Coastring Along In California (TR)

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                                                Coasting Along In California

                                                   September 11-25, 2019



Sept 11 – It may be hard to believe, but believe it because we completed a perfecta by flying into San Jose on 9/11 while spending the first night of our vacation in Gilroy at the Hilton Garden Inn. Yes folks, the same Gilroy that hosts the annual Garlic Festival.



After arriving at the airport and claiming our luggage, we made the short walk to the rental car facility and located the Sixt Rent A Car counter. The lonely/only agent offered an upgrade from the reserved full size car to a Mercedes Benz for “only” an additional $8.95 per day, an offer I chose to refuse. He subsequently informed us that a complimentary upgrade was being made to said Mercedes Benz because no full size cars were currently available.



As it turned out, there were more scratches on the vehicle than Carter has Little Liver Pills. As we attempted to exit the facility, we discovered the gate was not staffed so I had to go back to fetch an employee to open it.







We managed to get lost trying to connect to Route 101-S which coupled with heavy commuter traffic turned the 35 minute drive to Gilroy into an hour long nightmare.



Following check-in, we solicited suggestions for dinner and shortly thereafter arrived at Cielito Lindo, a family, maybe yours, not ours, style Mexican restaurant. Ann & I each ordered a 2-item combination of chicken enchilada and chile relleno that came with beans and rice. The beans were very good, the rice dry, and the remainder just fair. 2 Forks out of a possible 5







Sept 12 – Our first stop this morning was Cafe 152 Bread Company where we enjoyed fresh fruit, low fat Greek yogurt and granola parfaits. 3.5 Forks







We rejoined Rt 101-S making our way past many large farms to Paso Robles where we stopped at Rustic Fire and shared a pesto chicken panini. The panini was good and likely would have been even better had it included more than a token amount of chicken. 2.5 Forks







Next stop was the tasting room at Eberle Winery. We sampled a total of 5 wines and enjoyed talking to Nick, our host before taking an informative cave tour with Mark. This turned out to be one of the best winery visits that we have ever experienced. 5 Claps















We then made the short drive, though again losing our way, to the Sculpterra Winery & Sculpture Garden. This stop was solely for the purpose of viewing the numerous sculptures so we did not visit the tasting room. The temperature was on the wrong side of 100 degrees so we made one circuit of the grounds before returning to our air conditioned vehicle. 3 Claps



Golden Hooves





Golden Morning





Mega Focus





We made one additional stop at a Wal-Mart to pick up a set of inexpensive trekking poles before continuing on to the Bay Back Inn in Los Osos. At check-in we were warmly greeted and provided a pair of vouchers for complimentary breakfasts at the adjoining Back Bay Cafe for each day of our stay.



Our spacious corner room, number 114, situated on the second floor included a king size bed, fireplace, refrigerator, and semi private deck overlooking the beautifully tendered gardens that often were alive with monarch butterflies and hummingbirds. The large windows at the rear of the room provided an excellent view of the bay including numerous brown and white pelicans, a variety of shorebirds and often an osprey surveying its hunting grounds from atop a dead tree. 5 Sheets











Included in the price of admission was a nightly help-your-self wine reception that included bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir plus olives and bread sticks. I may have been slightly over served this evening so we decided to dine on the patio of the adjacent Blue Heron restaurant.







We started with a grilled peach and pork belly salad (spinach, arugula, grilled peaches, crispy pork belly, goat feta, and a honey mustard vinaigrette) that sounded far more appealing than it turned out to be.







Ann wisely chose the Alaskan halibut entree that included ratatouille, pasta, and tomato butter. My bouillabaisse included a very modest portion of seafood (clams, mussels, shrimp, octopus, rock fish) in a saffron-fennel broth with aioli toast. Hers was excellent, mine was not. 3 Forks











We enjoyed a stroll along the waterfront under crystal clear skies prior to returning to our room.







