August 1: along Highway 1 to Carmel Valley
Time passes by so quickly, and now it is August 1 and there is so little time now for the travel magic to weave its spell before I go back to join the work force. However, I will not be ungrateful, as it has been a superb, exhilarating, exciting summer of adventures with friends. And it is not finished yet, as I have four more days here in SF before returning to Dallas.
We had breakfast in our Air B & B in San Luis Obispo, then packed up the car and went downtown to visit the Mission San Luis Obispo de Toloba. It is often called the "The Prince of Missions." It was named for a 13th c. French saint, the Bishop of Toulouse, and the 1772 mission is now a parish church. In order to repel flaming arrow attacks by unfriendly Indians, the mission was built with a tile roof instead of the usual ignitable thatch roof. We visited the church, the gardens of the courtyard, and a museum containing Chumash Indian artifacts and memorabilia from early settlers. On our way out of town we also visited the Botanical Gardens of the city, with its rich collection of flora of the area.
The man who manned the entry to the Botanical Gardens gave us a great suggestion for lunch at Morro Bay, where two good friends of mine had lived and who had kept Alexandra while Charles, Rusty, Debbie, and I had gone to tour the Hearst Castle at San Simeon when Alexandria was about 18 months old (she is now 25). The center of attraction at Morro Bay had been and still is Morro Rock, a dome-shaped volcanic peak that rises out of the Pacific Ocean 578 ft. above the NW end of the city's harbor. In the 1870s, Morro Bay was a port for the region's cattle ranching and dairy industries, which were later replaced by commercial fishing and oyster farming enterprises. Dorn's restaurant, facing the rock and the Ocean, had been recommended, and I had a shrimp and crab salad; Maureen had a blackened chicken sandwich with grilled peppers and cheese. For dessert we went to Foster's (a chain familiar to Maureen but not to me) for a swirled vanilla/chocolate ice cream in a cone--so scrumptious!
Off Highway 1 ( also known as the Coastal Highway) we decided we had to find a certain house we had been intrigued to see when it was described in the travel brochures of the area. In Cambria, overlooking the town, is Nitt Witt Ridge, a 2.5-acre folk art landmark on Hillcrest Drive. Local eccentric Arthur Beal, alias Captain Nitt Witt and Der Tinkerpaw, handbuilt the multi-level house over a period of 51 years. The home, often called "the poor man's Hearst Castle," and its terraced gardens are constructed of recycled materials, including driftwood, abalone shells, car parts and beer cans. It was rather ugly and junky, but at the same time pretty fascinating--though I would not have wanted to be his immediate neighbor!
From Cambria we made our way north on Highway 101, stopping at numerous turnouts along the way to view and photograph the incredibly beautiful landscape before us in those magic afternoon hours, which grew more mellow as the shadows lengthened. The terrain comprises sheer cliffs which loom above the ocean, foothills of the Santa Lucia mountains, and wooded valleys between them. We stopped at a cove where sea lions normally bask and molt, but they weren't showing themselves today. We also tried to see the light station Piedras Blancas, but it was closed and we could not tour it. However, we must have stopped at about 20 different turnouts, and found ourselves totally in awe of this most awesome coastline. It was the kind of moment best frozen in time, and I hope that my efforts to capture the scenery on camera distill the awe I felt in its presence.
Our Air B & B tonight is in Carmel Valley, not to be confused with Carmel-by-the-Sea, but not far from it. It was a difficult house to find, as it is in a wooded area and rather secluded. A lady runs it, and we have a sitting room, bedroom, and bathroom at our disposal, as well as kitchen privileges and breakfast. It is very quiet here, and the lady has three cats--two white ones and one calico. We are advised not to touch them, as they have been into some poison ivy. They have not been affected by it, but we are warned that we will be if we touch them--so hands off! We have been advised to close the latch to the gate in front of the house, since the landlady says that deer have been eating any- and everything in the yard!
