Big Sur: The Sequel
Dec. 18th, 2007 02:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tenayaI'm back. We had fun. The cats missed us. :)
We got up to our motel at San Simeon at about 9:30pm. We stayed at the Best Western Cavalier and really liked it. It was next to the ocean and they had fire pits they lit at night down at the bluffs above the surf. They're pet friendly, too.
The next day we went to Hearst Castle and took advantage of the disabled tour they offered. It was for 4 people only, two with wheel chairs and two people to push the chairs. Mom got a chair because while she could have walked it all, she likes to sit and rest. This way, she was rested and enjoyed the visit, too. It was very cool to be in such a small group. The rooms were all decorated for Christmas and it was very festive. In fact, I have to say it was fun to travel at this time of year because I love all the lights and decorations and it added visual pleasure. And the trees and vineyards were all in their autumn colors of red, orange and yellows. I really like this time of year so much more than summer.
The next day we headed north, and stopped at the beach where all the elephant seals were loitering about. Not much action at the moment, but apparently in a week the babies start being born and about four weeks after that, the matings. Fights among the bulls get more ferocious. Total mayhem ensues with sometimes brutal, fatal consequences. So, if you want to see the whole circus, the last half of January has it all. I'll post some photos later.
The trip up Hwy 1 was glorious with a cloudless sky. I stopped at the turnouts often to take photos and enjoy the view. Once up at Big Sur State Park, we checked into our room and it had a fireplace as requested. :) I haven't had a wood fire for over a decade and that first night, we just sat in front of it, watched the flames, talked and wondered deep thoughts (like what exactly are "flames?")
The next day we stopped at Carmel and shopped at a very nice garden art shop and bought some stuff, including Xmas pressies. Then we went to the Monterey Aquarium and watched otters, jellyfish, tuna, sharks and a really odd creature called a sun fish. We were getting cranky so we had a late lunch there and it was pretty good really. Back at the cabin we had another fire. Since there are no tvs there, I'd brought my laptop and a few movies. We watched The Secretary and that was a very strange film that we talked about for days.
Sunday was a lazy day. Mom stayed at the cabin and rested and I took the little hike to the waterfalls, taking photos to my heart's content. I adore I don't have to pay to have film developed any more. That night we tried to watch The Incredibles but some warning popped up saying something about security. It makes me very annoyed that I have a legit copy of that movie but vista thinks there's a problem? I think Hollywood has gone too far with their paranoia!
I should add we had a marvelous meal at The Roadhouse, which is a few miles to the north. And they great music on, too (Chris Isaak, The Doors, Bob Marley....)
It rained that night; the ceiling is a simple plank roof so it's fairly noisy--think rain on a tent. Plus, we were under some trees so every time an acorn dropped and rolled off the roof it was pretty amusing, as were the heavy galloping of squirrels.
The drive home was much more moody and atmospheric, with foggy passages and the lovely smell of damp earth. The trip home took 8 hours but we stopped for dinner, Starbucks, watched the seals some more. We found out the kitties had behaved themselves. Brindle called to me with his little kitten voice as soon as I entered the house and he was sitting at the laundry room threshold calling to me. He is such a strange cat. Scooter hasn't let Mom out of the easy chair except for bathroom breaks. *g*
Today, we are catering the whims of the kitties, avoiding housework and playing catch up with the flist/email.
We got up to our motel at San Simeon at about 9:30pm. We stayed at the Best Western Cavalier and really liked it. It was next to the ocean and they had fire pits they lit at night down at the bluffs above the surf. They're pet friendly, too.
The next day we went to Hearst Castle and took advantage of the disabled tour they offered. It was for 4 people only, two with wheel chairs and two people to push the chairs. Mom got a chair because while she could have walked it all, she likes to sit and rest. This way, she was rested and enjoyed the visit, too. It was very cool to be in such a small group. The rooms were all decorated for Christmas and it was very festive. In fact, I have to say it was fun to travel at this time of year because I love all the lights and decorations and it added visual pleasure. And the trees and vineyards were all in their autumn colors of red, orange and yellows. I really like this time of year so much more than summer.
The next day we headed north, and stopped at the beach where all the elephant seals were loitering about. Not much action at the moment, but apparently in a week the babies start being born and about four weeks after that, the matings. Fights among the bulls get more ferocious. Total mayhem ensues with sometimes brutal, fatal consequences. So, if you want to see the whole circus, the last half of January has it all. I'll post some photos later.
The trip up Hwy 1 was glorious with a cloudless sky. I stopped at the turnouts often to take photos and enjoy the view. Once up at Big Sur State Park, we checked into our room and it had a fireplace as requested. :) I haven't had a wood fire for over a decade and that first night, we just sat in front of it, watched the flames, talked and wondered deep thoughts (like what exactly are "flames?")
The next day we stopped at Carmel and shopped at a very nice garden art shop and bought some stuff, including Xmas pressies. Then we went to the Monterey Aquarium and watched otters, jellyfish, tuna, sharks and a really odd creature called a sun fish. We were getting cranky so we had a late lunch there and it was pretty good really. Back at the cabin we had another fire. Since there are no tvs there, I'd brought my laptop and a few movies. We watched The Secretary and that was a very strange film that we talked about for days.
Sunday was a lazy day. Mom stayed at the cabin and rested and I took the little hike to the waterfalls, taking photos to my heart's content. I adore I don't have to pay to have film developed any more. That night we tried to watch The Incredibles but some warning popped up saying something about security. It makes me very annoyed that I have a legit copy of that movie but vista thinks there's a problem? I think Hollywood has gone too far with their paranoia!
I should add we had a marvelous meal at The Roadhouse, which is a few miles to the north. And they great music on, too (Chris Isaak, The Doors, Bob Marley....)
It rained that night; the ceiling is a simple plank roof so it's fairly noisy--think rain on a tent. Plus, we were under some trees so every time an acorn dropped and rolled off the roof it was pretty amusing, as were the heavy galloping of squirrels.
The drive home was much more moody and atmospheric, with foggy passages and the lovely smell of damp earth. The trip home took 8 hours but we stopped for dinner, Starbucks, watched the seals some more. We found out the kitties had behaved themselves. Brindle called to me with his little kitten voice as soon as I entered the house and he was sitting at the laundry room threshold calling to me. He is such a strange cat. Scooter hasn't let Mom out of the easy chair except for bathroom breaks. *g*
Today, we are catering the whims of the kitties, avoiding housework and playing catch up with the flist/email.
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Date: 2007-12-19 02:29 pm (UTC)My favorite part of the aquarium, besides the otters, is hands-down the jellyfish. I luuuuv jellies!
My 'driving Hwy 1 at Xmas' tale? 100% pea soup fog. Scary as hell. Glad you were luckier!