Sept 13 – I was out of the room at dawn and walked around the perimeter of the adjoining neighborhood for an hour before returning to wake up Ann.







I discovered Udderly, the Los Osos Cow-Bear posing at end of the boardwalk that runs in front of the inn.





Our complimentary breakfast this morning at the Bay Back Cafe included orange juice for me, coffee for Ann and breakfast burritos (scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream in a whole wheat tortilla) for both of us. These proved to be more than we should or could eat though very good.

3 Forks







We drove to Morro Bay State Park and joined a small group led by 2 Audubon volunteers on a bird walk creatively titled “Birding the Boardwalk”. Over the following 2 hours we walked approximately 1 mile while identifying a total of 32 different bird species. The volunteers were both knowledgeable and entertaining. 4.5 Claps







Following a short break in our room, we drove to Sweet Springs Reserve and walked a 1 mile trail though birds proved to be few and far between. Next stop was the Elfin Forest where we followed the 4/5ths of a mile boardwalk trail past California live oaks that grow as tall as 50’ in other parts of Los Osos. Here, due to the local environment, these trees are stunted and range from barely 4’ to 20’ in spite of being centuries old. 3 Claps







We returned to the inn just in time for the wine reception where a few glasses were enjoyed on our deck overlooking the inn’s beautiful grounds.







Our dinner destination this evening was Tognazzini’s Dockside (Morro Bay) situated on the waterfront with a view of Morro Rock. We both ordered the evening’s special of halibut with marinara, mozzarella and shrimp over eggplant accompanied by scalloped potatoes and sauteed squash. As you may surmise by the photo, it was way too much food plus the fish was slightly overdone. 2.5 Forks











Sept 14 – On exiting our room this morning I found the Harvest Moon low on the horizon.







I made the 1 mile trek back to the Sweet Springs Nature Reserve and followed a 2/3rds of a mile accessible trail leading to a viewing stand though once again the preserve was bird lite. As I was making my way back along the path I encountered a doe and her fawn taking the same trail so we all stopped and stared at each other before they grew bored and sauntered away.



Further on I encountered over a dozen California quails running helter skelter from one side of the street to the other.



Ann and I both ordered the frittata of the day (vegetable with sausage) at the Bay Back Cafe that were okay, but not worth ordering again. 2.5 Forks







We drove on Route 1 north to Estero Bluffs State Park that runs for about 4 miles along Estero Bay. There are numerous entry points leading to the trail that traces the bluffs while never veering much more than 300 yards from the rocky coastline. We probably walked 2 miles out and back on this trail that provides one photo opportunity after another while being suitable for families of all ages including seniors like us.











Next stop was the beach town of Cayucos where we walked along the pier while enjoying the cool breezes and a meet and greet with a pair of huskies. We then visited the famous Brown Butter Cookie company where we walked away with a pair of cookies, chocolate crunch and an everything that we enjoyed later that day before they became stale. 3 Forks and a glass of milk







We also stopped in downtown Los Osos for gas as well as Pagnol’s @ Third Street Bakery, finding little of interest at the latter.



Later in the afternoon we visited Montana de Oro State Park, stopping initially at Spooner Cove and then the visitor center though the latter was closed. Continuing on we located the Bluff Point trail head where we would be hiking the following day. We once again managed to return to the inn as the door to the wine reception was just opening.







Dinner was again on the patio of the Blue Heron restaurant where we both enjoyed the halibut entree. 4 Forks





Clouds settled in as day turned to dusk so there was little in the way of a sunset this evening. We also noticed an informal gathering at the adjacent park and learned it was in remembrance of a recently deceased local resident.



