May 23 Started in the fog…ended with a great sunset, with LOTS in between!

We decided that we were going to walk the Golden Gate Bridge, even though the fog just didn’t seem like it would lift! It was “now or never”. Because the “Hop On & Hop Off” bus we chose did not pick up on the “other side”, we had to walk over the bridge twice!! It is 1.7 miles across, so we got our exercise!

The Golden Gate under a cloud!!

 

We MADE IT TO THE OTHER SIDE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that, we headed to Golden Gate Park via our Hop On Hop Off bus. We walked over to the Japanese Tea Garden, but since it looked like they served Tea outside, and it was still misty and cool, we opted out of that.

Japanese Tea Garden

We had heard about Twin Peaks from several people, so decided to venture to that. The Hop On Hop Off did not go there, so we decided to ask the city bus driver. He directed us to the correct stop. That bus driver was NOT very helpful, but a nice young man told us where to get off, and how to get there. Well, either he did not know, or we did not understand the directions!

This was the prettiest thing in the clouds, but no Twin Peaks

As we were trying to find our way, there was a lady coming out of a house, so we asked her if we were headed in the right direction. She told us no, and that we definitely would NOT be able to see ANYTHING today. When she learned we had taken the bus, she told us to wait a few minutes and she would take us to the bus stop! Another ANGEL God sent to us….we had been climbing uphill for quite a ways, and remember, this was AFTER the 3.4miles on the bridge! We decided the next thing we would do, was to visit a house that Betty used to live in as a 5 year old. We were studying the map to try to find the Zoo (NO, she did not live IN the Zoo…just NEAR it!), and 4 young school girls were nearby, so Betty asked how we would get there. It was a couple of changes, and involved “the underground” system, so they eagerly said to follow them, they were going that direction! More angels!

The school girls that showed us the way!

We found the Zoo, which had just closed (it was 4:30pm by now). She knew that she was close to where she lived, so we walked down the street.

Betty at the San Francisco Zoo gate

It HAD to be one of these houses!

 

 

 

She saw lady sitting in a car nearby, so motioned that she wished to speak to her. We learned that she and her husband had lived in a house on the street for a long time. She confirmed the name of the elementary school nearby, and gave us directions to the church that Betty had attended while living there, too!

Betty’s Elementary School

 

St. Gabriel Catholic Church

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By now we are SOOOO hungry~we decided to try the last restaurant that Betty’s cousin recommended to us. Don’t you love the mural, too?

Dinner at Sabella and Latorre was scrumptious!

Mural of Golden Gate on the wall

 

 

 

 

We realize that the last thing on our list has to be to FINALLY ride the “Trolley” (or “Rice A Roni car”)
So, we find out where the station is, after checking out Ghirardelli Chocolate Square, and the sunset..

Ghirardelli Square

Last Sunset we will see in California is a beauty! See the bridge in the distance?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And so….we ride, and get off at the last stop, and the “conductor” offers to take about 6 pictures of us!! He wanted one up front, in back, and on the side, like we were “hanging out”!

Riding the Trolley!

Our night view of San Francisco from the trolley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were SOOO tired when we got back to the Hotel, and we still had to pack, but we were up and ready for the Airport Shuttle at 0640!!
(Nancy is writing this, and I know that Betty is going to say I put WAY too much info in it….but I wanted to record the whole day…so there! ❤ Love you, Betty, and so glad you could put up with me this whole time!)

 

May 22 Started at Alcatraz today

We started the day by taking a cruise to Alcatraz Island.

Who was on the island

We learned a lot about “The Rock”, the audio tour was informative, and Rangers did little “live” interactive things as well. One very animated woman, Lori, told us about the importance that dining together had on the inmates. It was sometimes the only human contact they had during the day. They had DELICIOUS food, and sometimes, just that they had that to look forward to, gave “meaning” to their lives day to day.

Lori told us about the importance of dining together

We got to hear the “slamming” of the cell doors (thus the nickname “slammer” referring to being locked up). The Ranger explained that sometimes, that was the only time the inmates could “relax”, considering that they ALL were the worst of the worst criminals, being in close proximity during the day, with tools, like knives and forks, and other sharp instruments, depending on your daily job.
We got to actually go into an isolation cell, and experience total darkness. That Ranger said that it was only a very few that ever ended up there. They wanted to “behave” so that they could have eating privileges!

