Day 4 MoTab Tour ❤Thursday 21 June 2018
According to the local morning news it is “National Selfie Day”. So, here you go.
We checked out of our hotel at 6:45 am and enjoyed a nice breakfast buffet before lining up for our busses. And it was a long line!
The Three Rules of Tour
1. If there’s a line, get in it!
2. If there’s food, eat it!
3. If there’s music, sing it!
On The Road With Peter
Mr. Mo and I lucked out and rode shotgun on the tour bus for the 427 mile trek from Newport Beach to San Francisco. This meant we really got to know our bus driver Peter and make a new friend. What a great guy! We shared such fun conversation!
We love Peter!
The Birds and The Bees (and a whole lot of Trees)
What do you get when you mix one long road trip with one curious bus driver and one chatty passenger with internet access?
A day of hilarious and fascinating discovery! And it all started with one question
What Are Those Trees?!
Any guesses?
For mile after mile we kept seeing rows of these same TREES. Peter asked me what I thought they were, and I was on a quest!
Hint: They are California’s #2 cash crop.
(Gotta love Google)
California almonds were worth a whopping $5.3 billion in 2015. The nuts are grown in California’s Central Valley, and take the No. 2 spot in the state’s list of top crops. The industry provides lots of jobs for Californians – about 104,000 statewide. And the crop was the No. 1 export for California in 2015, with a value of $5.14 billion.
What about Bob’s?
From there, we learned all about Almond tree farming, and the important role of bees for pollinating the tree flowers in the spring (usually a 4 day period). Aparently, the best bees for almond trees are called “BOBs” – Blue Orchid Bees – because they can carry pollen on their entire furry bodies and not just their back legs like average bees.
Who knew?
Peter shared my fascination with this and pitched the idea for a MAGIC SCHOOL BUS episode where the bus turns into a giant yellow Bee and polinates Almond trees… but must fend off danger when encountering harmful pesticides!
Turns out, someone beat Peter to it.
What is This Mysterious Fence?
At one point in our journey we passed a mysterious area with a fence that looked to be about 30 feet tall with barbs facing inward (to hold something or someone in?)
Google was consulted!
The official word on the street is that it is a garbage recycling factory. But, there are also multiple conspiracy theories online that it could be a government cover-up for a secret prison or a possible holding place for aliens…
Do Wind Turbines kill birds?
We consulted the internet as we drove up Altamont Pass, and learned that yes, wind farm turbines have been known to kill many birds. One study specifically focused on the harm caused to golden eagles in this very site.
When will the Oakland Temple Renovation be completed?
We got to drive past the Oakland Temple and it was covered in scaffolding. Can’t find a photo of it with the scaffolding, so here’s what it will look like when it’s all completed:
While visitors can’t enjoy the sweeping view of the Bay Area from the temple terrace, they can still stroll the grounds, take a look inside the visitor’s center and attend the many public events held in the compound. – Google
Hold on!… I did not know these events happened! It says it includes music and dance performces by the Temple Hill Symphony Orchestra, the Temple Hill Choir and the Temple Hill Dance Company.Many of these events are free and open to the public, taking place at the Temple Hill Auditorium. Cool!
Over The Bridge We Go!
Our long ride was coming to a close, and it actually seemed to fly by for me and Peter. We arrived much faster than was planned, too. We learned, all by simply being curious and asking questions.
Fun fact: The “Bay Bridge” has no official name
Here’s a clip of our ride across the bridge.
Lesson of the day, stay curious and ask lots of questions!Learning about and discovering new people, places and things is fun!!
“Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened!” – MoSop
Latter-day Soprano 
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I’m enjoying your trip. That Temple looks huge and is so beautiful. From what I’ve seen on line, all of the Temples are unique and beautiful. I’ve seen the one in Crestwood, KY, outside of Louisville, but, I’ve never been in it. I understand that before it was officially opened, they had an open house for people in the community to come and take a tour. I didn’t hear about it, but would have loved to see it.
Hope the rest of your tour goes well, Love, Lynne
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That is true! There is always a public open house before the dedication of each LDS temple. I’m sorry you missed the KY temple open house. They are always so beautiful and peaceful inside.
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