Santa Barbara

Instead of just jumping on the freeway,  we asked Google maps to take us home and avoid highways.   The result was a very interesting and picturesque drive.

The highlight was when we were on CA 1 and saw a sign for Oso Flaco Lake.  Of course we turned off to explore that and what a terrific experience!  A good 8,300 steps along this walkway!

The walkway across Oso Flaco Lake

The walkway continues on the other side of the lake

The last bit of walkway up the dunes to the ocean

And there's the ocean

Looking back at the walkway from the top of the dunes

A pretty nice trip with lots of new things to see and do.

Paso Robles

Success!  Got the hat back from Hunter Ranch Golf Course!

Remembered that we had a mad panic in Pismo Beach when Norm thought the hat had fallen out of the car and we drove around the block looking for it, only to find out it was under the back seat!!

A calm drive down to Paso Robles and the golf course then checked into the hotel before lunch and on to explore a couple of places.  We wanted to see the Paso Robles Inn again which is a historic hotel and while we didn't go inside, the outside was lovely.  Of course, it being winter meant it wasn't as colorful as it would normally be.

Big kick out of this.  Think we walked through here with Gerald some years ago.

Don't recall seeing this before so it may be somewhat new

The rocks are so white they almost look snow covered

While looking at a website we discovered that Paso Robles was known for its hot springs although neither one of us ever heard of hot springs in this area so we decided to investigate further.  Come to find out that there are hot springs in what's called River Oaks Hot Springs & Spa so we went by to check it out.  They have the tubs and massage rooms and plan a major expansion this coming year.

There are multiple private outdoor tubs and plans this year to build more.  They also have indoor tubs.

A couple of the outdoor tubs facing the vineyards

So tomorrow it's back home.  We're planning to hit Buellton in time for lunch at Ellens!  Yum!

Pacific Grove

A pretty quiet day.   We changed hotels to be across the street from Lovers Point.  Then did a short drive up the coast and stopped for a fabulous lunch at the Sandbar & Grill in Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf.

We tried to make a dinner reservation across the street at the Beach House Restaurant but they were full up.   So we decided we'd go for a drink in the bar and discovered they had a special menu at the bar so that was our dinner.   We really lucked out.

Lovers Point

Lovers Point

Lovers Point

Lovers Point

Yesterday we spent at least an hour calling every place we had stopped the day before to see if Norm had left his fedora there (really! ).  Turns out he did leave it at Hunter Ranch Golf Course in Paso Robles so we will stop there tomorrow on our way south. Ha ha.

Pacific Grove

Seemed a long drive here this morning and seemed longer still the closer we got to Monterey because of the increase in traffic.  Still, we got here with only a few minutes of rain along the way.  By mid-afternoon all the clouds had cleared and we were back to sunny skies.

Coincidentally, the hotel where we're staying is directly across the street from the hotel we stayed in several years ago with Pat, Ed, Evelyn and Vic.  In fact, I took a photo of the table we sat around in the evening for a good laugh and happy hour.

Sea Breeze Inn

The last time the six of us came up here was in October 2005.  We drove up in the RV and had a condo for a couple of days.  Found this awful photo (forgot camera was on black and white, plus  the flash on the camera reflected in the window).  Oh well, it's still nostalgia.

After all the years coming here, we finally found the Point Pinos Lighthouse open

From the lighthouse looking toward the golf course and ocean.  Love the gnarled trees here.

Pacific Grove Maritime Gardens

Tribute to John Denver whose plane crashed off the coast by the Pacific Grove Maritime Gardens

El Paso de Robles

Started our day at our favorite breakfast spot in Cambria, the Creekside Gardens and then had a long walk along Moonstone Beach on the walkway.

Moonstone Beach walkway

Moonstone Beach walkway

Moonstone Beach walkway

Then we headed east on highway 46 towards Paso Robles.  The road was lovely and everything is so green, thanks to the recent rainfalls.

Hwy 46

We decided to check out a winery we had seen online because of the sculpture garden there.  Wow!  It was incredible.  It's called Sculpterra Winery and Sculpture Garden.

We stopped at the Estrella Warbirds Museum & Woodland Auto Display on the way to our hotel.

Cambria

Had to stop this morning in Harmony, population 18.  They have the most magnificent pottery and glass blown products!  Of course, they also had 4 of the decorated cows of the CowParade SLO.

Our friends Tom and Wendy came here to get married about 20 years ago

 We then took a tour of Nitt Witt Ridge in Cambria.  This is a quote from Wikipedia:

"Nitt Witt Ridge is a house on two and a half acres in Cambria, California, United States. Artist/recluse Arthur "Art" Harold Beal (d. 1992) bought his hillside lot in 1928 and spent most of the next 50 years carving out the terraces with only a pick and shovel, creating his own "castle on a hill".

Arthur Harold Beal is known as Der Tinkerpaw or Captain Nitt Witt. Beal was garbage collector for the town of Cambria in the 1940s and 1950s and made good use of what Cambrians were throwing away, as well as the natural materials on the property, in the nearby pine forests, and on the area's beaches. Some parts are also reportedly remnants from Hearst Castle where he supposedly worked for a time. Other common building materials are beer cans, abalone shells, and concrete. There are also washer drums, car rims, tile, car parts, and old stoves."

The toilet seats on the wall were used as picture frames for his favorite movie stars

Visitors didn't have to stop the conversation just because they needed to use the bathroom

Stairway to upper patio

A drive north and we had to pull over at the Hearst Castle area...

Zebras at Hearst Castle

Then on to the elephant seal viewing area.  We can't believe the number of people travelling at this time of year!

Elephant Seals

The back to Cambria.  An exploration of the Cambria Cemetery shows an unusual spot...so many decorated and whimsical gravesites.

Cambria Cemetery

Cambria Cemetery

And at the end of the afternoon, time for happy hour and Norm showing off his pedicure from Halloween!

And the evening ends at the Moonstone Beach Bar & Grill with chocolate martinis and lamp chops.

Cayucos

We took a drive down an unknown road and found a gated community called The Bluffs at San Luis Bay.  There was a public parking lot and walkway so we explored.   Unbelievable homes!

Then on to Avila beach and the San Luis Bay Harbor.

Lovely warm day and lots of folks walking around the harbor

Work boat was working hard to get these seals off this dock and got most off but a few stubborn ones stayed no matter what.

Just before we got to Morro Bay we stopped to check out this shooting range only to find out it's closed for maintenance on Tuesdays.

We'll have to stop by another time...looks like some interesting things to see, especially the archery.

On to Morro Bay. ..

Morro Rock, of course

The Giant Chessboard

The Giant Chessboard

Couldn't resist these Santa's helpers

Our dinner tonight in Cayucos...

Schooner Restaurant