As hot as it has been in Fresno for the past 2 days, a cooling trend, combined with where we were headed, got us out of our shorts for the first time this trip and into genes. It was rather cool when we left our hotel this morning at 8:30 AM and pointed the car westward. I was a bit worse for wear today, considering the mountain climbing that I did yesterday, but it was worth it. I am glad I did it. No regrets.

So we headed for the coast and the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). Getting there took us through miles and miles of farmland. And if we were better at identifying crops from the road at 65 MPH, I could detail what they were growing, but I do know for sure that we saw grapes, olives, wheat, garlic, cabbage, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and apricots. And the strawberries are in season, because we saw the fruit pickers. It is easy to know when they are out in the fields by the lines of cars and trucks parked along the road where the harvesting is taking place. And judging by the vehicles they are driving, it appears that the pickers are making pretty good money these days.

The fields were fertile and they went on forever. And where the land was not in active production, the ground was covered with grass or hay. We drove through rolling hills, some bare but for the yellow grass covering them and some dotted with spiny green trees. And off in the distance were mountains. The Diablos. And when we reached them, we drove around them, between them and over them. We drove through Los Banos where there is a large lake surrounded by hills…the San Luis Reservoir…which is connected to the California aqueduct and used to irrigate all of those crop fields that we saw.  

And after we crossed the mountains, we saw it. The Pacific Ocean in all of its grandeur. And even though we connected with route 1, the PCH, the road does not hug the coastline as it does further south. We drove through heavy traffic in Santa Cruz, (a non-functioning traffic light) a small and aged town. And as we got closer to the water, we found ourselves separated from it by more farmland. Yes, these farms have prime real estate on the coast. And some of these prime pieces of real estate were pastures where the cows graze and gaze at the ocean while they eat at their own private seaside restaurant.

Eventually we got to the shore. And what a feast for the eyes with craggy gray ledges where blue water crashes on the rocks and tosses white foam into the air, where sea lions sun themselves on the golden sands and where surfers play with the waves. I took a lot of photos of the beaches and the rocks and the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, where dogs are not welcome. Beamer had to stay in the car while we walked around the grounds, which are kept in great condition by the California Park Service.

We landed in Half Moon Bay for the night. Our hotel is not exactly on the water as we had hoped, but it is sufficient for our needs. We made it from the Atlantic to the Pacific in 8 days. Sure, it can be done faster, but that wouldn't be as much fun. Tomorrow, Oregon.

I posted a lot of pictures today so please enjoy.