Facts about Alcatraz

The cell blocks

Next, we spent a couple of hours touring the city on the “Hop on Hop off” bus, identifying where we may want to get off tomorrow.

Paul, our guide for part of the trip

The clouds were low as we passed by the bridge, and it was REALLY windy and cold!

The Haight -Asbury district

 

 

This type of building structure is called a “Painted Lady”…when it has 3 different colors on the structure. They are all protected as Historic Buildings, and must be preserved. They only may change the color of the paint…nothing else.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that, we “hiked up” Lombard St. (The most crooked street)

One of the sharp, crooked curves

Hard to “capture” the road…it is REALLY twisty. Glad we did not drive it, only watch others do it

 

We decided to treat ourselves to some Italian Pastries in Little Italy, before walking all the steps to Coit Tower.
We sat down, and recognized 2 girls that sat near us at dinner. So we chatted, found out they were from Jacksonville, Florida, and as we left, they decided to walk with us to the Coit Tower!

Florida friends

Unfortunately, it was about 6:30 pm by then, and when we reached the top, learned that the elevator/stairs close at 5:30pm!!! It was a beautiful view, even if it wasn’t from the top of the tower!

Another view

From the Coit Tower viewing area

We have to prioritize now, and decide what to do on our last day here! Check in tomorrow (or the next day) to see what our last day here in San Francisco looks like!
Nighty-Night!

May 21 On to San Francisco

This morning found us exploring “Cannery Row” in Monterey before heading for San Francisco.

Looking down the street at Cannery Row

Old Cannery Company building

A little art and a couple of Geese taking a stroll

We enjoyed a little shopping

“Bargain Betty” wherever she goes!

and some Peet’s Coffee along with a couple of Angelina’s Pastries that we had purchased from our friend Julianna at the Farmer’s Market.

Our “lunch” stop

Oh my goodness, they were delectable!

Angelina;s pastries were SOOOOO good! It was LUNCH!

Had an uneventful drive to San Francisco (thank you, Lord for protecting us on this fun journey), and arrived at the car rental return right on time! We eventually found our way to the Shuttle Bus Stop and boarded the bus for our hotel. We were happy to board the shuttle first and get front row seats, enjoying conversations with a doctor from Canada and the driver.
Once we settled in our room, we took off walking…..got our tickets for the On/Off bus for the next two days, walked around Fisherman’s Wharf,

The wharf

where we decided on eating at Alioto’s,

Alioto’s

an Italian Seafood Restaurant. We both enjoyed our meals tremendously.

If you don’t know about the “Bush Man” ask us! You will get a BIG laugh out of THIS story. In fact, tonight we were laughing so hard our sides ached and we had tears running down our cheeks….just sayin’.

Getting up early tomorrow to tour Alcatraz….have to be at Pier 33 by 9:30 a.m. Looking forward to some exciting adventures tomorrow.

May 20 Scenery, scenery, scenery

Began the day travelling on the famous 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach, CA. We saw everything from beautiful homes, to sandy beaches, to barking seals, lots of seagulls, to some of the most well-known Golf Courses. Can you imagine ALL of this in just 17 miles??

Golf right on the coast!

Bird Island

SO many varieties of flowering ground cover!

We stopped at the Pebbles Beach Golf Course and had lunch at the Gallery, which was across the street from the exclusive Pebble Beach Gas Station (where we paid a premium $5.99 per gallon for gas only because we were on empty and the light had come on)!

Yes, that’s $5.99/gal

Since Fish Tacos were on the menu and were guaranteed to be delicious or you could order something else, Betty decided to try them. Nancy settled for Chicken Quesadillas. Both of us went away very satisfied!

Fish Tacos were good

Our view at lunch

We then drove to Carmel by the Sea and strolled along the boardwalk where we saw more lovely homes.

Lovely house with a view

It was quite chilly, but there were lots of people in the water. Afterwards, we did a little shopping in Carmel.

Shopping in Carmel

We didn’t run into Clint, though!

Our next stop was the Farmer’s Market in Monterey. They have several streets blocked off and you can find everything from gorgeous flowers to jewelry, to any type of food you want (and you get to taste it).

