Getting closer ...!

Monday 1 April

We start the day, week and month well. Trevor agrees that we will drive back into town, from the RV park, for coffee - what a guy! It is about 59F, drizzly and overcast. We then head off on Hwy101. Yesterday was a big day - 315 miles (approx 507 kms). Today we are going to Gilroy only 120 miles away.

We run into heavy showers at first. It then fines up. Vineyards are everywhere - up and over hills and down into valleys. Massive agriculture.

The countryside is beautiful. When there are not vineyards stretching for miles, there are rolling green hills and tall trees. It is very reminiscent of New Zealand - but on a grand scale.

We are travelling the El Camino Real (Spanish for The Royal Road, also known as The King's Highway ) - an historic 600 mile Californian Mission Trail connecting 21 missions, 4 presidios (forts) and several pueblos (towns) and stretching from Mission San Diego de Alcala in San Diego to Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma.

The distinctive markers along the historic route are bells hung on 11ft high supports in the shape of a shepherd's crook or Franciscan walking stick.

Today many streets throughout California that either follow or run  parallel to this historic route bear the 'El Camino Real' name.

Gilroy, our destination, is known as the Garlic Capital of the World although it is not in fact the largest producer of garlic, but Gilroy Foods is the largest processor of garlic in the world. Wine is the second biggest attraction that Gilroy has to offer. We spend 2 nights in Gilroy getting the motorhome ready for our visitors! There is a truck wash next to the
Garlic Farm RV Park - so handy and just at the right time.

And then we are heading for San Francisco... back into traffic! San Jose, Palo Alto then Redwood City - 5 lanes of traffic 10 miles out. Then we can see planes flying into San Francisco Airport, Airport hotels are all around. Finally -Treasure Island RV Park - it looks OK.
It took some finding; there are very few RV parks close to San Francisco and to the Airport. Trevor's plan is to pick the kids up from the airport in the RV!!

We chat with Vince, the park host. He advises against driving the RV into the Airport. We also check out the accommodation for Kim and Finlay - it is just across the road.

We get busy with final plans. Trevor arranges to pick up the rental car earlier on Friday to go to the airport (he is a bit miffed at not driving the RV). We buy tickets for the Bart (public transport) and go into town - visit the bank and other odds and ends. Looking for champagne glasses!

It is wonderful to be back in San Francisco.

I make a lasagne for tomorrow night. We speak to Coralie (Trevor's sister) - she went up to Auckland to see the kids on their stopover between flights. She said they were all excited! They spent some hours at Pip and Ian's and were able to have a sleep.


And then it is Friday! We are up bright and early - a foggy morning but not cold. Trevor picks up the rental car. We are at the airport in good time.
Their flight is due in at 11.30am -it is pretty much on time. Only about 30-40 minutes later there they are, walking out of the Customs Hall looking like seasoned travellers without any signs of the last 32 odd hours of travel.



How wonderful it is to see them all and how tall Finlay has grown!! Yep! Taller than me!

We all fit into the rental car - Trevor is sure that we could have taken the RV??? Back to the RV Park and unload suitcases. Then Kim and Finlay are checked in to their accommodation. The aim is to keep them all awake until evening so they can quickly get over any time change issues. It nearly works!!