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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?

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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.)

Pebble Beach, 17 Mile Drive, California, Pacific, Cypress Point, ocean, sea, algae, travel, drive, scenic

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

Pebble Beach, 17 Mile Drive, California, Pacific, Cypress Point, ocean, sea, algae, travel, drive, scenic, photo

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

Great Drive Series – Along the Columbia River in Oregon

7 June 2015 by Raul 5 Comments

Oregon has been a place I have always been wanting to go. When the opportunity to go on a business trip to Portland arose, I was thrilled. Though I was not able to append a weekend on either end of the business trip to get to explore more, I did have a Sunday afternoon and the hours after office hours to check some of the area.

My favorite part was driving along the Columbia River Gorge. I had not read up much about the area before going and it surprised to discover there was a gorge along parts of the Columbia River, near Portland. I discovered it by looking outside my seat window as we were close to land in PDX. I was very lucky to have picked a window seat (I am a serial aisler) and that it was on the right side of the plane which not only afforded me the opportunity to discover the gorge but also to see Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams. (Clearly, the airplane’s window was a little dirty and, seemingly, so was the air right above – notice the brownish line killing my clear view of the top of Mt. St. Helens).

Mt St Helens, Mt Adams, Columbia River, Columbia River gorge, airplane view, travel, photo, Samsung Galaxy

Mt. St. Helens on the left, Mt. Adams on the right; the Columbia River and the gorge in the middle

Mt St Helens, Mt Adams, Columbia River, Columbia River gorge, airplane view, travel, photo, Samsung Galaxy, Portland, Oregon

Close up of the mountains (and the window smudge!)

Getting to the Columbia River Gorge from Portland was very easy. Just take I-84 East. To visit the most famous of the waterfalls, Multnomah, one doesn’t even really have to get off the interstate: there is a parking area in the middle of the interstate (a rest area) and a tunnel under the lanes to get to the waterfall.

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At the top of the photo, you can see the rest area

But it is nicer to get off earlier (at Troutdale or Corbett) and then do the scenic route, passing other waterfalls along the way. The scenery is beautiful.

The first main stop is phenomenal: Vista House on the Crown Point Scenic Corridor. You enjoy great vistas up- and down-river of the Columbia River from this high vantage point. I wish I had been there for sunrise or sunset (or both) – bet the view would have been even better!

After Vista House continuing eastbound, a series of waterfalls come before getting to Multnomah Falls, the tallest falls in the state. There are several trails available to get out and walk. I reserved my limited time to go up the Multnomah Falls which rises over 600 ft.

I did the round trip up and down in slightly less than an hour. It is nice they numbered the switchbacks going up but it certainly made me anxious to get to the last one – I’d rather not know how many I have left!

Latourell Falls on the left and Multnomah Falls on the right

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At the top of Multnomah!

Yikes, close to the edge!

I do wish I had had time to go to the coast and visit the Lewis & Clark National Wildlife Refuge. I enjoyed reading the story of Lewis & Clark a few years ago and would have enjoyed seeing where their journey ended where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean. Next time!

Filed Under: Great Drives, Oregon, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: Columbia River, gorge, Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens, Multnomah, nature, Oregon, outdoors, photo, Portland, Samsung Galaxy, travel, Vista House, waterfalls

St. Paul Outside the Walls: Rome’s Less Seen Basilicas

24 April 2014 by Raul 3 Comments

As one may expect, Rome does not lack in the church category. All types and sizes up to the best know, St. Peter’s Basilica in The Vatican. However, there are three other major basilicas in Rome: St. John Lateran (first among the four for being the oldest), Saint Mary Major (Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore), and St. Paul Outside the Walls (Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura). As the term “major basilica” implies, they are of high importance to the Catholic Church and any other basilica is just “a” basilica or a minor basilica.

As with St. Peter’s and St. Peter, St. Paul Outside the Walls was built is on top of the site where St. Paul was buried. The original church was built in the fourth century and it got built on and modified up until the nineteenth century when a fire destroyed a good bit of it and it got reconstructed. The modifications it went through in those 1400 years were done for different reasons: fortifying it against potential invaders, repairing damage, beautifying it, or simply making it larger.

Of the original church only a couple of things remain (the triumphal arch with its fifth century mosaics, and part of the apse). But it was other details that grabbed my attention.

First, was the images of all the Popes right above the top of the columns. It really gives a great sense of the longevity of the Church.

Rome, St. Paul, Outside The Walls, fuori le mura, major basilica, Catholic Church, St. Paul's chain, colonnade, travel, photo, Italy, — Popes’ likenesses on the friezes

Second, how uninviting the exterior is (at least on the sides), hiding the interior beauty of this church.