We bought some supplies at the Safeway on the way to Carmel Valley, so cobbled together a nice dinner tonight. Soon we will call it a night. Tomorrow is Sunday, and we plan to give Carmel a visit and continue up Highway 1 for more of the spectacular scenery we saw today. Tomorrow night we should be back in SF. Greetings to all, and to all a good night!
We had breakfast in our Air B & B in San Luis Obispo, then packed up the car and went downtown to visit the Mission San Luis Obispo de Toloba. It is often called the "The Prince of Missions." It was named for a 13th c. French saint, the Bishop of Toulouse, and the 1772 mission is now a parish church. In order to repel flaming arrow attacks by unfriendly Indians, the mission was built with a tile roof instead of the usual ignitable thatch roof. We visited the church, the gardens of the courtyard, and a museum containing Chumash Indian artifacts and memorabilia from early settlers. On our way out of town we also visited the Botanical Gardens of the city, with its rich collection of flora of the area.
The man who manned the entry to the Botanical Gardens gave us a great suggestion for lunch at Morro Bay, where two good friends of mine had lived and who had kept Alexandra while Charles, Rusty, Debbie, and I had gone to tour the Hearst Castle at San Simeon when Alexandria was about 18 months old (she is now 25). The center of attraction at Morro Bay had been and still is Morro Rock, a dome-shaped volcanic peak that rises out of the Pacific Ocean 578 ft. above the NW end of the city's harbor. In the 1870s, Morro Bay was a port for the region's cattle ranching and dairy industries, which were later replaced by commercial fishing and oyster farming enterprises. Dorn's restaurant, facing the rock and the Ocean, had been recommended, and I had a shrimp and crab salad; Maureen had a blackened chicken sandwich with grilled peppers and cheese. For dessert we went to Foster's (a chain familiar to Maureen but not to me) for a swirled vanilla/chocolate ice cream in a cone--so scrumptious!
Off Highway 1 ( also known as the Coastal Highway) we decided we had to find a certain house we had been intrigued to see when it was described in the travel brochures of the area. In Cambria, overlooking the town, is Nitt Witt Ridge, a 2.5-acre folk art landmark on Hillcrest Drive. Local eccentric Arthur Beal, alias Captain Nitt Witt and Der Tinkerpaw, handbuilt the multi-level house over a period of 51 years. The home, often called "the poor man's Hearst Castle," and its terraced gardens are constructed of recycled materials, including driftwood, abalone shells, car parts and beer cans. It was rather ugly and junky, but at the same time pretty fascinating--though I would not have wanted to be his immediate neighbor!
From Cambria we made our way north on Highway 101, stopping at numerous turnouts along the way to view and photograph the incredibly beautiful landscape before us in those magic afternoon hours, which grew more mellow as the shadows lengthened. The terrain comprises sheer cliffs which loom above the ocean, foothills of the Santa Lucia mountains, and wooded valleys between them. We stopped at a cove where sea lions normally bask and molt, but they weren't showing themselves today. We also tried to see the light station Piedras Blancas, but it was closed and we could not tour it. However, we must have stopped at about 20 different turnouts, and found ourselves totally in awe of this most awesome coastline. It was the kind of moment best frozen in time, and I hope that my efforts to capture the scenery on camera distill the awe I felt in its presence.
Our Air B & B tonight is in Carmel Valley, not to be confused with Carmel-by-the-Sea, but not far from it. It was a difficult house to find, as it is in a wooded area and rather secluded. A lady runs it, and we have a sitting room, bedroom, and bathroom at our disposal, as well as kitchen privileges and breakfast. It is very quiet here, and the lady has three cats--two white ones and one calico. We are advised not to touch them, as they have been into some poison ivy. They have not been affected by it, but we are warned that we will be if we touch them--so hands off! We have been advised to close the latch to the gate in front of the house, since the landlady says that deer have been eating any- and everything in the yard!
We bought some supplies at the Safeway on the way to Carmel Valley, so cobbled together a nice dinner tonight. Soon we will call it a night. Tomorrow is Sunday, and we plan to give Carmel a visit and continue up Highway 1 for more of the spectacular scenery we saw today. Tomorrow night we should be back in SF. Greetings to all, and to all a good night!
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