Hi everyone.
You must be getting sick of seeing travel photos by now. Smile. Thanks for all your kind comments too.
I've shown a couple of teasers of our drive up coastal Route One in California, so I thought today I would share the rest for anyone interested in looking.
We were driving north, starting off in the morning in Ventura, just north of LA, and ending our drive when we arrived in Carmel on the Monterey Peninsula. This section we drove is part of the longer Pacific Coast Highway.
It was quite a dramatic drive with lots of twists and turns, made even better that the scenery was just amazing. We drove south to north, which is the opposite direction of lots of recommendations. Usually it is recommended to drive north to south because then you are on the ocean side of this 2 lane road. By the time we decided to do this, we already had plane tickets bought and we were flying home from San Francisco International Airport. The south to north direction is what it was going to be.
I'm not sure it really made that much of difference though (whether you drive north to south or south to north).
You can see how twisty the 2 lane road was. We stopped quite a bit also, so the stretch of dramatic driving took us about 3 hours. They say if you drive straight it takes about 1 and a half hours to do. There are some hiking trails along this stretch of road too, but with it getting dark at 5, we decided just to drive and stop to admire the views.
The views were amazing.
And a little scary too. Don't go too near the edge.
At first I thought all these floating black "things" in the next photo were ducks. Now I am thinking maybe sea otters in a kelp bed. I couldn't get the photo zoomed in enough to tell, but we saw some wild sea otters in Monterey Bay, and they reminded me of this photo. (This photo was taken with the 400x zoom on my camera lens.)
As we arrived closer to our destination, there was some light evening fog.
I wonder if these white fluffy grass like plants are Phragmites, also known as common reed, an invasive species. If I was home, I would say they are. Here in California I am not sure.
And towards the end of the drive, the sun was about to set down onto the Pacific. As I've mentioned, one of the drawbacks to traveling in November is that dark arrives close to 5 PM. We stopped ,and I had a bit of play with my camera. (I haven't touched any of these photos with Photoshop.)
And then in the last light of day, we drove on into Carmel.
Hope you enjoyed the drive in photos as much as I enjoyed taking those photos.
Thanks for visiting.
8 comments:
I never get sick of looking at wonderful photos. I enjoy seeing your travel photos as I can't travel any more. The photos are all beautiful, that is a really beautiful route with so much to see and enjoy. And if you go again, take more pics! Thanks for sharing, hugs, Valerie
I have driven this very area, Erika, and it is about as spectacular as it can get. Clint Eastwood was the mayor of Carmel when we visited. We spent a day at Big Sur State Park and Miriam was very impressed that I could call in a Northern Pygmy Owl for her. Can't hang a door straight worth a damn, but if you need to see an owl, I'm your man! The weekend is coming up. Enjoy. Big hugs. David
Stunning scenery and amazing sunsets. A warm day for us today if the rain clears. Happy Friday Eve
Beautiful photos from California coast. Thank you Erika for sharing them with us.The view seems great and the sunset photos are simply gorgeous! Hugs, my friend.
Those views are just too beautiful to miss in life! Gosh, those sunset shots are breathtakingly beautiful.
I loved driving the PCH. The King's Highway is still truly beautiful and brought back many memories, too. I thought that was pampas grass, but I could be wrong. When I drove it, I took the time to stop and visit all the missions along the road. It took several days, but it was fascinating to see the very different architectural designs of these missions. I also started from the south (San Diego, the one furthest south), then headed north. I stopped at Hearst Castle, which for me was a rip off.
I loved seeing these photos. One question. You said La Brea Tar Pits were what YOU wanted to see. What was it your husband wanted to see in LA?
Trust me, Erika. I will NEVER grow tired of seeing your photos. They bring back SO many memories for me.
No. I NEVER get sick of traveling through others :-)
Ohhh, the ocean. Beautiful pics with the... "hay"?
And what a crowd in the water there.
Wonderful pic of the bridge, too. To imagine with which huge effort it was built!
I would´ve thought that before, but just yesterday a customer told me how she "directed" works in South Africa (where I am now, too, virtually) and how difficult it is for the people. In more than one way.
Oh, and the next pic - beautiful!!!! OK, that´s a massive plural!
Oh, thank you!
Pitch-dark here still. The orange, huge Christmas star is out on neighbor´s balcony and I feel like I just visited the ocean. Great start to the day!
Have a wonderful one!
Thank you xx
"Sick of seeing travel photos"? Never! These are beautiful scenes!
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