AMSTRDM

It had been quite a few years since we set foot in Paso Robles and it was great to revisit one of our old haunts - Amsterdam Coffee House. Some things had changed, but many were the same. The lady working there told us that the shop changed hands a few times, and along with that the name. Eventually it returned to a modified version of the coffee house it originally was, with a slightly modified name - AMSTRDM. We were delighted to find that the essence of the place was the same - good coffee in a unique space.

the shirt that almost was...

...but then wasn't.

plum on a palm

seahorse?

A mark on the bark of a eucalyptus tree that resembles a seahorse.

mudslide season

The heavy rains did not go unoticed  by the steep hillsides in our area.

Pride of Madeira

Looking good, and growing everywhere. This one was near the Serra Cross.

new structure

Sometimes while hiking around the Ventura Botanical Garden, you stumble upon a new structure. A combination of rejuvenating rains and persistent improvements have paid off and the garden is looking better than ever.

garden parking

Sometimes while hiking in the Ventura Botanical Garden you look down and check on your car.

the DeGrazia themed Scrabble game...

...of 3-22-23. Magnets by Ted, lovely music by his son Domingo. Game was tied.

the case of the missing houseboat

We noticed that the houseboat was missing from the lagoon. Later we wandered down to the arts center and saw it in dry dock. Evidently all those years sitting in the lagoon led to some serious woodrot.

Tidy Tips

We had stayed many times at 29 Palms Inn but this was the first time in the cottage known as Tidy Tips. Not radically different from the other adobe cottages, but maybe a tad brighter - both inside and out.

Joshua Tree drive-through

I had once driven through Joshua Tree National Park, south to north, a long time ago. This time we made a few brief stops - the Ocotillo Patch,  the Cholla Cactus Garden, and the Cottonwood Visitor Center for a new Adventure Pass.

Box Canyon Road

Some highly original routing had us turn in Mecca onto scenic Box Canyon Road, which leads directly to the south entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. This was the first time either of us took this road - a road they don't tell you about in school.

Bombay Beach, part 2

Who knew that there would be some sort of art installation here? I guess one could describe it as Noah Purifoy meets Burning Man on the shores of the Salton Sea. Great use of the space and a chance for us to walk around.

Bombay Beach

Curiosity had us driving into Bombay Beach along the shore of the Salton Sea. At first things looked a bit sketchy, but all that changed once we went over the berm and onto the very expansive beach...

Virginia's Casita

When in Brawley... well there aren't that many choices. I hadn't had nopales con huevos in a long time.

Cafecito

Downtown Yuma now has a fabulous indoor-outdoor (but mostly outdoor) coffee house called Cafecito. The sprawling, colorful garden offers many places to sit and relax. Best Yuma coffee house experience to date, but there are others I wouldn't mind checking out.

Downtown Yuma revisited, part 2

Downtown Yuma revisited

I was shocked, in a good way, to see how much historic Downtown Yuma had been completely revitalized. Some old buildings have been restored, others torn down (or in the process of being torn down), and signs stated that various county offices will be relocated there. Among the signs of renewal were street sculptures, murals, microbreweries and theaters.