California Road Trip Day 2- continued: El Capitan State Beach

View of Morro Bay

 

The next morning at The Inn at Morro Bay, we woke up and decided to take a quick(er) hot tub and swim. I told Scotty I was going to go out there, so he came out to keep me company. Once there, he dipped his foot in the hot tub and said, "Well, I guess I could go put on my suit..." This coming from a man who usually would have normally said no to another dip in the chlorine. It was just that nice to be out there.

After our second soak in less than 24 hours, we showered, packed up, and checked out. (And no, that's not our Camaro.)

At The Inn at Morro Bay, even the parking lot is pretty...

We chose this little café, Frankie & Lola's, near the waterfront. It had less than ten tables and a cozy, homey feel, with tasty and inventive breakfasts, like the "Chilaquiles" with chorizo and the "Fried Green Tomato Benedict" on grits. Yum.

Then we walked around a bit to stretch our legs before getting back in the car. Here's what we saw while roaming the docks:

I'd been monitoring my email and we had some necessary communications to take care of regarding the boat that couldn't easily be accomplished on my iPhone, so we decided to find the town library before heading out of town.

Our next stop on the trip was El Capitan State Beach, about an hour and a half south (or 100 miles).

During holidays and weekends, many campgrounds become crowded, so we had reserved ahead of time here.

The original plan was to stay there for three nights, but because we'd flown out to California several days later, now we had only one.

We set up the tent, then walked about a half-mile to check out the beach and dip out feet in the icy Pacific. It was beautiful.

Now, in the interest of full disclosure and to admit that sometimes budget travel isn't all that fun, here's the real scoop on our night: With dinnertime fast-approaching, we got back on the road to find something to eat, but failed... two stubborn people + hungry exhaustion= no (taco) bueno.

We ended up turning around and, back at the campsite, drinking beer and eating some snacks I'd packed for the trip for dinner.

Also, because we had neglected to buy firewood, we couldn't even have a campfire. Not exactly the fun evening I'd envisioned. And even though it's California, in the winter it gets cold when the sun goes down. Around us, everyone was in their campers and wall tents, looking like they'd packed most of their relatives and worldly possessions along with them. And we were in our tiny tent and economy-sized rental car trying to stay warm.

 Our campsite at El Capitan State Beach

We both went to bed very early, looking forward to morning.

And eventually, morning came! (With a "peace" offering?)

Hang loose for the next part of our California road trip! :)

Happy birthday to my very first travel buddy- my brother!

Eric and me, all dressed up for a flight to go visit Grandma in New Jersey~ Minneapolis, 1987

Growing up, my brother and I did everything together. Since we weren't allowed to watch much TV and lacked electronic toys in general, we had to learn to entertain ourselves. Sometimes to the point of being downright weird. ("What's up Sassy? Nothing Belly.")

True partners in crime, we enacted giant, crazy-looking forts in the living room, made dramatic theatrical productions with inanimate objects, built a crash pad at the bottom of the staircase more than once, and played outside until we were forced to come in for dinner or bedtime. In Minnesota. In the winter.

Being so close in age- only a year and a half apart- meant a lot of sibling rivalry in our early years. But now that we're both grown up, my brother is the one person I can talk to who truly understands where I'm coming from- because he came from the same family and shares more of my memories than anyone.

Even when we disagree, it helps to know that he still loves me despite my imperfections and is always ready to send a kind word my way. My brother, with his keen sense of humor, and big heart, still knows just how to make me laugh until my sides hurt.

 

At Mom's house in June 2010

In a nutshell, without him, my childhood would have been pretty damn boring and not nearly as much fun. :)

Happy birthday, bro!!! I love you.

Love,
L.A. Chick
a.k.a. Ms. McCricket

California Road Trip Day 1-2: The Inn at Morro Bay

View from the Inn of "Morro Rock" in Morro Bay, California

After arriving at the airport in San Francisco, Scotty and I drove south on California's Highway 1 for about four hours (or 223 miles). This is where we ended up spending the night:

I'm sure there are other nice places to stay in Morro Bay, because we saw a ton on the way into town. But The Inn at Morro Bay was the only one I had eyes for because of one, or actually two, things: it had a pool AND a hot tub. And they were open year-round. Hallelujah.

After a week of work, flights, sleeping at odd hours, and yacht purchasing logistics, this was exactly what we both needed- a nice, clean, quiet place to stay at the edge of town. The weekday rate of $125 per night wasn't cheap, but still not too painful when shared between two people.

Our room at the Inn

Room 303 at The Inn at Morro Bay

We ordered room service and shared a surprisingly good veggie burger alongside a bleu cheese salad. The menu states that the chefs use local ingredients whenever possible (which we imagined was probably quite a bit!). Then we made a beeline for the pool. These pictures, taken the next day, don't exactly capture the nighttime magic, but they still give you an idea of what it looks like. ;)

The stars were out in a cloudless night sky. I floated on my back in the pool, gazing upwards as palm tree that rustled its fronds overhead. It felt so good to be there I never wanted to leave.

