On the Road - Day One 04-25-15

I was off early (for me) yesterday and on the 57 Fwy at 9am.  There was a little rain near Gorman and then it sprinkled off and on for several hours.  When I got to Lost Hills I decided to track over to the coast on Hwy 46 (sometimes referred to as the James Dean Hwy because he died when he wrecked his car on this road).  Work has been going on for years to make it safer - two lanes each way with a center divider in some places.  Almost no traffic and the rain stopped somewhere along the way.  I stopped in Pacific Grove for a fabric fix at Back Porch, so I gave some support to the economy; took a look at Monterey Bay, and arrived at Mary's about 5pm.  She made a delicious dinner of loin lamb chops, fresh asparagus and fresh roasted Yukon Gold potatoes.  I also ate the leftovers - so nice to eat home cooked food and Mary is a fabulous cook.   Early to bed, it seemed like a long day, and it is soooo quiet up here in the hills that I slept well. . 

 

After turning onto Hwy 46 I felt like I was out on the prairie with huge schooners of clouds floating overhead. 

The area between I-5 and Hwy 101 is excellent for growing nuts and I drove past miles (literally) of pistachio groves - shown here on the left.

The nuts grow off the branches rather than at the tips of the branches.

And they point upward rather than hanging down.

 

 

The trees are low and I could easily reach the clusters to photograph them.

The leaves are thick and leathery and something has been eating on them, but I couldn't see what kind of bug it is.

More cloud schooners and a lone palm tree that has been planted - not natural to the area.

Then some more very dark clouds and a little spritz of rain.

After feeling (and buying) some fabric I took a little stroll along the Bay where the sun was shining brightly, but a cold wind was blowing.

There is a wide pathway along the water line shared by pedestrians, bicyclers, and pedal cars that are rented nearby.  That is Monterey Bay off to the right.

And here is a view a little further to the right.  It was quite windy, creating white caps.

 

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