Santa Barbara,
California
June 6, 1995
CALIFORNIA
DREAMIN'
After
April's coast-to-coast speed run, we were glad to give the Phoenix One
a breather and travel only a few miles in May. Before I launch into
May's experiences, however, I want to mention the lovely breakfast that
Byron Beeler treated Meg and me to when we visited him in Bradenton,
Florida, in April.
Five surprise
visitors planned to come to the Phoenix party in California on April
26. Unavoidable circumstances delayed their arrival for a week, but
they deserve the grand prize for traveling the farthest-- all the way
from Sydney, Australia! We spent two wonderful days with Rob, Pam,
Chelsea & Cameron Buesnel and Joyce Curran. Pam presented
us with a wooden wreath she'd hand painted with five Australian wildflowers
I'd seen on my trip to Australia a few years ago. This beautiful work
of art is now hanging, with a little help from a strip of Velcro, on
the wall of our guest bedroom/office in the Phoenix One. We also enjoyed
seeing Ed Hakim and Jim Thomson while we were in Los Angeles.
We needed
to get some writing done, and Sam's Family Spa in Desert Hot Springs
offered the perfect venue. Not only does it have a huge warm swimming
pool, four large hot pools, a sauna, and a charming coffee shop, it's
got a full complement of peacocks and palm trees besides. For a couple
of weeks we soaked and worked and soaked some more. The result? Pruny
skin and 20,000 words. Thanks to the staff for providing such lovely
surroundings!
The three
Ms parted company for a week while Megan flew to San Jose and rode Amtrak's
Coast Starlight down the coast to San Diego with David Kirby.
It's a fabulous journey, and the double-decker cars with sightseeing
lounges offer wonderful views of the valleys around Salinas and the
coast south of San Luis Obispo. In San Diego, they attended a Mensa
gathering where Megan gave a talk and slide show about life on the road.
Thanks
to the generosity of my parents, Margaret & Charlie Sedenquist,
we now have a state-of-the-art slide projector, and we're eager to put
it to use. If you know of a group or club that would like to hear about
our adventures, please let us know. With enough notice, the Phoenix
One traveling show is ready to perform just about anywhere!
Marvin
and I met Charlie at the Lake Morena Regional Park in southern San Diego
county. Expecting to find barren desert, I was surprised to discover
one of the largest reservoirs in California surrounded by pine and fir
trees. Charlie is a rockhound by avocation, and the border region is
a good place to hunt for tourmaline, garnets, topaz and gold. We set
up our base of operations at De Anza Springs Campground in Jacumba,
California, where Bill, Jean and Dick maintain a remarkable
preserve a few miles north of Mexico.
While we
didn't find any gem-quality stones, the countryside was bright with
desert wildflowers. Rugged jeep trails gave Charlie the opportunity
to do some four wheelin,' and both of us ended up questioning our relative
sanity. Luckily, it was his truck that got banged around, not the Phoenix!
If you are near San Diego, a day trip to the Jacumba Springs Spa is
well worth a visit. When you get there, ask Mona Bachmeier for a tour.
After retrieving
Megan in San Diego, we made our annual pilgrimage to Bert Merrill's
Temecula Pizza Company. This makes the fifth time in five years that
we have driven 100 miles or so out of our way to eat the succulent stromboli
they're famous for. Remember: I-15 + highway 79 = true ambrosia. Then
we returned to Pasadena for an evening of good conversation and food
at the home of Paul, Kathy, Melissa & Michael Copeland. The
next morning we joined Rich Kapnick in North Hollywood as he
produced a video of us in a talk show format. Quite a learning experience
to be in such a production. Our thanks go to Rick, Sonny and
Christina at Phase-L Productions for their assistance.
Lots of
friends have joined us on the continuing adventures of the Phoenix One
this month: Terry & Nancy Brian, Mike Ball, Marvin & Judith
Chazin, Michael, Jeff, Jeannie and the staff at Flag's Photo, Mike,
Linda, Aubrie & Merissa Gutierrez, Scott & Cindy Jenkins, Dick
Green, Gordon Larsen, Randy & Ruthanne Perkins, Nels & Linda
Roselund, Virginia & Bennett Quillen II, Dave & Suzanne Tjosaas,
Karen & Steve Freeburg, Chuck Samdes, Russ & Cookie Bakke, Michael
& Liberty Russell, Tom Herbertson, Alan Miller & Lorraine Page,
Celinda Puelma, Chip & Nancy Stone, Ken Taylor, Brian Anderson,
Es Johnson, Dr. & Mrs. Charles B. Warr, and Ray & Linda
McBride. Thank you, Thank you for the gifts of postage we received
this month! They really help! On we go... Hope to see you soon!
Mark
THIS JUST
IN BY PONY EXPRESS!
Yes, the
Phoenix One gets snail mail, forwarded faithfully by the nice folks
at The Postmaster in Pasadena. Thanks to Ray, Beth, Evan & Joey,
we get every last bill! Fortunately, sometimes we get other kinds of
mail, too, like this missive from Charlie Brister, president
of Chasley, Inc., the company that keeps you smiling with amazing juggling
toys shaped like everything from penguins to planets.
TOP TEN
REASONS MARK & MEGAN ARE GOING FOR A SECOND YEAR ON THE ROAD
- 10.
They just love Denny's.
- 9. Haven't
used every auto shop in America yet.
- 8. There's
still one national park they haven't explored.
- 7. Don't
want to put refinery workers out of business.
- 6. Still
haven't finished telling each other their life stories.
- 5. Marvin's
really the one in charge.
- 4. That
little 'Phoenix One Travels' map isn't completely black yet.
- 3. "Damn
it, Megan... We're not going home until I can drive this thing blindfolded
using only the Global Positioning Satellite Receiver to guide me."
- 2. Still
getting up the nerve to pick up their first hitchhiker.
And the
number one reason Mark and Megan are going for a second year on the
road... drum roll, please...
Megan
