Travelogue

Castle Dome and Mount ShastaWe left the Petaluma KOA Tuesday morning and started driving north towards Bend, where we would meet up with the boys and Celeste on Friday night. That gave us 4 days in between to explore whatever I5 and its surrounds had to offer. Some ideas I had were the Mount Shasta area and Grants Pass, where we could raft the Rogue River.

As we were driving up I5, I started reading out loud the section of the guide book on the Mount Shasta area to see what we might want to do. As I read these words, “Castle Crags State Park is named for the awesome granite spires that tower 6,000 feet above the park. Beyond to the north is giant Mount Shasta (14,179 feet), making for a spectacular natural setting,” we knew exactly where we wanted to go. Fortunately, it was mid-week, because the park only has three RV camping sites. A quick call confirmed that we would have no problem getting one for the night.

The State Park is really close to I5. In fact, the spires are quite visible from the highway. I think Herb would have been quite upset with me if we first learned about them when speeding by them.

Lolo on Crags Trail and Mount ShastaAfter settling into our pull-thru site, we detached the Subaru and drove up the steep, windy road at the end of the campground to Vista Point. From the parking lot at the top of the road, we walked the ¼-mile trail to the viewpoint, where we looked out over the picturesque spires of Castle Crags and snow-covered Mount Shasta. As spectacular as the view was, we knew it would only improve with the low light of sunset, so we decided to come back later with a bottle of wine, cheese and crackers, and tripod and camera.

Since we had a few hours to kill, I went for a run on the River Trail which runs alongside the Upper Sacramento River. It was a very cool run, first passing under I5, then through a tunnel under the railroad tracks (as a very noisy train was passing by overhead), and then across the river on a pedestrian suspension bridge. From there, I ran along a dirt trail that traced the river for about 1.5 miles, before turning around and retracing my steps. It was a very peaceful and satisfying run, especially after a day of sitting in the motorhome.

After a shower and a quick dinner, Herb and I drove back up to Vista Point with cooler and camera gear, where we had a very lovely evening sipping wine and gazing out at the truly incredible scenery.

Lolo Approaching the Base of Castle DomeThe guidebooks had warned that this park can be quite noisy due to its proximity to I5 and the railroad tracks, but it didn’t bother us at all. Perhaps it would have been more of an issue if we were camping in a tent rather than a motorhome. I did hear an occasional train pass by, but for some reason I always find that peaceful and romantic, so it didn’t bother me in the least.

The next morning we set out to do the classic hike in the park, the 5.7-mile (RT) hike to the base of Castle Dome. Castle Dome is quite distinguishable in that it is much more rounded and less “craggy” than the other spires, and it looks a bit like a smaller version of Half Dome in Yosemite.

The hike was quite steep and it wasn’t long before I felt a slight burning sensation on the back of my right heel. Herb has always warned me to stop immediately when something like this occurs to avoid getting a bad blister, so we stopped and applied some moleskin.

I can understand why this hike is a classic. For the first mile and a half or so, the trail passes through a lovely forest before emerging into the open for some incredible views of the ubiquitous Mount Shasta and the Crags. From here on, the hike got a bit more strenuous as we eventually ascended up to and through the pinnacles themselves.

Herb & Lolo at Vista Point ViewpointFor the last 1/2-mile or so, I had begun to feel my left heel and my (I am embarrassed to say) left bunion burning. Stupidly, I ignored the Herb rule of immediately stopping and figured I would just deal with it at the top. Big mistake!

For the last mile of the trip the views just kept getting better and better, and we stopped often to take photos. Mountain ranges, such as the Rockies are truly spectacular, but nothing can compare to the awe-inspiring sight of a singular, massive volcanic mountain dominating the landscape.

When we stopped at the base of Castle Dome to have lunch, I took off my hiking boots for a peek. Oops – too late. I already had some serious looking blisters starting. We applied moleskin, but I am afraid the cow was already out of the barn.

If my foot wasn’t so bad, I would have loved to hike a bit more amongst the pinnacles, but I figured we already had far enough to go just to get down to the car—and as most hikers know, downhill is in many ways just as hard, or even more so, than uphill. By the time I got back to the car, I knew I wouldn’t be doing much hiking for the next few days. I just wanted it to get better by the time we met the boys on Friday, so that I wouldn’t have to stay behind while they all did fun stuff.

We had worked it out with the park ranger that we could have a late checkout, so rather than stay another night, we headed out mid-afternoon to drive just 25 miles further north to the Lake Siskiyou Camp Resort, where we would have more terrific views of Mount Shasta, this time from the shores of a lake.

Description

Herb with Mount ShastaCastle Crags State Park is located in the town of Castella, just off I5, about 45 miles north of Redding, California. The park is named for its soaring granite spires that tower 6,000 feet above the park. Like nearby Mt. Shasta, these spires were formed by volcanic activity more than 200 million years ago. During the past million years or so, the eroding forces of wind, rain, and ice have shaped the granite into its current distinctive shapes. Standing out amongst the spiky peaks, is one rounded one, known as Castle Dome – often compared to Yosemite’s Half Dome.

Recreational opportunities within its 4,350 acres include:
• 28 miles of hiking trails
• Fishing and swimming in the Sacramento River
• Rock climbing the crags
• Gazing at Mt. Shasta from Vista Point

Most visitors to the park make the short, twisty drive to Vista Point (no RVs or trailers allowed), and walk the ¼-mile trail to a spectacular view of three distinct volcanic features: Castle Crags, Mount Shasta and Grey Rocks.

