Thursday, October 31, 2013, Pismo Beach, CA

Just a lazy day in the paradise that is Pismo Beach, CA.  We walked along the boardwalk and the beach.  The flowers were all open to drink in the warm sunshine.

Sometimes I think I might spend too much time lounging in the sun, but then isn't that what retirement is all about? 

Wednesday, October 30, 2013, Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo, CA

The plan was to hike to the Point San Luis Lighthouse, Avila Beach, CA. It was on restricted land, so you could only hike there with a guide. We had reservations, but we arrived at the wrong time and missed the hike (we made new reservations for the next week.) At least it was a short drive and we were able to walk around the harbor.

The plaque reads:  "Sailing ship anchor circa 1850, found by Marion Shinn while diving here in 1977."

The Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, CA, was a "must see" on most lists, so who were we to question it? There was certainly a lot of pink, but the place was expansive and unique. The rock work on the fireplaces was amazing. I didn't get a good picture of it, but you have to see the men's room urinal to believe it!

The carved doors were almost four-inch thick solid wood. There was no door latching hardware. A sliding 3/4 inch steel bar in brackets was used to lock the doors.

The grounds were absolutely beautiful with a wide variety of plants and flowers.

Each room is uniquely decorated. There is a fine line between tacky and whimsical. I'll let you judge for yourself.

Meanwhile, back at the Butterfly Grove - the numbers are growing...

We saw Doc Burnstein's Ice Cream Lab when we visited Arroyo Grande with Maggie and Jim. It kept calling to us, so we finally stopped in for a little dessert. Pretty good ice cream, but a little too pricey to make it a habit. We did, however, find several more places we may try for dinner before we leave the area.

We were celebrating a good friend's birthday. (OK, she is in Georgia...)

Happy birthday, Jan!! We miss you!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013, Elephant Seal Vista Point and Hearst Castle, San Simeon, CA, Exploring Cambria, CA

Another pretty day - another great drive. This time we headed north just above San Simeon to Piedras Blancas Light Station built in 1875. Unfortunately, the road was closed and the closest pictures were not very impressive, so we did not include them here. Still, north of San Simeon, we found the overlook for viewing Elephant Seals. They had just started gathering, so there will be many more in another month. There were hundreds. Mostly they just lay motionless, but then they would flip some sand on their back or raise up their head and bark. There were a lot of "cute" little incidents going on all over, but it was difficult to capture them in a picture - by the time you noticed something and moved the camera, they quit whatever it was and they were still again.

We stopped at the Hearst Castle Visitor Center. There was a museum and a gift store, restaurant and viewing area. It was strange seeing a zebra roaming the pasture below the castle. We chose not to spend the time and money riding the bus up the hill for a tour and settled for the view from below.

A remnant of the zoo Mr. Hearst once stocked on the ranch. At one time there were polar bears, elephants and other exotic animals.

We decided to check on the seals again before heading south and were rewarded with some more nice photo opportunities. 

Just south of San Simeon was the town of Cambria. Joani was in search of the shop housing Ephraim Pottery. I hope she is satisfied admiring it from afar due to its price tag! 

Cambria was in the middle of their annual Scarecrow Festival. There were 370 scarecrows on display around the town. Joani kept calling the town "adorable" and it really was pretty nice. Some of the scarecrows were very creative. My favorite was called "Cycling Through the Years."

This spectacular display was motorized. The tyke was pedaling the fastest. They slowed with each generation.  I liked the progression from a tricycle to a bike and back to a tricycle.

This was in front of the Catholic Church. I appreciated their sense of humor.

This town very much reminds me of Gatlinburg's Heritage Arts Trail - gallery after gallery showing local artists.

I am a huge fan of Ephraim Pottery. Until I visited this shop, I had only seen it in pictures.

Another personal favorite. (He needs to stop staring at her breasts!)

Shut the duck up...

David is flirting with the wrong gal!

We drove by Morrow Bay on the way home. It was getting late - we will have to explore this seaside town on another day (that's the advantage of an extended stay.)

Morrow Rock

Monday, October 28, 2013, Sunset at Pismo Beach, CA

It threatened to rain most of the day at Pismo Beach, CA. It actually sprinkled only a few times, but it was enough that we chose to just stay in. Joani researched potential places to visit while I read. Later, I decided it was also a good time to make a nice double batch of Curried Meatballs. It was a favorite in the Parriott house as I was growing up.

Late afternoon the clouds broke up enough for a few pictures. You have to love a nice painted sunset! We made it back to the coach just as it started to sprinkle again.

 

  

Sunday, October 27, 2013, Hike at Avila Beach, San Luis Obispo, CA

Today we hiked about 4 miles along a trail in nearby Avila Beach. It followed San Luis Obispo Creek. It went through a golf course and ended in the town of Avila Beach. The town looks clean, fresh and new. All of the buildings along Front Street are just over ten years old. There was a toxic oil spill in the late 1990s. All of the buildings and a lot of the homes were demolished in the clean-up. All of the contaminated soil was trucked away and replaced. Then, thanks to a $30 million settlement, the town was rebuilt.

Avila Beach had a very festive atmosphere.

I had no idea that eucalyptus is a flowering tree!

These houses, right on the ocean, were in the $1.7M - $2M range.

We stopped at Shell Beach on our way home. Several folks were taking advantage of the ocean breezes for some flying. I have to say this looked very cool and very scary at the same time. Watching as this guy tried to get his wing inflated made it look like it could buckle and fold in an instant! Not something you want just after you go over the 200-foot high cliff. Once they were up, it seemed like they glided just like the shorebirds riding the currents, circling and rising and zipping along. 

He was hamming it up for the camera. All I could think was "Stay focused!"