West Coast Vacation-Day Eleven

This post could actually be titled "A day on the Pacific Coast Highway Roller Coaster" and those who know and love me will tell you I DO NOT DO ROLLER COASTERS! At first I was rather disappointed in California Highway No 1 as it follows along with Hwy 101 out of Ventura and then inland away from the sea. (It is known for being right along the ocean.) In fact I thought once that if the hills were flat on top I could be in Kansas in the fall! I drove beside fields of strawberries being picked--really hard work can't imagine doing it all day-also raspberries, blueberries, avocados, artichokes, cherries and grapes-acres and acres of grapes for the vineyards I passed -and at least twice snapdragons planted in strips by color! Before long the highways split and the 1 became the two line highway I expected and returns to the sea at Pismo Beach. There are sand dunes here that I wanted to see but it was so windy the sand was blowing off the beach and into your face (not to mention making it hard to see or stand) so I drove just beyond and took some photos of the sand blowing and the waves. Next up was Morrow Bay. Steve told me to take a photo of their Rock, said I couldn't miss it and boy was he right! It had been an easy drive and I thought I could make it one to Monterey as it was only 4pm and 126 miles, no sweat. Right before I reached the Piedras Blancas lighthouse there is an overlook on a colony of Elephant Seals! It turns out that lighthouse is only open by appointment only (I don't think it said THAT on the website!) Now comes the roller coaster--the road goes up on the side of the mountains and I swear it was hanging on by it's fingernails! High enough over the ocean that my ears popped! You know You're in trouble when the road on your GPS looks like half of a zipper! I know it was beautiful, I caught glimpses of it now and then but mostly I was just busy keeping the truck on the road because there was no place to go. I did laugh a bit, my Mom hated theses kinds of roads! They are quite common in the Rockies and I could just here her telling dad to slow down! Someone passed me at a turnout and I thought, Just don't go off the edge I don't want to be first on scene! (Dad always said that about the highway out of Estes.) Guess parents stay with children more than we think! Finally came down off that ride to take photos of the Point Montara Lighthouse which is only open on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays! Just wasn't my day for actually getting close to lighthouses! Although Montara is on a big rock and somewhat difficult to get to. I pulled into Monterey late and very tired only to pull everything out of the truck (almost) and re-pack it!