quite a fancy little market. When I went to Dunn, it was little more than a convenience store. We ate our sandwiches while we continued on our way to Becky's house, since I was ready to get there.

We got back onto Hwy 101 and I felt like I could drive that road in my sleep, even though I've only been a passenger on that road. The drive was just as beautiful as I remember with huge swaths of area filled with vineyards now. When I was growing up they were filled with cattle or just open fields and the vineyards really changes the look of the area. We drove past Los Alamos, where we lived on a ranch for over 8 years with the hope of spending a little time on our way back toward Southern California. We made it to Becky's house and unpacked our suitcases and met their dog, Jack, which I've heard a lot about. The girls were so happy to see Aunt Becky and cousin Megan and loved playing with Jack. After we got settled at Becky's house, we drove over to my brother Rob's house. He, his wife Margee, and their dog Betty moved into a lovely house not far from Becky and are enjoying getting settled into it. Rob has created an amazing garden that is full of gorgeous vegetables! He also built a small garden shed that is awesome. My brother Rob also gave me medication to help my sore throat and how bad I've felt since arriving in California, which I really appreciated. It was great to see their house and visit Rob and Margee and hear about their Alaska cruise, which sounds incredible.

We returned to Becky's house for dinner and hung out the rest of the evening. Sofia originally planned to sleep with Megan in the motorhome, but finally got too tired and fell asleep on the floor in Megan's room where Olivia and I were staying. It was great visiting with Becky, Mike, Megan, and Michael.

On our way to meet up with Alice

Yummy last breakfast together

Driving up San Marcos Pass from Santa Barbara

Heading over to Lake Cachuma

Lake Cachuma

Dunn Middle School

The Carpe Diem tree

Leaving Los Olivos

Lots of vineyards

Sofia with her cool cousin Megan

Visiting my brother Rob, his wife Margee, their dog Betty and their beautiful house

Olivia and Jack