California Dreamin' - Pacific Coast Highway to Los Osos

Breakfast at Paul's
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Too soon, it was time to leave the OC (Orange County, California) and start the drive home. But first, Dave joined us for breakfast at Paul's Pantry, where the waitress was energetic and sassy and the food was hot and plentiful. I love a diner atmosphere in the morning. Looking out the window at the spectacular weather, palm trees, and flowers made me wish we were staying on for a few more days. Or years. I seem to feel that way about every place I visit, don't I? Our friends Dave and Reggie had been wonderful hosts and great company. It was hard to leave. It always seems to be. [Thanks again, Dave and Reggie. Looking forward to seeing you at our place soon!]

The coastline in Southern California looks so much
different than in Northern California!
Photo from moving vehicle (again) by Chris.
All rights reserved anyway.

We decided to drive up the coast rather than going back home the same way we had come. It had been many years since we'd been up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway), Highway 1. What a beautiful drive it is. Blue skies, beaches, palm trees, surfers riding waves. Massive homes on the edges of cliffs, overlooking the panorama. I thought of scenes from films, with large gatherings of beautiful people dripping in diamonds and designer clothing, sipping cocktails on the pool terrace while the sun sets. Not something I'm likely to experience anytime soon, probably. But daydreams can be wonderful things.

Just because you can never see enough sunsets...
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Beach Boys music played softly in the background of my thoughts as we passed Malibu, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach...and we realized it wouldn't take long to get to Los Osos, where our nephew and his family are happily ensconced. And so, on the spur of the moment, we decided to drop in on Stephen and Jessie and the boys, just to say, “Hello!” We had intended to stay at a hotel in San Luis Obispo or Morro Bay, but they wouldn't hear of it, even though they were preparing to leave for a weekend camping trip. Yes, we really do have that kind of family. Are we blessed, or what? Steve and Jessie are very environmentally minded, and Steve has built an addition to their home that's made of straw bales. It's an all-purpose room with study areas, couches, and the guest quarters. The thickness of the walls surprised me, as did the smooth stucco covering. The windows are set deep into the walls, so the windowsills act as shelves, with plenty of room for knick knacks or pictures. Jessie is working on smooth stone mosaics to cover the shelf surfaces. The room is pleasant and comfortable. I was proud and impressed at their skills.

The Green Flash forming.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We arrived just in time to rush up to the state park, leave our vehicles, and admire the beautiful sunset over the Pacific Ocean. As the sun dipped, we saw “The Green Flash!” Wow! Not just any green flash, either, but a huge one! It was the first time I'd ever seen this environmental phenomon happen, and how special to share it with Steve's little boys. All of us held our breaths for a moment. It was so unexpected and wonderful and thrilling.

Steve and Jessie at Sylvester's
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

What could we do after that but go to their favorite burger joint to celebrate? Sylvester's serves up a fantastic burger. If you don't like the Hearst Ranch beef, you can try the elk or buffalo or turkey or chicken or black bean or veggie or...well, just check out the menu on the link. They have a couple of locations, but the one in Los Osos is the original. There are lots of entertaining “customer birthday” photographs on the walls and ceiling. The restaurant is casual, and the staff is friendly. Los Osos seems like it would be a relaxed place to live. Well, once the city is all finished tearing up the whole place to put in the sewer system, anyway!

View of the sandspit, Morro Bay, from Los Osos
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

California Dreamin' - Driving to the OC

Lush vegetation in the farmlands of the San Joaquin valley.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Harry and I have been threatening to visit our friend Dave and his lovely wife, Reggie, in Southern California for years. We decided to just do it!

We left early, early in the morning from our Bay Area home in order to avoid the rush hour traffic, which we mostly did. Breakfast was "on the run" at McDonald's. I know.

San Joaquin Valley, California
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We didn't realize how many years it had been since we'd driven down the I-5 corridor southward. It used to be a barren wasteland, but now there are orchards and fields and things to look at. So, the drive wasn't nearly as tedious as we remembered.

As it turned out, this price was not
the highest we would pay.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Gas was pretty expensive, though. We figured it was the timing of our trip, because it had gone up about 50 cents a gallon since the previous week.

"Dust bowl" country.
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Around Kettleman City, we started seeing signs that said something like, "This dust bowl brought to you by Congress." (Click on the link to see a news video about the situation.) Apparently, the farmers are unable to access the water they need for the crops, to the land is lying fallow. When the wind blows, the dust billows, causing low visibility and major pile-ups on the road. Happily, this particular day was spectacular. But I felt sad for the farmers who have lost their crops and their livelihood. It isn't like you can just go get a job somewhere. Farming is risky business.

Yes, please!
Photo by Chris.

Speaking of Kettleman City, the last time we drove by there on our way back up from Los Angeles, there was a bright flash of blue light in the sky, and then traffic absolutely stopped for hours. A small plane had hit the electric lines and crashed. Sometimes when you're driving by a place, memories come rushing back. They aren't always pleasant ones.

We gassed up, had lunch at In-N-Out Burger, and headed on down. There was very little traffic. It was a lovely and relaxing drive. So far.

Citrus groves with snowy mountain backdrops.
Much prettier in person!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Suddenly, we were at the Grapevine and heading over the pass to the Los Angeles basin. It always surprises me that, this time of year, there's snow in the mountains down there. I think of the area as balmy and warm, full of sunshine and beaches and surfers.

You might be wondering why most of the pictures I'm posting are blurry in the front and just fine in the distance. They're being taken from a vehicle that's moving at freeway speeds. Harry offered to stop, but if you stop every time you want to take a picture during a 450-or-so-mile drive, you'll never get to your destination.

Six Flags Magic Mountain. I used to love these rides!
Photo by Chris. 

As we drove by Six Flags Magic Mountain (amusement park), I thought to myself, "Hooray! We're almost there!" But, of course, we weren't. I always think that when I get to Magic Mountain, and then it's always at least another hour to where I'm actually going. We hadn't yet hit Los Angeles traffic, and we thought we would be lucky and miss it entirely. There we go, thinking again! But it only bottlenecked for a short distance, and then traffic cleared again. It was a good day to drive to LA.

When we arrived at Dave and Reggie's absolutely gorgeous home in Orange County in the middle of the afternoon, Dave was already busy cooking the most delicious ribs for us, and we sat at the bar under the pergola in the back yard, catching up and talking about old times. Friendship is a great gift.