What
a great day. Left Ft. Bragg on the California coast, headed south
for Berzerkeley. The purpose of today is to see the extraordinary
coastline and eat some oysters. We accomplished both however not
without effort. Driving the windiest and windiest (think about it)
road in North America, California Route 1 from Leggett to Stinson
Beach made me envy the early pioneers in their Conestoga wagons
fighting off Indians and bandits. I would never do it again in spite
of the visual rewards. Buy a postcard. There are truly glorious
sights; I give you that but even the AAA travel book for Northern CA
talks about the “white knuckle driving” north of Bodega Bay. I
will tell you that the drive south of BB is not much better and the
stretch south of Stinson Beach is bonkers bad too. We had much
admiration for the many bicyclists we saw peddling up the very long
and steep road. In our martial arts training we learn to “hit the
wall” of pain and endurance but I must say we are both in awe of
these athletes.
We
loved Mendocino, very quaint, old village perched on bluffs
overlooking some very craggy gigantic boulders. And Gleason Beach,
north of BB, is awesome and some good sized waves were breaking on
the rocks. We spent some time at each of those with briefer stops at
pull offs. Stinson Beach with its shark warning signs was very hot,
high eighties and no shade but we stayed awhile anyway. Good waves
there too. Hog Island oysters are nationally renowned and quite
expensive but we easily downed a couple dozen raw and half dozen
baked with chipotle bourbon butter. They were delicious, briny,
large. But we both preferred the oysters of Louisiana and Florida.
They seem sweeter, albeit smaller, and are always served with really
good cocktail sauce and they are about a dollar each while HI's cost
3 each for raw.
An
interesting aside: CA is in a severe drought and so every meal we
have had in a restaurant save one was served on paper plates with
plastic tableware. Detracts from a nice meal. Water is also not
served except by request. We also noted the dessicated state of the
forage for the cattle and sheep ranches which line Highway 1. The
land is beige brown for many miles. Hard to understand since the
winds are usually from the sea.
We
hope to be visiting with Lisa's Uncle Larry's sister, Barbara
tomorrow and with my daughter, Mara's, family.
Happy
Birthday to my aunt Joan!
