California Coast 2015 - San Francisco, May 15th to May 17th.

San Francisco is our next destination. We leave Monterey and continue up Highway 1. At a rest stop we watch a flock of Brown Pelicans heading north. All the flocks of pelicans and gulls we've seen are winging that direction. They have a rendezvous with the salmon runs and nesting sites.

A squadron of Brown Pelicans in a fast flight north.

No time to loose. They wing their way by us and disappear in the mist. 

California Gulls take a break on the beach. Only Alfred Hitchcock would speculate on what they're thinking.

We reach the famous city and drive right into the heart of it. The freeway takes us directly to the Embarcadero and it's bumper to bumper traffic.  After negotiating the city streets we cross the Golden Gate Bridge. What a highlight for us New Mexicans. 

We camped for 3 nights at Marin RV Park in the town of Greenbrea on the north side of the bridge along Highway 101. It's the only private park we've stayed at during this trip. The sites are small, narrow graveled back-ins that are perpendicular to the paved interior roads. All sites are full hookups so even though we don't need hookups we have no choice. There's a pool, laundry and showers. A section of the park are mobile homes. We paid $71 per night, the highest we've ever paid for camping. In our research this is the best place we could find and not a bad location if you plan on visiting the city. The staff can really make a difference in a campground and the ladies that worked in the office were very nice, helpful and enjoyed visiting with us. This campground is a convenience for visiting San Francisco and we'd recommend it. I forgot to get a picture of our site but you get the idea.

Us New Mexicans are in awe of the Golden Gate Bridge. 

To get across the bay to San Francisco we walk 15 minutes from the campground to the Larkspur ferry docks. It cost us $20 per day round trip to take the 45 minute ride to the Ferry Building on the San Francisco water front. Along the way we pass San Quentin Prison and Alcatraz.

We pass San Quentin on the ferry ride to San Francisco. No shopping for these guys.

Alcatraz with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.

The weather was overcast and chilly. As our ferry approaches the wharf we see the neighborhoods stacked up on the hills. None of the cities we've live in have been so high-density and it's quite a view.

A view from the bay as our ferry approches the docks.

San Francisco's financial district looks really nice with a sail boat.

We dock at the Ferry Building and spend the day walking the Embarcardero on the water front.

The ferry has comfortable seating, bike racks and a snack bar.

The Ferry Building is filled with restaurants, fresh produce markets and shops. Its clock tower is our landmark. Once a busy place of trade and commerce the Embarcardero in now a bustling place for the tourism economy. The walkway along the boulevard is crowded with people from all over the world and we move through a steady flow of different faces and languages. The crowd is as diverse as the city.

The Ferry Building on the Embarcardero.

On the Hyder Street Pier at the west end of the Embarcardero are restored historic ships that are open for tours.

The Balclutha is a sleek newly restored square rigger that is open for tours on the Hyder Street Pier.

The Alma.

The Hercules.

We noticed a lot of bicyclist even on this crowed street in the worst bicycling conditions and with good reason. Another tourist activity. There were many bike rental shops in the area that gave tours across the Golden Gate Bridge. The tour guides people safely through the streets and across the bridge. They returned to San Francisco on the same ferry line we use to complete a round trip.

Bicyclist on a tour to cross the Golden Gate Bridge.

We go to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch. So much seafood. How to decide? We have a simple lunch of shrimp/crab cocktail. Fresh is always satisfying.

Fisherman's Wharf with street musicians . . .

. . . and lots of seafood.

Aren't I a handsome fellow? Would you share you're lunch with me?

The entrance to Pier 39.

There's always entertainment on the Embarcardero. This colorful, personable street musician puts heart and soul into lively jazz numbers on her keyboard while a crab sculpture with a flower garden on its back dances at the entrance to Pier 39.

Some key board jazz at Pier 39. This lady's good!

At center stage in Pier 39 a master juggler engages the crowd with humor and on-the-edge-of-disaster tricks.

A performer teases the crowd with juggling, near misses and wacky humor.

Surely he must have done this before.

The famous Pier 39 Harbor Seals relax on their platforms. During their month-long molt they spend most of the time just laying around conserving energy. They don't have to perform. They can draw a crowd without doing anything. If you see a raised flipper they're not signaling for another round, they're just cooling off.

