Had a good continental breakfast at Al's Diner
Shopped at Macy's for some cheap shirts (both of us)
Shannon, the sales girl was an ex-B&B host so she gave us some amazing tips on where to go (and how to get there)
We made it to Cliff Road and Hendry's Beach. A nice walk east on a "prit-near" empty beach. A local told us the tide was low enough for us to walk to the concrete steps and then retrun to our car along cliff above the beach. This cliff turned out to be the Douglas Family Preserve with great views of the beach.
Shannon told us how to get the the main pier of Santa Barbara. We quickly checked that out on our not-so-sunny-but-at-least-dry day.
We continued on to Stella Mares for what we thought would be q quick dessert. We ended up having corn chowder soup AND dessert.
Made our way to Jean's in Simi Valley.
Jean and Roger had David and Fran over for appetizers and dinner. Josh, Beth and Boston came over after dinner
Fun times !
October 21, 2011
October 20, 2011
Oct. 20, 2011 Carmel, CA
Had a nice continental breakfast at Mission Ranch
A Foggy and cool morning in Carmel.
We got gas ($20.00) and headed to the Garland Ranch Regional Park
Did the Lupine and Buckeye Trails. Very sunny and much warmer. Learned alot about the local vegetation and trees.
Took Carmel Valley Road to the G20 (found that with some help) at 2:00 pm and took the 68 to the 101S
Drove south to A pit stop at King City
Stopped at the Gaviota rest stop. Sunny!
Took the turn to Santa Barbara |and lost the sun.
Got gas at Goletta ??? ($25.00) and used GPS Serena to find the Sandman Hotel.
Checked in around 6:00pm
Went for dinner at Chuck's Hawaiian Steak house
Made it back to our hotel to Skype with Jenna.
A Foggy and cool morning in Carmel.
We got gas ($20.00) and headed to the Garland Ranch Regional Park
Did the Lupine and Buckeye Trails. Very sunny and much warmer. Learned alot about the local vegetation and trees.
Took Carmel Valley Road to the G20 (found that with some help) at 2:00 pm and took the 68 to the 101S
Drove south to A pit stop at King City
Stopped at the Gaviota rest stop. Sunny!
Took the turn to Santa Barbara |and lost the sun.
Got gas at Goletta ??? ($25.00) and used GPS Serena to find the Sandman Hotel.
Checked in around 6:00pm
Went for dinner at Chuck's Hawaiian Steak house
Made it back to our hotel to Skype with Jenna.
Oct. 19, 2011 Monterey, CA
Had breakfast at Alisomar at a table with 3 other couples.
Did the 17 mile Drive. The sun came out ! We saw a harbour seal.
Checked out of Alisomar. Took some sunny pictures (to make up for yesterdays)
Drove down to Big Sur taking some coastal pictures along the way
Did the Valley View Trail with a vist to the waterfall (3 miles return)
Checked in to our hotel, The Mission Ranch (owned by Clint Eastwood ??)
Toured the property and then tourend downtown Carmel.
Checked out the Carmel Beach.
Back to the hotel for a shower and dinner. Tom had ribs (Yummmy) and Sharon had a Chicken Breast.
Not a spectacular sunset. Very cloudy.
Did the 17 mile Drive. The sun came out ! We saw a harbour seal.
Checked out of Alisomar. Took some sunny pictures (to make up for yesterdays)
Drove down to Big Sur taking some coastal pictures along the way
Did the Valley View Trail with a vist to the waterfall (3 miles return)
Checked in to our hotel, The Mission Ranch (owned by Clint Eastwood ??)
Toured the property and then tourend downtown Carmel.
Checked out the Carmel Beach.
Back to the hotel for a shower and dinner. Tom had ribs (Yummmy) and Sharon had a Chicken Breast.
Not a spectacular sunset. Very cloudy.
October 18, 2011
Oct. 18, 2011, Santa Cruz, CA
Had leftover lasagna for breakfast! A Sincere YUM!
Walked to downtown Santa Cruz for a coffee.
Found a bank, got $$$$ and then found a Starbucks. (We like the Pike's Place coffee)
Checked out of the hotel and made the foggy trek down Hwy 1 towards Monterey.
