October 29
From the desert to the seashore—we traveled from Desert Palms to Ventura.
Along the way we took a side road to check out the “scenic route” above,
Sun City, and the desert hills and vistas.
We found some ridiculous real estate deals near a windmill farm.
Leaving the desert behind, we skirted the L.A. megapolis heading northwest towards Pasadena and Valencia. Then we drove due west to Ventura where, after checking in at the La Quinta, we had lunch at the harbor overlooking the marina.
We basked in the noontime sun and strolled down the pier clicking pictures of all the great sights. They surpassed many that we had seen in Europe. They even seemed better since we were so glad to be back home.
A while later we drove east to Santa Paula to see Ellen and Ashley. Arnie was still at work, and Grandma Debbie had taken Austin to Disneyland. Ellen greeted us quietly since Ashley was still sleeping. She was running a high fever and was very congested. Ellen was exhausted from staying up all night with Ashley. Dinner was some chicken enchiladas from Ellen’s favorite take-out spot followed by a trip to the pharmacy to pick up some medicine to help Ashley breathe better. Later on we left Ellen and Ashley to catch up on their sleep and headed back to our motel. Pictures would have to wait for a better day. I think we will catch Arnie next time too, since he has accepted a new job closer to home in Santa Monica.