7 April 2024: San Francisco and Gene heading home.

 

 

 

So fell in love with Santa Cruz. The RV park was the parking lot in a quaint harbor.  We met weird and crazy people and did some great bike rides along the cliffs and then saw our first hip hop cover band that was extremely 'woke' - they had something of everything. Called Izzy and the Haze

The lighthouse at the Santa Cruz harbor entrance.  Waves were breaking across the entrance, so the boats had to time it well.

The boardwalk

Weird experience with some 'fairy' that just appeared through the hole in the wall.

The best cycle path.  California really does well with their cycle paths

Gene on an 'unstable' cliff.  The waves were huge

We are but small...

Note the old guy infront of the band.  85 years old, can hardly walk, but came specifically for the band and danced the whole night.

From Santa Cruz we went a few miles north to Half Moon Bay / Mavericks - the Nazare of the California coast.  Unfortunately the surf was small, but at least I got to surf Mavericks (the beach break) while Gene worked....  The RV park was next to a Ritz hotel, so it made for great sundowners, and the beach was once again dramatic.

A waterfall on the beach...

Roman ruines...Did they not think the sea would win?

Them whales are huge

Maverick at low tide and no swell

Sundowners at the Ritz.  That is an Irish coffee as it is cold by the way...

Lots of foam that moves in the wind

And then on to San Francisco - hell hole / crime capital / etc of America.  We walked for more than 10 miles through the city and saw less homeless people camping on the street, felt more safe and just had a great time all round than Phoenix, Boston or Houston.  As the Uber driver said "They cannot show SF as a successful city as it does not fit the narrative".

We saw the UN plaza, Alcatraz, ate Dungeness crabs (and saw how they catch them off the Pacifica pier) and then... we went to the DNA Lounge  Some contact of Gene's son runs the place.  Crazy... We met people from Germany who came over specifically to see Lutharo.

Driverless cars

Fisherman's Wharf

Our first Dungeness crab - not bad

Lutharo - bad ass

It is nice being a VIP

Then did a bit of the San Francisco tourist bit - went to the Sutro baths, Napa valley to revisit the 2 wineries we saw in 2008 - Chandon and V Sattui.  Memory lane...

Gene at the Taco Bell with the best view ever... the food still sucks - in Pacifica on the beach

V Sattui winery

Our RV park in Pacifica - same one we stayed at in 2008

20 steps from the RV

The Sutro baths - built in 1894

 And just like that, it was April 6 and Gene had to fly back to Boston for the eclipse and I went back to Morro Bay.  It is just one of my favorite spots on the west coast.

Sunday mince curry

Went for a drink at Legends (every town has a Legends bar).  Everyone was hardcore metal fans so I stayed for more than 1...

Sea otters in the bay

Too many SandDollars