Simply relaxing

Spending time in the lounge while listening to the waves.

California colours

Our arrival in Monterey was met with a little rain but a beautiful rainbow once the clouds had moved on. Below, a lamp hanging above the stairs in the beautiful Clement Monterey hotel.

In the woods

I've so many pictures from the drive north along the Pacific Coast Highway I've not had time to sort them out, so you'll have to wait! Today was spent in the forests just north of Santa Cruz. California simply doesn't run out of beautiful places to visit.

Farewell Cambria

It's time to head further north along the Pacific Coast Highway. I'm a little sad as I wish I had booked another night or two here, it's simply heaven, but the drive today will be spectacular and we'll be visiting on of my favourite places on the planet, the Monterey Bay area. Anyway, I hope you enjoy a few more sunset shots from Moonstone Beach.

After a bit of a trudge through the sand, it was time to watch the sun set into the Pacific Ocean.

Colourful rocks at sunset.

Final shot and last light from the boardwalk above Moonstone Beach. The trek back along the beach was spent trying not to get too wet - the surf was rough and the tide was coming in.

Californian surfer dude

Taken at Morro Bay earlier this afternoon.

Morning stroll on the boardwalk

Cambria is stunningly beautiful. I couldn't do it justice this morning with these snapshots I took during an early morning stroll on the boardwalk that runs adjacent to Moonstone Beach.

Sunset at Moonstone Beach

We headed north today from the Santa Barbara area, firstly along highway 101 which was beautiful enough, and then along the gobsmackingly beautiful Pacific Coast Highway from San Luis Obispo to Cambria a few miles further north. We arrived just in time for sunset on Moonstone Beach. I'm glad we did.

A view from the beach

Brightly lit oil rigs off the coast of Carpinteria, CA. (Click on the picture for a larger version)

The Hotel Fawlty Towers, Carpinteria, CA

Well, it may not have Basil Fawlty as the manager, but it makes up for this in the number of Manuels it employs.

Day 1: we arrive to find only one towel in the bathroom, so we call and ask for some more. Within a minute they arrive (very impressive!) and we're happy. An hour later there's a knock on the door - it's another delivery of towels. I try to explain that we have a full set of towels, but not understanding a word of English the maid takes this as an invitation to bring the towels into the room and is then surprised to find we already have some.

Overnight, the toilet breaks.

Day 2: the toilet is fixed, we have plenty of towels and spend the day exploring the area. During the night, the toilet breaks again.

Day 3: the toilet gets fixed, then breaks again, gets fixed again, and once again breaks. I explain to the person who fixes the toilet that it may have a fundamental flaw, but since they don't speak English they don't understand. We call reception who agree to move us to a different room and will call us back and we repack the bags.

Two hours later I head down to reception to find out what's going on since we haven't had a call. They hand over keys to our new room (next door, so that's handy) and I head back upstairs and in front of three staff members open the door to our new room only to find that it is still occupied by a very surprised couple. The three staff members explain to me that the room isn't ready yet (at least that's what I think they said since none of them speak English). I apologise to the couple, storm downstairs where the receptionist has clearly already realised there's been a screw up and has keys for another room ready (next door to the previously new yet occupied room).

Back upstairs I hesitantly open the door to find a nice clean room and this one has a balcony! Except...well, see the picture. We're not supposed to use it. Anyway, it's a nice enough room and it has more than one towel so we stay only to find out later that the plumbing is a little dodgy and if you turn on the faucet a sound like a machine gun goes off somewhere in the walls. Anyway, it's OK as long as the faucet isn't turned on full and off we go for a wonderful Mexican meal in Santa Barbara.

Then the toilet breaks...

California road trip - days 1 & 2

It's a story of lost luggage and a credit card, an incredibly beautiful but inept airport, forty hours without sleep, then not a lot of sleep after visiting the hotel's bar and finding they serve an excellent local brew, a lot of driving around getting to know the area and of course a lot of things I'll never tell anyone about...

It's been fun so far!

Carpinteria Beach at sunset this evening

Lake Casitas

A mountain somewhere near here