Coming home to go away

Tonight we are back in Topanga.  For a variety of reasons, a trip to the cabin in Blairsden was necessary before we could head out on what is now called by the girls "The Big Trip".   The Big Trip is just two weeks, 14 days, away.  And we are back "home" to make the final preparations.  I jotted down a to-do list tonight -- it has 29 items on it.   And I know it's not comprehensive!  

Gregg is sleeping soundly after the 9-hour drive.  The girls too have passed out here on the couch.  The dog is asleep on her bed and the cat is snuggled between the girls.  Just Mama stays up to think about what needs to be done!  First order of business is to read/translate the insanely long confirm from Baja Ferries.  The ferry ride from La Paz to Mazatlan is an essential part of the first stage of our journey.  We will spend 3 days driving, 6 days total, getting through Baja.  Then we take a ferry to the mainland, where we have 13 of the next 14 nights prepaid in hotels and lodges.  If our ferry connection doesn't work out, the first month of our adventure will be in shambles!  Part of me, the adventurer, vagabond, that I've always been, says, "It'll be FINE!"  The mama/responsible wife, worries.  I glanced briefly at that long confirm and saw warnings about weather delays and vehicle permits to be obtained at customs at the border, things I expected, among a long list of other disclaimers whose legalese I can't understand (in Spanish) on cursory reading.  I KNOW deep inside it's all fine.  But I'll read and be sure!  

For anyone who is reading our blog because he/she had come across it while planning a journey, I'll tell ya -- info on the Baja Ferry in guidebooks and on the internet is often INACCURATE!  Many recently published books have the schedules all wrong.  Same with websites.  My best advice, go to the Baja Ferry website (which wasn't easy to find at first for some reason but now it loads right up  -- http://www.bajaferries.com/) and know what you want.  Then email ventas.lapaz@bajaferries.com.mx and explain what you want. Then call. I did the call in Spanish but at the end the woman spoke to me in perfect English. Or you can just do what I did the last time I took the ferry and just show up about 4 hours before departure. Worked out fine then too!

In other news, our faithful chariot now has a name; she is Elsie, or L.C. (short for Land Cruiser). Alex doesn't think she should have a name and Greggie voted for Truckee (as we passed through the Tahoe area this morning), but they got overruled.

Some images of home as our days here are numbered -- first a beautiful orb weaver and her web:

And my sleeping girls and their silly cat, whose name is Traveler, and who is anything but!