From Carla & Sean. Our pack broke into two units today as Jane and Ike (LRT) and Phil and Diane (BRT) took it easy with plans for a few leisurely days as they continue slowly north. For Carla and I, getting a taste of San Francisco so close by was too good to pass on so we headed there with plans to rejoin the other RTs later this week.

Well, today was again sunny and warm and we thought we saw a cloud for the first time since leaving New Brunswick a month ago but it turned out to be a jet contrail, sorry! A month already, wow. The other two RTs have been at it a few weeks longer but still we have no idea how the time has literally flown by.

But before leaving Napa there was one more winery to visit and Mumm was the word. Mumm offers a complete tour as opposed to only tasting and of course Mumm is famous for their sparkling wines (not supposed to call them champagne although their sister company in France can), a Carla favorite.

Champagne, yum!

Most of the process for the champagne method has been automated since we last spent time at a champagne producer so it was worthwhile touring. Bottles are now auto-rotated several times a day and the yeast plug is removed automatically. In their great hall, there was a display of 27 original Ansel Adams photographs from Yosemite and other areas. The grandson of Ansel is close friends with the Mumm management. The estate was very nice and we sat on the terrace after the tour overlooking the fields of grapes. The deck area was so hot, even with the umbrellas, that they had the water misters spraying all of the areas to help keep people cool. Hard to imagine what it is like in August!

A little cool relief

We picked up a sparkling Pinot Noir, an Estate Rose and a DVX (named after the owner Deveaux – all vowels removed, clever what). A very nice place, unhurried and peaceful. But much talk of wine and food pairings and with great restaurant options so close by we headed for lunch and arrived at Gotts in St. Helena (just north of Napa). Picture the Chicken Burger but bigger and shinier. Carla had a Mary‘s Chicken Sandwich and I had fish tacos with Mahi Mahi and cilantro infused veggies, yum (OK, maybe that was too girlie). Not quite the Mic Mac tavern but very good and decidedly healthier.

Gotts to have food

We then blasted down very decent roads and right into San Francisco. A slight fog and and slightly cooler temperatures greeted us but the drive across the Golden Gate was an experience unto itself. The Bay area is huge. And we couldn’t believe how close San Francisco is to Sonoma and Napa, just about 75 minutes drive. No wonder it is a popular San Francisco brunch option on weekends.

Not the A.L. MacDonald Bridge

We visited the America‘s Cup headquarters on the waterfront but they are a month away from ramping up for the Luis Vuitton Series so no option to get a better hat than Diane‘s… just yet and tomorrow is another day. We then spent time on the Pier 39 complex near Fisherman’s Market and had a nice meal of clams linguine and shrimp primevara with crab cakes to start. Next to the restaurant we watched the huge sea lions fight for dock space pushing one another off the floats with much noise and splashing. Reminds me of a Squadron dock party 🙂

Sea Lions

We then paid our parking fee, a mere 21$ and headed for our hotel for a non-RV night.

First impressions of San Francisco are all positive and the waterfront crowd is very colorful. Tattooing is extremely popular as were piercings a-plenty. A piercing will grow over but a tattoo removal apparently hurts worse that getting the tattoo itself. Ah, the choices of youth!

And some might say segments of the waterfront have gone to the dogs but…

4 of the 101 dalmatians

Back to the waterfront tomorrow me thinks as the AC 72s are supposed to be out sailing along with the 45s.

Missing the other RTs already but we will re-group soon enough…

Day 45 – May 18

It was wine country day and we had a relaxing start after enjoying the warm morning sun at Skyline Wilderness Park in Napa. Jane and Ike wanted to get an oil change so they headed out with a plan that we would all meet up at the Flying Goat Coffee Restaurant in Headlsburg , in the Sonoma Valley at 1:30. They were advertised as having wifi so we thought this would be a good spot where we could get in touch if our schedules didn’t mesh. Diane and I were being chauffeured by Sean and Carla so we had the luxury of sitting in the back of the MRT and watching the plethora of vineyards and wineries roll past us.

It was interesting to see so many of the familiar names of wines we enjoy at home and the estates where they are produced. We stopped into the Napa visitors centre to get info on the wineries of Napa even though our plan was to visit Sonoma that day and then Napa the following day. At the visitors centre they have extensive I formation on all of the local wineries and in some cases had discount or 2 for 1 coupons for some of the tastings and tours.

Downtown Napa

Not long into the drive we realized how far Healdsburg was, at least an hour drive. Guessing that Jane and Ike would be some time getting an oil change and as it was already approaching 12:30 we thought that we would stop at a winery, just to get our wine tasting feet wet, so to speak. We saw what looked like a nice wine estate, Kunde winery, where we tasted several wines and Diane and I bought a 2010 Merlot and Sean and Carla bought a Zinfandel.

We arrived in Headlsburg at around 2:00 to find that Jane and Ike had made great time and were waiting for us in the town square. Flying Goat Coffee it appeared shuts down their wifi on weekends but the town square had free wifi so they could tell us where they were. We had agreed that we wanted to see the Ravenswood winery back towards our campsite so we headed out towards that. It was only after we had departed separately that we realized that this winery closed early during ‘winter’ hours and that we were not going to make it there on time so we stopped at two other wineries, VJB Cellars and Imagery Estates.

Healdsburg

Both of these were what I would call boutique wineries, that is they did not distribute wine, they only sold wine from their site. These boutique wineries offer free membership to a club that has benefits of reduced prices on their wines. The catch is that you have to commit to buying a number of cases of wine each year. At VJB we sampled and bought a very nice Prosecco which they import from Italy. Imagery Estates had more expensive but less interesting offerings so we did not make any purchases there.

We returned to our campsite and were soon joined by Jane and Ike who, unaware of the early closing time at Ravenswood had continued on to our planned rendezvous to find that it had already closed. The lack of cell phones and the limited range of the walkie talkies makes communications a real challenge when the group gets spread out.

