A Time for Touristing

The old pop song (based on the scriptures) reminds us that there is a time for everything under heaven. And, even for us wanderers, there is a time for touristing. Circumstances beyond our control have made significant changes to our original plans. We diverted to the Pacific Coast because of washed-out roads and record snow levels in the Sierras. Our first stop was Malibu, just outside of Los Angeles. This change of plan led us to change our strategy from wandering to touring, complete with destinations. That has made the week even more memorable.

The Foggy, Foggy Dew welcomed us in Malibu Beach RV Park, Malibu, CA. For the last few weeks, we have been in a pattern where 2-4 days of a stay involved less than optimal weather. In Texas and Arizona, it was cold, wet weather. In the California desert, it was clouded. But along the Pacific Coast, it has been fog. I have never encountered such penetrating, wet fog as we had along that hillside in Malibu. It was thick and heavy. The fog was not very deep, but it was definitely “pea soup-ish.” It tended to burn off or retreat to the ocean by midday. But some of our wet morning walks were a bit wet.

Since Los Angeles was the second choice stop for this trip, we considered wandering in the city. But LA is not suitable for wandering. The city's sheer size means you need a destination and a plan for getting there. When in LA, you do LA things. Otherwise, all you see are crowded streets and freeways. Therefore, we decided to tourist for the week. Which, I soon discovered, meant waiting in traffic to get anywhere.

Our second day of being “turistas” took us to the Warner Studio Tour. This was great fun. After a lifetime of watching movies, I paid little attention to the opening credits. Roaring lions, the earth spinning in space, and a Water Tower were all the same to me. But the Warner Tour helped me see that there really are differences. Warner is not only one of the oldest but their backlot is used for many of my favorite old movies. They also produced working-class family movies. This picture is of the back lot square where the Music Man led the band, The Gilmore Girls went to Stars Hollow festivals, and Dr. Zoe Hart discovered the people of Bluebell, AL. The place where these were filmed is just down the street from the Friends Fountain and where Batman was trapped hanging between buildings in Gotham. Our tour guide was engaging and had a great approach to this. He understood that all this was pretend. Reality was very different, but he also enjoyed it and helped us to enjoy it. We can enjoy both if we can keep our pretend world and the real world separate. But, when we confuse the two, we can trust neither. The entertainment business in Hollywood (or Burbank) clearly understands how hard it is to pretend. They work very hard so that we celebrate their magic. Thank you, Warner Bros. You have something to teach the rest of us. We can enjoy pretending

The next day the problem with touristing (and the destinations they involve) returned to haunt us. We spent most of the day staring at the back bumper of the car in front of us. It was a day of disappointment. I had specific destinations on the map. And those destinations proved to be less than satisfying. We drove two hours to see the graves of the stars and were turned away at the gate because there was a private funeral taking place. The second stop was a vast cemetery, and finding the graves I was interested in was challenging. We paid homage to Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, and others. But we gave up on seeing the third cemetery I had planned and diverted to Griffith Park to see the Hollywood sign. After arriving at the park, we discovered that the City of Los Angeles charged $10 an hour to park on the side of the road if you wanted to walk up to the park.

After that, we gave up and spent the next two hours returning to Malibu. I am seldom disappointed by wandering. It involves lower expectations about specific destinations. But I struggle to banish my expectations when touristing. Further, this also makes selecting touring destinations that much harder. We avoid places that may lead to disappointment or regrets. This picture was from a couple of days earlier when we got lost on a hilltop and saw the sign from the overlook. We took the shot through the windshield since there was no way to stop, much less pullover. We did not see the sign on this day.

Our favorite part of touring around Los Angeles involved driving to Ventura and whale-watching with Island Packers Tours. Initially, the boat ride was rough, but the swells calmed down when we entered the Channel Islands. We were between 9-10 miles offshore. We have watched whales in the Bay Fundy, off Cape Cod, and near San Diego. But these Humpbacks were the most cooperative we have ever seen. They were feeding in the rich waters of the channel as they prepared for their long fast while in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The spouts would appear as puffs of steam, and a mountain of flesh would gently rise. These whales are around 50 feet long and are usually accompanied by flocks of sea birds. Gulls, pelicans, and cormorants would follow them around and pick up the scraps. When the whale deeply arched their back, they were getting ready to “sound” or make a deep dive. Their “flukes” or tail would rise out of the water and wave “bye-bye.” The captain took us to a floating tank near an oil rig covered by sea lions and surrounded by sea lions who wanted on the tank. These critters are noisy, determined, and very graceful.

Our tour ended with seeing the spout of a Minke whale (according to the captain), which was relatively uncommon. We also encountered a couple packs of sea lions hunting in the open ocean. Those 3 ½ hours on the boat were the best of our time in the area. To top it off, we ate at a Greek Restaurant in the Harbour, where I had my favorite California food, Seafood Stew or Cioppino. For dessert, we had a design-your-own chocolate bar. Marlene picked coconut, pecans, pistachios, and dried cherries from Top This Chocolate. All in all, it was a great day of touristing.

It was time to leave Malibu, and we drove the beautiful 101 through the iconic California countryside. We saw the Wine Country of Santa Barbara, where, as Marlene noted, we could see the Pacific Ocean on the left and deep, scenic valleys on the right. This is one of the most beautiful drives we have made in our decades of traveling. 

We arrived at Pismo Coast Beach RV Resort, Pismo Beach, CA, for a brief three-night stay. This is a fabulous park. It is on the Pismo River, where it flows into the ocean. A short 10-minute walk had us in downtown Pismo Beach and on the Boardwalk. This area has been inhabited for 11,000 years and is named for the Chumash people’s word for tar, pismo, found in a nearby canyon. The tar was used to caulk their seagoing canoes and was a vital part of their life along the coast. Today, Pismo Beach is a tourist town that caters to all the whims of the tourist. Many hotels line the beachfront, as do dozens of restaurants, surf shops, and a long, beautiful beach with a walkable pier. Even though the pier and beachfront have been destroyed several times by tsunamis, these folks keep rebuilding. They know they have a real treasure and are determined to keep it. This is one destination that did not disappoint.

While I am not usually keen on sunset walks by the ocean, I am glad I made an exception today. This is a fantastic setting. The western sky was perfect. We strolled along the river and then crossed to the Boardwalk. The sun set off the point to the Northwest and lit the dunes behind us. They also created a deep silhouette for anything between us. The waves gently rolled in. Whimbrels and Gulls walked along the Shoreline while young people sat atop the dunes, soaking up the last rays of the setting sun. The sun settled toward the horizon, and the yellow and orange hues grew deeper and deeper. They provided a moment of tranquility from a relatively busy day of walking. The sunset was the glory of the day, just as our life on the road serves as glory for our previous lives. All that came before slips away as we celebrate the beauty of these “golden years.” That sunset walk reminded me that these days on the road are times for gratitude and celebration, even when the traffic and unfulfilled plans crowd into our days.

 

Our week of touristing along the Southern California Coast has been worthwhile. But I am looking forward to getting back to wandering, strolling the beaches of the day, and allowing the challenges to melt away in the glory at the end of the day. Come along and see what Monterey Bay offers as we make our way up the 101 to Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay KOA Holiday in Watsonville, CA.

 

See you on the road,

Bob