CALIFORNIA ... HERE I AM !

This is a picture of the landscape around Cambria

My Trip to California, Day 1

So after a long long day of traveling I am finally here in Cambria ! it's 9:00pm California time. After driving through a fresh layer of snow early this morning in Toronto, I took a flight to Chicago then on to San Francisco. I arrived in S.F at about 2:00. There I met Brynn, with open arms. We piled into her borrowed parents Van, and we then hearded out on the highway away from S.F. and on to the coast. We took hwy no. 1 all along the coast down from Montrey and Carmel. Little did I know what was in store ! it unfortunatly was raining by now, and it was a bit hard to see in the distance, never the less, the views were breathtaking. Many rolling green hills/mountians on the left side, and on the right, was the vaste angry Pacific Ocean. The waves were crashing against the cliffs and rocks below sending a spray white wash up high into the air. I learned a new word - " Sea Stack" that is a rock that has been carved by thousands of years of smashing water, and ends up looking like different shape statues and underneath the water they extend down hundreds of feet ! At this point I had to stop Brynn, so as I could retrive my Video camera to also record these wonders. This Highway is literally carved into the mountian side. We stoped at Big Sur and viewed some California Redwood trees. Found ourselves in a lush evergreen forest enjoying a peanutbutter and chocolate ice cream cone in this wet, dark, cool crappy weather... but it tasted great and hit the spot. Brynn was really happy with the lack of tourists in the campground gift shop, we were they only ones there ! in the summer it's packed ! you can't move in the giftshop ! After Big Sur, we sure were in a big hurry to catch the fading light. By this time it was about 5pm, and we still had another 2 hour drive ahead, with now lots of hairpin turns, at very low speeds. Plus the rain continued ...the view became more spectatcular at every turn, I wanted Brynn to stop, but I knew we were really on a tight time schedule, as I was not looking forward to attempted to drive hairpin turns, in the rain, followed by treacherous cliff drops to the ocean in pitch blackness.... The lighthouse was our beacon. The light represented Cambria, at each turn, we finally got closer. There was no cell phone coverage on either of our phones, so if we were to drive off the cliff, no body would know. By this time as well, Brynn was getting very tired, as she drove for 7 straight hours. Her Mom, called many times, but could not when we were on this most extraodinary highway. Finally we saw the lights of this sweet small Town of Cambria. A town about the same size as Huntsville. She gave a quick tour of the town, and finnally drove up the hill to her parents house. But the trip was not over yet, because she warned me of the fabulous easter decorating job that the neighbor suzy had done to the outside of her house. So driving up the street, I was overjoyed and laughing my head off as I saw the lit up Bunnies and eggs lining her neighbors driveway ! The easter eggs were hanging like icycles from the eaves like christmas lights , it was quite the site ! ONLY IN CAAAALIFOOORRRNIA...

I was greated by 2 very relieved parents... we had a nice cup of tea... and now we are off to bed !