11. Pacific Coast Highway - Big Sur Area.
We turned off the Nacimiento Road and headed southbound along the Pacific Coast Highway 1 - from there down to the end of the road, where the barricades were set up. A few days previously, we had been on the south side of the barricaded stretch, having come north as far as we could near Ragged Point to a sign saying Gordo 8 miles.
From there we had gone back southbound a little, and over the mountain on Highway 46 and into Paso Robles. Thereafter, heading north out of Paso, and choosing the windy, narrow, scenic and popular Motorcycling and convertible Ford Mustangs Route, instead of the better highway for most vehicles, especially RVs, through Carmel Valley and connecting back with Highway 1 up around there.
DW continued snapping photos.
Eventually driving through Gordo, and on another 5 miles or so, leaving only a 3-4 mile stretch of closed road between south and north.
Here we pulled over at a loop turnaround and walked over to the Road Guard for a chat and to seek permission for a photo shoot.
He allowed this...
And we had a good talk about California, and Wyoming, and friends of his who were moving from CA to WY, and this fella's questions to them after their explanation when he asked them, "and then what?"
I found that question pretty much full of wisdom. Don't we all suffer from the "grass is always greener?" Every time the wind blows in Wyoming for more than three days, or the winter continues for another month, and then another, we talk about moving.
But it ain't that simple. Moving is about leaving everything you know! Unless you are going to a place where many others you know are going too, it's going to take more adjustment that you think!
We travel elsewhere, just so we can go home. We ALWAYS appreciate it better when we get back.
Heading back north now on Highway 1, we drove back through Gordo, and drove by this other slide area that was now passable.
The road sign for where we had entered.
And the traffic light one lane area.
And of course the main point of the trip - the scenic views.
This is our best shot of a whale.
And multiple scenic bridges.
We were also looking for Lucia - for the Fish & Chips.
We came to a small joint on the coast side of the highway, called Lucia something or other, and wondered if Lucia was spread out along the highway as we had read Big Sur was - because the GPS map showed Lucia still a little further on. But we stopped and went in. There were a few people around, but not many. The hostess came out and I asked if this was where the Fish & Chips "To Die For" were to be found. She kind of smiled, as if not sure what to say, and kind of agreed 'yes' - kind of. We began to wonder if it was just another Lucia Fish & Chips impostor - didn't want the wrong place, know what I mean?
DW was looking at the menu there on the hostess podium. Bingo! Fish & Chips $30!
Wait what!? 30 what? Are you shifting me? Of course it had a note saying "as reported in such and such magazine". Ahhhhh, I get it. Notoriety! You know, more often than not, we sense these marketing things, and it turns us off. We were hungry (so we didn't lose our appetite), but $60 for two plates of Fish & Chips, plus whatever we decided to spend on beer? I don't think so! Neither did DW. It is SO nice when a couple feels similar about such things.
We headed northbound. Lucia on the map came and went and we found no other joints - with or without atmosphere.
But again, we feasted our eyes on the views of the drive, and munched on truck-snacks, like the fresh veggies we carry, and fruits and nuts, etc. No - not because we were in California - but because it's our normal diet, we like it, it's healthier and doesn't include fillers like white Wonder-bread. That **** just charges your body with sugars it doesn't need and stores it as fat, especially when combined with the average person's serving size.
But we had read about the Big Sur strip, and little joints with atmosphere, and so we started looking there, like the Big Sur Tap House or Tap Room or something like that. Eventually we saw it and several places that we drove by slowly and didn't really feel any of them, so we kept going. It was nearing time to find our campsite anyway, so that's where we headed instead and had our beer-thirty in camp along with another fine camp meal. That DW - I tell you!