The most popular hike in the park is the 5.7 mile (RT) steep hike to the base of Castle Dome. The first 2/3 of the hike leads through thick forest before emerging and winding through the lower crags. The final third of this strenuous hike ascends through granite pinnacles with incredible views of Mount Shasta, Grey Rocks, and Castle Dome.

There is a 76-site, mostly tent-only campground, with 3 sites for RVs up to 27 feet (no hook-ups).

Travelogue

Tiburon Bikers before final climb to finishWell, we were finally back, after a much longer absence than we had intended. Winter in New Jersey had been particularly miserable this year, but we hung around because my 93-year-old Mom with Alzheimer’s was, in Hospice’s words, “nearing the end.” In fact, I was pretty much informed that March would be “her month.” However, true to form, my mom had her own plan, and no one was going to tell her when her time was up. So, after watching her stabilize in March and April, and becoming quite convinced that she would live to 100, we finally made plans to head back to the West Coast to visit the boys. We hadn’t seen them since Christmas, and 5 months was a bit too long for my taste.

Also, leaving the motorhome and Subaru sitting in storage for 5 months probably wasn’t a good thing. Herb was pretty convinced that there was absolutely no way either vehicle would start when we got there—even though we had detached the battery cables—so I was bracing myself for the possibility of having to sleep in the motorhome in the storage area until we could buy a new battery the next day. I should know by now that Herb can be a bit of a pessimist. Both vehicles started up on the first try.

Although we had a lot of maintenance planned for the weekend, I was really anxious to get down to San Francisco to see Andrew and Celeste. They were just so tantalizingly close. So, the next morning I managed to convince Herb to put off maintenance for another day so that we could meet up with them for a bike ride in Marin.

Golden Gate Bridge before Climb out on BikesHowever, since we weren’t meeting them until the afternoon, we decided to go for our 5-mile Petaluma run in the morning, as we had been so sedentary the day before on the plane and shuttles to and from the airport. In retrospect, this run was a big mistake, as we had a very physically active day ahead of us. Being with Andrew and Celeste is a little bit like going to boot camp.

After lunch, we loaded the bikes on the back of the Subaru and headed down US 101 to the southbound Vista Point parking lot, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge to meet up with Andrew and Celeste. To get to the major Vista Point parking lot on the northbound side we would have had to go across the bridge and back. The southbound parking lot wasn’t that big, and since this was a weekend, we had to wait a bit for a parking space, but it didn’t take too long. Andrew and Celeste didn’t need to find parking because they were riding their bikes over the Bridge to meet us. I was so excited when they approached, that I hugged them for what must have been 10 minutes. They looked great and very, very happy.

The plan was to do the 25-mile ride that they often do through Sausalito and out to the Tiburon Peninsula and back. They often add on another 25 miles and go all the way up to Fairfax, but we told them that a 25-mile ride would be just fine for today, especially considering we were on mountain bikes while they were on their spiffy new road bikes.

Andrew's 25th Birthday CelebrationSince the parking lot was at bridge level, we had to go down some pretty serious hills to get to the waterfront in Sausalito. These downhill sections where you effortlessly fly through space are always exhilarating and fun – yet I can never quite totally enjoy them, because always lurking in the back of my mind is the realization that I will be facing them in the opposite direction on the way back.

Once we got down to the town of Sausalito and onto the Mill Valley / Sausalito bike path, the ride got flat and very scenic. Sausalito is really a lovely town. We pretty much followed the path along the water, which eventually wound its way around the bay and down onto the equally lovely Tiburon Peninsula on the Tiburon Path. Since this was a weekend, there was much activity in Tiburon – I think it was some sort of Wine Festival. We bought some coffee and snacks and sat in the grass near the ferry to San Francisco, just watching the activity.

The way back was pretty much a repeat of the way there, with the exception of a turn which brought us under the eastern side of the Golden Gate Bridge, for a really great perspective. The return to the parking lot up on the hill was a bit tough for me and I fell quite a bit behind. However, I eventually made it and met up with the others in the parking lot.

As I mentioned, Andrew and Celeste are an extremely active couple, so our day was not over yet. The plan all along had been to bike ride and then go into San Francisco to their rock climbing gym – just in case we didn’t get enough of a workout on the bikes. The problem was that it was already 6:30, and we found that the gym closed at 8:00, rather than 10:00 as we thought.

Herb and I began to question the wisdom of racing over to San Francisco to get to the gym with only about a half hour left to climb before closing, but we could see the disappointment in their faces. They really love bringing us to their climbing gym, and genuinely like to encourage me in my efforts to become a rock climber like everyone else in the family.

Andrew and Celeste had no desire to ride their bikes back across the bridge at this point, and it would just have taken them too long, so we took the back wheels off their bikes and stuffed them into the trunk of the Subaru. We got to the gym by 7:15, where the very persuasive and determined Celeste talked the guy at the desk into letting me and Herb climb for free, as there was only a short time left.

It was great. I thought I would be too tired, but climbing required an entirely different set of muscles than biking. By 8:00, I think that every muscle in my body had probably been worked to exhaustion. It was a nice exhaustion though.

Some Thai food at King of Thai Noodle near their apartment in the Inner Richmond hit the spot. By the time Herb and I got back to the campground, we were full, content, exhausted, and aching in that nice way you feel after a very satisfying, active day. Needless to say, we slept very well that night.

