Wednesday, February 26, 2020

My California Journal


California

Go West!
And we did. From the Space Coast of Florida across the U.S. of A., we made it to California. 

Border Patrol between Arizona and California?



Yes, they do! Seriously, we thought we had made a wrong turn. At the California and Arizona border we had to stop at Border Patrol and answer a few questions. While we were in line I was scrambling for our passports. Luckily, we brought them just in case we decided to go into Mexico or Vancouver. They never asked for our passports but requested our driver’s licenses. The gentleman was very professional, polite, and considerate. To this day we are not sure why there is a border patrol station at the California border. 
There was a truck, pulled over to the side where a BP officer was speaking with a couple of men. They didn’t look very happy at all. 

Indio, California
Indio was a “rest” stop. The Best Western hotel was wonderful.

We ate at the El Campanario restaurant. If you like Mexican food, this is definitely the place to go. When we purchased gas at a station near the hotel, we had to go inside with credit card because the unit outside was not working properly.

Morro Bay, California

We stayed at the Best Western in Morro Bay and it was wonderful, as usual. During our stay they had replaced all the furniture in the rooms. We originally picked Morro Bay because it was close to my cousins and wanted to visit with them. It was beautiful there. What an awesome area to visit!
The first night we watched the sun set on the Pacific Ocean.

We walked around the Embarquedero and along the wharfs. Spotted some otters and sea lions swimming and enjoyed the marina and bay.
We missed the Museum of Natural History but it was highly recommended.

We ate lunch with my cousins on the patio of the Fairways Restaurant at the Dairy Creek Golf Course. The food was excellent, the views at the course were breathtaking, and the company was awesome.

We spent some time at Pismo Beach. We had to put our feet in the water. We did drive over 3000 miles to see the Pacific Ocean and were determined to at least get our feet wet. The temperature of the water was about 50 degrees, so no swimming for us.


     
North of San Simeon was an awesome lookout area that we found when we took a drive up the coast to see the elephant seals at Piedras Blancas. There were a lot of seals basking in the sun. It was very cold, it was very windy, and it was worth every second to watch them. We stood staring fascinated at the huge graceful beasts played around or just laid in the sun, enjoying the day. We were told that there are times when there are so many of the seals that you can’t even see the sand.


Ragged Point
Lunch at Ragged Point, the area was gorgeous. There was a park where we were able to sit and relax and enjoy the view.

We were going to tour Hearst Castle but there was an hour waiting time and neither one of us wanted to wait that long. We were able to see it from a distance. It was very majestic and we knew there must be a breathtaking view from the windows and patios of the home.

Rocca’s Surf Shack in Morro Bay

We were hungry, tired, and just wanted to relax. Neither one of us really wanted to dress up for dinner and decided to do casual. When we choose the Surf Shack we were not expecting anything spectacular. We figured it would just be a good quick meal.
It was not at all mediocre in any way. Yes, it is a casual place to dine but boy was the service great and the food was scrumptious!


San Francisco, California

We stayed at the Best Western in Martinez (near San Francisco) and would definitely recommend it. Best Western is always consistent with their service and hospitality. We know what to expect when we stay at one.

San Francisco was everything we expected it to be. Our first day there was cold, rainy, and foggy. We ordered good weather, but someone didn't get the memo or either somewhere along the lines the weather gods felt our first day in the Bay Area should be cold and rainy.
We met Louise Snead, owner of Affaire de Coeur magazine and her son William. I have worked for her for eight years, spoken on the phone, emailed, snail mailed but had never met. It was great. She and her son played tour guide and we had a blast! Bless his generous, patient heart, William was elected to do the driving and made it a most wonderful time for us. We were thrilled to meet them and both are wonderful people to be around.
We saw so much, I know I couldn’t name it all.



     
The Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz
Berkley and etc.
Coit Tower on top of Telegraph Hill
Fisherman’s Wharf

     
The Transamerica Pyramid Building and The Crookedest Street
Sausalito


Muir Woods National Monument



   
It was rainy, foggy, and cold on the day we were scheduled to go to Muir Woods where the tallest redwood trees can be found. We were determined to see them. Not knowing whether we would ever be back this way again, we did not want regrets. The drive to the park was scary, raining, in thick fog on winding roads, oh, but it was worth it.

     
When we arrived the rain had stopped. We finally made it to the tree lover’s paradise. The majestic redwood trees, some over 600 years old and as tall as can be. We walked to the end of the paved areas and headed back. We took our time through the Bohemian and Cathedral groves where they had the biggest and widest trees. It probably took us a little under two hours but we tended to stay and stare and take a boatload of pictures.
   
We stopped at the visitor center before and after our walk. Their gift shop is chock full of great stuff. I definitely walked out of there with a couple of bags and a tree. The tree didn’t survive the trip across the US. My fault entirely, I left it in the car by accident and the desert heat did it in.

“Rest Night” at the Comfort Inn at the California north border in Yreka. Very comfortable hotel.




There are many states that are available, and well, I'm steadily working on the rest. Please be patient. LOL It's a lot of states!

States:

Alabama    Arizona     Arkansas    California    Colorado     Florida    Georgia    Louisiana     Maryland     Mississippi   Rhode Island      South Carolina    Ohio   Oklahoma    Texas    Virginia    Washington, D.C.

Journals are perfect for everyone. 

Pages for you to fill in the blanks! Each journal has tidbits and trivia about each state. Writing can help improve mental health and happiness, provide a creative outlet, and give a perfect place to record life's precious events. Several to choose from. Grab your journal today. 

**Pictures on not in the print journals. 
More to come! You can order any available Pambling Roads Journals from your favorite bookstore! 

Purchase on Amazon or your favorite book store.


PamelaAckerson.com
@PamAckerson
Pam@PamelaAckerson.com


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Thank you and have a good moments day,
Pam