We're Off!

Our first official Aventura destination might have only been two miles away, but it was still quite an adventurous two miles!

I tried to work up a bunch of emotions upon driving away, but with our tenants clearly so happy to be “home” and our wild adventure ahead of us, I just felt . . . well, relieved is the best description.  Relieved that the packing and moving of stuff is over (except for the packing and moving of stuff that will now happen every few days.)  By the way, for my friends who cannot believe my clothing allotment, click here for a view of my clothing inventory--complete with their designated uses and location in Salt (the location was for my benefit--sometimes I will have to really dig!)

So with the tenants waiving a cheery goodbye, we coasted away--and that is no pun, I mean coasted.   You see, we started the Pepper, but as Alan put it into drive it stalled.  (Pepper has never stalled before, was this an omen?)  But the worst part is that we didn’t realize Pepper had stalled.  We had started on a huge downhill and Salt was kindly just pushing Pepper along.  Until it came to nearing the stop sign when Alan tried the power brakes.  Thank god he figured it out quickly, threw it into Park and then started Pepper up again. 

We were off!  With the Pepper pulling Salt right through downtown Laguna and the whole two miles north on “the PCH.” 

All too soon we came upon our right turn into Moro Canyon Campground and lo and behold, it was blocked off for repaving.  The flag man was waiving us right on by!  We could see that in order to get in, you had to approach from the north so we knew we’d have to turn around.  We turned into one of the Newport Coast drives and Alan performed our first U-turn!  It took 3 and a half lanes to execute, but it was done.  One more lesson down and it wasn't even our first official day.

We drove up to the check-in at 2:57, at which point the ranger informed us that check-in time was 3:00 but we “could leave the trailer right there.”  (I still wonder if she knew what time it was when she spoke.)  

Although we can no longer claim novice status at backing up, we did take two or three (or four?) attempts to get into our spot #6.   Alan was driving and I was directing (usually our best combination), but it wasn’t pretty.  I can only assume it was because we forgot to do our habitual kiss and “remember we love each other very much” just before I hop out to give directions.  Maybe some time during all of this we will figure out just what makes backing up such a nerve-racking experience.

The views down to Crystal Cove are wonderful and you can hear the waves break even up at our site.  I feel closer to the ocean and further from poverty than sitting on our old deck at home.  It all seems so simple and calm and something I have been planning for all my life.  As my Mom would say, “Kit has always loved small things.”  That produced no comment from Alan.

  

-K

PS:  Today, the first of September and our first official Aventura Day, we are going to drive back into that cute little town of Laguna and be The Tourists.  I hear they have a great off-leash dog park, wonderful local coffee at Zinc, and the best beer, fries and muscles at Brussels.  (Don’t count on me always ending on a rhyme.)