May 23, 2023

We left Arizona for a day of travel with one overnight stop at Desert Hot Springs and then off to our next adventure along the coast of California. Along the way, we always seem to find some interesting place to stop and charge, and this day was no different. We found a RIVIAN charger in the small and infamous town of Quartzsite – the very same location of the film Nomandland – it is listed as the RV capital of the country – there’s definitely no shortage of RV sites – that’s for sure. But did you know it is also the site of a famous camel herder – Hadji Ali? That’s right – at one point the Army thought introducing camels to this desert locale would be a good idea – not so much – However, Hi Jolly, as the locals called him – did stay and became quite well known due to his flamboyant personality and genuine kindness.

On Sunday we arrived in Oxnard and were greeted by our Airbnb host and her lemon tree. Bright and early Monday morning we headed to the coast and the port of Ventura Village, where we caught the 9am ferry to Santa Cruz – the largest of the Channel Islands.

By 11am we were on the water in sea kayaks exploring the island from the water. There’s a number of caves that are suitable for kayaking and some that look a little too turbulent. Even though the tide is minimal – the ocean swells are unpredictable and it’s best to paddle along at a safe distance. Also, the wind erodes the cliff faces at an alarming rate and the loose rocks are prone to sliding off into the ocean below – sometimes right over your head. Wearing a helmet is a must when kayaking along the coastline of these Channel Islands.

The ferry ride is an event in and of itself – with the crew well versed in the goings on of the locals – here some young harbor seals take a buoy break – Upon our return we spotted a humpback whale and several dolphin pods – Bonus!

Decided to share some of my window views as we approach Santa Cruz and then as we toured Potato Cove

While the white substance looks like bird poo – and don’t get me wrong there are a ton of birds around the island, including a bald eagle – the white is not bird poo – it’s actually fossilized shell and skeletal remains – it’s called caliche. The geology of these islands is fascinating and unique as they were formed through volcanic and tectonic events. These islands are classified as a transverse range as they trend east to west, while most mountain ranges trend north to south – the uplift that resulted from two plates colliding formed this unique eight island archipelago with more than 150 unique species. It also boasts the earliest paleontological find of human evidence dating back over 13,000 years ago.

All geared up and ready to paddle away!

The water and the blow of the swells that helped to form these caves over time.

Elephant Rock with its cave entrance and notice the kelp – known as the rainforest canopy of the island. This area is sanctioned by the Nature Conservatory as a National Marine Sanctuary. They say the snorkeling here is magnificent.

I thought there were bubbles on the water, but our guide explained that these jellyfish are called Velella Velella – they are absolutely gorgeous and the whales and sunfish just love these tasty treats.

The history of the island is complex and rich – with indigenous tribes like Chumash, who still make a pilgrimage to the islands in traditional canoes called tomols. There’s the Spaniards who introduced ranching and farming and unfortunately enslaved many of the native islanders – Even today there are some of these islands that are privately owned, including a private residence on Santa Cruz.

We spent almost four hours on our kayak tour and just had a little bit of time to hike about the island before our 4pm ferry back to Ventura, which took over an hour because of the whale sighting!

The next day we had an opportunity to tour the headquarters of PanCan – Pancreatic Action Network – based in LA at Manhattan Beach. What a treat it was to meet Brooke and her team and learn more about the good work this organization continues to strive to do each day! I’ll be posting more about this organization as Rob gears up for his ride beginning June 2 from Anacortes, WA.

The services this organization offers free of charge is vital to patient care and the network of support has helped almost 20,000 people. We feel so fortunate to have found out about this good work and we look forward to doing our part to help grow awareness which will lead to more early detection and longer survivor rates. My favorite slogan by far is WAGE HOPE!

After our coastal drive into LA; we headed north and east into the mountains. Our first stop brought us to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and into fruit tree and grapevine lined byways. Our first night away from the city was at the California State Park, Tule – on the Success Lake- a dam controlled reservoir. After a quick swim, we headed to make camp – took in the sunset and prepared for an early departure. Our hope was to try to get into Sequoia National Park – no such luck though – the roads are still under repair after all of the flooding and the water levels are still at dangerous levels.

View of the Success Lake through the eucalyptus

No sounds of civilization here in the foothills of western California. After spending three days of travel in and around the LA area – this quiet dry grassland area is a little bit of paradise. We are staying two nights at Codorniz Recreation Area Campground close to Raymond and on Lake Eastman – Rob had a good mountain bike ride and we both road about to explore the campground. We hope to get in a hike tomorrow and some time on the water. In the meantime, we are soaking in the California sunshine and the cool fresh air.

Keeping the rubber side down, Julie and Rob