Sept 15 –The area was shrouded in fog so I delayed my departure, making just a quick walk around the immediate area before returning to wake up you know who. Breakfast this morning was BLT-Es, a BLT with egg on a croissant. 3.5 Forks











We drove to San Luis Obispo arriving at the Mission San Luis Obispo just as the Sunday service was concluding. The chapel was quite impressive, the museum and gift shop not so much. 3 Candles















A short drive, we could have walked, brought us to the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art where we enjoyed seeing the paintings included in the semi annual “Brushstrokes” exhibit that features a number of California artists. There also was an exhibit titled “The 3rd Dimension” that was also interesting.

3 Brushes











Our next stop was the Madonna Inn which took tacky to new heights. 1.5 Shades of Pink











In mid-afternoon under clear skies we returned to Montana de Oro State Park and hiked the northern section of the Bluff Trail which runs along a rugged coastline.











Not far into the hike we encountered Grotto Rock, a tall stone island where ocean waves flow through tunnels. This entire scenic trail is 2.1 miles long with numerous side paths offering opportunities to hike anywhere between 1 and 5 miles with us probably totaling 2.5 miles out and back. We might have walked further along this senior accessible trail but our legs were beginning to complain, more importantly, the wine reception room would soon be opening. 5 Claps







Dinner this evening was at Dutchman’s Seafood House overlooking Morro Bay. We did not have a reservation so we put in our name and walked along the pier discovering a playful harbor seal swimming around the docks.











Entrees at Dutchman’s include a choice of New England clam chowder or house salad with Ann choosing sand dabs and chowder. The chowder was very good, the sand dabs okay though the accompanying vegetables were pretty blah. I fared better with my choice of salad and cioppino though I have not forgiven the chef for including green lip mussels. 2.5 Forks











Another beautiful sky greeted us as we walked along the boardwalk.







Sept 16 Though the overnight forecast called for showers, we were greeted this morning by clearing skies so we got an early start on our way to Big Sur, but the first stop was our last stop at Bay Back Cafe with us each ordering another BLT-E.







Our drive to Pacific Grove on Route 1 included a stop in the town of Harmony to visit Harmony Glassworks. This business has two shops showcasing the works of more California artists than the entire ‘official” population, 18, of the town. I mention “official” because rumor has it that there may have been a pair births since the last census. As we were viewing one interesting piece of work, a toad popped out, seemingly quite comfortable in its temporary home. 3.5 Claps



















A stop at Elephant Seal Overlook proved rewarding as we saw over 100 seals, most of them catching some ZZZ’s while periodically tossing sand on themselves to keep cool.







There were a myriad of scenic pullovers on the way along the Big Sur coast with us stopping periodically before arriving at Julia Pfeiffer State Park.











After entering we were warmly greeted by a flock of stellar jays residing in a tree adjacent to the parking lot. We took the Overlook trail that led us under Highway 1 to a point high on a bluff for a view of the McWay Falls that tumble 80 feet onto a pristine beach in a picture perfect cove.















We bypassed a couple of galleries as travel through Big Sur proved to be far slower than anticipated with the next major stopping point being Nepenthe, a restaurant perched high on the Big Sur cliffs. Unfortunately, the fog had rolled in masking the view so we retreated to the car after a making a quick tour of the outside deck and gift shop.







We stopped numerous times throughout our journey including at Ragged Point.











Travel was further hampered by several road construction projects including one at the scenic Bixby Bridge so we were pretty tired by the time we arrived at the Best Western Inn & Suites in Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula. The property is a failed condominium project with each condo converted into 3 individual units. We were on the top floor so 3 sets of stairs had to be navigated by yours truly multiple times to bring in our luggage.











The bedroom was nicely appointed and included a private porch while a second room proved to be wasted space housing little more than a mini refrigerator, microwave, rollout bed and some hangers. The bathroom included a large walk-in shower and vanity, but the separate room housing the toilet was so small that one had to navigate around it close or open the door.



