Part II: Central California, Atascadero, and Highway One

Will's cousins, the Greens, also put us nomads up for a night in Atascadero. The twins, Jason and Danny, showed us the sights. We went four-wheeling up on this ranch which provided us with a spectacular view. Unfortunately, Will and I failed to take pictures of anyone else but ourselves this trip. Next time, we'll have a group pic with the whole family.

 

After our brief stint in Atascadero, we took Highway 1 up the coast to San Fransisco.

 

Will was delighted by the angry waves of the north--here he is acting as King Triton, conducting his symphonic swells.

I was imagining myself on the helm of a great seafaring vessel.

This little guy wanted some food.

And this one's life-thread was cut by the Fates. It's a hard world for starfish apparently.

Part I: Southern California-Los Angelos Area

Even though our stay in L.A. was quite short, Will and I had a fabulous time. Uncle Donny and Aunt Wanda were kind enough to put a roof over our head and treated us to some delicious meals and local sightseeing. After dining at a fun Italian restaurant, we strolled along the Venice canals to admire the rich and the famous' houses. Donny kept saying how we were going to be "peeping Toms". As we were walking along the canals, gazing into the huge open windows of the well-to-do, Wanda and I caught sight of a naked man... no shame, dressing in his kitchen. Donny and Wanda assured us that was the first time they actually were "peeping Toms". We only wanted to see cool houses and we got a little more than we bargained for. 

The next day we went up to the Getty Museum, which is really a huge complex of buildings and gardens up on the hill in Los Angelos. Paul J. Getty was a huge oil tycoon in the 1970s with a passion for art. Our pictures do not do the museum justice. We spent five hours there! 

This was our hotel in Anaheim . . . yeah right. We really enjoyed looking at the largest collection of French furniture and decor during the nineteenth century.

The gardens were almost as amazing as the museum. Our pictures do not do them justice.  

After L.A., we headed to Anaheim for our free hotel. Although we were right across the street from Disneyland, we chose to save our money for Wicked tickets. We opted to spend two days at Newport Beach, relaxing and building sandcastles. 

 

San Francisco Bay Area Adventures

As you can see, since we are now on post #3, this was an epic vacation with a whole lot packed into a little bitty space of time. San Francisco was so much fun... especially for me since I'd never been before. There were just so many things to do and see.

Fisherman's Wharf

Wicked, definitely worth the money and the scary walk through the streets of San Francisco at midnight.

The Golden Gate Bridge

Muir Woods, the oldest Coastal Redwoods forest in the United States and a haven of beauty.

Mount Tamalpais State Park: camping and mountain biking just fifteen minutes away from the big city