The Pier 39 Harbor Seals always have an audience.

A blubber pile. Laying on top of another seal must be the ultimate in comfort.

Life is good. OOOOMMMMM.

Our day on the Embarcardero was fun and well spent. It's time to catch the ferry back across the bay.

A pose with Alcatraz in the background.

The Bay Bridge at the east end of the Enbarcardero near the Ferry Building spans the bay between San Francisco and Oakland.

The Bay Bridge also looks really pretty with sail boats.

On our second day we take the ferry back to the city and purchase a transportation day pass for $15 each which lets us ride the cable cars, trolleys and buses. We spent the day riding every cable car line. The operator announces the locations and riders let him know when they want to disembark. It was really easy to get around once we got oriented.

The trolley station near the Ferry Building.

The trolley was the best way to experience the city's streets and neighborhoods. Most of the riders were locals.

The hills really are this steep.

A nice commuter we visited with on the trolley takes our picture.

A view from the top of Nob Hill.

Truly San Francisco. Wish I could see inside.

We got off at China Town and walked the streets, just tourists not blending in very well with the locals. This street, festively decorated with lanterns, beckons tourists to the import and souvenir shops. I think we were on Stockton St. There was so much to look at that I didn't notice the street signs. This is the first time I really felt like a tourist.

Picture takers and shoppers. All of us mixing it up with people going about their lives.

The lanterns look like sparkling champagne bubbles in the effervescent air of the market place.

A contrast of style. One tells of culture and ideas. The other is just a brick building.

No middle man.

After China Town we take the Cable Car back down the hill to the Embarcardero and our last ferry ride across the bay.

Going back down the hill.

There were so many things we could have seen in San Francisco as people will tell us. We small town New Mexicans can only handle a limited bit of sensory overload before the country calls to us and we must be on our way. What ever else we could have done will have to wait. We did manage to get a feel for the city and moved through it with its people. It was good. Maybe there will be another time.

Until then, we'll see you down the road.

Jackie

California Coast 2015 - Pfeiffer Big Sur to Monterey, May 10th to 15th.

From San Simeon we continue up the coast on Highway 1. The narrow 2-lane road continually ascends and descends as it carves its way along the steep coastal mountains.

Highway 1

There are plenty of pull offs to stop for ocean views. At one turn out someone commemorated their stop with little rock cairns, a travelers message left in the ocean mist.

Little stone cairns, a travelers message, "I was here".

Pfeiffer Big Sur Sate Park.

Our destination is Pfieffer Big Sur State Park in the Redwoods where we camped for two nights. It's a beautiful park located in Redwoods. There are flush toilets, coin operated showers, an inexpensive laundry, a dump station and water available through out the campground. The cost is $35 per night, $33 for seniors.

Stone restroom buildings constructed by the CCC.

These handsome stone restroom building were built in the 1920's by the CCC.

Paved roads curve through the trees in Pfeiffer Big Sur Campground.

The interior roads of the campground are paved and provide a nice evening walk or easy bike ride through the Redwoods.

Pfeiffer Falls.

The park has many trails. We took a short 1.5 mile hike through the Redwoods to Pfeiffer Falls.

The Redwoods in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

This was our first experience in a Redwood forest and the trees are spectacular and inspiring. It's remarkably peaceful camping among them. We learned that the burls of the Redwoods contain dormant sprouts that will grow if the tree is damaged and dies. A Redwood nursery.

A Redwood burl root along the campground road is a natural work of art.

From the campground we take a 10-mile bike ride to Pfeiffer Beach.

Pfeiffer Beach

Pfeiffer Beach is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the coast however it has deadly riptides and swimming is discouraged. The day we were there it was extremely windy with blowing sand. This must happen quite often because a sign at the entry station advises that there will be no refunds due to wind conditions. All the same the beach is beautiful and worth the visit.

Pfeiffer Beach.

Pfeiffer Beach

The pinnacles of rock that are a dynamic feature of the beach have windows that the surf comes surging through with a crashing roar.

We wait for a wave to surge through the window and . . .

