California, Baby!

I left the San Francisco area without actually going into the city, save the drive through on 101 on the way down. The course sucked up so much time and energy — as y’all know since I managed only one quick update while there — that the one half-day off I had I spent in mindless mall wandering and getting my poor, dirty car washed.

From Stanford I headed over to Santa Cruz. I had hoped to park and take a walk on the boardwalk and grab some real breakfast, but parking was outrageous and nothing seemed to be open anyway. On the way out I cruised through downtown proper, and again nothing seemed to be open. It might be a fun place another time.

From there I drove around the bay to Monterey and Pacific Grove just beyond, and fell in love. Pacific Grove is everything you imagine a California coastal town to be, except even more expensive than you think it is. I have decided that when I have my billions, I will have a little house here. I did the obligatory 17 Mile Drive, which lives up to its hype and is worth the $8 it costs to drive it. Stopped in Carmel for some gas on the other side; would have liked to have wandered a bit, but there was not a parking spot in sight for miles around. Seems like a grand little town, though.

People had warned me about Highway 1 south of there, but I have to say that it was a piece of cake compared to the northern California section. It was twisty-turny, but mostly well-paved and wide and just a gorgeous, gorgeous road. There was more traffic than on the upper part, though.

I made the stop at the famous Nepenthe for a late lunch and a refreshing beverage. The food was merely okay but grandly overpriced and the service was amazingly slow, but wow what a cool place. Its decks are perched 800-some feet above the sea below — straight below — and the views are surreal. I chatted with the couple next to me at the bar, he from LA and she recently arrived from Colombia, and realized how woefully bad my Spanish has become. I need to do something about that.

I made it to Hearst Castle in San Simeon an hour before closing, and an hour after the last tour of the day. I inquired about tours the next morning, and was told that they were already sold out until the next afternoon, so decided to give it a pass until next time. My hotel was in San Luis Obispo, about an hour farther south. San Luis Obispo is another California town that I like a lot. It has a nice downtown area with some nice cafes and coffeehouses, *two* old-style movie theaters, and a Spanish mission (where Mass was taking place, so I didn’t get to poke my head in). Being that it was Sunday evening, all the shopping was closed, but I had a nice time wandering around anyway.

Killer breakfast was to be had the next day at the Apple Farm restaurant. Highly recommended, should you ever find yourself traveling 101 though San Luis Obispo at breakfast time. South from there I stuck with 101, and made it to Santa Barbara in about two hours. Santa Barbara really is the turning point into southern California. It has the same expensive downtown shopping area as Monterey and a great assortment of restaurants, but something about it is intangibly different. It was worth an hour or so of wandering around. I called M to finalize directions to her place from there, and was routed way around LA — or so I thought.

I really don’t understand how anyone can live in LA. Yes, it has some cool stuff going on, but it is just a horrible city to get around in, and the smog is evil, and it is just endless, monotonous sprawl. What looks like the highway around town is still in town, and bumper-to-bumper traffic almost the whole way. I made it before dark, though, and we got to spend the next couple of days catching up with each other.

I compromised on my compulsion to complete the whole (U.S.) West Coast: Rather than drive myself and stay overnight in San Diego, M & I took the kids to the San Diego Zoo on Wednesday, which is what I really wanted to see there this time anyway, and called it good. The youngest panda was out taking a nap in a photogenic position, much to my delight.

The San Diego Zoo is awesome, terrible map and overpriced food aside. Very hilly, though, and thus not for the faint of heart.

I cruised across the Mojave Desert on the traditional I-15 on Thursday, and have been hanging out with Cousin Kurt in Las Vegas these past two days. I’ve stayed away from the Strip, since I plan to be back here with friends this winter. Mostly it’s just been hanging out and relaxing and having a couple of good meals. I leave here in about two hours, on my way to the Grand Canyon, where I miracle of all miracles managed to get a decent hotel reservation in Grand Canyon Village for tonight and tomorrow night by calling yesterday.

No chance of Internet access there, so until Albuquerque, then…