First weekend in CA

Mom and Dad have been missing the lake, especially this time of the year. When they saw this Malibu sticker, they both got really excited, saying that Ryan would be proud.

This scene did not help as we crossed the Sacramento River on our way to Sacramento for the first time on Saturday. Maybe we can meet some friends that have a boat and would love to take us out on the water soon. Maybe they will have a dog too. Well, maybe not. I am not one to play with others.

During our drive to Sacramento, Mom complained the whole way. It is hard to get a picture of the city's skyline since the land is SO FLAT. This one will have to do for the time being.

In Sacramento, Mom and Dad went to the mall, which was huge. Lauren would have been in doggy heaven.

Dad took us to see his new school. It is a nice campus and it is next to the Keebler Elves factory. Maybe he can bring home some cookies. The vanilla ones with the fudge in the middle are the best. But, I am not supposed to know that since dogs can't have chocolate. (So they think!)

Mom took this picture of one of three automotive workshops by peeking in the window. I hope that they do not have video camaras around here. Our Alabama license plate stands out like a sore thumb, so I am told.



We had a pretty lazy first full weekend here. I better get some rest before another work week begins.

Strawberries anyone?

I think that my mom has lost her mind. Today, she walked in with a box full of fresh strawberries and smiling ear to ear. There are strawberry fields everywhere and people selling them standing on the side of the road. I have no idea how she is going to eat all of these strawberries considering me or Dad do not eat fruit of any kind. I overheard her say that she wishes Jen still lived next door because she would definitely put these strawberries to good use. I guess she needs to meet the new neighbors and share these strawberries with them.

Dad went to WyoTech today on a tour of the school. The campus consists of 3 large buildings where classrooms and large automotive workshops are located. He said there are as many tools as you can imagine and he can't wait to use them all.

I think that Mom and Dad are feeling guilty about taking me to a different part of the country and leaving me soon while they are at work and school. Our new family past time is going to the dog park. We have been three days in a row!

I love being able to run full speed, but I get tired quickly.

Work and Play

Dad and I stayed home today meeting with the cable guy and maintanance man while Mom went to her new job. She spent the morning working in a small hospital that consists of about 120 beds. Then, she went to an even smaller nursing home about 40 miles up the interstate. Mom said the staff was nice and helpful and she enjoyed meeting her patients. But, the best part was the commute. Notice the snow-capped mountains in the background.

After Mom got home, we all went to a local dog park. Having never been to a dog park, I did not know what to expect. I was just glad to get to ride in the back seat rather than my portable apartment surrounded by luggage.

After all of the other dogs greeted me, I ran as fast as I could. Then, the dogs began chasing me. Don't worry. They could not keep up.

I played with Dad by jumping up around him.

Afterwards, I was pretty tired from all of that physical activity. (You know that I am usually laying down, asleep in a chair or on the bed.) While resting, I enjoyed watching the other dogs play.

I asked Mom if that chocolate lab was Parker Godiva but she sadly informed me that it was not. Maybe next time!

Until then, I will just conserve my energy.

Day Eight - Reaching our Destination

After driving for about 3 1/2 hours, we finally arrived to our destination!

Along the way, we saw farm after farm after farm in the extremely flat land.

Well, this is it. Our home (temporarily)

We have met some really nice people here in California and everyone that we have come across know that I am a whippet! (In Alabama, people thought that I was a greyhound. Mom and Dad had to explain my breed to everyone - a "medium-sized greyhound".)

Here is the inside of our humble abode. It is definitely not Hearst Castle but it will do.

After a hectic day of unpacking and getting somewhat settled, I am ready to relax and unwind.

Day Seven

We woke up this foggy morning and went to Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. William Randolph Hearst was one of the wealthiest Americans in the early 1900s. He made his fortune by publishing newspapers and building extraordinary homes, including his own mansion. He and his companion frequently entertained various celebrities including Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplain, Howard Hughes, Amelia Earhart and Winston Churchill just to name a few. When he was living here, he had the world's largest private zoo where you could see bears, giraffes, zebras, lion cubs, and kangaroos. Let's not forget his beloved Dachshunds and Boston Terriers that were pictured with him often.

This is where Hearst himself stayed - the main house. On the campus, there are multiple guest houses, pools, gardens, etc. There is so much here that 5 tours are offered just to cover it all.

After we left Heart Castle, the fog lifted and we went to the coast. Here I found some more friends, elephant seals. At first, I thought they were dead because they laid on the beach lifeless and looked bloated. Then, I saw them throw sand on their back with their fins as a way of keeping cool.

How can you not love that face!

We continued our journey up Hwy 1, taking in the scenery. These pictures do not capture the beauty of it all.

Then, we hit a bump in the road. Well, more like a rock on the shoulder of the road. Mom was driving on the crooked, winding road of Hwy. 1 and Dad commented on how the weather suddenly changes. It is foggy one minute and sunny the next. At this particular time during the day, it was foggy. Mom said that it was so foggy, she could barely see. Dad said, "Watch that rock!" and then the car suddenly jerked and Mom pulled over. Basically, the rock separated the rim from the tire and air was gradually leaking from the tire. We stopped at the next gas station, which was about 20 minutes down the road. Since we had to wait on U-Haul road service to change out the tire, we decided to spend the night in Carmel, CA. There just happen to be a hotel right next to the gas station and it is the nicest one we have stayed in during our long journey. I guess there is a silver lining!

Day Six

This is how we faced the morning, despite leaving a little later than usual to miss rush hour traffic. Now I realize why all the celebrities have chauffeurs. We were not that lucky and don't forget that we are towing a car. Needless to say, we were unable to pullover because there was nowhere to park one car, much less two.

The Kodak Theater is located on Hollywood Blvd. We did not see any American Idol contestants although we searched high and low. Too bad that Mom's friend Lauren is not with us. She can sniff out a celeb with the best of them.

Notice the stars on the sidewalk!



We also cruised Sunset Blvd. all of the way to Hwy. 1.

Of course the day we were here it was really foggy. That's okay because we will definitely be back to visit and plan to stay a while, spending some time in this famous city.

On Sunset Blvd., we drove through Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Brentwood Village. We saw a lot of high scrubbery, fancy gates and thick walls. For some reason, the people who live here really value their privacy.

Mom kept mentioning her friend Maria as we were trying to catch a peak of these multi-million dollar homes.

After eating lunch at a local cafe in Malibu, the fog somewhat lifted and all we saw was green.

We drove past vineyards, strawberry fields and orchards filled with lemon trees.

Then, we enjoyed the beach and the ocean view.

This is the view just outside of our hotel room in Cambria, CA

After studying the map, we only have about 350 miles to go!

Mom and Dad enjoyed their meal looking at this.