Monday, December 9, 2024

LONG DAY!

 OK, maybe we're getting a bit old for this sort of thing, but hey, why not. Got word that there was a Christmas Car Show up in Paso Robles. Great. Could be fun. Then I got a gig selling books at a local bookstore called "Black Cat Tales" in Old Town Monrovia. FOR THE NEXT DAY! That meant no, we can't spend the night in Paso...SO, an up and back. At least this show didn't start until 10AM, so we could "sleep in." 

Until 4AM. 

We left at 4:30 in the Yellow Submarine, got some donuts and drinks locally, and pointed our noses to Paso. 

Since it was O'Dark-Thirty, we opted to just stay on the 101 through Da Valley and yep, traffic was thankfully light. 

First stop was Buellton for gas and a pee, then thundering on to Paso Robles and a place called Daniel's Wood Land where the gathering was to be. 

What a cool place. They do all manner of huge scale wood installations, often for wineries (big surprise there), films, and playgrounds. REALLY creative stuff. 



Any place that has something like this our front has GOT to be cool! 


The people who ran the show also do the one in Downtown Paso that we went to a couple of years ago. Great folk, really friendly. 

We were, of course, supposed to bring unwrapped toys for a local Holiday Gift Give Away so I found (at the suggestion of the GKs) some stuff from a TV Toon called "Bluey". It and "Paw Patrol" are high on the GK entertainment list. 

The show was well attended and lots of neat cars. And, of course, lots of interest (and amazement that we drove up for just the day) in the Citroen. 

It was also Small World Day. Got talking to one guy who used to SCCA race back when we were flagging, knew Frank Monise, Sr and Jr, "Mother" Mueller, and Mona's Kids! He even raced at Holtville as well as Riverside and Willow Springs. 

The show was over and we headed for dinner. I'd wisely (for a change) gotten reservations at THE BEST STEAKHOUSE EVER, Jocko's in Nipomo. 




































Constant Reader will know of our love for this place and I'm telling you, it's STILL the best damn steak you'll ever have. 

We each had the Ribeye Steak Sandwich (not needing leftovers for a week with the Porterhouse the flops over the edge of your plate) and dug in. We STILL brought some home for the next night. 

Fully sated, we headed home with one pee stop in Carpinteria. Got home about 11:30. WHEW! 



Oh...the book signing? Sold enough books to cover the bill at Jocko's and most of the gas for the trip. All in all a GREAT weekend...Now, for a nap...

    

2 comments:

  1. Good to see you had a fun time, fantastic showing of vehicles there .

    I remember Frank Monise and his son from the 1970's .

    -Nate

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  2. Frank Sr. was a real character, wasn't he? The very model of a modern major curmudgeon

    ReplyDelete