Since our check engine light came on in Napa, we were due for a replacement rental for our rental. Confusing and irritating, I know. Well the day started early at car rental place for a replacement rental. Thankfully it got us out of the Kia. . . . .0-60 in 3 days...stupid sewing machine engine.
We were headed back through San Francisco to do our tour of Alcatraz. We headed through Oakland, which wasn’t as bad as I have heard. Into San Francisco we went to go on out Alcatraz Tour. It’s cold on “the rock”. Rather windy too and smelled like VERY concentrated bird poo. It was not at all creepy like we thought and were kind of hoping it would be. The history of the place is definitely fascinating. Seeing holes prisoners dug through walls with spoons and bullet holes in the walls and grenade pocking marks in the floor was neat. Small cells, small island, it’s not as big as I had pictured. . ..25 acres. Held at a max 300 prisoners. Kinda stinks to be locked up there with a clear view of the city of San Francisco, but to be a mile and a half across the 50 degree water! No one is known to have escaped. The tour guide man told us that there are school aged groups of kids that come for some kind of educational overnight experience and they lock them in solitary confinement for the night and they just love it!
This dude : Darwin Coon (actual name) was an inmate at Alcatraz!
Me sniffing out the cells.
Tiny quarters!
Jeff scoping out the dimensions of solitary confinement.
After Alcatraz we went over to an area of the city called "Postcard Row". It is supposed to be the most photographed homes in San Francisco. I think they are right, they were very cute, so I took pictures. I think this was where they filmed the opening musical scene of Full House. We also decided to take the car for a stroll and test it's steering on Lombard street, that was fun!
Postcard Row: San Francisco, Ca.
Lombard Street: San Francisco, Ca.
After that we finally headed south to the city of Monterey to take a drive on the scenic “17 Mile Drive”. We passed big ol homes, the world famous Pebble Beach Golf Course, saw sea lions, the lone cypress, more big ol homes, it was a sight-worthy drive.
The Lone Cypress.... isn't it a lone cypress?
Silly Sea Lion.....
We then cruised into Carmel-by-the-Sea. . .Carmel for short and obvious reasons. What a beautiful picturesque little town! White sandy beach on one end and small tree lined streets of shops and coffee houses and boutiques and eateries and bed and breakfasts headed out the other end of town. Those buildings made some great photos.
Cute...
Cute...
CUTE!!!!!
One local store keeper felt inclined to keep us in the know when I asked what was going on in town and when some woman came into the store asking to buy a poster on the wall “at any cost”. Evidently we missed by a hair the biggest luxury car show probably on the west coast. Jeff says it must be for rich people. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maserati's, Porches, Rolls Royces, Aston Martins, and so on. They were all lined up on the golf course, each on a stage under big tents and each with a cover on them waiting for their big reveal. They will be lined up the next day all along the streets on Carmel in a car show style. He went on to tell us about a guy from “South Florida” (sounds like originally from Columbia) who came with his cars, body guards, wife, girlfriend and pinky ring. Supposedly he came with his Enzo. I don’t even know what that looks like. I was more into looking for Jay Leno who seems like he could be at this kinda shin dig showing off a car or two of his.
One of MANY MANY MANY we saw!
Day turned into late evening and we needed to get outta town. We headed for our Bed and Breakfast in Cambria, J. Patrick House via Hwy. 1.
The Main House.
The Carriage House, where our room was.
It was a long windey car sickness style ride. Supposedly the pacific coast highway from Monterrey to San Simeon (right up the street) is the best coastal drive in the country. Too bad we’ll never know because it was too foggy to see ANYTHING but about 10 feet infront of the car. The turns got tighter and slower the closer we got to our destination. It took us about 3 hours from Carmel to reach San Simeon. We did notice 2 things while on our drive, the aftermath of wildfires on the mountainside facing the Pacific Ocean and the effects of a recent earthquake on the roadways of Hwy 1. It was a long but interesting drive.
No comments:
Post a Comment