Strange Sightings On The Coast

Our next coastal stop was Santa Cruz, CA, where we walked the pier, fought our way through the crowds at the timeless boardwalk, jogged downtown, had our Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives fix at Santa Cruz Diner, listened to Katie's new very favorite radio station, 105.1 K-Ocean & couldn't explain what we saw at The Mystery Spot!  We then drove to San Jose, CA to see the bizarre Winchester Mystery House before going back inland to Fresno, CA.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
The boardwalk couldn't have been busier, so we decided to
dip our toes in the ocean & skip the long amusement park rides

The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz
This tourist attraction has a circular field, 150-feet in length with unexplainable energy

Babbitt's "pimp lean" at The Mystery Spot's Log Cabin
Of course Babbitt was skeptical & convinced himself that everyone leaned because of the
cabin's angle plus the optical illusions...Katie on the other hand bought in hook, line & sinker

The O'Babbitt's uncontrollably leaning inside The Mystery Spot's Log Cabin
Katie found it difficult to stand up & was even lightheaded...Babbitt couldn't have felt more normal

Babbitt in a tree we found along The Mystery Spot's Hiking Trail
Babbitt's secret love for climbing trees has really become evident to Katie
since we embarked on this trip...he simply can't help himself

The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose
The Winchester Rifle heiress added onto her mansion until the day she died
(38 years, 24 hours a day), because she visited a fortuneteller, who informed her that
she would live forever if she never stopped building at her property

The Winchester Mystery House's Door To Nowhere
There are a few unexplainable additions here, including this door that opens out onto thin air
We ended up seeing quite a bit of this home by skipping the tour & walking the grounds instead

Monterey Bay

We quickly found out that there is a lot more than sardines in Monterey Bay, CA!  We arrived in the evening & spent the night in Pacific Grove, near Lovers Point Park.  This park had outstanding views & seal watching for all.  The next morning we took in the marine life at Monterey Bay Aquarium, napped a bit in The Rig & walked along Cannery Row.  BUT, before we left town the next day, we had to see Dennis The Menace Park & Fisherman's Wharf.

The O'Babbitt's at Monterey Bay Aquarium
Not only was the aquarium well done, but when you step outside
 on their 2nd floor patio there are free roaming otters right below...
the only thing that could have made it better for Babbitt was a white shark sighting

Feeding time at the Kelp Forest
We also saw otters, penguins & cuddlefish enjoy their lunch, but our favorite thing was their terrible
onsite musical ...not sure if we will ever get the Monterey Bay Aquarium theme song our of our heads 

Babbitt at Monterey Bay Aquarium
We don't nap in The Rig often, but the aquarium had so much to offer that it really tired us out

Cannery Row made famous by American author John Steinbeck
These buildings used to be sardine fisheries, but have since become cute restaurants & shops

Babbitt at Dennis The Menace Park
Babbitt is convinced that this playground must have been even better
when it originally opened & was more dangerous for the kids

A Slice Of Pebble Beach

We woke up in Big Sur next to one of the most spectacular landscapes either of us have ever seen, which made it tough to keep driving north!  However, the good thing about Big Sur is that when you leave one beautiful spot...the next one is not too far away.  We didn't drive more than a mile before we stopped at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park & took a short hike to the majestic waterfall there.  Afterwards, we spent some time in Carmel-By-The-Sea before embarking on the 17-Mile Drive through Pebble Beach!

Babbitt enjoying his morning cup of joe & Big Sur from the comfort of our Rig

Waterfall at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

Some call Big Sur "The Greatest Meeting Of Land & Sea"

The 18th Green at Pebble Beach
We walked around the public golf course, Babbitt thinks we drove past an
ESPN anchor, but couldn't remember his name & even had lunch at The Tap Room

The Lone Cypress along the 17-Mile Drive
This tree has survived strong storms for 250 years & is the official symbol of Pebble Beach

Katie taking in her least favorite animal, the bird at Bird Rock along the 17-Mile Drive
Although the smells & feathers were not the best, it was pretty incredible to see all of these birds congregate

Babbitt studying the hermit crabs in the Pacific Grove tide pools 

California Dreamin'

When we woke up on the city streets of San Luis Obispo we could once again breath easy after sleeping soundly, without police disturbance!  We then decided to continue our drive up Highway 1 to see the extravagant Hearst Castle & even came upon a few surprises along the way.

