A Short Drive on the Beach

Kenneth had told us about the sand dunes south of Pismo Beach, and we decided to go check the out.  When we drove up to the attendant's gate, we saw the fee was $5.  For what?  To drive on the beach.

I thought that sounded fun!  I was ready to shell out the $5, and I probably would have if I were driving. But Don said no.  I asked him why not.  He is usually more adventurous than that . . . and after all, we had a Jeep with four-wheel drive.  But he insisted we did not have the right tires.

We came down to the next attendant shack and I asked Don to park so we could go look at the dunes.  There was a small parking lot, and when we got out of the car, we saw this:

Uh oh.  Two cars that didn't have Don to reason with their drivers.  They were both stuck in the sand . . . and the tide was coming in.  We asked the attendant what would happen.  She said they would call a tow truck to pull them out, but would it be in time?  The tide was coming in fast.

We do not know the outcome, but after seeing this, I was really glad Don didn't listen to me . . . or that I did listen to him!  We make a good team.

Meeting the Seals

Jordy and Nelson had been locked up most of Monday because we went to the Hearst Castle, and then we stopped at the Moonstone Beach Bar and Grill for lunch.  I had a delicious (and huge) B,L,T, and avocado sandwich, along with delicious onion rings!  Don had fish tacos that were equally good.  We sat outside in the cool warmth, right on the edge where the ocean was.  Highly recommended!

When we got home, the dogs were amped!  They were ready to go, but Don needed a nap.  You see how that went over.

We decided to take them to the beach.  We stopped at several places hoping for access but all we got was cliffs.  We finally ended up at Pismo State Park, which is a lovely, lovely beach, especially on a cool April afternoon during the week.  I suspect the weekends are wild, however.  We didn't have much more success with Jordy and Nelson getting into the water, but they did enjoy the smells.

We then came back to Avila Beach and took them out on the pier.  On a working dock off the pier were a bunch of seals relaxing.  They were pretty noisy, so we were hoping they would get the attention of the dogs.

The pups are being introduced to many new sights and sounds.  I think they will be glad to get back to something familiar!

The Hearst Castle Grounds

The grounds of the castle are as spectacular as the house.  The buildings are fashioned after various Mediterranean buildings, La Casa Grande being inspired by the cathedral in Ronda, Spain.  Fountains, Egyptian sculpture, and Mediterranean tile all create the illusion of a grand Italian or Spanish estate

The landscaping included orange and lemon trees, flowers, and large oak trees - some imported, some not.  The flowers were particularly amazing, since many are currently blooming.  These bleeding heart or fuchsia plants were thought were gorgeous.

There were also two pools - one a huge Neptune pool that had been enlarged three times to hold nearly 400,000 gallons of water.  He also built an indoor Roman pool.  I could swim in that one any time!

The detail and vision of this estate show that William Randolph Hearst was a man who lived in two worlds - the present and the future.  He installed electricity before it was widely available, he hadunderground  electric lines, he had a telephone in nearly every room available with a 24-hour switchboard.  He was also an egalitarian soul, hiring numerous women to lead his various divisions, including his workers in the movie nights, and ultimately providing his gorgeous estate for all to see.

Hearst Castle

The day began as I remember so many California mornings - foggy, gray, cool, quiet.  The mist drifted across the tops of the trees, obscuring not only the plants but also the mountaintops.  It subdued the sounds of highway 101 and even the birds seemed quieter.  A mysterious, beautiful California morning.

About 9:30 we locked the dogs up and drove Highway 1 to the Hearst Castle outside of San Simeon.  We had no idea what to expect, but after seeing Neuschwanstein in Austria, we suspected it would be interesting.  Rich people who build grand estates for themselves usually do not disappoint.

In the late 50's, after William Randolph Hearst had passed away, the Hearst Corporation donated the majority of his estate to the California State Parks.  The house was included in the deal, and the Parks Department has since turned it into a tourist attraction.  We were very impressed with the "new" visitor center, and even the port-a-potties they have now installed (due to the water shortage) were clean.  When we were leaving, a young woman with Downs Syndrome and her boss were cleaning the outsides of every one, sanitizing as they went.