We also were disappointed to discover there was no air conditioning which was more of a problem during the day than at night when temperatures plummeted to the low 50’s. The property itself, located in a residential area, was quite nice with both lot and garage parking available. 3 Sheets



Happy hour was celebrated at Montrio Bistro in Monterey where Ann ordered a raspberry lemon drop and I a peach mojito. An order of crispy calamari with spicy remoulade proved to be quite good as were the glasses of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay that followed. 3 Sips







Dinner was at the very popular Monterey’s Fish House where you must make a reservation or face a long wait. We did not hold a reservation but arrived before the crowds so we incurred only a 10-15 minute wait. There were numerous daily specials with Ann ordering salmon with pesto and I sole piccata style. Each entree included both pasta and sauteed zucchini. Portion size is unusually large which may account for the high ratings because neither dish was any better than fair. 2.5 Forks











On our way back to the inn we discovered streets with the same names may be found in both Monterey and Pacific Grove, but they do not necessarily connect. Through trial and much error we also learned major streets can and do dead end abruptly as one travels from one locale to the next. Color us lost, confused and agitated.



Sept 17 – My early walk today was on the Asilomar Coastal Trail, accessed from Sunset Drive, led me past Asilomar State and Monterey Marine Preserves. I had this trail past Asilomar Beach and the rocky coastline much to myself with the exception of one individual walking a dog and a jogger.















The inn’s breakfast was as expected, read pre-made this, nuke that, make your own waffle, so we limited ourselves to OJ and a coffee for Ann before striking off for Pavel’s Backerei. While talking to a few locals while waiting in line, we learned “everything” is delicious and, as we soon discovered, “everything” was delicious. This morning’s indulgence was a shared cinnamon brioche and a cream cheese Danish. 4.5 Forks











On exiting we made the short drive to Lover’s Point and headed east along another section of the coastal trail past Berwick Point immensely enjoying the view of crashing waves against the rocky coast. We saw numerous gulls, squirrels and a solitary harbor seal before deciding to retrace our steps back to Lover’s Point.











After a short break, we headed in the opposite direction stopping at Perkins Park and then continued on a little further until we realized we were getting tired.







On our drive back to the inn we followed Ocean View Boulevard onto Sunset Drive, pausing at both Kissing Rock and the John Denver Memorial.











In the afternoon following a short rest, we checked out downtown Pacific Grove discovering a beauty salon adjacent to the laundromat we would be using tomorrow so Ann made a hair appointment. We also stopped in a liquor store and purchased an inexpensive bottle of Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon that was consumed on our deck while we were entertained by a family of acorn woodpeckers busily going about their daily chores.



At dinner at Jennini Kitchen and Bar, we each ordered the crispy lamb shank that included a salad. The portion of lamb was truly outrageous while the meat was both flavorful and tender without a hint of gameness. A side order of scalloped potato was delicious but grossly overpriced at $8 given its petite size. 4 Forks







Sept 18 – I woke up late so an unaccompanied return trip to Pavel’s concluded in the purchase of a berry cream Danish and citrus butter crunch that we enjoyed with OJ at our inn while sharing a table with Martin and Shirley from Modesto. This couple has been visiting the area for over 25 years and willingly offered recommendations for dining and local activities.











We visited Point Lobos Natural Reserve this morning finding the first 3 parking lots completely full on our arrival. We parked at what I believe to be the Bird Island lot and walked the South Shore trail that hugged the rocky coastline under crystal clear skies. At trail’s end, we stopped at a kiosk and spoke with a docent before taking the even more scenic Cypress Grove Trail where we saw numerous sea lions on the rocky shore and learned that many of the immatures were dying this year for lack of food attributable to climate change. The trail continued on past a grove of ancient Monterey Cypress trees where Ann spotted a young buck and doe. The path eventually reached a point where it became too irregular for us so we completed a U-turn and made the long trek back to our car. 4 Claps











The remainder of the morning and early afternoon was spent at Sudz Cyber Laundry where the helpful attendants walked us through each step of the process. While I watched our clothes tumble dry, Ann walked 2 doors down to Setsuko’s Beauty Parlor for her own wash and dry though tumbling was not included. Our timing was pretty good with me completing the process of folding our clothes just 10 minutes before Ann exited the beauty parlor. Amazingly, Mrs. Setsuko has been in business for 30 years and does not own an electric curling iron. 3.5 Sheets for laundry, 2 Scissors for Mrs. Setsuko.



