West Coast Road Trip from San Diego to San Fran... (San Francisco: houses, camping)

[definecloud9]

Any particular cities or towns or random interesting coastal/near-coastal places worth visiting on the way?

[Clarks]

Let us start at Santa Maria, take Mainstreet west until it stops, get out, walk south along the wild beach (the end of the film Hidalgo, the end of the world in Pirates of the Caribbean) Walk to Mussel Rock, climb it, sit. Now walk back to your car, drive to Guadalupe, go to the Far Western Tavern, eat a steak sandwich.
Back to your car, take highway 1 north to Oceano, turn onto Ocean street, drive onto the beach, low tide is best, drive the beach.
Back to car, head north to Pismo Beach, park, walk to the end of the pier, sit, listen, back to the town, get clam chowder at Splash Cafe. There will be a line, but, order yours by phone to go. They will bring it out to you before two groups get seated.
Drive north turn off to Avila, drive to the old pier at the old port, drive out the pier, park, get a fish taco at Petes, walk to the end of the pier and watch the seals, dolphins and occasional shark.
Back to car, drive to San Luis Obispo, go to the mission, one of the best.
Back to car, drive to Morro Bay, park by piers, walk the piers, see the remnants of the fishing industry, marvel at Morro Rock (when I was a kid we would climb to the top, can't do that anymore, looks great though, doesn't it!)
Back to car, drive north, stop at Cayucos, pretend you are a late 60's hippie.
Drive north, stop at Cambria, shop.
Drive north stop at Hearst Castle, take the tour, you will be blown away.
Drive north, watch for the crowd of people just a couple miles north, stop, look at the 6,000lbs Elephant seals, seals as big as Hippopotamuses.
Drive north, slowly, stop at every turnout and stare at the meeting of sea, sky and mountain. Stop, a lot, if you are camping, camp at Limekiln campground, the grandest campground in the world, maybe.
Drive north, stop at the Henry Miller library, walk out back, look at the redwoods in the crickbed. stop at Nepenthe, drive to Carmel, visit Robinson Jeffer's home. Visit Mission San Carlos Borromeo.

Drive into old town Monterey, go to the aquarium.

Take Screw Sacramento and Escape California with you on this trip, letthem see how lucky they are to live in such a grand state.

Did I leave out stuff? yes, Montana De Oro, Mission San Antonio De Padua, and other great things.

Someone else can take over from Monterey.

[Snort]

From Monterey on north, Capitola makes a nice stop for a short walk and then have a cup of cappucino at Verve Cafe, which is just across the railroad tracks on the Santa Cruz side (best cappucino in the West). Head up to Big Basin Redwoods and take the signature loop walk around the trees there. Drive up to Half Moon Bay, and if you're there for lunch, stop in at Big Sky Cafe (get there before 2 pm because that's when they close). The lighthouses at Pigeon Point and Montara make nice stops on the way to SF.

[Sambazon]

Looks like your itinerary has been taken care of, courtesy of Clarks.

[Mvn2nc]

[quote=Clarks;11538683]Let us start at Santa Maria, take Mainstreet west until it stops, get out, walk south along the wild beach (the end of the film Hidalgo, the end of the world in Pirates of the Caribbean) Walk to Mussel Rock, climb it, sit. Now walk back to your car, drive to Guadalupe, go to the Far Western Tavern, eat a steak sandwich.
Back to your car, take highway 1 north to Oceano, turn onto Ocean street, drive onto the beach, low tide is best, drive the beach.
Back to car, head north to Pismo Beach, park, walk to the end of the pier, sit, listen, back to the town, get clam chowder at Splash Cafe. There will be a line, but, order yours by phone to go. They will bring it out to you before two groups get seated.
Drive north turn off to Avila, drive to the old pier at the old port, drive out the pier, park, get a fish taco at Petes, walk to the end of the pier and watch the seals, dolphins and occasional shark.
Back to car, drive to San Luis Obispo, go to the mission, one of the best.
Back to car, drive to Morro Bay, park by piers, walk the piers, see the remnants of the fishing industry, marvel at Morro Rock (when I was a kid we would climb to the top, can't do that anymore, looks great though, doesn't it!)
Back to car, drive north, stop at Cayucos, pretend you are a late 60's hippie.
Drive north, stop at Cambria, shop.
Drive north stop at Hearst Castle, take the tour, you will be blown away.
Drive north, watch for the crowd of people just a couple miles north, stop, look at the 6,000lbs Elephant seals, seals as big as Hippopotamuses.
Drive north, slowly, stop at every turnout and stare at the meeting of sea, sky and mountain. Stop, a lot, if you are camping, camp at Limekiln campground, the grandest campground in the world, maybe.
Drive north, stop at the Henry Miller library, walk out back, look at the redwoods in the crickbed. stop at Nepenthe, drive to Carmel, visit Robinson Jeffer's home. Visit Mission San Carlos Borromeo.

