On the Road with T and S

San Francisco is built on 43 hills and surrounded by water on three sides. It has an incredible number of sights and we had just 4 days to fit as much as possible in. We started our time in the city by having drinks in the bar on the 46th floor of the Hilton - just to get an overview of the city skyline. The next morning we did a tour of Downtown San Francisco. After lunch in Fisherman's Wharf we took a boat trip out to Alcatraz Island known as The Rock. It has served as a harbour fortification, military detention centre and a maximum-security federal,penitentiary. Among the most notorious prisoners there were Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly and Robert "Birdman" Stroud. The tour was excellent with an audio tour with the voices of actual prisoners and prison guards. The Rock offers breathtaking views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.                              ...

We woke up to find that the power was down all over the area which meant no hot breakfast, not even a cup of coffee was available in Carmel. No point in staying around so we headed to the beach along with half the residents of Carmel and their dogs. We had a lovely walk. We then went on the scenic 17-mile drive around the Monterey peninsula. It took us through Pebble Beach and we dropped into the golf club, some of which we had seen from the beach and enjoyed a welcome if expensive coffee while looking out at the 18th green. We then went down to have a closer look at the golfers approach and putt on the green. They were also being watched by a flock of geese busily pecking around near the green. As we continued our our drive towards Monterey we admired the stunning views of both the sea and the big mansions overlooking the sea. We reached Monterey and headed to Cannery Row, made famous by John Steinbeck. The streets were crowded with people as most of the store...

The old ranching town of Paso Robles, situated in the Santa Ynez Valley is surrounded by over 200 wineries in the rolling hills around the town. We drove to the small town of San Miguel to visit the Mission which was founded in 1797. It was rocked by an earthquake in 2003 but has been restored. However the inside of the church was never repainted and the original artwork can still be seen. On our way back from the Mission we spotted a pumpkin patch among the wineries. Pumpkins are to be seen in all the towns - as decorations and on menus in some form or other.  The drive through the hills around Paso Robles was beautiful and it was lovely to have lunch outdoors surrounded by fields of vines. We spent two nights in Paso Robles and then it was time to move on. We headed west and back to the Pacific Coast Highway. Visibility deteriorated so it took us longer to reach the coast.  View from car.  Our first stop was in t...

We checked out of our hotel and headed to the J. Paul Getty Museum in West Los Angeles. It is situated high in the hills overlooking the city and a  computer-operated tram took us from the street-level entrance to the top of the hill.  View from tram. A unique destination, the Getty Centre combines the modern design of architect Richard Meier, with beautiful gardens, open spaces, and spectacular views of Los Angeles. The art collection is on view in four pavilions and some wonderful late 19th and 20th paintings are on display.  The Getty Centre features several beautifully landscaped gardens including the Central Garden designed by Robert Irwin. We left the Getty Centre and headed to the Pacific Coast Highway and made our way up to Malibu. The views along the way were wonderful.  Paradise Cove, Malibu We had lunch here - beach side restaurant and our feet in the sand. Then half an hour later and unbelievably, we found ourse...

Old Route 66 has its western finish at the edge of the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica on a palm-lined street a few blocks north of the city's landmark pier. We had three nights here to relax after our drive across the country. We walked along the beautiful golden beach and watched the surfers. We hired bikes and cycled along the boardwalk to Venice Beach, heart of bohemian LA and then on to Marina del Rey.                                        Cycle path along the beach. On the way back we passed through the canal section of Venice Beach. A canal in Venice Beach We basically chilled, relaxed at the pool and recharged our batteries for our trip north to San Fransisco.