San Simeon, CA

Today I headed north on a portion of Highway 1 that I hadn’t seen yet as I made my way to Hearst Castle at San Simeon. I had arrived at Hearst Castle one day last week, coming down Highway 1 from Santa Cruz but I lollygagged so long on the way down that I was too late to take any tours of the castle that day. This time I booked two tours for today on line to be sure I could see what I wanted to see, The Grand Rooms (which I’d seen on a previous visit, but I wanted to see them again), and one called Cottages and Kitchen, which also included the wine cellar.

To back up a step, Hearst Castle, as it is referred to now, was commissioned by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst working with accomplished architect Julia Morgan. It wasn’t even 2015 and he chose a woman! Hearst grew up in a priviledged household, but he also went on to amass a fortune himself and built what was at the time the largest newspaper publishing business in the world. He was also keenly interested in politics having been twice elected to the US House of Representatives. You may recall it was his grandaughter, Patricia Hearst, who was kidnapped by, and then joined, the Symbionese Liberation Army in the 1970’s.

Building started in 1919 on 240,000 acres above San Simeon which is about half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Hearst told Morgan that he wanted to build a small 3 room cottage at the top of the hill they had camped on for years near San Simeon. He referred to it as “the ranch”. Talk about “scope creep”. It was never actually finished as he still had plans for more additions which he didn’t ever get around to building.

There is the main house (Casa Grande) consisting of 115 rooms, 3 guest cottages (the largest has 8 bedrooms and is 5350 sq. ft.), and a total of 56 bedrooms, 60 bathrooms, two pools (one indoor and one outdoor) and 41 fireplaces. In Casa Grande, the main rooms are the Refectory (reception room) billiard room, movie theater, library, a gothic study, beauty salan, butlers pantry, kitchen staff dining room, and a huge basement under it all which included the wine cellar.

The two guides were both outstanding and not only knew their stuff, but presented it in an interesting way. As we asked questions, each of them became more animated and we got some great stories from them aside from the facts and figures. Basically if you were anyone in the 1920s and 30s you were invited out to “the ranch” for a weekend or evening. Some of the names I recall are Cary Grant, Harpo Marks, Charlie Chaplin, Winston Churchill, Howard Hughes, John Barrymore, Gary Cooper, Errol Flynn, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Mary Pickford and lots of others.

On my way back to Avila Beach I stopped for lunch at a nice beach community along the coast, just south of San Simeon called Moonstone Beach. I sat on the patio once again, of a restaurant called Moonstone Beach Bar and Grill enjoying the warmth and sunshine and then a walk on the beach. It’s a lovely spot and there are many small and great looking motels, inns, and cottages right across the road from the boardwalk overlooking a typical wide long beach. There were lots of surfers out, but really not a lot of challenging waves.

Avila Beach, CA

Today was a travel day from Santa Cruz to near San Luis Obispo. Actually it’s nearer Avila and Pismo Beaches. The trip down was uneventful and only took 3 hours or so. As you can see, I didn’t get a lot further south than when I traveled along Highway 1 last week. I wanted to stay overnight nearer to Hearst Castle so I could visit there and wouldn’t have to drive the Pacific Coast Highway in the dark.

Unfortunately, this is the least desirable KOA I’ve been to. There is some work going on so maybe there are new owners who are trying to fix it up, but the pool and club house are both closed, the pool was supposed to re-open Nov 1 and it’s still closed, opening “maybe Sunday. Well I’m leaving Sunday morning. The campground is small, and the sites are small (although at least they have fences between them). It’s “very convenient to the highway” and just simple things like the picnic tables needing a coat of paint, and very little attempt at landscaping implies a general lack of interest in keeping it up. The washrooms are old and not particularly clean. Anyway, enough griping. I’ve done pretty well otherwise.

After setting up I headed out to Avila Beach to see what it was like. It’s a really small community on a really big beach with not one, not two, but three piers. The freight and fishing one is quite far down the beach, the second one is nearby but is a environmental department pier, not open to the public, and the third is shut down for safety concerns. It got damaged in a storm 2 years ago, and then last spring when the whales were migrating and drawing a lot of tourists to the wharf, they noticed it weaving under the weight of so many people so they immediately shut it down.