Our helpful attendant





The remainder of the afternoon was devoted to rest so we could give a 100% effort to our happy hour activities that included a bottle of Carnivor Cabernet Sauvignon, 2 plastic glasses, our deck and the acorn woodpeckers.



Our restaurant of choice, Fishwife, is within easy walking distance from our lodging, but we chose to drive so we could walk a section of the coastal trail afterwards without making the return in total darkness. Ann chose king salmon that was accompanied by crab ravioli, a special this evening, while I chose the Portofino. The latter was described as seafood in a fresh tomato sauce. The sauce may have been fresh, but none of the shellfish was in shells and the bay shrimp were obviously farm raised. Once again, Ann made the better choice. 2.5 Forks











Our after dinner walk along the coastal trail included watching several surfers off Asilomar State Beach enjoying their last ride of the day as the sun sunk slowly behind the distant horizon.







Sept 19 – I walked this morning from the inn past Fishwife just as several surfers began arriving. I crossed the street and took a ¼ mile boardwalk trail that meandered through the 25 acres of protected dunes included in the Asilomar Dunes Natural Preserve eventually entering and exiting the Asilomar Conference Center.







chapel





We had breakfast at the inn this morning suffering through toasted cinnamon bread, Raisin Bran cereal with dried fruit and OJ. On exiting the room we discovered a young buck noshing on flowers behind our unit.





After bidding fond adieu to the buck, we headed off for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Over the course of almost 4 hours, we enjoyed visiting a wide variety of exhibits with the highlight being the feedings of the penguins and fish found in the open sea.







Considerable time was spent at the aviary that featured a 37+ year old willet plus numerous other shorebirds. Other exhibits of note included the always entertaining sea otters, beautiful jellyfish and several touch pools. At each exhibit a staff member or two proved to be a fountain of information. Had we had more flexibility, we would have spread our visit over 2 days by taking advantage of a special accorded visitors staying at a variety of local hotels including ours. 4.5 Fins























After resting in our room, we strolled around the grounds of Pinos Lighthouse followed by a walk along the Asilomar Coastal Trail just as the tide was coming in. This night’s happy hour included a bottle of Paso Creek 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon and our family woodpeckers. 3 Sips











Our dinner at Passionfish proved to be the best of the trip with us jump starting the meal with an appetizer of black bean and goat cheese fritters with a salsa fresca.







Ann’s entree was albacore tuna with a pepper-fennel seed crust that had been perfectly seared and accompanied by bacon wilted chard, cauliflower puree and a bacon gremolata. Meanwhile at the other end of the table my rockfish was complemented by a large jicama and mint salad, spicy nuoc cham (dipping sauce), rice crisps and cashews. Though hardly needed, we could not depart without sharing the maple-banana bread pudding topped with bourbon caramel sauce and banana ice cream. 5 Forks















Sept 20 – Another early morning walk, another visit to Asilomar State Beach.







We had OJ at the inn and bid farewell to Martin, Shirley and the woodpeckers before casting off for Patisserie Bechler. Ann chose cheese Danish (what a surprise!) and I an almond raspberry croissant (another surprise!) though each was shared. The Danish was very good, the croissant was excellent. 4.5 Forks











We encountered almost continuous traffic as we made our way to Healdsburg, much of it along Route 101, taking a solitary restroom break at a Starbucks and lunch at Chile Joe’s in Petaluna. The restaurant was recently voted best new restaurant in town though, given the size of the town, one might wonder about the size of the pool. Our cups of chile with beans proved the voters were on target.

