A brief respite at the beach

It’s been a hot summer in the San Joaquin Valley, and even though autumn is now  here, the temperatures are still high. We were able to arrange a week at the beach with our kids; a chance for us to get to cool weather and see our grandchildren; a chance for our kids to get a break from the mounting tensions of their jobs.

The central coast of California is a great destination for those of us living in the San Joaquin Valley. It’s only about three hours away, and for the most part, the roads are easily traveled with little traffic, especially if you go during the week, which we did. The kids have farther to come, making their way down Highway 101. My son-in-law commented that when he mentions Morro Bay, much less Cayucos, to his bay area friends, that he gets a quizzical look and a “where’s that?” comment. It’s a great place to get away from it all.

There are chairs for sitting.

There is sand for digging. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boats for sailing; rocks for climbing

 

One day we went to Morro Bay to look in all the touristy shops and to find a pair of shoes for tiny granddaughter. The kids were headed to a wedding at the end of the week and still needed some spiffy shoes for Leeya to wear with the twirly purple dress I had brought for her.

 

 

 

I always walk through The Garden Gallery in Morro Bay just for relaxation and to see some of the beautiful things they have:

 

Like orchids.

 

And decorative items.

 

And seasonal items.

Terry and I provided the place to stay:  Pier View Suites. And Jen provided the vegan meals. Perfect combination.

How do you travel?

This question has been at the back of my mind for months now, and I really want to address it, but it may be too big to put in one post. I have been reading Kay’s blog, over in Hawaii, and that is where this idea has been born. She too is a retired school teacher, and she and her husband, also retired, travel A LOT. And when they do, they GO GO GO. Terry and I travel a little. And when we do, we STAY, STAY, STAY. Reading Kay’s travel logs often makes me so tired I feel I need to go lie down! They travel often, with elderly relatives, and they do a million things each day, staying in a different place every night.

Don’t ask me to go on a tour bus. I did lots of bus trips with high school students for 21 years. Since I am not fond of water, I have no desire to get on a cruise ship even though the idea of staying in one place for the whole trip does appeal to me. I’ve not done any train travel except for commuter trains up and down the California peninsula, but I think I would like that mode of travel. Sitting in a car for long periods makes me antsy. I like to fly; not so much the process, but the getting a long distance very quickly. You see, I don’t like the going there, I like the being there.

I don’t like being a tourist. I like to know where I am, where I am going, and what to do when I get there. I like comfort. I like to be able to do things on my own timetable. I like to sit and people-watch for long periods. I like to eat at restaurants I know. Even better, I like to eat my own cooking, so that leads me to my favorite way of traveling. I like to go to one place, rent an apartment or house, and stay for a long period of time, getting to know that area very well.

Perhaps the next post can be about suitcases and such.

Cabin in Three Rivers

 

Our apartment at Pier View Suites in Cayucos is the set of windows on second floor, right.

The apartment building in San Francisco

The casita in New Mexico 

Down by the oceanside

 

On the third week of holiday we went to the ocean.  We have stayed in a condo, near the beach at Cayucos, which is on the central coast of California, a few other times.  They gave us a free night, no strings attached, and we added another night, and took off for warmer temperatures and some sunshine.  It is cold and gray here in the heart of California, and likely will be until February, so I figured this was my chance to see some sun.

Pier View Suites

We walked on the beach, which was abandoned at this time of the year.

Empty beach except for hubby

I love to watch the sun on the water, listen to the waves lapping on the shore, and feel free from all cares and worries.

Cayucos beach looking towards Morro Bay

Although Cayucos doesn’t have a whole lot to do other than walk on the beach or pier, there are some interesting characters that hang out downtown.

I also ambled around in one the so-called antique stores on the main drag.  I had been looking for a pyrex bowl to replace the one I broke, and these kinds of stores often have odd pieces of pyrex.  Although not the right color, I found the bowl I had been looking for and made the big $8 purchase.

 

Green pyrex bowl

 

 

 

Too soon it was time to head back home, where the gray fog still hung over the Valley.  As we drove across the countryside, towards the hills, we could see the top of the fog bank.

 

On the road to reality