Saturday morning we woke up in San Luis Obispo and drove to Avila Beach. It has a pier, and many people were fishing off the pier. There are many sailboats anchored off shore. It was very hazy that morning, but still very beautiful.
Some of the shops across the street from the ocean at Avila Beach.
A cliff overlooking the ocean at Avila Beach.
Birds were sitting on the sink on the pier and would not move even if you got right up to them.
Elephant seals practicing fighting. It said they have to fight for the right to mate with the female in the wild, so they practice sparing. I was wondering if that was what was happening. I thought it was something else, glad I can read.
This beach was covered with very pretty rocks of all colors. We picked a few to bring home.
On the pier at San Luis Obispo.
Seals were in the water playing.
In the mornings it is hazy and takes a while for all the haze to clear up when the sun comes up.
Off the side of the road at the top of a cliff we found "Cliff" our monument to the testament of the beauty of this spot.
This was so high up. It gives you the heebie-jeebies looking over.
We had lunch at El Chorlito in San Simeon. This is one of your last chances for food and gas around this area if you are heading north on Hwy 1. It had an ocean view and you can dine inside or on a patio. We chose inside since the temperatures that day were in the lower 60's with a breeze. The view from inside is beautiful with a very nicely landscaped property.
There is a protected spot for Elephant Seals at Piedras Blancas on the southern end of Big Sur near San Simeon. You will be driving on Hwy 1 and see a lot of cars off on the side of the road in a parking area. During July the males molt. They can get to be 5000 lbs. You can't tell here but they are huge. And they are really loud. They just lay there, but every once in a while one will slink up about 3 feet. Then, they will use their flipper and dig down and throw sand on their backs. There were some that were in the shallow water practicing their fighting that they have to do in the wild.
In Julia Pfeiffer State Park this is McWay Canyon and waterfall. It is absolutely beautiful. You can park alongside the highway and walk along a trail to an observation area. The other way on the trail leads down to a beach area on the other side of this rock.
Big Creek Bridge.
Bixby Bridge near Big Sur.
The ocean to the left and this to the right. Heaven.
We paid $9.50 to ride the 17 miles around Pebble Beach. It is a marked trail that began before automobiles were used. People took horse and buggies around the beach which rides both along the coast and through wooded areas. They would take picnics to have on the beach.
That it a whole bunch of sea lions sunning at the bottom of this rock.
It said that in the 1800's Chinese men build lean-tos along these rocks as homes.
The hole along the coast line. They pay $500 a piece to play at Pebble Beach.
Golfers putting into the ocean on the hole along the coastline.
Pebble Beach- now I know where they got the name.
The lone tree on Pebble Beach. It is said to have survived over 275 years alone on the rock.
The oldest living cypress trees located in Pebble Beach.
Sea lions sunning on a rock in Pebble Beach.
Pebble Beach.
The sunset in Monterey. We were so tired. We went to eat at Chilis at 8:45 and that is 10:45 our time. I was so tired I couldn't eat, but the food was fabulous.
Ventura Marina
On the pier in Santa Monica there is an amusment park with some rides. There is even a trapeze school. That has always been something I would love to do.
Some of the shops across the street from the ocean at Avila Beach.
This beach was covered with very pretty rocks of all colors. We picked a few to bring home.
Big Creek Bridge.
Pebble Beach- now I know where they got the name.
The sunset in Monterey. We were so tired. We went to eat at Chilis at 8:45 and that is 10:45 our time. I was so tired I couldn't eat, but the food was fabulous.
Darryl's new toy of the day. I had a time in Atlanta so I relented.
We were riding around Solvang neighborhoods and I made Darryl turn around for this photo. Um. how do you hide a giant RV? Let's make a moveable screen fence and put flowers on it. I don't see an RV in the driveway, do you?
