After our visit with Ray & Ann, we headed up 101 on the way to San Francisco with our rental car. Having been at many National Parks, how could we not stop at the newest one? Pinnacles was named a National Monument by Teddy Roosevelt in 1908, but wasn't designated a National Park until 2013. An ancient volcanic field rising out of the Gabilan Mountains.....this park has great hiking and views.
Driving in the East gate, we beelined to the visitor center so we could get the hiking information. After the young Ranger sized us up and suggested an easy one mile loop trail hike, we asked what is the highlight of the park. Next thing we knew, we were hiking up the 5.3 High Peaks trail with the "pinnacles" in our view. Rated strenuous with an elevation climb of 1350 feet, we had no problems hiking to the top. We skineed between the pinnacles using footholds cut by the CCC in the 30s, while grabbing the metal railings. An adventure well worth the effort.
Not to forget, as we climbed, we watched the California Condors circling the rocks, riding the air currents. Twenty pounds and 9 foot wing spans, these birds are impressive.
The next morning, we drove in the west entrance, and hiked the Balconies Cave trail through a talus cave. These caves are formed in narrow canyons where large boulders have fallen, creating a cave. Good thing we brought a good flashlight; this cave was DARK. And the rock scrambling through the cave was spooky, but fun!
We'll need to come back here with our RV. A nice campground, general store, and even a swimming pool, beckons us back.
We camped for a few days at both Indian Cove and Black Rock Campgrounds. Beautiful sites with great views. And there were trail heads within walking distance from our campsites.
The next day, we biked past great scenery, grazing cows, and old ranches. All uphill....but then, what goes up comes down....Although we had to be careful because we were biking on an unpaved road.
A quick goodby and then back to San Francisco for the breakfast we missed on our last trip three years ago (closed on Mondays, after we had biked the Golden Gate Bridge with Mama's as our goal). A brunch worth going back for!
We arrived in Avila Beach, California at our friends home on the central coast. Visited Ray & Ann, our many time travel mates. They've recently expanded their home to take even better advantage of their views. And we just couldn't get over how great the weather is.
During our days in Avila, we took a drive north along the Pacific coast. Stopped at the French Corner Bakery in Cambria and loved the cinnamon rolls, muffins, crumb cake, and assorted rolls. Then on to the Elephant Seals at Hearst Beach, and a wine tasting and art gallery walk in Harmony [proudly announcing, "Population 18"]. Other days we biked south along the coast, and kayaked in the bay.
We spotted a Snowy Owl on our beach. Did the owl know something? It's very unusual for these owls to fly down from the Arctic to New Jersey. mmmmm. There have been record cold temperatures here in the Northeast.
