14. Big Sur to San Francisco.
Our early sleep was disturbed last night. But that was minor compared to the neighbors - a failed tow vehicle. By the time we got back to our campsite, the group across the road had lost their tow vehicle, and all that remained was a 25' or so TT, and a smaller pickup. When the flatbed tow-truck arrived for the TT, the gang was making noise for about an hour or more as they tried to figure out how to get the TT on the flatbed.
This was at the far reaches of the campground, and you know how campground trees can hang low in spots. We didn't know what the heck was happening until they were in the middle of it, or we would have offered to tow the trailer out to the parking lot for them. Car troubles on Vacation! That's one of the worst.
Next morning dawned cloudy and wetter - no rain yet, but it was in the forecast, and it didn't look good.
We dumped and then made ready, seeing these tiny "Dog Deers" (by Wyoming Mule Deer standards). We stopped and watched while about 6-7 crossed in front of us.
Then we drove on up the Pacific Coast Highway 1 from Big Sur to Monterey and jumped on the 101 to route around 17 Mile Drive. Been there done that.
And settled into heavy - and lesser heavy - rains as we drove around Monterey Bay, past Watsonville where they make Strawberries, but not as sweet as Santa Maria's, and past Santa Cruz where this woman came onto the freeway in a small car not realizing I was there and apparently unschooled in the art of merging, so when I gave a couple "I'm here" horn taps, she got all offended and gave me a one finger salute in my rear view mirror. I tapped out "I'm gonna get you a nice fruit-basket" in Morse code on my brake lights.
Then (even though I was driving the speed limit, and even a couple miles per hour over) she decides it's very important to her Karma or something, to dangerously swing out around and pass fast, just so she could jump off in another two exits. City folk, go figure. Must be a bummer living with that stress day in and day out.
By the time we got back north of Santa Cruz, Highway 1 became much more rural, and there was lots of evidence of homeless people living in their cars along this stretch.
We were checking the RV Parky Ap, and in general, RV Parks in this area were sparce, and ranged about $55-$65 at a low end. We had our eyes on SFO. The California kids (DS and his girlfriend V, whom we lovingly call DS&V) had lived in SFO for a time, when jobs with the tech industry kind of kept them there, and I even had their old address programmed into the GPS for a drive by. The rain detracted from that - and the later hour. We got into to SFO about 6:00 PM.
But by now we still weren't there, and we had been driving in driving rain for quite awhile now. I was concerned about how that "front-windows seal/patch job" had done so we pulled over at this light house, which included a Hostel, and parked on the downwind side of a building and tree to jump inside the camper and do a check-see.
More leaks - enough to soak some bedding corners, but not as bad as it could have been. I'll have to give those windows more attention.
Eventually Highway 1 turned into the feeder route for San Francisco.
Later in town, that van clipped our mirrors as it passed us on one city street. No damage, but we folded the mirrors after that.
We marveled left...
And we marveled right.
And then followed SAL as she guided us through the streets of San Francisco - four lanes of city bumper to bumper, including city buses in the right lane making the right two lanes change on occasion. Drivers here were MUCH better behaved and civil than we find on the belt-routes around populated areas.
What was that worst one we discovered? Oh yes - Sacramento, several days later. Even at 5-10 above speed limit (for traffic flow) most of those drivers must feel like they have to get in front. We've been a lot of places, and Sacramento was easily one of the worst we experienced for human behavior on freeways and belt routes.
And then strangely, traffic lessened considerably, as we turned onto the Golden Gate bridge entry ramp.
SAL calmly said, "in one mile, exit on the right".
And shortly thereafter she said, "next exit on the right, then immediate destination on the right" -
Vista Point - at the H. Dana Bower Rest Area. 
