Putting The Car In Park

Bringing the recap of our trip up the California coast to an end today. 

Day 8-Half Moon Bay

This pretty little seaside town was the setting for the wedding of our friend's daughter. We've known her since she was a tiny tot and all her siblings too. 

My how the years roll by. 

We have lived a lot of life beside this family and always pick up right where we left off. 

The day started early for us. It dawned on me as we were driving into town that I would not be able to do my own hair for the wedding. Or do much of anything really, but after a week in a convertible I definitely needed hair help. No way I could get my arm in gear for that, so we phoned the hotel and they gave me the name of a nearby salon. 

The salon was of course completely booked but the stylist I spoke to was so kind and said she'd come in at 8 am to help me out. Don't you love when businesses go out of their way to be accommodating? (Aqua Beauty Lounge)

Hubs drove me over for the appointment and then we spent the rest of the morning hanging out with friends before going back to the chowder house next door for clam chowder and a lobster roll. 

Fog moved in to the bay and made for a gorgeous ethereal setting for the vows. 

The ceremony was followed by a fun reception with dinner and dancing (yup, I danced, broken elbow and all) and then we sent the bride and groom on their way with bubbles and best wishes. 

Here's hubs with the father of the bride who is one of our most favorite people in the whole wide world-

Another sister of the bride...she and my daughter2 are good buds and have known one another since birth. 

These boys all worked together once upon a time, one is second generation which is fun to see. 

We love this family so much. We treasure all the memories made and love the here and now too as we celebrate and navigate the changing seasons of our lives. 

Day 9-Saulsalito to San Francisco to home to Urgent Care

We had an overnight flight Saturday so the whole day was ours to fill. We took a long walk beside the sea with the bride's parents (nobody can say I wasn't a trooper!) then had breakfast at the hotel before saying our goodbyes and wow this was fun and can't wait to do it again! when more of their children tie the knot. 

Hubs and I have both been to San Fran more than once and honestly have zero desire to go into that city now. We needed a plan for how to fill the day and since hubs loves Sausalito and I'd never been we pointed the car in that direction and off we went. 

It was a gorgeous day and the city was bustling with people. Such a cute place! We walked a while then had a leisurely lunch with a seaside view at Scoma's. It was so good and the atmosphere, the service, the gorgeous setting, and of course the food were all wonderful. 

After lunch we walked some more, admired the boats in the marina, then made our way to the airport. Our hometown team had a game that night and since we were on west coast time realized we could watch the whole thing while eating dinner in the terminal. 

We got home the next morning (Sunday), collected the pup from the kennel, and called my doctor who advised I get back in the car for an x-ray pronto. Well, pronto after a 2-hour wait in the urgent care and three days after my son-in-law advised the same. When the doc walked in the room her first words were, 'You're holding your arm funny', followed by 'Even without me seeing an x-ray I can tell you you'll be leaving here in a splint and a sling with a referral to the orthopedist'. 

Party's gotta end sometime, right? 

Once I knew it was fractured I gave in to reality and basically hubs has been waiting on me hand and foot (elbow?) ever since. On the bright side it was a non-displaced fracture which meant I did not need surgery. Recovery is going very well and as the doctor says 'in another three or four weeks you can do a pushup'. 

A pushup? How about we start with drying my own hair? 

Still Cruisin' The Coast

Trying to wrap up what might feel to you like our never-ending drive up the coast, but in reality was just nine days, start to finish. 

Day 7-Carmel to Half Moon Bay

When last we spoke I was putting myself back together after a spectacular fall. Spectacular in size and scope, not in grace and beauty, ahem. 

We made a stop in the local pharmacy for a pair of readers so I could read maps and signs and directions and it wasn't perfect but it was better than blurry. Fortunately I did have a prescription in my sunglasses, an old one, but it worked better than the readers. 

We had places to go and people to see so we hopped back in the convertible for the 17-mile drive through Pebble Beach.

For the record, I did not hop. I climbed in very very gingerly after hubs opened the door for me because getting in and out of the car was problematic. Something is definitely wrong with my elbow, but I'm going to kick back in my seat and savor the view and the ocean air and the sun on my face and worry about that tomorrow. 

Or three days from now but whatever. 

The course at Pebble Beach is so pretty and we spent some time in the gift shop before embarking on the 17-mile route. Hubs would have loved to play a round but settled for a hat and a tank of gas instead. 

Which was almost as much as a round at Pebble Beach.  

The 17-mile drive is worth every penny. There are marked stopping points along the way and I think we hit them all.. There were the ghost trees at Pescadero Point-

Hey look! 

I'm smiling, wonky arm and all. I won't be later today when hubs has to literally cut that jacket off of me, and I do notice my arm is a bit off kilter here, but still! I'm smiling.

We saw the lone cypress-

Seal Rock-

And Point Joe with all it's many Brandt's cormorants-

Further down the road we saw the Pigeon Point Lighthouse and pulled in to look around. You can't go inside anymore because a piece of the iron belt on the exterior fell off a few years ago. It's one of the tallest lighthouses in America and started guiding ships way back in 1872. 

Our destination, and the reason we traveled west to begin with, was Half Moon Bay for the wedding of our dear friend's daughter. We arrived mid-afternoon to hugs in the parking lot and fish and chips at the Chowder House next door. Side hugs because my arm and all...

sister of the bride

Let the festivities begin! 

Going Coastal

An alternative title might be 'How I broke my elbow on the coast of California', but I'll let you decide. 

Day 6-Cambria to Carmel 

The day started with a 9 am tour of Hearst Castle in nearby San Simeon. George Hearst traveled his land on horseback but his son William Randolph grew tired of camping so he built a 'little something on the hill' and now we have buses and tickets and tour guides to help us along. 