All in all it was possibly the most poorly organized and executed of our joint ventures. We vowed to do a better collective job the following day.

We had planned to go into Napa for supper so we headed out to a market that had been recommended at the visitors centre. Seating was limited in the stone fired pizza joint but we managed to negotiate a deal where we could sit in an adjacent area and do ‘take out’ but still get utensils and beverage service. Some assembly required for a meal but the pizzas were great and we all needed a good end to the day.

Day 46 – May 19

With full intentions to have a better organized day than the previous one we had a brief planning session in the morning and then after a requisite visit to the dump station – I love starting my day to the snap of latex gloves – we headed out to visit a couple of wineries that had been recommended by Jane and Ike’s friend Jud and Debbie – the Jud’s Hill winery (Jud claims there is no relation or financial gain in his eponymous recommendation) and the Stag’s Leap winery.

Jud’s Hill was a very small winery that typically only has tastings by reservation. In fact it is so small that the parking lot only held two cars. The BRT pretty much filled it up but with a bit of manoeuvring we managed to get all the vehicles parked. Our tasting guide was very entertaining and well informed. As the men folk were all driving, only the women were tasting and they were impressed with several of the offerings, in particular the petite sirah and the Zinfandel, which strangely enough was sampled with a pairing of barbecue sauce.

A local winner of barbecue competitions had asked that a wine be blended to compliment his sauce. The pairing is so successful that the winery sells the wine and the sauce in a package deal. As we bought a couple bottles of wine as a group the tasting fees were waived and we also got a 15% discount on our purchases.

The next winery, Stag’s Leap was somewhat larger and the parking lot was almost full. We sat outside in a lovely patio but our very personable tasting host seemed eager to move the sampling along and poured eight wines in such rapid succession that we had to put pieces of paper under the glasses to keep track of the varieties. The most expensive of the wines was almost $200 a bottle, so we appreciated the offerings but did not buy any.

Stag’s Leap

Our host did recommend a good spot to eat, Rutherford Grill, where he said that the French Dip a shaved beef and horseradish sandwich was to die for. Personally I didn’t want to pay that much for a sandwich but was sure I could negotiate a better price. The restaurant was very nicely appointed and obviously very popular as we ended up having to park on the street. The French Dip was delicious as was the grilled tuna and the salad that Jane and Diane had ordered.

Now fortified with food we headed out for our last winery visit, the Sterling Winery. This winery had been recommended by Diane’s brother, Brian, who enjoyed the unique experience of the gondola ride up to the winery and the view of the valley from the several patios on the premises. We had been given discount coupons for the admission price which was all inclusive of the ride, a self directed tour and a tasting of 5 wines.

The small gondolas were cosy with 4 passengers but provided unimpeded views of the surrounding valley on the 900 foot elevation change ride to the winery. This was the first winery that offered access to its inner workings. Continuous loop narration and video on screens at each key point in the tour explained the various stages of wine production. At key points along the tour tasting stations were set up so tour participants could sample the various offerings while taking the tour.

Several attractive patios on the route provided opportunities to sit under shade umbrellas, taste the wine samples and enjoy the view. We had arrived at 4:00 and the gondolas stopped taking new guests at 5:00 but the hour provided us ample time to relax and enjoy the unique facility.

Roll out the barrel(s)

The Napa State Park campground was conveniently located less than 2 miles away so after our ride back to the parking lot we set out for the short ride where we found a couple of suitable sites close together and near to the washrooms at this dry camping park. We were all still very full from our late lunch at Rutherfords Grill so there was no need for supper preparations. There was some wood at our campsite and Ike found some other pieces at another adjacent vacant site so we had a short campfire before retiring for the night.

Day 43 – May 16

Jane, Ike, Diane and I headed out at 7:30 on our bikes for the camping reservation area to put all our names on the first come first served waiting list for camping spots. There was already a group waiting the office to open when we arrived. The ranger recognized Jane and Ike from the day before and said that he would treat us like a group and would see if he could find a site that would fit two vehicles as we have done in the past. We were told to come back at 3:00 to check for availability/cancellations. As the weather was calling for showers he was optimistic.

Diane and I headed out to take the 2 hour valley bottom tour while Sean and Carla rented bikes to tour with Jane and Ike on their bikes. Diane and I had enough time to take a quick hike into the Yosemite Falls, the largest vertical drop falls in North America. It was a short and very accessible trail, so very busy but provided opportunities for uncluttered photographs of the both the upper and lower falls. We ran into the rest of the group at the falls.

Our tour left at 12:00. It was in an open topped and open sided vehicle so we were both glad to have worn heavy sweaters with our shorts as the temperature was dropping. It was a very informative tour and offered a great overview of the park with two dedicated stops where we could take photographs, the most spectacular of which is called the ‘Tunnel View’ a spectacular vista down the canyon.

Jane and Ike and Sean and Carla had had a great day cycling and hiking. After our meeting at the Yosemite Falls in the morning they had biked to the Vernal Falls parking lot and hiked the steep trail to the footbridge below the falls.

We all returned in time to meet up with the rest of the group and check out our luck at the campground lottery. As it turned out, the misty weather had dissuaded some campers so we had no problem getting two campsites, one for the BRT and one slightly larger one that was shared by the MRT and LRT.

We had decided earlier that due to the weather we would be eating in the BRT. Jane and Ike barbecued a chicken that we had bought a couple days before, and in addition to some baked potatoes, broccoli and carrots we had a great feast. The final touch was fresh home made ginger bread that Carla made from ingredients she packed from home. We baked it in a silicone pan in the BRT oven. Topped with real whipped cream it was a treat, with enough left over for another dessert.

Day 44- May 17

Sean, Carla, Jane and Ike planned a hike to Bridal Veil Falls and then an early departure to our next rendezvous in the Napa Valley. We wanted to hike both the Vernal and Bridal Veil falls so we were up at 6:40 and rolling by 7:40. The overcast and showers of the day before had passed and we were greeted by beautiful blue skies and nicely contrasting fluffy white clouds ( without consulting our resident cloud expert, Sean, I am going to hazard that they were cumulus clouds).

