California - ilivetotravel's travel log

Cross-Country Drive Day 1 – San Jose, CA to Kingman, AZ

27 June 2021 by Raul Leave a Comment

Last week I got to do the longest drive I have ever done: 5 days going from San Jose, California to Atlanta, Georgia. Why? I volunteered to help friends drive back to Atlanta as they leave California. It was not only a great opportunity to spend time together but also to see my country in a very different way of traveling: on the road!

Stats of the drive

First day: San Jose, California to Kingman, Arizona

Routes taken: California 101 to California 152 to I-5 to California 58 to I-40.

Departure time: 7AM

Arrival time: 4PM

License plates spotted: 30 states + 4 Canadian provinces (incl. Nova Scotia!)

Intra-California leg: San Jose to Bakersfield

Day 1 saw us departing San Jose, as you saw above, at 7AM. As I had arrive the night before from the East coast, that was not too early for me at all.

San Jose, window seat, California, great drive

Car loaded, we took some back roads (routes 101 and 152) to get onto I-5 at Los Banos. On the way there, we passed the town of Gilroy, which I am told is the world capital of garlic. Garlic IS in the air, even when the windows in the car are closed. Wikipedia says it is “the southernmost city in the San Francisco Bay area” but that seems a REAL geographical stretch to me (maybe it is a geological thing). Don’t believe everything you read! (The irony of that statement is not lost on me…) In any case, there were a large variety of crops like walnuts, almonds, and others confirming that this Central Valley indeed is a key source of produce.

I-5, I must say, is one tedious interstate to drive with the trucks and high volume of vehicles. I was glad when we got off it to head towards Bakersfield where we would take route 58 on the way to connecting with I-40 which would carry us, not only to the state border, but eventually all the way to Amarillo, Texas.

California Central Valley, produce, onion, trucks, cross-country drive

Southeastern California, Barstow and Route 66

After passing well-known Edwards Air Force Base, soon enough we hit our lunch stop at the crossroads of I-15 and one of the endpoints of I-40: the town of Barstow, California, right on Route 66. It was our first stop on Route 66. We were not trying to stick to Route 66 as we had days of driving to do but it was cool, at a couple of places, to see this famous route that carried so many out west in the 20th century.

Route 66, California, great drive, cross-country drive

Route 66, cross-country drive, California, Barstow — Barstow

To get to the border with Arizona, we first had to pass the Mojave area with the eponymous desert, Edwards AFB, and other facilities for military training and logistics. We also saw the lot where many airplanes are parked to not clutter airport space – it was odd to see so many planes in the middle of nowhere!

Hot Needles packing heat

It was a peculiar area and, of course, very hot. Temperatures hit 108F (42C). We thought that was outlandish but we were about to learn how reasonable 108F was.

As we took a southward turn on I-40 to go below Goose Lake…

map, Goose Lake, Parker Junction, Needles — I-40 goes around the lake making a “U” that, on the right, will hit Kingman, AZ

… we passed the town of Needles and reached 120F (49C).

Yea, that was hot; the car windows were very hot to the touch – from the inside of the air conditioned car… “Needles” to say (LOL), we did not get out of the car… But we enjoyed the views as usual.

Colorado River, route 66, cross-country drive, Arizona, California — Crossing the Colorado River between Needles and Kingman

The road traveled

We made it to Kingman where we stayed in the central (and older) part of town; more on that in the next post). We stayed at a Best Western that re-defined that brand for me – I was impressed with the cleanliness and freshness of the room and other facilities (I got nothing from saying that – that is just sharing my experience with you!).

To wrap up day 1, I will share a couple of pictures from the road and the vistas of southeastern California.

Southeastern California, route 66, cross-country drive

Finally in Arizona and a short drive left to Kingman!

Let’s see what happened and what was the destination on day 2 of this cross-country drive!