Saw all sorts of strawberry fields and some Brussel Sprouts (?)
Very fertile land between the highway and the dunes to the Pacific Ocean.
Made our way to The Monteray Bay Aquarium from 11:00 am - 1:15 pm
Very cool place. I loved the Jelly Fish ! A hmely Great Sea Bass was also quite the model.
Had lunch at Paradiso Trattoria Restaurant (I liked the pesto!)
Made our way to our hotel Asilomar Conference Grounds A very cool place. An old YWCA camp from 1913 that has been majorly restored.
We hiked down to the still foggy beach and hike down to Rocky Point, thru a golf course, along part of the 17 Mile Drive and eventually back to our unit at Asilomar. Our unit is call The Stuck Up Inn.
Too full so we skipped dinner.
No sunset :(
Walked to downtown Santa Cruz for a coffee.
Found a bank, got $$$$ and then found a Starbucks. (We like the Pike's Place coffee)
Checked out of the hotel and made the foggy trek down Hwy 1 towards Monterey.
Saw all sorts of strawberry fields and some Brussel Sprouts (?)
Very fertile land between the highway and the dunes to the Pacific Ocean.
Made our way to The Monteray Bay Aquarium from 11:00 am - 1:15 pm
Very cool place. I loved the Jelly Fish ! A hmely Great Sea Bass was also quite the model.
Had lunch at Paradiso Trattoria Restaurant (I liked the pesto!)
Made our way to our hotel Asilomar Conference Grounds A very cool place. An old YWCA camp from 1913 that has been majorly restored.
We hiked down to the still foggy beach and hike down to Rocky Point, thru a golf course, along part of the 17 Mile Drive and eventually back to our unit at Asilomar. Our unit is call The Stuck Up Inn.
Too full so we skipped dinner.
No sunset :(
October 17, 2011
Oct. 17, 2011 Highway One South, CA
Quick Snack Breakie at Hotel
Quick Shop in plaza
Lunch.
Gas fill-up in Petaluma
Drive down Highway 101 South to California
Over the Golden Gate Bridge ($6.00 toll)
Missed the turn to Hwy 1 so we had a familiar tour through San Francisco (???, Pacific, Presidio, California) to Hwy 1
Stopped at the first beach we saw (Pacifica State Park Beach). Toured the beach, got our toes wet. Continued down Hwy 1 thru Half Moon Bay, Davenport and ended up at Santa Cruz. Many amazing views along the way. Stopped for pictures every now and then. Fog rolled in after Half Moon Bay.
Beaches we we like were Big Basin, Scott Creek Beach, Coast Dairies (just across from the town of Davenport.
We lost the fog before Davenport.
Checked in to the Ocean Gate Inn in Santa Cruz.
Had dinner at Ristorante Italiano (very good ceasar salad and lasagna)
Made arrangements for our next two nights
Talked to Joanne about a visit to her place
Quick Shop in plaza
Lunch.
Gas fill-up in Petaluma
Drive down Highway 101 South to California
Over the Golden Gate Bridge ($6.00 toll)
Missed the turn to Hwy 1 so we had a familiar tour through San Francisco (???, Pacific, Presidio, California) to Hwy 1
Stopped at the first beach we saw (Pacifica State Park Beach). Toured the beach, got our toes wet. Continued down Hwy 1 thru Half Moon Bay, Davenport and ended up at Santa Cruz. Many amazing views along the way. Stopped for pictures every now and then. Fog rolled in after Half Moon Bay.
Beaches we we like were Big Basin, Scott Creek Beach, Coast Dairies (just across from the town of Davenport.
We lost the fog before Davenport.
Checked in to the Ocean Gate Inn in Santa Cruz.
Had dinner at Ristorante Italiano (very good ceasar salad and lasagna)
Made arrangements for our next two nights
Talked to Joanne about a visit to her place
Oct. 16, 2011 The Sonoma Valley, CA
Had continental breakfast
Checked out the Lagoon Valley Regional Park
Drove to The Sonoma Valley
Walked the plaza and main street
Had lunch at The Girl and the Fig
Walked to the Home of General Vallejo ( Check Wikipedia for his blurb )
Checked out the Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma
Drove up Highway 12 through all the vineyards.
