Travels with Twinkles: Monterey adventures week 3

June 20 - 24, 2013:

Another trip out to the Monterey Peninsula to the Point Lobos State Natural Preserve where we hiked a number of trail. These are trails with epic sea views of the surf crashing against the rocky coast with sea birds, sea lions, seals and tidal pools. The photos just do not do it justice, not even close. Also there is a small museum in an original mid 1800's wooden cabin that was so much history and great stuff. This area has a rich history involving the original indians who lived there for 2,400 years and left it all as it was, then for the next 150 years the Chinese fisherman, the Portuguese whalers, the Japanese albacore fisherman, the US Army and an assortment of entrepreneurs who did their best to destroy everything. This would probably be another Pebble Beach if it weren't for Mr. A.M. Allen who purchased Point Lobos in 1898 and then bought back all other private residential lots that had previously been sold. His heirs sold it to the State of California in 1933 and it eventually became a Nature preserve. It seems that everywhere you go there is one wealthy visionary entrepreneur who does wonderful things (possibly out of guilt) to save something special from ruin.

Point Lobos

View from trail at Point Lobos

Sea Lions sleeping on the rocks, they seem to do that most of the day

Point Lobos trail view

Whale meat can label

Point Lobos trail view, note the clear water in tidal pool

Crab in Point Lobos Tidal Pool

A sea Urchin in Point Lobos tidal pool

Close up of Crab

Point Lobos trail view

Weird erosion along sea coast at Point Lobos

One of my favorite beers is "Fat Tire", not for the taste of the brew, but for their attitude and philosophy. They also have a great series of coasters, collectables for sure. This one "Trailer Trashed" is a favorite, but they are all good. Any bar that serves Fat Tire and has the coasters is a place I want to patronize.

Sunday we went to the Old Mission San Juan Bautista Festival in San Juan Bautista, food, folkloric dancers, singers and a band. The festival performers were 100% hispanic and spanish was the main language being spoken. This area is totally bi-lingual, the locals all seem to switch back and forth between English and Spanish. The food at the festival was not that special, except for the ice cream covered with strawberries, raspberries, chocolate and whipped cream, which was beyond good ! We then wandered around the shops in town and stopped at Mom and Pop's Saloon where the bikers were lined up and the music was blasting. The band was so great that we couldn't leave after one beer and ended up staying for three, I think ? I have to add Mom and Pop's to my "favorites list", even if they don't have Fat Tire.

Hell's Angels poster at Mom & Pop's Saloon

Hillside view near our campground outside of Gilroy

Old Mission San Juan Bautista Fiesta

Old Mission San Juan Bautista Fiesta dancers

Old Mission San Juan Bautista Fiesta singer

Old Mission San Juan Bautista Fiesta

Band at Mom & Pop's Saloon

Old Mission San Juan Bautista Fiesta dancers

We awoke Monday morning to lots of clouds and a few minutes of light rain, a good day for inside stuff, then a trip to Barnes and Noble to use their free WiFi and look at books. We haven't had many days like this, it's kind of different and relaxing. I spent much time on another photo web site, "Imagekind" where I have photos for sale, that is mostly a big waste of my time. It's geared more for art work and the stuff that sells seems to either high quality photo shop enhanced or really goofy stuff. My stuff sort of falls in-between, gets buried and is never seen. In spite of that, I get the sadistic urge once in a while to put more photos up there. imagekind Once there search for Mojorider2 and my goods pop up.

Another drive into Santa Cruz through clouds and a light rain drizzle. We stopped at the Natural Bridge State Beach to take a look from the parking lot, then went downtown to the Santa Cruz Art and History Museum. The drive along the coastline to the Beach passed through a nice oceanfront residencial area of Santa Cruz. This beach is famous for the Monarch butterfly migration from October to January of the year and the large rock that the water has eroded to look like a bridge.

Then a stop at Trader Joe's, a quick lunch and a store to buy Mermaid socks for me. The weather was not cooperating so it was back to the Betabel RV Park where the sun was shinning.