# Travel Log - California



## Son_of_Perdition (Jul 12, 2014)

*DISCLAIMER*:  I mean to offend no one and any dislikes posted are my perception of what I've seen.  Here is my 3rd personal review. 

*California* - Likes:  The Redwoods (to experience something spiritual, drive the 'Avenue of the Giants'), Wine Country, The Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf eating sourdough bread or dining at Pier 35, taking the trolley car to China town, the botanical gardens in SF, Yosemite NP, Highway 1 to Hearst Castle, taking the kids to Knott's Berry Farm (their favorite) and scaring the pants off them at the Wax Museum, doing Legoland (my personal favorite), the Wild Animal Park - Escondido, Sea World and the San Diego Zoo.  Dislikes:  Driving or parking in SF. even going to China town, paying $7 to drive alongside the 12 ft high privacy fences hoping to get a glimpse of a multi-million dollar celebrity mansion - Carmel, driving through Pebble Beach Country Club knowing you couldn't afford a round there even if they let you, eating an $8 sliced turkey on organic bread & washing it down with a $3 can of Coke along highway 1, Paying $5+ for gas when everywhere else it's $4, Disneyland (sorry, too expensive,$8 corn dogs get real), same goes for California Adventures, driving anywhere in L.A., trying to find Legoland via mapquest when you only use Carlsbad as your destination address (arriving at the exact center of Carlsbad that is a cul-de-sac on top of some hill), driving up the steep switchbacks on the west entrance of Yosemite in a oversized 3/4 ton extended cab pickup, driving miles along the freeways to Pasadena thinking you are going to the US's biggest flea market at the Rose Bowl only to find you have paid $5 to park at an Arizona St / UCLA football game and have no ticket or hot dog for your tailgate party.  

My first visit to CA I was 2 - no memories, 2nd trip was in 1955.  We couldn't go to Disneyland which had just opened, father said we would come back when it wasn't so crowded.  25 years later my next 4 trips were with children, grandchildren (2 times) and finally 2 great grand kids.  On the trip in '55 did get to do Tijuana and Mexicali not too much worry about drug cartels then.  Other side trips, we drove the 20 miles of road dips in the Mohave desert, everyone ended up sick to their stomachs.  Calico (gold mining ghost town and tourist attraction).  Driving over a snow packed mountain pass west of 4-corners with all the inexperienced winter drivers sliding off the road going too fast.  Stopping at a flea market with my son and grandson right in the heart of East LA. carloads of gang members were having a social gathering when we came out, my son got himself a nice knockoff fake-leather jacket though.

One of my CA trips with 3 of my grandchildren had dire warnings to start that I chose to ignore.  Leaving early in the morning entering I-15 we were bombarded by a flock of seagulls and one in particular was having bowel problems.  Being the procrastinator that I am I figured I could get a quick car wash along the way.  Never happened so we made the entire trip with nasty looking white blotches from the front bumper to the rear tailgate.  While on the same trip I was taking my youngest grandson to the restroom at SeaWorld, another seagull decided we were a prime target we were still wearing the yellow rain jackets we had purchased and it made it easier to see us.  Then a day later while my wife and I were taking a much needed rest on a bench in Knott's Berry Farm one of the many birds high up in the trees needed to relieve itself, yep right on my head and shoulder.  Each of the grandchildren like to bring it up at any family gathering.


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## Jackie22 (Jul 12, 2014)

Good Morning, Son, I'll agree with most all your assessments of California.  California is my favorite vacation state, just got back from San Diego.  One of my favorite things about California is how they protect their environment and the fact that they are very up on 'Green' issues.  My favorite California towns so far are Monterey and Santa Barbara, I found Carmel and LaJolla to be too rich for my blood, but they are indeed beautiful especially the 'seventeen mile drive'.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Jul 12, 2014)

Just drove the Avenue of the Giants 2 weeks ago on our weekend getaway. One of my favorite places. The Golden Gate Bridge lost some of it`s magic for me after commuting over it for 18 years twice a week. That`s 1872 trips over it,costing approximately $11,000.00. And when you figure that hubby commuted it as well in his own car for all those years,we`re talking $22,000! For me,it became "just get over this darn bridge before someone comes over the line and hits me head on!" 

I live in the outer edges of Wine Country and love it-but lve to drive down to St.Helena/Calistoga/Napa in the Fall because the vineyards are just so beautiful with their fall colors. And I do love Knott`s Berry Farm! Have always preferred it to Disneyland-less crowded and always seems a little bit cooler.


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## rkunsaw (Jul 13, 2014)

Finally a state I've been to, though not a lot of it. I was most impressed by the giant Sequoia trees. Those suckers are BIG. I like Santa Barbara too. I drove the back way from Santa Barbara to Woodlake going through Paso Robles.

I liked going through Indio and stopping at Shields Date Farm.

I don't like the traffic and big cities. Way too many people.


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## Pappy (Jul 13, 2014)

Ah yes, Paso Robles. Lived there a year and a half while working at Camp Roberts. We lived in an apartment at 423 10th St. Didn't have much money but we did enjoy weekends at Morro Bay and Pismo Beach body surfing. Atascadaro had dirt track racing every Friday night which we tried to go to.

My main job at Roberts was testing fuel and ignition problems on very heavy equipment. Tanks, half-tracks and big old trucks. Roberts was a training base for Army reservists and got very busy during the hot summer months. Much beer was consumed at rec. hall after work. 

In 1958 was discharged at Fort Ord and me, the wife, my first born son and a puppy, drove home to New York State. My car was a 1950 Chevy Woody station wagon., loaded to the hilt. That trip is a whole book in itself. Remember Route 66? We drove it.


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## Son_of_Perdition (Jul 13, 2014)

> In 1958 was discharged at Fort Ord and me, the wife, my first born son and a puppy, drove home to New York State. My car was a 1950 Chevy Woody station wagon., loaded to the hilt. That trip is a whole book in itself. Remember Route 66? We drove it.



My first knowledge of Route 66 was the TV series, every week without fail.  I then watched 'The Grapes of Wrath' with Henry Fonda.  After marriage and on my own I became interested in the whole idea of following the route firsthand but by then they had decommissioned it, rerouted it and it became part of I-40.  I traveled as much as I could mostly from OK > TX > NM > AZ then onto the coast in CA.  Bought a book about the whole experience.  Had dinner/breakfast 3-4 times in Santa Rosa, NM at a small diner with tons of 66 memorabilia, went to the 66 museum bought a reproduced road  sign.  In AZ we stopped and had tacos while watching the tour buses stop in Seligman, AZ.
View attachment 8470
There were Asian tourists running around with their cameras snapping pics of everything.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Jul 13, 2014)

We drove it (the "new version") in 1991. Really enjoyed the drive-beautiful landscapes that change with each new state. Destination was Oklahoma City to pick up my MIL who had flown out to visit her sister. When we got there,she deided to fly home and just had us cart all her stuff back home that she had accumulated on her trip lol. Seeing the Grand canyon was well worth the drive though.


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