Saturday, July 7, 2012

Week #2 of My Summer Adventure: Pacific Grove

It is wonderful to be back on the Monterey Peninsula. As I left Gilroy and began the ascent over the hills to the coast, I did the usual – held my left hand out the window to feel the temperature drop 10 degrees as the car met coastal temperatures. Ah, that welcome tang of foggy air! You know what would be truly weather-challenging? Spending summers in PG and the rest of the year in Portland – you’d have overcast gray skies all year round. Yes, fog greeted me, just as I expected. What else is new in Pacific Grove?

Last trip I reverted to California-style driving within 5 miles of my arrival at the San Jose airport. This time I was a good Oregonian driver until I hit Carmel last Sunday afternoon. What caused the sudden shift? Tourists - I had forgotten about them. The streets were full of 'em and we were all looking for the same parking space. Out the window went my kind Oregonian driving – I was late to meet friends at the Cypress Inn and DON’T GET IN MY WAY. I snagged a space just half a block from the hotel and was unapologetic. All is fair in parking battles in Carmel-By-The-Sea.

The Cypress Inn is unique. Doris Day, the owner, is a dog lover and the place encourages guests to bring their pets. Dogs were everywhere - sitting on a towel on the couch in the living room (where we had tea), in the lobby, on the terrace – and all so well behaved, so sweet. I thought about my former dog, Murphy, and how she would have, in under one minute, created complete chaos among all these well-behaved pooches. Although later dogs of mine were better behaved, none had that special attitude that was Miss Murphy's. I do miss that dog. 

My week in Pacific Grove was truly wonderful. I visited friends and places on the Central Coast dear to me. I stayed across the street from my own house (now rented) with my neighbors, Sharon and Warren.  Their house is a charming PG cottage and I can attest to the comfort of the guest bed and their hospitality - perfection in all ways.


The deck of my house.  When I walked by, the tenant called out to say hello.  I suggested that, as owner of the house, did I own part of the meat he was barbecuing at the moment?  He laughed and we caught up on how they were doing at my house.  



This is Sharon and Warren's house - across the street - where I am staying.  They are both artists and everything about their house and garden reflects their talents and skills.  


What else did I do?  I worked one morning at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I have been a volunteer there in several different capacities over the past 24 years and refused to give back my badge when I moved to Oregon last summer. I told Ruth (head of the volunteer program) that I would volunteer every time I visited. Thankfully, she wasn't willing to fight me for the badge so our relationship continues. I let them know when I will be in the area, they find a job for me, and I happily comply. This time I updated info in the volunteer database.

I celebrated the Fourth of July with my friend, Helen, at Spreckels – a late 19th century town outside of Salinas that developed around the Spreckel's Sugar Company.  It is one of the best preserved "company towns" in the U.S. - with most of its buildings built by the sugar company for its employees. It is charming – the homes are Craftsmen style - and many are well preserved. What is amazing is that the town remains small – population of 485 - so that one can still feel what it was like there 100 years ago.




This is one of the original company homes near the park where we celebrated the 4th.

The Fourth of July celebration is home grown in Spreckels.  Folks gather on the park in the center of  town. Lots of food booths lined two sides of the park with space for sitting in the middle.  The parade began at noon - I suspect every child in Spreckels had a part as a scout, Future Farmer of America or 4-Her.  Lots of cars - old and muscle - and fire engines for added pizazz.  The celebrating families clearly enjoyed the sun, food and music.


I liked this woman's attitude and attire.  Laid back and colorful.



Parking was a challenge - far more than the 450+ residents were in attendance. We parked outside town along the lettuce fields that make the Salinas Valley so famous. I have always liked living in an agricultural area. I find myself checking the crops whenever I pass by a field. First I have to figure out what is growing and then assess how well it is doing. This field really surprised me. I have never seen 8 different types of lettuce, both red and green, grown together like this. It was spectacular.

My birthday, yesterday, was full of delights. Sharon and Warren asked where I would most like to have breakfast and, with little hesitation, I said, "Deetjen's." If you haven't been there, it's an hour's drive down the coast. Think old time Big Sur. Rustic cabins for rent surround the old wood restaurant. And what was on the menu? Easy choice for me - French toast stuffed with raspberry cream. It is INCREDIBLE. Although it was just warm enough to eat outside in the dappled light, the coffee certainly helped.

After breakfast we started north on Route 1 but stopped almost immediately at Nepenthe. Their shop called - a must if down in Big Sur. Such unique things. We celebrated our finds with cappuccinos on the deck looking out at the incredible views - both the golden hills and the Pacific Ocean.




According to locals there are many whales in the ocean this summer. We didn't see any BUT did see something equally wonderful and so unexpected. While looking back at the golden hills we spotted two large birds. Were they condors? 



Warren told me that condors can be identified by the white band on the underside of their wings. We watched in awe as the two birds dipped and soared on the wind currents and then one broke away and flew right toward us. He flew overhead - about 40 feet above us - and there was the white band. It was simply amazing to see these grand birds in flight. And no, they are not in the photo - couldn't grab my camera in time - too busy gawking.



That evening Warren, Sharon, Emily, Rod, Greg and Robin took me out to dinner in Carmel - such fun -  with the requisite candle on my dessert. And then, to finish an amazing day, off we all went to see the local production of 39 Steps - a spoof of the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film - at the Golden Bough Theater in Carmel. We had watched the original via Netflix the night before so thoroughly enjoyed watching how the 4 actors played all the parts with much mugging, quick costume changes and hilarious staging to convey the essence of the film. I think even Alfred Hitchcock would have grinned.

A simply wonderful birthday with good good friends.

The week now comes to a close.  Much thanks to all the friends I visited. I loved every minute. Next it's on to a week of camping at Yosemite. This is going to be interesting. I have never camped with so little gear - one small suitcase, a sleeping bag and pillow, a camp chair, a cooler, and one plastic bin of anything I could find in Portland that might help in the outdoors. Thank goodness I found a string of lights to decorate the outside of my camp space. Now THAT is important. 













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