PCH Day 9 -- Oceanside

"The journey not the arrival matters." -- T.S. Eliot

I would almost always agree with Eliot, but not today. Today the arrival mattered because the journey was exhausting. I traveled south on 101, 1, and finally I-5. It was recommended to me by a dear friend not to try to come south on Hwy. 1 because it would be very slow with lots of traffic lights. I opted to try it anyway because I knew I would see more, because I detest interstates, and because the whole thing with motorcycles in California scares me. So... Everything started fine this morning. The 101 had some regular going-to-work traffic but nothing too bad. One thing I like about that highway is that it mostly keeps the path of the old and historical El Camino Real (The King's Highway) which is signified by a bell hanging from a green "hook" alongside the road every mile or so. I took a picture of one, and it's posted below.

I switched to the Pacific Coast Highway (Hwy. 1) in a town north of Malibu, called Oxnard. This put me closer to the beach. Traffic did increase in Malibu, but it was worth it to see the houses. I know that I passed the homes of some movie stars, but there was no way to really know. I read that most of them have elaborate security systems, gates, huge fences all insuring their privacy. I, of course, don't blame them. It would have been nice to know which ones I was passing though.

South of Malibu things got even busier as I came into Santa Monica Pier area. After passing LAX,  I pulled off into a shopping center and went into something called H Mart. I didn't know before entering, but it is a Korean market. It was very different. There is a restaurant-type area right inside the door, then some areas that have clothing or make-up in separate shop areas. After that is the regular grocery store area. All the aisles have English and Korean labels. I bought a water and some soy crackers for lunch and headed back out.

Next came all the beaches and an even bigger increase in traffic which was still doable. The problem was that I could not use my GPS. It would never give me an option of traveling on the PCH to my destination. I started having trouble tracking myself and watching the traffic. I had wanted to go through Laguna Beach on the PCH, but it became too nerve-wracking to know if I was still on the correct road. I finally gave in and followed the GPS to Interstate 5. When I made it to the interstate, I had about 25 miles left to go to get to Oceanside, but the ETA was 1 hour and 45 minutes! I plugged it in 3 times before I finally admitted to myself that it must somehow be correct. I found out why in about 5 miles -- traffic came to a near standstill for almost 20 miles! It was unbelievably exhausting. When I finally pulled in to my hotel in Oceanside I was beyond tired.

I knew a walk would help, so I went to the beach which was PACKED. I got a few pictures, went to In and Out for dinner, and then some rest. Tomorrow I will go the rest of the way to San Diego. There's a beach that is supposed to have really good shelling that I want to try out. I am going to get on the road very early and hopefully avoid the major traffic. Apparently there is a surfing competition going on which explains the traffic right now.

There are not as many pictures today, for obvious reasons. I hope to have more tomorrow. Thanks for all the prayers that got me here!

PCH Day 2 -- Pacific Grove

"There is no end to the adventures we can have if we only seek them with our eyes open." -- Jawaharlal Nehru

Today instead of merely following Highway 1, I took a little detour to the west. It was well worth it. Leaving Santa Cruz early this morning, I headed towards the old mission town of San Juan Bautista. The town itself is old and quaint, resembling an "Old West Town" almost. The church and mission lie right near main street. I paid the small fee which enabled me to tour the mission museum and church. They also have a small gift shop where I purchased a pretty cross for my wall collection. The mission church was founded in 1797, the 15th of the many missions begun by the Franciscan monks and is the largest of all. Another interesting bit of trivia is that the mission and the town of San Juan Bautista lie right on the San Andreas Fault! I am not a fan of earthquakes AT ALL, but it was kind of cool to be standing on top of it! I talked to a couple of people in town about it, and they both unequivocally stated that they'd much rather live on the fault than in places that can be hit by hurricanes or tornados. I don't know that I'd agree.

*Recommendation Time -- If you ever make it to San Juan Bautista, you have to go to the San Juan Bakery! I ate the best bear claw and the most delectable chocolate croissant I've ever had! I got a brownie for the road but haven't eaten it yet; trying to show some self control.

 

The dirt road right behind this fence is part of the San Andreas Fault scarp line.

In my detour off of the Pacific Coast Highway today I saw tons of farms. For the first time ever I saw migrant workers. I have read books in which they played roles, but have never seen any at work. There were so many of them, and they seemed to be working so hard. 

Something else I saw which was slightly disconcerting was a man spraying something on plants, and he was wearing a hazmat suit. It makes you wonder what is being sprayed if he is dressed head to toe in hazmat. 