Drive into old town Monterey, go to the aquarium.

Take Screw Sacramento and Escape California with you on this trip, letthem see how lucky they are to live in such a grand state.

Did I leave out stuff? yes, Montana De Oro, Mission San Antonio De Padua, and other great things.

Someone else can take over from Monterey.[/QUOT



I'll chime in/take over for Monterey and suggest (since you already suggested the aquarium )there is also Fishemans Wharf at least for some seafood,clam chowder or good old fashioned candy at Carousel Candies.The best salt water taffy around! But if visiting Carmel,one needs to take a drive out to Carmel Valley.It's beautiful and if your into wine tasting, the Village has some really spectacular winieres not to be missed. Great lunch spots in and around Carmel Valley Village too.

[coyoteskye]

Cambria, Big Sur (yeah, eat at Nepenthes), Monterey (Aquarium), Capitola (oldest seaside resort on the CA coast i believe), Half Moon Bay (bring your binoculars to watch big wave surfer at Mavericks if it's winter) then onto your San Francisco destination.
This keeps it simple (unless you like hectic), keeps you on the coast and ensures you'll actually get to your destination in time ... Clarks .

[Clarks]

"On time" is such a materialistic Western concept Eurocentric Remember grasshopper, it is the journey not the destination

My wife got back last night from Essalen, she loved her weekend there, said the food was great, although no red meat ;( She did a training in her field.

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by Clarks

"On time" is such a materialistic Western concept Eurocentric Remember grasshopper, it is the journey not the destination

My wife got back last night from Essalen, she loved her weekend there, said the food was great, although no red meat ;( She did a training in her field.

Well Grasshopper2, it's more accurate or relevant to say that linear time is a mental construct and that most people are indeed ruled and constrained by it.
That said, it is possible to live within the structure of linear time without losing the expansiveness / timelessness of each moment.
Keeping to a sometimes necessary schedule (let's say, as an example, out of consideration for those who await your arrival) does not exclude the awareness (and so the experience) that the journey is the destination.

[Clarks]

Well, most people in the materialistic Western Eurocentric world. Other folks, like us campfire squatting Elk Haunch eating, warrior types, have a more circular time view. There is not destination, the mountain has no summit, the Ocean has no shore.

One of the problems Westerners have in dealing with Muslim resentment, is that the slaughter the Crusaders visited upon the Muslims of the Near East to us, happened a thousand years ago and is but a dim memory, to the Muslims with a more circular concept of time, it just happened.

That ole Mandala raises its head in many cultures not trapped in linear time.

[coyoteskye]

Originally Posted by Clarks

Well, most people in the materialistic Western Eurocentric world. Other folks, like us campfire squatting Elk Haunch eating, warrior types, have a more circular time view. There is not destination, the mountain has no summit, the Ocean has no shore.

One of the problems Westerners have in dealing with Muslim resentment, is that the slaughter the Crusaders visited upon the Muslims of the Near East to us, happened a thousand years ago and is but a dim memory, to the Muslims with a more circular concept of time, it just happened.

That ole Mandala raises its head in many cultures not trapped in linear time.

I don't think the Muslim resentment you refer to has much to do with the spherical nature of the universe.
It seems that it's probably something like just the opposite ... an extreme attachment to the past ... a human problem.
And are there any "dominant" cultures on the planet that are in sync / harmony with the true rhythms of the earth and cosmos anymore?
I don't think so.