Deep Thoughts

Sunset at Carmel Beach

So this is probably more for me than anyone else, and feel free to skip if it someone else's personal reflection isn't your thing.

Silence

I've spent a fair amount of time on this trip in silence. Not just the kind of silence that is absent of radio, television, or other people talking. The kind of silence that entails minutes, hours, sometimes even whole days without me saying a single word. No expletives or humphs or "Go figure" sorts of comments to myself. Think about the last time you spent time in this kind of silence and how long it lasted, and whether you happened to have music or the TV on anyway. Think about it, and then consider how remarkable an experience like Refuge can be.

Wildlife in the Wild

Between hoofing it from the Monterey Bay Aquarium to the US Coast Guard pier just past the other end of Cannery Row and hiking around Point Lobos State Reserve today, I accumulated sightings of the following adorable things: sea lions, sea otters(!), and more harbor seals. And here's a tip about the pier in Monterey: Go at sunset when everyone else is headed for Lover's Point for the sunset. There's still plenty of sea lions about, and you won't have to fight through crowds to see them. Just a few local fishermen trying to cast their lines over the tall fence. And here's an admonishment if you're going to Point Lobos - suck it up and pay the $10 to park your car in the park instead of parking on the side of the highway and walking in (this is a favorite "tip" on Trip Advisor and Yelp). It's a really nice park, they'll comp you a really nice map, and park systems always need more money for conservation efforts. Don't be cheap!

Okay, let the cuteness commence!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

People go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for kelp forest, for sea otters, for interactive touch pools where a nice aquarist approached and asked me, "Have you ever felt the armpit of a pink starfish? It's very soft." No, no I hadn't. Yes, yes it is. I was there for sea otters and was disappointed that the exhibit is under renovation until the spring. I did, however, get lucky on the observation deck and see - in the wild! - a sea otter pup nursing on its mother and also a raft of sea otters hanging out. And that was totally worth it. Also worth it: Jellies. I haven't been to as many aquariums as I have zoos, but The Open Sea section has by far the best jellies exhibit I've ever seen. And there was a special, somewhat psychedelic exhibit called "The Jellies Experience" which went into greater depth about these super-cool looking creatures. And had crazy funky music. And dancing jellies. I could watch jellies all day.

Monarchs and Tide Pools

It's my impression that tourists in this area focus so much on Monterey, Pebble Beach, and Carmel that they easily look over Pacific Grove, the town between Pebble Beach and Monterey. Oh, Verona WI: Forget "Hometown USA"; PG is known to those who read its welcome sign as "Butterfly Town USA". Bunches of migrating Monarch butterflies stopover in PG, and it's very easy to pay them a visit in the free Monarch Grove Sanctuary. I've never seen so many butterflies outside of a butterfly farm. Also free and beautiful in PG: Asilomar State Beach. This is the kind of beach I could explore all day long. And though the tide was still kind of high, I did manage to see some neat things without getting my feet wet.

Because Tiny Food is Cute and Spanish Ham is Tasty

A truer thing was never said.

"Women love tapas," my server Robert waxed poetically. "Women love tapas because..."

"Because they're tiny, and tiny food is cute, and women love cute tiny food," I finished for him. 

And I knew I'd picked the right place for dinner that night: Mundaka, a Spanish tapas restaurant (not just a place that serves small plates and calls them tapas). It's right next to Ody's and was recommended by a guy who works at Mundaka whom I met at Ody's. Pretty darn convenient (since I already knew where Ody's was); beautiful, warm ambiance; and the menu looked pretty tasty as I was seated and guided through some favorites by Robert. And then I saw Gabe bring out the ham.

Puppy Palooza

Carmel is well-known as one of the most dog-friendly towns in the country. And there are many, many dogs here. All sizes, all ages, owned by all kinds of people. And they all go down to Carmel Beach to run and cavort with each other off leash from daybreak to sunset. I wanted them all.

