Our California excursion continues to delight and surprise us at every turn. We left the Los Angeles area just in time before the rioting began. We were in the Santa Monica area and left by heading north along the famous Highway 1 Route.
The first, memorable encounter were the sobering view of the devastated area along this route of the thousands of homes and businesses that were no longer standing due to the recent fires. Seeing this firsthand was a solemn reminder of how fragile life is and how these once, were impervious to the element of fire.
We drove the miles and miles of burned-out properties in total silence. My heart felt so heavy for all of those families who lost everything. I hope this area will be able to be rebuilt soon. However, after all of these months, the process of rebuilding appears to be painfully slow.
Once we were out of the destruction, the gorgeous, California coastline showed us the most breathtaking views. It is easy to see why so many people love living out here. The cool ocean breezes with jagged cliffs provide a unique topography that is outstanding. You certainly want to keep your eyes open while on this trip so you don't miss one moment of this scenery.
We arrived in Santa Barbara mid-morning and we needed a place to grab some breakfast. It was a Sunday morning so in the area near the water, lines were forming at all of the local restaurants. We discovered, Jeannine's, a cute, quaint, corner location that looked like it came out of a storybook. It was excellent. We did discover that this is one of the most expensive areas in California. The bill reflected this! 😳😳
We set out after breakfast for our two-night stay in Morro Bay. Northward we headed again enjoying the landscape that delighted along the way. Morro Bay is a small, fishing town that is teeming with elephant seals and otters. You can certainly smell and hear these seals all over the area. Amazing animals indeed.
Because we arrived early enough, we decided to go on a whale watching excursion. Of course, they cannot guarantee being able to find these creatures but we thought after being in the car all morning, a ride out to the sea would be a nice diversion. And, this trip gave us two, fantastic whales who performed for us with a dance that only they knew the music.
The next day, we did the Hearst Castle tour which was quite fascinating. I never knew the story of this estate and was in awe of the majesty and the architecture of the buildings. The extensive gardens were absolutely stunning!
The indoor pool pictured above was inlaid with thousands of exquisite tiles all flecked with real gold. The workmanship was unbelievable. And, when you think of this place being built back in the 1930's, it is even more remarkable.
If you ever get the opportunity to see the Hearst Castle in person, I highly recommend going. We enjoyed the tour and the IMAX movie that explained the history of this place in greater detail. The entire project took more than 28 years to complete!
So, leg #2 of our trip was a huge success. Thus far, we have seen and experienced so many new things. Can't wait for leg #3, continuing north up to Carmel and the Big Sur areas.
If you would like to read about leg #1 in Santa Monica, click HERE.
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