We parked our vehicle at Curry Village and then biked to the trailhead. By 8:30 we were on the trail. It was an asphalt trail and the distance was marked as 1.3 miles to the falls. Not far into the trail it became quite steep, certainly as steep as anything we had walked on our previous canyon walks. The path followed the valley created by the river and there were frequent opportunities to see the fast flowing river crashing over the rocks below.

At the footbridge over the river the scenery really started to improve (as impossible as that would have seemed earlier on the trail) but conversely the trail deteriorated. The asphalt trail began to disappear in lieu of gravel and rocks as the upper end of the trail moved closer to the route and elevation of the river fed by the falls. About 15 minutes of steep hiking later the path became so steep that stone steps had been built, very slippery stone steps with no handrail that required very careful attention to our footing, somewhat contradictory to our desire to absorb the fantastic scenery that was unfolding all around us.

Below the Footbridge

As we rounded a sharp turn the falls came into full view, along with the associated spray that filled the air with a cool, drenching mist. As we turned around to look back down the river we were treated to beautiful rainbows forming and disappearing in the mist filled air. We took some time to let the magnificence of the scene sink in, along with the penetrating mist before we headed back down the trail.

Vernal Falls

The Rainbow Connection

The hike down was of course faster than the hike up but a different set of muscles lent their voices of complaint to the ones we had abused on the way up. We met a steady stream of hikers on the way up the trail and silently thanked ourselves for our early morning departure and the relative solitude of our journey to the falls. We were back to our vehicle by 11:00 and took a break to have a drink and to try and catch up on the blog using the free wi fi at the restaurant. My efforts of the previous day were fruitless due to all of the folks logged on in the rainy weather. I was behind in my blogging duties (my apologies) but I managed to get three postings off, hopefully that will keep people from calling out the national guard to search for us.

After the break we headed out for our last hike, to Bridal Veil falls. That short trip was interrupted several times as I got Diane to pull over so that I could take ‘just one more’ picture of El Capitan, Cathedral Spires, Sentinal Rock and of course Half Dome, vistas immortalized by so many authors and photographers but none more effectively than Ansel Adams. As I looked at these magnificent mountains I started photographing in black in white, the way I have always seen them and want to remember them.

Bridal Veil Falls

Half Dome

Well behind our anticipated schedule we left Yosemite just before 2:00 heading out through the Tioga pass road. This is a road that, in some years, requires the use of tire chains when driving through the pass in early May. Again, new views were presented as we dropped from the elevations of the pass through the switchbacks that wound down the mountainside.

We passed through more yellowed grassland where cattle were grazing. At one point we drove past the largest wind turbine farm I have ever seen. At that moment, the hundreds of slowly spinning windmills in this scene from some Quixotic nightmare were converting the same wind that was buffeting our vehicle into the electricity that was cooking someone’s supper – very cool.

The road to Napa then passed through some rich agricultural country, where like in other areas we have seen, the countryside is crossed with miles and miles of irrigation ditches and pipes. Roadside stands were selling fresh asparagus, strawberries, blueberries, apricots and oranges. Driving past the fields of U pick strawberries was a reminder of how far we are from the frost and snow warnings we are hearing in the weather at home.

We arrived at the RV park in Napa at about 6:30, about an hour after Sean and Carla had arrived and about 30 minutes after Jane and Ike. Carla had hunted out and reserved spots at this park on line several days before. As we were going to arrive in Napa on a Friday night, and would be travelling independently, we thought that pre booking was a good idea.

The weather was clear but cool so we hosted a supper of wok fries in the BRT while we made plans for our wine tours of the upcoming day.

—–

From Sean and Carla: We had a similar experience to Phil and Diane and almost identical to Jane and Ike, just 20 minutes earlier. We hiked the Bridal Veil Falls path to the base. Lots of spray and the sun was exactly at the top of the falls so pictures were not an option but squinting provided the option of not rinsing your eyeballs out of your head. Again, some nice warnings about slippery rocks, how many people had died doing stunned things, etc, etc.

A trip up to Tunnel View provided the most spectacular vista we have seen since flying over the rim of GC in a helicopter, wow!

Then off and out of the park on Route 120 which took you through 6000 feet and sprawling canyons, rivers and big trees, very nice.

Lunch happened along the way in a small bar/cafe’ in Big Oak Flats where Bloody Mary’s were the recommendation. Not sure why booze is needed at lunch but hey, the bar chairs were all full so maybe this is a local custom.

Once in the bottom of the valley it was orchard after orchard with all manner of fruits and veggies on offer. Roads in the area are biased north to south not east to west where we were headed so it was a series of jumps from major highways to much lesser paths that finally got us to Napa where we are currently ensconced.

The day was topped off with an excellent meal in the BRT and some FaceTime with Casey in Nepal, excellent!

Ike and Jane – ditto. ; )

Day 42 – May 15

Having slept with the windows opened the night before I was awoken by a chorus of bird songs. A very pleasant way indeed to start ones day. Although we were headed for Yosemite, and in the absence of any reservations we were pretty sure that we would be staying at some private campground outside the park , it was a pretty leisurely morning start up. We were treated to a visit on the crest of the nearby hill of a small herd of Tule Elk. Once a herd numbering half a million head ( that’s 2 million hooves, if you’re counting) in the 1850’s that expansive herd was brought to the very verge of extinction having been reduced to two surviving animals by 1875 due to excessive hunting and loss of range habitat. According to our guide book the surviving herd still only numbers 40 so our sighting was even more special.

We were wheels rolling before 11:00 and on the road out of the park we spotted an even larger herd of Tule Elk, numbering 12 to 15 head (do your own math this time). The first part of our drive took us through an agricultural region with crops as varied as corn, olives and oranges, all of which thrive due to the extensive network of irrigation ditches and pipes that criss cross the landscape. Roadside stands offered large baskets of fresh cherries for $1.