The town itself seems upscale, is very cute, clean and has some great restaurants. It was 24 degrees this afternoon when I was looking for lunch and so I sat on a patio overlooking pier number 3 and the beach. Quite delightful.

After hanging out there for a bit I headed south to Pismo Beach. It is a much more established beach with lots more, but older accommodations, etc. They have a pier that I walked out on but for some reason I forgot to take a picture of it. I watched the pelicans fishing and the surfers surfing and then I headed for home before it got too dark to find my way.

Not a really exciting day on the California coast but a pleasant one.

Today I spent most of the day tidying and cleaning my “house”. Although there is not much to clean, small spaces seem to take a lot of work keeping tidy. And I lubricated moving parts like the stabilization legs, door hinges etc; did a few days worth of dishes; dumped my black and grey water tanks; and checked the tire pressure in preparation for the next few days of travel. See it’s not all fun and picture taking.

It was a little cooler today, with light overcast, and there is even a frost warning for low lying areas. There are artichoke fields all around this area and I noticed they were all being watered today, perhaps in preparation for the cool night ahead. I am too cheap to keep my propane furnace on over night, and after putting it on in the evening to keep it toasty, I turn it off overnight and just pull on the duvet which keeps everything but my nose warm.

I did take time to go to Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey for lunch. I walked along the boardwalk for an hour or so and looked in the shops and then stopped for lunch at the restaurant at the end of the pier. It was mostly seafood, which looked great. I had a grilled chicken salad. I know, I know I should eat seafood when on Fisherman’s Wharf, but I’m just a tad tired of it given that I’ve been on the west coast for over a month now.

There were not very many tourists around, with the whale watching boats going out with only a hand full of customers. Hard to imagine that with the price of fuel that they are making money.

Harbour seals were laying on the rocks just off shore and the pelicans were either hanging out on the rocks or flying about catching their lunch.

I’ll be sorry to leave this part of the world, but who knows what tomorrow will bring! That’s the fun.

Today, after watching live-streaming of certain events unfolding in Ottawa I headed for a day in Carmel-by-the-Sea, south of Monterey. I guess as a Canadian I feel compelled to comment on the weather, although here I don’t suppose it differs much day to day. But it was a gorgeous day, perfect temperatures for tottling around and bright sunshine. Overnight it was cool though getting down to 7 or 8 degrees.

It was lunchtime by the time I arrived so first up was finding a restaurant to my liking. I didn’t have to stray off Ocean Drive, the main drag, in order to find one that looked interesting. It was called Dametra and served mediterranean food. I opted for a Great Greek Salad which lived up to it’s name, service was really attentive and the prices reasonable (for Carmel).

Then I wandered the shops 4 – 5 blocks up and down the main drag and some of the side streets. This is definitely an artist’s colony, and you could find pretty much any type of art to suit your taste in the many shops. They do have t-shirt and usual tourist shops, but they tend to be higher quality and there were lots of very high end shops selling jewelry and clothing. I love the architecture and wandered some time taking pictures.

Then I headed for “The Basilica of Mission San Carlos Borromeo, Del Rio Carmelo, Carmel-By-The-Sea, California” commonly known as Carmel Mission founded in 1770 by Franciscan Friar Junipero Serra. The Mission had fallen into disrepair and at one point, the US Lands Commission took over ownership. Starting in 1884 Father Angelo Casanova undertook the job of saving the historic landmark. In September 1987 Pope John Paul II visited the Mission and in September of this year, Pope Francis canonized Blessed Junipero Serra in his visit to Washington DC. It is one of the most popular pilgramage sites in the U.S. I thoroughly enjoyed the beauty and peacefullness of the Mission and its gardens.

Carmel also has a fantastic beach at the base of Ocean Drive and by late afternoon I was able to find parking within a reasonable distance and I stopped to wander yet another beach in my odyssey. I ended up having a bit of an unexpected nap in the sun. Gotta love vacation.