The next two days were pretty much spent as if we were home back in New Jersey – food shopping, taking the car to the car wash, waxing the motorhome, doing some well needed repairs and improvements on the rig, etc.

However, we did manage to squeeze in one more bit of fun. On our last night before heading north to Bend, we drove down to San Francisco with Hilda (Celeste’s mom) to celebrate Andrew’s 25th birthday. We joined him and some friends at a classic San Francisco pizza place called Georgio’s on Clement Street – another great dining spot in walking distance to their apartment. The pizzas were terrific and the company was fun. I can’t believe I have a 25 year old son.

Description

The Petaluma KOA is an award winning camping resort located within an hour’s drive of San Francisco, Napa and Sonoma Valley Wineries, giant redwoods, and Sonoma County and California Coastal Beaches. It is considered to be the RV resort in the San Francisco Bay area.

On its 70 acres, there are 312 spacious RV sites, 32 camping cabins, and 10 Wine Country lodges.

Other amenities include:
• Guided tours of San Francisco (from May through October)
• Huge heated pool and spa
• Inflatable waterslide
• Rock climbing wall
• Huge playground
• Petting zoo
• Karaoke
• Hayrides and live weekend entertainment

The campground is open all year.

Travelogue

Getty Villa ArchesFirst word of caution: Do not use your GPS to find the Getty Villa, because it will lead you to the wrong entrance. We almost missed our scheduled tour because we wasted close to a ½ hour listening to ours. Instead follow the directions on their website.

Although the museum is free, you do need to reserve a time slot ahead of time, which we did the previous day. Parking, however, is $15, but if you save your receipt you can use it to get free parking at the Getty Center on the same day. Do not even think about bringing an RV to this parking lot. If you have no other option, use public transportation as suggested on their website.

The Getty Villa’s collection is dedicated to ancient Etruscan, Greek, and Roman art and artifacts, which are appropriately displayed in a replica of the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, an ancient Roman country estate buried by the A.D. 79 Mount Vesuvius eruption. The entire grounds of the museum are made to simulate an archeological dig, with each building at a slightly different elevation, allowing visitors to make new discoveries with each perspective.

Getty Villa HerculesAlthough we could have explored the museum on our own, we signed up for a docent tour of the museum and gardens, something I very highly recommend. It was very well worth it, and despite the large group, everyone could hear the docent clearly, because we were given headphones that picked up the audio output of his microphone. You knew you were wondering too far from the group if you started to hear static.

While the artworks in the interior of the museum were interesting and impressive, I enjoyed wandering through the gardens even more. The largest and most beautiful of these is the Outer Peristyle, where a covered walkway surrounds the formal garden and a spectacular 220-foot reflecting pool. The plants grown in the garden were those that would be found in an ancient Roman garden, such as oleander, boxwood, bay laurel, myrtle, and ivy. There are also wonderful views of the sea from the end of the pool.

Getty Villa CourtyardOne of the museum security guards told us of a secret door where we could view the Outer Peristyle from the 2nd story of the Villa. I’m not sure that it was all that much of a secret, as there were others doing the same, but it did give a lovely perspective of the reflecting pool, the surrounding gardens and statues, and the Pacific Ocean beyond.

We could easily have spent the entire day at the Villa, but while in the area, we also wanted to see the Getty Center, and since we had our parking receipt, it would be totally free if we went today. That way we wouldn’t feel bad if we didn’t have enough time to give it true justice. We could always come back again to see what we missed.

Getty Villa Outer PeristyleInstead of going highways to get there, we drove the much slower and windy Sunset Boulevard to get from the Pacific Coast Highway through the Brentwood section of Los Angeles to the museum. I’m sure it was a much more interesting drive than I405.

As mentioned, the Getty Center is a totally different experience from that of the Getty Villa. Firstly, the makeup of its collections varies greatly. While the Villa focuses on ancient Etruscan, Greek, and Roman Art, the Getty Center collection consists of pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts; 17th and 18th century French furniture and decorative arts; and 19th and 20th century American, Asian, and European photographs.

Getty Villa Cycladic Harp PlayerBesides the dissimilarity of the collections between the two Getty museums, the environment in which they are experienced is also totally different, the Getty Villa being ancient and intimate, and the Getty Center modernistic and expansive.

When we arrived at the Getty Center, we parked our car at the base of the hill and boarded a computerized unmanned tram, which swept us to the top of a hill, and then discharged us onto a central arrival plaza, at the base of a set of stairs leading up to the museum entrance. Very futuristic.

The first thing we did was enter the museum to pick up the free audio tour headsets and sign up for a docent-led tour. When you only have a short time at the Getty Center, you really have to choose whether you want to concentrate on the art collection or the architectural design of the campus. We decided to go for the architectural tour and then explore a few of the art exhibits on our own afterwards.

So first, the architecture….

Getty Center Main EntranceThe Getty Center was designed by the world-renowned architect Richard Meier. It was he who was given the challenging task of designing a museum complex atop a hill in the Santa Monica Mountains that would do justice to this incredible landscape setting and panoramic views of Los Angeles, the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean.

The complex not only had to house the museum’s permanent art collection, but also the business offices of the Getty Research Institute, Getty Foundation, Getty Conservation Institute, and J. Paul Getty Trust.

Getty Center FoyerThe publicly accessible part lies on the ocean side of the Museum Entrance Hall. It consists of a courtyard surrounded by five, interconnected, two-story pavilions, which house the museum’s art collection. The upper level of each pavilion displays paintings, while the plaza level displays sculpture, decorative arts, and illuminated manuscripts.

