Friday, September 18, 2009 Back to the coast and Beautiful Day at Monterey!

We do the tourist tour around the gardens and old houses of the old town of Monterey. And we visit the house where the first California Constitution was signed.

We go down to the warf and sample all the clam chowders from all the restaurants on the Fisherman’s Warf! They were all so tasty – hard to choose the best one. So we had to keep trying! On the shoreline we see pelicans and seals, lying in the most amazing postures.

We also encounter a quite cheeky squirrel who bites Gerrit’s leg!

Then we took a long bike ride along the shore. Past lover point and on the Asilomar. What an amazing shoreline it is! We saw nothing when we were here before because of the fog. Now it is perfect weather day and we see it all.

And of course, there is the typical most amazing sunset complete with colored houses reflecting in the sea and ship and birds flying! We sleep by the coast by Asilomar Retreat Center

Thursday, September 17, 2009 Another sunny day on the coast

We head along the coast, foggy in the morning, then clearing. We are amazed to see so many fields of vegetables along the coast! And it is Pumpkin Season!! We see them everywhere and stop at a fields where they extend to the horizon!

We stop for a sunny relax and read on the cliff overlooking the surf.

While there we see the large condors we had been introduced to in Grand Canyon, soaring overhead.

We stop at one shop where they had unusual strawberries.

Then we head south to Santa Cruz. We stop at the Surf Museum! And watch the surfers doing their thing.

And spend time exploring the waterfront city. We see the elephant seas on the rocks and under the pier.

We head across the inland valley with more and more beautiful fields to old Maui friends in Hollister over the hills. We sleep in a non moving bedroom once again courtesy of our friends Elmo and Julia we know from days when they lived on Maui.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009 Points South – Hwy. 1

After Myia’s client calls we leave for Points South – Hwy. 1.

Great weather and no fog, seeing this coast for the first time and impressed! We stop at the one of the many Lighthouses along the coast. This one is now a Youth Hostel! We sleep by the lighthouse at Montara.

September 14 and 15, 2009 Cleaning the Van for sale and errands.

Monday, September 14, 2009 Cleaning the van for sale.
Work Day as we are cleaning, clearing out and organizing our van for sale. Whew!!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009 Another day of showing the van and errands
Keep Cleaning and clearing out organizing our van for sale. Visit mechanic friends and taking our baby around to show him to Dealers who might want to buy him.

No pictures of these two days

Saturday, September 12, 2009 “Back home” at Caterina and Eric’s

Wake to fog and farms and we see it lifting as we make our way inland.

We stop at a “BBQ and Blues” San Rafael Street Festival for some amazingly great Blues and amazingly great BBQ.

We go to the San Rafael Mission and see the flowers of devotion people have left for their Lady of Guadalupe in the main church.

Then we step into an amazing energy that we both palpably feel in the little chapel dedicated to the Angel Rafael. Myia’s body tingles all over and she wonders if she had too much sugar! but it happens later when she returns again. We also get that the town is named after the Angel. That never occurred to us before! We stop for a short visit with our hosts Julie and Patrick in San Rafael before heading north to Caterina and Eric’s in Santa Rosa.

Friday, September 11, 2009 Lake Tahoe to country music to Point Reyes

As we drive on and thru Reno to get cheap gas

we literally run into the hugest balloon Festival we have ever seen and in morning rush hour!!

We drive on and around the West side of the Lake Tahoe and stop at Emerald Bay which was truly emerald – a small cove with an island in it that joins the larger lake. We see “plein aire” artists painting as part of the festival that week.

We get to Bay area in time to see our friend Marcus (he does look a bit like Johnny Cash, doesn’t he?) playing country music accompanied by a magnificent sunset outside. Sleep near Point Reyes in the fog.

Thursday, September 10, 2009 From Mt. Shasta to Lake Tahoe

We say goodbye to Violet at the Berryvale all purpose natural foods store and meeting place. We exchange gifts and enjoying our nice connection Then we are invited to visit with new friends Vicky and Judy. They are friends of our friend, Caterina, from Santa Rosa, who we are surprised to find on vacation here!! Vicki has a beautiful home here with a view of the mountain in her backyard where she shares with us and some other friends a lovely lunch.

We head off toward Lake Tahoe and sleep in the deserty lands before Reno and Tahoe.