One more test run to make sure the van and everything else is ready for the five-week summer trip. On the last day of the trip, the shifter on my steering column went: flopped around like a wet noodle instead of engaging in Drive or any gears. So, off to a Firestone in downtown Sacramento for $424 in repairs and then we headed home. A few days ago, I had my mechanic do the annual look-see full inspection to prevent delays & breakdowns during our trip. This is usually fairly uneventful but this time he found brakes, bearings, leaking water pump, etc. for $3400. So, I’m broke before the trip even begins but here we go anyway! And I can only imagine what the gas is gonna cost this year. I usually rack up about $3,000 for that on these trips but I imagine it will be more like $4,000 or worse this time. Donations are always welcome!!
You can follow along for nightly postings of a few photos taken each day at Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roadarch_com/ After this post, you won’t be hearing anything from me at this blog until I get home and start working on each daily batch of photos. The focus this year is on Kentucky & Tennessee but there are lots of stops planned for other states on the way to and from.
Now then — here is a sampling of the photos from my Bay Area/Central California trip last weekend.
This Buddha sculpture faces Highway 101 traffic in Redwood City:
This “Friendship Bench” sculpture is in Calistoga at the Clos Pegase Winery:
This theatre is in Monterey:
The Ice Cream Bar in San Francisco:
The McHenry Library at UC Santa Cruz (in Santa Cruz):
The PG&E Substation in San Francisco:
A smaller, replica welcome arch in downtown Orland:
This sign in Larkspur surely had painted details on those panels originally:
These signs at Dawn Ranch in Guerneville were installed around 2017. They appear to be retro, modern signs:
The Grove Motel in Willows:
A close-up of the Rio Theatre sign in Monte Rio:
And lastly — I was able to shoot this restored Greyhound Bus sign in Redding in the sun this time:
Come tag along virtually at Instagram on my summer roadtrip! The rubber hits the road on May 28.
Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs
RoadArch.com companion 