Summer Sojourn, Part One

On Tuesday June 26th, we left Salt Lake City and drove to Elko, Nevada, where we stayed with some family friends of ours.  The next day we drove the nearly nine more hours to San Jose, driving through the pretty Sierra-Nevada.

Scouting for pine cones

In the Sierra-Nevada at the rest stop in Donner Pass

We arrived in San Jose the evening of June 27th.  On Thursday the 28th, we drove into San Francisco with my brother and his family, with whom we were staying in San Jose.  We drove in and over the Golden Gate Bridge where we then parked and walked to the first tower.  Then we drove back over the bridge into the city onto Lombarde Street, the crookedest street in the world, and then went to Fisherman's Wharf, where we walked around enjoying the sights.  We stopped at a chowder house for some chowder (although I couldn't have any thanks to my newfound allergy to clams) and sourdough bread for a late lunch.  That night, after arriving back to the house in San Jose, my brother and his wife treated Corey and me to a dinner out without kids.

Driving over the Golden Gate Bridge

Eliza with the Golden Gate behind her

Walking on the bridge

Caleb with San Francisco in the background

Our hosts: My brother and his family

Driving down Lombarde Street

View of Alcatraz

A Zoltar machine (think the movie Big) on Fisherman's Wharf

At the end of Fisherman's Wharf looking out over the bay

We left San Jose on Friday the 28th and drove to Southern California by way of the Pacific Coast Highway, the PCH, or Highway 1.  We caught it at Monterey and stayed on it clear until we hit Santa Monica.  What we should have done, however, was to drive through central California on the 101 Freeway and then catch the PCH at San Luis Obispo.  The coastline was beautiful but the drive was a bit frightening--high mountain cliffs overlooking the ocean (and often, clouds covering the ocean from above the clouds), which was quite a ways down.  The highway was very winding, so we had to take it pretty slow in a lot of places.  It added about three hours to our drive.  Also, if we ever drive it again, we will get over to the main freeway just before hitting Santa Monica, because it gets really backed up there.  We did get to stop somewhere around Cambria to look at some elephant seals hanging around on the beach, though, and that was pretty cool.  We also stopped at Pismo Beach and got out to walk on the beach.  Travis was the only one who was willing to walk to the shoreline with me.  And Jonah really hated the sand.

Elephant seals on the beach near Cambria

At Pismo Beach

To be continued...