Week 8
Sunday, June 20th: Up late due to Disney "hangover" -- the legs are slow to get us moving today. Eventually, we go north and west to the start of Mulholland Drive. Heading east on Mulholland we travel up and down hills , view the "Hollywood sign," take in the Rose Bowl, and end up in Hollywood. We do lots of the walk of stars, see the hand and foot prints outside the Chinese Theatre and see the new Kodak Theatre. Also get a parking ticket.
Monday, June 21th: Today is another Disney day. We go back and try to see what we missed before. I get to ride the California Screamer rollercoaster. What a blast! At the end of the evening there are 3 spectacular shows. And we see them all. The parade, the light and water extravaganza and the fireworks. We get back to the RRI and think that we have another day here. We don't; that's it; tomorrow we move on.
.Tuesday, June 22st: PLAN is to drive from RRI and travel over to the coast at Malibu, then go up the Pacific Coast Hiway to San Simeon State Park and camp there 2 nights.
We do.
COMMENTS: It is now sommer and it is colder as we head north. We left the Disney area. Shortly thereafter only a few miles up the interstate we are into another discount mall. A little further north on I-5 we enter I-10 west all the way to the Santa Monica pier again. From here it is north up the Pacific Coast Highway. We are both disappointed that it is hard to get a good view of the beach along the coast in Malibu. We see some coast, but most is blocked by homes between us and water. We take a short break to watch the surfers. Today the waves are weak. We continue all day up the coast with the zigzags to get closer to the shore when the hiway cuts inland. After megamiles of beach the shore is starting to get and then mostly stay rugged. We dilly dally so much along the way stopping at scenic viewpoints (and making some of our own) that it is getting dark and we still have miles to go. Hmm, the sun has set. Great colours. We arrive at the compground just as the ranger is leaving. God thing we have reservations. We get our site # and set up in the dark. Late dinner of items picked up miles ago. Wind is fairly strong and cold. So windy and cold that Cindy ate in the tent. The sport shirt and shorts I wore earlier in the day are no longer warm enough. I put on a fleecy sweater for extra warmth. Oh my, it is cold! This is summer and it is the coldest night of our journey so far. A noisy group across the way keep awakening us.
Wednesday, June 23nd: PLAN: drive up to Hearst Castle for the 10:30 tour. If weather cooperates, we will drive up the coast a bit to watch the sea lions and what ever other sites there are to see.
We do.
COMMENTS: Oh my god...was it ever cold last night/this morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We put on clothes to go to bed. And it is damp. And it is foggy. We arrive at the Visitors Center at 10:05. We check in to find that we have been bumped to the 10:10 tour. Quick, over to the bus that takes us the 5 more miles up the mountain to the castle at the top. The sun has come out and the fog is dissipating and the air is warming. WOW!!! To be so rich!! What a castle, more than a mansion!!
Later we are back at the Visitors Center. We watch teh National Geographic movie about W.R. Hearst and the Hearst Castle. Food here is expensive. We go for a short scenic drive, get a late lunch and then more scenic drive for several miles up the coast. Wow!! Scenic!! Road is often on the edge of a cliff high over the rugged coast line and sometimes way below is a gentle beach. This road does have guardrails and a very good set of signs. We have climbed quite high in altitude -- looking both north and south there are spectacular views. This is an awesome place, too. At a sea level stop elephant seals (not sea lions) are coming ashore t bask in the sun. Sun is hot now. Wind is cool and strong. A naturalist ot one stop tells us that these are about 5 years old. They begin mating at about 8. That is at about 8 years, not at 8:00pm. Ha, ha. Eventually we are back in the campground. We see some deer. Again, now it is cold. Cindy eats in the tent, again. Oh, wow. Look over there; it's the ocean. Couldn't see it last night in the dark, nor this morning in the fog. But there it is. Visible from the campground.
Thurdsay, June 24th, Quebec holiday, and granddaughter Taylor's birthday. She turns 8.
PLAN: is to drive up the coastal highway to Monterey, with a tour around the 17-mile drive, and then find a place to camp north of Monterey.
We do.
COMMENTS: Alarm at 6:30, out of the campground by 8:00. North up the Pacific Coast Hiway, #1. A very short distance and a lone coyote is waiting on the dunes begtween us and the ocean. It trots off as I stop to take the photo. The coast is in FOG for awhile, but opens up to magnificent views all the way to Pebble Beach with lots of scenic stops along the way. Gas was up to $3.70 on the lonely sstretch of PCH before Big Sur. I paid $2.279, and later saw it for as low as $2.199 in Monterey. On the coast we saw elephant seals at the southern end, regular reals off Pebble Beach. There is a "17-mile drive" which costs $8.25 to drive. It goes around the Pebble Beach area just south of Monterey. THe famous "lone cyprus" tree is on this drive. Yes; I got photos. THesre is ocean; a bit of coast; the road; the "rough" and the golf course. We saw 4 deer in the rough.
We head northstill on the PCH from Monterey. Where to stay tonight? State parks are day-use and the beach areas are no camping. At Pescadero, there is a sign for a county park. We are now about 10 miles inland. Very tall trees shelter out the wind. Tent and stuff still damp from this morning's dew/fog. WE are in mountainous forest. It is damp & cool. I see a few stars at 9:30pm, but trees tend to block most of the sky. The coastal drive is so magnificent. Better than the Cabot Trail of Cape Breton and the mOuntain Road at Stowe combined. And there is a bit more of it tomorrow. There were deer in the frot yard of a home on our way in from the coast tonight. (and Canada Geese in Monterey.)
