- November 16 - Kingman, Arizona > Bakersfield, California - From Arizona we crossed a few miles of the southern tip of Nevada near Laughlin before entering California. The Mojave Desert was much more mountainous than we expected, and as dramatic as the landscapes of New Mexico and Arizona. Past Barstow we entered golden hills dotted with oak trees and with windmills in the passes. These hills, the smog drifting in from Los Angeles to the west and the palm tree-lined streets of Bakersfield all seemed oddly familiar and proved to us without a doubt that we had returned to California.
- November 17 - Bakersfield > Stockton, California - Drove Route 99 through California's Central Valley, stopping on the way in Kingsburg, a small town south of Fresno which proudly celebrates its Swedish heritage. It felt a bit odd walking past Mexican restaurants and gas stations sporting blue and yellow Swedish flags and names of regions in Sweden.
Swedish imagery on a mural in Kingsburg, California.
Arrived later in the day in Stockton, Jennifer's home town and the Asparagus Capital of the World. Jennifer's Mom scored us front-row VIP tickets to a school production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (she's the pianist for the show).
- November 18-21 - Stockton - Prepared for Thanksgiving and had fun with Jennifer's Mom.
- November 22 - Stockton > Mitchell, Oregon - With Jennifer's Mom, drove north up Route 5 in California. Clear skies gave us great views of Mount Shasta. Had lunch in Weed, California before heading east toward central Oregon. Stayed at the charming Mitchell Hotel in the village of Mitchell, Oregon, an old-style hotel complete with the head of a Bighorn Sheep in the lobby. (The hotel is for sale, so if you're looking for a business opportunity in the rural Northwest, give them a call.)
Weed, California, with snow-covered Mount Shasta in the background.
In the lobby of the historic Mitchell Hotel in Mitchell, Oregon.
- November 23 (Thanksgiving Day) - Mitchell > Pasco, Washington - Climbed through four mountain passes and passed through beautiful, frost-covered landscapes in eastern Oregon on the way to Washington. In one section, everything down to the last blade of grass was covered in white frost. Other than the black surface of the road, the entire scene, land and sky, was in various shades of white. Surreal and stunning.
Made it to Jennifer's Uncle Jim's and Aunt Pat's house in Walla Walla, Washington in time for the early-afternoon Thanksgiving dinner. It was wonderful spending the day with Jennifer's relatives, including Jennifer's Aunt Margie and Uncle Myron and several cousins, many of whom we had not seen for nine years. After a great dinner, we followed Jennifer's Aunt Giny and Uncle Ralph back to their farm in Pasco, Washington (see our first day out in September).
Frost-covered landscape in eastern Oregon.
Cattle grazing the frosty fields of eastern Oregon on Thanksgiving Day.
Three of our children (Reginald, Clarence and cheese-wearing Panda) ignoring the menacing Devil's Claw from Arizona and, instead, admiring the Oregon landscape.
- November 24 - Pasco - We got to see more of Jennifer's relatives that evening as we gathered at a dinner party for Jennifer's cousin Ryan's birthday.
Jennifer with her Aunt Giny, her Uncle Ralph and her mother Merridee at Giny and Ralph's farm in Pasco, Washington.
- November 25 - Pasco > Portland, Oregon! - Left Pasco and drove back along the Columbia Gorge toward Portland. Made it back in enough time to show Jennifer's Mom our new apartment and give her a tour of the neighborhood before seeing her off at the airport for her flight to California.
Ready to start settling in, we returned to our new home. Having driven over 13,000 miles, through 29 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and Mexico, we were thoroughly happy to have made the trip. We were also ready to be home.
Back home at last, job classifieds in hand.