Summer Slump

I have post-vacation blues. Maybe it's because my ten days were so full of places to go and things to do. Maybe I feel like I don't have anywhere else to go. Luckily summer isn't yet half over so I still have plenty of time to experience the outdoors.

I thought maybe a small way to transition from no activity to something would be to go somewhere close enough that I could listen to only one CD on my drive, but far away enough where the sights aren't completely familiar.

Felton sounded like a good idea at the time. Maybe the town's name would cheer me up, but it only reminded me that Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince movie is still four months away.

At least this time I found the historical marker. Only about 900 left to go!

While I was in Scott's Valley I stopped at Surf City Coffee for a blended drink. I quite enjoy Santa Cruz and the area, but I must stress that Huntington Beach is Surf City.


After I had a Cowabunga I felt a bit better. Now I need to hit the travel books and plan my next great adventure.

San Luis Obispo

Bubblegum Alley. The first time I heard about this was in the book "Weird California." As I love the bizarre and eccentric I added it to my list of things to see.


It started with Cal Poly students in the 60's that wanted to write messages of rivalry on the wall. They used gum and before anyone knew it, the walls were covered. SLO tried to remove the gum three times but each time many pieces ended up on the walls again. The residents finally embraced it and have voted to leave it there as a bizarre landmark. The local merchants also like Bubblegum Alley and even sell bubblegum in their shops so people can contribute to the wall.

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa.

At Mission San Luis Obispo I was able to check off another California Historical Landmark.

I also stopped in the SLO County Historical Museum. They are proud of their Farmer's Market and have a display about the local growers.


For lunch I stopped at the Apple Farm for some apple cider baked beans. That is so delicious!


Apples are their specialty, obviously, which is apparent in their food products and gifts. They have a lot of apple-themed kitchen items and apple flavored candies and treats. Their apple jam is very good.

I enjoyed some fresh apple cider and some apple candy before my long drive home. It was very refreshing and now I am in the mood for more apple cider.

The vacation was a lot of fun and I am happy with all the new things I got to see and do. I love Southern California and I love Disneyland and vacations, but it's good to be home. And now I can start planning for my next trip.

Wrapping Up Vacation

On Saturday I did some last minute shopping in Downtown Disney. I stopped in Build-A-Bear to make sure I didn't miss out on any Disney outfits. I also went into the World of Disney to find any postcards I didn't pick up earlier in the week.


I went to Compass Books for an iced caramel macchiato to pump myself with caffeine so I would be alert for the drive. It's about a 250 mile drive to San Luis Obispo.

Solvang is a place I have always wanted to visit but never got the chance. Since I was driving in that direction I decided to stop and look around. I saw the basic stuff like a couple of windmills and a few cute buildings. It would probably take a whole day to really explore the town and I will probably get back there again one day to visit.


I saw a number of bakeries in the town and wondered if any sold danish. I wondered if there was a candy store in town but didn't look for one.

Solvang is very proud of Hans Christian Andersen and they have a memorial to him in the park.

This is a very cute town and worth a visit.