Farmer’s Market Monterey

We had fun and enjoyed fresh dates, raspberries, bread dipping with various flavored olive oils, and pulled pork, to name a few! Of course, we HAD to find our “new” friend, Julianna with the bakery goods and make a few purchases…her cousin, Leo was helping her and he wanted to GIVE us something, so he gave us a pastry shell filled with fruit.

Julianna and her cousin

We just ate it and oh my, it was mouth-watering delicious.

Monterey has a Fisherman’s Wharf so that is where our next destination was. We strolled around, browsing in the shops, tasting clam chowder, and going on the pier to check-out the seals who were barking. Several people had recommended the restaurant “The Old Fisherman’s Grotto” and when we were strolling along, we were given a sample of their clam chowder, which Nancy said was the BEST, so we made a reservation (we later found out we were chatting with the owner). We also had been given a card for a free appetizer there, so that was another reason to dine there. Right?? The restaurant had ambiance, a nice view and luscious food! To top it off, when we were ready to leave we were each given a rose! We stopped on the way out to let the owner know how much we enjoyed our dinner and the service, etc. and ended up taking a picture with him.

Here we are with the owner

His parents had started the restaurant in 1950. It was a most enjoyable evening.

They even had fresh flowers in the bathroom!

What will tomorrow bring????? Just wait and see…..San Francisco will never be the same!!

May 19 Castle visit and more roads

We visited with Benjamin at the Tourist Information Center before heading out of San Simeon.

Benjamin at the Tourist Center San Simeon

He was a wealth of knowledge concerning the area and had a real passion for the land there. He told us how the Hearst family wanted to develop San Simeon and how the “townspeople” wanted to keep it natural with all its history and they came to an agreement, paying for the land in order to keep the beautiful pristine coastline and town. He also gave us some tips for visiting the “Hearst Castle” and suggested a place to eat lunch.

We had a wonderful time touring the “Grand Rooms” and the grounds of the Hearst Castle. The tour guide we had was very interesting and you could tell he really loved his job.

The Hearst Castle

The Dining Room. Even though it was so elegant, he always used paper napkins and bottle of ketchup & mustard on the table. It was the way his mama used to set the table

That ceiling was made in the 1600s in Spain. He basically built this castle to hold all his art!

ONE of his pools

View from the Castle

We then started out again on Highway 1, stopping many times for picture taking. (I wish I had been counting all the stops!!)

Pacific Coast

More Pacific Coast ( I COULD insert about 200 more pix, but it just isn’t “practical” is it?

At one of the stops we met a couple of guys going cross country on their bikes. They started out in Little Rock, Arkansas and were travelling for two more weeks! My shutterbug friend asked if I could get on one of their bikes for a picture, so I did!

Betty with “Mike” on his bike

We had a few laughs and then went on our way.

We stopped at Lucia, the restaurant Benjamin had suggested for a delicious meal. We had a beautiful view of the ocean and just enjoyed taking our time there.

Our view for lunch

Made it to Monterey in the early evening and after checking into our hotel headed for a Laundromat where we met a very sweet young lady, Julianna. She stayed late so we could finish our laundry!

Laundromat and cards

She also told us about a Farmer’s Market for tomorrow and said she would be there selling pastry for a bakery she works for, just in case we were able to go and for us to stop by and see her.

Finally back to the hotel to finish the game of hand and foot that we began at the Laundromat….then to bed. So, until tomorrow…..good night to all!

May 18 – Green to Brown to Green

Our day began with breakfast at the lodge and running into Deb & Dan and their three little girls (who we had met when we did the cave tour). THEN, Nancy met the two couples from Texas that we had met the day before on Sherman’s trail! It IS a small world!!

Texan friends!

After breakfast, we journeyed to the Panoramic View which was about three miles from our lodge and where we missed seeing a beautiful sunset! It was pretty and green there and we were glad that we made the trek.

Good bye Sierra Nevada!

Then, we were “on the road again!” We stopped at the fruit stand that we had stopped by on the way UP to the Canyon and purchased more delicious home-grown fruit including cherries, peaches, plums, and golden nugget oranges (which are very ugly but very delicious to eat).

3 generations have farmed this land, and here is the lovely wife tending the Fruit stand today!

The drive to San Simeon was very brown and dry. It was on our way there that we stopped at the FIRST Rest Stop we had seen since arriving in California!!!

Finally a rest area in this Dust Bowl!

