Saturday/Sunday 9-10th April

The previous two days were spent at the Kearny Mesa Fuso dealer who has been very helpful resolving the couple of problems we were having, and in the end I was pleased to be on the road again. With our fridge being off for the last two days we topped up the supplies and finally by Saturday afternoon we headed out of San Diego.

Camp 56:  Calico Ghost Town

N34* 56.739  W116* 51.844

Today:  370 Kms

Total: 14,239 Kms.

Sunday was a late night drive into Death Valley where in the dark we found a quiet spot well off the road about 15 kms outside of Furnace Creek.

Camp 57:  IN THE MIDDLE OF NO-WHERE - Trial Canyon Camp

N36* 18.330  W116* 55.552

Today:  370 Kms  (But not correct because of the Nuvi)

Total: 14,239 Kms.

Monday 11th April - DEATH VALLEY

A very busy day visiting the low and high points of Death Valley.

It was strange driving in a salt encrusted desert with snow capped mountains in the background.

Next stop Golden Valley, and  a 2 mile walk through the geological history of the Valley.

Then the normal touristy things of Furnace Creek Visitors Centre, The Borax mine, and Mosaic Canyon, with its polished ‘Marble’ walls.

Turning off onto Emigrant Canyon road and started to climb towards Aguereberry Point.

This road to this vantage point was first made by the gold miner Aguereberry who lived for 40 years at the Eureka Mine at the base of the mountain.

At the view point we had coffee and took in the surroundings.

At 1961 Metres or 6,433Feet and overlooking Death Valley

Our plan was to camp at Mahogany Flats above the old charcoal kilns, built in 1876 to provide fuel for the silver/lead smelter some 40 miles away. However as snow was still present on the grounds around us, we presume that is why the road was still closed.

Now to Plan ‘B’

Some 12 years ago I visited Surprise Canyon to do some serious 4WD’ing with some mates. This included the Rubicon Gorge and Moab...great trip.

Looking at the Death Valley map I see that Surprise canyon is not far from where we are and in our direction of eventual travel, and I would like to show Lyn how crazy we were...thus

Camp 58:  Surprise Canyon Camp

N36* 06.587  W117* 11.049

Today:  203 Kms 

Total: 14,701 Kms.

Tuesday 12th April:

Well, hardly a track it was a serious winch effort, ( 3 winches) double lockers etc etc. One of the toughest tracks in the US. We did it in a vehicle called a Rodger Built (hand built by Rodger) with 44” Boggers. This vehicle went on to win the US tough Tough Truck Challenge in 1999.

There are still the drill holes in the rocks where the winch points were attached...crazy stuff!

I share drove a mates old Unimog over many of these trails, Moab and the Rubicon included, all great memorable stuff.

Just outside of the canyon is the ghost town of Ballarat, named after the Australian gold mining town.

The rest of the day was a drive towards the west coast, where we plan to follow Highway 1 up the coast.

Camp 59:  Beside a creek in the Los Padres National Forest

N34* 41.361  W119* 18.129

Today:  337 Kms 

Total: 15,038 Kms.

Wednesday 13th April:

Was cold this morning, and as soon as we hit the road the low cloud closed in, this meant that we just followed the yellow line for 38miles until we were back on the costal plain at Ventura.

At Santa Barbara it seemed appropriate to lunch on the old wharf. Built in 1872, it is now a tourist haunt complete with seafood restaurants, and that was our fill.

Mud crab and sea food creole in a cob of bread.

With a ‘Property for Sale’ book we then toured the areas of the rich and famous. Most of the houses you could not see because the driveways were so long but it gives you a prospective of what is beyond the front gate.

Prices in the book...most above $2M up to the highest at US$24,000,000

...we kept driving

Well actually..we wanted a house in the hills so headed up into the National Parks behind Santa Barbara and found a quiet place for tonight...and as usual, at no cost

Camp 60: Hill Top Camp

N34* 56.429  W120* 10.216

Today:  241 Kms 

Total: 15,280 Kms.

