Point Piedras Blancas

I saw a large seal or sea lion (I couldn’t tell from the distance) arching its body out on a point as I drove down the coast. I thought, wow that’s really cool I should stop at the next vista point to see if I can get a closer look. Well, as I rounded the corner and pulled into the parking lot this is what I found. Holy Elephant Seals! Wow – nature really is amazing and every now and then even I need a reminder. This stop was definitely the surprise of the day. I had no idea I’d see Elephant Seals in the height of their breeding season. Thanks for the surprise mother nature!

For more elephant seal info check out Friends of the Elephant Seal

He finds the girl he wants, and then bites her neck,

Aww, they're spooning

After a minute or two it's over.

An unfortunate pup that didn't make it becomes gull food.

Squirrel near parking lot

Males sparring

Limekiln State Park

I left San Francisco and started driving south. I first stopped at the giant artichoke restaurant for lunch and ate some more delicious California artichokes. Then I started down highway 1, it was incredible. There was ocean for 180 degrees of my view and the mountains went right into the sea.

I’ve been camping for years, but this was my first night camping alone. I was a little nervous but confident that I would be fine. I found a beach front campsite at Limekiln State Park (http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=577) and set up camp. I got slightly frustrated setting up the tent. Trish loaned her two person tent to me since it would take up less room than my four person tent. But, back in late December when I loaded up my car I hadn’t had the chance to check it out and set it up beforehand. I know that’s not the best preparation, but it was getting late and I needed to get on the road so I just put it in the car. I didn’t know the layout of the tent and the elastic was cracked and stretched out in the poles. I made it work though and it only took about forty-five minutes. I borrowed a hammer from the camp host to set the stakes, since using the caveman rock method wasn’t working. I enjoyed the sunset over the water and then climbed into my tent once it was dark.

In the morning I went for a short hike in the redwoods to see the old lime kilns and the waterfall. I hadn’t planned on hiking up a stream, but I went for it. I took my sneakers off and waded in. It was totally worth it, the waterfall was beautiful tucked away upstream.

Banana slug!

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

I had my first bout of road rage driving to San Francisco down a beautiful scenic highway that would never end. There were motorcycles whizzing by me and hundreds of bicyclers enjoying the beautiful afternoon that I had to swerve around. I’m all for biking, but on that road they really need their own lane. And, the only gas station/restaurant on the road had a couple hundred Harleys parked in front on it, I held it. I finally made it off that treacherous road to meet my friend Sarah’s sister Karen and her boyfriend Doug at Fort Funston. We made our way to their friend’s superbowl party. There was a lot of great food, but the most unique were these cakes in a jar from bake-it-banana, super creative and yummy. I stayed with Karen for the night, she was a super gracious host, it must run in the family.

The next day I ventured out on the MUNI to the SOMA to go to the SFMOMA. San Fran loves their acronyms. I met my friend Eli from the Vineyard for lunch, and afterwards I spent the afternoon exploring the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). There was Modern Art of Wine exhibit with poofers to smell wine samples and an array of decorative decanters. They also had an interesting exhibit of voyeurism in photography since 1870. There were surveillance, paparazzi, lynching, and electrocution photos. http://www.sfmoma.org/pages/exhib_events

In the evening I made my way to the Mission on the MUNI. Having dinner with Eli, his brother Marlin, and their new roommate Benzie was like a winter potluck on the Vineyard. Marlin was busy chopping onions, turnips, and celery for a lentil stew. And there was sautéed bok choy and garlic bread on the side. I really enjoyed hanging out in the kitchen while everything was cooking. I was pleasantly surprised by the tidy apartment and yummy dinner. I don’t know what I was expecting, but having had two male roommates over the summer I guess I was thinking it might be a fridge full of meat and beer. With their recycling, composting, and cloth napkins it was island style and definitely made me miss the rock a little bit.

Fort Funston (aka Fort Tungsten or Sunston as I thought I had heard on the phone.)

Wine poofers

This looked like a giant photograph on the wall, but it's amazing a woven textile.

Monterey Bay

I met my friend Liz L. (Lizzle) from the Vineyard in San Jose. She’s on her way to a Tom Brown Jr. tracking and survival class for the week and our schedules conveniently coincided. I’ve always said if I’m ever stuck on a deserted island or have to survive a natural disaster, I want Lizzle by my side. She’s a great naturalist and has an incredible knowledge of wild edible plants.

We spent the day exploring Monterey, visiting the Natural History Museum and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Monterey Bay Aquarium was another must see on my cross country list. At the Aquarium we were greeted by a staff member holding a tube of moon jellies and had an amazing visit. We walked down the street and saw seals and a sea lion. For dinner we found the Cannery Row Brewing Company and ate outside by a fire. It was really nice to see a familar face from home all the way across the country.   

Barnacle hand!

Mollusks feeding on shrimp

Lion's Mane Jelly

Exhibit ads

Shadow Goodbye

Sea lion

Lounging on the beach

All those dark lumps that look like rocks are seals

Anenome in a tide pool

Fireside dining

Spirit nest in the garden at the Natural History Museum

  

I made it!

Even though I crossed the CA state line it didn’t feel like I had really gone all the way across the country until I stuck my feet in the Pacific Ocean this morning. First I went to ballet class with Brenna and assisted with her two and three year olds, adorable. Then it was to the beach! Thanks Brenna for documenting my official cross country arrival to Newport Beach, CA!

Don’t worry, even though I made it, there are more adventures to be had as I make my way back to Martha’s Vineyard.

Butterflies

To the beach!

Yay!

Joshua Tree

When I left Lordsburg New Mexico it was -7, thank goodness it was 60 when I arrived in Orange, CA. The early morning sunlight on the mountains and cactus plants was gorgeous as I drove down the Old West Highway. I honked a few times as I crossed the state line into California. Joshua Tree National Park was on my to do list for this trip, and it was amazing. When I hit the 91, traffic stopped, but the sunset was beautiful and silhouetted the palm trees perfectly. I arrived at John & Brenna’s tired and hungry. After some yummy Thai food I quickly went to bed on the most comfortable couch I’ve slept on thus far.

Beep Beep is so photogenic.

I ate my lunch on that little concrete slab in the upper left corner.

Cholla cactus

Arch Rock

Now that's a Joshua Tree

Skull Rock

Crossing the Continental Divide

I-10 all day…

I’ve mostly been listening to books on CD as I’ve been driving. It makes me feel like I’m using my time wisely. I usually switch back and forth between a book CD and a music CD. Yeah, I know I’m old school, I still listen to CDs. The playlist can make or break a day on the road though.

As I drove through the wide open spaces of west Texas it was time for some Dixie Chicks, volume up singing along at the top of my lungs. Then came NPRs animal stories where I learned about shrimp on treadmills (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js00pIKORb4&feature=related).

As I was searching for Dixie Chicks I came across a homemade “Car Tunes” CD. I vaguely remember my cousin Drew making a copy of it for me on some past road trip, I may be mistaken though. I don’t recall actually ever having listened to it, but it was a nice surprise today. It’s upbeat, made me laugh and mentions many types of cars, as well as duct tape and driving in Massachusetts rotaries, gotta love ’em!

My thermometer went from 22 when I left Gonzales to 11, then back to 18, and it snowed… I thought I left all this snow stuff back in New England! I crossed the Continental Divide at some point, wasn’t too sure what that meant until I googled it; and I learned it’s where the watersheds are divided. Now all water flows to the Pacific instead of the Gulf and Atlantic.

There is a screaming child in the hotel hallway; it’s time for some earplugs and shut eye.

Eye test - how many windmills do you see?