Filed Under: California, Great Drives, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: California, cross-country drive, needles

Great Drive Series – 17-Mile Drive in California

12 September 2016 by Raul Leave a Comment

I have been to San Francisco once or twice for very short visits but have not gone further south than the airport – on this trip I would get to do the 17-mile drive near Monterey and see famous Pebble Beach. I coupled a short business trip to San Fran with a visit to friends who leave near San Jose, California. I really had no plans going in but I did want to see legendary Silicon Valley and get a sense for how the home of the likes of Apple, Google and others was. My friends suggested that beyond that, I should also check out the 17-mile drive and Pebble Beach. I liked the idea and the rest is history. Let’s get to that drive but first…

Leaving San Fran – Caltrain!

I left San Fran on a Wed afternoon by taking the Caltrain down for the hour ride to San Jose for $9.25! Note that the hour ride is for the “express” train that makes less than half a dozen stops between the two cities. The express only runs at peak times which in the afternoon means from 4 PM until the end of rush hour. I killed some time at the station to avoid taking the non-express with all the annoyance that that would bring with all the stops. The 4PM was not packed but was pretty well “attended” with commuters from school-aged kids going home to worker bees heading back home. The train is a double-decker so plenty of space. Except I did not find a spot for suitcases so I had to place it on the seat next to me. Maybe that was better as it was with me the whole time?

Caltrain, train, transportation, travel, San Francisco, California

The only photo I have related to the train… sorry! And the shades were given to me at the conference.

17-Mile Drive and Pebble Beach

I am not a golfer but I knew, of course, about Pebble Beach. To be honest, I really did not know where it was. At least I had heard of it. But I had never heard of 17-Mile Drive. We left San Jose and drove through eucalyptus forests and passed by sand dunes as we approached Monterey. Monterey has an awesome aquarium but I preferred to add Carmel to the itinerary so the aquarium will be for another time. (Read about the aquarium here.)

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The drive through the eucalyptus forest

Starting on 17-Mile Drive

Upon entering Monterey (or its outskirts), we took a left hand turn to enter the route that would take us to 17-Mile Drive. We hit a gate where we paid $10 for the right to enter “The Drive”. The drive seems to be in private property, hence they get to charge for driving through it. It is not a park but the setup looked like one. While I am grateful -if it is private- that they have found a way to let the public in, I wonder how this choice piece of land came to be private property… an item for research (on a rainy day with nothing else going on…).

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The route of 17-Mile Drive

There are quite a few stops along the way by the ocean which is quite nice. You can get out of the car, eat something, walk on the beach, or watch the sea otters (or perhaps a whale?).

The Pacific Ocean roaring against the rocks; we saw some seals

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Instead of boring you with the actual shot, how about two of me getting ready for it?

The water is quite frigid so there will not be any swimming but I had to dip my toes just to feel it!

Into the cold!

Cypress Point

The most spectacular stops were Cypress Point Lookout and Pescadero Point. The place was first spotted (that we know of) by a European as far back as 1542. Over two hundred years later, a missionary gave Cypress Point its current name. Supposedly the cypress tree growing on the rocky point is like 250 years old – they are trying to get it to stay alive until 300 (according to the sign). Wonder what they plan to do if it gets to 300. Chop it? It sure makes for a beautiful sight and an iconic image representing the California coast.

The Lone Cypress

During the drive we ran into Cypress Point Club and latter the Pebble Beach courses. What a setting for golf! Not that I play but if I did…

Cypress forest native to the area

I did not get to snap any good shots of these so I will leave you with some “sea art” from the Pacific coast: no one does it better than nature! From here we went on to Carmel and visited its famous Mission – you can read about that part here!

Marine vegetation imitates art?

My favorite shot

It is neat when travel unexpectedly shows you something you had no real understanding of – or perhaps even knowledge of. This visit qualifies under both – an unexpected enjoyable side trip!

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Filed Under: California, Great Drives, US & Canada Tagged With: 17 Mile Drive, algae, California, Cypress Point, drive, ocean, Pacific, Pebble Beach, photo, scenic, sea, travel

The Carmel Mission: Quiet and Beautiful

27 October 2015 by Raul 6 Comments

During a recent business trip to San Francisco, I made a visit of a few days to friends who live near Campbell, CA. I took the Caltrain down to San Jose – an easy and relatively cheap (at around $9 one-way) way to get out of San Fran towards Silicon Valley.