Thursday 14th April:

Away by 10.30am after doing the preparations for a Chicken casserole in the Dream pot for dinner tonight.

Drove down to the Guadalupe Dune Complex which was closed for migratory birds egg laying.

Lunch was on top of a cliff overlooking Pismo Beach.

Then onto Port San Luis where we walked out on the jetty to the sounds of grunting Sea lions that have set up a sunbathing place below the wharf.

Met some nice people who we chatted at great length to. They also gave us some notes of some forestry tracks around the closure of Highway 1 north of us towards  Big Sur.

Our camp was at Montano De Oro State Park, here we were lucky to see a Bobcat that visited the camp area.

Camp 61: Bobcat Camp

N35* 16.484  W120* 52.911

Today:  148 Kms 

Total: 15,428 Kms.

Friday 15th April:

Started the day with a 5Km walk around the headlands before we hit the road to the Hearst Castle.

Situated in the hills above the San Simeon Bay this very grand home was built by the newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst.

It took over 25 years to construct and was built in a style based on English Castles, Italian Cathedrals, Spanish Mansions and the Roman Ruins.

Stunning beautiful, impressive, and filled with some of the worlds finest antiques.

The swimming pool, fed by pure spring water from mountain springs 5 miles away was back dropped by actual Roman Ruins, purchased in Rome during one of Hearst annual visits to Europe to collect antiques and artefacts.

This is one of the four guest houses that surround the main building, each in a slightly different style.

The bedrooms, decorated with gold leaf ceilings and rare antiques often accommodated royalty, and famous film stars like Charlie Chaplin, Gene Harlow, and Fred Astair.

Punctually each day the guests would assemble in the cocktail lounge when after a while Mr Hearst would appear from his secret door and usher his invites into the formal dining room.

This room was framed with 15th Century choir chairs, even earlier rare carpets, and on the side boards one of the worlds finest silver collections.

After dinner, perhaps a movie in the private cinema then a swim in the underground ‘Romantic Pool’.

The tiles imported from Venice and inlayed with 22Carat Gold.

...now back to reality and the beach at Point Piedras Blancas where thousands of Elephant seals were basking in the afternoon sun.

Our plan was to drive the coast north following one of the most spectacular highways along the Pacific Coast. However for the second time in our travels, landslides have blocked our way. (The first in Tibet).

This will mean a detour inland to find a way around.  Decided to stay in a hotel, must be a bit of that Hearst Castle rubbing off on us

Camp 62: Ragged Point Inn

N35* 46.804 W121* 19.792

Today:  119 Kms 

Total: 15,547 Kms.

Saturday 16th April:

After studying maps, and information from the local newspaper that tells of two landslides, we have a plan to get to the coast. Through some picturesque wine growing areas and back over the hills a couple of times.

Our camp is 17kms shy of the coast so we can do that famous Big Sur drive in the morning sun.

Just have to watch out for rattle snakes in the toilets and Mountain Lions outside!

Camp 63:  Ponderosa State Forest Camp

N35*  59.893 W121* 23.017

Today:  199 Kms 

Total: 15,746 Kms.

Sunday 17th April:

Truly a great drive today. Firstly a good drive down the mountain range towards the coastline then as we approach the coast the cliff face just drops into the sea and the view is ‘wow’ with the morning mist.

With the landslide area not open until 8pm this evening we just ambled our way north following the spectacular coastline.

There was an old house built on this site and then gifted to the State of California so all could see this amazing view.

The landslide was just after the 1932 Bixby Bridge, so here we waited for a couple of hours with this wonderful view in front of us.

We have just been invited for an afternoon drink by a local couple who live up the valley from the bridge so better go now......

This was our view of the Bixby Bridge shrouded in mist as we returned to the now re-opened highway.

Camp 64:  Very Ordinary RV Park Camp

N36* 42.055 W121* 48.197

Today:  155 Kms 

Total: 15,902 Kms.

Tomorrow we head towards Yosemite National Park