The Long and Winding Road

Day 22 Photo Album

September 24, 2009

It was a cold and foggy day with few breaks in the icy fingers of water-that-can’t-decide-what-it-is-so-it-just-searches.  I walked along Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey with terrific wind.  The sun was shining then and it was pleasant.  I had breakfast downtown at a place voted the best breakfast place in town.  Scrambled eggs with artichoke hearts and salsa.  I was informed by a woman I met in the redwoods up north who grew up in Monterey that when I came here I should check out Castroville, which is the artichoke capital.  It is north of Monterey.  This will be as close as I get.

Heavy fog settled in for the next few hours making it difficult to see much around the Monterey Peninsula.  It is “thickly settled” as the signs say back East.  This means there are lots of houses close together. 

In a place where there are very wealthy people, there are always very poor people to do the work.  This caught my attention because the openness I had experienced up north was quickly disappearing.  While the area is very nice, the vibes were as insidious as the fog. 

So I left.  Heading south to San Luis Obispo.  The fog was so dense at one point I had near zero visibility along Highway 1’s constant twists and turns.  Then around Big Sur, the fierce wind stopped and the sun came out.  I toured a campground and was tempted to stay there, even though it was only 2 pm.  But an urge to keep moving and the beginnings of a desire to go home prevented me from one last night in the redwoods.

Big Sur is a great place.  It looks like all the other mountains and valleys I’ve been through, but there’s something else going on there that makes me happy.  I’ve decided I need to go back there some day and spend quality time.

At the Post Office in Big Sur I met a man who hang-glides, using the steep cliffs and strong winds to fly.  He explained that the fog is seasonal and they’ll get more of it in November, but right now, they’re in the sun.  (His blog with videos of flying is:  bigsurpete.blogspot.com.  Worth a look as the camera is positioned up and behind him at an angle that allows you to see and feel the experience from the safety of your chair.)

This is what I like so much about Californians:  these extreme elements are just tools for them to have a great time in nature. 

As both my sister and Peter Rosen, aka Big Sur Pete, recommended I check out Cambria, that’s where I am.  There is a town next to Cambria called Harmony with a population of 18.  All artists.  The town is really small and has many tourist-dependent shops.  It is inland just a short distance.  I bought the local paper and it is the most unusual shape I’ve ever seen:  about 14” x 14” and opens like a book. 

I’m tired and even more tired thinking of driving all the way home, so a nice clean hotel in an ideal spot is a great comfort.  Tomorrow will wait.