We left the Redwoods on Monday morning around 10 AM. It was chilly – we could see our breath! The traffic became heavier the closer we came to San Francisco. But there was still a lot of countryside. Vineyards and cattle ranches.
The population of San Francisco proper is close to 900,000 people. And they have built their houses so close together they can all hold hands with each other. It is a picturesque city, though. We thought about walking on the Golden Gate bridge before crossing it, but decided to just drive it. Its span is over 2700 metres and it takes a pretty picture. We enjoyed some local seafood on our way through to Pascadero State Park where we boondocked for the night. The sight of the beaches south of San Francisco was something to behold. The highway followed the coastline alongside a swath of sand averaging around 750 feet that met the most wonderful, power-packed surf.
Our campsite for the next two nights was Sunset Beach State Park. The campsites are separated from the beach by huge dunes covered in scrub. After we set up (not that there is much work to doing that!), we climbed the steep embankment and walked the wide beach below, enjoying the pounding surf, even dipping our feet in. It was pretty cold (freezing, actually). As we climbed back toward “home”, we stopped to catch our breath. High on the embankment we looked out on the vast expanse and were greeted by a wonderful show of a group of whales just off shore – surfacing as they enjoyed their dinner! What a treat.
On our beach walk the next day we encountered a huge sea lion that had beached itself. A woman we met said it was dying, but it looked healthy to us. So I googled it. It seems that sea lions will beach themselves sometimes to rest. Who knew? The sunset was spectacular – again! On the way back “home” we saw a screech owl in the twilight, which hindered us from getting a good picture.
On Thursday we drove to Monterey and met Ally and Mike at Fisherman’s Wharf. It was so good to see them and we enjoyed a long walk on the beach. We will meet them again as well as Ben in Morro Bay for the weekend. The landscape along our way isn’t the same as Nova Scotia’s, but it is very similar – rolling hills and trees. There are lots of vineyards, strawberry fields, brussel sprout crops complete with a huge group of laborers. Reminds me of many fields at home with temporary workers.
Ben arrived at Morro Bay where we were camped late afternoon on Friday. We camped at Morro Dunes which is situated almost on the wide sandy beach. We only had to walk across the road and over the dunes to enjoy it’s wonder. Lots of sand dollars littered the beach. I gathered a great bunch and Doug asked what I was going to do with them all. I simply said I was going to go shopping at Davey Jones’s Locker. After Ally and Mike arrived we enjoyed a BBQ supper. On Saturday we wondered around the waterfront and around Morro Rock, a volcanic plug which stands almost 600 feet at the shoreline. There were still lots of tourists around and plenty of cute sea otters. Later in the afternoon Ben and I played in the surf for about 15 minutes – it was exhilarating (and freezing). Our young folks shared an air B&B and we all gathered there to celebrate Christmas, complete with turkey, ham and lots of fixings, and of course a gift exchange. It was so wonderful to meet them here and have an early Christmas. As Ben reminded us, it was our first family vacation since 2005.
On Sunday we walked around San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach. Both are quaint little towns with lots of touristy shops. Pismo Beach has a huge waterfront pier that extends 1370 ft over the water at 25 ft high. We saw lots of people with fishing poles and watched as a group of surfers rode the waves below. Ben bid us goodbye Monday morning after breakfast at a Morro Bay French bakery. He drove back to San Francisco to catch his flight home to Calgary. The rest of us decided to drive up Hwy 1 to Hearst Castle and make a loop to Hwy 101 back to Morro Bay. We didn’t go into the castle and after a long time on the twisty narrow road discovered that we missed the road to Hwy 101.
But we got to see an Elephant Seal colony along the way. Hundreds of them lined the beach. Up to a hundred years ago they were hunted for the oil in their blubber. Numbers were reduced to less than 50. However, a hundred years of protection has seen the numbers increase to over 250,000. We did get to Big Sur – much like the Cabot Trail but more of it. On our way back we caught a glimpse of some zebras close to the castle area – ancestors of the zebras brought there by Wm. Hearst while he was developing the estate in the 1920’s.
The weekend was definitely the highlight of our trip – we had a really great time with the kids. And tonight, as I write this, I am enjoying the roar of the great surf – music to my ears. Another highlight is the great weather – sunny every day with temps between 70-85F. “It never rains in California” – as the old song goes. Ally and Mike are going to LA for a few days before returning to Iqaluit and the cold. Next we are heading to the Santa Barbara area for a few days and then on to Phoenix for next Sunday’s NASCAR race.
Let's Do The 180! 