To our delight we were given an “upgrade” to our room which included an ocean view AND a fireplace! Since it was a little chilly, the fireplace was welcomed….and already going for us!

The Morgan Hotel

Justin, the young man who checked us in, suggested that before we went to eat, we go to see the Elephant Seals. We expected to see energetic, barking seals. Instead, this is what we saw!

The lethargic Elephant Seals!

Justin also suggested eating at The Moonstar Bar & Grill restaurant for dinner. We enjoyed a delicious meal there as well as the beginning of another beautiful sunset….

Our dinner view

we left in time to drive down the coast a few minutes to pull off on a “Vista” spot to enjoy the final sunset.

Pacific Sunset

Another busy day planned for tomorrow….so come back then to see what we are up to!

May 17 Sequoia National Park

I met “Judith” today. She is a 74 yr old Park Ranger at Sequoia National Park. Her “roots” are right nearby, her family has lived here for 4 generations. She was a “wealth of information,” giving us a time table to get us to Moro Rock for the sunset.
We took “Generals Highway,” that goes from the General Grant tree to the General Sherman tree. Once we got to the General Sherman tree it was a LONG walk downhill to get to there.

…but NOTHING compared to the LONG walk back up.  At 7,000 ft…the air was VERY THIN!

( Betty faux-collapsing.. .half way up due to lack of oxygen)
We drove on through this HUGE forest,  to the “tunnel tree”..

Nancy going through tunnel tree

Along the way, we were privileged to see these cute little bear cubs playing on the log! We could not believe that there were people out of their cars to look at them and take pix! Where there are cubs, there is a Mama bear around SOMEWHERE! Go here to see it: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9YnlyZqibAqZkh5X1MwekhsYmc/edit?usp=sharing

We made it to Moro Rock about an  hour before sunset. This is a huge granite dome. It is a highlight at Sequoia National Park with breathtaking broad views of the park and lands beyond. There are glacially carved peaks, tops of giant trees, dense, shrub covered hills, and the great central valley to the west. You can look East to the Alpine peaks

and West to the coast range

-a distance of 150 miles. Standing at the top we were 6725 feet high. We were a mile higher than the lowest point we could see to the West, and a mile lower than the peaks to the East.
Early travelers used ropes to scale the dome. It’s still an effort even with the staircase…(one small portion below)

but the reward was well worth it!! We saw the most magnificent sunset that we had ever seen and probably ever will see!

Sunset from Moro Rock

May 16 Cave and Falls day in King’s Canyon

First, we have to show a picture of the John Muir Lodge where we are staying!

John Muir Lodge

Betty’s former boss, “Claude”, recommended it. Sure have been thankful for all of you who have given us advice!
So, after a wonderful breakfast at the Grant Grove Village Restaurant, we sought the advice of the Tourist Information Center for the next 2 days.
We took the Northern Route for today’s adventure. Our first turnout view was this

One of our first views

Then we got to the Junction View

King’s Canyon view at the Junction

Our first, real “stop” was the Boyden Cave. We learned that we were now in the deepest part of the Canyon. Compared to being at the Grand Canyon, we were even deeper down!

Entrance for the Cave Tour

Our guide, Ranger Sandra, had just received her degree and this was her 4th tour. We admired the fact that she finally realized her dream!

Ranger Sandra

We saw SOOO many formations, here are a few highlights! (BTW it was REALLY nice to be in the cool environment after a LONG, STEEP walk up for the tour!)

Wedding cake

Stalagtites

Watchdog

These looked like teeth to me!

We made new friends again, a family. Deb and Dan are originally from Michigan, but have been in California for the past 7 years. We enjoyed visiting with them as we waited to go on the tour of the Cave.

New friends

From there, we stopped for our lunch. The restaurant has boxed lunches you can buy to take with you! We had a table with a view, and no waiting!

Betty at the base of Grizzly Falls where we ate

We went on to Roaring River Falls from there. MORE beauty!

These falls actually “roar down”, and create a whirlpool at the end!

Peekaboo!

Next, was Zumwalt Meadow. How serene!
[caption id="attachment_671" align="alignnone" width="300"] In the meadow

A natural canopy

Birds enjoy the meadow too

Betty
the daredevil!

Then began our “Sunset Chase”. We had gotten directions of where to view the sunset, but had a hard time finding the exact location. We “settled” for this turnout, and were not disappointed.

the colors begin

Thank you, Lord for this wonderous sunset!