We stopped at the Vista winery along the road for a quick wine tasting. The group left with some wine, cheese, an apricot/jalapeño jam, some home made cookies, a couple of fair trade baskets and some Yosemite tour advice. We stopped in Mariposa for gas and ate our lunches in a picnic park. Again, as so many times before, short distances travelled can result in dramatic changes in the landscape. As we began to climb towards Yosemite the grass covered rolling hills changed to tree covered mountains. Our road paralleled the Merced River which was a beautiful clear fast flowing river. In 41 days this is the first river I have crossed that I wanted to stop and do some serious fishing.

Merced River – I know there are fish in there

Once we passed into the park boundaries the information centre is about a half hour drive. the scenery started to get out of control. I regret my previous use of superlatives to describe scenery. Possibly it is my affinity for the classic black and white photography of Ansel Adams that was taken in Yosemite but as we passed through those vistas it was hard not to imagine them in black and white. Each corner presented a new stunning view of the mountains. Rounding one turn the Bridal Veil Waterfall came into view. Suddenly happening upon one of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world is a neck wrenching experience.

Our lack of registration for a camp site proved to be a bit of a complicated problem to resolve. Jane and Ike had left Mariposa before us and had had an opportunity to get the lay of the land. Cancellations became available at 3:00 on a first come first served basis. They had been there at that time but only one site had become available.

In the wisdom known only to men of long term stable relationships we took a back seat to the accommodations negotiations. After visiting an information centre, the visitors centre, and the Curry Village registration centre we found that we had a couple of options. Firstly there were no campsites available. One option was to leave the park and stay at one of the campsites we had passed on the way in. Another option was to stay at what are called housekeeping sites. We put in a reservation for these sites and then drove over to inspect them.These are concrete block structures not dissimilar to what you might see in a Hogan’s War rerun with a tarp roof, a metal frame bed and a plastic mattress and a tarp screen, with ties, for privacy – all for the outlandish price of $100 a night per couple.

Although far from ideal or reasonable we wanted to be on site so we decided to make do. After a bit of discussion we decided that it seemed silly to set up camp in bunkers when we had perfectly fine comfortable RV’s parked along side. Now there was some issues with regulations in this plan as it was not allowed to sleep in your vehicle. I’m sure that is a good rule for a good reason but in light of the sleep in the bunker option we chose to ignore it – with some subtlety of course.

After a hastily prepared supper of beans and wieners we retired to Sean and Carla’s bunker where Sean had set up his computer (there was electricity in the bunkers) and watched a movie – The Shawshank Redemption. After the movie we all quietly retired to our respective vehicles.

Day 40 – May 14

On the road by 9:00 our target was the Monterrey Bay Aquarium. The fog was hanging off shore while creating a high haze which intensified the colours of the plethora of roadside wild flowers that were in bloom. We made several stops to take pictures, switching which vehicle was in the lead frequently along this beautiful stretch of the #1 highway.

We passed through scenic Carmel (no signs of Clint Eastwood however) and at one point we joined Sean and Carla for a quick walk on the chilly beach. With the exception of the hills rising behind us and the foreign plant life we could have been standing on a beach in Nova Scotia – fleeces were the order of the day in the fog.

A Misty Morning

We arrived in Monterrey behind Jane and Ike who had found a parking lot however it wouldn’t take ‘oversized’ vehicles like ours or Sean and Carla’s but we were directed to a lot nearby that did and was also cheaper.

We walked down Cannery Row, made famous by John Steinbeck’s novel, towards the museum which is partially housed in old cannery factory buildings. Right at the entry for the aquarium is a brief interpretation of Cannery Row which in its hey day was one of the central locations for processing and canning west coast fish. Looking at the labels of some of the cans on display I realized that in my youth these products used to travel the long distance to our dinner table in Halifax.

At first the museum was not overcrowded so we had ample opportunity to view the various displays. We had arrived as three divers entered one of the large vertical tanks. Two were cleaning the bottom while the third fed the various fish, ranging from bass to leopard sharks. While she fed them she was linked by a microphone in her dry suit to inside speakers so we could hear her commentary and ask her questions about the fish. A group of visiting school children sat mesmerized by the display.

One of the displays that stood out for me was the seashore birds. Separated from the outside by large windows these birds splash through artificial tidal pools, sand bars and beach grasses. At first I didn’t think they were real but as I approached the display I could get within a foot of them. Mostly rescue birds from some mishap, these birds have become acclimatized to human presence and go about their daily activities seemingly oblivious to the stream of human observers. It was a rare opportunity to see these normally skittish creatures up close.

Two other displays that we all were fascinated by were the jellies and the sea horses. The jelly fish display can only be described as magical. Suspended in large tanks of flowing water with a rich blue background the various species of jelly fish stood out in contrast, in all of their delicate detail. The delicacy of their construction and the grace of their slow propulsion movements were spell binding.

The ‘Jellies’

Our other favourite display was the seahorses. Animals like seahorses are almost mythical in their uniqueness and we see them so often as logos or on some other product it is if they don’t exist in real life so to see them up close was a real treat. There were a couple that were just fantastical. Especially the dragon seahorse. If someone showed you a drawing of one you would think it some illustration from a fantasy novel. These winged seahorses float through the tank and around the plant life like you might imagine the mythical dragons of Arthurian legend did. We pulled each other from tank to tank to share the new discoveries around each corner. The aquarium visit was a good day.

Fantastical

After a very unsatisfactory lunch of fish and chips – you would think a city known for its fish production could manage a decent meal of fish and chips – but sadly that was not the case we headed out towards Salinas where we stopped for gas and a reprovisioning. After Salinas were were headed for a State Park on the way to Yosemite. On the way we passed through some rolling, grass covered hills that were home to grazing cattle. It sounds like a simple scene but covered in the already yellowed grasses of this area and bathed in the golden light of the setting sun these gently rolling hills resembled mounds of yellow velvet that had been bunched together. With no pull off areas to stop it was torture to drive by and not be able to take a photograph.

