Day5 San Francisco to Oakhurst

After 2 nights in San Francisco we had began to feel settled. Sort of sorry to leave, we liked it here and it was nice to put down roots for a short while.

Breakfast in our room with cereal and pastries from the Seven Eleven across the road and coffee from reception. With the sun shining and the temperature up, we loaded car before taking a last walk out by the sea front. Along the wharf, under clear skies the Golden Gate Bridge is visible right to top of the pillars.

The Americas Cup will be here in a few weeks and the Oracle boat is a constant sight in the Bay.

On the way back to the hotel, we picked up a Subway for lunch before collecting the car and heading off for the mountains, over 200 miles today.

We leave the city going by the point where we had first seen the bridge two days ago then turn onto the bridge heading North. At the far side, we pull into the public viewing area which is very busy with cars and coaches but we find a space to park. Listening to everyone around, the Americans seem to be in the minority.

Intending just to look along the span we end up walking out to the 1st tower. The footpath is shared with masses of hired bicycles and if you stop to look up you need to make sure you stay to the side. More than once I had to apologise. Watching a Red and White ferry come out across San Fransisco Bay and spin around under the bridge reminded us of our trip yesterday.  We stayed too long and took far too many photographs before heading off East and crossed the Bay again on another bridge taking us to the mainland.


In the distance San Fransisco appears as a ghostly image in the haze across the bay with Alcatraz Island sitting off shore.


Leaving the coast we pass through rolling golden hills then flat agriculture with mile after mile of almonds plus other fruits and some vines. Only 20 miles inland the temperature is up to 35C (95F) from less than 20C (68F) at the coast.
The plains give way to increasing climbs and long high roads with switch backs, long drops and not a barrier in sight.

 Time is getting on and we haven't seen anywhere to stop to eat. At 3, we pull off the road into a lovely stop with sme shade surrounded by golden grasses and California Oaks. It is 37C (99F) with a gentle breeze, it feels like standing in front of a giant fan heater.

Finally dropped down into Oakhurst and our hotel at 5 in the afternoon. It's still 37C and we have a quick dip in the pool before walking down to Pops, a small restaurant, for a very really nice meal and a beer.
Satisfied, we walk back up the road in a pleasant balmy evening twilight and try to catch up on blogs.

Very noisy air con' unit but no choice over using it, it's hot! So far, on this trip, we have never had reason to switch one on.

Statistics: Miles today: 227 miles; Miles so far: 743; Fuel today 7.774 gals;  Fuel so far: 26.432 gals; States:  California; Time Zone: Pacific(UK-8)

10:00-17:30

Day4 San Francisco Tour Day

** PHOTOS WILL BE ADDED SOON - PLEASE COME BACK **

Our San Francisco day started with walking around the corner for breakfast at IHOP which consisted of blueberry pancakes and french bread with apricot and pecan with orange and lashings of coffee. We left absolutely stuffed agreeing that we couldn't do that regularly. Most of our hotels have breakfast so it won't be necessary.

We ambled around Fisherman's Wharf in cool but bright sun and purchased the obligatory San Francisco logoed clothing item. A gray hoody, I was frozen last night.

One of the quays has been given over to a Sea Lion colony which moved in a few years ago and has become an item to see. The barking can be heard over much of the wharf as younger ones fight for places in the sun pushing and tipping each other off into the water and the older ones plant themselves basking in the sun.

Alcatraz sits out off shore. Lynne had been keen to go on the tour but all tickets on the Internet whether sold out when we tried over 3 weeks ago. About 50 tickets are released each morning at 6 but our hotel reception told us that people queue as early as 3 so we  abandoned that thought. Several companies operate tours of the bay and we went on the Red and White Ferry, a 1 hour trip with a good commentary out to the Golden Gate bridge and then back around and very close to Alcatraz island. It was a really enjoyable trip with great views to the Golden Gate Bridge, and back to the attractive city with the tall buildings of the business district as a background. The cloud bank crawled over the towers of the Bridge obscuring the tops and into parts of the city with the Sutro radio tower popping out of the top of it.