Third, to me it seem a different style of architecture for a church. I suppose this derives from the fact that its design goes back to a very old design even if it was modified through the centuries. So it may not be a design that is odd but one that I am not familiar with.

St. Paul Outside the Walls, facade, Rome, Italy, Catholic Church, major basilica, statue, mosaics, photo, travel — The facade and statue of St. Paul

St. Paul Outside the Walls, facade, Rome, Italy, Catholic Church, major basilica, statue, mosaics, photo, travel, colonnade, columns — Colonnade to the side of the basilica’s facade; note the garden that sits in front of the facade.

Fourth, the colonnade inside the church (around 80 columns is pretty spectacular.

Rome, St. Paul, Outside The Walls, fuori le mura, major basilica, Catholic Church, colonnade, travel, photo, Italy, — The beautiful colonnade and what I assume are marble floors

Fifth, the stucco ceilings which are so beautifully decorated.

Rome, St. Paul, Outside The Walls, fuori le mura, major basilica, Catholic Church, travel, photo, Italy,, ceiling, stucco — Some of the beautiful ceilings at SPOTW

Finally, the altar and the tabernacle on it are beautiful crowns over the tomb of St. Paul. One can take a few stops down to see the chains that held St. Paul prisoner in Rome.

Rome, St. Paul, Outside The Walls, fuori le mura, major basilica, Catholic Church, travel, photo, Italy,, tabernacle, mosaic — Tabernacle at the altar, and, in the background, mosaics dating from the 13th century

Rome, St. Paul, Outside The Walls, fuori le mura, major basilica, Catholic Church, travel, photo, Italy,, tabernacle, stucco ceiling — Top of the tabernacle and the ceiling in the background

Rome, St. Paul, Outside The Walls, fuori le mura, major basilica, Catholic Church, travel, photo, Italy,, St. Paul's chain — St. Paul’s chains

St. Paul Outside the Walls is away from the beaten path of central Rome that most tourists stick to but it is an easy subway ride from that part of Rome. Whether due to your faith, your interest in architecture, simple curiosity or only trying to get away from the crowds, it is well worth checking out.

What lesser known bits of Rome have you visited? Any recommendations?

Filed Under: Europe, Italy, Travel Journal Tagged With: Catholic Church, ceiling, colonnade, fuori le mura, Italy, major basilica, mosaic, Outside The Walls, Paul's chain, photo, Rome, St, St. Paul, statue, tabernacle, travel

Along the Great Ocean Road in Australia

29 December 2013 by Raul 13 Comments

The trip to see the Twelve Apostles and the Great Ocean Road, near Melbourne, Australia started at Federation Square (across from St. Paul’s Cathedral) where I got to see the possible tour options at the tourism office located there.

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Flinders Train Station, across from Federation Square

I returned there to take the bus on the day of the tour and a long but rewarding day began. Along the way we stopped to see some of the flora and the wildlife (koalas, kangaroos and birds). It was amazing to see koalas and kangaroos just freely roaming around, not in a zoo or animal park.

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Close-up of a fern in the park where we stopped to see the koalas

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Kangaroos roaming (or hopping) free along the Great Ocean Road

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Colorful bird!

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Koala doing what they do best: sleep. Tons of sleep.

The Twelve Apostles (who knows if there are really 12 at any given point, one of the more famous ones had collapsed not long before my visit) are fascinating as they “show” the process of water and wind shaping our landscapes.

Twelve Apostles, Melbourne, Australia, Great Ocean Road, park

A nice park has been set up to help see the Twelve Apostles

As the water washes away softer terrain, these “islands” of stone become separated from the mainland.

You can tell where new ones will appear: any of those fingers or peninsulas are apostles-in-the-making.

At some point, the underside of a finger begins to hollow until an arch forms. The arch eventually collapses separating part of the former peninsula from the mainland (see next photo). In turn, an arch may form on the newly-formed “island” and, when the arch collapses, it will just leave just a column which over time will also collapse leaving nothing behind. The cycle of life!

Great Ocean Road, Melbourne, Australia, sea, photos, Twelve Apostles

Here is a finger where a part collapsed creating an “island” arch

By now, this “island” has become quite isolated and is developing an arch that will further weaken it

Columns in the water: former arches, former fingers, former mainland!

Now, the park has very easy trails to walk and get good vantage points, and the tour goes to other interesting spots such as Loch and Gorge.

Loch and Gorge

But what really captivated me was the brief helicopter ride to see the apostles from above. I had never ridden a helicopter before so there was a double thrill aspect to the experience for me.

Viewing them from high was a real treat

Finally, if you decide to drive the Great Ocean Road and you are not from Australia or the U.K. (or some other places like them), please mind what this sign says as you explore this beautiful road!