Along the road there were signs warning of gusty winds and we did stop at one park that was so windy that, at the recommendation of the park ranger, we abandoned it in favour of another site further down the road. This site, the San Luis Reservoir State Park, was nestled in a valley amongst the grass covered hills at the edge of a large reservoir. What a coincidence that someone named San Luis Reservoir would have a park named after him right next to a reservoir – it’s funny how life works out sometimes. As we settled in to cook up hamburgers made from the grass fed beef raised on the Hearst Mansion ranch, we were treated to a lovely sunset.

Day 39 – May 13

We were on the road shortly after 8, in preparation for a busy day. We wanted to visit the Hearst Mansion in San Simeon which was about a 2 hour drive. We headed out on the 101 to avoid driving past the Vandenberg Air Force Base which we assumed would not be a scenic marvel and then back to the # 1 at Pismo Beach. Again however the fog was playing havoc with our view of the ocean. We drove through beautiful hilly grasslands that seemed to be dedicated to raising cattle and horses and some agriculture. We passed through several vineyards that stretched to the horizon and many other cultivated fields of strawberries, cauliflower and other market crops.

Traffic was light which made for a much more leisurely drive than the previous day. Shortly after a pit stop and coffee break we arrived at the Hearst Mansion at around 11:00. Now owned and operated by the State of California. You enter the site at a 7,000 square foot visitors centre/boutique/cafe/movie theatre where you buy tickets for the various tours and await a shuttle bus for the 10 minute drive up the hill to the ‘castle’. We chose the recommended tour for first timers, the Grand Rooms tour, and set off at 11:40 for our guided tour.

Depending on your perspective on sites like this the Hearst Mansion would lie somewhere along a spectrum of an outlandish display of obscene wealth or an amazing creation of a man who had a dream and had the capacity to make it happen. It is hard to judge past events through the lens of today but for me, who has more than a few cynical bones in his body, this was a delightful place.

Started relatively late in Hearst’s life for such a mammoth undertaking at 56 Hearst devouted the next 28 years of his life to the creation of his hill top part-time home. Built in a style reminiscent of grand European villas Hearst spent decades collecting art as well as pieces of demolished and decaying European structures that he and his architect through all these 28 years knit into the fabric of his creation. Never afraid to change his mind and pay the cost for doing so there were frequent rethinks of approaches and resultant demolition to accommodate a new purchase or vision.

We walked through room after room where Hearst wined, dined and entertained his steady stream of guests drawn from the diverse backgrounds of business, entertainment and the arts. He was know as a generous host and guests stayed as long as they wanted, although the practice of moving long standing guests further and further from their host at successive dinners may have been a less than subtle reminder of a visit overstayed.

Dining with the Hearsts

After the formal tour we could spend as long as we wanted wandering the grounds, imagining what a weekend visit to this site would have been like as we sat beside the beautiful column surrounded swimming pool. My favourite spot by far was the enclosed pool. Lit from above with natural light supplied through glass block inlaid in the roof of the structure which also served as the tennis court. This was clearly a concession to the pool as the inlaid glass block, all be it along the net line surely would have limited footing at net side volleys. The pool itself, a explosion of cobalt blues and gold with marble ladders was like something out of a fantasy.

Following a 40 minute IMAX movie in the I house theatre that played through the history of the Hearst family, its humble beginnings and the construction of the ‘caste’ we headed out, hoping to make it to Big Sur for the night.

And tonight’s guests…

There were a couple of state parks along the route so our plan was to check them out as we got closer to Big Sur. We all had been anticipating this coast drive but the sea fog was playing havoc with our views of the sea. Depending on headland configuration, wind direction and strength of sun we either had a wall of fog, whisks of fog climbing up the hillsides or a clear view. At one point we stopped to watch a group of sea lions basking on the beach below while two male elephant seals fought over supremacy of some rock that seemed very important to them.

Following a few more photo stops and some unnecessary exploration due to poor park signage we finally made our way into the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. For possibly only the second time since we have been travelling we actually arrived at a site while there was staff at the check in.

In hindsight, we should have waited around the corner until he left. Of all the accolades I might throw in this guys direction fast would not be one of them, nor would motivated be on the list for that matter. Buddy had a process and nothing was going to deter him from following it to the letter, nothing that is unless it had breasts, which seemed to allow him to forget the growing line that was forming outside his booth and allow him to devout his entire attention to the owner of the aforementioned artifacts. We drew straws and at the next park Ike has to wear a bra.

We were told to drive through the park, pick a couple of options and then return to the check in to see if any of them were still available, i.e. someone else makes it back to the booth before us. We were told to not leave anything on the site in an attempt to reserve the spot until he had approved it. We sort of split the difference on that one. After finding three sort of level spots in close proximity we abandoned the women folk to stake the land claim and returned to register, confident that any interloper who tried to steal our lot was in for a major attitude adjustment – it was getting late, we were tired and hungry, not a pretty combination for the uninitiated.

Carla whipped up a noodle and leftovers dish which was delicious. We sat around a campfire for a while, still burning wood that we have been carting around through I don’t know how many states, probably in violation of multiple state laws. The wood for sale in the park was $10 for a small bundle, meaning that any single tree in the park would have been worth in the range of seven figures.

Day 38- May 11

The plan for today was an early-ish breakfast and Sean, Carla, Diane and I were heading for the San Diego Zoo and Jane and Ike were going to explore San Diego some more. Although the bus system would have got us there we were told it would take a couple of hours so Sean and Carla packed up their vehicle to drive there.

After a longish but very informative introduction from the helpful staff at the site we started off with a display of some of the more trained animals in the amphitheatre. A very clever sea lion was the star of the show, with guest appearances from macaws, a cheetah, and a white wolf.