Entry to the property today is with a timed ticket and a bus ride from the visitors center (located just off the highway) all the way up the mountain to the house itself. 

What an incredible place to call home. 

While a visit to this remarkable 'castle' sounded like it might be a little too touristy, hubs and I both really enjoyed seeing this amazing property and hearing the story behind its construction.  

The house is over the top in terms of decor and detail, not to mention the views which are absolutely stunning. 

Before leaving San Simeon we stopped at the nearby state park to see the sea lions who call this beach home. 

These are not creatures we see lounging on the East Coast beaches and it feels a little bit amazing to stand so close and watch them sunbathe. 

It was another ideal convertible day, perfect for a drive on the twisting-turning coastline road that runs through Big Sur.

We spent most of the day with our mouths agape at the magnificence of the coastal seascape and the natural beauty that is everywhere you look. I really am beginning to get why people live here. 

We stopped for lunch in one of the few restaurants we passed on this stretch of highway (The Whale Watchers Cafe) and then made another stop to see McWay Falls. You couldn't get back as far as we would have liked because some of the cliff was perilously close to falling into the sea!! and was roped off. McWay is an 80 foot high waterfall that drops right into the beach beside the Pacific and pictures do not do it justice.

We arrived in the picturesque town of Carmel late afternoon and after checking in to our hotel set out to explore the area. We walked to the beach, browsed the shops, and had a drink in a little bar tucked away in one of the many nooks and crannies this town possesses. The bar owner recommended his favorite Italian restaurant for dinner so we headed there next. We find the locals generally know what they're talking about and he did not steer us wrong. (La Balena) Fresh pasta in the garden with wonderful service and a most delicious tiramisu for dessert. 

Carmel left its mark, in more ways than one actually. We were walking to breakfast the next morning, struggling to find the address we'd been given, both of us looking up, when I somehow caught my foot on what I guess was a low landscaping curb around a tree in the middle of the sidewalk. 

Honestly I don't even know how the next few seconds happened, but down I went in grand fashion, breaking my glasses, bruising my cheek, scraping both hands, skinning my leg, and evidently fracturing my elbow although I didn't realize it at the time. 

I was shaken up for sure and I took a little inventory of all my body parts before getting up. I was most concerned about my cheek which was throbbing and especially my broken glasses because we weren't heading home for three more days. 

I wanted to cry and maybe I did, mostly over the broken glasses, but I did pick myself up, or maybe hubs picked me up???, and we went into the restaurant. They kindly brought me a bag of ice for my cheek and I cleaned my bleeding hands before mentioning to hubs that my forearm was pretty sore although nothing actually felt broken.

I texted my daughters because I knew they would be sympathetic, but also because my oldest is married to an orthopedic surgeon. He was out of town so after a series of texts relayed through her, questions asked about moving all my fingers and level of numbness, etc he recommended I find a doctor and get checked out. 

That all sounded like a lot so we got in the car and drove to Half Moon Bay to meet up with our friends and see their daughter get married instead. 

I should've listened to the doctor major. 

I have a non-displaced fracture which thankfully did not require surgery. Personally I think walking around with it broken for three days, dancing albeit cautiously, and maybe that lemon drop I sipped at the reception all helped keep it from becoming too stiff as broken elbows tend to do. 

We're almost home in terms of these posts. We still have the wedding, Sausalito, and the orthopedist coming up. In that order. Oops!

Carefree Highway

Continuing my recap of our road trip up the California coast...

Day 5-Santa Barbara to Cambria

This was one of my favorite parts of the trip because I had no idea we'd be driving through the mountains. For some reason I pictured us driving entirely along the coast but we scooted up and around on this part of the journey and it was spectacular. 

The weather didn't hurt. 

Before leaving Santa Barbara we visited the mission there. I've always heard about the California missions but had never been inside one and thought it was beautiful. 

The weather didn't hurt. 

Did I say that already? 

The scenery on the road to Cambria was stunning and we stopped at a couple of spots to take in the views. In a funny turn of events at one of these vista points we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere admiring the view along with another group of travelers, 4 adults preparing to bike some of the PCH. We chatted for a few minutes and when one of them used the word y'all (dead giveaway you're not a west coaster) I had to ask where they were from. He said, 'Oh a tiny little town in South Carolina'. 

Well how about that? A tiny little town in South Carolina just up the road from our tiny little town in South Carolina. It's a small big world and I am here for it.  

When planning our trip hubs and I briefly considered doing a side wine thing since we were very near, and some of the time in, wine country. After looking at the map we decided we could either do wine or we could do the coast but we couldn't do both and we opted for the coast.

Okay, one small sip...

We were cruising along under the bright blue sky when we passed the entrance to  Gainey Vineyards. What an absolutely lovely little stop this was. 

Gainey is a family owned winery and they've been in the wine making business for decades. The current owner happened to be in the lobby when we walked in so we heard the history and then shared a tasting in their gorgeous tasting room. 

We liked it so much we joined their club, shipped some home, and bought a couple of Christmas presents from the gift shop before moving on down the road. Up the road? Onward to Cambria! 

Wait! Before Cambria there was one more stop in Morro Bay for an up close look at the famous Morro Rock. 

The rock is the remnant of a once active volcano and was named by a Portuguese explorer back in the 1500's. Nature is so cool...

Everybody thinks so. 

We peeled ourselves away and checked into our beachfront hotel in Cambria, then promptly went for a stroll to see what we could see. 

We had a lovely dinner in town that evening at The Sow's Ear Cafe, then sat on the hotel rooftop patio to admire the nighttime ocean view. 

It was a very good day.