Tuesday, May 16, 2017

2017 CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - APRIL 26TH, 2017

APRIL 26TH, 2017 

We left the hotel in Marina (California) at 9.02 a.m., with an odometer reading of 52754. 


9.40 a.m. we arrived in Monterey.  Thirty-five years ago we lived here for two years, and have enjoyed coming back every few years or so.  It is one place we would have enjoyed settling down in.


12.06 p.m. we had a lovely drive around Monterey and Carmel.  There is a painting in our bedroom of the Carmel Mission.  Wherever we lived we bought a piece of art to remember a place.  A lady was giving an exhibition and our painting was one she had on sale.  I remember her well.  We drove by the mission just now.

This photo shows The Green Gables Inn.  It would be really nice to stay here.  The rooms look wonderful, and it has a great view of the Monterey Bay.  (Anything that has red letters in my posts, you can click on them and it will take you to more information.)  


We also stopped for breakfast and I ordered an Acai Bowl topped with bananas, strawberries and blueberries. Delicious! 


Gregg was a little perplexed at the size of his waffle that took over half an hour to cook.  We both looked at it quite seriously.  I told him it was good portion control and he laughed.  


We were in an area we used to love walking in.  It's a place we brought our son when he was still in his push chair, overlooking the ocean.






Gregg talked to an Iranian couple after they asked him to take their photo.  The gentleman talked to him at some length about his life in Iran over 38 years ago.  Gregg is always curious and asked a lot of questions.  He found their conversation very interesting, and said they were a real nice couple.  I was oblivious to this conversation as I had already moved on, and was taking photographs of ground squirrels and seagulls.


One particular seagull intrigued me.  I saw a lot of single seagulls perched on the roofs of cars around here.  This one didn't seem disturbed by my presence, and only paid me momentary attention, until....


he told me to get lost, which I did.


The ground squirrels were all around and also used to people.


1.57 p.m. we had lunch at The Big Sur River Inn and Restaurant, not too far up the road.



It was a great stop. They had a wonderful display of flowers out front.  


The California Poppy was the main star...


but there were other contenders.


Gregg said his burger was outstanding, best on the trip so far.  I had an excellent portobello sandwich with avocado, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce and sweet potato fries.  We are eating very well on this trip!  No photos this time, not sure why.  It was a very pretty setting and we chose a seat outside.  Inside was very pretty too.


2.27 p.m. we have driven 4,464 miles.

4.08 p.m. we have arrived at Gregg's sister and brother-in-law's place.  It is the first time we have seen it since she and her husband moved there, and it Is a charming home. She has it very tastefully decorated.  We enjoyed looking at her collection of photos of the family through the years.  (We also enjoyed sitting out in the garden during our stay.)  It is hard to comprehend that we will be in one place for a few days.

34 comments:

  1. I have smiled through all these photos, the one with gull and squirrel on rocks I love. I want the fire place at the end. and I love that first building.. so much beauty out there and talking sea gulls are a must

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    1. Glad they all brought you a smile Sandra, and thanks for giving me a smile telling me :) I love seagulls!

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  2. Oh I adore the California poppies that welcome me to a golden home! Another fun, fine post, D

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    1. Me too, they are such an incredible sight. Thank you Cloudia :)

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  3. I find it interesting talking with people from other places also, I am sure Gregg really enjoyed his visit with the Iranian couple.

    The seagulls and squirrels become accustomed to people really quickly, they begin to look to us as a food source, was funny seeing the seagull on top of the car.

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    1. He certainly did, likes to chat to everyone. He gets more like his Dad every day, knows no strangers, like you perhaps? It is a wonderful trait but I tend to be quieter, though I enjoy people very much. I am just more of an introvert. I found the rock squirrels even more cheeky than the last area we were in. They would end up under your car and when you walked back to it, they would all come flying out like it was a parade, lol. A little startling and you figured they were probably being fed and begging for food. They would just stare at you. I'm afraid they didn't get anything from me poor things. For one, I didn't have any food and two, I think wild animals should not get too accustomed to humans, for their sake as well as ours.

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  4. Great memories that you and Gregg shared! Nice places, great pics and fun.

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    1. Thanks Pam, we certainly did make some great memories.

