We've been to the desert.......

I think its safe to say that fleece and raincoat are redundant for the moment, as the South-West holds-out the prospect of plenty of sunshine! Anyway, we packed a picnic this morning and trundled north from Mojave towards the west entrance of Death Valley. A journey of around one-hundred miles through the stunning Mojave Desert with hardly another vehicle to be seen.

Entering Death Valley is fascinating....the scenery is stark and barren, but colourful in its own unique way and strangely mesmerising. When you stop and open the car door, you're instantly hit by a stream of hot air......similar to opening the door of fan-oven. Arriving at Furnace Creek, it was one-hundred degrees in the shade (last time we stayed here it was one-hundred and thirty!) and eating our picnic here contrasted sharply with the one we had in Denali Park, Alaska!

We took time out to visit Zabriski Point...probably best seen at dawn, but unmissable at any time.

And so it was that we left the Valley and headed from its relative peace and solitude to Las Vegas. Its big and brash and we're staying at the Mirage.....more to follow!

I guess my music choice today was pretty much pre-determined.....

Desert song.....

Monterey was overcast as we left, but not for long! (Before setting off I chatted with someone who had dined at the Pebble Beach Golf Club on Sunday, where the group on the next table were ordering rounds of drinks at $1,000 a time!) We had a five-hour drive south to reach Mojave, our overnight stop, but we had to take Highway 101....as part of the Big Sur route was inconveniently washed into the ocean following a recent landslide! Nevertheless, the scenery was amazing. First we drove through Salinas and the green and gold rolling contours of Monterey's wine country.

Then we travelled through mile upon mile of fruit and almond farms, the fields and orchards stretching as far as the eye could see. Nearing Mojave, the land was drier and Joshua Trees sprung-up along the highway, under a cloudless sky. Mojave is small and provides a neat stopover before setting our sights on Nevada! And how about the following track as 'one or the road'?

The sky is blue and I'm green!!

A blue-sky Sunday morning in sunny California....with a bit of a cool breeze, but hey! After a lengthy (light!) al fresco breakfast with a really nice couple (the guy being from Everton originally) we set off for Carmel. This really is a very nice, but 'twee' town.....a mix of 'Disney' and Portmeirion....the local glossy give-away 'Carmel' Magazine boasts recent editions with local resident Clint Eastwood and regular visitor Bruce Springsteen appearing on its cover!

The beach is fabulous with heavy rolling waves and the people are friendly. Having mulled the place over for a couple of hours, we drove to Los Lobos State Park where we were mesmerised by the stunning views it provides of Cyprus Rock and the ocean.

(We also learnt about 'Poison Oak' and how to avoid being its victim!)

Leaving the park we decided to take the scenic '17-Mile' Drive around Carmel and Pebble Beach (occasional home to the American Open!) It isn't the most spectacular scenery I've seen here, but it explained why Clint and the other Pebble Beach residents choose to live there.....as for the houses and 'Green Fees'...if you have to ask, you definitely can't afford either!! And here's another piece of 'cruisin' music....

Third time lucky!!

This morning was exactly as one imagines the Californian Riviera ought to be and we were soon into downtown Monterey.

We headed straight for Cannery Row, where the refurbished fish canning buildings (now classy tourist hotels) still stand. The canning industry here went from boom to bust in a mere sixty years, but now the area is a tourist magnet for many reasons, not least because it was home and plot provider to John Steinbeck who to me, was a masterly writer.

It was also the location for Ed Rickett's ('the Doc') marine laboratory, he being a close friend of Steinbeck and a central character in some of his classic novels. The lab and its back yard facing onto the bay are now preserved as a site of historical importance. Monterey Bay itself is idyllic on a day like today and its crystal-clear waters throw off a 'blue-turquoise'. We walked down to Fisherman's Wharf, stopping several times to take-in the view, and once there we seized another (final) opportunity to seek out a whale sighting.

We took a four-hour trip on the "Princess", a medium-size boat which pitched and rolled in the ocean swell.....but not only did we see dolphins, but there they blew!....three humpback whales...Success!!

Later, I heard the following being played and thought "yeah, that's California music"!

Wipe-out!

Exiting San Francisco went to plan and despite a grey start, the sun burst through as we made our way south along the '101' and '1'. The scenery changed yet again as we drove into 'Steinbeck Country', the author who I grew to admire greatly in my twenties, as Dave did subsequently. We took a spontaneous decision to detour to Santa Cruz which we hadn't revisited in fifteen years.....its a really nice seaside resort town and one of the few West Coast resorts to boast an amusement park and roller coaster. Having walked to the end of the pier to watch the sea lions, we left the beach front area and drove to the very scenic headland, a long-standing 'Mecca' for some of the best surfers in the world.

In fact its where surfing began in the States following a visit made by three Hawaiian princes in the 1890's. Anyway, fate played a hand once again, as we arrived at the neat lighthouse-based surfing museum just as its twenty-fifth anniversary celebration was in full swing!

Several surviving members of the Santa Cruz Surfing Club were there and parked-up were some classic cars bearing 'boards' from 'back in the day'! The centrepiece of the party was a cake prepared by a celebrity chef.....in the shape of sandunes with a protruding surf board!

Of course, they insisted we try some!! Calling into the museum, I listened to a gent who had been a co-founder of the Santa Cruz Surfing Club, who had been a prolific surfer during the 1930's and into the 50's. He pointed to himself in the displayed photographs and remarked that his board had been made of wood and weighed sixty-five pounds when 'dry'! We spent some time watching the surfers riding the waves before setting off for Monterey where we arrived mid-afternoon, to a Comfort Inn covered in flowers.

Santa Cruz inspired my musical choice today, as the following very apt track was playing at the party! (Fingers crossed for the Reds tomorrow....have a great day if you're there Ken!!)

