Day 3 - Sacramento, CA to Pismo Beach, CA

 

Rested and recharged, a hearty breakfast of granola and espresso in the hotel room, and we're off for the coast, listening to Mark Knopfler's Down the Road Wherever. Staying with the musical theme, we didn't get stuck in Lodi (how could Fogerty get stuck there - it's so flat, flat, flat that the gentlest breeze would blow him into the next county) and we got through Salinas, Lord, without letting her slip away. But when we got near the Pacific, we rolled in with the Beach Boys. It's strange how well we remembered such forgettable tunes.

The entire drive today impressed on us California's incredible agricultural bounty. After the heavy weather this past winter, even the slopes of the Diablo Mtns were green and lush, probably for the first time in years. ShastaCalifornia poppies dotted pockets of purple lupin as if Monet had thrown paint against the spring green grass. The fertile farmland along John Steinbeck Highway near Salinas made us imagine how the jaws of the dustbowl farmers of the '30s must have dropped when they first crossed into this valley.

Another milestone - we said farewell to Interstate 5 and won't travel it again for the rest of this trip. From Oak Street in Vancouver, BC, down Highway 99 to the Canadian border then south through Washington, Oregon and California to San Ysidro and on in Baja to Tijuana, this highway has figured large in our North-South travels on this trip, but through much of our lives as well. In Travels with Charley, Steinbeck remarks that the interstate highways are fine for traveling long distances, but you don't see anything on them. He is right that the towns and cities are mostly invisible, but the countryside is unavoidable and stirs the imagination more than most anything else. There are oddities though, we saw a sign for a corn maze, but the corn wasn't knee-high yet. Maybe they cater to chihuahuas.

Driving toward Salinas, we could see the chilly Pacific fog bank above the hills like gauzy fingers grabbing the heights, trying to pull itself into the warmer interior valleys for relief. We finally rolled into Pismo Beach, to a chilly 59 degrees - quite a change from near 90 just inland. But the Pacific - what a beauty!

At the recommendation of dear friends, Dick and Judy, we stayed at the Shore Cliff Hotel, which is perched on the cliff beside Highway 1. It is gorgeous, even though the marine layer limited the view. We were early for check-in, so we walked the beach, waded with the gulls and curlews and soaked in the ocean air.

There were surfers (surfer girls) in the shore break, which reminded me of Trevor vainly trying to teach me how to catch a wave south of Sydney, Australia. The surfer girls were doing only slightly better than I did, but they had the benefit of a real surfboard instead of an inflatable surf matt. 

When we finally checked into the hotel, we were greeted by a hopeful gull peering at us through the balcony door. I was going to toss him a cashew until I saw another hiding around the corner. Greedy beasts.

Speaking for greedy beasts, we sauntered next door to the Ventana Grill for dinner. It is also perched on the cliff, and we were graced with a gorgeous view of the water during our meal.

Today's tally was 329.1 miles, which has taken us about 1080 miles from home. Only 4000 more to go.

License plate count - Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. And from Oh Canada - British Columbia and Quebec. 

After listening to the words of John Steinbeck describing his tour across America with dog Charley, we thought of other artists who have captured the essence of California. Who better than the photographer Ansel Adams. His book about California is breathtaking. Borrow it from your local library and think of us as we spend the next few days in the region.

Again, we leave you with a musical interlude. This brings me back to the days of Cathy and Jim and their dance parties at our house in the 60's. California Dreamin' by the Mamas and the Papas.

The Mamas & The Papas "California Dreamin'" (September 24, 1967) On The Ed Sullivan Show - Bing video