Santa Barbara + Southwest Road Trip Photo Gallery


Santa Barbara, our first SoCal beach!

When we last left you we'd jut arrived in Santa Barbara. Can't believe it's three weeks later and we are still here!? But that's what happens when life twists and turns and you have to wait for another weather window.

We met new sailing friends and fellow live-aboards, Jolie & Scott via Women Who Sail Facebook page (7,000+ women currently sailing and living aboard around the world ~ if you're a woman who likes boats and sailing and you're not on this page, join it today, it's the best thing on Facebook! ☺) Jolie & Scott were housesitting a view-home in the hills, and invited us to Thanksgiving dinner, and a fun hike on the adjacent trails.


Heidi's new friend Jolie toured us around SB, including this interesting-unique Gaudí-inspired Ablitt Tower house.

The day after Thanksgiving Kirk caught a flight back to Seattle. We'd been on a wait list since summer to move our storage unit from Seattle to Port Townsend area and save well over $100/month. Totally worth it in the long run.


Holiday Space Needle and sunny Seattle skyline welcomed Kirk back home.

We'd planned to move everything before we left Seattle, but no units were available until December 1st. Fortunately we have AMAZING friends back home, and with 6 people helping at each end to load and unload the truck, the whole move went quickly and smoothly.


Kat, Heavy, Willie, Jesse, and Kelsi (not pictured) load up the truck in Seattle.


Sharpee, Sandy, Kirk, Carol, John, Everett, and Frosty unload the truck into the new storage unit near Port Townsend.

BIG HUGE shout-out of THANKS to Kelsi & Jesse, Kat & Willie, and Heavy, in Seattle, and Sharpee, Sandy, Carol & John, Everett, and Frosty up north. And more thanks to Mike & Reg for hosting Kirk aboard Quo Vadis, Carol & John for hosting Kirk aboard Journey, and Jenny & Steve for lending him your truck! And HUGE THANKS to Dockside Solutions our awesome mail forwarding service, who helped Kirk to pack up our 45lb Bruce anchor and mail it to Heidi's parents. We are forever grateful to all of you. And Kirk really enjoyed the fun times with everyone!

Meanwhile Heidi held down the fort in Santa Barbara, kept the kitties entertained, kayaked and hung out with Jolie, as well as taking care of business NYR Organic style. She also made travel arrangements for our southwest road-trip when Kirk returned. We had hoped to get Due West down to San Diego, before heading to Arizona and New Mexico to visit Heidi's parents. However, since her Dad in Albuquerque had recently had several strokes, we decided to go there sooner than later.


Due West, Tosh & Tikka were left in the capable hands of nephews-once-removed, Sam & Matt, and Jolie & Scott, BIG THANKS to all of you for taking care of our Furbies while we were away!

Kirk got back from Seattle and the next day we picked up our rental car and headed Due East. First stop Heidi's Mom Jean's & Pete's new place south of Tucson. They had sold the family home in Jackson Hole last summer and just moved to Arizona in October; so we were eager to visit see their new home. A quick overnight there and we were off again for Albuquerque to visit Heidi's Dad Verne & Willa.


The drive through the southwest dessert was beautiful if long!

We found a sweet Air-B&B just up the road from Verne & Willa's, and can't say enough good things about it! Owners Tom & Norma used to live in Seattle, and as it turns out, we had several mutual friends! Such a small world when you start to travel. Coming back to their home each night was like staying with good friends, so relaxing and enjoyable.


If you ever need a place to stay in Albuquerque, check out Tom & Norma's amazing custom adobe home in Corrales.

We were able to get Verne into several important doctors appointments while we were there, as well as helping arrange some services to make Verne's and Willa's lives easier. It was a whirl-wind of appointments and errands including upgrading their internet service, punctuated with fun times together at meals in-between. They live on a beautiful 3-acre "farmette" with several dogs and a horse, which is a lot of work at their age, but it also helps keep them physically active.


Heidi's Dad, a life-long Naturalist, makes birdhouses out of downed-trees and branches, and works his pecan orchard.


Great Italian dinner at Mimmo's on Coors with Dad & Willa. They even had Gluten-free pizza for Heidi!

All too quickly it was time to leave Albuquerque and head back to Santa Barbara via Tucson again.


Our route took us through Hatch, New Mexico, home of the famous chilies, and who-knew...other roadside attractions too!?! We felt like we were on Route 66!


Back at Jean & Pete's house we got the tour of their new community complete with Rec Center, and Creative Arts & Tech Center. So many classes and clubs to choose from it makes your head spin. We also had a nice visit with Seattle boating friend, Frank, who had recently moved to the same area, and it was fun to connect him with Heidi's parents. We also picked up our giant box containing our 45lb Bruce anchor and a few other items we realized we needed aboard and had left in storage. Now to find a place to store that large Bruce!?


Selfie with Jean and Pete and their new home.



Tucson area sunsets are pretty spectacular!

Our visit with Jean and Pete was way too short, and next time we will plan to stay longer, but Due West, the kitties, and the weather were calling us.

On the way back to Santa Barbara, we stopped in Yuma, Arizona for the most amazing meal since leaving Seattle four months ago. Heidi Goggled for "gluten-free food, Yuma", and up popped "gluten-free and vegan friendly" River City Grill. Right up our alley! OMG the food was so spectacular! And it turns out the proprietors Tony & Nan are also sailors, marooned in the dessert, with an old Columbia 29 in the back of the restaurant. If you are ever in Yuma, go there! Your taste buds will thank you!!


BEST Meal in Arizona! River City Grill, Yuma...fresh, local, organic ingredients, wonderful décor and people. We can't wait to visit again!

We also experienced a dust storm with near white-out conditions (or brown-out!), and can easily see how these multiple-vehicle pile-ups can happen. It went from great visibility to zero in only seconds. Luckily the dust storm was short lived while the wind raged on, and the system brought heavy rain and then snow in the San Jacinto Mountains outside of Palm Springs.

Back in Santa Barbara, that whole weather system continues spinning on down from Alaska, and we are still awaiting another weather window to leave in a few days. We were hoping to leave today, but it was a Small Craft Advisory, and recalling our trip from Monterey to Morro Bay, we thought better of leaving in an SCA again! Plus, we called the Oxnard USCG station for a bar report and the harbor entrance had huge seas, making for a very dangerous entry. No thanks we'll wait.

So while we wait, we're doing the Santa Barbara touristy things we didn't do before... like going to the Santa Barbara Mission, getting our palms read by the local fortune teller, and trying to get into the holiday spirit.

We had originally planned to be in Mexico by Christmas. But with all of the sightseeing and weather delays, at this point it looks like San Diego for Christmas and hopefully Mexico by New Years. Maryalice & Rick, we WILL catch up to you before you know it!! We miss you!!

Stay tuned for more adventures as we head south later this week, Oxnard, Redondo Beach, Newport Beach, Oceanside, and San Diego, our courses are charted, here we come (weather permitting!)


Happy Holiday Season from Due West in Santa Barbara!