Da car stay all packed up. Wen feel kinda funny to think get only one more night in dis wonderful hotel, complete wit maid service and wonderfully friendly staff peeps. At dis hotel, every singo night dey put out fresh Toll House (chocolate chip) cookies, warm from da oven. But we stay so late getting back dea on Tuesday night, get nomo da cookies! Ack!!
But eh, u know wat? Karen, da amazing wahine at da front wen tell me, upon seeing my crestfallen face, dat she would send us up two of dem latahs. Whoo hoo!

About 45 minutes latah, had one knock at da door, and dea was Karen, wit not just two cookies but a whole box of dem! She knew why we were dea and about my mom and stuffs, and she wen tell me we going need one whole box foa our journey home! I wen get big time wai maka to da max and wen give her one big aloha hug! Dat extra kindness wen mean da world to me during dis sad and exhausting time.

Da next morning, we wen pack everything up, wen carefully look around da room foa make shua we no forget nothing (been dea 10 days anden!), den wen go down to pay da bill. Was one HUGE bill… but was worth it, and mahalo to my mom’s estate, stay paid for.

We wen get into da car… wen feel so weird knowing we not going be back dat night. We wen drive slowly chru Los Gatos foa da lass time.

Dis building stay on da corner by our hotel… go toward da camera about a block, behind me, and u would get to da hotel. Da farmers’ market stay to my right and litto bit back.

Los Gatos get some pretty charming old buildings; I give it dat. Dis one just down da cross street from our hotel. Get one coffee shop ova hea, but alla time so crowded we nevah could get in!

U know da pointy building in da previous photo? Dis building stay on da opposite cornah, same side of da street. Our hotel stay to da left of dis place. See dat hill in da back? Californians hea call dat one mountain; I alla time get a kick outa dat. Mount Hood is one mountain, not dat!

We wen drive ova my mom’s place foa da last time; we wen say our alohas to my sis, her hubby, my braddah and his wife, den wen climb in da car. My maddah had dis tradition: had one brass bell attached to da hale, and everytime one of us would leave, she wen ring da bell. Dis time, my braddah wen ring da bell, and ho da wai maka! I nevah going hear dat bell evah again. Pau.

We wen get on da Highway 17 heading North out of town. Turning around, I wen see dis sign foa da lass time (obviously da photo stay taken on da way IN to town!).

On da way outa town, we wen see dis kewl old pickup; gotta take photos foa my braddah!

And dis one:

Befoa too long, we stay on Highway 680 heading to Walnut Creek again from da odda direction den from almost two weeks befoa. Oh, da brown hills… I not going miss dem ones!

And more brown hills. I know in da Spring dey come green foa short time, and dey have dea own beauty, but by dis time, I stay longing foa green!

I no could understand hakum peeps like build all kine fancy hale right near da freeway.

We wen have lunch, den wen stop by to see our dentist nephew in Walnut Creek. Den, of course, I had to stop at one yarn store! Fashion Knit is one great stoa; da peeps so friendly and helpful, and I loved it! I wen add to my stash just a litto bit. Foa realz. Just a litto.

Driving ova Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay; seeing da old Mothball Fleet always gimme chicken skin. Dese proud old battleships dat wen protect and defend our country now stay rusting in da bay.

I love looking at dem, wondering wea dey been, wat dey wen do. Mostly I love seeing dem dea and alla time look foa dem anytime we drive ova dis bridge.

Here we stay on Interstate 80. In just a bit, we going turn North towards home!

Almost ready to turn onto Interstate 505 dat bypasses Sacramento. Aloha ‘oe, congestion and traffic! Aloha ‘oe, brown hills!

Chaptah 11: we head North!