The Star

We then took the half hour double decker bus tour of the site to get an idea of where we wanted to walk to. The site is simply too large to walk in a day and take anything in. There was a line up for the bus but in Disney fashion it is managed in such a way that you really don’t know how long it is until you get to the end of it. We chose to sit on the top of the bus despite the sun to get a better view. The ride was a great overview of the park but afforded little viewing of the animals due to the distance the bus keeps from most of the enclosures. In hindsight our time would have been better spent walking the site.

The animals are kept in large enclosures rather than cages. The enclosures are designed specific to the species and have activity areas designed to keep the animals engaged. These activities include swings, pools, slides and scratching poles. Many of the animals in the zoo are rescue animals, saved from some accident or endangered species that have been bred in captivity to ensure their survival perhaps until a gentler time when they can be introduced back into their native habitat.

Zoos can be an emotional and philosophical issue for some people who feel that the animals have no dignity in these settings. The staff at the zoo make every effort to emphasize the scientific nature of their work and talk of the studies that are underway on the habits and health of many of the park inhabitants. They emphasize the importance of protecting the genetic line of some species, for instance it was pointed out that there are now more tigers in captivity than in the wild due to their shrinking habitat and the pressures of civilization.

The key attraction in the park are the pandas. There is a 21 year old mother and her 9 month old cub, the most recent of 6 she has borne in captivity. One of the few animal attractions that you had to line up for, the display was worth the wait. After a thorough cleaning of the enclosure and the placement of fresh food, bamboo shoots and protein treats the bears are allowed in. The cub, like most babies was a crowd pleaser and a bit of a goof. Not yet acclimatized to eating bamboo he was more interested in playing with his mother than eating and she patiently tried to fend off his antics while she hunted for and ate her treats and then settled down to eat her bamboo. The cub took a break, climbed a tree and hung upside down, much to the pleasure of the crowd before returning to the ground to pester his mother.

Just goofin’ around

Amongst all the other animals the stand outs for me were the giraffes and the single horn rhinoceros. There was a new born giraffe in the enclosure. New born for a giraffe if 6 feet tall. We all have seen giraffes in cartoons and nature shows but to see them live was amazing. The variations in the colours and patterns of their markings and their phenomenally long tongues picking leaves off the trees seemed surreal.

Jerome?

The only way I can describe the rhino is prehistoric. Thick textured skin folded into what looked like armour plating and stocky legs like tree stumps. As we watched from behind the substantial fence, one of the attendants came along and called the rhino by name. Notoriously poor of sight you could see the rhino locate her by turning its head and it waddled over to her. She turned on a hose and began spraying the rhino down. To his obvious pleasure. It then pressed up against the enclosure fence to allow her to reach through and rub its skin. The rhino then slowly walked along the fence until she had rubbed it right down to its substantial butt and then it moved off back into the enclosure. This must be a nightly ritual but it was amazing to watch this tiny woman interacting in such a touching fashion with an animal that could have killed her with a simple twitch.

By this time we have spent about 6 hours in the zoo and were ready to head home for a supper of barbecued fish, rice and broccoli and well aged tabbouleh salad.

Jane and Ike’s day consisted of relaxing down at Seaport Village and historic Gas Lamp District. The harbour is beautiful with every type of watercraft imaginable from an aircraft carrier to paddle boats with sails. They lunched on the waterfront and had a great lunch of scallop ceviche, guacamole and fish and chips. The buildings in the Gas Lamp district were about 100 years old with interesting architectural details. Lots of shops and restaurants; we enjoyed coffee in a cupcake bakery and carried a six pack back to the KOA for dessert. Good thing they did a lot of walking after all that eating.

Day 39 – May 12

Happy Birthday Mom, love you – Carla.

Our goal for the day was to get to the other side of LA. We all agreed that LA deserved too much time to include in our schedule and was probably a destination trip for another time. Even though it was Sunday we knew that traffic would still be bad and Jane and Ike tried to increase their chances of a less stress drive by leaving at 6:45, that’s AM, by the way.

The latter part of the armadillo headed out around 9:00. We got on the I-5 south of San Diego and headed north. Initially traffic was very light and we made good time. North of San Clemente we caught the #1, the Pacific Coast Highway. However, just like at home in June (July and August…) the coastal fog was in and we could see little of the ocean. We could see however that the beaches were packed and parking along the narrow highway, with the combination of Sunday and Mother’s Day was minimal.

At Laguna Beach we decided to stop as the fog was giving signs of clearing and there was a craft fair close to the beach. It took a while to find a spot big enough for the BRT, 1-1/2 parking stalls, and then after a quick stop at Starbucks for coffee and a free wi fi FaceTime with Laurel we headed down to the beach where Diane and Carla browsed the fair while Sean and I watched the beach volleyball. We only watched the men’s games and totally ignored the women in the green, red and blue bikinis who had nice manicures, great tans and perfect teeth – hardly noticed them at all.

By noon we were feeling the need to move on even though the fog hadn’t cleared and the chipped fingernail time out on court #1 hadn’t been sorted out yet. As we drove further along #1 we realized that the traffic congestion was not going to end as we drove through the back to back settlements along the beach road. Before we hit Long Beach where we anticipated even worse traffic we moved out to the 405 and then to the 101 as we moved through the LA traffic.

If this was typical Sunday traffic I would hate to see rush hour. Although not as bad as our traffic hour approach to San Diego this was full focus driving. Sean’s hot spot Internet connection suddenly decided to have a digital hizzy fit and it stopped talking to Carla’s Ipad so we moved into the lead trusting to my GPS to get us through the maze of off ramps and merging traffic. Luckily Sunday or possibly Mother’s Day appeared to be a day of rest for truckers so we only had to deal with the nut bars in their Porsches, Ferraris and Lamborghinis weaving back and forth through traffic like the start of the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, grabbing at any car length space that opened up as if each move made the difference between standing on top of the podium or walking the walk of shame with the other also rans.

