Passed the fruit and firewood inspection so am now allowed to wander thru CA!  First stop was Redwood National Park.  Again, impossible to describe the feeling you have driving and walking thru them.  There’s a strange, powerful, calming, feel to them – so tall, straight, huge.  Best I can come up with is an outdoor cathedral.  The road was gravely & bumpy so it kept me to around 10 mph.  Lots of turn offs and short hiking trails.  The redwoods only grow in this coastal area but they’re survivors; living  almost 2000 years.  Their thick bark protects them from fires, earthquakes and floods and the only things that can bring them down is lightening and old age.   One big guy had a 50’ bolt haircut and was now down to 340’.

Started down the coast and found ANOTHER twisty, turny narrow road that began in a small Victorian town called Ferndale.  What a treasure.  The homes were all beautifully painted in colors to accentuate their detail. The road (they had their nerve putting a center line on it) wound around some beautiful hills.  I came up over a rise and there was the ocean and the Cape Mendocino lighthouse (and three guys preparing to take to their surfboards).  Best surfing waves I saw thru the whole drive down the coast.  Also found out there’s another way to get there as I came crashing out of the hills into a beautiful grove of redwoods.  Drove thru Newton Drury Scenic Parkway and the Avenue of the Giants.  Hard to believe the pathetic looking Eel River had risen to 90’ in ’64 and flooded the Avenue.

Stopped by the Mendocino Botanic Garden and had a lovely conversation with 85 year old, Fred, the mole killer.  Claims that moles are the smartest creatures on the planet by far and he’s up nights trying to out-smart them.  They’re  worm-eaters so he’s devised a diabolical plan to mix poisonous fake pieces of worms in with the real ones.  The plan’s only been in effect for a week so not sure of the results.

I wondered what happened to the surplus boy elks and got my answer.  Seems they join a guys club.  Saw a group of them hanging out together by the side of the road. Reminded me of Garrison Keiller's Norwegian bachelor farmers.

Goodbye redwoods, hello Pacific Ocean coast. CA – 1 is a real adventure.  Up and down, twists and turns all along the coastline.  They say the speed limit is 45 but the curves are 15, 20 and 25.  Figured out why my neck and shoulders were sore – it was from turning the steering wheel.  Took the advice of a fellow I met while stopping for lunch along the coast and arrived at Muir Woods in the morning.  Wanted to pay homage to the person who began our National Park system.  A real inspiration of what a person with a dream can accomplish.

Took a drive thru San Francisco and am expecting a ticket for getting in the wrong lane and not paying the toll on the Golden Gate Bridge.  Since I’d been in SF last year, I felt a comfort with the direction I was going.  Proved to be ill-advised as I missed my turn and ended up on another route.  Not to worry, picked up another highway that took me over to Half Moon Bay.  These folks know how to run a Pumpkin Patch – pumpkins, kiddie rides, mazes and wine tasting.

Saw where our produce comes from – miles and miles of lettuce, artichokes, raspberries, etc.  Saw this cutie when I passed by Moss Landing.  Everyone can live in a castle!

Continued down the coast thru Big Sur – looked like a huge event at Esalan.  Turns out Joan Baez was giving a concert there.  Looked it up and found it’s a human potential institute and spa with lots of environmental links and they were celebrating their 50^th anniversary.  

Stopped to see the elephant seals lounging along the beach flipping sand on themselves.  They’ve made quite a comeback after being almost wiped out but have been protected here and looked pretty comfy.

Next was San Simeon and the Hearst Castle.  Decided to commit a day to taking the three tours they offered.  Said “Hi neighbor” to a couple in a car with MN license plates.  Turns out they were from Australia and were part of the Friendship Forum started by Jimmy Carter.  It’s a “getting to know you” international program where people exchange homes. They’ve been all over the world and offered to put me up when I visit Australia.

Now this is getting silly first the elk and now I hear on the bus ride up to the castle that the tarantulas are in the mood for romance.  We were assured they wouldn't bother us unless we interfered with their courtship.

WR began San Simeon when he was 58 and it’s a time capsule of the 30s and 40s.  He began collecting at 10 yrs old on a trip to Europe with his mother and much of what he bought in Spain and Italy is housed here – even the ceilings and fireplace mantles.  It’s situated on the top of the hill where he camped with his parents (Papa George made loads of money in silver and gold mines.  Gave WR a newspaper to keep him busy).  He gave his architect (Julia Morgan) and construction crew fits because he kept changing the plans – many times after the walls were already up.  He was quite a host but there were rules.  Up by noon for outdoor activities (walks, tennis, horseback riding, etc), limit of two drinks before dinner (personal libations confiscated),all meals had to be taken in the Casa Grande and a movie after dinner(heavy on live-in girlfriend, Marion Davies flicks).  There was also a zoo on the property and the descendants of the zebras now mingle among the cattle on the Hearst Ranch.

After stops in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, I’m back on Hwy 1 to LA to meet Erika at Mike and Janey’s.  I’ll spend the next few days getting ready for the peace conference in Italy with a time out to visit with Erika and see The Book of Mormon.   Leave on Friday, the 12^th  for Rome for 4 days and then on to Florence for 3.  Will return to LA on Sunday, the 21st.  I’m very excited about going and even tho I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with the agenda, I’m very happy to be learning what’s being accomplished within the various organizations and grateful that Common Ground in Deerfield made me aware of it .  If you’d like to learn more about it, go to agnt.org.  Don’t plan to take any gadgets with me so my next entry will be when I return –Ciao!