Happy Hour with Clint Eastwood's Sheep

Before entering the world of down-to-earth locals, I stepped onto the enchanted property known as Mission Ranch. Currently owned by Clint Eastwood, this historic property now functions as a resort and has a public restaurant looking out over beautiful pastoral views complete with a flock of Scottish Blackface sheep. Many of the diners chose to be inside, and those that were on the deck huddled close together underneath a forest of heat lamps, so I was able to take the prime sheep-watching table. It also had a great view of the sunset.

So Much for Secret in Carmel

As I wrote on Sunday, the past few days were supposed to go something like this: Drive from San Francisco to Carmel-by-the-Sea on Route 1, pass some pumpkin fields, mustard fields, artichoke fields (never seen one of these before!), get to know the town on foot, maybe drop into some yoga classes, hike, hang out at the beach... Well, this plan only works if you don't stop in the most local of all local bars in Carmel the night you get into town. But I was just stopping by Ody's Tavern do some low-key people-watching, not people-meeting...

So Impressionable

I apologize in advance to those of you back home who will inevitably hear me use some slang I've picked up on this trip, mostly in the Bay Area. In fact, some of it has already crept into my blogging in the guise of imitating my sister. But frankly, I'm very susceptible to picking up accents, catch phrases, and communication mannerisms.

Saturday in the Park

It was not the Fourth of July. But it was sunny, and all of the neighborhood around Mission High School was in Dolores Park. Well, maybe not all, but a really good statistical sampling representing the major types of subcultures and social groups of the Castro-Mission area. And puppies.

Just like in the Movies

Though I've been to San Francisco several times and spent my time doing various touristy things, I'd never taken the famed cable cars for a ride until this trip. Mostly worth it as a means of getting from here to there (in my case, from Powell and Market to Fisherman's Wharf and back again). But it can be incredibly scenic as well. The open air ride is nicer than sitting in a street car or bus, and it's fun to pass the other cars and wave. Fortunately, I was seated the whole time and could take pictures rather than hang on for dear life on the side of the car. My recommendation: Take the Powell and Mason car to get to the wharf, then return on the Powell and Hyde car. Also, on the Hyde car, you want to be on the left side in order to get the great view from the top of Lombard Street (the curvy street) and views of downtown and the bay.

Best. View. Ever.

One of the best things about staying with my friends in San Francisco is that I wake up to this sight every day. If I lived in this city, I'd be buying them out of this apartment and/or camping on the roof (which is, conveniently, accessible from their walk-out balcony). I fall in love with this city every single time I see this view. And night-time is my favorite. I could stand in the chilly January night all night long looking at this from the balcony.

One Afternoon, Four Restaurants

I supposed I could have titled this post "Going Down on 18th" or "Eating Out in the Castro"... but let's leave the cheeky puns to the Sit 'n' Spin and the Sausage Factory. This one time, in the Castro... I went out for an afternoon and stopped at four restaurants on my way to and from Dolores Park. Oh, and there was a pause for puppies in there too.

Miss Modesty: SF City Hall

If asked, I think most of us would say that the city hall buildings in any place we've ever lived could also have been mistaken for public libraries, municipal works buildings, maybe even a really nice bank. In smaller towns, the town hall is usually in the same building as another nearby township's seat of government, the fire station, and possibly even parks and rec. But this is San Francisco. You go, girl.

Retreating Like the Tide

I'm about to begin the true retreat part of this trip - a time when my cell phone is always on silent, when I send no texts, make no status updates, and write no blog entries. Oh, there will be posts, mind you; they've been written and scheduled already. Still wrapping up some tidbits on San Francisco, maybe a little filler about the trip in general. But for the next 3 days, I'll be hiding out in Carmel-by-the-Sea with like-minded tourists and celebrities, pretending I don't know a soul. I'll catch up on blogging after that, and then... then I'll be coming home.  

Eating and Drinking down Fisherman's Wharf

Where can you eat super-tasty San Francisco sourdough bread in the shape of tiny turtles, dine on fresh crab served to tourists in jeans by waiters in black bow ties while listening to a Dean Martin-esque rendition of Bon Jovi's It's My Life, and drink any of 85 beers from a long bar with over 40 taps? San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, of course.