Summer Vacation 2024

Way back in 2015 we took a little vacation to Trinidad, CA. I think it was only 3 days. No vacations since. We decided to go back to Trinidad and spend a little more time. We stayed at the same place as before, View Crest Lodge. Great little place. Microwave, fridge, Keurig AND breakfast! In the evenings you could hear the seals barking on the beach.

 

Didn’t do a lot, mainly enjoying the wonderful nature that God provided. Drove up the Avenue of the Giants. My idea of what Heave should look like. Went to the Lady Bird Johnson Grove. Visited Sue-meg State Park, where they have reproduced what a traditional Sumeg village looked like. They also have a nice native plant garden to wander through. Agate beach is there, but the climb down (and then back up!) was beyond me.

 

Shops and restaurants are pretty pricey in Trinidad, and we went forewarned. We had a pretty good dinner of shrimps and chips and the BEST CLAM CHOWDER at Trinidad Bay Eatery and Gallery. We ate inside and saw Adam Schiff and his wife out on the patio. All in all, not including tip, it was $70. The food was good, but the price tag hurt.

 

One night we got a pizza at Headies Pizza & Pour and took it back to the cottage to eat. VERY good pizza. Sticker shock wasn’t as bad for that one. Large pep and mush $26.

Our last night there we got deli sandwiches at Murphy’s Market. About $7 each. Very good sandwiches.

 

The last time we were in Trinidad we saw TONS of elk. Absolutely none this visit. Nada. Zip. Zilch. They must’ve been on vacation themselves, since it was after Labor Day and the season was over.

BUT---WE SAW ONE LONELY BANANA SLUG!! Totally worth the trip…

 

I made an album of the pictures on my FB page. There’s a video Marv took of the Tall Tree and it’s in videos. Don’t know why it got posted twice.

 

All told, great little vacation. Hope to get back there again sometime. 

 

 

 

 

Wheeled Designs

 

I’ve mentioned before about how little I care when it comes to cars. I do appreciate the special ones, though. These are pretty freaking awesome.

 

 

Built by Dirk Oehlerking, made from 1980 BMW R100 RS. Dirk is a German motorcycle enthusiast who does amazing custom jobs. This one is called The Good Ghost. I have no idea what he charges for jobs like this, but I’ll bet it ain’t cheap. As little as I care about cars, I care even less about motorcycles, but this one is breathtaking!

 

 

Concept car designed by Buckminster Fuller, shown at the Chicago World Fair 1933. Most folks are familiar with Fuller’s designs and works. Amazingly creative guy in so many areas. This concept car, called the Dymaxion, was a beautiful show-stopper, but a failure as a working vehicle. At the World Fair, it rolled over, killing the driver and injuring 3 passengers.

 

 

Deco Italian Car Baby Stroller. Designed by Di Giovanni Catania. I couldn’t find anything about this. Catania is a town in Italy, and that’s about all I learned. There were a few pictures of this stroller on auction sites, but you had to sign in to see what the price was. I love the design of this. I imagine this was not a cheap thing to have, either.

 

 

Birdseye Pea Car 2005.  It was commissioned from a company in the UK and had a go-kart chassis and a Honda engine.  Top speed was 60mph. Only one of these was made for a Birds Eye Peas commercial and is now on display in different museums in the UK. And of course, many, many wonderful memes have been made with the picture of this little cutie.

 

Ugly - Part 3

 

Another bunch of stuff that other people turned up their noses at but I like.

 

 This was originally an office building in Florida that was sold a few times, went into foreclosure and then demolished in 2017. If this were scaled to home size, I might or might not live in it, but it does make me smile.

 

 This one is in Saudi Arabia and I would absolutely live in this house if it were given to me as a present. But not in Saudi Arabia. I would want it moved to the US. I love oddball architecture.

 

 

This side table is unusual, and while giraffes aren’t my favorite animal, I still like the lines. I’d want more of the distinctive color variations of giraffes, but very subtle. I’d put a festive scarf around the neck at Christmas time. 

 

 

OK. The cat chest of drawers. I have no idea the size dimensions of this. If it was a small trinket box that could sit on a shelf or the dresser, you know I’d want this in a heartbeat. If this was a real piece of furniture, I’d probably still want it, but it would definitely be in a bedroom, not in the living room. 

 

 

EVERYBODY of my era knows this chair! And I’ve always wanted one. I don’t know about the color, and I doubt that it’s that comfortable, but I would love one. They’re available, but they can be pretty pricey.