While their kids went to school, my friends and I made a trip to the coast where, among other things, we visited the town of Carmel. No Clint Eastwood sightings – bummer! But we decided to check out the Carmel Mission after having lunch in the charming downtown area. I had been to the Santa Barbara Mission over a year ago so I was curious on how this one would compare.

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Entering the mission grounds

As luck would have (is it really luck??), this was two days after the canonization of Fr. Junipero Serra who worked, died and is buried at the Carmel Mission. The timing was definitely great; I only wish Pope Francis had canonized him where he is buried!

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Fr. Serra is buried along with others in the altar area

St. Junipero Serra looms large!

The Carmel Mission is smaller than the one in Santa Barbara but by no means less charming or interesting. As with probably most missions, the center of the mission is the church with a cemetery next to it. Usually there is a vast space or courtyard in the mission and buildings, many of them much newer used for different functions.

Carmel Mission, grave, cemetery, rocks, tombs, California, history, religion, church, travel

Rudimentary graves

Along the church’s wall

As you enter, you are properly warned that you could be at risk for an earthquake. Only in California would the obvious need to be stated in the form of a warning!

California, Carmel Mission, earthquake, sign, warning, travel, photo

Be warned!

As you can see, it was a clear, beautiful day (I assume this is typical for California) and I am so glad we got to enjoy visiting the mission at such a historical time!

Glorious skies!

Filed Under: California, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: California, Carmel, cemetery, church, history, Junipero Serra, Mission, travel

Views of San Francisco from My Hotel

26 September 2015 by Raul 1 Comment

On my trip to San Francisco this week, I picked the Marriott Marquis on 4th and Mission as my hotel while I attended a conference in the city. It seemed well situated and nice, at least on the website photos. I did not miss with this property and you can read my review in TripAdvisor (where I am very active as a Top Contributor!). I did not have time to explore San Fran some more but I did get a couple of good eats at RN74 and Venticello.

I got a room on the 28th story and it was a corner room so I had views south and east (best I could tell). Here are the views from my room at different times of the day. They are not the best photos as the windows were quite dirty on the outside but they get the point across (I hope!).

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The Moscone conference center is the massive building lower left

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The San Francisco Giants stadium

And below here are two pics of the same general view at different times of day – love the difference the sun’s position can make on a photo!

Filed Under: California, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: California, Marriott, San Francisco, travel, view

What to Do in Santa Barbara? Check out El Presidio

8 January 2015 by Raul Leave a Comment

I have been to California a few times but mainly to the areas around San Francisco and, less so, around Los Angeles (plus a business trip to Sacramento). This past summer, though, I got to sample some of the “other” Californias. I got to spend a few days in lovely Santa Barbara. We had a nice list of things to do in Santa Barbara and I have to say that what I got to see there captivated me. It also makes me want to explore other places in California that I have always heard of or read about but have never made the time to visit.

The Old Mission, of which I already wrote, was an incredible sight and site – a must in the list of things to see there. Another one that may have been less imposing, though no less powerful, was the Presidio.

church, Presidio, Santa Barbara, California, history, Spanish settlement, architecture, photo, travel, Olympus

The church

The Presidio was built in the late 18th century as a military facility (not sure if “fort” is too strong a word) by the Spanish colonizers. The original site was a large square but now only half of it remains – while sad, at least half still exists (half glass full type of thought there!).

Presidio, Santa Barbara, California, history, Spanish settlement, architecture, photo, travel, Samsung Galaxy

A street runs through it now… oh, modernity…

The Visitor Center has a model that helps one envision the total original site and it pains me that part of it was lost. The good news is that one of the remaining structures is the second oldest building structure in California. The entire Presidio site is now a California state park so it is protected – and that is a good thing for preservation and future generations. California today can feel very modern and artificial; its roots can be easily forgotten in the glitz of what the media portrays as California. As a lover of history, I certainly treasure a site like El Presidio and think it deserves to be visited.