Trees, trees, and General Grant! May 15

We were going to get off early this morning to see the Mariposa Grove trees in the early morning sunlight. That was before we realized it would be almost 1 a.m. before we got to bed, after viewing the moonbow. We did get off before 9 a.m., by skipping breakfast and eating only a rice cake with peanut butter on it. We figured a little jaunt around The Mariposa Grove, looking at trees, and we would be off to a lunch before we knew it.

We saw the sun glimmering through the big trees

…we WERE glad we had not had more than 2 cups of coffee, because before we new it we were going further and further along the trail than we had intended. But the “Faithful Couple” beckoned us! The statement on the description of trees, said something like the extra walk would pay off, and we would be thankful we did it!

This is one of the very young Sequoias.

Kids would have fun playing inside of the part of the trunk of the tree

So many interesting things to stop and take a picture of! Look at this bark!

And this looks like something was set the stage for

And doesn’t this look like a nose?

I have to find out what is pretty protrusion are among the big sequoias

All this moss all of the trees can you believe it?
…a picture of the “Faithful Couple”.

The Faithful Couple at last

We persevered and made new friends with this Indian family

This is the Indain (from India) son and his mom that walked that trail with us!

and we all DID get there….and when it was over, and we were in the a/c in the car, we were thankful for our emergency chocolate!

From there, we went on to have lunch and continue driving to our destination of Kings Canyon National Park.

This giant had to be photographed in two parts because I couldn’t possibly get it in the frame of the camera!

This giant Sequoia is named after Ulysses S Grant. It is said to be just a youngster at 1800 to 2000 years old. The General Grant tree is called “The Nation’s Christmas Tree”, and the nearby town hosts a special Yuletide celebration under its snow -laden branches every year.

Just one more interesting trunk of a tree that looks like an elephant’s foot to me!
To bed now, and in the morning plan the next two days adventures at THIS information center! ‘Night!

Catch up May 14 at Yosemite

Playing “catch up

” is not fun, and staying in a lodge tonite (May 15) with limited internet access makes it more of a challenge. I’m going to have to use pictures that are on my phone for these next two posts.

This was on the walk to Mirror Lake. So beautiful!!

Betty took this one with her iPhone… It turned out the best of any of them. The sun was going down, the breeze was blowing, and the water was still as glass

Yosemite Falls in the daylight

This is a poor picture of the full moon, but a symbol of one of those little extra gifts that God gave us! When we went to the tourist information center before starting out for the day. “Martha” told us of a rare  phenomenon that would be happening about 10:30pm. The full moon would shine over the mist of Yosemite Falls, and a moonbow would appear. Now HOW could we even KNOW to plan THAT? Anyway, we did wait for it, and it was big, not dominant colors as we see in a rainbow,  but what a privilege to see!
The full moon was shining so brightly and lighting our path, all the way to the car. What an awesome God!

You’ll have to wait!

We have to tell you about our day yesterday and how it ended with a moonbow. We did not get back to our room until 1 am and we need to leave shortly to see the Mariposa Grove in the morning light… more later..

Tioga Pass through Yosemite National Park May 13, 2014

We are having a very difficult time finding words to describe the incredible beauty of God’s creation as we travel along. We definitely see not only His hand in His creation, but in His direction of our steps along the way! We give the day to Him, and He gives us even MORE than we can imagine!

People
-After breakfast, we started up a conversation with British couple we kept “running into”. They have traveled the USA for years, and gave us some highlights of what to see, as well as an invitation to visit them in England!

Our new British friends

One of our first stops in the park was for Betty to throw a snowball, and this Daytona couple offered to take our picture.

Our new Daytona Friends

Betty and her snowball

 

Close up in snow taken by the Daytona Couple

Places
We started out on Tioga Pass, as recommended by so many of our friends, and checked with Trip Advisor about where to be sure to turn off. Great Advice!

First frozen Lake we came to

This is how deep the snow was in the drifts. It is the top of a picnic table you see

One of the pretty “thawed” lakes!

