OK. I'm WAY behind on here, so I'm going to start keeping you up to date with "quick fire" postings - to let you follow along until I can continue with the full-report versions.
As of today (Nov 1) we travelled from San Jose, California, all the way down the Pacific Coast Highway - to Anaheim. Here's a "quick shot" of today:
Well.
We made it from San Jose to Anaheim today and had some blessings along the way. There's a big storm off the coast, so we didn't know if we'd be able to see *anything* along the "Pacific Coast Highway" - down the twisty highway which runs along - and above - the Pacific ocean. It has *beautiful* views - IF you can see. But it takes quite a bit longer to drive it than to just go inland to I-5 - if you *can't* see. But we got a very-good nites' sleep (no Halloween for us really) and got an early start from San Jose - on the road by 8:15AM - and I worried our way along thru drizzle, then fog, then clear weather as we got to Monterrey. I had decided to just go for it - and the weather remained clear as we got to Carmel - which is the first truly-beautiful part of the drive.
We got to catch a number of amazing vistas
before rain got heavier and it got uncomfortably cold. So we *got* our views - and then it TOTALLY socked us in with fog. 20MPH was "pushing" it because I couldn't see the *road*.
"Leila" told us that the Pacific ocean was *right there* - but I even stopped once to listen - and look - and I couldn't see more than about 10 feet into the fog. Didn't know if there was a 300-foot sheer drop-off - or if the Pacific was even *there*. But that's OK: I actually "told" whatever deities that are watching over us - that it was OK - that we had gotten "enough" - before it all fogged in.
So at that point, I decided to just bag the coasal route and asked Leila for the *fastest* route from *there* - to our hotel in Anaheim. (smile)... By that time, the fastest route *was* to just continue on down thru the fog. So we did. And eventually it opened up and we got more beautiful vistas - perhaps even more beautiful because of the overcast: angry sea and rolling clouds and all.
Just before we got to the turn-off for Hearst Castle, I noticed 2 seals on the beach - right next to the road. BIG suckers. Elephant Seals. (They HAD to be big for me to notice them at 60MPH) COOL! And there was a parking lot there, so we pulled in and took a look.
Holey cow! No. Holey BULL. The beach was *littered* with Elephant Seals. Must have been 300 of them! There were volunteers there to explain to the tourists who happen by. This area is where they come to mate once a year - and this is that time of year. They're only here for about a month or two - then are gone for the rest of the year. Lucky timing for us - AGAIN.
They said that these were just the *little* ones: the pre-adults. That the full adults won't arrive until the end of the month. And these suckers were up to 10 feet long. Mostly just laying on each other, but 2 or 3 pairs were practice fighting - getting ready to fight for mating rights.
Really cute as they scratched themselves and barked and burped at each other. It reminded me of the famous "wind breaking" scene in "Blazing Saddles": "breaking wind" sounds are always funny and there were GOBS of those - constantly - as their "verbal" utterances. So we stood and took pictures and marvelled - maybe 20 feet away from this gigantic mass of elephant seals.
Way better than any zoo I've seen.
Back on the road and eventually made it thru the Los Angeles traffic - to Anaheim. I think we did about 400 miles in 10 hours total time.
We had dinner across the street from Disneyland - and are targetting the new "Disney California Experience" for tomorrow. We continue to have good luck on this trip - even when it seems like it *isn't* good luck.
As of today (Nov 1) we travelled from San Jose, California, all the way down the Pacific Coast Highway - to Anaheim. Here's a "quick shot" of today:
Well.
We made it from San Jose to Anaheim today and had some blessings along the way. There's a big storm off the coast, so we didn't know if we'd be able to see *anything* along the "Pacific Coast Highway" - down the twisty highway which runs along - and above - the Pacific ocean. It has *beautiful* views - IF you can see. But it takes quite a bit longer to drive it than to just go inland to I-5 - if you *can't* see. But we got a very-good nites' sleep (no Halloween for us really) and got an early start from San Jose - on the road by 8:15AM - and I worried our way along thru drizzle, then fog, then clear weather as we got to Monterrey. I had decided to just go for it - and the weather remained clear as we got to Carmel - which is the first truly-beautiful part of the drive.
We got to catch a number of amazing vistas
before rain got heavier and it got uncomfortably cold. So we *got* our views - and then it TOTALLY socked us in with fog. 20MPH was "pushing" it because I couldn't see the *road*.
"Leila" told us that the Pacific ocean was *right there* - but I even stopped once to listen - and look - and I couldn't see more than about 10 feet into the fog. Didn't know if there was a 300-foot sheer drop-off - or if the Pacific was even *there*. But that's OK: I actually "told" whatever deities that are watching over us - that it was OK - that we had gotten "enough" - before it all fogged in.
So at that point, I decided to just bag the coasal route and asked Leila for the *fastest* route from *there* - to our hotel in Anaheim. (smile)... By that time, the fastest route *was* to just continue on down thru the fog. So we did. And eventually it opened up and we got more beautiful vistas - perhaps even more beautiful because of the overcast: angry sea and rolling clouds and all.
Just before we got to the turn-off for Hearst Castle, I noticed 2 seals on the beach - right next to the road. BIG suckers. Elephant Seals. (They HAD to be big for me to notice them at 60MPH) COOL! And there was a parking lot there, so we pulled in and took a look.
Holey cow! No. Holey BULL. The beach was *littered* with Elephant Seals. Must have been 300 of them! There were volunteers there to explain to the tourists who happen by. This area is where they come to mate once a year - and this is that time of year. They're only here for about a month or two - then are gone for the rest of the year. Lucky timing for us - AGAIN.
They said that these were just the *little* ones: the pre-adults. That the full adults won't arrive until the end of the month. And these suckers were up to 10 feet long. Mostly just laying on each other, but 2 or 3 pairs were practice fighting - getting ready to fight for mating rights.
Really cute as they scratched themselves and barked and burped at each other. It reminded me of the famous "wind breaking" scene in "Blazing Saddles": "breaking wind" sounds are always funny and there were GOBS of those - constantly - as their "verbal" utterances. So we stood and took pictures and marvelled - maybe 20 feet away from this gigantic mass of elephant seals.
Way better than any zoo I've seen.
Back on the road and eventually made it thru the Los Angeles traffic - to Anaheim. I think we did about 400 miles in 10 hours total time.
We had dinner across the street from Disneyland - and are targetting the new "Disney California Experience" for tomorrow. We continue to have good luck on this trip - even when it seems like it *isn't* good luck.
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