San Francisco - Monterey 10 Days

[Drew Wiley]

Pot was more of a cottage industry here until the mid-70's. But up the road from where I lived, right on Hwy 1 in fact, a very well known brand of herbal tea began, using bits of leftover cannabis stalks. The adjacent bread bakery, which itself later became a national "organic" brand name, did the same. No effect. The ingredient was more just to appeal to the local hip clientele and tweak the authorities. Heroin was a different topic, deadly serious. Those love & peace types got into terrible rivalries. Even the local state approved halfway house and youth ministry was a front for prostitution and heroin running. That model was fairly common - either work for us or we give a bad report to your parole officer. But once back in school I had access again to things I loved like high-end Zeiss microscopes, really good paleontology professors and so forth, lots of reasons to spend my time more with the natural world itself than textbooks. My older brother was already into LF (Linhof) photography professionally on the south-central coast (Santa Barbara), so it was just a matter of time till I got into that too.

[pepeguitarra]

I'll post a question which will make most of you Californians laugh hysterically because any answer involves writing a book! My wife and I (in NJ) are planning a 10-day California trip from the Wednesday after Labor Day to the Saturday a week later. While we have spent lots of time visiting, hiking, and camping in Washington State and Oregon, we've never been to California (!). Given the size of the state, we have narrowed our interest to San Francisco (direct flights from NJ) and south to Monterey and maybe as far south as San Luis Obispo. (Given a love of otters, both sea and river, the Monterey Aquarium is a must-visit.) Other points of interest which jump out are Point Lobos to pay homage to the Westons, some of the Spanish Missions simply because I like missions and hopefully they will allow tripods and view cameras, a visit to a Redwood Forest. I have a pile of travel books on the table, they get overwhelming really quickly.

We are fit a 67 and 72, love to walk and hike, but also love art, museums, historic sites, food, etc. I plan on bringing my stripped-down travel kit of Canham DLC^2 (4x5), one lens (150mm), travel tripod and essentials. The biggest question is how to allot time (since we fly to SF, have to spend some time there but I get mixed signals from my books on how much), plan to rent a car when we leave SF (I gather a car in SF proper is something to avoid) and travel south as mentioned. So here's the hysterical part (in the sense that I would have trouble telling a first-timer what to see/do in NY/NJ, there is simply too much): what suggestions do you have for our vacation?

Peter, did you get your question answered?

[Drew Wiley]

There's a heck of a lot of history along the route, Pepeguittara. Part of 101 is even still named El Camino Real - paved right over the early Mission trail. Other parts are now public foot trails. My dad ended up in the same assisted living complex as the last living member of one of the Japanese free-diving families who commercially took abalone from what is now Pt Lobos State Reserve. The tiny museum at Whalers Cove probably has some photos of that era. From childhood I remember the Monterey shoreline when it was still a scruffy warehouse district like Steinbeck described, more than a tourist area. Not far outside of town is the peak where Fremont overwintered and hid from the Spanish. Lots and lots to see and do. But everyone should see San Simeon and the Monterey Aquarium at least once. Even while you're waiting in line at San Simeon, it will be in a fascinating little museum at the bottom of the hill. The aquarium line is easy if you get there in the morning. Probably the best in the world.

[John Kasaian]

There is a steep hill between Monterey and Carmel. Model T Fords, with gravity fed updraft carbs can't make it over without starving so they had to back up over the summit in reverse so gas would flow in the right direction and not kill the engine.
All the cool kids in those days had a tire valve soldered to the gas cap (which is under the seat on the passenger side) You could attach a tire pump and the passenger pumped away and pressurized the gas tank so you could drive the route going in the right direction.
I have my dad's Model T gas cap with the soldered on valve somewhere around here.

[Drew Wiley]

Edward Weston didn't drive, so someone else had to take him from Carmel to his portrait studio in Monterey. At the top of that hill is where my father passed away in hospice at a former convent. Beautiful setting. But he was there only two weeks.

[Peter Lewin]

Peter, did you get your question answered?

Pepe, the response has been wonderful, far better than expected. So many people have provided detailed suggestions and recommendations, given that most of us only know each other through posts and sometimes a few images, it’s an amazing community. We’ve got our air tickets (one week later than original plan), arrive SFO on Sept. 11, depart Sept. 20. I printed out a ton of posts, highlighted things, and have a tentative itinerary, from SFO as far south as Cambria and then back up.
Currently working on accommodations. Will post more detail when done.

[Drew Wiley]

Hard to go wrong on a trip like that. You'll have a wonderful time.

[John Kasaian]

Correction: the cement artichoke in Castroville is 20' tall.

[Drew Wiley]

John - every one of those towns has its own harvest festival and beauty pageant. Miss artichoke, Miss Strawberry, etc. The gal who wins the Miss Garlic Festival in Gilroy can't get anyone to kiss her; and the Miss Prune of Prunedale ... well, er ... at least one contest is open to old spinsters.

[Bernice Loui]

If the De-Tour was taken from South HWY 1 into Silly Valley and/or Stanford Uni, make your way back to HWY 1 South by going up (Towards the coast) Page Mill Road, then North on HWY 35 to Four Corners where Alice's Restaurant is located. Alice's is a local fave hang out for a host of reasons.
http://www.alicesrestaurant.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m57gzA2JCcM

Make the Left turn into HYW 84 which goes past LaHonda and eventually ends up in Pescadaro which has been a farming community for along time. There are working farms like Blue Hill Farms where you can stop in to purchase their harvest offerings. https://bluehousefarm.com. There is the General Store which burned some time ago and Duarte's Tavern famous for their Artichoke soup. http://www.duartestavern.com and Harley's Goat Farm, http://www.harleyfarms.com

Going North from HWY 84 is a old cemetery on Verde Road:
https://cemeterytravel.com/2018/03/2...sima-cemetery/

Further south on HWY 1 brings up Pigeon Point Light house.


The Fresnel lens from Pigeon Point's Light is on display:


Or a bit inland is Butano State Park, https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=536

There are beaches all along the side of HWY 1, many of them have easy public access, some are private property. There was a notable law suite between the Tycoon Vinod Khosla co-founder of Sun Microsystems and Martin's beach (Back North on HWY 1) public access, https://sf.curbed.com/2018/10/2/1792...-martins-beach

Next signifiant town on HWY 1 is Santa Cruz and Aptos. Not being that versed and knowledgeable about Santa Cruz, maybe another LFF member chime in on this and Moss Landing.


Then on to Monterey..

Bernice