A Valient Attempt to Stop the Pacific

Score:
Isaac 0
Pacific 1
I have a feeling that won't deter him at the next beach. We have had a leisurely drive south. We veered out toward the coast at Pismo Beach which was very underwhelming. It appeared very "beachy" with various surf shops etc and the beachfront wasn't quickly accessible so we moved along. The dunes we saw further along were impressive though. Apparently they have been featured in many films. One tour book says they are still uncovering the set from the 1923 film The Ten Commandments. We were wondering if they could have been Tatooine from Star Wars. Another Google search coming up.

From there we traveled inland a bit through another agricultural area near Guadelupe. We did stop today and loaded up on fruit and avacados. Not the prices we saw previously but we're looking forward to fresh guacamole tonight.

The beach pictured above is in Carpinteria.  This town is between Santa Barbara and Ventura. A colony of drilling platforms are offshore. Something must be coming up because Isaac's legs and feet ended up with beads of tar on them.  Hmmm.... Makes you wonder about the local sea life.  The beach was busy but not crowded as we would've expected on a Saturday.  Onward we go!

Visiting the Ranch in San Simeon

Well, it was another SLOW day for the Notte's. We started our morning kayaking in Morro Bay. We glided past elephant seals out sunning and explored the sand spit across the bay. The dunes bumped along out to the big Morro rock. They were covered with an array of color from the various low scrubby vegetation and flowers. Little gray lizards blended in perfectly with the sand and dead wood. Crabs scuttled under rocks by the water and we could hear them clacking! Guess beachcombing is a favorite pasttime for us on either coast.

Lunch was at the Taco Temple, a local favorite. Let's talk fresh!! You start the meal with freshly baked chips and homemade salsas from the chip bar. Then choose from specialty seafood dishes or yummy vegetarian like I did. Or if you're like Adelaide you can have the tostados that were "almost vegetarian but with chicken."

Now for the trivia question of the day. Wendy RS--we expect you to be first to ring in. Consider it warm up for Minglewood this summer! Who is the person who has ties to two places we have visited? Okay--hint here: UC Berkeley and San Simeon.

The afternoon was spent learning about Hearst Castle. Just enough info to whet your appetite for more. I think they should point you to apps you buy tailored to your interest.  William Randolph Heart biography, Art of Hearst Castle, etc.  Mom-- I keep thinking you wanted to visit here when you and dad were out for the Olympics but you didn't have the chance. Is this right? This was right up your alley! We'll share when you next visit.

Our day ended with elephant seals. A little north of San Simeon is the Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery. The beach was full! They were mostly laying about tossing sand up on themselves and their neighbors. Occasionally there would be a tussle for space. We also saw a few swimming in the waves and then making their ungainly way up the beach, collapsing after several feet. Then they too would start the sand toss. Between Hearst and elephant seals, I think Wikipedia will get some hits from us tonight!  Apparently there is a live-cam from the rookery if you are interested in more information:  www.elephantseal.org.

Tomorrow we journey further south. Jean, Jeff and Amanda-- we are all looking forward to seeing you tomorrow in Oxnard !!!

Point Sur

Just one of many of the spectacular views heading south

Monterey

montereybayaquarium.org

Three for three with our "museums." We had to pry ourselves away from the touch tanks where we found the only east coast commonality to be the hermit crab. Kelps were pretty interesting and we learned about all sorts of creatures totally unfamiliar to us. All the exhibits were fascinating and appealed to all! We also saw a show right out back in the kelp beds where the sea otter were feasting and playing.

We had one " should have" moment on our drive down. We found ourselves driving through a small but dense agricultural area. Avocados 7 for $1, grapefruit 10 for $1, and almonds for $3.99 per lb. Holy guacamole!  By the time we made the decision to stop--zip! We were past it all. : (

Still in San Francisco

We had a full day yesterday.  The morning began with us strolling around Fisherman's Wharf and seeing the sea lions lounging about. Then lunch at beautiful Golden Gate Park. The windmills were constructed on 1902 to pump water but now just add interest to the surroundings. The afternoon was spent with some hands-on fun at the Exploratorium. Such an incredible place--fun for all ages.  www.exploratorium.edu. It will be moving soon but it's been located next to the Palace of Fine Arts which was created in 1915 for the Panama Pacific International Exposition. Lastly we braved the bracing breeze and took a boat rode on the Bay.  Off to Monterey and points south today.

Where in the world are those Notte's??

The Relic

Well, all those sayings like " you can never go back" or "nothing stays the same" blah, blah,blah....guess they are true. The cafe on the corner of Bancroft and Telegraph where Della and I used to play Scrabble is now a (sob!)....Subway! For that matter, many of the small cafes and even Peets have been taken over by Starbucks. Cody's is an empty shell decorated by graffiti. Sigh. John was happy to see that Blondies pizza still remained although slices are definitely no longer a dollar! And we stopped in at Moe's to browse the books. Good to see that longevity!

We stopped by John's old lab and the grad students there gave us the tour and were good sports about the walk down memory lane. John's trap was still there ( see above) and they wondered if we wanted to take it home with us : >

Isaac was very interested in the science building and the lab. He thinks he might want to go to UC Berkeley. Let's hope that translates to good study habits coming soon!

And was that trace of song at Sproul Plaza the ghost of Rick Starr??