From Olmstead Point recommended by Trip Advisor

The view from Washburn Point

From Glacier Point

Things (The EXTRAS that God provided us with)

This pretty bluebird (Betty had been doing her famous birdcalling whistles along the paths, and I think he was looking for his ladybird)

Pretty blue bird

This beautiful rainbow on Bridal Falls that we just “happened” to overhear someone exclaim about

Rainbow on Bridalveil Falls

This deer along the drive to incredible Glacier Point. He seemed to just want to chat with us…like “SO, where are YOU from…”

Sociable deer

A huge, beautiful, white moon peeking at us from over the treetops as we were winding around a road almost to our Best Western destination. Betty wouldn’t let me stop the car where there was no turn off, to “CATCH THE SHOT”. It’s HER fault we don’t have a photo….but we DO have the memory of God’s kindness to do that….it was as if He was saying “I AM always with you, and I am keeping watch over you….”
Thank you, LORD!

Sunrise!

I decided if God woke me up at 5:50 am, I would go out and see how He paints the sky at dawn. So happy to unwrap this gift! (Nancy)

Picture taking day (May 12)

After breakfast this morning in South Lake Tahoe, California, we drove through part of Nevada and then back into California!

The Sierras and the rich valley…we saw many cattle today

We didn’t have a particular destination in mind (since we had no room reservation for the night), so took our time and stopped many, many times along the way for pictures. We took the scenic route and it truly IS the scenic route!!

After so many snow caps, we began seeing a lot of forest and this type of terrain

 

We were on the Eastern Sierra Mountain side and looked down and saw one of the most beautiful lakes, which of course we had to pull off the road to photograph! Driving down the mountain brought us to the lake which is called the Mono Basin.

Our first view of the Mono Basin. No water outlet. “Sister Lake” to the Great Salt Lake in Utah

 

We stopped at a National Forest Information Center and even though we arrived at 4:59 p.m. and they closed at 5 p.m., the gentleman there was very nice and advised us that if we continued on through the Pass, it was at least a three hour drive (and that was without stopping for picture-taking). He gave us the name of a couple of hotels in the town of Lee Vining, CA which was just a mile or two away. He also gave us directions to another place to watch a beautiful sunset. We decided that we should take a look at the hotels in Lee Vining, spend the night (IF we could find a room), and get a fresh start in the morning.

We found a nice room at the Lake View Lodge, signed in, stopped at a nearby restaurant for a bowl of homemade soup and headed for our viewing spot…..which was a real treat! It was right down at the Lake, where we were able to see the amazing tufa towers, which are salt deposits made from calcium and carbonates,

Many formations to see

 

So many shapes and colors were beautiful as the sun set

Not sure if it is a full moon, but it sure was huge and bright tonite!

 

 

as well as the gorgeous sunset.

Until tomorrow……

Thank you, Lord, for another display of beauty at sun set!

How we spent Mother’s Day 2014

Cave Rock from boat

Emerald Color

 

Enjoying the Cruise

From our drive-We also “cruised”around this island

The sun is going DOWN

So beautiful as the sun sets

Sunset Lake Taho

 

 

What a glorious day! God has blessed us in so many ways during this trip and we are very thankful! We began our day with a breakfast at the Driftwood Café (recommended by Patrick, our Hotel representative). The food was delicious (as you can see in the picture) and they gave us each a carnation for Mother’s Day.

We took a drive and discovered the place to sign-up for a ride on the paddle boat “Queen Tahoe” which we had read about and were interested in….so we pulled in and signed up for the 2:30 p.m. cruise. The experience was wonderful. We went across Lake Tahoe and were able to see the many colors of the pristine water. It turns from turquoise to blue to emerald green and is so clear you can see the bottom in many places. Definitely will take your breath away.

Upon debarking the boat, we rushed to our car to drive around the entire lake (72 miles), to find the perfect spot to watch the sunset. (Once again recommended by Patrick – we owe him, as all of his recommendations have been the bomb!!) We stopped at MANY Vista sights so the camera bug (Nancy) could take pictures – over 200 just today!! Just when you think you have seen the most beautiful sight, you see another one. After about three hours of driving and stopping, we found Cave Rock! We left the highway and drove down to the area that provided the PERFECT view. As we sat and watched God’s gift, we sang “How Great Thou Art.” It was an amazing sunset and as I said earlier, we were truly blessed.

This brought us to the end of the day and back to our hotel, where we enjoyed our Italian left overs and played some hand and foot (first time cards have been out since we began our trip). Then off to bed to rest up for tomorrow’s adventure. Sweet dreams to all…..Nancy & Betty

What God gave us today…..SNOW!!!!