Yesterday evening Lynne had convinced me to try one of the Clam Chowder samples being proffered outside the stalls and I had rather liked it. I would describe it as tasting like chicken and mushroom soup with bits that texture wise could be vegitable in nature.  With that knowledge, today we had Clam Chowder from the Boudin bakery in a large hollowed out sour dough cob which made an excellent lunch sitting outside the bakery.

Afternoon was beautiful with a clear blue sky though still cool in the wind and out of direct sun.
Lynne had spotted a driving tour following a scenic route for the afternoon. It was actually a 49 mile route but we cut it short at the city limit.

Before joining the route, we headed to the postcard favourite Lombard Street switchbacks. We had to circle round a few roads to get the back of the queue which had developed but felt it had to be done. The queueing on approaching straight roads with massive uphill gradient was more freaky that the descent down Lombard which was easy at a slow pace. Not really worth the wait but if we hadn't we'd have felt we'd missed out.
The highlight of the driving tour was Twin Peaks where we had an amazing late afternoon view of the city below with the sea mist drifting across in waves varying the panorama from sharp bright city through ghostly pale to invisible in cloud. All with a clear blue sky above as the bank of cloud drifts low across.

We headed back to the hotel for a while which is in a great position on a few yards back from the main Wharf area then after freshening up we headed out for the evening.
An excellent burger in Wipeout with Nevada Sierra draft beer then we ambled around the quay and explored a museum of fairground machines, everything from What The Butler Saw through slot and pinball machines, Space Invaders and Driving Games all in full working condition.
A contented stroll back to the hotel, hot chocolate from reception before a welcome sleep. All in all, a very good day.

Update on Blog Post progress

Time provedng difficult with long days so I am having difficulty keeping up with Posts. I will re-visit any outstanding material as soon as possible and keep this post as a progress indicator.  Ged

Days1, 2 and 3 all completed on trip.

Day4 San Francisco Tour Day
20/08/13: Content now written up; Photos stat's and map still outstanding

Day5 San Francisco to Oakhurst
18/10/13: PUBLISHED - written up from notes made at the time and photo's added

Day6 Yosemite Tour Day
Statistics ok; ## No Map; No content written up yet; No Photos posted yet
29/8/13 Returned to DRAFT

Day7 Oakhurst to June Lakes
No Photos posted yet; otherwise complete - not proofread

Day8 June Lakes to Ely
No Photos posted yet; otherwise complete - not proofread

Day9 Ely to Scipio via Great Basin
complete - not proofread

Day10 Scipio to Torrey via Capitol Reef
complete - not proofread; photos need tidying

Day11 Torrey to Bryce
No Photos posted yet; otherwise complete - not proofread

Day12 Bryce Canyon Tour
No Photos posted yet; otherwise complete - not proofread
Photos added but need tidying

Day13 Bryce to Sprigdale via Zion
No Photos posted yet; otherwise complete - not proofread

Day14 Zion Nat Park Tour
Stat's posted only
29/8/13 Returned to DRAFT

Day15 Springdale to Las Vegas
Stat's posted only
29/8/13 Returned to DRAFT; Map added; Basic notes inserted

Day16 Las Vegas to Ridgecrest
Stat's posted only
29/8/13 Returned to DRAFT; Map added; Basic notes inserted

Day17 Ridgecrest to Venice Beach
Stat's posted only
29/8/13 Returned to DRAFT; Map added; Basic notes inserted

Day18 Los Angeles locality
29/8/13 Created DRAFT; Map added; Basic notes inserted; minimal stat's

Days19-20
Draft: some notes only

Day3 Monterey to San Francisco

We took our time getting away this morning then headed north on Route 1 through flat acres of agricultural land growing strawberries, apricots, cherries and artichokes amongst other things. Once again, the sea mists hang over us, 14 degrees and windy.

I have a niggling discomfort about being in an earthquake zone and the Tsunami warning signs are always there to remind me.





