Trip Log

2 May 2011, Monday: Lunch with Monticello Don; got fifth-wheel title, evening drive to Gallup, had to rent junior suite at Red Roof Inn, dinner at Applebee's with interesting local sports exhibits.

3 May 2011, Tuesday; drove to Tempe, visited Gerald and brought his stuff to him. Watched silly high school sailing on last day of season; Gerald was helping coach from the safety boat. Topp's selection for the fridge. (Big Belly bbq after silly sailing) (Probably had dinner at the Chuckbox later after dark -- massive burgers.)

4 May 2011, Wednesday; looked at nine houses, mostly in Tempe, with Gerald. Paid Gerald's rent. Went to Tempe Marketplace, Paradise Grill for a late lunch.

5 May 2011, Thursday; (New York sub shop, key duplication, dinner at Marcello's Italian restaurant in south Tempe, did research and reservations for rest of trip. Also believe this was day we toured Arizona Cactus Sales in Chandler and learned more about saguaros, cacti, and succulents of the desert.)

6 May 2011, Friday; Desert Belle cruise on Saguaro Lake, dinner on patio of Lakeshore Restaurant

7 May 2011, Saturday, picked up sailing gear from Gerald to take west, drove to Bakersfield (lunch at Denny's w. of Banning, dinner from Grill Hut)

8 May 2011, Sunday, left Knight's Inn in Bakersfield, drove to Coral Reef Inn and Suites in Alameda, had a beer on Second Wind with Ken, dinner at Salute e Vida italian restaurant with Ken, got groceries at Safeway.

9 May 2011, Monday, visited Aeolian and Ballena Bay yacht clubs, grabbed food at Foster's after a quick drive by the aircraft carrier Hornet museum.

10 May 2011, Tuesday, Second Wind's through-hull caper, caught up with Fuu Miyatami at the Blue Pelican and Svendsen's, got bibs and books at Blue Pelican and heavier bibs, plus gloves and recharge cylinders for CA at Svendsen's, caught Ken's friend and former slip neighbor James M. at Svendsen's. Lunch with Fuu at Sushi House near the Coral Reef. Rested, then picked up Gerald from his evening flight from Tempe via Salt Lake City to Oakland, then found the Scolari italian deli open, which had great strombolis, mushroom bread pudding, and other goodies.

11 May 2011, Wednesday, lunch at Oakland YC while Gerald adventured and hiked through San Francisco, laundry, trip to San Jose to Sam's BBQ, where CA's cousin Louise and her band had a gig; saw Jer & Sam, Jim M., re-acquainted with Dark Hollow bluegrass band, got CDs.

12 May 2011, Thursday, quick pick-up of burgee at Oakland YC, returned marina key to Ken and helped him get Second Wind back to Marina Bay; Gerald rode on boat and I met them at pumpout and slip. Drove to Best Western Palm Garden in Westminster. Dinner got strange: Panama Joe's on 2nd St. in Long Beach had college night -- and it got cranking early wild and crazy. But, what happens at Panama Joe's will just have to stay at Panama Joe's.

13 May 2011, Friday, drove to Marina del Rey, looked at boats in channel, visited Cal YC; had great talk with the club manager, Gus, and picked up another burgee; Gerald got a contact for potentially getting boats for his team. Dinner at San Pedro Brewing Company was quite good; we hadn't been there in since the time we chartered a boat from Marina del Rey and spent a couple of nights at the Cabrillo Beach YC several years ago.

14 May, 2011, Saturday, drove to Alamitos Bay YC, joined them for their open house, bought a burgee, looked at boats, helped launch a boat, hung out with folks. Went to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach for the first time, where we were joined by "Silvergirl", aka A Force of Nature. We had a good time at the aquarium that got even better when she led us to the Coyote Grill in Laguna Beach, where she charmed the staff thoroughly.

15 May, 2011, Sunday, massive amount of time spent on the Queen Mary, beginning with a the sumptuous Sunday champagne brunch. We had a very experienced professional waiter, Dometilo, who, along with his assistant Pascual, did a wonderful job of waiting upon us during a very leisurely and thorough lunch. Gerald, especially, made sure to compliment their work to the mai^tre d' and to the the banquet and food manager, Ruben. Then we made up for some of the excess with a few miles of walking the decks, stairs, and companionways of the Queen, followed by a rest in the Observation Bar, where a couple were singing to entertain the after-work crowd.

16 May, 2011, Monday; after breakfast we drove Gerald to the US Sailing/Pacific Coast sailing center, where he was joined within several minutes by the rest of the Arizona State University sailing team and their coach, Phil. We then drove out, through at least one confusing and poorly mapped set of freeway junctions, to Tempe, AZ, where we checked into the Springhill Suites and made arrangements with our buyers' agent to look at properties the next morning.

Oddly, gas prices seem higher here than on the highway.
Regular unleaded prices, US dollars:
4.07 9/10 and 4.09 9/10 Westminster Blvd.
4.09 9/10 Morongo Sovereign Indian Nation near A&W restaurant, west of Banning in Cabezon
3.99 9/10 Coachella
3.69 9/10 just east of the Arizona border
3.65 9/10 Quartzite (exit 17) and exit 45 (north side)
3.73 9/10 Arco in Tempe ... what's happening here!