My mother Nancy and I try to go on a trip together each year. This time, she decided on Pismo Beach, Cambria, Harris Ranch, Elk Grove and Bakersfield. After my extended trip to Colorado last month, I really did not want to go away again so soon, but I would do anything to make my mother happy.
8/9/2016 We left at 10:50 AM and took Interstate 5 to California Highway 57 to Interstate 210 to California Highway 118 to California Highway 126 to Ventura and stopped at Larrianne's Small Wonders for my mother. Once she finished, we drove US 101 to California Highwah 1 and once we crossed over the Union Pacific's Coast Line tracks, I saw a headlight approaching from the north.
Coast Starlight Train 11 south of Guadalupe. We drove to the Spyglass Inn at Pismo Beach and after checking in, I walked along the path above the cliff.
There were not too many viewpoints. We had a good dinner in the hotel's dining room.
After dinner and during "NCIS", I took these pictures from our deck; that is Whale Rock in the foreground.
8/10/2016 We drove to Grover Beach and went to the Rock N' Roll Diner for breakfast which was excellent.
Rock N' Roll Diner in Grover Beach, housed in former Seaboard Air Line lounge car 6605 built by Budd in 1947 and used on the Orange Blossom. It later became Seaboard Coast Lines 5845 then Amtrak 3345.
We drove through Price Canyon then to Los Osos before going to Morro Bay and the main attraction there.
Morro Rock, a 576 foot high volcanic plug located at the entrance to the harbour. The descriptive term morro is common to the Spanish, Portuguese and Italian languages, and the word is part of many place names where a distinctive and prominent hill-shaped rock formation exists. Originally, it was surrounded by water, but the northern channel was filled in to make the harbour. It was quarried from 1889 to 1969, and in 1968, was designated a Historical Landmark.
The area around the base of Morro Rock is open to visitors, with parking lots and paths. Climbing the rock is prohibited due to risk of injury and because it is a peregrine falcon reserve. Morro Rock is one in a series of similar plugs that stretch in a line inland called the Nine Sisters.
The Morro Bay Power Station.
Looking towards the breakwaters.
Morro Strand north of Morro Rock.
The rock as seen as we departed. It was an easy drive to Cambria and we checked in to the Fireside Inn then about two hours later, I went for a walk on the Cambria Boardwalk.
The ocean and scenery during my walk.
The Fireside Inn from the Boardwalk. Later we had a fantastic dinner at the Moonstone Grill and Bar and I slept well.
8/11/2016 After breakfast at the Fireside Inn, we checked out and drove south on California Highway 1 to California Highway 46 to US 101 and filled the car with petrol at Paso Robles. I drove California Highway 46 to California Highway 41 to California 33, which we took to Coalinga and a stop at Dollar General then arrived at Harris Ranch, but our rooms were not ready so went to McDonald's for lunch and waited for 3:00 PM to arrive. We finally obtained our room then at 5:30 PM, went to the Harris Ranch Steakhouse for an excellent meal.
8/12/2016 This day after a McDonald's breakfast, I drove California 198 to California 41 to Fresno and a brief stop, then California 99 to Road 20 1/2, taking my mother on the way we used to go to Winterail when that event was in Stockton. We caught our first train of the day south of LeGrand.
BNSF 5170 East. We stopped at Carl's Junior for lunch in Merced before taking J7 north, then after Denair, I saw a headlight approaching and I crossed at a grade crossing to be on the sunny side.
BNSF 8356 East north of Denair. From here we continued on J7, stopping at the Modesto Amtrak station to pick up a timetable and made our way to Escalon via California Highway 120 to California Highway J9 then north on Jack Tone Road to Seven Mile Road to California Highway 99, exiting at Laguna Boulevard and checking into the Holiday Inn Express. We then drove to my late brother Bruce's home where we met his wife Karla and my nephew Eric. We had a nice chat before meeting my other nephew Adam at the Texas Roadhouse where we all dined. It was good to spend some time with Eric and Adam. Afer that, it was back to the Holiday Inn Express.
8/13/2016 My mother and I ate breakfast at the hotel, checked out and drove back to Escalon where I filled the car with petrol. Just east of town, a westbound BNSF freight passed one in the siding.
BNSF 7888 East at East Escalon. We jumped ahead of him and waited just a few minutes at Plainview Road.
BNSF 7888 East at Plainview Road. We then drove south and at Ballico, found BNSF 7888 East in the siding.
Amtrak San Joaquin 711 at Ballico. We jumped ahead of BNSF 7888 East.
BNSF 7888 East at the Merced River bridge. Since BNSF 7888 East stopped the traffic at all the crossings, we were able to get to Merced quickly, stopped by the Amtrak then went back the same way we had come north and stopped at Carl's Junior in Madera for lunch. We travelled on California Highway 99 south to California Highway 41 to California Highway 201 to Fowler Avenue, taking that to Douglas Avenue, 12th Avenue to Hanford-Aroma Road to 11th Avenue to Kansas Avenue and the grade crossing there.
Amtrak San Joaquin 714 at Kansas Avenue.
Amtrak San Joaquin 715 at Kansas Avenue. We went east to California Highway 43 and followed the BNSF tracks south. At Allensworth, we found the same train we had seen at Stockton earlier this morning, then made it to Sandrini and had two trains for the price of one.
BNSF 6680 East met BNSF 7960 West at Sandrini. We continued south through Wasco and Shafter before seeing a headlight and pulled over at Burbank Street.
Amtrak San Joaquin 717 at Burbank Street. From here we took Santa Fe Road to the Rosedale Highway then checked into the Clarion Inn in Bakersfield and had another excellent dinner at the Hungry Hunter. After dinner, I wrote this travelogue then called it a night.
8/14/2016 After another great night's sleep, my mother and I arose early and following breakfast, checked out then drove home via California 99 to Interstate 5 to Interstate 210 to California 57 to Interstate 5 and then home. It had been a fantastic trip with my mother.
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