Natural lighting is an important architectural element used by Meier. Much of the exterior walls of the pavilions are made of glass, allowing sunlight to illuminate the interior. Upper level galleries are all naturally lit through a computerized system of shades and louvers that control the intensity and quality of sunlight that enters.

One of the many unifying elements of the design is the use of Italian travertine stone panels throughout the entire campus. These beige-colored, texture panels not only cover the walls and bases of all the buildings, but serve as paving stones in the courtyard as well. There is very little color when you look around the campus. The grid-like pattern created by the travertine squares is softened a bit by the curvilinear design incorporated into the buildings.

Lolo with Van Gogh’s IrisesThroughout the terraces and gardens, there are more than 28 contemporary and modern sculptures on display. We recognized several by the artist Mark di Suvero, whose work we have admired in Crissy Field in San Francisco the Olympic Sculpture Park in Seattle, and the Storm King Art Center in New York State. .

After the tour was over, we did an embarrassingly quick run through of a few of the pavilions, telling ourselves that we would come back at a future date and enjoy the exhibits at a more leisurely pace.

Getty Center CourtyardOur last stop before catching the tram back down the hill was to the South Promontory cactus garden, where we took in the wonderful panoramic views of the city of Los Angeles, the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean.

It would be very difficult to say which Getty Museum I enjoyed more, as they are both so very different. However, I would have to say that I had a slight leaning towards the Getty Villa, as I tend to love history and smaller, intimate settings, while Herb had a slight leaning toward the Getty Center, as his engineering background gives him a better understanding and appreciation of the architectural design and modernism.

Let’s just say we were lucky to have had the time to see them both.

Description

Getty Villa

Lolo in Getty Villa ExhibitThe Getty Villa is one of two locations of the J. Paul Getty Museum, the other one being the Getty Center in Los Angeles. The Villa is located in Pacific Palisades, just south of Malibu, and sits atop a bluff overlooking the ocean.

The major focus of the Getty Villa is ancient Etruscan, Greek, and Roman art, and the collection includes over 44,000 works dating from 6,500 B.C. to A.D. 400. 1,200 of them are on display in 23 galleries devoted to the permanent collection. There has been some controversy concerning the acquisition and rightful ownership of some of the works, and in 2006, the Getty returned several looted items to the Greek and Italian governments.

Getty Villa CourtyardVery appropriately, the collection is housed in a building modeled after the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, a first-century Roman country house buried in the A.D. 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. It first opened to the public in 1974. Getty, who died shortly afterwards in 1976, never actually visited the museum after it was opened.

The Villa was closed to the public during a $275 million, 8 year renovation which went on from 1998 until its reopening in 2006.

The architectural plan surrounding the villa was designed to simulate an archaeological dig. With each building at a slightly different elevation, visitors experience the site as an archaeological excavation, with each perspective offering new discoveries.

Lolo with Getty Center Roman StatuesJust as in ancient Roman homes, gardens are an integral part of the setting and include plants that were favored by the ancient Romans, such as oleander, boxwood, bay laurel, myrtle, and ivy. The largest and most beautiful of these gardens is the Outer Peristyle, where a covered walkway surrounds the formal garden and a spectacular 220-foot reflecting pool.

Admission is free, but visitors must reserve tickets ahead of time for a specific time. There is a $15 charge for parking. If you visit the Getty Center the same day, your parking receipt from the Villa will work at the Center. Note: the parking lot cannot accommodate RVs.

When touring the Getty Villa, be sure to join one of the very informative docent tours of the museum and gardens.
Getty Center

Getty Center

Getty Center ComplexThe Getty Center, the second of the two locations of the J. P. Getty Museum, sits atop a hill in the Santa Monica Mountains, with panoramic views of Los Angeles, the San Bernardino and San Gabriel Mountains, and the Pacific Ocean.

Inspired by the landscape which enfolds below, famed architect Richard Meier designed the complex to highlight both nature and culture. The campus is organized around a central arrival plaza, where visitors disembark from a computer-operated tram that begins at the bottom of the hill.

Getty Center Entrance StairsOne of the many unifying elements of the design is the use of Italian travertine stone panels, which covers not only the walls and bases of all buildings, but also serves as paving stones in the museum courtyard. This beige-colored, textured stone reflects sunlight during the morning and emits a honeyed warmth in the afternoon. The curvilinear design incorporated into the buildings help soften the grid created by the travertine squares.

Natural lighting is another important architectural element used by Meier. Much of the exterior walls of the pavilions are made of glass, allowing sunlight to illuminate the interior. Upper level galleries are all naturally lit through a computerized system of shades and louvers that control the intensity and quality of sunlight that enters.

Getty Center WalkwayThe museum is comprised of five interconnected, two-story pavilions surrounding a central courtyard. Inside the pavilion are the galleries for the permanent collection of pre-20th-century European paintings, drawings, illuminated manuscripts, sculpture, and decorative arts; 17th and 18th century French furniture and decorative arts; and 19th and 20th century American, Asian, and European photographs.

Contemporary and modern sculpture is featured throughout the terraces and gardens, including 28 modern and contemporary outdoor sculptures of artists such as Mark di Suvero.

The heart of the Getty Center is Robert Irwin’s Central Garden, a 134,000 square foot design featuring a natural ravine and a tree-lined walkway that traverses a stream and gradually descends to a plaza where the stream cascades over a stone waterfall into a pool with a floating maze of azaleas.

