We started with a few days in Big Sur, where we stayed in a cabin in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. It was a wonderfully central location to base ourselves in. Start with redwoods:
At the cabins there were some wild turkeys, the 2 toms were posturing gorgeously. At this point, the hens had given up on the 2 males and were on the other end of the campground ignoring them, but the guys were still going strong. The toms start good-looking and trim....
And then they get BIG!!!
William tried to get big, but I think the turkey did a better job. Loom, William, loom!
In addition to redwoods, of course, there were ocean views.
Ocean views blocked by silly people
And our official roadtrip pic with our trusty steed!
One of many lizard pictures, I'm a complete sucker for those little guys.
We stopped by the Henry Miller Library, which was kinda cool and funky.
In addition to redwoods and stunning ocean cliffs, there's hikes in coast live oak (a.k.a. California live oak) landscapes, which I just adore for the cool angles in the trees and, of course, the lizards.
In addition to trees and lizards, there were even humans!
And humans with cool angle-y trees!
The live oak landscapes tend to have wildflowers,
and hawks.
After Big Sur we tootled down to Santa Barbara to see some friends and check out the campus of USCB (not that Iain is yet at the age to pick a university, but its not that far....). By far our favorite feature of the campus was the section of beach beyond the bluffs.
A little playing with the new camera features
The campus proper did have a particularly cool row of trees. Angle-y!!
In 4th grade in California the kids all do a unit in California history about the Spanish missions. They also, in 4th, read the book Island of the Blue Dolphins, which is a fictionalized account of a native woman left behind when the natives on that island were "evacuated." Both are rolled up in one in a visit to the Santa Barbara mission, which is still an active community church.
Finally, we hit the boardwalk, and had dinner with Amanda and Richard Payatt.
Stop the next, Hearst Castle!!! Egads, what a paean to extravagance and capitalism!! My mom was right, definitely add in the upstairs/bedrooms tour on the first visit, don't just do the basic tour. Now you know.
Cool tree with mansion behind
After that, we did a quick tour of Cal Poly, but we didn't have it in us to take more pictures. Totally pictured out. I really thought the campus was lovely, though. Very attractive, even during the chaos of open house weekend. And I do mean chaos! Then, homeward ho!
Its even got lizards!
Finally, we hit the boardwalk, and had dinner with Amanda and Richard Payatt.
Stop the next, Hearst Castle!!! Egads, what a paean to extravagance and capitalism!! My mom was right, definitely add in the upstairs/bedrooms tour on the first visit, don't just do the basic tour. Now you know.
A lot of the ceilings were being restored, the ceilings were definitely a highlight!
Cool tree with mansion behind
Nifty little door to the 2nd floor / guest bedroom zone:
mmmmmm.....library!
I can't recall what this room was called, but it was for meetings, and had lovely story-book illustrations along the ceiling, erm, ?buttresses?.
The Celestial Suites have been closed for renovation for years, but they are open again now, and lovely.
And, of course, the famous indoor pool.
After that, we did a quick tour of Cal Poly, but we didn't have it in us to take more pictures. Totally pictured out. I really thought the campus was lovely, though. Very attractive, even during the chaos of open house weekend. And I do mean chaos! Then, homeward ho!
1 comment:
Looks like a great vacation..lots to see and do
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