We sure made the best of that last day at the beach with our friends!
There were pelicans skimming over the water, a big puddle that became a lake for the little ones, hand-clapping games, Christmas songs thaught in French and English and a bonfire under the full moon by the ocean.
It was hard to leave this wonderful camping spot (Faria County Park, near Ventura, CA) and say goodbye to some of our friends who were continuing their adventures on different routes.
I was woken up by the waves breaking on the rocks and splashing the bus’ bedroom window. I pulled the curtains open and watched with amusement, feeling like I was sleeping in a car wash.
All of a sudden, I see dolphins playing in the surf and we all get up and dress quickly and go outside. Our friends join us, there is laughter and soaking wet kids (and adults!) and salt-water coffee.
Later in the day, as the tide rolls out again, I sit on the rocks and listen to a friend’s wise words. There is a Skype music lesson with a view of the ocean. And kids swimming together at sunset and almost washed away sandals. Oh this is life!
The intended plan was to drive on the coast from Monterey through Carmel-by-the-Sea to Big Sur and back before it got dark. The curvy road was busy on that Thanksgiving weekend and when the Westy went dead just as we were starting to cross a narrow bridge, we knew we could not have picked a better spot to break down... Our friends were right behind and started to direct traffic while our friend Mat pulled us to a flat spot on the side of the road. There was no cell signal and after finding a roadside call box, JF spent over an hour on the phone to get a towing. Our friends stayed with us the whole time (they were such troopers!), the kids played and explored the area. We watched dolphins and seals play in the turquoise water and even spotted a whale! There are definitely worst places to break down!
The kids tried to start a fire without matches and came up with tons of games to keep themselves busy and happy, we warmed up some soup in the Westy to feed the troops, watched a beautiful sunset, and when the stars started showing up in the sky and the towing was still nowhere in sight, we brought the lambskin, blanket and sleeping bags out and looked at the sky. We spotted three shooting stars and made wishes. It smelled of wild sage and sea mist. This is what memories are made of.
The first 2,500 acres of the rugged Pinnacles were made a national monument in 1908 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Since 1908, the monument significantly increased in size to 26,000 acres and in 2013, President Barack Obama designated the expansive terrain as a national park. The park's namesakes are the eroded leftovers of the western half of an extinct volcano that has moved 150 miles (240 km) from its original location on the San Andreas Fault. The rock formations are made of Rhyolite breccia that is composed of lava sand, ash, and angular chunks of rock that were explosively ejected from the Pinnacles Volcano and provide for spectacular pinnacles that attract rock climbers. The park features unusual talus caves that house at least thirteen species of bat.
It was so fun to walk through the dark caves on Bear Gulch Cave Trail and enjoy the beautiful view at the Reservoir while soaking up some sun. Touching the smooth bark of the Manzanita trees, talking with friends as we go, kids exclaiming how incredible this place is... Days like this remind us that this is why we do what we do!
A date with the twins, a superb vegan meal from Café Gratitude, earl grey ice cream from Penny Ice Creamery, clothes shopping with my girls in Tibetan stores. Meeting colorful characters. Better than your average Monday.
It was our first time buying freshly picked local and organic persimmons and pomegranates. There were funky beets and radishes, and the most amazing variety of greens. In november.
Vegan, raw, gluten free and dairy free options were everywhere (actually, my friend Liza told me that when you are invited to eat at someone's place in California, it is tradition to list at least 3 intolerances/food restrictions!). Mathilde watched the woman operate the tortilla press for 15 min, hypnotized. We even danced to some street music. Oh that market was one of the best we have seen so far!
A fascinating place, but I left with a serious case of overstimulation hangover.
On the way back, we stopped at the road side stand to buy some freshly picked brussel sprouts.
This amazing park in the middle of the city is 20 percent larger than New York's Central Park. I could not believe my eyes when Liza told me that Golden Gate Park was once only sand dunes. Thanks to engineer William Hammond Hall and master gardener John McLaren, it is now a real oasis in the heart of the city. By 1875, about 60,000 trees, mostly Eucalyptus globulus, Monterey pine and Monterey cypress had been planted in order to stabilize the dunes.
We drove by the Conservatory of flowers, one of the most beautiful building in SF and headed to the Huntington Falls and Stow Lake, then went to ride the Carousel and visited the Arts Studio, where we got to see stained glass artists and jewelers at work that took the time to explain us how they created their art.
We parked the Westy on Lombard street, the so-called “crookedest street in the world” and walked to the San Francisco Art Institute where we could see young artists at work.
This neighborhood is San Francisco's Little Italy. It is also the historic center of the beatnik subculture and we were quite excited to visit the City Light Bookstore where Jack Kerouac and his friends used to meet for litterature and poetry readings. The Beats' legacy of anti-authoritarian politics and insurgent thinking continues to be a strong influence in the store, quite evident in the selection of the book titles. We actually went to Caffe Trieste, known as the beatnik hangout of the '50s. Their home-roasted coffee is impeccable and its old world charm remains unspoiled.
Dia de los Muertos is a traditional Meso-American holiday dedicated to the ancestors; it honors both death and the cycle of life. In Mexico, neighbors gather in local cemeteries to share food, music, and fun with their extended community, both living and departed. The celebration acknowledges that we still have a relationship with our ancestors and loved ones that have passed away.
In San Francisco, Day of the Dead has been celebrated in the Mission district since the early 70s with art, music, performances and a walking procession, which help us contemplate our existence and mortality -- a moment to remember deceased friends and family, and our connections beyond our immediate concerns. (from here)
Read more here about the history of the Day of the Dead celebration.
The Mission district features plenty of cafés, thrift shops and used-book stores that cater to the college grads, artists, activists and other alterna-types. It also has a very strong Latino influence (taquerias, pupuserias, salon de bellezas... all evidence of the Central American and Mexican families that have been settling the Mission en masse since the 1950s). The first Spanish Mission was created in 1791 (Mission Dolores). It is San Francisco's oldest standing building.
There are lots of amazing murals initiated by the Chicano Art Mural Movement of the 1970s and inspired by the traditional Mexican paintings made famous by Diego Riviera. Some of the more significant mural installations are located on Balmy Alley and Clarion Alley.
In the early 20th century, Fort Bragg residents threw their household garbage over cliffs onto what is now Glass Beach, discarding glass, appliances, and even vehicles. Locals referred to it as "The Dumps".
The area was closed in 1967. Various cleanup programs were undertaken through the years to correct the damage. Over the next several decades the pounding waves cleaned the beach, by breaking down everything but glass and pottery and tumbling those into the small, smooth, colored pieces that cover Glass Beach.
― John Steinbeck, Travels with Charley: In Search of America