San Diego 28 Feb - Sunday

A misty morning in Santa Monica. The outlook is 68°F (20°C), similiar to yesterday.

Before we leave Santa Monica we went down to the pier there.

Route 66 - the 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monaca ends here.

 

The beaches here have been famous for body builders and acrobates for years. Most of this has moved down to Venice Beach these days.

When Liz and Dorothy went to Venice Beach yesterday, they were not impressed with it. There were more large people than body builders and the air was filled with the sweet smell of illegal substances.

The pier here in Santa Monica has been here since 1924, although the ballroom is no longer on the pier.

There is now a fun fair on the pier, but it only opens on 5 March. So we could not go on the rides.

Looking back down the pier, it reminded me of going to Southport when I was young.

As it was Oscar day in Los Angeles today, we decided to leave Santa Monica before it became to busy.

 We were on the San Diego Freeway for most of the day, although we did find time to stop at a little coffee shop, that was full of bric a brac. Pat was in heaven. 

Our hotel for the next couple of nights, is the Hiton San Diego Resort & Spa.

It is a really nice hotel, but there is a shortage of lights both in the bedroom and in the restaurant. And with my failing eye sight, I needed an extra light to read the menu.

The meal I eventually ordered was very good.

Santa Monica (LA) 27 Feb - Saturday

It looks like it is going to be a cooler day today, the forcast is 68°F (20°C). But we are still in our shorts.

As there was a bus stop outside the hotel, we used this to go down to the beach. Pat and I got of the bus to go to Santa Monica State Beach. While Liz and Dorothy stayed on to go down to Venice Beach.

After Pat and I got off the bus, we walked a short block to the beach, passing some great houses. Can you see the small whale on top of this house?

All the houses were well looked after and had their own individual style.

Just before the beach a kind local took a photo of Pat and I.

Lots of palm trees bordering the beach.

Beach vollyball is very popular.

The beach has life guard stations every few hundred yards.

This being Saturday, the beach was quite busy.

There were quite a few people surfing. It was difficult to get a photo of them, as they usually fall off before I take the photo. They are not like the professional ones you see on TV. But I did manage to catch this one before he fell off. 

You can also see the fun fair on the pier in the background.

Back on the beach several volleyball games are in full swing.

That evening, after our meal Pat went to our room to rest, so Liz, Dorothy and I went to O'Briens, an Irish Bar on Wiltshire Boulevard.  

I'd no idea that San Dieago had connections with Ireland.

Santa Barbara 26 Feb - Friday

There was a lot of fog around this morning, although the outlook was good: 74°F (23°C). Foggy morning's at this time of year, are the norm in Santa Barbara, they have normally burned off before lunch time.

We drove down to the wharf for breakfast at Moby Rick Restaurant. 

This Sperm Whale was on the side of the Moby Rick Restaurant. This is a better photo of a whale, than the one's I took on our whale watching trip in Monterey.

After breakfast we walked around the pier.

Pat and Liz in the morning fog. It was reasonably warm, even though it was a little foggy.
Behind Pat's left ear, you can just make out a couple of figures. These are a few people painting. I'm not sure how you paint fog, but they were giving a go.

A couple of pelicans, waiting for any scraps from the fishermen on the pier.

After spending some time on the pier we drove back to down town Santa Barbara. In fact, as we could not go back the same way, because a couple of roads were closed in our direction. So it did not take us very long to get totally lost. Dorothy asked a passing cyclist, (who nearly fell of his bike), directions to down town Santa Barbara. We were that far away from the down town Santa Barbara, that we had to get back on the freeway to get to the centre.

Having found the centre, we had a look around a few shops and had a common coffee.

Some great views of the surrounding area.

Getting closer to the hills.

We drove up to the nearby Mission Santa Barbara, also known as Santa Barbara Mission, it is a Spanish mission, founded by the Franciscan order in 1786.

The impressive frontage of the mission.

While at the mission, I thought of taking holy orders, but an excess of food and wine would have made me looking like frier Tuck.

Around the corner from the Mission was Santa Barbara natural history museum, with the skeleton of a full size Blue Whale outside.

As one of only five complete Blue Whale skeletons in the United States, the Museum’s iconic 73-foot long phenomenal specimen is more than just a noted Santa Barbara landmark, it also represents a rare opportunity for people to gain first-hand exposure to, as well as an appreciation of, the world’s largest animal.

We then returned to our hotel for the night.

Santa Barbara 25 Feb - Thursday

Another great morning in Cambria, last night's fog has cleared. The outlook for today is very good: 75°F (24°C).

Before we start our 130 mile drive to Santa Barbara, we took some fresh sea air, across the road from our Hotel. We were joined by a few of the locals. This one in particular was very friendly.

