California Dreaming (Part 2)

Looking out my window, the scenery had dramatically changed.  The last part of our trip seemed almost a dichotomy to the first.  We left the more rugged and unadulterated terrain where all that separated us from the ocean was the narrow two lane road we traveled on, and we entered the more populated and inhabited bay area via the 101 - a five lane highway packed with cars and trucks in a hurry to get wherever it was they were going.  We met my grandparents at Oakland Airport where we returned our fabulous white Kia Rio rental car.  I'm disappointed now that I didn't think to take a picture of the go-cart that carried us up the coastline.  There wasn't anything automatic about the car, not even automatic locks - I still catch slack that I never did pass the test to reach over and open the drivers side door (oops!).

They took us to the small waterside town of Benicia, a quaint and charming place that was actually the State Capitol for 13 months from 1853-1854.  Many of the old buildings are preserved and walking down the street it's hard not to imagine what this little town was like when it was the capitol of such a great big state.  After lunching at a little cafe, we were lucky enough to visit my grandmother's art studio.  Her space is in a warehouse building that previously housed artillery.  I always love going there and am amazed at her talent in putting paint on canvas producing a beautiful symphony that only she could create.

We left the charm of Benecia and journeyed on to Walnut Creek, where my grandparents live.  It had been several years since I had been to visit and I was amazed at how much the town continues to explode with new shops, restaurants, arts and recreation.  With only a fifty minute BART ride into the city it's no wonder the town wasn't kept a secret longer.

After a great visit in Walnut Creek, I was excited and had a lot of anticipation about our last stop in our road trip adventure: San Francisco. I hadn't really spent much time getting to know the city in the past, even though I grew up in California.  We drove in over the Bay Bridge which, much like Manhattan's bridges, drops you right into the pulse of the city.  We wound through the city streets while my grandfather pointed out the many highlights to each area we drove through.  For me, the peak of the tour was a stop at an overlook with sweeping views of the city below.  I felt a sense of awe looking out across the city; it was a unique view and perspective that not many places can offer.  The city stretches 46.7 miles and is the second most densely populated city in the United States - and there I was staring down over all of it.

When traveling to any city, what I love best is exploring it on foot.  And that's exactly what we did.  From Union Square we walked through China Town, a very unique area of the city with market after market dotting the sidewalks and crowds of people milling about their daily tasks, unbothered by us tourists walking through the streets.  On one block we heard school children singing from an open window above and I thought about how much I was enjoying seeing the city and new things while all these people around me were just going about their daily routines.  We walked on through Fisherman's Warf, and then up through the marina area.  I was taken aback at how steep the city is, literally.  No need for stair-master or a gym, all you need to do in SF is walk.  There were many times I found myself at a 90 degree angle, bent over in attempt to make the steep climb a bit easier.  As we continued on meandering through the streets, one thing that stands out in San Francisco are the houses.  The architecture is beautiful and often times breathtaking with Victorian houses lining the streets, tall and reminiscent of an earlier time period that is preserved in the buildings.

Now one thing I was on the hunt for during our visit to SF was a great bowl of Cioppino.  For those that don't know Cioppino is a fish stew, it was made famous in San Francisco and as I am a HUGE sea food lover, I knew I had to go on the quest for a great big bowl of it.  We found a place at Fisherman's wharf, ordered a beer and glass of wine respectively and waited for the bowl of deliciousness.  The waitress brought it out and let me tell you, it was all I thought it would be and more.  I probably sound a bit silly with how passionate I was about this bowl of food.  But really, I love food and this was something I was really looking forward to.  It arrived and it was massive complete with an entire crab that had been stewed in a savory tomato based broth.  We sat for a good hour cracking the crab and relishing in the wonderful flavors. It was a great San Francisco moment, delicious and perfect.

A last highlight of our time in San Francisco was our bike ride over the golden gate bridge and into Sausalito.  From our starting point at Fisherman's Wharf, we biked up the very steep hill to the start of the bridge.  It was a crowded ride but beautiful no less.  The bridge is grand and impressive, definitely assuming prominence in the bay over any other structure.  On the other side we descended another very steep and winding hill into the small waterside town of Sausalito.  From there we decided (actually I decided) that I wasn't up for pedaling back up the huge hill we rode down so took the ferry back over to the city.  As we passed by the Golden Gate bridge for a different view of the structure, I had to inhale a deep breath and smile at the beauty and charm of this great bayside city.  Lucky for us the boat took a small detour and passed us right by Alcatraz Island which I have to say looked quite ominous even in the setting of a bright and sunny day.

When it was time to depart from San Francisco, it was a bittersweet goodbye.  As I said in the last post, I did have a sort of love affair with the city; with it's delicious culinary offerings, the quaint areas with steep and narrow streets lined with Victorian homes, with the sweeping scenic portraits that points of the city offers to the many views of the bay that can be seen from all over the city.  I felt that we were leaving on a high point which is always a great way to leave - to feel like we saw so much, did so much and loved every bit of the vacation.  I know that we'll be back to California many times again but this trip will forever be a very special one which is why from time to time I'll be dreaming of California.

