Back to the Coast

With the Ferguson Fire continuing to burn just outside of Yosemite National Park, we abandoned the area yesterday, coming to grips with the facts that we would not be able to see the sights within the park and the air would be no less smoke filled.  I guess we'll just have to make another trip out this way.  I am thinking of a winter road trip through Yosemite and on to Lake Tahoe again to take advantage of the fact that Vail has added some of the mountains there to our ski passes.  I will just have to remember to have tank heaters installed on the RV, which I have started calling the Magic Bus.  We drove to our new location just south of Santa Cruz and set up camp.  The kids played in the playground and on the jumping pillow a little bit, and we headed in to Santa Cruz for a quick dinner at a local burger joint and to see a movie.  We saw "Won't You Be My Neighbor?"  Jll and I thoroughly enjoyed the film, having been raised on Mr. Rogers.  The kids appeared to enjoy it also, even though none of them have ever seen an episode.  Other than in random Facebook feeds from time to time about a commencement speech he gave or his admonition to "look for the helpers," I can't say when I last saw Mr. Rogers on television.  With that said, I still find myself welling up at different points throughout the movie, remembering watching him as a child and learning about what a decent gentlemen and advocate for children he truly was.

This morning we woke and had a quick breakfast in the RV, chocolate croissants and breakfast sausage. The breakfast of champions.  We drove to Monterey, walked through Cannery Row, not doing much shopping as we are not shoppers, and to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  We spent a few hours winding our way through the exhibits.  My favorites were the tanks of schooling fish.  I could probably sit and watch them for hours on end if it weren't for the kids pulling me forward thinking me strange for staring at them so. 

After the aquarium we started the 17 Mile Drive, making our first stop at the Inn at Spanish Bay for drinks and appetizers out by the fire pits.  I must say that the McLains on the Road looked a little out of place, being a road weary as we are, trying to put on nice clothes and Alastair and I trying to cover the bruises, cuts, and scrapes we have from our mountain biking experience.  One old guy jokingly gave Alastair a hard time about his Bandon Dunes hat, telling him it was sacrilege to wear it at Pebble Beach. 

At six o'clock we watched the bagpiper put the course to bed, which I enjoyed very much.  It was at Pebble Beach during my last visit that I learned that my grandmother passed away.  Hearing the bagpiper play Amazing Grace brought back memories of my grandmother and of the day she passed away. I still miss her very much and think it strange that I haven't been to Chicago since her funeral.  While she was alive, Jll and I would take the kids to Chicago to see her two or three times a year.  It was a great tradition and I miss it also.  That said, I know that she has been reunited with my grandfather and her friends, whom she missed very much after they all passed away.  For that I could not be happier for her.

After our time at the Inn at Spanish Bay, we finished the 17 Mile Drive, coming out in Carmel, where we parked and visited the beach.  From there, we walked up the hill into town and stopped at a local bakery where we enjoyed a variety of macaroons, ice cream, cannoli, éclairs, and Danishes.  With so many of us, there are lots of desserts for me to taste.  All in all, it was a very good day.  I am not sad about leaving Yosemite when we did to get here.

- Dave