Tour Diary: Santa Cruz, CA & Yosemite National Park

The tour continues to the home of my dear friends in Santa Cruz, and my mother arrives to share some time on the road with me.

Me and my mother at Manzanita Lake in California, near Yosemite National Park.

Saturday morning at the Geary Parkway Hotel in San Francisco found me in an upbeat mood before I made the short drive to Santa Cruz. I had highlighted Santa Cruz early on in the planning for this trip as I have some dear friends there that I have not seen in more than eight years. I first got to know Nels and Faith through mutual friends when they were living in East Lansing and pursuing advanced degrees at Michigan State University.

Nels became a regular fixture at our boys only cabin weekends, and I spent time with him fishing, attending shows, and patronizing craft beer establishments across the state together. When Nels, Faith, and their daughter Mirabelle moved in 2016, it was a bit of a blow.

Booking a gig in Santa Cruz on a Saturday night for an out of state perform…