14 April 2024: Heading back to Burbank

 

Relaxing in Morro Bay - great read

So spent a few days in Morro Bay. Went out surfing once when the wind calmed down, but realized that I am not as young and fit as back in the day. Then moved on to Pismo beach - great open beach, but ended up with lots of the typical west coast mist for the first time.  All very wet, cold and spooky.  

Waiting for the fishermen to come home at the Morro Bay harbor entrance

Pismo beach and the ride into town from the RV park

Pismo beach pier

Well, the eclipse was happening somewhere...

I suppose they are 4-wheel drive and will not rust

The RV camp host.  Luckily my site was not underneath that

Misty morning

Crappy little house on the beach in Pismo

Some good dinner - thanks Rob

Did not think a Tesla could pull anything, but hey...

Spooky.  Was amazing the number of trailers and RVs that ventured out on the beach

 

Then spent a night back at Rincon Parkway State Park. You cannot beat the view or the sites, except that I got woken up at midnight on Thursday night with waves splashing against the RV. It was a very high tide and an onshore wind. At least I did not have it as bad as the trailer in-front of me - they had parked closer to the beach and were being hammered by the waves. I do not think it did the Whale any good either, but luckily there was lots of rain in the forecast, so hopefully it would all wash off.

The trailer that got splashed most of the night.

Dinner time for the pelicans

More than 100 sites along the PCH  (US1)

My people

Position position position

On the way back to Burbank I stopped off at Ventura pier for lunch.  What a great place.  Excellent surf spot, broad promenade and a great pier.  Will need to go back.

Ventura point

Crazy amount of driftwood on the beach

Memorial stones?

So spent the weekend in the street in-front of Greg's house - mooch docking - while they were coming back from Texas after the eclipse.  Lots of rain to wash the salt off the Whale and discovered that Burbank downtown is actually not bad at all.

Next week: Taking Barbie in for a new engine...

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