San Francisco

San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, CA:  Drove into San Francisco today.  Found out the Alcatraz tour was sold out until the end of July and the only way we could get out there was to take a city tour.  So we bought a 48-hour hop-on/hop-off tour which included Alcatraz.  Took the double-decker bus around San Francisco. Tomorrow we go back in and go out to Alcatraz and can jump on the bus again if we want.  After the bus tour we had lunch on Pier 39 at a really nice seafood restaurant with great views of Alcatraz, San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.  Then walked down to Ghirardelli Square.  Wanted to take a cable car, but people were lined up to get on, so we didn’t bother.  I liked it much better when I was out here in 1982.  I did all the driving back then and it seemed very easy to get around and not as many people.  Today there were SO MANY PEOPLE.  Of course Fisherman’s Wharf is a very touristy area.  Drove back to Pacifica.  Mike did all the driving—bless him!  As we were driving back the fog started rolling in.  The view in back of us is now shrouded in fog.  70 today.

Coit Tower

Ferry Building Spire

Beautiful City Hall

China Gate--Chinatown

Alcatraz

Golden Gate with the fog rolling in

Little seal on the dock--Pier 39

Ghirardelli Square

Same shot back in 1982

Homes on the hills around San Francisco.  Would you want to live here?

KOA, Moss Landing, Monterey Bay, to San Francisco RV Resort, Pacifica, CA:  Left Moss Landing this morning at 10:40 a.m. and took the Pacific Coast Highway north to Route 17 northeast.  Route 17 was a winding, twisting road up over the mountains through a lush conifer forest—a beautiful conifer forest.  Then dropped down into a pretty valley northeast of San Jose and took 280 northwest back to the Pacific Coast Highway just south of San Francisco.  Got to our park and were set up by 2:00.  Our site backs up to the Pacific on a 50-ft. bluff.  Beautiful!  You can hear the waves crashing in below us.  The sites here are really close together, but the view out our back window is priceless.  After getting set up we drove south on the Pacific Coast Highway, since we decided not to drive it with the fifth wheel in tow.  But it was doable—even though it would have taken us longer.  They’re just finishing up a tunnel and bridge to go around an area of the PCH that has a lot of rock falls.  Probably costs the state a lot to keep this section of road open.  Drove down to Pescadero and then turned around.  Mike drove down and I drove back.  It sure seemed a lot different than the drive I did down to Carmel from San Francisco back in 1982.  Half Moon Bay was a tiny little town back then.  Now it has a population of 13,000 with lots of traffic and lots of traffic lights.  Still a beautiful drive though.  On the way back we stopped at an eatery Mike saw on the show, “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives”—The Gorilla Barbecue.  Really good.  Back to our park and waiting for, hopefully, an amazing sunset.  68 here in Pacifica but felt warmer.  One bad thing here.  Even though we have cable TV, we don’t have AMC channel.  The first show this season of “Breaking Bad” is on AMC tonight.  But we can’t see it.  Grrrrrrrrr!

The view behind our site!

Yikes!

Just south of San Francisco

The beautiful California coast

Another beautiful view!

The PCH isn't scary.  This is scary--Red Mountain Pass, Colorado--no shoulder or guard rails!  And we drove this with the fifth wheel in tow.  

KOA, Moss Landing, Monterey Bay, CA:  Spent the morning catching up on e-mails, banking, etc.  We got a break from the marine layer in the form of a nice sunny day.  After lunch we drove over to our little seal and sea otter colonies.  The seals were all asleep on the beach.  The sea otters were all asleep out in the little bay.  In the open sea, the sea otters wrap themselves in the kelp which anchors them and keeps them from drifting while they sleep.  Had dinner at the Whole Enchilada and then back to our park.  Tomorrow we leave for Pacifica which is just south of San Francisco.  We were going to drive up the PCH, but the park where we’re staying at in Pacifica doesn’t recommend we do that.  So, we’re going to have to find a different route (sigh).  Mid-60s today.

The old post office in Moss Landing--the new one isn't much bigger.

Probably a mercantile building at one time.

Nap time at the sea otter colony.

Sound asleep...

There were a bunch of jelly fish in the little bay.

