Pismo Beach, California and - Home Sweet Home

For our last hurrah before heading home we are at Pismo Beach (also known as Bakersfield West).

We have been so fortunate with the weather – sunny days and cool nights where we have to put the heat on.

We visited our favorite haunts,  Clam Chowder at Splash Café.   After finishing our meal (lunch/dinner) we went to the beach and walked out on the pier and watched the huge waves.   Before going back to the trailer we stopped at the monarch butterfly park where we saw some, but not anywhere near as many that are here in December/January.  Next stop was the discount mall where Judy found a sweater at Ralph Lauren. 

The next evening we ate steaks and ribs at Jocko’s in Nipomo, our favorite restaurant.  The last day we drove to Morro Bay to check out some campgrounds for our Camping Club.  Our first stop was at Giovanni’s Fish Market and Grill where a son of friends of ours works.  We visited with him a few minutes and he seemed very glad to see us. Then back to the trailer to eat a very early dinner of leftovers and get the vacuuming and dusting done so we don’t have to do it once we get home.  We arrived home mid-afternoon on Wednesday.  The end of a fun trip.  Thanks for following along with us.

Tides Up

No Surfers to be found

Jump right in for a leisurely swim

This is much better than fish

Morro Rock

Morro Rock

Jocko,s in Nipomo is hard to beat

Santa Cruz, California

Santa Cruz is known for its moderate climate, the natural beauty of its coastline, redwood forests, alternative community lifestyles, and socially liberal leanings.  It is also home to the University of Santa Cruz, California, as well as the Santa Cruz Boardwalk an oceanfront amusement park operating continuously since 1907. The present-day site of Santa Cruz was the location of Spanish settlement beginning in 1791.  It was chartered in 1866 and late in the 19th century, Santa Cruz established itself as a beach resort community.

Nap Time

A face only a mother could love

After having breakfast we went to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park.  This was not on Mike’s itinerary, but Judy read about the park and we decided we would go there first today.  The park is located on a former land grant that the first owner acquired around 1846.  In 1868 an elaborate vacation resort was built that survived for fifty years.  The ancient trees attracted dignitaries from around the world including Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Benjamin Harrison.  There are about 20 miles of trails, all different in length and terrain.  We decided to take the Redwood Grove Trail, the most popular.  There was a nice temperature difference from the parking lot to the temperate rain forest.  The old-growth coast redwood trees can live to the mature age of over 2,000 years.  Rainy and foggy coastal conditions ensure there is enough moisture for their survival.  

We then drove to Santa Cruz to have lunch at Aldo’s, a restaurant Beverly and Harry recommended.  It is on the water, facing a lighthouse; we enjoyed eating inside since all the outside tables were in the sun.  We saw sailboats, private boats, a kayaker and someone standing on a surf board paddling side by side.  Mike enjoyed cioppino (fresh fish stew) and Judy tried Rock Cod which was grilled and served with asparagus. 

We then went to Natural Bridges State Beach where we parked and saw the only remaining natural bridge of three from the parking area.  An amazing site!  In the early 1900s, three arches carved by nature out of a mudstone cliff.  Wave action against the soft rock formed the bridges and also undercut them, eventually wearing them away and leaving only islands!  The outermost arch fell in the early part of the 20^th century and the inner arch broke during a storm in 1980.  We only saw the middle arch but it is being slowly eroded by the waves.

The next morning we drove to Santa Cruz for breakfast to at Zachary’s Restaurant, suggested in an article in the Bakersfield Californian  a while ago.  The staff was very friendly and Mike thoroughly enjoyed his huge “Mike’s Mess, Junior”.  It included mushroom, potatoes, bacon, cheese and all this was topped with tomatoes, green onions and sour cream.

Afterwards we walked up and down Pacific Street where there were many stores with clothing, jewelry, and gift items available.  There are also many restaurants and cafes with inside and outside seating.  Parking meters are all over but are very reasonably priced, only fifty cents an hour with a two hour limit!

We then headed to Capitola which is also by the ocean.  They also have many stores with gift and tourist items.  We walked up and down a few streets and even made a purchase!  Mike found a pelican with a fish in its mouth, made of wire.  It wasn’t something that Judy was ‘needing’, but we’ll find a place for it somewhere! 

We had parked right by the beach and still had time left on the meter, so we sat on a bench facing the sand and water and just relaxed soaking up the sun, watching people, boats, seagulls and pelicans!

In the campground Judy spotted what we missed on our walk through the redwoods yesterday.  By our campsite was what they call a family circle of redwoods which is a circle of trees around others.  Both of the center ones here no longer had anything above about 5-6 feet, but they were surrounded by about 7 others.