Scotty and I sat in the hot tub, talking for hours, alternately jumping into the pool to cool off. On that Monday night before Thanksgiving no one else came out, though we stayed outside for several hours. I couldn't have picked a more perfect place to spend our first night in California.

California Road Trip Day 1: SFO to Morro Bay

Before we got serious about Wind-Lass and had to make a beeline for Annapolis, the original plan for Thanksgiving was to fly out to San Francisco for a few days in the city and then a road trip south down the coast.

Instead, we took a red-eye flight across the country to be there in time for the vessel survey, then flew back to Minnesota with my dad to stay for the weekend. I was so happy that it worked out for us to be able to spend time with family and even have an early Thanksgiving dinner!

But come Monday, it was time to head out to California for the original trip I had planned, albeit slightly altered now. Instead of staying in San Francisco at the start of the trip, we were opting to begin our road trip upon arrival and get our city fix at the end.

We flew Delta on a 4.5-hour, non-stop flight from MSP to SFO. At the airport, we hopped the airport train to another part of the airport to the car rental center and then took a free shuttle to the off-site car rental place. Doing this saved us over $100 and only took about 30 more minutes.

Then we hit the road, taking the first major highway west, 92, right through some hill country and into Half Moon Bay (population 11,324 as of the 2010 census), a small town on the coast.

 First look at the ocean in Half Moon Bay, CA

We didn't stop at that point only because we'd only been driving for half an hour and wanted to make some more time on the road. Still, we drove on reluctantly after spotting an authentic-looking seafood counter on the corner and hoped we'd have a chance to check it out on the way back.

Once we hit Santa Cruz, after just over an hour's worth of driving, we stopped for lunch. We got... what else? Tacos!! Pretty good stuff, a nice dark Bohemia Mexican beer each, and all for less than $20. I heart California.

Taco plates at Taqueria La Cabaña in Santa Cruz

The sun began to set while we were still driving.

Of course, I made Scotty stop the car about a million times to ooh and ahh and take a "few" pictures. He was a pretty good sport about it. ;)

Our goal was to make it to Morro Bay, a coastal town halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. We didn't have any reservations or even a place to stay, but figured we would find something once we got there; one of the many great reasons to travel in the "off" season if you can swing it.

I'll be back soon with more of the next leg of our trip and why Morro Bay is one of the prettiest and most relaxing places I've ever visited.

Sunset over the Pacific from Highway 1 ~ November 2012

"Gearing" up for the holiday season

If you know someone who likes to travel, any of these things can make life on the lam road much more enjoyable.

A luggage scale

For anyone who's ever tried to pack Christmas gifts along with a week's worth of clothes and footwear, it's a toss up as to who will win: you or the overweight luggage-fee pirates. Without a luggage scale, that is.

Scotty bought me this little gadget a few Christmases ago and I have to admit, at first I was dubious. Would I ever really use it? Conveniently repressed memories from my college days arose, when I'd stuffed sheets and towels into an airport garbage can to avoid overweight luggage charges. Reluctantly, I agreed to give the scale a try.

Now, after many trips since, including bringing back some rather overstuffed suitcases from the six weeks I spent in New York, I'm hooked. And my overweight luggage charges are (mostly) a thing of the past (thank you, honey!).

The best part is, the scale is so small and light, I can pack it along for the trip. I have such a thoughtful boyfriend.

Noise-canceling headphones

If you're traveling during the holidays you're probably doing it for several reasons: it's the only time you can get off from regular responsibilities (i.e. work, school) and there's a good chance it's going to involve family. No, I'm not suggesting getting headphones so you don't have to listen to your family (only you can know if that's a good option for you).

Traveling during peak holiday season, like we will be this year, is a lesson on forgoing personal space. Combined with any lost sleep or calories, that kind of situation is a recipe for emotional disaster. So get a reliable pair of headphones already. That way, while the rest of your senses are being thrown into overdrive at least you can tune out the cacophony of noises being emitted from your fellow passengers.

Here's a great article with a comparison of the top noise canceling headphones on the market and the ones I have my eye on as a result.

Smartwool Socks


If every airplane passenger wore these babies, that would be one better smelling bean can. Smartwool and other wool socks are pretty much odorless by virtue of their natural fiber. Wool allows for proper foot ventilation and reduces moisture (an essential component in keeping stinky bacteria at bay). I "discovered" Smartwool when I came to live in rainy Juneau and it's pretty much all I wear.

The downside is that at around $18 a pop, Smartwool socks are expensive. But they do last several years, even with a one day a week wearing. You can also purchase them here or here for slightly lower prices than at the Smartwool site.

Click here to read more about them and their environmentally friendly and socially-conscious approach to keeping feet (and sheep) happy.

Air miles

Alaska Airlines is currently having a 30 percent bonus air miles sale. Regularly priced miles are $27.50 for 1000. It normally takes 12,500 miles to get one way from Juneau to Seattle. But until December 21, if you buy 12,000 miles you get 3,600 as a bonus (15,600 miles! for $330). People in the Lower 48 are probably gasping at these prices, but that's just the price we pay to live in paradise. ;)

Meet our new sailing yacht, Wind-Lass!!!