Santa Cruz, California

I had read that Santa Cruz is where surfing began in North America. The Polynesians are credited with starting the sport of standing on a surf board although many cultures had body surfed. But Hawaii is responsible for exporting the sport to North America and specifically to Santa Cruz. In 1885, three Hawaiian princes went to San Mateo, California for boarding school, and while there they surfed in their free time at Santa Cruz. They used custon-shaped surf boards made from redwood boards. Imagine how heavy they must have been compared to the boards they use today.

Today I headed to Santa Cruz and hoped to see some surfing for myself. And that I did, and much more. Santa Cruz is what you think of when you think of California. Surf, sand, sun and fun. It’s two industries are tourism and education. Tourism is of course pretty dead on a Tuesday in November, making it easy for me to get around and stop where I wanted.

First of all there is the Wharf, which was originally the only place in Monterey Bay to moor or launch a boat with a v-shaped hull which couldn’t be safely beached. The boats had to be brought up onto the dock using rigs to raise or lower the boats, and they still use that method today for the rental boats you find there. Now shops and restauants line the wharf.

It was on the wharf where I stopped for lunch today at a restaurant at the very tip called “Dolphin on the Wharf”. I had an excellent breaded white fish called “sand dabs”, with a great fresh salad and chowder. I’m sure it was overpriced, but you couldn’t beat the location. They have an outdoor deck which was just glorious in the sunshine. I have to say that my senses were on overload. First there were the fabulous sights from the pier, the smell and feel of the ocean breezes, and the tastes of lunch, but it was the sounds that were overwhelming. There was the Beach Boys music which provided nice context, and then there were the ubiquitous gulls circling and screeching overhead, and then on top of all that were the seals or sea lions (I can never remember which is which but I’m pretty sure these were seals), loafing on the pier pilings adding their barks to the cacophany.

After lunch I sat for a time, on a bench on the wharf reading my tourist books in the warm sun, then I headed north on the cliff drive to watch the surfers in action. I have seen surfers before, but today I found it totally mesmerizing. I got talking to some of the young “dudes” whose buddies were in the water, and they explained a bunch of the logistics of surfing to me. How to get in and out of the water without getting killed on teh rocks, how to let someone know you’re going to take the wave, which waves to take, etc. I’m not sure how they really felt about talking to some old broad about it but they seemed pretty keen to share. I spent an hour and a half at various look out points along the cliff drive and then headed downtown to check it out.

The downtown is a mix of old and new and appears to be quite vibrant, perhaps because of the university campus nearby. There are a fare number of art deco buildings among the new, and along the beach and into town there are some old Victorians that have been turned into B&Bs.

And there is a huge O’Neill Surf Shop. I’m sure you’re familiar with the O’Neill brand of bathing suits, wetsuit, etc. That brand was started by American Jack O’Neill who is credited with the invention of the wetsuit and it’s many variations. He open one of the first surf shops in San Francisco in 1952 and the moved down the coast to Santa Cruz by the end of the 1950’s. He sold the rights to the trade mark in the 80’s but started a NFP to provide hands on teaching about the relationship betwen oceans and the environment called O’Neill Sea Odyssey. In fact, I saw one of their catamaran’s in the bay this afternoon. Jack O’Neill is now 92 and since 1959 has resided on beachfront property in Santa Cruz.

I didn’t yet mention the Boardwalk. There is a historic amusement park on the boardwalk next to the wharf that is only open on weekends in the winter so it was closed today. But it looks like a fun place and it houses a couple of rides that are on the National Historic Landmark listings. The Giant Dipper, a roller coaster open since 1924 and small by today’s standards but still a huge draw, and a carousel from 1911 with 73 hand carved wooden horses.

Monterey, CA

It was raining and grey when I got up this morning so it was a great time to do some chores and planning for my next couple of weeks. Then it was off to Monterey to visit the aquarium there.

The Monterey Penisula is more developed and the traffic worse since my previous two visits. But the services and parking have improved, I think. There were a lot of expensive looking cars around, some parked with flashers on outside the shops along the main drag, a sure sign that someone who thinks they’re important was there. Speaking of important people and a sad part of Monterey’s history, John Denver died here in 1997 when his private plane crashed into Monterey Bay.

