road trip: ccoc [central coast of california]
may 16, 2005
moonstone beach, view across the street from my hotel
last tuesday, i embarked on a road trip. contrary to popular belief, i didn't go to hawaii (pick up your jaw please) and instead chose to travel up the california coast - half way through california at least to morro bay, cambria and hearst castle @ san simeon. it's not that i didn't want to go to hawaii, but with limited vacation time and indecisiveness on my part, i ended up doing something closer to home. so for those who thought i went to hawaii and didn't call them, you can breathe easier now.
cutting through the craggy valleys of highway 101
i loaded up my car with a few days worth of clothing, a bag full of dried cuttlefish, fruit flavored beef jerky, malt flavored vitasoy drink, water and some other snacks that i shouldn't indulge in usually and with a full tank of gas (costing me $35+ dollars no less), i set off on highway 101 leading me north, out of los angeles.
passing rows of grapes at local wineries along highway 101
i estimated my time of travel to be 4.5 hours to get me to cambria, a small sleepy town with a lovely local beach called moonstone beach. the hotel i was booked at, fogcatcher inn, was located right across the street from that beach. the weather, although sunny and beautiful was too cold for swimming or laying out during this time of year. but morning and sunset walks along the beach and the wooden boardwalk was simply, breathtaking.
on pacific coast highway (pch) 1 towards morro bay
i don't remember when was the last time i even drove past santa barbara but it was a long long time ago. i haven't been on a road trip in years. but there's something about packing up a car and not having to check in your luggage at some airport that makes it so convenient and carefree. there's also something about drinking in the scenery with your eyes and seeing how awesome nature is in its natural ruggedness. of course i could have done without the one lane highway with a slow car in front of me or a speeding neon tailgating my ass either but i guess tha's all part of a road trip. road trips, oddly enough, reminds me of movies like wrong turn, joyride and texas chainsaw massacre. it reminds me to not drive in strange places and to remain on the main road. call me a chick or a scaredy cat but i really don't want to be chopped up and eaten by some product of a 4th generation incestuous couple. bleech.
i have an active imagination. i know.
entrance of the fogcatcher inn
there wasn't any real goal for my trip aside from going to see hearst castle. and to also look at some local art galleries. not many people know this but i like going to art galleries and buying things from local artists to one day display in my once and future home. over the years, i've collected a lot of wayward random prints, photos, sculptures that only evokes a certain sentimental value to me of a time once gone. i have never displayed any of them as my house is technically not one i can all my own and so maybe one day there will be a place for me to show all that i have amassed over the years.
hearst castle is another story. from watching countless documentaries on pbs and discovery channel, one does finally want to see what all the hoopla is about. afterall, this ranch on the hill, is something of an amazement once you realize where it's situated and how they could possibly build this place so many decades ago without modern machinery etc. it also houses one man's dream of collecting the finest art possible. and the pool....omfg. it's more jaw dropping in real life.
all the units look like english cottages from the outside
in total, 600+ photos were taken over a 4 day span. i'm not sure how to begin this travelogue except to just post what i like, what i saw, what i ate, what i felt and what i want to share. i'll just play it by ear so excuse the randominity of it all.
wooden log bench along moonstone beach
highway 101 is a very scenic route that leads you out of los angeles, passing through ventura county and into santa barbara heading north towards san francisco. along the way, scenic coastal views of the pacific ocean to your left leads your eyes to wander along the endless coastline. it's very different than the drive along hawaii's coastline but beautiful no less. as i pass through santa barbara, i thought the toughest part of the drive was between this point and san luis obispo. gusty winds knocks your car in one direction and then another.
with 254 songs on my iPod and 250 miles ahead of me, time wasn't too hard to pass. i saw craggy mountains in colors of rust, yellow and golds. i saw herds of cows grazing happily in the pasture. i passed by numerous bells along the way signaling that this was part of the old el camino real. for a good number of those miles, i was the only car along the path of a two lane highway.
exiting 101 and onto 1
i finally exited highway 101 in san luis obispo and merged into local traffic to connect to highway 1, better known in california as PCH, the pacific coast highway. from san luis obispo, i made my way to morro bay in 25 minutes or so. after being on the road for about 4 hours, my legs needed a stretch and i wanted to grab some lunch before heading further to cambria.
the moment i stepped out of my car, i couldn't believe how clean the air smelled. the salty ocean air is so invigorating, especially if you come from someplace like smoggy LA. i think i'll always be a water girl. perhaps it has to do with me born in hong kong, an island or perhaps it has to do with me being a pisces, a water sign or perhaps it has to do with me swimming ever since i was a young child. whatever it is, i'm just drawn to water.
the best half dozen raw oysters for $8.50 i've ever had
i'm not sure how i find places the way i do, but it's like i have an internal gps in me. i just get off the freeway and let my instinct guide me. and before i knew it, i found the famous morro rock and just turned into the parking lot of one of the restaurants. it turned out to be one of the tastiest places to eat on this trip - especially if you're into raw oysters.
the great american fish company
1185 embarcadero blvd.
morro bay, ca 93442
805.772.4407
grilled snapper with fries and red cabbage salad
the prices and the food at the great american fish company is really great. the service was excellent as well and everyone is so damn friendly. the waitress gave me some good instructions on what to see, where to park and such. being an angeleno, i'm used to people not being their friendliest, so it was a welcome change to my typical life in LA. and i think i could do my own version of $40 a day like rachael ray too.
i was almost blown over by the winds
after lunch, before heading back onto the freeway, i drove over to morro rock and its respective beach.
i'll continue tomorrow with photos and the rest of my first day in morro bay and cambria.
and now, some random photos from the trip:
dried seaweed on the sand
wooden walking path along moonstone beach
moonstone beach in the morning
currently listening to: abba, fernando