Hitting the Haight(s) (sic)......

A fabulous final day in San Francisco, on which the sun shone and we got to travel across the City by bus and on foot. We began in Union Square where we joined tourists and commuters alike for an al fresco breakfast. Then we chatted to 'Vaughan', the tour bus organiser as we waited for our bus to arrive. We grabbed a prime seat on the open deck and rode as far as Golden Gate Park, where we de-boarded and walked through the fabulous Japanese garden. (A must for anyone!)

Exiting the park we made for 'Haight Street', where we meandered along the rows of small shops leading up to its junction with 'Ashbury'.

The area is now clearly driven by 'profit' and its kinda strange to recall what it represented 'back in the day'......in the 1960's! We were stopped by a guy from "Green Peace" who was trying to enlist new recruits and insisted that 'today' was the first in the 'revolution'! (I seem to recall that Haight Ashbury represented 'the beginning of a music-inspired revolution for world peace & love' some forty years ago! I may have become cynical with maturity!!) Nevertheless, it was refreshing that in the midst of all the tourist-centric outlets purporting to be 'of the age', there was a couple that were the real deal. Not least was the "Red Victorian Bed, Breakfast & Art".

We initially called here for coffee only to be greeted by its founder and chief creative talent, the charming Sami Sunchild......who continues to work seven days a week for 'Peace'! We also met Alexandro there, a really nice guy hailing from Southern California and one of Sami's current team of 'helpers'. Not only is the Red Victorian a centrepiece for Sami's art, it also offers the curious an insight into the push for world peace by a true disciple......and also offers uniquely styled B&B accommodation (one room having a toilet flusher containing goldfish!) and great coffee!! Alexandro explained how we could find 710 Ashbury, the legendary home of "The Grateful Dead".....we made our way there, photographed in and marvelled that it doesn't have a plaque!

Leaving the area, we called in at Ben & Jerry's on the corner of Haight Ashbury for ice cream. When asked "What flavour?".....there was only one answer.."Cherry Garcia!"

No explanation needed for today's musical selection!!

Turned out nice again!

A grey drizzly start to the day inspired us to run for the 'hop-on, hop-off' tour bus. We sat back and took in the Golden Gate Park and Downtown loops. When the tours ended it was time to head off to Macey's roof-top "Cheesecake Factory" in Union Square.

We got lucky, as after a quick sandwich we found that the skies had cleared and the sun had emerged......so we took to the streets and walked through the Financial District, passing its unique Trans-America Bank building (the tallest building in San Francisco) and onto Chinatown and the Italian District where the beautiful Church of St Peter & Paul is situated (and where Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe's wedding photographs were taken).

Then, before ascending the steps to Coit Tower, we saw what its like to park on the street here!

Reaching the famous landmark we had great views of the Bay and Alcatraz.

We walked back to Union Square in the late afternoon, through Chinatown, to discover a swing band playing and people dancing in the Square.

Its a nice city! And here's an old but relevant track for where we find ourselves today.....

Where did I leave my heart?

Where else?....we arrived in San Francisco around midday, having driven through mile upon mile of that rolling, golden, landscape that defines Mendocino County, at the heart of California's wine country.

We drove through Santa Rosa and immediately felt the pull of a major city on the horizon. Sure enough, the traffic flow increased and we soon found ourselves searching for dollars to pay the toll on the Golden Gate Bridge, which we were lucky to cross on a clear day.

Driving up the steep streets and crossing-over the 'four-way stop' stop junctions is similar to riding a roller-coaster! But we found our hotel and handed-over the car-keys to the valet. Our hotel is very stylish and befits San Francisco's image. Hitting the streets, we soon encountered 'off-beat' California.....a pink BMW 740 with a 'Barbie' plate!

We rode a packed 'F-line' retro tram down to Fisherman's Wharf and were amazed at its transformation since our last visit.....some fifteen years ago.

Fortunately, Johnny Rocket's remains, along with the seals and cable cars!

On the down side, its far more commercial and there are more tourists and hustlers. Anyway, having made the most of the sun and with the notorious San Fran breeze coming off the Bay, we returned to base on a packed Castro-bound tram and had dinner in an over-priced seafood 'jazz restaurant'! Its good to be back!! As for music....here's a retro piece courtesy of our re-visit to Johnny Rocket's.....

The Big Country!

Our final night in Crescent City was interrupted when someone tried to enter our (locked) motel room. It was an elderly couple who had been wrongly checked-into our room....we weren't for exiting stage right and they certainly didn't want to press their case with us....they were understandably unhappy and as they made their way back to the desk could be heard referring to the Night Manager as a "Jackass"!! This morning was sunny as we left for Willits, taking the '101' south. We took the scenic byway out of Crescent City and were confronted by the famous statue of John Bunyon....the legendary lumberjack...often seen in guide books.

We also saw herds of elks grazing among the forest glades. On route, we took time out to visit Ferndale, a charming small town that we last visited with the fair Jenny (and Dave), six years ago. Little has changed except that its classic soda fountain has gone....lost to a fire!

But we discovered that we were in the coffee bar that its owner had since established. Here we fell into easy conservation with a couple of guys from the local newspaper, one of whom was born in the UK! After coffee, Pat went native and bought a hat!!

We set off again, heading for "The Avenue of Giants", famous for its massive redwoods. (Some of which can be driven through.)

The side trip was well worth the effort and we made several stops to marvel at the trees, some of which are over one thousand years old.

We were in "Big Foot" territory and whilst we didn't get a sighting, the tree-folk were clearly in evidence again!

We arrived in Willits late afternoon and checked into the (very nice) Best Western. A quick stroll about and then dinner at "Lumberjacks" (where the big boys eat!)

And today's California-style road-trip music.......