I had a few questions and comments on MADONNA INN, in San Luis Obispo.   An amazing place.  The rooms are not your cookie cutter all look the same.  Each and every 110 rooms have it's own unique decor.  Located just south of the town off Highway 101.  Take the exit "Madonna Road".

The INN opened with just tewelve rooms on December 24, 1958 by Alex Madonna.  The large rocks that the Inn is largely built of came from the the surrounding acres of the property.   Some of the rocks exceed 200 tons.     Mr. Madonna spared no expense in the construction.  The hand carved marble balustrade in the Gold Rush dining room came from Hearst Castle.  Artisan wood carvers, carved the woodwork.  

Dining at the INN is magical.  Some say the colors are garish, I guess it is a matter of opinion.  No matter, the food will not disappoint..   Madonna Inn Copper Cafe is open from 7am to 10pm daily.  I enjoy the Buckwheat pancakes for breakfast!  The menu offers a variety of choices, Eggs Benedict, and omelettes to tease your palate.  And don't overlook the bakery!   Simply fantastic, both in the quality and the decorations.

So grab a pastry for the road.  Enjoy!

Dinner: ALEX MADONNA'S GOLD RUSH STEAK HOUSE.   Reservations suggested.  This is an experience  not to be missed.  Appetizers ranging from Cheese and Fig Costini locally handmade  Swiss & Linguica Sausage and more.  Entrees: include: Swordfish Steak, Atlantic Salmon, French Filet Mignon, should you wish surf and turf - Filet Moignon and Atlantic lobster.   My o My I sit here salivating thinking of it!

Treat yourself to a deliteful night in one of the rooms; but certainly have a meal at MADONNA INN.

Currently the market place in the EStore has been taken down.  I am rebuilding  it and my photography will be available soon.  

I have cris crossed the country from Stasburg, PA to Durango, CO and beyond chassing trains.
Something about the steam locomotive.  It breaths, and clanks and with a fire in it's belly can "high ball" down the tracks.  I do love 'em.  

Below are a few photographs of trips to visit the steam belching beasts.   The good ol' days of the Steam Locomotive.
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So, a few lines of my recrent trip to Morro Bay.  As you read in the privious post there are several attractions in and around San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay.  One is Availa Beach.   The photo above is my co pilot and I enjoying the view while parked at Availa.  For day use you can park where you can, allong the road; and there is also overnight spots available - if you are lucky to score one!  I have found it always pleasant there; even though in June there is the "June Gloom";  fog comes in and may burn of around ten or may not.  Still it is a good day. 

Just up the road is AVILA VALLEY BARN, 560 Avila    This is a great place to take a break from the beach and grab a bite or ice cream; perhaps to provision the RV with one of the many wonderful items.   Fresh local fruit, local honey, cherries, berries, my favorite - fresh baked pies and so much more.

OK, although you are now provisend,perhaps you don't wiosh to cook.  There are many excellent eateries in and around San Luis Obispo.  In Aviala try the Custom House,  if you wish to go for a ride - about an hour-  The Pozo Saloon, east of Santa Margarita.   So many I won't list them here; however below are a couple of mouth watering choices:

APPLE FARM for breakfast is fantastic.  I had a veggie omelet   Pancakes, Waffles  are great.  Biscuits  with the homemade berry jam are wonderful.   They serve lunch and dinner too.  Large parking lot too and street parking.

Dinner, try an excellent family owned Italian resturant with the shades of the old world.    MAMA'S MEATBALL is an authentic Italian dining experience. Located in the Creamery Marketplace you will find parking challenging for it is a samll parking lot; but there is street parking.  Owned by two brothers from Puglia, Italy.  Chef Nicola educated at the Italian Culinary Institute  and have had several resturants around Europe moved to San Luis Obispo in 2001.  He and his brother Cosimo offer up some fine choices for your dining pleasure.  This evening I started with the Cesare salad with anchovies followed by Spaghetti and homemade meatballs in Bolognese sauce.  Mama Mea it was good!

Desserts: of course- Tiramisu, Creme Brûlée  and more.   Salute!  

​There is another fine dining experience.  One I offten enjoy.   And order it "Animal Style"
​The dinning area is superb too!  Located all over the West.  This one is in Arroyo Grande along Hwy101.

I lived in San Luis Obispo for thirty years.  Back then it was Idelic; sadly now it is over crowded and the city fathers are so brilliant they have reduced the streets in downtown so as to allow bike lanes making it dificult to drive a car to say nothing of an RV!  Additionally they have installed "bandits" parking meters to extort even more money from you and they run until 9PM.  At any rate it remains a quaint town to visit and so much to do on the Central Coast.

My first night was at another HARVEST HOST property - SEA PINES GOLF RESORT in Los Osos.  Again a very nice and quite place.  And they have a good restaurant.  Drive time to Morro Bay is a matter of a few minutes and San Luis Obispo is but twenty minutes.
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A short twelve mile drive is Morro Bay and of course Morro Rock.  Wonderful resturants from simple fish and chips stands on the pier to fine dinning.  One of my all time favorites is DORNS. 
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This evening I had the special,  Beef and Shrimp Bowl over rice, acompanied by a fine Paso Robles Cabernet   My friend had Halibut.  Both outstanding.  For lunch I'd recommend  another favorite and that is the HOFBRAU located on the Embarcadero.  Good menu fresh fish and chips, burgers but I Suggest the Beef Dip sandwich.
Morro Bay offers a verity of things to do, from wale watching and kayaking, sailing  to watching the Sea Otter colony just north of the embarcadero shopping area'  Drive or walk towards the "Rock" and there ar the elbow you will see the Otters lazily floating close to shore.   