What I did find out however is that the BRT made the pretty boys in the fancy cars very nervous. A slight unintended swerve of the beast as one of them tried to pry themselves into the postage stamp sized piece of tarmac in front of me would make their eyes bug out like they had just been served the wrong vintage of their favourite Chardonnay. You take your little pleasures in life where you can find them and move on.

As we drove further north the fog did lift and we were treated to views of the houses and beaches this coast is famous for. North of Santa Barbara was our rendezvous spot for the day, Gaviota State Beach Park. We always have a contingency plan when travelling as a group so that if we get separated or have trouble we can connect again.

Gaviota SBP was a dry camping spot i.e. no power or water but it did have washrooms and showers, of a sort. The main attraction was the beach and a large California style pier that juts far out into the Pacific. The less desirable aspect of the park is the gale force winds that seem to blow endlessly. Jane and Ike had arrived at the parka couple of hours before us and said that earlier in the afternoon the breeze had been cool off the sea but had just switched around off the land and was now a very balmy if somewhat sand filled breeze. Through strategic parking of our vehicles we managed to block the worst of the breeze and enjoy the warmth of the afternoon.

I walked down to the pier to check out the ‘fishing’. The fishing seemed to consist of hooking a small bait fish on a hook that was part way up a line with a sinker at its end and then throwing that assembly over the side and then sitting down in a chair and waiting. I don’t know what they were fishing for but based on the variety of rod sizes being used it could have been anything from tinker mackerel to blue fin tuna. There were also several people setting crab traps over the side, baited with whole fish, who seemed to be having more success than the rod fishermen.

We had a barbecued pork loin, with barbecued potatoes, bean salad and a Greek salad/tabbouleh mash up for supper. After supper Diane and I lay out on one of the picnic tables facing the beautiful star-filled sky, contemplating our good fortune to be in all these beautiful places with such good company.

Day 37 – May 10

Our big plan for the day was to head to Tijuana but first we had to sort out our accommodations for the night. Jane, Carla and Diane, the negotiations team, headed down to the office and after a protracted period came back to say we could stay but we all had to move to a single pull through site. Due to the two for one sale we also had decided to stay another night and do the driving for our next leg in the relative quiet of Sunday traffic. After some time measuring and eyeballing we moved the three vehicles into a very cozy arrangement that left some communal space under Sean and Carla’s canopy at the picnic table. through the use of a couple of extension cords we managed to piggy back off of Jane and Ike’s power connection.

Once set up we headed for Mexico. The bus line runs right to the Mexican border. As we followed the crowd from the station we soon realized that we had unceremoniously crossed into Mexico, without border check, passport inspection or even a welcome to Mexico. It would appear, based on the rigour of border crossing, that the rush to sneak into Mexico is somewhat less than into the USA. Go figure.

We found our way to a taxi stand to get downtown. Visions of our trip to Greece came to us as we were set upon by a dozen taxi drivers who wanted our business. We quickly found the guy who appeared to be in charge and he convinced a taxi driver, known as Big Dog, that we could all fit into his full sized American taxi. It wasn’t like we were trying to avoid the costs, it was $1 each for the ride, but we didn’t want to get separated in two taxis. The driver was very friendly and warned us of places to stay away from and recommended a place to eat.

As soon as we got out of the taxi we were set upon by street hawkers and shop owners who wanted to sell us anything and everything. It took a few minutes for us to gather our collective wit, make sure that there were no stragglers, and have the group (which since Greece we affectionately call the ‘Armadillo’ ) moving smoothly through the streets.

Tijuana

We stopped at several shops to look at various items. I wanted to get a silver and turquoise belt buckle, something slightly smaller than my face if possible. I stopped at one shop and the minute I showed any interest in an item the owner started to negotiate downward. The $60 belt and buckle combination quickly became $40 and then $30 before I could say a word and as I walked out of the store promising to return unless I found something I liked better he followed me down the street calling special for Canadians today, $20. One one hand you can find it humorous but on the other a little disturbing, the effort to try and eek out a living amongst dozens of shops selling exactly the same products must be stressful.

A little further on we walked into a shop that was very different from the others we had seen. Inside there was a work bench, raw materials and tools for making jewellery. The owner was a very soft spoken low pressure guy who explained what he did and showed me the difference between the fake silver work by doing a nitric acid test on the pieces. He showed me the difference between the fake Chinese turquoise and real turquoise stone. His work was head and shoulders above anything else that I had seen so far but it was reflected in his prices. In this instance I began to negotiate. When it got to the point where he put the buckle on his scale to check the silver weight I knew I was close to his bottom line. I bought a beautiful buckle, knowing that I not only had a great souvenir but also a piece of wearable art.

The owner recommended the same restaurant as the taxi driver so after so more shopping we headed to Caesar’s restaurant. It was a very nice, upscale restaurant with white table cloths and waiters with black vests, white shirts and black ties. The service was impeccable with waiters, in their broken English, tried their best to please our every request. We had asked to sit outside, and as it was Mexican Mothers Day with lots of patrons wanting to sit inside they welcomed out request.

We all had requested the house speciality, Caesar Salad, which was prepared with a flourish at our table. We were presented with business card sized copies of the recipe and when we asked if the tapenade was for sale we were given a take home portion. The food was excellent and sitting outside provided a great opportunity to watch the Tijuanan life pass by.

Caesars

We caught a small cab back to the border and by small I mean compact small and the short ride to the border was vaguely reminiscent of some old college initiation in the mists of my memory.

Our Taxi

Once we got to the border it was apparent that the speed of crossing into Mexico was not going to be repeated on the homeward trip. A seemingly interminable line awaited us in the late afternoon sun.

We had been told that for $5 at the border you would be taken to the end of the line. Although dubious, when were approached by someone who had something that looked like an I.D. around his neck we looked at the line and feeling that there was some safety in numbers decided to try it.