Anyway, we took a bus to the top of the hill where the "castle" was constructed, a nearly five-mile trip.  We learned that Mr. Hearst had built a zoo complete with tigers, polar bears, oryxes, zebras, and wild sheep.  There are still sheep and zebras on the ranch!

When we disembarked, a guide met us and told us all about the grounds, which were built to emulate a Mediterranean mansion.  Mr. Hearst purchased art work from around the world - Flemish tapestries, Greek statues, a copy of Donatello's David, wooden ceilings, Moorish ceilings from Spain, and fireplaces.  He installed the art throughout his home for all to enjoy.

Mr. Hearst loved his compound that had three huge guest cottages.  He would invite up to 20 people - many of Hollywood's most famous - to spend some time with him.  They could arrive by car or in his private plane on his private airstrip.  In the evening they would meet at La Casa Grande for a drink.  Only one drink, because Mr. Hearst did not want the drinking to overshadow the pleasure of the evening.  After dinner, he would treat his guests to movies in his theater.  The movies began at 11:00, which meant a late night for all.  That's why breakfast was served until noon.  Everyone had to make their way to La Casa Grande for all of their meals, and they were served in the dining room, which was a mixture of very formal and very informal.  Nice china, but no linens, ketchup and mustard bottles on the table! (Notice the tapestries on the wall and the choir seats that were used as wainscoating!)

Although we only went to four rooms inside the mansion, we could easily imagine the life led at this estate.  One only money can buy!

Meeting the Ocean

Once we arrived at our campground and finished our laundry, we decided to take the dogs down to the beach.  Neither Don nor I had visited Pismo Beach, so we thought it would be a good thing to do.

The beach itself is rather shallow, and the waves are small, due to the bay-like quality of the area.  But it was perfect for us to introduce the dogs to the ocean.  Their first experience was as follows:

They had several opportunities for meeting the ocean later in the trip, but unfortunately, they never took to it.  Maybe later!

The San Joaquin Valley

Driving from Yosemite to Santa Clara, we were able to go through the San Joaquin Valley.  They have had quite a bit of rain, including the night before we drove through, and evidence of healthy farming surrounded us.  We decided to stop at one of the fruit stands, just to see what they had.

The strawberries were as big as any I have ever seen - three inches long, for example - and the cherries and apricolts appeared to be freshly picked.  They were certainly delicious.

Poor Nelson!

Before explaining why I named this blog the way I did, let me tell you a little about a trip we took in 1980 with Mom, Dad, Katie, Bart, and Katie's dog, Smudgy.  Dad had rented a class C RV to take us around some of the pueblos during Christmas break.  We went to Acoma Pueblo, Zuni, El Morro, Chaco Canyon, Hubbell Trading Post, and El Malpais.  During one of the stops, when we were camped in the boonies, we were all asleep - Mom and Dad above the driver's seat, Don and me in the cozy diner, and Katie and Bart each in a bunk bed.  Suddenly, we are awakened the loudest retching we have ever heard.  Bart had eaten some onions, and they obviously did not agree with him.  Mom, Dad, Don and I quickly exited the RV.  A few minutes later, Katie comes leaping out of the RV with Smudgy, saying, "I can't stand it, I can't stand it."  About five minues later, we were able to go back to bed - thank goodness because it was very cold - and Bart felt better, much to all of our relief.

Fast forward to Yosemite of this year.  Jordy and Nelson were riding in the back seat, but for some reason, Jordy became sick to his stomach and began retching.  He did throw up a little bit, but it wasn't awful.  Nelson, however, was having none of it, and very quickly he exited to the trunk of the Jeep.  He didn't seem to mind that there was no soft seat to sleep on.  He just wanted away from his brother.  Poor Jordy!  He didn't really understand what happened.

"Why did my brother desert me?"