Among other pursuits is take a drive up to San Simeon and take a tour of Herst Castle. While in the area drive a few miles north and view the Elephant Seals.. There are there year round; however the best time is January and February.

Returning to  San Luis Obispo or Morro Bay and time for lunch, I recommend MAIN STREET GRILL for a quick bite.  Here you can chow down on a wonderful Santa Maria Tri Tip sandwich.  Locateed  at the north end of Cambria.

Well, mostly true. I did drive over 2,000 miles RT to buy bread; although that was just part of the journey.  I have been buying bread at Schat's Bakery for fifty years.  First stopped there with my parents and continued  everytime I skiied Mammoth, and i skied Mammoth a lot.  Anyway had a hankerin' for "French Bread" made with the best Sourdough bread and that is found at Schat's Bakery, located in Bishop, California.   From home to the store is 12 + hours. Got there around noon had a wonderful lunch - they and a great sandwich shop.  Then left for Morro Bay, California.

As a member of HARVEST HOSTS overnighted at MT. WHITNEY GOLF COURSE located in Lone Pine.  Very quite and close to the town of Lone Pine with many restaurants.. While there be sure to visist the WESTERN FILM MUSEUM.  

The WESTERN FILM MUESUM cronicles all the movies that have been shot in the Alabama Hills, just behind the Museum.    Well over 400 movies have been filmed here and many commercials.   Stop by and enjoy the collection of movie memorabilia, exhibits and find an interesting sovenier in the gift shop.

Previously I had just taken delivery of the Pleasure Way Ascent and had left for Silverton, CO.  Here we continue the trip home to outfit the rig for coming adventures.  

The route home was pretty much a straight line from Gallup to just west of Billings where my ranch is,  Left Silverton, as you may have read, in the early morning and drove North.  One of the epic drives in America is the MILLION DOLLAR HIGHWAY (CO 550)  Have driven it countless times in all seasons.
Should you search the archives you will find a motorcycle video of this drive.   It is a wonderful motorcycle road! 
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As part of the San Juan Skyway, the Million Dollar Highway is a breathtaking; albeit to some, a nervous drive, there are no guard rails and the steep drop offs can be a unnerving.  Originally established to transport ore to Ouray from the surrounding mines.  It does offer one of the finest and most scenic drives in America.

From Ouray, my route was through Montrose, Gand Junction and East on Highway 70, exiting at Rifle
and heading up to Crai .  This too is a very scenic drive.  Agian about twelve hours in the saddle left me
a bit weary and ready to call it a day; so I did at 7PM.   Fell asleep early.  The peepers opened at around 1:30AM.  I felt rested, so again started the long drive home.  People talk about Highway 50 in Nevada being a long loney road, and it is; however the road from Craig to Thermopolis and beyond is also out in "never, never land" too.  Beautiful but lonely.

One of the treats along the way is Wind River Canyon.  The video below fails to do it justice.  Spectacular with many turnouts for a picnic.  

I kept the pedal to the medal and made it home before lunch.  Long two day drive from Gallup, NM, over 1,000 miles.

After a couple of years absent and feeling very much like Goldilocks - buying big and then buying small rigs.   First bought a Dynamax 28SS and while in transit back an RV broker called and asked if I wanted to sell.  Heck, owned it about four days and not even home as yet having gone out to New Jersey to pick it up.  The broker said his client was prepared to buy it for several thousand dollars over what I paid - sold!   Then turned around and ordered an even larger rig - Dynamax Europa.  

Then Covid and fuel prices went through the roof, I had to cancel it.  Now all is good and have decided really needed a smaller unit so I can get to photo opportunities.  The Pleasure Way Ascent can be driven like a  car.  Parking and turnouts are not a problem!  And having owned two Pleasure Ways in the past, know all about them.  The other two were:  Pleasure Way TS in 2005 and then a Pleasure Way FL in 2020.

  The good folks at LA MESA RV in Phoenix flew me in to pick up the rig on Thursday May 25th.  Did the PDI walk through.  Mark and Neil- sales, were wonderful and professional to deal with.

Would highly recommend dealing with either of these gentlemen should you be in the market for an RV.   Since I had elected to take an out of state delivery so as to Beat the local taxes, we departed Friday morning for Gallup, New Mexico.  Five hundred miles later I had the keys and started my drive to Silverton, Colorado.   Arriving late, 9:30PM.  Exhausted.

Sadly as I pulled in for a nights sleep; as often happens; a glitch - no heat!   With tempiture in the low forties and desending.  I froze , not having the RV loaded with supplies.   Misrable night.  Although I had planned to spend a couple of days in Silverton; withour heat was forced to leave and begin the trip home.  Being a holiday weekend there was no help to be had.   So at around six in the morning went searching for breakfast.  Only place open was the Coffe Bar, pleasent place with very good breakfast burritos

After breakfast and fueling drove down the "Million Dollar Highway", CO 550 to Ouray and beyond.
Please return for I will have the rest of the trip up in a couple of days