Friday, June 25th
PLAN is to drive up the coast, cut thru San Francisco seeing some sites on the way, then across the bridge towards Oakland and into Walnut Creek to my uncle's and aunt's.
We did.
COMMENTS: Camp is sheltered from the wind by very, very tall trees. Also filters out the sun; everything is damp. We go from the campground which is over 10 miles inland back to the coast and then north. More awesome views of the rugged coast, beaches, coves, mountain sides, side canyons, etc. Driving is on the edge for the most part.
We are into San Francisco. Several turns later I have us on Lombard Street. Remember the movie BULLIT? The car chase with Paul Newman down the street with the twistiest of turns and steep? Going up before on the other was also steep -- it feels like one is going to go straight up. Into low gear and hit the gas! There are cross streets and stop signs. We get to the top. Down is really lots of esses. Low gear and the foot over the brake. Going down is easier than going up.
A quick drive thru the Fisherman's Wharf area, the Embarcadero and we are getting near the Bay Bridge. It is long! and it is high! I don't like long, high bridges. Not only is it long and high, there is an upper and a lower deck. I'm in luck; the 5 lanes going east are the lower deck. Lots of bridge structure helps to block out the view. Some how I am in the middle lane with out having to aim for it. (I don't want to see down!) The middle lane is good, especially with high sides. I miss a sign getting off the bridge and end up on the wrong interstate: I'm now going north instead of southeast. Checking the map as I drive I find that I can loop around and get back to my plan. A couple of interstates and half an hour later I am close to Walnut Creek, our destination today. The cell phone is not working. Have to pull off and find a land line to warn Aunt Irene that we are getting close. Find a shopping mall -- that slows us down for Cindy to do some window shopping. We get to the gated community of over 6000 people. It's called Rossmoor; what a neat place. Unfortunately, uncle George is now in Montreal. Aunt Irene greets us and treats us to a delicious dinner at one of their favourite restaurants.
Saturday, June 26th
PLAN: initial plan was to tour about (or take it easy).
We tour about.
COMMENTS: We have been in touch with a distant cousin, Kathy. She and her husband live in San Francisco near the Lombard and the Fisherman's Wharf. They'll meet us for lunch at the wharf. We meet outside the Aquarium. Her husband, Bob, is a motorcycle cop. We follow him ot a place to park and walk a block or two to a fine restaurent for lunch. Excellent dining. Thanks to Kathy and Bob!!! I had a fresh tuna sandwhich. It was thick, and partly rare. They have things to do. We'll tour around and then meet them for dinner.
Cindy and I take a boat cruise of the harbour. Not the one that takes people to Alcatraz, but the one that goes out to the Golden Gate Bridge and around Alcatraz and the harbour. Recommended. One gets to see a view of San Francisco, the harbour, the docks, the bridges, and up close to the Golden Gate, etc. The wind increases as we near the Golden Gate Bridge. So much so that we are glad that we have wind breakers over our sweaters. Upon return to land we stroll thru the wharf area and come upon the cable cars. I get tickets and we are in line for well over an hour before we can get on. We get inside seats and are off. The driver and the passengers are the entertainment. People from everywhere. There is girl in her late teens from Russia, some Chinese locals, visitors from Australia, us from Canada, more tourists. The driver pulls and pushes the long levers that connect down below so that the cable car can go and stop. After a few steep hills and valleys we are at a stand still. The cable car ahead of us is stopped. There is obviously no way to pass it. Cable cars for safety reasons are supposed to be at least 2 blocks apart. We are almost on top of the next one. The driver there cannot "grab" the cable. Something is wrong. They need a pull. We have to wait over half an hour for a huge cable car tow truck to come to it's rescue. The driver is taking lots of ribbing from our driver about being a rookie driver. All in good fun. Then we are moving again. At the end of the line there is a large shopping complex. Of course we have to go in. I browse while Cindy finds shoes. My browsing actually ended when the shirt that I saw and liked at around $30 was really $130 and on sale at that. Cindy is in ladies fashions for those who don't know. Clothes and shoes slow me down everywhere we go. Today is no exception. She lucked out. They had her size and my credit card shrank.
By now we realize that we won't be able to meet Kathy and Bob for dinner. They are across town and we have to get back to the cable car. I call them. Bob offers to come and pick us up. Oh, thanks, but Cindy is still shopping and really, we would both like to do the return ride on the cable car. It is something new to us, and like a new adventure. We want to get outside seats on the return "voyage". After the shopping we are back in line at the cable car stand. Lenghty wait. Then we run and get outside seats but not together. Still, it is amazing to be on the outside with traffic all around you, people coming and going. The bells ringing, the driver announcing various stops and calling out many warnings to passengers and cars that are too close.
We get back to the Fisherman's Wharf end of the line and have to hike to the car which is way over at the east side of town. We poke about in a few shops on the way back and pick up some souvenirs. We get to the car and our legs are limp. We still haven't had dinner and it is getting late. The parking charge per half hour has met the maximum ($19.75) for the day. We see a Denny's and walk over. Later I find our way to the Bay Bridge, get us over to Irene's without missing the sign this time, despite the dark of night.
Afterthoughts: I hadn't seen Kathy since the summer of 1965. That was the summer that my dad got transferred back to Montreal and I was to soon start university. Aunt Irene had her hands full that summer as Kathy, her sister, my brother and I and more cousins (total of about 8) spent a couple of weeks at the log cabin north of Rawdon -- no running water, and the cabin was 6 miles in on a dirt road.