Many of the same restaurants I’d seen on last visits are still along the main street of Cannery Row near the aquarium such as Bubba Gumps, and the Sardine Factory, and there are the usual tourist shops all running along the waterfront. I had a quick soup/sandwich at Austino’s Patisserie really close to the Aquarium, having not stopped earlier for lunch and the aquarium was only open until 5pm. The Patisserie was quick and easy and hot soup hit the spot.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a little more expensive than I would have expected ($39 US vs Vancouver’s at $29 Cdn) especially since they don’t have large mammal exhibits which would presumably be more expensive to house and feed. The layout allows for rambling, rather than a linear visit, which allows you to go where your interests lead you or where there are smaller crowds. It’s a bit of a funny layout where you have to go up stairs or elevator and over to another building and down again to get to some of the exhibits. The exhibits are dynamic and there are all sorts of things that would be particularly interesting for kids such as touch pools, an ocean themed play area, and feeding times at various spots throughout the day.

Their focus is on education, conservation and science programs and their stated mission is to insprie conservation of the oceans. Of course they have Monterey Bay right out their back door where they collect some of their species and they intake water from the bay to keep everything fresh. One of the largest underwater canyons in the world, Monterey Canyon, begins in the center of Monterey Bay so there are great opportunities to study the deep ocean there.

After wandering around the aquarium and watching some of the programming for a couple of hours, it was suddenly 5 pm and closing time. On my way out, I stopped at a grocery store, Nob Hill Foods just up the hill from the aquarium to get some things. It was a fantastic store if you’re in need of a grocery store in that neck of the woods.

All in all a nice afternoon in Monterey.

Monterey, CA

Today was brilliant sunshine, warm and calm, so although I hadn’t planned on it, I decided to do a quick run through Monterey and along 17 Mile Drive to Carmel and then down Hwy 1 to Big Sur and beyond.

What a spectacular day. I have done this trip before a couple of times, but never as the photographer and never as the driver. So it was a different experience. This road was twisty and windy and up and down and in and out, but it was fun because it wasn’t too extreme and I wasn’t hauling my trailer.

I headed down Highway 1 to Monterey, and drove through town to reaquaint myself with it and to get to the northern entrance to 17 Mile Drive – “One of the most famous scenic drives in the world”. The street actually starts in the quaint community of Pacific Grove and then you enter the Del Monte Forest and Pebble Beach’s property. I exited out the southern gate (yes, there is a charge of $10 to take the route).

My first stop was at Spanish Bay, (named for a Spanish explorer and crew who camped here in 1769), Point Joe, and The Links at Spanish Bay. Folklore is that “Joe” lived in a shack near this dangerous navigational obstacle way back when, but they’re not sure if he took the name from the point or the point took the name from him. In any case, you can see how worked up the sea is at this point.

Next stop was China Rock where Chinese fishermen built lean-tos as their homes in the late 1800s. And no coastal area would be complete without a Bird Rock, and this one has the added attraction of some seals on it as well. If other tourists hadn’t been pointing etc, I might not have noticed.

This penisula is famous for it’s golf courses, and the next one I came across was the Robert Trent Jones designed Spyglass Hill Course, which overlooks Fanshell Overlook which overlooks a beautiful white sand beach where harbour seals bear their young in the spring each year.

Cypress Point Lookout and the Lone Cypress are next on the loop. The Lone Cypress is the registered trade mark of the Pebble Beach Company. This cypress has towered over this part of the coast for over 250 years, although not without some help in the form of a support wall and stays.

The last golf course on my circuit was the most famous – Pebble Beach – but I didn’t stop in for a round. One can certainly do that if one can golf and one is willing to pay the price. I didn’t even ask.

I exited at the southern end of 17 Mile Drive which takes you out to the main drag of the cute little town of Carmel. I have loved this town since we first visited it more than 30 years ago, and bought our first piece of actual “art”. It was a watercolour of dahlias in the Carmel Mission’s garden by Carolyn Lord, a young up and coming artist then and she’s had a great career. You can see her work at carolynlord.com

After making a short stop at a cute little bakery on the main street in Carmel to get a sandwich to take on the road, I head south on Highway 1. For the next few hours I was mesmerized by spectacular scenary. I have chosen a few of the best pictures, but believe me there are many more and I could have stopped more frequently but then it just gets silly.

