December 7th, Morro Bay, CA

Today we traveled from Monterey, CA to Morro Bay, CA to take advantage of the area to see the Hearst Castle on Friday.

Our camp ground is on the Beach looking directly at Morro Rock.

The nine sisters are extinct volcano peaks which run in an approximately straight line for twelve miles, stretching from Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo. These peaks seperate the Los Osos and Chorro Valleys. The peaks are approximately 21 million years old. Davidson Seamount, disregarded as part of the chain, is submerged about 2 1/2 miles offshore of Morro Rock.

This area was the original home of the Chumash Indians, who made camps at the base of these peaks and ate the berries and roots found growing in the mountain sides. There is currently an effort being made to have the peaks named as historical landmarks, and thus preserved from further development.
MORRO ROCK Elevation 576 feet. It is also called "the Gibralter of the Pacific" and is probably the most famous peak. It was first sighted in 1542 by Juan Cabrillo. At one time it was surrounded by water. Quarrying was responsible for its shape, and rock from it supplied the breakwater for Morro Bay.

A picturesque seaside village located along scenic Highway 1 halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Find ocean-side golf, kayaking, sailing, hiking, fishing, surfing, biking and miles of unspoiled beaches. Mix in our popular shopping districts, enticing restaurants, art galleries, museums and warm, friendly atmosphere. It's the perfect natural escape.

Local boats, of all sizes, decorate with lights for the holiday season and cruise the harbor. The Morro Bay White Caps and the San Luis Obispo City Band will be playing Christmas music at the South T-pier

December 4, 2012 Carmel/Big Sur

Today we drove south down Highway 1 thru Carmel by the Sea, Big Sur and the 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach.

Carmel by the Sea founded in 1902 and incorporated in 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, the town is known for its natural scenery and rich artistic history. In 1906, the San Francisco Call devoted a full page to the "artists, poets and writers of Carmel-by-the-Sea", and in 1910 it reported that 60 percent of Carmel's houses were built by citizens who were "devoting their lives to work connected to the aesthetic arts." Early City Councils were dominated by artists, and the town has had several mayors who were poets or actors, including Herbert Heron, founder of the Forest Theater, bohemian writer and actor Perry Newberry, and actor-director Clint Eastwood, who was mayor for one term, from 1986 to 1988.

Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from thePacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big country of the south", referring to its location south of the Monterey Peninsula. The terrain offers stunning views, making Big Sur a popular tourist destination. Big Sur's Cone Peak is the highest coastal mountain in the contiguous 48 states, ascending nearly a mile (5,155 feet) above sea level, only three miles from the ocean.

Although Big Sur has no specific boundaries, many definitions of the area include the 90 miles (140 km) of coastline from the Carmel River south to the San Carpoforo Creek, and extend about 20 miles inland to the eastern foothills of the Santa Lucias

17-Mile Drive is a scenic road through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsula in California, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses and mansions. Part of it serves as the main road through the gated communityof Pebble Beach. Inside this community, nonresidents have to pay a toll to use the road. Like the community, the majority of 17-Mile Drive is owned and operated by the Pebble Beach Corporation. The 17-Mile Drive is a 17-mile long scenic loop having five entrances, including one at California State Route 1 and one at Pacific Grove off Sunset Drive.From the Sunset Drive/Pacific Grove gate, the drive runs inland past Spanish Bay, then adjacent to beaches and up into the coastal hills, providing scenic viewpoints. The route allows for self-directed travel and stopping, with frequent turnouts along the roadway in many locations along the route. Without stops, it takes a minimum of 20 minutes to reach Carmel. The numerous turnouts allow stopping to take pictures, or getting out to stroll along the ocean or among the trees. Visitors receive a map that points out some of the more scenic spots. In addition, a red-dashed line is marked in the center of the main road to guide visitors, and help prevent them from venturing into the adjacent neighborhood streets

December 3, 2012 Monterey, CA.

We arrived here in Monterey this afternoon to a nice 62 degrees and plenty of sunshine. What a nice change and of course it appears from the weather that the area of the state has gotten in some cases more than 12 inches of rain in the last few days.

We definitely feel we've seen every inch of it.

We toured around the area along the coastline and saw some prospects for our new home. One was very nice on a point overlooking the ocean was a mere 11 million, although we were not to sure where we would park the motor home HA HA.

Saw a really cool light house, Point Pinos which was built in 1855 in Pacific Grove.

This lighthouse is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast, its beacon has flashed nightly as a guide and warning to shipping off the rocky California coast.

November 30, 2012 Sacramento CA

We made our way to the California State Capitol, took a tour of the capitol building and then went to a Car Museum.

About all one can do when the weather is rainy outside.

Here are a few pictures to enjoy from Sacramento, CA.

We are headed further south on Monday Dec 3rd in hope of finding better weather.

November 27, 2013

I wanted to post a few pictures that we took on I80 west of Fernley, NV.

These were at Donner Pass on the CA side of I80.

The lake appeared to be frozen solid.