Whale Watching

KOA, Moss Landing, Monterey Bay, CA:  This morning we boarded a 60-foot cruiser for some whale watching out in Monterey Bay.  Only a few miles out we started seeing them.  There were so many I lost count.  Mostly blue whales and a couple of hump back whales.  It was really great!  Then the vomiting started.  There were some big rollers out there as we were idling.  Fortunately, I don’t get sea sick—unless it’s alcohol related.  Unfortunately, Mike does.  He was on the back of the boat most of the time miserable.  At least he never threw up.  Several others did and they just hosed off the back.  And it was a beautiful day for it.  You could actually see both ends of the bay, which is unusual so they tell us. The Monterey Canyon is just off Moss Landing which is 10,000 feet deep.  It’s deeper and wider than the Grand Canyon.  We were back by 2:00, but Mike was wiped out.  Just relaxed the rest of the day. 

Two blue whales--one blowing and one showing its fluke

Another blue whale.

We wake up to these guys every morning.  They've taken over one of the docks at the marina.

Out for a sail on Monterey Bay

Santa Cruz

KOA, Moss Landing, Monterey Bay, CA:  The marine layer gave us a break this morning.  It moved back out to sea pretty quickly.  Still cool though.  After lunch we drove up the coast to Santa Cruz and beyond.  The PCH went away from the coast until we reached Santa Cruz.  And the traffic around that city was terrible.  Once we got north of Santa Cruz we were back along the coast.  Drove north to about 40 miles from Half Moon Bay and then turned around because the temps dropped into the 50s and it started misting.  Drove back and when we got back to Santa Cruz we drove along the ocean on West Cliff Drive.  Pretty little harbor area and a nice beach.  Even though the temps were in the low 70s and the water was probably in the low 60s, there were people out there frolicking in the water, surfing and wind surfing.  These people are nuts.  Back to our little fishing village and relaxed the rest of the day.  We actually had a home cooked meal this evening—pork chops, mashed potatoes, and a vegetable.  Oh, and this weekend is the big event in LA they’re calling “carmageddon”.  This weekend they’re shutting down the 405 in both directions for several miles because they have to demolish a bridge or something.  They’ve been talking about it since we arrived in California.  Glad we won’t be there.  It’s a weekend people—STAY HOME!  Upper 60s today.

North of Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Harbor Light

Carmel

KOA, Moss Landing, Monterey Bay, CA:  Woke up to the harbor seals again this morning.  And it was really socked in.  Did a load of laundry while there was a washer available.  After the laundry and a quick lunch we drove south again to Carmel.  The drive along Monterey Bay on the PCH is very pretty with huge sand dunes covered with carpets of flowering vegetation.  We’re surrounded by huge tracts of rich farmland and there are little produce stands around where we can buy fresh produce—right out of the field.  Got to Carmel, parked, and walked around browsing the shops.  Stopped at a local watering hole and got talking to a bunch of locals which was very entertaining.  Stopped at the Hog’s Breath Inn which Clint Eastwood used to own.  He doesn’t any more.  Drove around a little and then came back to our neat little fishing village and had dinner at Phil’s Fish Market and Eatery.  Came highly recommended.  It was so-so.  The sun finally came out when we got back.  63 today. 

In front of the fire at the Hog's Breath Inn

Cute little Carmel

Monterey Aquarium

KOA, Moss Landing, Monterey Bay, CA:  Woke up this morning to the sound of the harbor seals barking.  This is such a neat place—a little fishing village with all kinds of marine life all around us.  Went to the world renowned Monterey Aquarium today.  What a great place!  The exhibits are really well done and other aquariums around the world look to the Monterey Aquarium as an example of how it should be done.  It’s very hands on.  We got to handle star fish, crabs, and sea cucumber. There were so many people though.  I was glad to leave.  After leaving the aquarium we walked around Cannery Row looking for a place to eat.  We decided on The Fish Hopper, right on the bay.  I had almond encrusted sea bass and Mike had sword fish.  Really good.  Drove back to Moss Landing.  Relaxed the rest of the evening.  Really tired.

The aquarium is housed in the old Hovden Cannery buildings.

Cute little area of Cannery Row

Spotted eel

Coral Reef

Coral Reef

This cute leafy-looking thing is a sea horse.

Jelly Fish