The Getty Center is also home to the Getty Research Institute, Getty Foundation, Getty Conservation Institute, and J. Paul Getty Trust.

Admission to the Getty Center is free, although parking costs $15.

Travelogue

Here we were back in our San Francisco south base camp. Since we had dilly dallied as long as we could in Yosemite this morning, we got back here pretty late – much too late to watch sunset over the sea. In fact, much too late to do much of anything, except drive Andrew back up to the city and come back and go to bed.

Tommy’s flight back to Seattle was 6:30 in the morning, so the next morning we arose at the ungodly hour of 5:00 and drove him to the airport. After a short nap and breakfast, Herb and I set out on our own once again to explore a bit of Southern California.

Description

The San Francisco RV Resort is located in the town of Pacifica, 15 miles south of Golden Gate Bridge. Besides being the closest RV camping to San Francisco, it is also one of the best RV parks in the Bay Area. Situated atop a 60-foot bluff, it is the only campground in the Bay area to offer oceanfront sites and daily dramatic sunsets.

There are 162 sites on paved, level asphalt. All sites, except the ocean sites, have full hookups and cable TV. Ocean sites have no hookups, but all campsites have free WiFi. Other amenities include a heated pool and spa, beach access, and a nearby fishing pier.

The sites range in price from $61 per night for an ocean, non hookup site, to $69 for full hookup. The campground is open all year round.

Travelogue

We had the routine down now. Petaluma Taxi to the Petaluma Fairgrounds to catch the Sonoma County Shuttle to the airport. It felt a little like we were leaving home. I guess we really were becoming bicoastal.

Description

The Sonoma County Airport Express runs shuttles to the airport every hour from several locations: the Park and Ride in Santa Rosa, the Doubletree Hotel in Rohnert Park, and the Petaluma Fairgrounds. Fares are $34 each way.

Travelogue

Thank goodness for Amazon. The replacement for the Subaru passenger side mirror that we had smashed two weeks ago when we dropped the kayak on it had arrived addressed to us at the Petaluma KOA. This was really starting to feel like home.

Replacing it took us (and by us, I mean Herb) a lot longer than we thought because the whole car door pretty much had to be taken apart. While he did that, I did loads and loads of laundry so that everything left behind, as well as everything we brought home, would be nice and clean.

We really had brought too much stuff out with us this time. It was getting harder and harder to remember what lived in New Jersey and what lived in California, so we spent some time organizing and making an inventory of our stuff – not exactly very exciting, and probably even less exciting to read about.

The next morning we tucked the motorhome back in its storage spot and headed for the airport.

Description

The Petaluma KOA is an award winning camping resort located within an hour’s drive of San Francisco, Napa and Sonoma Valley Wineries, giant redwoods, and Sonoma County and California Coastal Beaches. It is considered to be the RV resort in the San Francisco Bay area.

On its 70 acres, there are 312 spacious RV sites, 32 camping cabins, and 10 Wine Country lodges.

Other amenities include:
• Guided tours of San Francisco (from May through October)
• Huge heated pool and spa
• Inflatable waterslide
• Rock climbing wall
• Huge playground
• Petting zoo
• Karaoke
• Hayrides and live weekend entertainment

The campground is open all year.

Travelogue

Herb and Lolo camping at PacificaThis was actually our third time this trip that we camped in Pacifica. We were flying back home to New Jersey soon and had to get back to the Petaluma KOA to prep and store the motorhome, but we figured we could squeeze one more quick visit with Andrew and Celeste en route. This campground really is extremely convenient for getting in and out of San Francisco.

No rock climbing this time. They didn’t know we would be coming by, so they had climbed pretty hard the day before and needed a day off. Instead we just hung out at their apartment for awhile, enjoying the festiveness of their Charlie Brown Christmas tree – so, so cute. Even a two-foot deformed tree costs over $20 in San Francisco.

We walked to dinner at Gespare’s, an Italian restaurant over on Geary Street. It’s so great that they have such a variety of options for dining out, all within walking distance.

Well, it was goodbye for now. The next time we would see Andrew and Tommy would be when they came home for Christmas. I wasn’t sure when we would see Celeste next, as she would be spending Christmas with her family in Vancouver.

Always tough to part, but easier knowing that it wouldn’t be too long.

Description

The San Francisco RV Resort is located in the town of Pacifica, 15 miles south of Golden Gate Bridge. Besides being the closest RV camping to San Francisco, it is also one of the best RV parks in the Bay Area. Situated atop a 60-foot bluff, it is the only campground in the Bay area to offer oceanfront sites and daily dramatic sunsets.

There are 162 sites on paved, level asphalt. All sites, except the ocean sites, have full hookups and cable TV. Ocean sites have no hookups, but all campsites have free WiFi. Other amenities include a heated pool and spa, beach access, and a nearby fishing pier.

The sites range in price from $61 per night for an ocean, non hookup site, to $69 for full hookup. The campground is open all year round.

Travelogue

Lazy Daze at Port San Luis Harbor CampgroundWe were headed north again on our way back to San Francisco. Unfortunately, the unseasonably cold temperatures, big winds, and even rain had forced us to switch gears in Southern California. Rather than beaching and kayaking, we spent our time visiting museums and just generally sightseeing instead. At least we knew a lot more about where we would like to go and what we would like to do on future trips in hopefully better weather.