We have some big, big news: as of just a few days ago, Scotty and I are the proud new owners of the 44-foot sailing vessel, Wind-Lass (a.k.a the "girl-of-the-wind")!

As I posted about here, we recently flew out to Maryland to be there at a vessel survey for a boat we were interested in buying.

It was the weekend before Thanksgiving. We left Juneau at 8 p.m. (after working a full day), arrived in Seattle around 11:30 p.m., and hopped on a red-eye overnight flight bound for Baltimore, with a stop in Minneapolis. My dad met us in Baltimore and together the three of us made the 45-minute drive south to Annapolis.

If you're not familiar with sailing and/or the East Coast, Annapolis is widely known as the "sailing capital of the world". From the plane, I could see why: the ocean is all around.

 



















Once we got to our hotel, Scotty and I had just about enough energy left to grab dinner. We decided on a local joint, "Davis' Pub", featured on Guy Fieri's show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives". The "Back Creek Potato Skins" were pretty ahh-mazing.

But this is not a post about food, it's about a boat. Back to original programming...

The following morning, we woke up early and met the broker we had been negotiating through, along with the seller, at the boat yard. Shortly thereafter, the surveyor, whom Scotty and I had hired to assess the condition of the vessel, arrived. After introductions he went right to work, tapping the sides of the hull and taking audio "notes" with a hand-held recorder.

We'd already negotiated and agreed on a price, but the seller didn't want to renegotiate after the survey so our fingers (and toes) were crossed that it didn't turn up any major defects. Fortunately, all went went and we were able to move past that hurdle. Buying a boat is quite the process!

It was cold out that day, around 45 degrees and windy. Inside the boat, the heater was already working, but with the hatches open it was still chilly. As the surveyor worked around us, he would occasionally call Scotty and I over to explain a finding to us. We had heard advice to shadow a surveyor's every move, but in this case we found it helpful to listen when he talked to us and let him do his work. You could tell right away how experienced he was and we were very pleased with his work.

Another positive aspect of the day was being able to meet Wind-Lass' current owner. He had driven over five hours one way, all the way from Pittsburg, to be there, and had to make the trip home only later that day. As he meticulously and patiently explained how things worked, you could tell how much he really loved his boat. He had lived on her for years, in Boston and Maine, taken her for a cruise down to the Bahamas with his parents. There were a lot of memories within that space, dreams those sails had held. It was humbling to think that we might have the opportunity to make our own.

The day of the survey was an experience that while appropriately professional, was also extremely personal. In the end, Scotty and I learned a lot about the vessel and felt thankful that he had taken the time to make the trip. We were also glad to talk with the seller's broker, who was helpful, personable, and professional throughout the entire process. Even though he wasn't working for us, we decided not hold that against him. ;)

Technically, Wind-Lass is a yacht (anything over 40 feet is generally considered such). She's a CSY (Caribbean Sailing Yacht) 44' Walk-Through, built in 1981 and commissioned in 1985 (when she was first put in the water). In terms of model, a CSY "walk-through" is the rarer and more sought-after design, compared to the "walk-over" model, meaning you have to exit to the deck to get to the separate aft cabin.

A walk-through layout means you can travel from bow to stern inside the vessel without needing to exit to the deck to get to the aft cabin, basically resulting a roomier-feeling interior.

Scotty in the main living cabin

Wind-Lass is fully-equipped with shower adjacent to the head, which means we won't have to sacrifice good hygiene on board. In the galley there's a really nice gas stove with an oven and a side-by-side fridge and freezer which actually freezes things (the seller had even made us some ice to prove it!).

In addition, the seller added some modifications and extras over the years that we're really excited about, including: self-tailing winches, a self-furling and fully battened mainsail, well-thought out organizational details, and one of the heads converted into extra storage.

We're lucky that Wind-Lass' last owner took such great care of her and the survey found most things in good condition. Still, being a used boat, she'll need some maintenance before our first voyage. We've been advised to not go crazy with the cosmetic updates until those are accomplished... but we shall see ;). After more than ten years of renting, I'm so excited to do some updating and really make the space our own.

Wind-Lass has another very important aspect of what we wanted in a boat: enough space that family and friends can join us when we go sailing (with sleeping room for at least six people).

Me and Dad (who offered to help us "kick the tires") ~ Annapolis, MD

Right now, Wind-Lass is out of the water at a boat yard in Annapolis. Eventually, we plan to take her through the Panama Canal and up the West Coast. But since these things take time (and money) and we can't put a timeline on it. Still, the next chance we get, Scotty and I will be flying out there to give our new girl a little TLC and get her ready for sailing.

I'm looking forward to sharing upcoming new adventures as we go about the business about making her "ship-shape", how this all came about, and our plans for the future. In the meantime, I hope you've enjoyed this part of the boat-buying story and a little virtual tour.