Oy vey ... it's been a year.  Yikes and ughh.

There have been things to say ...

First, we live in Santa Cruz now ... too many people, for reasons I don't really understand were hyper-critical of our move.  "Oh, the commute will kill you," or "How can you drive that freeway everyday?" or "I did it, I hated it, you will too."

None of these things were true and are true for me nor for my husband.

I find the commute which varies from 35 minutes to 55 minutes and once or twice 90 plus minutes, very important.  It's quiet time, thinking time, organizing my thoughts time ... well, you get the point.

The view from my car seat is spectacular and often breaktaking.  There's so much history on this highway.  I often wonder where all the little side roads lead to ...

Here's one.

I've often noticed 'GLENWOOD' Historical Landmark #449  ... Here's what i found before Jerry and I went on an adventure to see it:

Glenwood

Historic town founded by Charles C. Martin, who came around the Horn in 1847, and his wife, Hannah Carver Martin, who crossed the Isthmus. First homesteaded area in 1851 and operated toll-gate and station for stage coaches crossing the mountains. Later Martin developed lumber mill, winery, store, and the Glenwood Resort Hotel.

State Registered Landmark No. 449

Here's the marker - we missed it twice.  We traveled to see it through lands that made us cross-fingers that our car would not break down.  Think DELIVERANCE ... "what's that banjo playing I hear in the background?"  

Wikipedia says, "Now a ghost town, Glenwood was a stop on the narrow gauge railroad from Los Gatos to Santa Cruz from 1880 to 1940. The railroad was acquired in the early 1900s by the Southern Pacific, which operated weekend excursion trains on the line. A tunnel was built between Laurel and Glenwood. The April 18, 1906, earthquake twisted some of the rails and damaged bridges and tunnels along the line. The Southern Pacific repaired the railroad and it continued operations until March 1940. The routing of State Route 17, completed during 1940, bypassed Glenwood, contributing to its decline.

Glenwood officially "disappeared" with the closing of the U.S. post office in 1954. By 1990 the town had but one resident left, Mrs. Margaret Koch, who is the great-granddaughter of the founder, and served as last postmaster.

The area is now sparsely settled. Glenwood Drive, also known as Glenwood Highway, passes through the site of the town."

NEXT UP: Santa's Village ... then, Holy City.