Funny thing: one town I drove through was Castroville, the artichoke center of the world! Below is the world's largest artichoke. 😊

I eventually made my way to my destination and "home" for the next two nights, Pacific Grove. This town is in close proximity to both Monterey and Carmel but is touted as being more reasonably priced, which is why I chose it as my homebase. I plan to visit the other two towns while I'm here. Today I focused on Pacific Grove.

While waiting for my room to be prepared, I walked to the Point Pinos Lighthouse less than a mile away. I had researched this lighthouse earlier so that I would be familiar with it when I got here. It has an interesting story, both in relating to the light itself and to its keepers. It was $5 to tour the house and grounds. I did not take pictures inside, but there were several interactive exhibits and many period pieces placed around the dwelling. I really enjoyed my visit. 

Now, what you've all been waiting for, the beach! As soon as I checked in to my hotel, I made the short 1/2 mile walk to the nearest beach access. This was a much different beach than I have ever visited. It was amazing, from the color of the water to the gigantic rocks to the tide pools and their ebb and flow. I apologize now for the picture overload; I can't help it. I was overcome. 

Look at the alien-like underwater plants left visible as the tide went out. WEIRD!!!

Finally, tonight for dinner I went Mexican. I ate at Michael's Grill & Taquiria. It is no-frills, order at the counter, fix your own drink hole-in-the-wall. As with many hole-in-the-wall establishments though, the food served was amazing. I had something like a burrito which they called a wrap, (They had burritos too.) which was delicious. I stole the picture below from online, but it looks just like mine. I may even return tomorrow; it was THAT good. Another good thing is that I only paid $6.62! 

PCH -- Day 1 -- Santa Cruz

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." -- St. Augustine

Today I picked up my rental car and began my journey south down the Pacific Coast Highway. I was slightly apprehensive initially because I had to get from the San Francisco Airport to Highway 1 via a California freeway. (Ahhhhh!) My prayers though, along with those of some faithful warriors got me through the anticipated rough spot with great ease. I was on the PCH in no time and was immediately in awe.

My first glimpse of the Pacific was just that, a glimpse, but I didn't have to drive far before there was a place to pull off at Half Moon Bay. I got some great pictures. I continued south, pulling off every time I saw something I wanted to get a picture of. There are several state beaches with safe parking lots, bathrooms, and trails to the beach. The fee is $10 for the day and is on an honor basis. Since I just pulled in for a few pictures, I paid at the first beach but not afterwards. I hope that was ethical; I didn't feel like I cheated them. Enjoy these beach pictures.

I chose to spend my first night on the road in Santa Cruz. I made this decision for two reasons: the boardwalk with an amusement park and the wharf with sea lions. I was not disappointed with either and was also surprised by the downtown area of Santa Cruz. The central downtown area is about a mile off the beach which helps with keeping congestion down. It is two main parallel streets with boutiques, gift shops, restaurants, and book stores including Bookshop Santa Cruz. I ate at Betty's Eat Inn downtown and had a hamburger and french fries. The hamburger was pretty good, the fries not so much. While downtown, I learned that Santa Cruz was directly affected by the 1989 earthquake when 40 buildings were damaged, killing six people. There are plaques downtown commemorating the lives lost and the rebuild.

The amusement park on the boardwalk was awesome. I compare it to Coney Island. There were a few of the same rides even. Santa Cruz has more rides and midway games, arcades, mini golf, and laser tag. Like Coney Island, there is the option of purchasing a bracelet for unlimited rides. Yes, I bought it. I rode my favorite swing ride four times. Unlike Coney Island, there is a sky glider. I rode it four times too. I also rode several others and totally got my $40 worth.

I walked out to the end of the half-mile long wharf to eat at Dolphin Restaurant. It was probably the best deal of any place I've eaten yet. I got the meal below for $24, tip included. The salmon was delicious. While eating I got to watch the fog roll in over the water, listen to the gulls and sea lions, and smell the salty beach air. So enjoyable. After dinner I visited with the many sea lions who hang around on the underside of the wharf. I highly recommend the entire wharf experience!

So ends another spectacular day. I get a little tired of just my own company sometimes, but a Facetime call to Kathryn and Saber tonight and some special encouraging texts from friends help with any loneliness which might pop up. This trip is exposing me to so many sights and experiences, and I am so grateful for this opportunity. Stay tuned for more adventures of the travel junkie teacher!