Oleanders along the road

What is that?

Is that snow peaks?

32 DEGREES?

Snowflakes on Betty’s head

Snow on car

Yes, really snow!

That’s right! When we left Santa Rosa, the forecast was for 88-90 at Lake Tahoe. It was about a 3-4 hour drive from where we were. In the distance, we thought it looked quite cloudy, but we still were driving in the sunshine, enjoying all the Oleanders along the divided highway. THEN…..some “white stuff” started hitting the windshield…was that snow, sleet? Hmmmm. THEN, the temperature dropped, and IT CAME DOWN. (Nancy had just switched seats in order to do some of the picture taking!! He he)!! So…hope these pictures and videoes entertain you….it certainly did US!!

P.S. This site is not allowing videos. I will have to post to FB I guess. If you want to see the snow fall…send me your email.

Look what we found on the way to Lake Tahoe!

Got some snacks and some fruit! And of course a Trader Joe California Bag…

May 9

Sunset

The end of a glorious day

Nancy too!

Betty was there!

God’s creation

Sun going down

So beautiful

the Pacific coast!

 

Up at 5 a.m. (this is vacation????) to meet at the Charles Schwartz Airport for our Hot Air Balloon ride……which sadly was cancelled due to fog!! Oh well, we’ll try again at Lake Tahoe!! A lady we met while waiting for the HAB ride suggested a restaurant in Healdsburg: “Costeaux” French Bakery/Café. Nancy felt like she was back in France and the food was amazing. We REALLY wanted to get some pastries to go, but were just too full to even do it…..wishing we had one now!!

Betty had seen an attraction advertisement for Old Faithful (one of 3 in the US) and so we ventured there.  What a disappointment, waste of time and money….sorry Nancy….(who was really disappointed since she remembers the one at Yellowstone), but who was very gracious and kind about it.

We then travelled to the Castle de Amoroso, which is a castle winery that was interesting and a nice visit.

Next, we were on to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), per Debi Walter’s recommendation….we were still too full from breakfast to eat, but we did tour the building and talked with a few of the students.  Seems like a wonderful place to get “Culinarized.”  (How do you like THAT word??)

Next we visited the Beringer Winery and took a guided tour.  We learned quite a bit that probably would have been helpful to know when starting out.  Anyway, we had a superb tour guide and think this was probably our favorite.

Lunch around 3 o’clock found us at The Oakville  Grocery (thanks again, Jesse).  It is a true old-time grocery store that provides sandwiches, salads, etc.  The food was excellent….we sat outside at a picnic table and enjoyed the beautiful California weather.

Next we headed for the Pacific Highway (Hwy. 1, via mountainous, hairpin curved, “Trinity Highway”–ask us about THAT),

 

French Bakery

 

for a drive along the coast stopping at several different look-out points, (Nancy thought she saw a Sea Lion at one of the stops) taking pictures, listening to the waves and then drove almost to the end of the road to view the MAGNIFICIENT sunset.  It was absolutely breathtaking and we were thanking God for all of His wonderful creations.

It was a long, fun-filled day, ending back at the Hotel around 9:15 p.m. No alarm is being set for tomorrow! Good night and have a “Sweet Sleep.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(May 8 Continued)

Since we scheduled a Napa Valley Wine Trolley excursion, we were up early so we could stop on the way (it was about an hour drive to the meeting place), and have breakfast at the Boon Fly Café.  Thanks Jesse Anderson for the recommendation!  The food was delicious and it was a fun place to visit.

We boarded the Trolley with Bim our extraordinary tour guide.  Along the way we visited Monticello Winery, which the owner named after Thomas Jefferson.  The “house” was an exact replica of the original Monticello except on a much smaller scale.  Stop number two was at Treharten, with our next stop being a wonderful outside terrace lunch.  Afterwards we visited two other wineries with the last stop being the Bell Winery.  It was here that Nancy asked the question about the roses we had been seeing at the end of the rows of the grapevines.  Elyse (tour guide) explained that they are to attract any bugs that would destroy the grapevines.  That they would attract the bugs first and therefore the growers would know something was after their vines and thus stop them from destroying the crop.

We headed back to the hotel stopping at a restaurant called B&J for dinner, it was raining and we had to arise early (again) to go on our Hot Air Balloon Ride the next morning…..