Los Altos, California

The next stop on our itinerary was visiting long-time friends in Los Altos, CA.  The closest place to stay was a trailer park in San Jose, about a fifteen minute drive from their house.  Beverly’s and Judy’s Grandmothers were friends in Germany first and then in Chicago; their Mothers were friends in Germany and then Chicago also.  Bev and Judy were friends in Chicago (north side/south side!) and when Beverly married Harry, Judy was the maid-of-honor at their wedding.  Now, many, many years later, Bev and Harry and Judy and Mike are  friends even though it has to be long distance!

We got a tour of their home and it is beautiful.   Beverly exhibited her culinary skills, preparing brunch and two dinners that we thoroughly enjoyed.  We can’t believe the amount of traffic, the way the driver’s drive, and all the changes in highways we had to make.  Glad we live in a small town!!!

We then got a tour of San Francisco, having things pointed out by the two locals.  There was fog from the ocean hiding a lot of the Golden Gate Bridge.  At one point Bev and Judy got out and tried to take pictures of it which was quite dramatic, of Alcatraz with some fog, and of the skyline of the city. At 1:30 we had reservations for lunch at one of their favorite restaurants, Beach Chalet.  A favorite because of the view of the ocean, not the food.  We could barely see the ocean because of the fog and we laughed about it a lot!  This had never happened to them before.  The next day we visited for a while and then took off to see some different areas that we hadn’t seen before.  The amount of space taken up by Apple Computer is amazing, seeing their signs all over.  Some spaces they own and some they rent.  They are in the midst of building a-mile-square round building with parking underneath which should be ready in 2016.  They will have bikes for employees to get around and many things that no one knows about now.   Afer having dinner out we said our ‘thank you and good-byes, and then made the trip back to the campground in San Jose.  This has been a great visit with good friends!  Hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.

Bodega & Bodega Bay, California

Bodega Bay was established as a port by Russian settlers who came here seeking a mild climate to raise food crops for their Alaskan settlements.  The protected port quickly became the import and export center for the Sonoma Coast, and established itself as a fishing village with a complete array of delectable sea fare.  People now come from all over to enjoy fresh crab and salmon, as we did.

We arrived at the Bodega Bay RV Park, set up and took off for Spud Point Crab Company, where the manager in the campground office said they have the best clam chowder!  It has been voted the best for four years in a row.  Wow, was it delicious, and really full of garlic, which we love.

Spud Point Crab Company

The next day we headed out to Bodega Head, where you can see whales if they are ‘in season’ which they aren’t right now.  We climbed down to the beach where Judy experienced something she had never seen before (and is okay with never seeing again!)  There were oodles of dead jellyfish that had washed up on the beach.  There were huge rocks in the water and it was amazing seeing the waves crash over them.

Bodega was our next stop.  We walked the short main drag looking inside the small shops in town.  This is where Alfred Hitchcock filmed “The Birds”.  There was a store on the main street that had all sorts of paraphernalia on the movie.  We also walked to the Potter School House, and the historic 150 year old St. Teresa’s Church, that were in the movie.  In 1961, Mr. H  needed a remote coastal area and found Bodega and Bodega Bay the right setting for his thriller.  The Church was the background scene when the schoolteacher Suzanne Plesheete, was killed by the birds. This movie become the precursor to modern horror movies.

  

Oh No,  Not Again

Saint Teresa of Avila

Potter School

Fort Bragg, California

The City of Fort Bragg was founded prior to the Civil War as a military garrison rather than a fortification.  By 1867 the reservation and military outpost had been abandoned. By 1869 small lumber mills were being built at the mouth of every creek.  In 1869, after the fort was abandoned, the land of the reservation was returned to the public and offered for sale at $1.25 per acre to settlers. The city was incorporated in 1889

Our travels today took us from Highway #101 to yet another very windy, very narrow two-lane road (Highway #1 going by the coast!)  Again we saw speed limit signs stating 10, 15, 20, etc.  

Ride the road with us

Ride the road with us

Finally, after I don’t know how many miles, the road was by the ocean; and what a beautiful sight that was!  At an overlook we enjoyed our lunch in the trailer after picking up a dining chair and other items that were on the floor from the many sharp turns.  Luckily nothing was damaged.

Fort Bragg is known for Glass Beach.  It has the highest concentration of sea glass in the world because the rock formations here set up wave patterns that keep everything on the beach.  The glass doesn’t ‘wash up’, it never left!  It comes up through the sand from below.  The town dumps were on these sites years ago!  As the glass sits in the water it is tumbled smooth by the surf.  The pitting in the sea glass is from a process called hydration.  The soda and lime used to make the glass leaches out, leaving small pits in the surface. 

Trip Advisor came through again for us with a recommendation for breakfast!  We drove in to town (about 3 miles away) and found Egg Heads. Mike ordered an omelet with Dungeness Crabmeat, garlic, and other yummy ingredients and Hollandaise Sauce!  Judy ordered the garlic-lovers omelet which included bacon, tomatoes, avocado, and plenty of garlic.  We were not disappointed and we won’t have to worry about vampires any time soon!

Our next stop was sea glass hunting!  We parked on the street in a residential area where the homes faced the ocean, and changed into out beach/water shoes.