With leaping ahead last night, it was already pitch black by 5:30 or so which coming from Canada seems so weird when you’re somewhere warm. If it’s warm out the sun should be

Watsonville, CA

Today I left Petaluma in absolutely beautiful weather for my crossing of the Golden Gate Bridge. started a bit later than usual today in the hope that the warmth from the sun would burn off any fog that is so pervasive around the bridge. And I lucked out. Either there was no fog or it had burned off, although it was starting to move back in again.

Fog, by Carl Sandburg

The fog comes on little cat feet.

Sits looking over the harbour and city
on slient haunches and then moves on.

The best viewing for the Golden Gate Bridge is from the south east, however I was coming in from the north west. I headed up into the outlook area and did the best I could with limited parking and the sun in our faces.

Then on to the Golden Gate Bridge we went (that “we” would be my trailer and I, and yes I do talk to it from time to time). I am still a little apprehensive crossing bridges, but got through it safe and sound, only to have to deal with San Francisco traffic. (if you’re wondering about the bridge story, you can read June 27th entry). It truly is one remarkable experience to go over that bridge and look down on all that’s going on around you. And yes, stay in your lane too.

My GPS took me on an “interesting” path today. I am still getting the hang of knowing when to believe it and when to trust my gut or a map. In any case I got here safe and sound and in the time that Google Maps said I would and I got to see some interesting neighbourhoods that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Tonight’s campsite is ideally located just south of Santa Cruz and just north of the Monterey Penisula and within a day trip of Big Sur. This one is a “Resort” designation as well because of all the activities. And this being Halloween, were there activities!

There are goblins and princesses, and superheros and ballerinas, and that’s just the adults. Seriously, many of the adults are trick or treating to the campsites with their little goblins. Earlier there was face painting, a costume contest, rig/cabin decorating contest, and later there will be free S’mores. What a safe way to spend quality family time at Halloween. And there has been quite a lot of chatter about “shots” so I think there is some adult fun going on as well.

While I had my camera out today taking pics of the Halloween stuff, I decided to give you a taste of what a KOA looks like. As I have said before, they are the Holiday Inns of campgrounds. No surprises. Established formulas, you know what to expect. They have a great website for booking which is a bonus when you’re on the move as much as I am. They all seem to be expanding the number of cabins they have on site as well. They are small but cheap. And no, KOA is not paying me to say this.

Petaluma, CA

Today I failed as a blogger and a photographer. But I survived so that makes me a great driver and proves I can put the priorities in the right place occasionally.

I have never been so challenged as a driver in my life. And I do a LOT of driving. Without hauling a trailer, the section of Hwy 101, Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) that I covered would have been challenging enough. But add towing a trailer, and it’s exhausting. The trailer handles really well but there were very few places to stop to take photos or catch my breath where the car and trailer would fit and which were flat enough.

For the first 22 miles, where Highway 1 branches off from Highway 101 at Leggett and heads west to the coast, it was two hands on the wheel, eyes totally focused on the yellow and white lines in front of me and total concentration. And those of you who know me know how difficult it is go get my total concentration.

I knew today would be challenging and long, so I got an early start (well, relatively) and I was glad that I had so that there was as little traffic as possible. The drive out to the coast was primarily through Redwood groves and there were lots of climbs and 7% grade downhills with frequent switchbacks. The road was only the width of the two lanes, with no shoulders and no guard rails. Of course, in this section, the giant redwoods would have stopped you from plummeting off the road anyway. At times the lines were literally painted on the very outside edges of the asphalt. And the asphalt was raised so not only were there no shoulders but the edges were quite a lot lower than the road surface. Thus the requirement for concentration. I think the fastest speed I go to on the road was 45 mph and 15 mph was sometimes too fast. Cruise control didn’t happen today at all.

Once out to the coast, the views were spectacular, ranging from headlands to beaches with rock croppings and “haystacks”. The road wound down the coast, following it or going over headlands, or across benches. There were infrequent small towns tucked into the coves along the coast, with the two major ones being Fort Bragg and Mendocino.