When we hit the resort of Santa Cruz we encounter clear blue skies though it is still only reaching 20.
Santa Cruz looks a nice place, we diverted down to the beach area which was extremely busy being Sunday. A stunning beach was full of families and volley ball players and along from the beach ran a fun fair which included an old wooden roller coaster (which apparently is shown in many films which are supposed to be Coney Island New York). There were massive queues for parking so we simply circled and left again but were very glad to have seen it.  Leaving wasn't so simple and we had repeated abortive wrong turns with traffic jams as we tried to recover. Eventually, we were on the road North again and just as we left town there was a Safeway and a Subway both of which offered lunch but having only just got going I made the rash decision to drive past.  Of course, the next 40 miles had nothing.  We stopped for gas and bought a pitta sandwich from the garage shop which actually turned out to be very nice though it was around three o'clock by now.

We stayed on California Route 1 as much as we could being the Pacific Coastal Highway and
eventually as we rounded a headland had our first sighting of the Golden Gate Bridge through the trees.  The classic view with the cloud sitting on the towers so that only the span and legs can be seen.

We carried on into town following a tourist tour route and finally across to our hotel which we found easily and we were delighted with it's location less than a block back from the Wharf and close to much of what was happening. Parking was included on the premises which had been an attraction when booking.

After checking in, I sorted a walking route to Chinatown missing most of the hills and we headed off for our evening meal in a classic, "you're drinking green tea and paying cash", establishment with food that we really enjoyed. 

We had an amble through the streets but apart from fairly tacky Chinese souvenir shops not much was going on. I spotted that if we went up hill 2 blocks we could intercept a cable car route though we had been warned it was difficult to get on en route as they were usually full. Within a couple of minutes one arrived and we got on. Inside, though you knew it was a San Fran' cable car, it didn't feel any different to being on a tram but a space came outside and we sat on the side with our legs out to the road being pushed together on the steep hills. It ended up a very enjoyable ride and we deleted our planned ride the next day from our itinerary as we didn't think a busy daytime ride would come close.

Statistics: Miles today: 134 miles; Miles so far: 483; Fuel today 12.318 gals;  Fuel so far: 18.658 gals; States:  California; Time Zone: Pacific(UK-8)

11:00-16:30

Day2 San Simeon to Monterey

We woke and breakfasted with a grey skies and needing jeans and jerseys.

We headed up promptly to a pre booked tour of Hearst Castle which is an extraordinary complex built high
in the hills by a media mogul. The size of his ranch was summed up by, "he owned the view", which extended to the coast and the mountains. The main house is actually an earthquake proof reinforced concrete edifice faced with Utah limestone and has all the appearance of a grand Italianate church. The building work never stopped until he died and as you go around the back you see parts where the concrete is still visible with the recesses ready to take ornate stone window frames. The still beautiful pools and gardens were hosts to all the famous visitors between the wars. Positioned high, the ranch sits above the sea mists looking down to the grey bank out at sea which is making our journey dull. Interestingly, the gardens are full of flowers which are in our garden at home, begonias, antirrhinums, dianthus, phlox and many others.
The house is not 'authentic' but is full of genuine Italian and Spanish ceilings, fireplaces from French châteaux and tapestries, marble etc from all over Europe.

The Big Sur runs from San Simeon for 90 miles to Monterey along a remote section of coastline.
The sea mists todays are drifting in and above us, occasionally a blue sky is up there and other times the mists shoots above us at 45 degrees. The day continued cool from 16 to max 20 degrees max.

At first constantly stopping to take photos though actually, if you've driven Scottish and Brittany coasts a lot of this road doesn't reach 'spectacular'. The Northern section is more dramatic with inlets, viewpoints and some good bridges.

A highlight not far North of Hearst Ranch is a bay where elephant seals live. We thought we may see the odd one at a distance but there were tens of them of all sizes, some slobbing on the beach in the sun like giant black slugs and all ages and sizes. Others were in the sea and though they are lumbering and slow the power when they decide to argue is awesome. Quite an experience.


A little over half way we stop at a State Forrest Park and walk around the giant redwoods. A very pleasant break from driving.


Just before Monterey we diverted through a pretty town of Carmel then pulled into our hotel at Monterey. Monterey is a pretty relaxed warm evening stroll place with a beautiful beach, large marina and fisherman's wharf piers. We drive down and park near the wharf and enjoy the place but we are cold with waterproofs zipped up for warmth and against the gentle drizzle condensing out of the mist.