Went through Santa Rosa to a hotel Good Night Inn in Rohnert Park
Read by the pool.
Skyped with Shane and Jenna
Dinner at Chili's Grill & Bar Restaurant
Checked out the Lagoon Valley Regional Park
Drove to The Sonoma Valley
Walked the plaza and main street
Had lunch at The Girl and the Fig
Walked to the Home of General Vallejo ( Check Wikipedia for his blurb )
Checked out the Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma
Drove up Highway 12 through all the vineyards.
Went through Santa Rosa to a hotel Good Night Inn in Rohnert Park
Read by the pool.
Skyped with Shane and Jenna
Dinner at Chili's Grill & Bar Restaurant
October 15, 2011
Oct. 15, 2011 The Napa Valley, CA
Continental breakfast in the Fairfield Inn Marriot: Vacaville.
Drove to The NAPA Valley.
Went to the Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga for a 10:30 am $25.00 self-guided tour, took an aerial tram to the winery. We totally beat the crowd. Had a taste of 5 different wines:
Amazing vineyard, facilility and staff. We got to keep our "Sterling-Engraved" wine glasses. We loved seeing the HUGE line-up for the tram on our way out.
Went to the Castello di Armorosa Castle and Winery. Caught a 12:20 pm tour of the the castle (and Winery) with our our guide "Joe". We met Joe at the Visitor Center in the town of Napa yesterday. Two other couples were with us for the 2 hour tour and tasting (for $32.00).
Amazing castle and tour. The wines we both tried are:
We were going to do a quick taste at Beringer's and Robert Mondavi but both were too busy. NO parking spots availalble. Beringer's is a beautiful facility.
LOVED watching the horrendous line of traffic going North on Highway 29 for their late afternoon tours of the wineries as we drove south on 29 pleasantly "toured" out.
Picked up picnic lunch/dinner items AND got a AT&T Go Phone for $15.00. Now we have unlimited texting to Canada for only $2.00 for every day that we use it.
A nap and then a picnic dinner.
Texted both kids successfully but of course it is Saturday night in Kingston and they have lives. Will set up a skype/facebook chat session for a later date.
Drove to The NAPA Valley.
Went to the Sterling Vineyards in Calistoga for a 10:30 am $25.00 self-guided tour, took an aerial tram to the winery. We totally beat the crowd. Had a taste of 5 different wines:
- 2010 Cellar Club Pinot Gris
- 2009 Cellar Club Carneros Chardonnay
- 2008 Cellar Club Petite Sirah
- 2007 Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2010 Cellar Club Malvasia Bianca
Amazing vineyard, facilility and staff. We got to keep our "Sterling-Engraved" wine glasses. We loved seeing the HUGE line-up for the tram on our way out.
Went to the Castello di Armorosa Castle and Winery. Caught a 12:20 pm tour of the the castle (and Winery) with our our guide "Joe". We met Joe at the Visitor Center in the town of Napa yesterday. Two other couples were with us for the 2 hour tour and tasting (for $32.00).
Amazing castle and tour. The wines we both tried are:
- Pinot Grigio (T & S) white
- Chardonnay (T) white
- Gewurtzraminer (S) white
- Gioia (S) white
- Pinot Nero (T) red
- Cabernet Sauvignon (T) red
- Simpatica (S) sweet
- Gewurtztraminer (S) sweet
We were going to do a quick taste at Beringer's and Robert Mondavi but both were too busy. NO parking spots availalble. Beringer's is a beautiful facility.
LOVED watching the horrendous line of traffic going North on Highway 29 for their late afternoon tours of the wineries as we drove south on 29 pleasantly "toured" out.
Picked up picnic lunch/dinner items AND got a AT&T Go Phone for $15.00. Now we have unlimited texting to Canada for only $2.00 for every day that we use it.
A nap and then a picnic dinner.
Texted both kids successfully but of course it is Saturday night in Kingston and they have lives. Will set up a skype/facebook chat session for a later date.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)