Bowling on the Central Coast

I had so much fun bowling with Cousin C that V and I decided we should return to the alley again while E was having her fun with SLO Little Theatre (more on that in another post). We both lack in form, but we make up for it in giggles and memories. We enjoyed our snazzy shoes, sliding on the slick wood, trying to figure out why our bowling balls liked to make last-minute turns, trying not to depend upon the bumpers which we discovered during the course of our second game. (Thanks Poly kid who took pity on us!)

My grandpa loved to bowl. I think my mom and her sister probably had their own balls, complete with names engraved, though I can't really be sure. (Would Auntie M even confess such a thing?) I seem to remember bowling with my mom way back in the day when the ball was more likely to throw me down the alley and smoke filled the building. In college, I bowled a little for fun, but in recent years my bowling has suffered.

It's a fun game; more difficult, really, to master than you might think. For me, a mastered game is one in which not a single ball found the gutter. For masters, an ideal game is one full of strikes, the antithesis of baseball. But more importantly, a successful bout of bowling for me involves lots of laughter, social interaction and not a single electronic distraction. OK, except for the electronic scoring which removes ALL confusion about scoring.

Bowling alleys are in short supply these days, but we're lucky to have some fun ones around here. Among my favorite is Mustang Lanes at Cal Poly. Though surely designed to entertain students, the public is welcome here as well. There are incentive cards, electronic scoreboards, shoe rentals and, nearby, an arcade for those of us not so enthralled by the pin game. I also enjoy Pismo Bowl, a funky older bowling alley just two blocks from the Pacific Ocean. If we want to stay on this side of Cuesta Grade, it looks like our new "local" alley will be Paso Bowl with its synthetic lanes. But with wood alleys, fewer miles and pay-by-the-minute parking, I think we'll continue to brave the Grade for Mustang Lanes.

Further down the road, in Santa Maria, was the girls' first bowling alley experience in Rancho Bowl. This was a fun spot to take teens back in my high school coaching days, too, for team building and fun away from the water. And if any bowling alley on the Central Coast is going to make it on its own, it's Zodo's in Santa Barbara. They do a fantastic job of creating events, packaging deals and drawing in various groups from youth to college students to seniors and the rest of us, too with fun events and incentives.

We had a short stop for lunch at a favorite sandwich shop. What do you think V wants for dessert?

Central Coast Renaissance Festival firsts

This wasn't our first rodeo, er, Renaissance experience, but it was for our visitors. They're very kind people and might not even mention it if they were offended, but I wonder what they REALLY thought of the bawdy women, the raucous men, and one particular woman who's nipples simply refused to be reined in by her bustiere.

E was thrilled with her father's purchase of her first corset, and she looked so sweet in it. V, given the option to purchase an item of costume clothing or a weapon, went for the weapon. The girl has a thing for knives, and animals, yet not hunting. Go figure.

As usual, it was hot and shade was in short supply, but Aunt K and I (neither of whom really enjoy the heat) managed, and we found some yummy lemonade with plenty of ice to help cool us.

Important tip: during jousting, it's not "cheek to wind," but "cheat to win" that the crowd is shouting.

Oh.

San Luis Obispo County for Frequent Visitors

We all have goofy relatives somewhere. Mine happened to be here, helping us celebrate our new home, earlier this summer. I miss them already!

Aunt K and Cousin C always bring laughter with them wherever they go. When Aunt K and Uncle J joined us on our 2008 road trip, those were among our best miles along that 10,000-mile route. They rode their motorcycle clear from Utah to Oklahoma to pick up a camp trailer for the 'cycle, then into New Mexico and took advantage of our already-stocked (e.g. cook stove, dishes, pantry) trailer to make the trip home before we parted ways. Like that visit, full of fun and laughter around the campfire, K's and C's trip here reminded me again just what we're missing by not being neighbors. Sure wish the world wasn't such a big place sometimes.

This wasn't their first trip. There isn't a lot around here they haven't already seen if we don't count the backcountry. So we returned to some of our favorites: Spooners Cove at Montana de Oro State Park; Morro Rock and Morro Bay's beaches; a ride along Bob Jones Trail with a stop at the Labyrinth before turning around at Avila Pier; La Purisima Mission; downtown San Luis Obispo for Thursday Night Farmers' Market and a look at Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. We also introduced a couple of new things to Aunt K - particularly the Renaissance Fair and the California missions.

Had we more time, I think C and I would have done a bit more exploring in the backcountry. She's an adventurous type, and I can see her and I hitting more trails and waterways next time she comes out. Time is limited, though, isn't it? Might have to explore HER hideaway before she makes it back here again. Alaska anyone?