Our next stop is Monterey and we camp three nights at Sunset Beach State Park north of Monterey. The park wasn't on the beach and didn't have an ocean view although there was a trail to the beach. It did have tall cypress trees that provide nice shade. It was a very quiet place with only a few campers. There are flush toilets, water taps but no dump station. The staff advised us we could show our receipt at another state park and use the dump. The cost is $35 per night, $33 for seniors. We paid $35 because we made reservations thinking the park would be busy but it wasn't necessary.

Sunset Beach State Park.

From our site at Sunset Beach we can see miles of strawberry fields. One morning as we lingered over breakfast a team of immigrant workers came through the fields picking berries. When they filled their boxes they took them to the truck, got new boxes and trotted back up the rows to begin picking again. They never slowed or took a break as they worked their way down the rows. Mexican music was playing and there was occasional singing and laughter. These are really hard working people bending their backs in the sun all day to bring produce to our grocery stores. I'll remember them when I buy my produce. They deserve a good life.

Strawberry pickers in the fields near Sunset Beach State Park.

This basin north of Monterey has fertile sandy soil and we saw miles of fields of lettuces, artichokes and other vegetables.

The strawberry pickers.

On our first day at Sunset beach we drove to Marina and parked at a Walmart. From there we rode our bikes to Monterey and around the Monterey Peninsula to Pebble Beach on the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail. It's a nicely paved bicycling and walking trail that goes along the Monterey Harbor, past Cannery Row and along the beautiful beaches on the peninsula. Our ride was an easy, mostly flat, 47 miles

Riding the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail. Monterey is across the bay in the background.

The wharf in Monterey.

Some interesting boats in the Monterey Harbor. This looks like a pirate ship want-to-be. 

And a hippie boat giving out good vibes and full of optimism.

Along the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail as it goes through Monterey.

We were impressed with Monterey. It has a comfortable small town feel. If we were to live in a coastal town it would be this one.

Beautiful Victorian buildings line the streets of the water front.

Shapely cypress in the parks.

There are plenty of beautiful public beaches.

The bike path around the Monterey Peninsula along the coast.

Water recreation is high priority in Monterey.

After our great day of bicycling Monterey we stop by Phil's Fish Market and Eatery at Moss Landing and have an exceptional meal.

Phil's in Moss Landing.

First come the mussels and clams.

Then comes the mail course. Jim has blackened Halibut with crab and mango sauce and I have the Alaskan Sea Bass with ginger sauce. Rice and an assortment of steamed vegetables included. 

Phil is my new best friend and we'll come here again if we ever get back this way.

On our second day we visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium and spent most of the day there. They have tours and auditorium and feeding events throughout the day. The Aquarium is housed in 2 remodeled historic canneries that have been combined into one building. The exterior keeps some of the original architecture.

The Aquarium entry with life size Okras playing overhead. 

The interior of the building has pipes through which sea water flows and is warmed to the desired temperature for the exhibits by the body heat generated from all the people in the building.

Life size humpback whales swim in the air over our heads.

The building is divided into exhibits of the many environments of the sea from the shore and tide pools to the ocean depths. You can take photos as long as you don't use a flash. The lighting in the exhibits allowed me to get some good photos. I can't tell you what all these creatures are but they are examples of the wonderful life you'll see at this remarkable Aquarium. 

We watched the Penguins and Sea Otter feedings. You can't help but fall in love with them.

Penguin feeding time. The crowd gathers. 

Sea Otter.

The staff play games with the Otters during feeding to keep them happy and active.

The Otters play games and do tricks during feeding time.

The birds in the shore bird exhibit are orphaned or injured birds that couldn't survive in the wild. They have a home here. The staff hides their food in their environment so they have to forge as they would in the wild.

The shore bird exhibit. I get the feeling we're being watched.

After a day at the Aquarium we stroll through Cannery Row which John Steinbeck made famous in his novel.

Cannery Row

A statue commemorates John Steinbeck's literary work.

A tribute to John Steinbeck.

Along with the miles of fields come the produce stands. We by a half flat of strawberries fresh from the fields for $5. They're the biggest, sweetest berries we've ever had. All the more reason to visit Monterey.

If only I could get this at home.

We've really enjoyed or visit to Monterey and it's time to head down the road for our next big destination, San Francisco. See you down the road.

Jackie