One stop we had briefly made on our drive down the coast was the town of Avila Beach, just 10 miles southwest of San Luis Obispo. It was written up in the guidebooks as a great beach town, with a beautiful sandy beach on San Luis Obispo Bay, nearby natural mineral hot springs to soak in, and a climate less foggy than most because it faces south into the ocean. In fact, before we left on this trip, I had tried to make a reservation at the Avila Hot Springs Spa and RV Park, only to find that the campground was temporarily closed for renovations.

While there, we drove to the end of the cove to the Port San Luis Wharf, which is an active and bustling commercial fishing base. To our surprise, just near the end of Avila Beach Drive we found two small turnouts with RVs camping right on the beach. We stopped to talk to one camper who told us this was one of the few spots on the California coast that you could actually camp this close to the beach, and he added, it was not written up in any of the campground guides. He was right. I checked afterwards. It was a bit of a well-kept secret, and he didn’t look particularly happy about sharing this information. Right now there were only a couple of RVs camping, as it was mid-week and the weather was really pretty cold, but I can imagine that on a warm weekend this place fills up fast.

Anyway, to make a long story short, on our drive back up the coast we came back here to camp for the night. Too bad it was so cold. We literally had to wear the down jackets we brought for the Yosemite portion of our trip. The furthest I got outside was to the self-registration box to deposit our $40 camping fee.

By the time that was done, it was already dark, but the view out our back window of the twinkling lights along the wharf made me happy.

Description

Avila Beach is located on San Luis Obispo Bay, just 10 miles southwest of the town of San Luis Obispo. Its major attraction is its beautiful sandy shoreline, protected waters, and lovely climate. Since it faces south into the ocean, its gets less fog than any other stretch of coastline in the area.

The Port San Luis Wharf, at the far end of the cove, is a base for commercial fishing boats, who dock each day to unload their catch. Fresh seafood can be gotten from several food shacks and fish markets on the pier. A colony of sea lions lives below the pier.

For $40 per night RVs can dry camp at one of the two turnouts near the pier, right on the ocean. $60 full hookups are available closer to the pier, and a bit further from the water. The campgrounds are operated by the Port San Luis Harbor District.

Travelogue

Mission Bay Birds of ParadisePoor Herb. He had so much been looking forward to the San Diego portion of our trip -- so had I for that matter, but he is much more of a sun worshipper and beachgoer than me. But alas, the weather was just not going to cooperate. Not only had a cold front that was making national news moved in, but it was forecast to rain during our stay as well. We were determined to make the best of it and chalk it up to an exploratory for future visits.

We did find a great campground called Campland on the Bay, located right on beautiful Mission Bay. The campground was huge -- over 550 campsites, two pools and Jacuzzis, and a fitness room with top-notch exercise equipment. Plus, they have their own sandy beach on Mission Bay and a marina that rents powerboats, jet skis, and kayaks.

Bicycling Along Mission BayAs soon as we arrived, we hopped on our bikes to take advantage of the fact that it wasn’t raining yet. We set off on the 12-mile bike path that encircles beautiful Mission Bay, hoping to complete all of it before it got dark. The ride was lovely and passed through several public parks and wildlife reserves and eventually came to the giant parking lot for Seaworld. This is where the route got a bit confusing and we screwed up. Rather than continuing straight to get to Mission Beach, we made a right turn onto Ingraham Street and went over the causeway that bisects the bay. We realized our mistake too late to turn back, which kind of bummed me out because Mission Beach was what I most wanted to see. Oh well. Nice ride anyway and maybe we could go to Mission Beach by car another time.

The next morning we woke up to cloudy skies, but still not raining yet, so we drove over to Torrey Pines State Beach to take a walk. We parked in the lot just south of the Glider Port on the southernmost end of the park. The weather didn’t seem to stop a few brave souls from leaping off the bluff and paragliding along the bluff overlooking Black’s Beach.

Hike Down to Torrey Pines State BeachWhile the beach at the northern end of Torrey Pines is easily accessible by car, on the southern end you have to work for. The very steep and somewhat precarious south trail switchbacks down from the Glider Port parking lot to Black’s Beach, with great views along the way. It’s only 1,000 feet long, but its 320 foot descent in that short distance, makes it feel much longer. However, the trail is well maintained and there are steps and handrails in the steeper sections.

Once at the bottom, we headed right, or north, up the beach where the paragliders were flying overhead. This is also the clothing optional section of the beach, but clothing was definitely a necessity and not an option today.

Torrey Pines State BeachWe walked down the beach about a ½ mile figuring we would retrace our steps and go back up the way we came down. That’s before we saw a man with a giant pack on his back head directly towards the cliffs and up a narrow path that we hadn’t even noticed. Perhaps, it would have been better if we hadn’t discovered this route up, because it was pretty rough for me, much more difficult than our way down. This must be the precarious north trail that I read about.

The gentleman, who was extremely friendly and nice, introduced himself as Ziggy and explained that he had run out of wind and had to land his paraglider on the beach – the preference is to continue soaring back and forth above the bluffs. We got to talking a bit more and found out that Ziggy had quite an impressive adventure resume, including activities such as mountaineering and ice climbing throughout Europe. He had only started paragliding a few years ago when he was 55. Part of me doesn’t like when Herb meets people like this, because then he feels even more driven to do things that might be beyond my fear level, but the other part of me likes to see that people our age are still so physically active and often just starting out on new adventurous hobbies.

