Ooh, Baby! We are feeling IT here in Monterey CA. I’m at the beautiful Carnegie Library in Pacific Grove.
We arrived here after eating at Julia’s Vegetarian in Pacific Grove. I loved my fresh porcini mushroom pizza, and Bill, his healthy egg and avocado focaccio toast. Sitting in our intimate outdoor booth, chatting with our engaging server Rose, we felt like we belonged here.
Yesterday we started the morning at Sunny Bakery Cafe in Carmel Valley. We had that same feeling of satori–complete happiness in the moment. A “Found Treasure,” according to Edible Monterey.
Chef-owner-operator Analuisa Béjar’s chocolate cookies and Mexican hot chocolate appear on the magazine’s front cover. Bill entered bakery nirvana ordering tiny baguettes filled with charcuterie, eating an asparagus frittata, buying a thick moist slice of carrot cake. My artichoke/goat cheese frittata was also delicious. We met a couple of friends, teachers from the Central Valley who had stopped in. Kim, the librarian told us how she teaches middle and high-school students how to discern fact from fiction. Hooray for her!
Afterwards we drove through Cachagua–pronounced Ka-sha-wa-Canyon, home of our son Raymo’s 2006 Adventure Ed trip with Lars Bergquist and the late Charlie Snelling. Raymo came down with a severe case of poison oak and the backcountry trip was rained and sleeted upon, cutting it short. Here’s the story. The area is home to the Los Padres Dam, managed by the California American Water Company. We met their employee Chris, a man happy with his job, because he is tasked with ensuring enough water flows into the Carmel River to ensure the livelihood of endangered steelhead trout.
Afterwards we walked the Lupine Loop at Garland Ranch Regional Park, a 3464-acre open space forest and meadow popular with dog walkers. One pair of dog walkers warned us about seeing a ‘healthy coyote’ in the meadow nearby and told us they were glad to be protected by their German Shepherd.
Later we drove up to 880 feet to visit a dear friend and former Snowgoose guest I cooked for while aboard MV Snowgoose Alaska in 2009. Sheila and Ray Hiebert were guests I really connected with then. They moved to Carmel Valley eight years ago. Ray passed from his body in the summer of 2023. His loving presence was around us as we enjoyed locally sourced food Sheila made. And…she served an expresso chocolate cheesecake from Baum & Blume & The Carriage House in Carmel Valley. We will visit there next time we’re in town. Our conversation flowed, was genuine and heartfelt. Good to be together.
We arrived in Monterey on Sunday Dec. 8 after a day’s drive. We arrived at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and camped in site #46 next to the newly remodeled restrooms among lithe limbed Live Oak trees. Bring your own water, as the site’s water contains more slighly more arsenic than the EPA recommends at 10 ppb. We enjoyed a walk along the ocean in Pacific Grove, admiring the sea otters tapping sea urchins with a rock while floating on their back.
We arrived from Malibu Creek State Park, where we camped from Dec. 1-8. Sadly, there is a fire in Malibu that broke out last night, Dec. 9, and some of the places we visited, such as Malibu Lagoon and nearby Our Lady of Malibu were in the blaze.
Here are photo memories of our week at the beach:
Our Lady of Malibu Church
Sycamore Canyon State Beach
El Matador State Beach
David Brown lookout Piuma Road
Dave Brown was a friend of ours and hero of the Santa Monica Mountains. During my days as a newspaper reporter for the area, Dave would often call me regarding some shenanigans local developers were trying to pull. So glad there’s a place that’s honoring his legacy. We celebrated the spirit of Dave. Hope this place did not burn.
Friends
Bill’s known the Kane family since he was in elementary school at St. Cyril’s in Encino. We visited with Al Kane, his wife Janice, Paul Kane and his wife Tricia. Heartfelt conversations. The following day, Al and Janice’s son Alan his wife Jessie and their two children Kyrie and Alan visited with us at our campground. Love this family!
I once worked with “Lady D” Diane Corwin at NBC during the late 1970s. She became one of our family over the years. She married Jeff Sielaff during the 1990s and we spent a night at their beautiful Sherman Oaks home. Diane made delicious dinner and we celebrated our men’s Saggitarian birthdays.
We lived at the Seminole Springs Mobilehome Park from 1981 through March 2000. It was here we found a great neighbor community and learned all about the Santa Monica Mountains. Our children were born and raised here. The upper park burned Nov. 9, 2018 and has slowly rebuilt. Our long-time friend Debi Croft lost her home in the blaze and has replaced her former home with a new one in Dec. 2022. She and her dog Ricco have a wonderful neighbor named Farouk. Debi likes flamingo decor.
Well, folks, our road trip is coming down to less than two weeks. We’re leaving soon for Santa Cruz. Will send a story from there next week. In the mean time, know we love you! Bajada Bill and Cactus Kate