Boon Fly Cafe

Took Jesse’s suggestion,  and stopped here for breakfast this morning. Num num!!

One, Two, Three, GO

Beautiful view at Pleasant Ridge

Spring growth in the Vinyard at Pleasant Ridge Winery

Pretty at Pleasant Ridge

Liking all these spring blooms at Francis Coppola’s

Looking out from where we sat for dinner

We ate out on the terrace-it was a little breezy

These cabanas are all rented out for the whole summer already (Coppola’s)

Spring in the vineyard near the Terrace where we ate

Pool and scenery view

Nice view of vineyards at Coppola’s

We began the day in a leisurely fashion, even though we were up by 7:30 (California time)! Decided we should make a trial run to the airport so we would know where to go for our Hot Air Balloon ride EARLY in the morning….takes about 15 minutes to get there (later found out it is cancelled, but rescheduled for Thursday). Visited Railroad Square in Santa Rosa and had a delicious lunch while there.

The next decision was where our first “official” winery tour would be and decided on Paradise Ridge Winery. We had been told by a local that they have a sunset wine tasting but when we called, they said it begins NEXT Wednesday…..we decided to go ahead and visit them anyway and were GLAD we did. The view was absolutely gorgeous…..we even got to see a wedding rehearsal while enjoying our tasting.

Next, we went to the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. It was AMAZING!! The employees were so friendly and the scenery was even more beautiful than the previous winery. We decided to have dinner there and not only was the food fabulous, we were seated on the terrace and had a spectacular view (glad they brought blankets and draped them over our shoulders as it was a little breezy and cool). We heard over and over again (from the employees) that Mr. Coppola visits regularly and is very kind and engages them in conversation. He usually sits at a particular table near the pool and just hangs out. He is very family oriented and has recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary! Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Coppola!!

It has been a wonderful experience and this is only our first full day in the Sonoma/Napa area…..big plans for tomorrow so stay “tuned in.”

Lucy says…

Did you know that Santa Rosa was Charles Schulz’s home for most of his career? They have a museum and memorabilia here. We paid Lucy her consultation fee and she said we are NOT crazy, and to have fun!! So on we go. We got some good information here at the Visitors Bureau and some coupons to use in the wineries.

C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A!! May 6, 2014

The suitcases are ready..

..and so are WE

Our SUV, a Chevy Captiva

Over the Golden Gate Bridge we go….

After a LONG day of travel, and sitting next to interesting people on the plane, we made it to a welcoming, sunny, San Francisco! Of course it being much later in the day for US than our watch said, an SUV to get used to, San Francisco traffic, listening to GPS directions, construction all  along HWY 101, we could not “drink in” all that San Francisco has for us. We think we made the right decision, however, because we got glimpses of what is in store for us when we return the last 4 days of our trip. We got to our hotel in Santa Rosa, made it to an “In and Out” burger joint (fast, polite, clean, inexpensive,non-greasy burger and fries) for a quick, lighter night meal, Walmart , and back to our room, and we CRASHED!!! We both had a wonderful night’s rest, and will now venture the Sonoma/Napa Valley area for a few days. Hopefully, with our “smart phones” we can post as we go today. It is beautiful..right now it is 59 degrees, with a high of 74. Feels good..not too hot for Nancy’s hives, which DO seem to be receding now, PTL!!!

California here we come!

Our 2014 adventure takes us to California!  How did we decide to go there? Well, our last post from our Canyon Adventure describes it. We gave up our seats on the way home, and got a travel voucher! So, to use it up completely, we had to go as far away from Florida as possible with Southwest, to get our money’s worth!

Betty has been hard at work, planning the itinerary, and booking hotels, balloon ride, Alcatraz tickets (2 way, not 1 way!), and a tour bus “hop on and off” for San Francisco. I not only have a terrific housemate, but I have a travel agent that is invaluable!

We “hit” a couple of “bumps in the road” in the last week or two. Betty started with a cough that we attributed to allergies. It kept up, along with nasal congestion, and thankfully has started antibiotics. Two days ago Nancy (me) broke out in hives! Never had them before, and I do NOT want them again! I am on some meds, and I THINK it is beginning to “recede” now. Still don’t know what set it off.  But, God willing, we will be leaving Orlando on Tuesday, May 6 for the next adventure! We hope you will come along!