La Jolla OceanfrontOne criticism I do have about Herb is that he sometimes has what I consider a pessimistic perspective on where we are in the aging process, making me feel like a walker might be my next piece of recreational equipment. He, however, feels that we should be very aware of the fact that we are not going to be able to do the physically challenging things we like to do forever, so we should go at them with gusto while we can. I guess he is right, but I would just prefer taking this approach without thinking about why – I am perfectly willing to hide my head in the sand on this one.

We parted with Ziggy at the Glider Port atop the bluff and headed into nearby La Jolla, San Diego’s most affluent neighborhood, to walk around and visit the Museum of Contemporary Art. As was expected, it was a lovely town with many fine restaurants, jewelry shops, and art galleries.

Multimedia Exhibit at Museum of Contemporary Art - La JollaOur favorite was the Peter Lik Photo Gallery. Herb had probably seen all the episodes of his TV show, “From the Edge with Peter Lik,” where this down to earth Australian adventure photographer goes anywhere and takes on any risk to get the ultimate shot. And, he usually does. That is why he now has a dozen or so galleries around the U.S., where his wide-angled, panoramic landscape photos sell for as much as $1,000,000.

Needless to say, we were just window shopping, so I panicked when the sales assistant, who was very friendly and informative, and I liked him up until now, asked us, “What kind of art do you have hanging on your wall.” Herb pretended to not hear the question and slinked away, allowing me to take this one alone. I think I mumbled something incoherent and changed the subject. To get even I should have said, “Nothing, because my cheap husband won’t buy me any,” but I was above that. In hindsight, I should have said our own photos of our wonderful adventures together as a family, some of them even better than Peter Lik’s, but I couldn’t think that fast.

Lolo getting an Earful of Art at La Jolla Museum of Contemporary ArtOur next stop was the Museum of Contemporary Art, which is part of the San Diego Art Museum. It’s located atop a bluff above the waterfront in what was once the home of philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps, the founding donor of such learning institutions as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Scripps Research Institute. The museum was quite small and at first I thought its exhibits would not keep us occupied for more than ½ hour. That was until we discovered the interactive, multimedia exhibits in the back of the museum.

The first one we experienced was a box, probably about 4 ft x 4ft x 4 ft that that contained a miniature movie theater, complete with theater seats and a movie screen. When I looked into the box, I felt as if I were standing at the back of the theater looking over the other theatergoers at a movie clip being played over and over again in an endless loop. The audio was both of the movie as well as whisperings of the audience, so I kind of felt like I was eavesdropping on their conversations. It made me question what was reality and what was illusion, as I found myself being drawn into thinking I was part of the audience itself, and could, if I wanted, join in on the whisperings.

Lolo with Hammering ManIn another exhibit, we wandered around the clutter of someone’s room that must have been a hoarder. As we approached different objects, some of them would start to move, or voices would start talking. There were some objects in the room that you were allowed and even encouraged to touch, but it was hard to tell which. I was stopped by a staff member when I reached for something I shouldn’t have, so I played it safe from there on and kept my hands to myself. At one point, I sat on a chair between two large old style speakers, the kind that looked like tubas, and voices immediately and quite loudly started coming out of them. I found myself literally in the middle of a conversation between a man and a woman.

It was really quite interesting experience, much less passive than the usual museum experience, and much better than my expectations when I first entered.

Seeley Stable MuseumThe next stop on our cook’s tour of San Diego was Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of the Point Luma Peninsula, a memorial to the site where the first European, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, stepped foot on the West Coast of the U.S. in 1542.

Unfortunately, by now the rain had begun in earnest and we got soaked running from our car to the Visitor Center. Too bad, because it was a very pretty spot and would have been fun to explore on a better day. We waited out the heavy rain in the Visitor Center and then walked out to the 14-foot statue of Cabrillo, located in a small circular plaza overlooking San Diego and the harbor.

Old Town San Diego State Historic ParkIf we come back here again, which I am sure we will, the other things I would like to do are: visit the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, look for Pacific gray whales from the Whale Overlook, and hike the two-mile Bayside Trail from the lighthouse. The views along the way are supposed to be spectacular.

Continuing on a history theme, we drove over to the Old Town State Historic Park to see what life was like in 1872 San Diego during the period of Mexican influence. We have been to many of these living history types of villages, especially on the East Coast, where there is much more history – just kidding, but seriously the East Coast has about a 100 years at least on the West.

Lolo on Mission Beach BoardwalkProbably the closest East Coast parallel to Old Town that I can think of is Sturbridge Village in central Massachusetts, mostly because, like Sturbridge, many of the buildings clustered around the Old Town Plaza were really gift shops and eating establishments housed in historic buildings – not that that is a bad thing, as that is what most people are looking for.

Probably my favorite two buildings in Old Town were the Casa de Estudillo, the elaborate adobe home and central courtyard of a wealthy Mexican family in 1862, and the Seeley Stable, an old stagecoach stop that now houses an excellent wagon and carriage collection.

Mission Beach ShopsOur final destination in San Diego was Mission Beach, which we had missed on our bike ride the previous evening because of a wrong turn. It was extremely windy and quite cool, so we were able to easily get parking, right next to the Giant Dipper, a classic wooden roller coaster built in 1925. Unfortunately, it wasn’t running today because of the weather conditions.

We took a brief stroll along the cement boardwalk that parallels the 2-mile sandy stretch of San Diego’s most popular beach. The houses on the non-ocean side of the boardwalk are so close that if I wanted to I could have reached over and grabbed the beer from the very contented looking gentleman sitting in his Jacuzzi. He didn’t seem to mind the stream of walkers, joggers, cyclists, and roller bladders whizzing by. In fact, I think it added to his experience.