California Dreaming (Part 1)

I held my breath as our car hugged every curve. Not because I was scared but because I was anticipating what lay ahead. Each turn yielded a new exceptional view of the coastline.  I wondered how the road we were driving on was still in tact and hadn't fallen into parts of the Pacific with the ocean's waves below crashed unforgivingly into the side of the cliff asserting its dominance as part of the natural and beautiful world we live in.

Our trip had a simple goal: to drive up the California coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco spending as much of the drive as possible on Hwy 1, a highway that hugs the coastline boasting dramatic and picturesque views of the Pacific.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this drive.  I had heard that it was beautiful, that it was well worth the extra time it takes to use this route rather than the major interstate to travel north.  But what I found was that it far surpassed any of my expectations.

Our first stop on the trip was Santa Barbara; a place that holds a special meaning for me since I spent four years there getting my Undergraduate degree.  I felt nostalgic walking around the downtown area, admiring the Spanish architecture of the buildings and the hillside dotted with houses that faced sweeping views of the ocean.  As we stood on the pier and admired the sinking sun that was slipping behind the hills casting pink and orange rays through the silhouettes of palm trees, I thought about my time in the town and admitted to myself that I probably took the beautiful setting I studied in for granted - if even just a little.

As we traveled on up the coast, I couldn't help but think about how "new" California is.  It was only established as a state in 1850 as part of The Compromise of 1850.  Compared to South Carolina which declared its independence from Britain and set up its own government in 1776 or New York which was admitted to the United States in 1787 or Illinois which became a state in 1818, California has a much younger history as a U.S. state.  I thought about what early settlers must have thought of the coastline.  You can look out across the Pacific for as far as the eye can see and it's hard not to wonder what's going on across the ocean, or what lies beneath the surface for that matter.  I expected Hwy 1 to be littered with beach town after beach town - who wouldn't want to live in such a picturesque place? But this was not the case.  Much of the drive consisted of our car flanked by countryside and ocean - vast unadulterated scenery.

Next stop was a small town called Cambria.  A person could easily fall in love with the charming town and gorgeous coastline.  Seals are abundant here hanging out in the waters near the shoreline, bobbing up and down with the ebb and flow of the tide and waves that encompassed them.  We left Cambria to head further up the coast in search of a famed Elephant Seal beach.  We were lucky with the time of year we were visiting since the seals had just given birth and had migrated to the protected shores to raise their pups before braving the dangers and threats of the ocean waters.  We arrived at the beach to find hundreds of them sprawled out across the sand and sometimes across each other.  These creatures are quite phenomenal with females weighing in at 1,500 lbs and males topping the scales at 5,000 lbs.  They throw their weight forward just to gain an inch or two across the sand simultaneously putting out strange noises.  I couldn't tell if they were languishing in frustration or if it was some kind of strange mating call they were serenading to each other.  Either way, they were a sight to see and seemed blissfully unbothered by the crowd of people that were staring, gawking and taking their photograph.

We finally pried ourselves away from watching the animals in their natural habitat and ventured further north en route to Big Sur.  This was perhaps the most scenic portion of the drive.  The highway made hairpin turns as we climbed up and then sped down the carved out road in the mountains and we marveled as we passed over several bridges built in the 1930s.  The land seemed as if it remains untouched with cows grazing fields that extend from the road to where they kiss the edge of the water.  (These cows don't have a clue they have the best views for miles around).  Once in and around Big Sur, the scenery changed slightly to where I realized I was now in Northern California.  There are beautiful big Redwood Trees that create forests and provide an aesthetically appealing contrast to the blue of the ocean.

It was bittersweet leaving the Big Sur area.  In part because that meant we were halfway done with our adventure up the coast.  The next stop was to be Carmel; before arriving in the quaint town that was for a brief time the state capitol and also has claim to fame because Clint Eastwood served as mayor of the town.  This is also the place where the famed Pebble Beach Golf Course makes its home.  To me, the most exciting leg of this trip was a visit to Point Lobos state reserve.  In one short hike we witnessed a group of four gray whales right off the coast, passing by as part of their migratory route they travel each year.  We were also lucky enough to see seals and sealions playing in the coves and an otter snacking on what we think was a crab.  There's something quite serene and even magical about seeing animals in their natural environment. Instead of viewing them in cages, eating hand fed fish or playing on artificial rocks their playground is the expansive blue waters of the ocean that are often times rough and choppy, cold and salty but beautiful and immeasurable.

The last two legs of our trip were a stop in Walnut Creek, in the bay area and to round out the adventure, a stay in San Francisco.  I had my own love affair with San Francisco and it's hilly streets, delicious food and victorian style homes.  But that is for a different story.  For now I just want to relish in the beautiful Hwy 1 drive, the scenic views, the seemingly untouched territory, the quiet calm and steady breeze of falling asleep to the crashing of waves.

To be continued...