<h4>I REMEMBER THE DAY, I MET NEIL YOUNG'S COW&nbsp;... Black Angus to be exact.&nbsp; &nbsp;Like it was yesterday.&nbsp;</h4>While attending college in Santa Barbara, CA, we spent a couple days hangin' out with a high school friend, who lived in La Honda, nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains, between the Santa Clara Valley and Pacific coast of California.&nbsp; Land of the rich and not-so-rich hippies and recluses at the time.&nbsp;Bob happened to be a good friend of Chris, who managed Broken Arrow Ranch, down the road.&nbsp; They had horses and cattle in common, and a fondness for Mary Jane.&nbsp;&nbsp;"Old Man" was a song that Neil Young wrote for his 'Harvest' 1972 album, about the caretaker of the ranch he'd bought in 1970.&nbsp; That 'Old Man' was Chris' father and Neil wrote it for him.&nbsp;The song compares a young man's life to an old man's and shows that the old man was once like this young man.&nbsp; The ranch was Broken Arrow Ranch, which Neil bought and lived on, til 2014, when he divorced his wife Pegi.&nbsp; &nbsp;When Louis was giving Neil a tour of the place in an old blue jeep, he asked him how a young man like him could afford a place like this ($350,000 in 1970).&nbsp;&nbsp;Young, aged 25, replied "Just lucky, Louie, just real lucky." to which Avila replied "Well, that's just the darndest thing I ever heard."&nbsp;Chris took us all up in his old man's blue jeep, topless (the jeep, not me!) to the top of the highest point on the ranch.&nbsp; I literally thought we're going to tumble out, it was so steep.&nbsp; But Chris was unphased, so I held on for dear life, in the backseat and enjoyed the ride! (Chris' calmness could've had alot to do with the doobie he and Bob shared beforehand - another kinship).&nbsp;We met Neil's cows along the way ... it was a "Where's Bob" moment. Bob was a blonde, blue-eyed, California surfer-dude-looking, hippie guy, who was easy to spot in sea of black.&nbsp; &nbsp;Still wish I had that picture of Bob, amongst Neil's Black Angus.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gave the photo to him, it was his moment.&nbsp; When we got out at the top ... I saw clear to the Pacific Ocean,&nbsp;surrounded by grass-covered, rolling hillsides, covered with old Live Oak trees everywhere.&nbsp; It was spectacular and a sight I'll never forget ... I saw what Neil saw, so many years before, and Louis, before him.&nbsp; The site of infinite possibilities.&nbsp;it filled my heart with such joy and awe. Could there ever be any place more stunning?!<img src="https://ttand.imgix.net/la-honda-and-the-pacific-from-the-water-district-trail-february-2016-1619893761877.png" style="width: 100%;"> Photo: La Honda / Sky Londa area35 years later, after having lost touch with Bob, we went in search of him and the ranch, with only my faded, yet vivid memory to guide us.&nbsp; We stopped at the La Honda General Store and inquired inside, to the woman who owned it.&nbsp; La Honda has a very small pocket of people (under 1000) that lived there, so figured all I'd have to do was ask&nbsp;"Where's Bob"?&nbsp;She laughed out loud - couldn't believe she'd heard anything so funny in her life!&nbsp; The big rage at the time was 'The Vagina Monologues', an Off-Off-Broadway play that became famous by the writer Eve Ensler, based on her sexual experience with a man named Bob, obsessed with her vagina.&nbsp;We never found Bob, don't remember what her name was, but we had a hoot and made a friend that day. I can still see her face and hear her raspy, one-too-many-smokes laugh. We'll go back one day to find her ... and maybe even Bob.&nbsp;We did find the entrance to the ranch, we did find another spot up around Sky Londa, on the La Honda Road (it's a stunning, windy, 45-degree climb, hold-on-to-your-cookies road at times) to see to the Ocean, enjoyed the Live Oak Trees and hillsides.&nbsp; Once again, I was filled with joy and wonder that day ... of a memory relived, that still inspired and awed me, so many years later.<img src="https://ttand.imgix.net/lahondaoakflickr-1619635206169.jpg" style="width: 100%;"> Photo: Live California Oak Trees&nbsp; Why was this story important for me to tell?&nbsp; It's all about how travel ... and going off-the-beaten path many times in my life, has taken me places, I'll never forget.&nbsp;&nbsp;Greenlight.&nbsp;This is my Travel Aspiration for you:'Create structure so you can have the freedom.Map your direction so you can swerve in the lanes.Clean up so you can get dirty.Choreograph, then dance.'~from the NYTimes Best Selling "Greenlights" by author, actor and producer - Matthew McConaughey<h4>When you're ready to swerve in the lanes and dance back into the world of travel, <a href="http://syndi@authenticvacationdesigns.com" target="_blank">CONTACT ME</a> and let's get dirty and map out your Greenlight.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>Are we meant to be together?&nbsp; Here are <a href="https://www.authenticvacationdesigns.com/the-dos-and-donts-of-working-with-a-travel-advisor" target="_blank">The Dos and Don'ts of Working With A Travel Advisor</a> and let's see if we are, not just a good fit ... a great fit!&nbsp;

I REMEMBER THE DAY, I MET NEIL YOUNG'S COW

Some advice and things to consider when deciding to travel

GUIDE TO TRAVELLING IN 2021 AND BEYOND

As a follow up to the 1.0 Series, more worldly delights

EAT YOUR WAY AROUND THE WORLD - 2.0 SERIES

Be immersed in Australia | New 8D Audio Escapes | Tourism Australia

Australia in 8D

Start Small |Incorporate Educational Experiences | Take the Longer Route | Think About Where Your Money Goes

Travel Confidently by Travelling Responsibly

Here are seven reasons to remain hopeful and confident about the future of travel.

7 Reasons to Be Hopeful for the Future of Travel

Looking for Adventure? | Hiking, cycling and watersports in Ireland? | Read and discover more.

Fun In Ireland's Great Outdoors

The success of the Maldives during a pandemic

I REMEMBER THE DAY, I MET NEIL YOUNG'S COW

Share via