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!

San Francisco Day 2

"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks." -- John Muir

Morning came early for me since I was still on East Coast time. I found one restaurant that opened at 7:00. I was the second one in, and the place was full by 7:30! I ate at the Hollywood Cafe on North Point Street. It was an amazing breakfast!! I needed to eat well in preparation for my day, and my order of "Vivian Leigh" was perfect. Feast your eyes below! Look closely at the fresh fruit which included every fruit I could imagine except peaches. I highly recommend this place.

After breakfast I had some time to kill and visited Lombard Street. This is a very steep hill which includes several sets of stairs, lovely flowers, pretty homes, and limited traffic. It was absolutely gorgeous and probably my favorite part of San Francisco!

My big physical activity on tap for the day was biking across the Golden Gate Bridge. I pre-ordered an excursion from Dylan's Tours. I was impressed with the price ($85), the kindness of the employees, and the organization of my tour. The excursion included the bike rental, a shuttle to Muir Woods, and a return shuttle to Fisherman's Wharf.

I really enjoyed the bike ride through part of Fisherman's Wharf, along Marina Drive, across the bridge, and into Sausalito. Surprisingly there was a good deal of downhill riding. Full disclosure though, there were some hills that I had to push the bike up. I tried, but some of these hills are freakishly steep!!!

I loved Sausalito! It is a little bayside village with several shops and tons of restaurants. (I visited the Sausalito Taco Shop and had the BEST homemade limeade. It hit the spot after the bike ride.) There were so many flowers that I could smell them as I rode in. It really is a lovely little town. I learned later that it is extremely expensive to live there. (Some teeny houseboats right outside of town go for $2 million!!!!)

The next part of the day was majestic Muir Woods. The shuttle took us on a road with more hairpins than I've ever been on, including driving through the Smokies. The tense ride was definitely worth it though when we got to the woods. Muir Woods is a well-managed national park with trails, bridges, streams, and TREES. The shuttle driver recommended staying on the main trail which was well-marked and passed four bridges. I took his recommendation and avoided the less-walked trails. I really enjoyed my walk. It was well worth the additional $15 which I had to pay to get into the park. I apologize ahead of time for all the tree pictures. I could not resist.

Day 2 was delightful in so many ways -- lovely views, exercise, new experiences, personal accomplishment. It was a day well spent.

P.S. Sorry, San Francisco, but I still love NYC more. :)

San Francisco Day 1

"Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights, it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of the living." -- Miriam Beard

Today began my longest, furthest, solo journey. It is a little scary, but I am learning not to avoid doing what I want to do out of fear. So, California for the next two weeks, eight hotels, 501 miles; starting with San Francisco.

I began with the cable cars and learned a few important things quickly:
*Get an app called MuniMobile on your phone and buy a passport ticket for the number of days you need. This saves a tremendous amount of money. It's also easier to carry your ticket on your phone.
*The most popular boarding location is the Powell/Market St. turn-around. The line I got in was worse than a line at Disney World, mostly because it wasn't steadily moving. I finally figured out that if I walked down the "tracks" for just two blocks, I would cut my wait time by 1-1.5 hours!

I rode to Fisherman's Wharf and was extremely grateful for that cable car. The hills!!! I've seen them on television, but no tv show has done them justice. Walking some of these hills was NOT an option! The wharf is definitely a tourist destination. The area is full of restaurants, souvenir shops, ice cream shops (I saw a Swensen's on the way there! On my list for tomorrow!), candy stores, museums, and various other tourist magnets. I was satisfied just to stroll around getting my bearings.

The history buff in me could not resist the World War II ship, SS Jeremiah O'Brien. It was an really good deal. For $20, I got to tour the ship entirely on my own, visit the museum in the first hold, and watch a 45 minute film about the history of the ship. It was so much fun! This is the only surviving operating Liberty Ship from World War II. This ship took troops and supplies to Normandy and later transported bombs to the Pacific theater. It was so neat to be in the exact location those men were in! (The view from the top deck was cool too!)

I ate at a seafood restaurant on Pier 39 but was not super impressed. It was the Pier Market. Made my way back to the cable cars for an early return to my hotel. At that point, I had been up for 17 hours, and I have a big day tomorrow -- biking across the Golden Gate Bridge.

One more thing, and this is very unusual. Look at the sign below. I couldn't resist taking a pic. You don't see this in North Carolina!

The Concrete Jungle's Hidden Gems

"As for New York City, it is a place apart. There is not its match in any other country in the world." -- Pearl S. Buck

New Yorkers love their parks, and they have lots of them. They need them. Those of us who live outside of New York City are more accustomed to tree-lined streets, large back yards, neighborhood playgrounds. Those 1.7 million residents of Manhattan live several flights up, in concrete and steel high-rises, surrounded by sidewalks and streets packed with cars, rarely walking on freshly-cut grass. Thus, the presence of as many parks as can be fit onto 22.96 square miles of land on the island of Manhattan.

On my last visit to my favorite city, I went in search of some of the more obscure or hidden parks. I was rewarded with the discovery of several. Below I have pictures, addresses, and descriptions of my favorites.

Katharine Hepburn Garden

Located: 47th Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues

This garden, though not necessarily quiet, gives the impression of isolation in the middle of chaos, and is a relaxing hideaway. It is cool, even in July, shaded by several trees and freshened by the fountain. There are stepping stones throughout the garden, many of those stones containing quotes by the iconic actress. I highly recommend a visit if you are on the Upper East Side. Take a book and relax a while!

Paley Park

Located: 3 East 53rd Street (Midtown between Park Ave. and 7th Ave.)

This oasis is wedged in between high-rises, alongside a heavily trafficked street. It was designed to minimize outside noise. The manmade waterfall does a great job at masking city sounds. There is a snack-bar adjoining the sitting area. I actually had lunch the day I was there. Although the developers attempted to make this a get-away area, I was not as pleased with Paley Park as with the garden above. The concrete underfoot and the high number of visitors made it not as pleasant and relaxing.

Teardrop Park

Located: Warren Street, Battery Park City

Now for the kids of Manhattan! They need places to play.. and cool off in those HOT summer months when all that concrete absorbs and holds in that extreme heat. I found one of those places -- Teardrop Park. It's awesome! There's not a lot of grass, true, but there is water. The day I was there the swimming area was full. (Full disclosure: the pictures above with kids were not taken by me. I got them online. I didn't take pictures of kids the day I was there, not wanting to alarm parents.) The park was an area of shouts and splashes, slipping and sliding, running and rollicking. There were also small nooks for quiet and reflection. 

It's not the easiest place to find, which is part of its charm. You can use your phone and Google Maps to help you locate it though.