We continue to drive and camp and drive. And then when we can't stand it any more we check into a hotel...get showers, a good meal out and sleep in a real bed. Tonight is one of those nights....a hotel night that is, in San Luis Obispo about 90 miles north of Santa Barbara. We finished two days of camping high in the coastal range an hour south of Carmel/Monteray and Clint Eastwood's ranch. It was a beautiful, if rustic camp site operated by a nice couple from somewhere out of the 60's. We had an opportunity to talk with these folks as we were pretty much the only people there on Thursday night...oh, except for about a million flies and numerous camp gophers who lounged around everywhere. As we set up camp the flies did their best to torment us to the point where we sat with an insect coil in one hand and a cold beer in the other trying to out-survive these preditors! By 7:15 the sun was well on the way down and the flies were off to bed...finally!! So we made dinner in the dark and sat around the camp fire without a fire (too hot) and drank a very nice bottle of cold white wine...yumm!
Of course there was no way we could spend our planned down-day at the camp site, so by 7 am we were up and on our way to Monteray and Carmel where it was much cooler. We walked as much as we could and enjoyed everything Steinbeck (one of my favorite writers). Cannery Row is no longer what it once was as presented by Steinbeck...however that's happened in many places in the world. At least when I re-read his book this winter I'll have a general image in my mind's eye outside the present use of the wharves. The huge sea lions were pretty impressive as were the sea otters in the harbour.
In Carmel we walked the streets and also along the white sand beach below Pebble Beach Golf Club. Honestly, it wasn't much different than walking in Oak Bay, Victoria...all the same elements. The same except they charge you a handfully of money to drive the 17 mile coast road through the golf courses. While many happily paid, we thought this was pretty dumb and went and enjoyed a hot drink with a cookie in a bakery dating back to the early 1900's!
A long drive back through the old Carmel Road which is often one lane through the remote hills south of Carmel took us home. A very neat drive with few cars along the way. When we arrived back at camp we found it almost full (Friday night)...and the flies were having a great time tormenting the new arrivals. Being now experienced in these matters, we hid in our car for 45 minutes until the sun went down and the flies wandered off to bed! Our evening was again spent much like the night before, looking at the amazing stars and this time watching an equally amazing light show from a dry lightning storm to the south. However...a different bottle of wine:)
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