That was about it for our San Diego visit. Next time, hopefully we will have warmer temperatures and sunny skies.

Description

Campland on the Bay

Lazy Daze at Campland on the BayCampland on the Bay is one of the largest campgrounds in California, or for that matter, the entire country. Its popularity stems from its prime location on beautiful Mission Bay and its many water activities: power boating, jet skiing, kayaking, waterskiing, deep-sea fishing, and swimming on its private beach.

For those birding enthusiasts, Campland overlooks the Kendall Frost Wildlife Preserve–home to egrets, black-crowned night herons, least terns, and the endangered clapper rail.

Other amenities include: 2 swimming pools and jacuzzis, a world class fitness room, a 124-slip marina, power boat and kayak rentals, bike rentals, the Hungry Wolf BBQ and Ice Cream Parlor, and lots of planned activities on the weekends.

The campground has 558 sites, most with full or partial hookups. There is even one Super Site, complete with private patio, jacuzzi, and grill.

Side Trips from Campland on the Bay

The following is in no way intended to be a complete listing of sights to see in the San Diego area, but just those that we chose to visit during our all too short 2 day stay.

Torrey Pine State Beach

Torrey Pines State Beach ClayTorrey Pines State Beach in La Jolla extends for three miles from Carmel Valley Road in the north to the Glider Port at Torrey Pines Scenic Drive.

The north section of the beach is more easily accessible by car and is the choice for families.

Black’s Beach on the southern end is only accessible via two steep trails from the top of the cliff, where the parking lots are. This difficult-to-get-to beach is mostly frequented by two types: surfers looking to enjoy the huge winter swells, and nudists looking to enjoy some privacy. The nudists tend to hang out north of the Glider Port, while the surfers head to the south.

The south trail, which begins just south of the Glider Port, is easier and better maintained than the north trail, in that it has steps and handrails in the steeper segments. The north trail is much steeper and should be avoided if you are subject to vertigo. Both trails are about 1,000 feet long and have an elevation loss of about 320 feet.

It’s also fun to watch the hang gliders and paragliders soar from the Glider Port, atop the cliffs above Black Beach.

La Jolla

La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art Ocean ViewThe Native Americans originally called the site La Hoya, meaning “the cave,” referring to the grottoes that dot the shoreline. When the Spaniards arrived, they changed the name to La Jolla (same pronunciation), meaning “the jewel.”

Today, La Jolla certainly is a jewel, and a very expensive one at that. With its stunning coastline and upscale restaurants, shops, and galleries along Girard and Prospect Streets, it is one of the most affluent communities in America.

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is located on a bluff above the waterfront in what was once the residence of philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps. The museum has over 4,000 works representing every major art movement of the past half century, with a particularly strong emphasis on California artists.

The University of California, San Diego is located in La Jolla, as well as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Scripps Research Institute, and Salk Institute.

Cabrillo National Monument

Located at the tip of the Point Luma Peninsula in San Diego, the Cabrillo National Monument marks the site where in 1542 Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo became the first European to set foot on the West Coast of the United States. The Visitor Center has an “Age of Exploration” exhibit and film.

Near the Visitor Center is a small circular plaza with a 14-foot statue of the explorer. The Plaza has an excellent view of San Diego and the harbor.

A short walk from there leads to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, the highest point in the park. The lighthouse and adjacent Assistant Keepers’ Quarters has exhibits presenting what life was like for the lighthouse keepers in the 1880s.

Just south of the lighthouse is the Whale Overlook, a prime vantage point for viewing migrating Pacific gray whales traveling back and forth between Alaska and Baja California during the months of December through March.

The self-guided, two-mile Bayside Trail begins near the lighthouse and leads visitors through one of the last remaining remnants of a coastal sage scrub forest in the world. This trail offers views of San Diego harbor and the city beyond.

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park

The Old Town State Historic Park, which occupies six square blocks on the site of San Diego’s original pueblo, is dedicated to recreating what life was like in the city during the era of Mexican influence, from 1821 to 1872.

20 historic buildings, a few of which are original, are clustered around the Old Town Plaza. Some of the more noteworthy ones include:

• Robinson-Rose House – built in 1853, this was the original commercial center of Old Town, housing railroad offices, law offices, and the first newspaper press. Today it serves as the Park’s’ Visitor Center and contains a model of what Old Town looked like in 1872
• Casa de Estudillo – the largest and most elaborate of the adobe homes in the park, this one provides a good example of the living conditions of a wealthy family in 1872
• Seeley Stable – this served as a stagecoach stop until 1887, when trains became the preferred mode of transportation. Today it houses an excellent wagon and carriage collection.
• Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant – in 1869 Albert Seeley, a stagecoach entrepreneur purchased this home and turned it into a hotel serving as a way station for travelers making the daylong trip south from Los Angeles.

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, costumed volunteers reenact 19th century life with blacksmithing, cooking, and craft demonstrations.

Mission Beach

The two-mile sandy stretch from the northern entrance of Mission Bay to Pacific Beach is San Diego’s most popular beach. A wide cement boardwalk parallels the beach and is popular with cyclists, joggers, walkers, and rollerbladers.

One of the most prominent features of Mission Beach is the Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster built in 1925. This and its twin on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk are the only remaining roller coasters on the West Coast built by the noted coaster builders, Prior and Church.