The O'Babbitt's with the 576-foot high volcanic plug, Morro Rock in Morro Bay
We spent the morning walking through this quaint seaside town

The Hearst Castle's Casa Grande or Big House
There were a number of different tours available at the Hearst Castle and while some visitors
did them all, we decided one was enough for us and choose the Upper Rooms Tour

Babbitt snooping in Casa del Monte on the Hearst Castle property
In addition to Casa Grande there are three guesthouses...W.R. Hearst & his architect, Julia Morgan
continuously worked on this property for 28 years, but never finished it completely

The O'Babbitt's in front of the Neptune Pool on the Hearst Castle Property
This slightly outrageous property had everything; art collections from all over the world,
an indoor & outdoor pool, zoo animal enclosures, but our favorite aspect was that the 5 mile
bus ride to and from the Visitor's Center was narrated by Jeopardy's very own Alex Trebek

Fighting & snoozing elephant seals across from the Hearst Castle
Luckily Mr. Trebek informed us about how close we were to the seals & encouraged us to stop

The O'Babbitt's along Big Sur
We originally thought Big Sur was a town, but quickly realized that it is actually more of a scenic drive

View from The Rig while driving through Big Sur
Once the sun started to set we decided it would be tragic to make this scenic drive at night,
so we pulled off the road & took a chance by spending the night next to the cliff...
once again we weren't bothered & our night couldn't have been more peaceful

Santa Ynez To San Luis Obispo

It didn't take long for the routine of our nomadic lifestyle to come back to us & we weren't going to leave any stone unturned once it did.  When we woke up, we were ecstatic that we made it through the night in the Casino's Employee Lot without being asked to leave.  We then drove a short distance to the sweet little Dutch town of Solvang, spent some time in Pismo Beach & winded down in San Luis Obispo.

Hans Christian Andersen Statue in Solvang, CA
We jogged through Solvang to get our bearings, had delectable Danish Pancakes at Paula's Pancake
House & made sure to check out the Hans Christian Andersen Museum..."When in Demark!"

Babbitt looking over the storybook town of Solvang inside The Book Loft
The museum was connected to this new & used bookstore as well as the Bulldog Cafe 

Babbitt with the miniature horse, we named Li'l Sebastian at Quicksilver Ranch in Solvang
When we read that there was a whole ranch dedicated to tiny horses nearby, we knew we couldn't
pass up the once in a lifetime opportunity to be face to face with these itty bitty animals

The O'Babbitt's on the dock at Pismo Beach
We weren't expecting the cold temperatures, but we didn't let the clouds stop us
from dipping our toes in the Pacific Ocean or swinging on a playground near the water

The O'Babbitt's toasting at the pink bar inside Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo
Neither words nor photos can describe this eccentric inn, where we drank
cocktails & took a little rest at their pool on the side of a mountain

Babbitt imitating Man v. Food's Adam Richman, while biting into his
Tri-Tip Braised Bomber at The Rib Line in San Luis Obispo

Katie blowing a bubble in Bubblegum Alley in downtown San Luis Obispo
This disgusting alley is a must if you have an old piece of chewing gum...just watch where you step!
Thanks to The Dyar's for supplying us with the Extra Bubble Gum we chewed & added to the collection

Heading Up The Coast

After strongly considering a full time move into Aunt Barbara's house without consulting her first, we decided that in the end she probably wouldn't allow it and started our drive up the coast of California instead!  We stopped back in Santa Barbara to see the sights we missed during our time crunched afternoon & of course ended up at a casino off the highway...where we cashed in our Free Play for a few extra bucks & spent the night in their Employee Only Parking Lot.

The Canyon House - Barbara recently remodeled the inside & outside a few years ago
This home has been in Babbitt's family since the 1950's...it started out as a barn for
their home above & since then became the pool house and eventually the main home

The O'Babbitt's with Barbara in front of her resort like pool
Babbitt's dad, Barry was rumored to have a party or two at this pool...the family history plus
our new found posh lives provided by Barbara made it very hard to go back to The Rig fulltime

Babbitt after lunch at Soule Park Golf Club in Ojia
Babbitt had to have a burger here in honor of his late Grandma Smith, who was loved by all who knew her...she would take him here during his childhood visit for burgers & time at the driving range
Although the food was quite tasty...it just wasn't the same without her there

The Berlin Wall at The Regan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara put on by the Young America's Foundation
We came, because we didn't make it to Regan's Presidential Library, but didn't love the exhibit
Luckily the free admission & Jelly Bellies made the potential propaganda much easier to swallow

Babbitt getting ready for our drive on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)
We are actually driving North on the 1, but weren't sure if we'd have another photo op

Only In Ojia

Before our stay in Ojia ended, Barbara took us on a driving tour to make sure we saw all of the variety the town had to offer.  We saw The Thacher School, Meditation Mountain, Upper Ojia & had a sunset picnic with her remarkable friends, Michael & Leslie at their ranch, surrounded by a 360-degree view like no other.

Barbara & Brian in front of a beautiful tree on top of  Meditation Mountain

The mountains of Ojia

Michael, Leslie, Barbara & Katie at our fancy picnic party
Our meal couldn't have been fresher...we started with a Prosecco toast, had appetizers,
avocado & shrimp on a bed of spinach with delicious sides & peach tarts for dessert

Sunset over Ojia
We are pretty sure that Barbara laid out the red carpet for us during our stay
in an attempt to entice us to move from the Midwest to Ojia after the trip

Front Row: Leslie, Opal The Dog & Michael
Back Row: Babbitt & Barbara in Francis The Mule
In order to get to this secluded place, we had to put our trust in Francis & she didn't let us down