Pat, Liz and Dorothy enjoying the fresh air and the view.

Most of the day we were driving. We stopped at a small adobe for some lunch. Quesadilla, Nachos, Tortilla and a Scone (I did not know that scones originated from Mexico). There were enough Nachoes for the four of us. So I was unable to finish them off.

Late afternoon we arrived in Santa Barbara, more palm trees as the climate becomes a little tropical.

After forty winked, Liz, Dorothy and I went out for an evening meal, Pat was not feeling 100% so she decided to stay at the hotel.

On our way for our evening meal, we passed a Macy's. So when we had finished eating, I went back to the hotel to se how Pat was, and guess were Liz and Dorothy went. Yes, Macy's. They shopped till they dropped, well not quite. They actually shopped until they were asked to leave, as the store was closing.

.

Cambria 24 Feb - Wednesday

The weather is stiill improving 73°F  (23°C).

Leaving Monterey, the Pacific looks great.

Following the Pacific coast we soon picked up the 17-Mile Drive, which is a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula.

There are some superb properties on the 17-Mile Drive.

Various sea life on the Drive, such as these Brandt's Cormorants.

The Pacific continues to thunder in.

We had a break on the out skirts of Carmel.

We were joined by a little friend, before we continued on to Carmel for our lunch.

After lunch we continued our 140 mile journey to Cambria, down Highway One, the Cambrillo Highway, along the 90 mile stretch of the Big Sur.

The Big Sur was simply called El Sur Grande, The Big South, then combined to become Big Sur. It is a 90-mile stretch of rugged and awesomely beautiful coastline between Carmel and San Simeon (Hearst Castle). It is flanked on one side by the majestic Santa Lucia Mountains and on the other by the rocky Pacific Coast.

The Pacific mist keeps coming and going.

Just a magic place to be.

Some properties probably have some of the best views in California.

The mist just rises of the ocean as the surf drives in.

We stopped for a break towards the end of the Big Sur, this is the vista from the viewing platform there.

As the light started to fade, we stopped at Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery, which is around Point Piedras Blancas at San Simeon. We got a glimps of a couple of pups, but they kept close to their mother's.

We arrived at the FogCatcher Inn in Cambria just after Sunset.

Monterey 23 Feb - Tuesday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOAN.

Even though it forcasts a warmer day today 71°F (22°C), we have decided to go on a boat trip to do some whale watching. So we have wrapped up warm.

Three little monkeys: hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil.

Our whale watching boat.

We see our first seal on a buoy in the harbour, warming it's self in the morning sun.

More seals grouped together for warmth (from each other's body heat) and with one of their flippers in the air to catch any heat from the sun.

As we passed the old sardine canning factory that closed in 1973, now refurbished. There was a sea otter off our port side. But I was not able to get a photo of it.

The mouth of Monterey Bay has some large breakers.

Shortly after this, we saw out first whale. A juvenile Humpback Whale. Again we only sight of for a short time, so I was unable to get a photo.

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. She explained about the different whales, their migration and gestation, they migrate to the artic for the rich feeding grounds in the summer, to build up their blubber and down to South California (Baja) to calf in the winter.

The Long-Beaked Common Dolphin was easier to get an image of.

This was quite a large pod of dolphins, although they are know to join with other pods to feed more efficiently.

Managed to catch this Gray Whale on camera.

But still not very clear.

You can make this Gray Whale out a little better.

After our trip we walked back passed the old custom house. It has a very Mexican look about it. Which perhaps is not surprising if you look at California's history, it started with the Native American, then the European exploration period from 1542 to 1769, the Spanish colonial period from 1769 to 1821, the Mexican period from 1821 to 1848, and then the United States statehood, which continues to this present day.

In the afternoon Dorothy and I went to the Alamo car rental at Monterey airport, we explained to the nice lady there, that we could not get our bags in the Dodge Charger. She said she would swap it for a Dodge Voyager, then we could get our bikes in it. We explained that we did not have bikes, but had bags  (or luggage). She still let us swap the Chargerfor the Voyager, at no extra charge.

Not quite one nation divided by a common language. But very close. Bags not Bikes.

That evening we went inton the old Town, or down town as they call it.

One of the main street was closed for a Street Market.

One of the stalls was selling home made Root Beer. We spoke with the guy selling the beer. He explained that he made it from ground birch root, sugar, local honey, cinnamon and other secret ingredients. 

It tasted of Mint, anise, and a little bit vanilla-ish. Not very pleasant. We politely told him it was not for us, we would perhaps try somebody elses . He said his was the best Root Beer in the whole of the USA, so we would not need to try any other Root Beer's, as we had just sampled the best. 

Every Tuesday evening there is a Street Market in Monterey, which was a hive of activity.