Day 2 June 12th

I knew this was going to be a big day.  There was a long trip down the Pacific Coastal Highway planned and also Dan wanted to see the Aquarium at Monterey. I had often wanted to visit Monterey but for a different reason.  Many years ago, while studying the logging industry, I found out that this is where New Zealand's first commercial pine trees had been imported from and because of the similar latitude to NZ, they had been very well adapted for life here in NZ.  I also had read a bit of Steinbeck in my day and knew that Monterey was the home of Cannery Row.

So we quickly were on the road and past Carmel on the Sea where Arnold S. is from and out to Monterey.  It was pretty brown in California and this due to the droughts they had been having.Monterey was a place like no other.  Really retained the history of the area in the environment and it made me want to read Cannery Row (and the Grapes of Wrath etc) all over again.  We walked past the Pacific Biological Laboratories bulding, which was a plain wooden block structure and I sneaked back down past the building where Doc was based, taking a few snaps.  Dan walked down behind the buildings with me and I felt very emotional again, connecting with places (even in fiction) from my past.  It was warm, I was on holiday and very relaxed suddenly.

 But time did not stand still and we were off in the car down the Pacific Coast  Highway.  Heaps of photo opportunities along here and so many people just wanting to drive and tune out of city living.  (Or thats what I imagined.)

It was late when we arrived for dinner at ......... and much later (after 12pm) when we checked into our Santa Barbara motel - home for the next three nights.  I was tired but happy.

2016 USA Trip Saturday 11th June

We left Auckland just a little late on June 11th. 12 hours of sitting torture with swollen ankles at the end. But I did survive the flight with a little help from my sleeping tablet.  Which made a nice change from my usual nervousness (fear of flying) keeping me awake.  Thank you Mr Chemist in Taupo.  San Francisco was warm. We were conscious of the fact that we were a little late and that Tom and Janet would have arrived fromWisconsin before us instead of the planned "just after" so we hurried to the rental car depot via the blue train (a bit of a mission getting up to it with luggage via the elevators.) San Fran Airport does need to work on this - people arriving with heavy suitcases need easy access to the train.  There were long waiting lines at the lifts.

However, once onboard the train, everything went well and with my phone I was able to track down Tom and Janet.

It really was quite emotional to see them again.  Well, I was feeling emotional anyway after mum's funeral the day before.  So a bit of a cry and then all sorted and into the lovely big Kia.

Tom capably drove us down to Salinas where we checked into a hotel 

Ours was room 410.  After a quick freshen up, we went to a Thai restaurant for a meal before settling down for the night.  Here are some of our meals.  First rate Thai and then some nice icecream for free!

  

Day One down.