Monday, November 17, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Beachfront - The Story
Right now at a campground at Morro Beach. We drive slowly down the coast -- especially when it's my turn behind the wheel on windy, curvy, cliffhanging Highway 1. With incredible "vista points" so a driver can stop and appreciate the ocean views.
This campground is directly across the street from the beach. Alan and I walked over earlier (last two photos in last entry from there)and enjoyed watching the surfers.
This campground has all the amenities -- including good cell phone and internet, hot showers, electricity and water and dumping, and cable TV. We don't need all these all the time...but sometimes it's a treat.
Going South
This written yesterday in word processing program.
Two top photos below entry are from this campground -- our view and me sitting outside the van playing with watercolors.
Left our Big Sur campground this morning. Passed Esalen – but didn’t stop there. Thought we’d drive onto Morro Bay. But about halfway there, we found here! A National Forest campground (Kirk Creek in Los Padres NF) facing the ocean. We heard that it was very windy here yesterday but it is lovely today – warm and sunny, and calm.
It was before noon and we had plenty of energy if we wanted to drive further. But why would we? This is a great and special place to find.
There is a little traffic because people drive into the campground and around the loops looking for an empty campsite – which there are none. But there isn’t an active management here so no one puts up a sign that says “full.” You pay for your campsite by filling out an envelope form and putting it with cash payment into a locked container.
There are no services except for toilets and bathroom sinks. No electricity or water, certainly no cable or internet (I’ll send this the next time I’m online). And we are fine in our cozy, self-contained van.
And I’ve been BUSY since we got here. I made a large luscious fruit salad for lunch, took the trail over a creek and down to the rocky beach, played with watercolors, read, and now just having a great time typing away at my outdoor table while being inspired by the water.
This campground is directly across the street from the beach. Alan and I walked over earlier (last two photos in last entry from there)and enjoyed watching the surfers.
This campground has all the amenities -- including good cell phone and internet, hot showers, electricity and water and dumping, and cable TV. We don't need all these all the time...but sometimes it's a treat.
Going South
This written yesterday in word processing program.
Two top photos below entry are from this campground -- our view and me sitting outside the van playing with watercolors.
Left our Big Sur campground this morning. Passed Esalen – but didn’t stop there. Thought we’d drive onto Morro Bay. But about halfway there, we found here! A National Forest campground (Kirk Creek in Los Padres NF) facing the ocean. We heard that it was very windy here yesterday but it is lovely today – warm and sunny, and calm.
It was before noon and we had plenty of energy if we wanted to drive further. But why would we? This is a great and special place to find.
There is a little traffic because people drive into the campground and around the loops looking for an empty campsite – which there are none. But there isn’t an active management here so no one puts up a sign that says “full.” You pay for your campsite by filling out an envelope form and putting it with cash payment into a locked container.
There are no services except for toilets and bathroom sinks. No electricity or water, certainly no cable or internet (I’ll send this the next time I’m online). And we are fine in our cozy, self-contained van.
And I’ve been BUSY since we got here. I made a large luscious fruit salad for lunch, took the trail over a creek and down to the rocky beach, played with watercolors, read, and now just having a great time typing away at my outdoor table while being inspired by the water.
PS Carmel & Big Sur
I forgot some things…
Real Estate
Last entry I wrote about the three-quarter million dollar fixer-uppers. Then I got this card – this must have been before the bubble burst.
Beach Weather
We walked to the beach at Carmel. It was 78 degrees out. Elementary school groups were eating their lunch out on the sand.
No High Heels and No Lap Dogs
A Carmel street map – the colorful foldout freebies bordered by ads – had a column with area tidbits. One said that there was an ordinance that outlawed wearing high heels in the town! All I know is that I didn’t see anyone wearing them – feet were fit mostly with flat sandals, water shoes, and sneakers.
It was also not a lap dog kind of town. Spotted a few Steinbeck-inspired full-sized poodles and other large black dogs of various kinds.
Local Sightings
A local magazine had a column of sightings. Down the coast I’ve read helpful pieces like about where the otters are or viewpoints of the migrating monarchs. So I laughed after I realized this paper was writing about different species – I found out that Tom and Katie and Barbra S had all been spotted in Carmel this week.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Getting Tired of the Coast?
Are you, dear reader, getting tired of the California coast? Does it look like we are?
Spent a few days in Santa Cruz, went to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium, traveled more down the coast today with a stop in the ritzy town of Carmel -- not one house in all the area real estate listings was under three-quarters of a million dollars AND an advertisement in a lifestyles magazine for the rich and famous described the preserve with lots for sale as where, "fathers would teach their sons to putt and mothers would teach their daughters to ride." Certainly, a different stratosphere than we live in.
Riding down Highway 1 while filming of a car was being done in the other lane. Maybe we'll see the Roadtrek in an upcoming movie.
Now in Big Sur -- where it is lovely. But they had bad fires this past June and are concerned about how rains this winter may cause floods and road closures.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Breaking News
Wow...I just heard that I am being considered as Secretary of the Inferior in the new administration.
Actually, I received the funniest ecard delivered like a TV news report with the creative script written by my good friend Susan. I'm not sure if this is going to work -- but try this link to view/listen to this short piece:
http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/view.pd?i=474900333&m=7318&rr=y&source=ag994
Let me know if you can access it and if so, what you think? Maybe Susan and I can do a youtube version (how about it, Susan?)
Actually, I received the funniest ecard delivered like a TV news report with the creative script written by my good friend Susan. I'm not sure if this is going to work -- but try this link to view/listen to this short piece:
http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/view.pd?i=474900333&m=7318&rr=y&source=ag994
Let me know if you can access it and if so, what you think? Maybe Susan and I can do a youtube version (how about it, Susan?)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Santa Cruz Beach
The sun was setting, the moon was rising. Wet-suit clad men and seal pups were surfing. Seagulls and a heron were diving for dinner. And my husband (Captain Alan) was about to be eaten by Moby Whale (outside the UCSC Marine Lab). He escaped and we made it back to the campground in time for a festive dinner made with ingredients we purchased earlier in the day at a thriving downtown farmer's market.
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