Kristina and Paul and we left Orange Grove in Bakersfield at about 9:30 after fortifying at the RV Park with fresh out donuts, this was our first mistake. We were headed for Kristina’s stepbrother’s house in San Marino for lunch. We saw the heavy truck traffic over the Tehachapi Pass moving all those goods needed and unneeded in the LA Valley. Our little Tacoma did just fine although he had to rev up a little to pass those trucks. Weather and views were beautiful over the hill. We then skirted LA but had to find the right turnoff from 5 to wend our way into San Marino neighborhoods. There was more than one frantic text to Kristina about the turn since our map on the phone was not getting it. 

        We had great lunch with Ben and Lynn at their beautifully restored 50’s home. They were so hospitable that we lingered for close to 2 hours. We were not thinking about our remaining 7 hours on the road, nor did we factor in Friday afternoon traffic in the LA basin. Ouch! Second mistake now. I was doing the duties of navigator and Jim carried on driving in the mix of trucks, pickups, very expensive cars (you can name them), broken down cars, accidents, and just plain miles of inching along. I, for myself managed more than one meltdown as the maps kept changing the turnoffs. We ended up missing our turn to Potrero and going cross country, in the dark, missing our turn into the park when we finally got there, going up a mountain road and then looking for a place we could turn the trailer around. Well, we wanted an adventure and we found it on a dark mountain road using flashlights to mark how deep we could turn. Felt so successful and we got headed back in the right direction. This was not our first U-turn of the day. 

       I and Jim had forgotten what it feels to have that level of exhaustion when you have been sitting all day and are just tense most of the day. Braving the wilds of the LA basin when you are country mice, I hope they are last of these traffic challenges. We will go home through the desert where we feel more at home. 


I am posting this the afternoon of 11/6, this blog may be a challenge as the wifi is very iffy and we hear that it may get more iffy. Bear with me, I may have to catch up with when I have a connection. Great wagon master briefing today and already feel more confident about this trip. A good rest after yesterday's adventure has helped. Feel like there is much to be learned about a country we only have one view of and that is through the people that leave. Mexico has quite the history and we have much to learn. 

Potero is a beautiful park. We are told this area was a major training area for the US Calvary, a while ago. Some of the stables remain at Campo.

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