San Francisco, & California Coast

Looking back to...
After reading about the "El Camino Real" California's Bellway we decided to go on a road trip along the coast of California and also to see San Francisco. 
The El Camino Real road was founded in the 18th century to link the Franciscan missions and four military presidios of Spanish California.  This road also known as the "Royal Road" is known today as Highway 101, the first road between San Francisco and San Diego.  Here we will explore the still-standing missions.
We decided to go in the end of May as school is still in, the roads not as busy and the weather is pleasant.  (Don't plan to swim in the ocean at this time of the year here as it is just to cold.)
Thursday, May 25
We arrived in Los Angeles from Calgary by air at 1:00, rented a car and then drove to Santa Barbara in heavy, heavy traffic.  We stayed over night here and enjoyed walking on the beach.

Santa Barbara

Friday, May 26
It took us 6 1/2 hrs to drive from Santa Barbara to San Francisco inland on the I-5  freeway.  Along the way we saw lots of different landscape - ocean, hills, wineries, fields of cabbage, onions, strawberries. We went from four to five lanes of one way traffic funneling down to one lane going into downtown San Francisco.  It's very busy!!  Glad to get the car parked and checked in to our hotel "Handley Union Square Hotel" which is very nice and in a great location for walking. 

Saturday, May 27
We had read in the AMA travel guide that there was a good walking tour of San Francisco and decided to do that.  After breakfast at the Baseball Diner next door we left to walk to China Town. 

All the different smells, sounds and sights give you sensory over load.  We walked down the main avenue "Grant Ave" for ten blocks.  It is crammed with all kinds of stores - herb shops, antique stores, sculptures, souvenir shops filled with Buddha's, silk, postcards, embroidered slippers, chirping birds, t-shirts, Chinese signs, and purple chickens. 

It would take you days to explore all the side streets and shops.  We stayed on the main road going thru.  Red lanterns, banners and streamers hang all over. 
When you leave Chinatown on Columbus Ave. you see a contrast right away as there are Italian flags flying here.  This is North Beach (but with no beach).  It was time and this was a good place to stop for coffee.  There are lots of Italian bakeries, delis, coffee and gelato parlors here. 

After coffee and live entertainment, we walk up hill to see "Telegraph Hill". 

We were glad that we had read the AMA guide book to realize what streets we should take to make walking up the hill easier and then that we should take the stairs back down.    Instead of trying to walk up the stairs - all 400 of them - like some people were trying to do.
At the top of the hill is Coit Tower which has terrific views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Oakland Bay Bridge, Alcatraz and all of the Bay and the city.  Coit Tower was built in 1933 and is 210 ft tall.  Well worth the walk!

Alcatraz Island

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco

This is also the area that you will find the stairs to take you down  and where you will see the wild parrots if you look up above the tree tops. 

It was neat to see these bright green parrots flying above the trees after seeing the movie "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill".  This movie is about a homeless musician, Mark Bittner and how he found meaning in his life as he starts a friendship with dozens of wild parrots on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco.  They are cherry headed conures and one lonely blue-headed one named "Connor" who flock around Telegraph Hill.  Mark started to feed them and then studied the individuals and their personalities.  It is a great show about these birds and a warm-hearted man.  Watch the making of the movie and see the second part of the movie behind the scenes - Mark and Judy Irving the movie's producer  married after making the movie.

 It is a really nice walk down the hill, walking beside private houses built on this steep hillside with beautiful gardens and great views to look out at. 

Take "Filbert Street" down to Embarcadero, and then walk along Embarcadero to Pier 39.  Here there are all kinds of restaurants with seafood and it is very touristy.  There are plenty of sea lions laying up on the piers in the sun and barking. 

From Pier 39 we took a taxi back downtown.  This was a full day of walking and exploring - but totally worth it.

Sunday, May 28
Breakfast at "Lefty O'Douls". 
Took the trolley F-Line up Market Street to Church Street.  Here we walked to the Mission Dolores.  Completed in 1791, this adobe mission is the oldest building in San Francisco.

This area is an area of working class and the poor.  We then walked to Mission Street and 16 St.  Here there were crowds gathered along every street to watch the Carnival Parade and the celebrations of the Latin American and Caribbean cultures.  We saw a lot of very interesting looking people in this small version of Mardi Gras.  There are lots of interesting buildings in this area - some with great paintings on them.