Mendocino was really interesting looking, and I took a quick drive down the main drag but I couldn’t easily find parking and I was more focused on getting on my voyage than shopping. There are lots of Victorian houses (some made into B&Bs), boutiques, restaurants, and local beers and wines to taste.

Of course, no coast would be complete without a lightouse! This one is the Point Arena Lighthouse. It sits on a high headland, and is an additional 115 feet high. It was originally constructed in 1870 but in 1906 an earthquake damaged both the lighthouse and the keepers home and they had to be reconstructed. It was lit again in 1908.

By time I reached Jenner I was running out of time, daylight and patience. I took an east-west connecting road to just north of Petaluma that took me through yet another redwood grove, through an interesting looking town called Sebastopol, and over yet more switchbacks out to Highway 101.

I arrived at the campground and was shocked when I got out to find that it was 28 degrees celsius. I set up camp and have been enjoying sitting outside at my picnic table to write this blog and enjoy my supper.

Bandon, OR

Today, I only got 106 miles! I planned it that way, though, and it allowed me to get set up at a new location further south along Highway 101 and still have the afternoon to do some exploring.

My stopping spot tonight is a small campground just south of the small town of Langlois. It’s just 15 miles or so from the tourist and fishing town of Bandon on the Coquille River. I was the only camper in the campground when I left this afternoon and they didn’t have any reservations for tonight, so the owner said I may have the whole forest to myself. They are closing at the end of the week for the season so they’re hard at work getting things tidied up for the winter.

The new part of the drive south today was mostly inland, with few opportunities to see the coast but it was pretty nonetheless. Rolling green hills and farmland, fern covered forests, and for the first time, small lakes on the east side of the highway.

Along the way, I did stop just south of Florence and drove in a bit into the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area to see the sand dunes. The dunes stretch for 47 miles along the coast, and some of them are huge. It was foggy and drizzling at this stop. I didn’t take the time to walk in to where the dunes meet the ocean because it was quite the hike and on sand…. yup, being lazy.

I went in off the road at the south end of the park to have another look at the dunes and it had gotten brighter. Unfortunately I couldn’t get all the way in to the ocean on this road but you get an idea of what it looks like.

There were a few towns along the way today, but none were terribly inspiring except Bandon, so glad I had a chance to come back into town after setting up and having a quick lunch in Port Orford. Bandon boasts several golf courses, an Old Town, standard scenic beach, and cranberry bogs! Who knew.

On my way back to Bandon I stopped at another, you guessed it, Lighthouse. This one is situated on a plateau at Cape Blanco. It stands 256 feet above sea level, and is located on the second most western point of the continental U.S. and it’s also the oldest, having been commissioned in 1870. The waves were really rolling in all along the coast today so it was pretty spectacular. The volunteers were closing up and waiting to close the gate by the time I got there but they stayed a little late to let me take a few pictures.

Then I made my way up the Beach Loop Drive taking more pictures and walking along the various beaches until I got back to Bandon. I went out on the jetty and took some pictures of the Coquille River Lighthouse. It’s not a particularly interesting one, and as you can tell it isn’t used any longer as the harbour has been extended and there is an automated marker on the end of the jetty.

For almost the first time along the coast I actually stopped in a gift store as I wandered around town late this afternoon, but I didn’t buy anything. I’m not a very good shopper but I wanted to check out one of the local specialties. Myrtlewood is native to the Oregon coast and there are factories all along this southern portion of the coast with outlets selling pieces made from this wood. I haven’t stopped at any of them and the selection they had in the gift store I stopped at was not particularly inspiring.

For dinner I had the best table in the house at the Edgewater Restaurant (western end of 1st St. SW) overlooking the Lighthouse across the river. After participating in the obvious seafood choices for the past week, I had a craving for something else tonight and I chose a great restaurant as they did a good job of the steak dinner I chose. I’m sure they do a fine job of the seafood and the service was top notch.

I’m sitting in a coffee house, writing this blog and they have the Republican Debate on the TV. It’s quite hilarious listening to the reaction of the locals and toursits. Now it’s back to the campground now to snuggle down with Netflix for the rest of this rainy evening. I shouldn’t run into any bandwidth issues tonight.