This is the Pacific Coast I Imagined

First, I need to point out that these posts are being delayed by sketchy cell service.  But riding along with no opportunity to check email for much or all of the day has let me separate myself from the usual pressures of life and just enjoy the trip.

Riding alone again (I miss you, Marion).  I have been making it a habit to pull off at the signed Vista Points.  This one was nice enough that I took my journal and a water and hiked a bit.  I found a good place to sit by this cove and contemplated the universe. (Yes, I fell asleep)

I did get some writing done. :-)

I passed a point I have been reaching for. 100,000 miles

But Vince, you did not take the picture at exactly 100k. Why?

Roads like this had a distracting effect and I was not watching the odometer!

I found a state park right on the ocean and decided to set up camp while the sun was still shining for a change.

I read a bit, practiced my ukulele, wrote a bit and watched the sun set.  A coyote was hoping to get the neighbors tiny dog. He was quite persistent.  Shooing and flashlights kept him at bay but he never left.  The puppy spent the night inside their camper.

It was cold but using all my blankets (and a knit hat made with love) I snuggled in and slept well.

More San Fracisco

Breakfast at a crepe place on pier 39.  Shopping (seeing a theme here?) and then deciding how to do the Golden Gate.  I was leaning towards renting electric bicycles, but someone suggested riding the bus to the park and walking as much or as little of the bridge as you want.  I am glad we went this route. Riding a bike on that crowded sidewalk would have had us concentrating on getting to the other side, rather than being on the bridge.  Walking let us read all the plaques in the park describing the building and the technical details.  And walking the bridge gave us an up close impression of the structure.

The scarves were a late addition to our ensemble, because it was cold!

Most of the rest of the day was spent riding the street cars, cable cars and busses.

A late dinner at Tropisueño and then heading back to the room.  The planned line would have dropped us 3 easy blocks from the hotel.  My execution of the plan was not optimal.  We got off at the right street but 6 blocks away with some insanely steep hills to climb up and down.  Well, I guess we worked off dinner.  That's what she gets for letting me navigate! :-)

Marion flies home tomorrow morning.  I will be solo for the rest of the trip. :-(. I am going to miss her.

San Francisco

The day kicked off with an underwhelming continental breakfast.  Your choice of toast, bagels, Danishes or waffles.  4 cereals to choose from and all sugared.  I made do with an apple and found a cafe in Fisherman's Wharf that had an egg sandwich.

We did a tour of Alcatraz. The main cell block where they have the audio tour was pretty enjoyable.  The rest of the island is falling apart.  Neglect and the time exposed to the salt environment is tearing down the rest of the buildings.

Back in Fisherman's Wharf we got 3 day muni passes to ride all the cable cars, busses and street cars.

We had a fun episode - the car we were on 'dropped the cable' crossing another line.  Not sure what that means but it must be embarrassing, because the conductors of the passing cars all laughed when they heard.

Here is a shot of the crookedest street, Lombard.

We walked down the sidewalk and enjoyed the beautiful landscaping as we were amazed at the steep grade.

We are back at the hotel wondering if we can swing leg transplants, since ours are shot.  We are contemplating renting electric bicycles tomorrow to ride the Golden Gate.  But that will depend on how we feel tomorrow.

Up to San Francisco

We hit Highway 1 early to get to Hearst Castle early.  Good idea since by the time we left there were a zillion people mobbing the place.

Again, most of my pictures are on the good camera and I don't have the cord in the room.

Oh, just so that you know, there is some pretty good scenery on Highway 1.  Once we got north of Big Sur, the highway turned in to a twisty ride with surprising elevation changes.  We played tag with the fog, some times above it, some times below it, and some times in it.

There were times I would be riding and see a sliver of white on the distant hill and realize that this was the road stuck crazily on the side.  Here is a shot looking back that give a small idea of what I mean.

Many places were much steeper and tighter but those were the places I could not stop for a pic!

We got stuck in traffic heading in to SF.  Took a dinner break and got to the hotel later than planned, but we are here, close to Fisherman's Wharf.  Time for some much needed sleep.

Up the Coast

Eric got called in to work before we left.  Happy B-Day Eric!

We rode up the coast.  The pier at Malibu Beach

We stopped in Ventura and several other scenic vistas, but those pictures are on my other camera and the cords are buried somewhere.

The Rock was fogged in so we did not stop there.

One stretch of today's ride I got confused and let the GPS take me up 101 rather than the coastal Highway 1. Rather than turn back, we just decided to use that quicker route.  It returned us back to the coast but not before roasting us.  88 on the east side of the hill became 61 when we came back to the coast.  27 degree change inside an hour.

We set up the camper at the San Simeon state Park.  Nice enough place but no cell service so this post will have to wait til tomorrow.

More with Eric and Lulu

Eric is not slacking off on the food front.  Gourmet breakfast at Marston's and great Mexican at La Cabiñita. In between we went to La Brea tar pits to see the Saber Toothes and sloths.

Dinner was high end pizza at Settebello

But now for the sweet sorrow of departure.  I don't get to see my brother Eric nearly often enough, and I am sad to have to leave.

Pasadena

For those reading this for the motorcycle ride aspect, I apologize for the thin amount of riding being reported.  This will continue a bit as we visit with Eric and Lulu for a few days.

We went to the Huntington Gardens Sunday (yesterday). Here we are standing in the grass (bamboo)

At least we were told this was Huntington Gardens.  I think that we were actually transported to some alien planet, because the plants we saw were so bizarre they could not come from Earth!

We saw an incredible array of exotic and strange plants.  Little 3 foot tall plants with a 17 foot tall flower stem.  Crazy things that looked like they would eat you.  So many that did not match my understanding of plants.

Then the transporter took us to Japan.

I could have spent an entire day studying the bonsai trees.

For dinner we joined Eric and Lulu for their Sunday ritual of visiting her sister Shelly and hubby Amit.  This week their themed dinner included Carne Asada on the grill, rice, beans (with more than a little jalapeño kick). Shelly and Amit are great people and great entertainers!  I do not recall a more pleasurable evening.  We debated wine choices with more vigor than most people debate politics.  We laughed about humanity, about current events and old jokes.  This evening will be one of the fondest memories, I am sure!