It was quite a hike to Glass Beach since they are constructing a path and we weren’t allowed to walk the short way, so we followed the path taking us first to where families with small children were digging in the sand.  No glass there, so we continued over a few hills of sand and rocks and walked by plenty of ice-plant growing wild.

Then we had to find a way to get down to the beach area where we saw many people looking for the same treasure!  Mike took a steep hill to go down and Judy found a gentler one.  Once we folded up our pants we went hunting!  Everyone had said the pieces all were small, and they were telling the truth.  After being there an hour and a half, Judy said she was ready to go back to the truck.  By that time Mike’s pants were wet and his shoes were full of sand (but no glass!)

Walking back again over the rocks, sand and by the ice plants was the exercise we needed to work off the breakfast we enjoyed.  Our loot was small, but we enjoyed the fresh air and being by the ocean.  The glass is for one of our friends who makes jewelry with it.

Geese in formation

A trend-setter looking for sea glass

The reesults of our toils

Red Crest & Ferndale, California

We have spent three days at Red Crest, CA which is located at the north end of the Avenue of the Giants.  It is situated on higher ground, therefore it was protected from the 1964 devastating flood that wiped out many lower-lying towns.  The trees are so large it’s amazing!  After dinner we walked to the entrance of the campground and looked at the Immortal Tree which is 950-1,000 years old.  It is one of the most durable trees in history!  It has been victim of lightning strikes, fires, floods and the logger’s ax.  It still stands and continues to grow heartily.  Before it was struck by lightning it was 298 feet high, currently it is 248 feet high.  The diameter of the trunk is 14½ feet. 

Peek-A-Boo

After breakfast we drove along the Avenue of the Giants.  It offers more than the majesty of towering redwoods.  The 31-mile route along the South Fork of the Eel River meanders through several small towns that give a glimpse into the history of Humboldt County.  Most of the towns along the Avenue, once closely tied to the timber industry, now rely more on the tourists who come to experience the old-growth redwood habitat and visit Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which is where our campground is located.

We then drove the road suggested by campground owners through the redwoods almost to the end.  The area we drove through was the Rockefeller Grove, widely regarded as the most impressive stand of redwoods found anywhere in the world.  The two-way road was narrow and when a vehicle came towards us we pulled as far to the right as possible to allow them to pass.  Almost at Albee Creek Campground we parked and then walked to the head of the hiking trail.  There were two ‘seasonal’ bridges crossing the creek, one was of stones that were slippery and unstable, the other had an unstable piece of wood that rocked and shook while walking on it.  Judy said she would read her book in the truck and Mike could go across because she didn’t want to ruin it for him.  After taking two steps on the wooden ‘bridge’ he decided he wouldn’t go.  Shortly thereafter he changed his mind and, with a thin tree twig/branch as a walking stick, he wobbled across, taking a water bottle and camera with him.  Once across there was a short, but steep dirt trail up a hill he had to climb.  He made it!  Judy read for about 15 minutes in the truck and then Mike returned.  Descending that hill was the most difficult part of this adventure to see the Big Trees.    

Our next stop was the Loleta Cheese Company in Loleta, CA farther north on the highway.  He remembered from another trip that they had delicious cheeses.   He was right, their cheeses were very good, so we made some  purchases.

 We then went to Ferndale (home of Guy Fieri of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives Fame) where they have many Victorian homes.   It was a crossroads village and provided lodging, horses, blacksmithing and other services both to individual travelers and the Overland Stage and Express line which ran from Eureka to Cloverdale with connections to San Francisco.  Over 80 hours of traveling for a cost of $20.  At one time there were 81 dairies here.  This is where the use of paper wrapping on butter to reduce air oxidizing the product was pioneered by Chester Gray who studied the problem of unrefrigerated fine butter turning white within hours of production.  In 1915 Gray patented a new spray-drying process.  

Main Street has been designated a National Register Historic District due to its finely preserved commercial and residential buildings.  They have old-fashioned mercantiles, antique stores, art galleries, and specialty shops.  Walking on Main Street and then in the residential areas we saw very ornate buildings, many beautiful churches dating back to the 1800s, and this is where we saw more fall colors on the trees than anywhere else so far on this trip.  We also were by the historic Ferndale cemetery, which was directly behind an un-named church, on a hill.  While walking through the residential area we took pictures of a very ornate B & B on a corner.  A lady was on her hands and knees working in the yard and we starting talking with her after complimenting her on the house and yard.  She and has lived in town 40 years.  We talked with her a long time as she was very informative.  She even told us to walk through the garden, which was small and full of flowers and well-manicured trees and plants.  Then she took us inside to see the front two rooms.  Not our taste, but beautiful.  After visiting with her some more we took off to check out the rest of the city.

Neatsign we saw on Main Street

Unnamed former church, now a private redidence

Cemetery

Gingerbread House Bed & Breakfast