The 5:45 to Yuma

We're here...we're tired...we want to eat sweets!



We drove all day from Pismo beach and we didn't make it to Encintas. We tried really hard though. We made some crazy decisions in the heat of the moment whilst driving through traffic jams in Los Angeles. L.A was totally insane. I never want to drive through it again. The girls got tired though and at 8:30 we pulled into the first hotel we could find. It turned out to be San Clemente...home of the high school surfing champions 6 years running.

The next day, we drove a leisurely 45 minutes to Encinitas and went to the meditation gardens of the Self-Realisation Fellowship. Here's a picture of Naomi drinking some blessed milk, under the Saint Francis of Assisi tree.

Encinitas is a great little town. Very beautiful and laid back. We also were able to camp for the first time since we started this journey. Again, there were surfers everywhere and many fellow Westies...

Well, we tried to see Adam's brother David, but we didn't get there on the right day, nor had he received any of our messages, so it didn't work out on Saturday, but we hoped for a Sunday visit. While we waited, we walked around town, Maia had some ice cream...

While she was enjoying her blueberry cheescake all-natural ice-cream on a sugar cone, I spoke with a woman who was organizing a film festival and education day about the 911 conspiracy theory. They were hoping for a big turn-out.

We walked along the beach at sunset and had a campfire at nightfall. Adam and I enjoyed a nice homemade cup of tea (it always tastes better when you make it yourself) while the girls slept and then we went to bed to the soothing sound of the ocean marred slighlty by the jarring sound of the amtrack train as it went by every hour.

This morning, after I ran on the beach, (and it felt glorious) Adam visited with David. Dave was only able to see Adam between 9 am to 10 am and the girls and I were unable to see him. Adam's visit was short but sweet. Maia, Naomi and I will have to wait for next time. It just wasn't meant to be.

We left the beach and drove to the moon. California's south-east is a barren landscape of rocks, boulders and granite. It is a far cry from the lush redwood forests we had just passed through. It was also really hot! It was so hot we stopped in Yuma at the nearest swimming pool and dove right in with all of our clothes on.

Ok, ok, we didn't really have all of our clothes on, but it was pretty close!

Love to you all! Thanks for the advice Zoe, we are really careful with our overheating, and will continue to be. We don't want any engine fires.