Later in the day we walked around the downtown as there is so much to see in this area.  There are so many high end stores - Cartier, Versace, Armani, Marc Jacobs, Saks, Macy's, Tiffany, plus hundreds of others.  You'd be in heaven if you are a shopper.  But what interests me are the art galleries as there are so many of them, too.  I am seeing some very different work here.  This area feels safe and is very busy as we walk around it at night.  There are the rich, the poor, the homeless, the hipsters, the gay, the odd-ones, etc. etc.  It is an interesting place just to people watch.

And an interesting place to dine as there are also many different types of restaurants.  So much to choose from!  And everything all open on Sunday night.  Does this city ever sleep??

Monday, May 29

We leave San Francisco to start our driving tour of the "El Camino Real Bell" and the coast of California. 

In 1769, it was just a footpath begun by the Franciscans.  Each mission was situated in areas where large populations of Indians lived and where the soil was fertile enough to maintain settlement.  As time progressed and more missions were built, the footpath became a roadway large enough for horses and wagons.  The original goals of the mission system were to turn the Indian population into citizens of the Spanish Empire and mission communities into self-governing towns.  This plan was to be completed in ten years.  These goals were not fulfilled in California.

We left San Francisco to head south along the coast to Carmel.  The drive is beautiful along the coast.

We walked from our hotel in Carmel to the mission "Basilica of Mission San Carlos Borromeo Del Rio Carmelo".  It is noted as being "one of the prettiest in California".  The dome, bell towers and exterior have a Moorish look. 

...and my sketch of Carmel Mission...

This was the 2nd mission of California and was founded in 1770.  It is being carefully restored and it is very peaceful here.

Tonight we walked along the Carmel beach waiting for the sun to set.  We could see the Pebble Beach Golf Course.

Tuesday, May 30
We are leaving Carmel  and travelling down further on the most beautiful coast.  Here it starts to get rugged with cliffs. 



We took a side trip off of the #1 Hwy up a switch-back road for 3 miles to see the "New Camadoli Hermitage" (South of Big Sur).  The monks have a beautiful spot way up here and it is so quiet.

At San Simeon we stopped to see the Elephant Seals on the beach.  There were so many of them sunning on this beach and it was kind of funny as this was the only beach that we saw them on.

Next we stopped in San Luis Obispo to see the mission founded in the "Valley of the Bears" in 1769.  I found that this mission was not as interesting or as pretty as the one in Carmel.  It has gone thru many architectural changes, at one time it was even made to look like a New England style church and it has a steeple not a bell tower.  At one point in history, after 1822 when Mexico won independence and California came under Mexican rule, the new govt sold the mission for $500.00  In 1848, California became part of the United States and Archbishop Alemany petitioned the U.S. government for return of mission land; much was returned in the 1850's.  In the 1930's, the Mission was restored to early mission style.  Because of the mission's history it still it was worth the stop.  San Luis Obispo is a nice little city.
On to Pismo Beach where we will spend the night.

Weds., May 31

We had a late breakfast and sat out on the deck watching the dolphins in the ocean.  Next we drove on to Santa Barbara to visit the "Old Mission".   It was the tenth of the California missions and was established in 1786.  The original buildings were adobe.  The mission at Santa Barbara is set surprisingly far from the sea and today has an imposing pink-block facade in the style of a Roman temple, complete with columns.

"Mission Santa Barbara - Queen of the Missions"

  ...and my sketch of Mission Santa Barbara...

Last week when we passed thru here on our arrival in California, they were having a sidewalk art event at the mission.  The finished results were fantastic and to think that they will vanish in the near future.  There were probably at least 100 really good master pieces drawn in chalk on the parking lot and on the sidewalks!

Thursday, June 1
We drove from Santa Barbara back to Los Angeles.  Walked around Venice Beach for awhile and then went to stay over night at Redondo Beach before our flight back to Calgary.
This was an interesting trip with lots to see, lots to do, and lots of history and art.  Just what we wanted.  The coast is beautiful - but a long drive. It was a good time to take this trip as I think it would definitely have been busy during the summer season.