The family tours the 17 Mile Drive in Pebble Beach California enjoying the scenic views of the water. We attempted to visit Carmel by the Sea, but a lack of electricity made that difficult.
Articles with California
Unexpected Christmas Meal and a Windy Pebble Beach
In Monterey, California our family enjoys Christmas Day dinner at a restaurant in the morning. Later we spend some time at the Visitor Center and Lodge at Pebble Beach
California’s Highway 1 to Monterey With Fantastic Ocean Views
On Christmas Eve we left San Francisco and drove down Highway 101 to Monterey. We stopped at some beaches along the way. In the evening we attended a Christmas Eve service.
December’s Foul Weather Challenges Us in San Francisco
For Christmas 2025 we decided to travel to San Francisco and Monterey California. The weather in San Francisco made our day less than perfect, but we enjoyed a walk and family time.
Victorian Homes in the Coastal Town of Eureka and Redwoods
One of my first blog posts was entitled “Why Travel.” I gave a number of reasons why people might travel. Here’s another reason: one travels to get things done. Such was the case this last March. After buying another car, we decided to give our older car to our daughter Andrea to replace her even older car. However, Andrea lives near San Jose, California, and as a teacher she couldn’t easily come and get it. We decided to drive it…
Continue Reading “Victorian Homes in the Coastal Town of Eureka and Redwoods”
Thanksgiving Weekend in Santa Barbara
While Silvette grew up in the Queen Ann area of Seattle, a number of years ago her parents and siblings one by one immigrated to Santa Barbara, California. Even our daughter, Andrea, went down to Santa Barbara for college. Our family is the only one left here in the Seattle area. Because of that, we have made quite a few trips to Santa Barbara over the years and have become fairly familiar with the area. This year Silvette’s sister invited…
Sites Revealing the Culture and History of San Jose
On my last day in San Jose I decided to stick close to the city and learn about its history. We think of San Jose as the center of Silicon Valley and all the modern technology that brings to mind. However, San Jose’s past goes back to a much simpler time. I set out to learn about some of that. We started with the History Park in San Jose. My daughter Andrea hesitated to go there as she considers it…
Continue Reading “Sites Revealing the Culture and History of San Jose”
Exploring the Filoli Gardens and Half Moon Bay Cliffs
South of San Francisco in the town of Woodside, one can step back in time to an earlier era of refinement and luxury. Filoli Gardens is a place where one can imagine life of a bygone era. Visitors can explore a large mansion built in 1917 in which only two families have lived. They can also explore the beautiful gardens around the home. Of course none of this comes free, but if one is willing to pay the price, they…
Continue Reading “Exploring the Filoli Gardens and Half Moon Bay Cliffs”
A Visit to the Infamous Alcatraz in San Francisco
In the middle of San Francisco Bay lies one of the most infamous locations in America, Alcatraz. I remember as a kid hearing about Alcatraz and that the really bad criminals went there. In 1963 the government closed the prison, but even after that the stories continued to circulate. Today Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area managed by the National Parks and is open to the public. To visit Alcatraz visitors must get a ticket from…
Continue Reading “A Visit to the Infamous Alcatraz in San Francisco”
From Muir Woods to San Francisco Bay’s Edge
One of the reasons I wanted to go to the San Francisco area was to visit Muir Woods. Muir Woods is a US National Monument. I wrote about national monuments in a previous post. Muir Woods is one I had read about and wanted to explore. It took us about two hours to drive north from where Andrea lives to reach Muir Woods. The drive took us over the Golden Gate Bridge, and shortly after crossing we turned west. We…
Continue Reading “From Muir Woods to San Francisco Bay’s Edge”