The Long and Winding Road

Today was a LONG day of driving.

We had breakfast at our hotel in Kalmuth, CA, packed up, and hopped back on the 101. Shortly thereafter, we left the 101 and chose the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway. This is a beautiful scenic two-laner through deep groves of giant redwoods:


We then rejoined the 101 in Orick, CA and noticed a few animals just ahead of us:



Yes! Those were ELK! We were laughing because we were in Glacier National Park and saw no wildlife at all (well, except for the exotic white tailed deer), and now we're seeing a herd of elk on the side of the highway.

We continued along the 101 and came to a section called the Freshwater Lagoon Spit. We decided to pull over an put our feet in the Pacific:


Here I am practicing my surfer moves:


 We got off the 101 again and took The Avenue of the Giants. This was another stretch of scenic drive that winds through thick groves of redwoods. Here I am just leaning against some tree...you know...like you do:


We once again rejoined the 101. At the town of Leggett, we exited the 101 and took the route 1, the Pacific Coast Highway. This turned out to be a very challenging drive. The road consisted of uphill and downhill sections, separated by 10mph switchbacks. After a couple of hours, I was frazzled and worn out. 

However, we were SO glad we chose this route, because about a mile into the woods a mama bear and her two tiny cubs ran right across the road not ten feet in front of us!  Yeah, a few actual, real-life bears. We could not believe it! Sadly, they passed too quickly for a photo.

And then we hit the coast, and, like flipping a light switch, we went from deep woods to seaside grasslands. Oh, and this was one of the first things we saw:


Yeah. Just a couple of bull elk crossing the road. Just like you see every day!

As we drove down the coast, it seemed like every turn brought us a vista that was more stunning and spectacular than the one before. In looking at these pictures, I realize they pale in comparison to the real thing, but I have to include them anyway:



I do, however, have one suggestion for my friends at the California department of transportation: HOW ABOUT SOME FRICKIN' GUARDRAILS?!?! 

Anyway, we survived and made our way to Petaluma, CA. We noticed that Lagunitas Brewery was there, so drove there directly to 1) have a beer and 2) look for a local hotel (In that order). 

We found a cute little hotel called the Hotel Petaluma. (Yes, we're living it up in the Hotel Petaluma) It is a funky little hotel that was built in the 1920s. It's been completely remodeled and upgraded inside. All except for the elevator, which still has a metal grill one must close before moving.

So it was a long day of driving, but we're set up about about a half-hour from San Fransisco. Tomorrow's plan is to be tourists in San Fran and then drive to our hotel in Monterey. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Day in Pittsburgh

Image
Today, we didn't drive a single mile. Our car rested peacefully in the hotel parking lot. This morning, we found a local Dunkin and had coffee and doughnuts. Then we hoofed it from the hotel to the tailgate. (Not really that far. Like a mile or so...) We were then met by Michael and his friends. We had so much fun meeting and chatting with the other Delta Chi members and their parents. Eventually, we made our way to Heinz Field for the game. The score was kind of touch and go, but Pitt ended up winning in the end. There was much rejoicing! Afterwards, Carol and I met MJ and his friends (Gracie, Isaac, and Matthew) at a local restaurant for dinner. We had a good time chatting and sharing stories. Tomorrow's plan is to hook up with MJ and have some serious breakfast. Then, finally (Oh thank God!) our next stop is our home in West Chester, PA.
Read more

A Driving Day

Image
Today is going to be a pretty short blog entry, because today was a pretty boring day. We got up in LA, had breakfast with our hosts, and hit the road. And we drove until we hit Flagstaff, AZ. It seemed as if we continually drove up hill. And that's because we were pretty much driving uphill the entire time. The elevation in Flagstaff is 6,900 feet above sea level. Isn't that higher than a mile? The drive was interesting. Leaving LA, we drove east through southern California. We eventually entered the high desert, with cactus all around us. At several points, we were driving in the sun, but in the distance we could see thunderheads and the actual rain. And massive lightning bolts. Pretty cool. We crossed the Colorado River into Arizona. I could not believe its turquoise color! It was beautiful. Arizona was also desert, with red rocky outcrops. Eventually, as we were approaching Flagstaff, we were surprised to see a snow capped mountain. Turns out it was Humphrey...
Read more

The 17 Mile Drive and Carmel by the Sea

Image
We got up early this morning and drove into downtown Monterey in search of coffee and breakfast. But first, we stopped at Fisherman's Wharf  to look at the water. We walked out onto the quay, scanning the water for critters, and we heard the barking of sea lions. There were dozens of them sunning themselves on a jetty about a hundred yards from us. Not close enough to take a photo, but plenty close enough to hear. However, on our way back off the pier we noticed this fellow lying in what appeared to be the most uncomfortable position ever. Pretty much lying on top of some submerged rocks: We grabbed some delicious coffee and breakfast (including veggie quiche) at a coffee shop called Plume's right in downtown Monterey, went back to the hotel, packed up, and hit the road. Our first stop was to visit the John Denver Memorial  in Pacific Grove (which is an adorable little city). It was in a scenic spot right on the bay near where his plane crashed. From the...
Read more