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Looking from the street towards the visitor center

At the Visitor Center, we met a gentleman who works at the site who gave us a quick overview (for free!) of the site before we paid and walked in to explore the site. Of course, a lot of restoration has taken place – it is impossible for the modest structures to survive without it: The decades can’t be kind to a building made in those days and with those materials (and given the frequency of quakes in the area). But as I walked around, it all felt as it must have been so long ago – that tells me the preservation work was well done.

The grounds around the Presidio

The grounds behind the church

Room in the Presidio

The outer walls of the precinct are thick and there were private spaces for the homes of the more senior members of the staff, even with space for small gardens. Along with the typical military spaces (like the military parade grounds), there was also a church located well inside the square. The church is plain but has been nicely restored at some point as you can see in the following pictures.

The church’s altar

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The back of the church

Looking towards the front of the church

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Detail of the wall and ceiling of the church

Baptismal font with a plaque of ceramic with names of those baptized in the mid 19th century

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I have to say that with all the glitz and glam that California has become synonymous with, and the accompanying Hollywood trash, it is refreshing to experience a different California, one that makes evident how this land was explored and how it was settled by a European power. Yes, I am a history geek! Read more about the Presidio here.

Filed Under: California, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: architecture, California, history, military installation, Presidio, Santa Barbara, Spanish settlement, travel, what to do in Santa Barbara

I Have a Mission for You: in Santa Barbara!

4 November 2014 by Raul 2 Comments

Among the many beautiful things to enjoy in Santa Barbara, California, one of my favorite ones is the Old Mission. Its architecture, its setting, its history all make it a neat place to visit but what I like the most is that it is still in use by the monks and the locals; in other words, it is not just a museum.

Santa Barbara, Mission, California, Franciscan, Olympus, travel, photo, architecture, history, religion, blue sky, church, cross

Approaching the Mission on a beautiful California day

The Santa Barbara Mission is located on what seems to be the outskirts of town but it really takes no time to reach it from the center of Santa Barbara (a very easy place to get around with a car or a bike). It was established by the Franciscan monks around 1768 as one of the last of a series of missions founded along California by the order. As with most places where Europeans (or people of European descent), there was contact between the new arrivals and the locals; in this case the Chumash Indians. The Santa Barbara Mission represents the longest continuous presence of the Franciscans in the United States.

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The Mission is more than the church and the museum; also a mausoleum and retreat center

The structures that have been on the site and are now have gone through changes and repairs, especially due to damage from earthquakes over its lifetime and after a period of civil administration of the site when the structures were not maintained. Not today: the structures look well kept up and on a beautiful day (which seems to be every day in Santa Barbara), the Mission is perfect for photos! Admiring the facade of the mission is not hard. The ample space outside allows one to step back and soak the whole structure in.

Once inside, one can enjoy the beautiful inner courtyards and outdoor “hallways” of the mission.

Inner courtyard at the Mission

I could sit on a rocking chair here and rock away all day!

At some point, one enters the cemetery area on the side of the main church before entering the church itself, following the sequence proposed in the self-tour which, at $7, was a great deal! They also have led tours which seem would be best to better grasp the history and meaning of the Mission. Unfortunately, we had less time than the tours require so we did the self-guided version.

The cemetery outside of the church, near the mausoleum

The church itself has the feel of what makes a place of worship one where I could focus and reflect and pray. It is simply beautiful.

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Main altar at the church

The Mission is not just a place to go check out if you are in Santa Barbara: it is one of the reasons you should GO to Santa Barbara!

The church

Filed Under: California, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: architecture, California, Chumash Indians, Franciscan monks, history, Mission, Olympus, photo, religion, Santa Barbara, travel

Photo of the Week: Sunset over Santa Barbara, California

5 August 2014 by Raul 1 Comment

Nothing like a beautiful sunset. And even better: one in California! So I will celebrate that with TWO, not one, of my favorite sunset pictures I took while visiting Santa Barbara!