Filed Under: Australia - The "Mainland", Australia & NZ, Great Drives Tagged With: arch, Australia, Great Ocean Road, Kangaroo, koala, Melbourne, photo, tour, Twelve Apostles, wildlife. doce apostoles

Great Drive Series – Frankfurt to Maastricht

4 November 2013 by Raul 19 Comments

Among the many ways to travel and explore, few things beat driving around yourself, whether it be Tuscany, New Zealand or across the U.S., there is a freedom that comes with being on your own, able to stop at will for a photo, to rest or… to relief yourself (yes, I said it …).

I have done some great drives and I thought I’d start a short series on these drives and, hopefully, hear back from you on your own favorite drives along the way.

Today, I share my drive to/from Maastricht, The Netherlands and Frankfurt, Germany over a dozen years ago. I was in Frankfurt for business for a few weeks and decided to visit a college friend who was an ex-pat in Maastricht. I rented my car in Frankfurt and made my way, in about 3 hrs, to Maastricht on the famous autobahn. The autobahn between some cities in Germany fails to meet the wild expectations we have in the U.S. about fast speeds as there is too much vehicular traffic on some of the routes. But some parts of the route I took where free and clear just for me. That and along the Mercedes-Benz upgrade they gave me were the perfect pairing for a FUN drive. On the outbound leg of the trip, I drove northwest towards Bonn and Cologne (Köln) on the A3 and then west on the A4 past Aachen straight into Maastricht. I wish I had had time to explore Aachen, having been a residence of Charlemagne and where many Holy Roman Emperors were crowned back in the day. For that matter also Cologne and Bonn. So much too see and so little time…

Maastricht, Frankfurt, drive, map, A3, A4, autobahn, Germany, travel

The outbound route I took

On the way back I took a different route based on my friend’s suggestion as the landscape would be much more rewarding. It was indeed! I don’t recall the details of the route (which cut at some point across the incredible Mosel River) but maybe someone will recognize some of the locales from the photos and let me know more precisely where I went through!

I highly recommend taking the “road less traveled”. In this case, not the A3! Western Germany, near the border with Luxembourg and France, is simply a beautiful place to visit, explore and drive. Get lost, take your time, and sample this area!

Filed Under: Germany, Great Drives, Travel Journal Tagged With: autobahn, Canon EOS Rebel, drive, driving, germany, Maastricht, Mosel River, photo, travel, West Germany

Photo of the Week – Kayaking in Maine

23 September 2013 by Raul 4 Comments

Many years ago, I visited friends who lived in Maine. She was a high school classmate of mine and we decided one day that she took off work to do something adventurous because -alas- we had delusions of grandeur. We decided to rent kayaks and do some exploring. However, the kayak rental place was too busy to take us out so all they could do was rent us kayaks and point us to a place where we could hit a waterway that led to the open sea. The plan was not to hit the open sea but we would be in saltwater, not a lake or river.

It was a really neat experience though we swapped kayaks halfway through as one of them was quite crappy so we took turns on it. We had a great time laughing at our clumsiness and learning how to turn and move the kayak. Columbus had NOTHING on us!

kayak, kayaking, Maine, adventure, outdoors, photo

Yours truly showing how it is done

The fun really started once we packed up to go. We hoped to tie the kayaks to the truck like the rental place had done; we had had the forethought to pay attention before we first untied the kayaks so we would know how to tie them back up. Except neither of us really remembered nor knew how to tie a knot… I did multiple knots praying that the more knots, the more secure things would be… My friend was too nervous to drive so I got behind the wheel and drove slowly the short distance we had to go. All of a sudden we heard a noise and realized the kayaks had shifted. I came to a quick stop and so did the cars behind me, one of which honked (as if we were in NYC!). We took a quick look and everything looked like it couldn’t go anywhere though the kayaks had shifted along the roof of the truck.

It was a nerve-wracking drive but, mercifully, without further noise or shifting – the knots did their job! A Maine adventure for sure!

Filed Under: Travel Journal Tagged With: adventure, kayak, kayaking, Maine, outdoors, photo

Photo of the Week – Never Forget the Twin Towers

10 September 2013 by Raul 8 Comments

Many, many years ago, I went to New York City as an 18 year old and my eyes could not believe that city. I had seen Miami, Tampa, San Juan, Panama City (Panama), Washington D.C., and Atlanta at that point in my life. The Big Apple wowed me.

I recall seeing the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center up close. I remember standing right outside by one of the corners of one of them and looking up. Unbelievable. Sadly, we did not go up to the top that day and I missed that chance.

Today, I want to remember the many innocents who died that day in these towers and elsewhere. We will never forget…