We were scurried from the line back through some dilapidated building to a parking lot out back which resembled a set from a really bad B movie where a van awaited us. We all have had moments I’m sure when we think what am I getting my self into here. Had any of us been alone I doubt that we would have attempted this but there is strength in an armadillo so in we got, along with a couple of other tourists. The route travelled by the van did not increase our sense of security as we passed through back alleys, did illegal U-turns had near collisions with both cars and pedestrians.

Eventually, after we all had mentally planned our individual escape routes or wondered what our funerals would really be like, we miraculously cut into what appeared to be the line of cars crossing the border. One of the other passengers, who spoke English, told us that she did this regularly rather than face the 2 hour wait in line. After a brief wait behind a pylon, two homeland security guards waved us on and we got out of the van and into a very short line. After presenting our passports and a few quick questions we were sent on our way. Best $5 we spent that day. So easy to say after the fact.

Sean, Carla, Diane and I took the bus to the Seaport Village and Jane and Ike returned home to relax. We walked along the very pleasant San Diego waterfront, the first ocean we have seen in a long time. We stopped at a restaurant called Waters Edge where we had some appetizers and drinks. We struck a conversation with two well heeled couples at the next table from L.A. and New York , who were very pleasant and entertaining. It is always fun when we tell people what we are doing, how far we have come and how far we are going. Universally the reaction has been a big smile and some comment like, wow I’d like to do that. Some days it still doesn’t register that we in fact are doing that.

Day 36 – May 9

We arose at 7:00 to a beautiful clear calm morning and even at that hour could feel the heat of the desert rising, unabated by the winds of the previous afternoon. Our plan was to take the trail to the canyon oasis and then head out by noon for San Diego to avoid rush hour traffic as we approached the city. Carla had seen an oasis before and decided to stay at the campsite. The rest of us got started out at a reasonable hour to avoid the heat and to keep to schedule but due to very poor signage, i.e. none in the park and a somewhat ambiguous map we spent about half an hour trying to find the trail head which in hindsight was strange as we were in a flat desert and could see the canyon beyond.

At the trail head warning signs advised that we should have a gallon of water each person for the 3 mile round trip. At best we had a litre each, which, it occurred to me, meant that either we could only go one quarter of the distance, we were going to die of thirst on the way or the sign was wrong. We proceeded on, hoping for the latter rather than impending desiccation.

The walk was well marked and although not highly challenging did require paying careful attention to our footing as we moved through some very rocky areas. It has been interesting on all our walks in these arid climates, how little we sweat. The moisture evaporates so quickly from our exposed skin that it is only in areas that are protected from the air, such as under hats and behind backpacks, where clothes get damp.

Heading up the canyon

As we approached the oasis about an hour later we were struck with the sound of running water, a very unexpected sound in the parched landscape we were walking. As we followed the trail along the small stream we came to a little waterfall and then a large dense growth of palm trees that created a comfortable shaded and cool spot to stop. The area was full of bird life and much cooler than the trail, it literally was everything we expected to find in an oasis. The reality fully met our expectations of the cliche. We returned to the campsite to find Carla reading in the shade of a palm tree, very happy after having had a long Skype conversation with her mother.

The Oasis

We headed out somewhat later than expected and were on the road to San Diego by 1:00. Sean and Carla took the lead, with Sean at the wheel and Carla navigating, calling out the many turns in advance to the the two following rigs over our walkie talkies which gave us plenty of time to make the required lane changes.

The traffic intensified as we approached San Diego a couple of hours later and the lane changes and merges became more challenging. We all had several close calls as the local vehicles darted in and about us, seemingly oblivious to our signalled intentions. In more than one instance I had to resort to the cubic displacement rule, which basically goes, I am a lot bigger than you and I am coming over now, move or suffer the consequences. The bent fenders and scrapes on many of the cars was an indication that this rule was not fool proof. However after about 45 minutes of white knuckle driving Carla landed us on target with the accuracy of a space docking.

The next challenges was to get a spot as KOA had a two for one weekend special on and expected to be fully booked for the upcoming weekend. We settled for one promised night with possibility of a second, depending on no shows. After getting set up and catching our breath we followed the directions and recommendations of camp staff and took the bus/trolley system to the Old Town and had supper at Fred’s a Mexican food restaurant. Although somewhat of a chain, with music that was a little too loud for easy conversation the open air restaurant made for good people watching and had very good food at a reasonable price. Six of us ate good sized meals and had drinks, including tips for $150.

We made our way back to the KOA retracing our route with the exception of the last leg where we had to resort to taxis as the last bus route stopped service early in the evening.

Day 35 – May 8

After breakfast we headed out for Anza Borrega National Park. Jane and Ike were running a bit late so Sean and Carla and Diane and I headed out knowing that our frequent photo stops would allow them to catch up. We had to back track a bit east to get to the main park entry and then headed south through the park. Most national parks have a specific reason for being created be it geologic, vegetation, historic etc. in the case of Joshua Tree it was geologic, although a substantial private land donation helped to prompt the government of 1935 to establish the park.

The geological feature of Joshua Tree is a unique formation of granite rocks. Large vertical and horizontal cracks that formed in the subterranean granite allowed water to flow through rounding the rocks to give the impression of a series of interlocking rocks piled on one another. This is a rock climbers paradise.

Joshua Tree’s rocks

After several photo stops and one stop to climb one of the smaller rock piles to get a better view of the desert we were becoming concerned that Jane and Ike had not caught up. However at a traffic hold up for road work they finally joined us.

We arrived at the Anza Borrega Park before dark and although the temperatures were not dropping as they had the night before there were gale force winds blowing down the canyon. Sean estimated them at 16 knots but I think gale force sounds more impressive. Due to the wind we had supper in the BRT. A tasty meal of roasted chicken, potatoes and salad.

An Anza Borrega breeze

The wind dropped later that night and we sat out with Jane and Ike watching the stars. Although there is more light pollution here than at Big Bend, with the absence of a moon we were still treated to a stellar show.