Days 1 and 2 tracks:

Statistics: Miles today: 103 miles; Miles so far: 349; Fuel today nil gals;  Fuel so far: 6.34 gals; States:  California; Time Zone: Pacific(UK-8)

09:00-18:40

Day1 Marina Del Rey (LA) to San Simeon

Comfy bed but body clock remembering at 6am that it was 2pm UK time though still managed some good sleep and breakfast was excellent.

Headed to a supermarket with instructions from reception but missed the turn. No matter I thought, a right turn and around one block would return us but 5 mins later we came out opposite our hotel that we'd left 10 mins earlier. Second try worked and we stocked basics, water, crisps, sandwiches for lunch, a few beers and a polystyrene cool box (we use ice out of the hotel machines in a plastic bag to cool the box).

Set off North via Santa Monica along roads one back from the sea and the following to CA route 1 Pacific Coastal Highway and highway 101.  Much of the "coast road" is actually inland and the 101 Freeway does not run freely often 30mph or less. Avoided the PCH through Santa Monica which is a very attractive palm lined resort familiar of the French Riviera and then on through Malibu where the homes of the rich line the hillsides. To now, all has extended from LA but after Malibu we leave it behind and as we go North we see the huge agricultural aspect with orchards and plastic tunnels giving way later to vines. The terrain is hilly and the vines cut off sharply at the top of sheltered dips to beautiful pale rolling prairie pasture.

The weather has improved and we have blue skies and pleasantly warm sun and we pull off at Santa Barbara for a beach picnic watching pelicans flying low over the sea then soaring and diving wings folded into the sea for fish. Getting late when we leave Cabrillo beach but the scenery as we drive over high passes is beautiful and leaving the congested 101 behind we make excellent time and get to San Simeon around 6:30.

Nearly blundered en route when I pulled into a gas station, picked up pump with green handle before noticing it was diesel. I had forgotten that its generally petrol black, diesel green in US station. I put on 6.5 gals (about 32ltr) for $25, about £18!!!!!

Evening is sunny but cool windy with a bank of grey cloud on the sea so fleece and zipped up jacket for a walk to the sea. A friend had suggested sitting with a bottle of wine to watch the sunset but tonight is sadly not one of those nights. However, returning from the restaurant across the road, a crescent moon and the planets Venus and Saturn light the sky reflecting in the ocean.

Statistics: Miles today: 237 miles; Miles so far: 246; Fuel today 6.34 gals;  Fuel so far: 6.34 gals; States:  California; Time Zone: Pacific(UK-8)

10:00-18:40

Outward Travel Day

We had 2 free days before leaving so what were we doing the previous day at 6pm ? Visiting Argos to buy a suitcase!

Seemed odd this morning for a holiday departure, alarm at normal work time and a taxi at 8:30 for a 10:05 departure. Security an Manchester was very busy in spite of being domestic but we were pulled out and sped through so it ended up quite casual.

Shuttle to Heathrow was spot on time which was good as only 60 mins transfer time.

Through Flight Connections we felt under pressure already, gave up on a Boots for water due to an enormous queue then panicking after losing 10min at WHSmith "fast" self checkout, rubbish machine and slow assistance on repeated lock ups.

Rushed through connections not sure what security we yet had to go through and feeling that we were running out of time, lift inevitably kept opening doors before finally going.

Finally rounded the corner to gate B45 to be greeting by total calm and no movement, and a Boots with no queue!

Boarded LA flight on time and settled in for an 11 hour flight.


Gee, that was a long flight, couldn't sleep at all & knees seized up. Landed slightly early but our gate had a load of luggage carts parked so we got pushed into an ally to watch 5 other planes get processed first. Through security rather slowly due to one seemingly over zealous agent talking to people for ages. We got him and he was actually a nice guy. The good news was that our luggage had made it via Heathrow and was on the carousel as we arrived so we were out for the car rental shuttle an hour after disembarking.



Picked up a silver Ford Escape SUV and headed for Marina Del Rey and our hotel for tonight.

Looking forward to a good sleep after 23 hours awake of which 11.5 was spent in the air.





Statistics: Miles today: 9 miles; Miles so far: 9; Fuel added so far: nil gals; States:  California; Time Zone: Pacific(UK-8)