airstreaming to alaska - Living In Beauty

Posted April 13, 2022 – Narrated by Carmen

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On our way at last!

Since the moment we met Beauty in 2015, our thoughts turned to an overland journey to Alaska, a place we’ve never been. But, as new inductees to RV travel, we took a four-year pause for research and outfitting before daring the challenge.

“In due time” was our motto.

With many advisors and consultants on hand, in the end it is Jim’s determination, forecasting and exquisite attention to detail which keeps our Alaska vision and progress on course.

Preparations

Preparations began in 2019 when the Airstream Factory, (The Mothership), installed new axles and a lift kit.

Then, while in position for a mid-winter 2020 departure to Alaska from San Diego, the pandemic forced a detour. Setting northward ambitions aside, we retreated to the east into the familiar comforts of the California and Arizona deserts, then up to see the majesties of Colorado and Utah.

In 2021, we set out for The Maritimes hoping the Canadian border would open for Summer tourism. It did not, but we discovered the exotic barrier islands in the Carolinas, and Virginia, before crossing north-east into Upper Michigan.

Last August, when the Canada-US border reopened, we returned to San Diego with the goal, “Denali or Bust!”

airstreaming to alaska — Photo of Mt. Denali courtesy of The World Mountain Database

As we hug the Pacific coast in true 4-3-2 style we project a Canada entry in the late-spring thaw.

Every two weeks we will report the high points, mishaps and discoveries.

Thus far, all is well despite a beating Beauty suffered from a ghost tree in Oregon (more about that in a future report), but our Alaska hope remains steadfast. We signed up for adventure and the hail marks, bumps and bruises go proudly before us as we slowly ascend toward North America’s last frontier.

Our health is good. The cool climate fortifies our appetite for outdoor exercise. The salty coastal air mates with the tang of the winter forest floor and every whiff reminds us that we are not in the desert anymore.

Each day we waken to the glories of the rugged California and Oregon coastlines and gape in awe at the dramatic promontories and verdant wetlands teeming with wildlife and shorebirds. The wet conditions – coastal fog, low temperatures, wind, rain, hail, rain again, hail again and the occasional snow – give us an excuse to bundle up with a steaming cup of Mexican cocoa and burrow into a good book, or sit fireside with freshly drawn pints of frothy porter in the local public houses.

Our Journey Song

Before a long sojourn away from home, some indigenous American families sing the travelers on their way. The mysterious rhythms of these ceremonial songs heave with longing for the familiar, and with wailings for the sad specter of a permanent departure.

The custom is wise. If these last two years have taught us anything, the truth of our mortality is an ever-present cognition. There are no guarantees. Still, our senses hunger for signs of a safe journey ahead. And on that mid-January night before pulling out of San Diego, we felt the heavens had tossed us a blessing.

living in beauty — Our journey-song rainbow before our departure

The next morning, snowcapped mountains flanked by palm trees escorted us all the way to The City of Angels.

We stopped in Riverside to lunch with dear friends, Margie and Uly Pabon from high school …

… before continuing the surreal journey through Los Angeles …

to Highway 1, The Pacific Coast Highway, (PCH) …

and, finally, to our home for seven days in…

Malibu

where we settled into our perch on the hillside with an ospry’s eye view of Escondido Beach and Paradise Cove …

As if the public beaches are not enough …

we arrived with tickets for the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Getty Villa Museum.

The recently re-opened museums are L.A.’s best kept secret. If they charged $50 entrance it would still be the best thing in town, but it costs nothing other than a bit of planning and a small parking fee.

The Getty Center

The following morning we left Pico to enjoy the view …

and drove 24 miles on the 405 ….

to a secure lot …

and rode the Getty tram up to the museum grounds …

The entrance features a boy presenting a perfectly naked frog to a woman who is apparently so overcome by the spectacle that she loses her footing and tumbles down the stairs.

Score #1 for Art. We were all eyes.

Back in our house-poor days we would bring our own lunch and picnic on the lawn before perusing the galleries. Celebrating the end of a two-year museum fast, we made reservations for The Restaurant at the Getty Center.

then we toured the exterior …

For decades The Getty has served as our special place, our thinking place, where we come to unwind after a crisis or gird up for a challenge.

The management limits the crowd, so it’s always a relaxing atmosphere. We come for the views …

the galleries …

to see old friends …

and to view the gardens.

Something different always captures our attention.

Before the pandemic we would stay after closing for a concert, film or play, but the event calendar had not resumed so we settled for a bottle of wine on the patio.

In a small way, we carry the Getty with us. The used street banners make gorgeous weather-durable outdoor table covers, floor cloths and wall coverings, indoors or out. We’ve used the same banner for ten years now. The used street and exhibition banners are available at The Getty Store and can be ordered online.

Santa Monica

The next day we drove into Santa Monica to have lunch at The Curious Palate …

where we met a friend from our distant past, Chuck Martinez. In the early 70’s Chuck was the owner of the magic shop on 30th Street in San Diego. His expertise in the art of prestidigitation served as a godsend for local magicians. In 1976, his mother, Mary, found our first house and kindly waived her fee giving us a head start in San Diego real estate. Today, Chuck is president of the illustrious and legendary Magic Castle.