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I'm used to getting up early because of my work schedule, so I was turning 'Tite Blanche's key at 6:30 AM. I made insanely good time from Alameda through San Jose and took 101 down to and cut over on 156, which spit me out on Highway 1 just north of Monterey. I grabbed a bite of breakfast in Marina, then wound through the fog past Carmel, Point Lobos, and Big Sur. It was about 11 AM when I saw the turn-off for Old San Simeon. I wasn't particularly interested in seeing Hearst Castle (at least, not this time around) but I figured I'd see what old town was like. Just a cluster of small buildings right on the beach, including Sebastian's general store and PO, where I grabbed a fresh bottle of water and took a couple of photos. Seriously, William Randolph Hearst must've been off his nut to build his dream house way the crap up the side of a mountain when he could've picked out some fabulous rock overlooking the water, like Nepenthe or Ragged Point.
Cal Trans was doing paving work just beyond the gate of Hearst Castle, so there was a bit of a wait getting past it. There are still a few spots on 1 between Big Sur and SLO where they've got the road down to one lane for repairs, but it wasn't too bad on a Friday getting through them. I stopped for gas in San Luis Obispo, and picked up a sandwich and some cookies at an Albertson's in Morro Bay, suspecting rightly that trying to eat in a tourist heavy beach town would take too long. I did find a spot under a tree across from where some boats were moored and ate my lunch there, before heading back onto 1. Wound through a string of towns that seemed to consist primarily of RV parks.
Highway 1 and 101 merge and split several times. I found myself inland again, driving through summer brown hills somewhere around Vandenberg AFB, then popped out south of Lompoc on 1 again, for the leg through Santa Barbara into Ventura.
I pulled off the freeway, found a bank parking lot, dug out the heinous Blackberry from work and looked up Serra Cross Park, to figure out how to get up there. Up a steep, windy road to the top of the bluff overlooking town, I found the Japanese castle ramparts, which, if you don't know what you're looking at, just look like part of a stone staircase. Some ass has already graffiti'ed a couple of stones on with what looks like blue marker. The stone orb was particularly impressive in terms of chisel work. I thought it was kinda cool. The view, even with the fog, was rather spectacular.
The final leg on 101 from Ventura in to LA was a rush-hour slog. I'm in for the night with a bottle of Sprite and lots of ice - thank heaven there's a Subway next door because the vending machine in the lobby ate my change and the 12 year old behind the counter at reception said there was nothing he could do about it. Wait until they read my suggestion card.....
The hotel is an older one in the heart of downtown. Clean, with fresh paint, carpet and so forth, but the elevator is rickety, the tile in the shower is a dead giveaway and the toilet handle requires a firm jiggle to keep the tank from running. There's no in-hotel restaurant, but there's stuff in the neighborhood, including a 24 hour iHop across the street.
Now I just have to decide whether I can make the run down to Santa Ana to the Bowers tomorrow, or whether it's easier to go to LACMA, as I have to pick up James at the airport at 4. Time to study some maps!
Photos are up at http://www.flickr.com/photos/70104978@N00/sets/72157624443862881/
Cal Trans was doing paving work just beyond the gate of Hearst Castle, so there was a bit of a wait getting past it. There are still a few spots on 1 between Big Sur and SLO where they've got the road down to one lane for repairs, but it wasn't too bad on a Friday getting through them. I stopped for gas in San Luis Obispo, and picked up a sandwich and some cookies at an Albertson's in Morro Bay, suspecting rightly that trying to eat in a tourist heavy beach town would take too long. I did find a spot under a tree across from where some boats were moored and ate my lunch there, before heading back onto 1. Wound through a string of towns that seemed to consist primarily of RV parks.
Highway 1 and 101 merge and split several times. I found myself inland again, driving through summer brown hills somewhere around Vandenberg AFB, then popped out south of Lompoc on 1 again, for the leg through Santa Barbara into Ventura.
I pulled off the freeway, found a bank parking lot, dug out the heinous Blackberry from work and looked up Serra Cross Park, to figure out how to get up there. Up a steep, windy road to the top of the bluff overlooking town, I found the Japanese castle ramparts, which, if you don't know what you're looking at, just look like part of a stone staircase. Some ass has already graffiti'ed a couple of stones on with what looks like blue marker. The stone orb was particularly impressive in terms of chisel work. I thought it was kinda cool. The view, even with the fog, was rather spectacular.
The final leg on 101 from Ventura in to LA was a rush-hour slog. I'm in for the night with a bottle of Sprite and lots of ice - thank heaven there's a Subway next door because the vending machine in the lobby ate my change and the 12 year old behind the counter at reception said there was nothing he could do about it. Wait until they read my suggestion card.....
The hotel is an older one in the heart of downtown. Clean, with fresh paint, carpet and so forth, but the elevator is rickety, the tile in the shower is a dead giveaway and the toilet handle requires a firm jiggle to keep the tank from running. There's no in-hotel restaurant, but there's stuff in the neighborhood, including a 24 hour iHop across the street.
Now I just have to decide whether I can make the run down to Santa Ana to the Bowers tomorrow, or whether it's easier to go to LACMA, as I have to pick up James at the airport at 4. Time to study some maps!
Photos are up at http://www.flickr.com/photos/70104978@N00/sets/72157624443862881/