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  5. Quite a serious gull. I'm struck by Green Gables- very different from the Lucy Maud Montgomery version!

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  6. Oh, an area (Carmel), I have seen. :-) Some years ago, our daughter and son-in-law and we, flew to the Napa Valley area. They were purchasing wines for someone they worked for, at the time. So visits to vineyards were done.

    I loved it, up there, because we had Champagne with breakfast, where we were staying. :-))))

    Then drove down to the Carmel area.

    So, I actually have been, to a bit of where you were, on this trip. Imagine that!!! :-)

    Luna Crone

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    1. Fabulous LC, always fun to learn a fellow blogger has visited where we have been.

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  7. Hello, I loved the Carmel California area too! Beautiful scenery and flowers! The poppies are my favorite, the gull is cute! So glad you are having a great trip! Enjoy your day!

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    1. Hi Eileen and thank you. Love the fact that you know this area. We are home but I still have a lot of days to catch up on. Enjoy your day also :)

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  8. I have visited the places you show here so doubly enjoyed the photos. I like the one of the seagull telling you to back off, ha ha.

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    1. How lovely that you have seen these places Terra. Yes, the seagull really made me laugh :)

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  9. I smiled throughout this post. Denise! Your Acai bowl with fruit looks delicious, and the seagulls on the cars made me laugh out loud. I see them a lot here in Montreal, but thus far never on cars. Usually street lamps, buildings and in parks and, of course, by the water, and near McDonald's Restaurants, as they love the fries. LOL! You get to see such beautiful and fascinating places, and often I feel as if I am taking the trip with you! Thank you so much for sharing, I so enjoy your posts and photos. :)

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    1. So glad you enjoyed it Linda, and that the seagull made you laugh. I have never seen seagulls sitting so comfortably on cars before either. I could only imagine if an out-of-towner came back to find one on his/her car, wish I had a camera handy for such a time, but most people had left their cars for hours.

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  10. Monterey is indeed beautiful and pleasant. David and I toured the area quite some time ago.

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  11. It sounds like you both moved around quite a bit when you were younger. Was Gregg in the service? My favorite today has to be the angry gull on the car roof. That is such a cool picture! In fact, I have gone back and looked at it several times. Wonder why they perch on cars? Maybe because they are high. LOVE the wild poppies, they are glorious! The Anne Of Green Gables Inn! I had no idea it is open for business! I also love that rock wall with the gulls sitting on it.

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    1. He was in the Navy Ginny, for the first half of our marriage. Seems like another lifetime ago now. I'd like to know that too. I have never seen a seagull do that before, but several times I would see one on various cars in the area. Unless it was the same seagull following us, lol. That area has very special memories for us because we were there when our son was a little lad.

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  12. Love those flowers.
    My partner has now been to Iran twice and loved it. He tells me that cultured, beautiful people (and generous) sums it up well.

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    1. Thank you EC and how wonderful to hear of your partner's trips, so nice to hear.

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  13. HI Denise and sorry for missing some posts but have been out of action and still am to some extent with a horrible kidney infection. Another interesting post and I must do a catch up on the posts I have missed. All the best, John

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    1. Hi John, so sorry to hear about the kidney infection. Do hope you feel much, much better. All the best to you too and wishing you good health from now on :)

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  14. I think this would have been a favorite day if I had been along...LOL

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  15. That waffle is something to talk about for sure. Glad that it was followed up with a good burger later! Funny shot of the seagull giving you what for!

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    1. Hi Ellen, I think Gregg would agree with you :) as for the seagull, I wasn't that close either. Must have been the way I was looking at him, lol!

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  16. Another great chapter to the journey, Denise. Beautiful photos. Was that seagull as big as the photo makes it look?
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Thank you Amalia, the seagulls seemed larger than the ones I have seen in other areas. I remarked that fact to Gregg when we first saw them.

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  17. There will be enough to fill a novel by the time I get through my daily posts Felicia. You might want to sit down with a cup of tea and take them in installments, lol! I have always loved seagulls, they are very entertaining.

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  18. Such beautiful flowers.
    That seagull - very cheeky!

    I just adore strawberries and blueberries ...

    All the best Jan

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    1. Me too as you can see Jan. They were very sweet. All the best to you also. Denise :)

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