The second half of this year found us in Monterey, California waking to clear, sunny skies and warming temperatures. After breakfast we checked out and drove into Monterey where we stopped at Cannery Row where sardines used to be caught and canned before they were fished out. John Steinbeck spent some time here and put Monterey on the map so to speak. After walking around the area a while we pressed on and drove the scenic ocean drive stopping occasionally to take a photo which really doesn’t do it justice.
We continued a short distance to the small, chic village of Carmel-by-the-Sea. We drove into the town past stores such as Tiffany and caught a glimpse of the beautiful beach. Next we drove to the Carmel Mission, a Spanish mission built in the mid-1700s. After walking around admiring the architecture and gardens we left and took scenic California highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean. What views along the ocean! Driving along the coast here is not relaxing for the driver but worth the trip still.
In Big Sur we stopped for a nice lunch before continuing south along the ocean. Sometimes we were quite high looking over cliffs and occasionally having to stop for a one-way section where avalanches have wiped out part of the highway and road crews were building new bridges or road surfaces. We stopped at a place to view several elephant seals sleeping on the beach a short distance away. They are not pretty to look at and smell terrible. The males can grow up to 5,000 pounds.
The driving was slow because of all the curves but we still arrived at the Hearst Castle in time for a tour. The castle built by William Randolph Hearst is impressive mainly for its art objects bought in Europe and the Middle East. The location is also impressive and the architecture but we learned that it is less than half the size of Biltmore in Ashville, North Carolina.
After the tour the day was waning and we checked into our nice hotel on the water in the nearby town of San Simeon. We had a good meal in the hotel restaurant and then walked along the beach watching the sun set over the Pacific. The hotel lit small outdoor fireplaces and we sat next to a fire a short time before retiring to our room.
Saturday morning we leisurely got ready, had room-service breakfast in our room, and were later than usual checking out and on the highway. South again on highway 1 along the Pacific coast and soon we joined up with US highway 101 south to San Luis Obispo where we tried to find the info center but instead had a driving tour of their downtown area. We did stop to visit the Danish community of Solvang. We had lunch there (Danish food) and walked around in the heat. We had visited Solvang a long time ago and noticed that it has increased in size and number of tourists. What hasn’t over the years?
We continued past the crowded California beaches and Santa Barbara to our friend’s house in Oxnard. We knew Arati and Janak Desai from when we all worked at Aramco in Saudi Arabia and we had good conversations until late in the night. Also good Indian cuisine since Arati is a great cook. Janak serves a good beer.
Sunday we relaxed and left the house mid-morning to walk through the Channel Island Harbor and farmer’s market in Oxnard. After lunch we drove to Ventura where we drove up to a park overlooking the ocean. It was a typical California weather day with clear sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s. No wonder so many people have moved here over the years. We drove down to the Ventura Pier and had dinner at a nice seafood restaurant connected to the pier.
Tomorrow we drive to the San Diego area. Happy birthday America!
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