Time to head home, 1250 miles of mostly freeway driving. It started out pretty well with great views of Mount Shasta, but by the time you get to the great agricultural heart of California's Central Valley, about the only thing you can do is try to figure out what the crops are on either side of the freeway: Almonds, pistachios, walnuts, grapes, almonds, pistachios, grapes, rice, almonds, pistachios, grapes, grapes, grapes, grapes. You get the idea.




Then once you top Tehachapi Pass east of Bakersfield, you're in the high desert and there is nothing to look at but the eighteen-wheelers coming at you and in front of you.








Our reward for the long slog home was seeing these two shining faces when they came home from school.



















Al says he's not going to drive anywhere for a long time.