3.5 Spoons







On checking in at Fairview Suites we were informed that our room was not ready but the clerk would inform us via phone when it became available. We decided to make the ½ mile drive to downtown Healdsburg where we located a highly coveted parking space on the plaza. Williamson Wines was just a short stroll away so we entered and enjoyed a complimentary tasting of 6 wines plus matched pinchos. The tasting proved to be very informative and the wines highly drinkable though a little too light bodied to suit my tastes. 3.5 Sips







Happy hour was spent at Wero Restaurant in the Virginia Dare Winery. On Fridays only this winery offers a happy hour that includes $5 glasses of wine and discounted appetizers. On arrival, we were given a small glass of wine and told to enjoy it anywhere on the premises which were decorated with numerous native American paintings and pottery.







After making a quick walk through, we ordered glasses of Chardonnay (Ann) and Pinot Noir (me) at the restaurant and settled in on the patio overlooking the gardens. The food menu did not appeal so we decided to have dinner elsewhere, but first I ordered a second round.



The best pizza in the area according to social media may be found at Diavola Pizzeria and Salumeria in Geyserville and who are we to disagree? The best pizza in Diavola may be, though there is some disagreement, the Sonja (tomato, mascarpone, prosciutto, arugula) and who are we to disagree though we thought it was pricey as was our $4 can of Coca Cola. 3.5 Forks







Sept 21 I was on the road early with the intention of visiting the Geyserville “Celebrates The Arts” public sculptures, however, I arrived before daybreak so I kept on trucking through the wine country until I reached Cloverdale, parked and walked much of its sculpture trail.















The gas tank was registering near empty so I pulled in at the first opportunity paying $4.079 per gallon, a mile further gas was selling for $3.579.



Our first stop on this Saturday morning was the Healdsburg Farmers Market that included vendors selling cheeses, meat, seafood, prepared foods, coffee, flowers, fruits, vegetables, crafts etc. We purchased a large lemon scone at the Red Bird Bakery tent that we shared on a park bench while being serenaded by a musician. 3.5 Forks















I had prepared a walking tour of art galleries in the immediate area of the plaza, but soon discovered several did not open until later in the morning. The first stop, Harris Gallery, housing the paintings of father and son, M.C. and Kevin Harris, proved to be the most interesting. We had the opportunity to meet Kevin who walked us through much of the 2-story gallery.







The nearby Erickson Gallery was among those closed, but the sculpture garden could be enjoyed from the sidewalk. We also spent time in the Arena Galleries and Gardens though there were no gardens at this location.











We then returned to Geyserville to view the “Celebrates the Arts” public sculptures before returning to Healdsburg for a light lunch on the patio of the Parish Cafe. Ann ordered a cup of gumbo while I chose red beans and rice. Both proved to be more than satisfying. 4 Spoons















Our room had not been refreshed so we exchanged our used towels for fresh ones and gave the housekeeper the remainder of the afternoon off.



In mid-afternoon we drove to Alexander Valley Vineyards for another wine tasting that included a sampling of Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, a red blend, wine club blend, Syrah and an organic Cabernet Sauvignon. The latter was by far the best while we found the Gewurztraminer and wine club blend to be a bit disappointing. 3.5 Sips











At 5PM we could be found sitting on upholstered chairs at the decidedly upscale Spirit Bar in the Hotel Healdsburg. All Tito’s cocktails are available for $6 so we ordered a pair of cosmos. Our second round included a 2nd cosmo for himself and a glass of Chardonnay for herself, while being “entertained” by a trio of jazz musicians that played a bit too loud for the size, quite large, of the room.

4 Sips and 2 Claps













Dinner was in the courtyard of Bravas de Tapas on another beautiful evening.







We started with an order of fried eggplant chips with truffle honey and rosemary that was outstanding. An order of Catalian style sauteed spinach with roasted garlic, pine nuts and golden raisins proved to be no less mouth watering.

Nice work, westie! Looks like you had some really nice hikes - great pics!