Along the El Camino Real...Day 22

It seems like I've been driving too many miles and getting too little sleep - I'm starting to get a little rummy. Today, while driving the last stretch from our dinner location to our hotel, I found myself driving only on instinct...like my conscious self had checked out. I thank the LORD that we made it safely. Don't worry, though; the next few days have a lot less 'highway' driving, as we will be exploring some exceptional national parks here in California, not the least of which is Yosemite.


Our goal today was the Hearst Castle. From our hotel in Victorville, we drove to the coast. That's right, through California traffic to the coast, then up to the incredibly opulent castle that belonged to William Randolph Hearst (1861 - 1951). We enjoyed the tour very much and all the photo opportunities.


Distance traveled: 400-ish miles, but due to traffic, it felt like so much more
Photos snapped: 147
New berry discovered: the olallieberry
Lowest temp: 64 degrees
Tour cost @ Hearst Castle: $24/person
Petit Fours enjoyed: 5
New vegetable tried by Lisa: asparagus*

Worth remembering:
Smelling the oh-so-familiar smell of the Pacific Ocean. *big smile*

An incredibly awesome restaurant in Cambria called Linn's. Recommended by the cashier in the Hearst Castle gift shop, it was a little on the spendy side, but it was OK because we happened to skip lunch today. The food was soooo good after not eating much but some snacks in the car all day. I indulged in the seared Ahi with wasabi and cucumber salad and a olallieberry sparkler (a champagne drink) and Lisa had the most interesting pumpkin seed encrusted salmon - yummmy!

Also worth remembering was driving through Hollywood and Burbank - that was pretty exciting, even if it was only on the freeway. It's a strange thing to recognize so many names having never been there! Also, I loved driving through hundreds and hundreds of acres of vineyards. To say it was beautiful countryside would be a gross understatement, to be sure.

Not worth remembering:
The California gentleman in a black convertable that thought he needed to tell me where to go... *smirk*

Alright, I'm off to bed...I promise. Sleep is not always over-rated, I suppose.

ps. If you don't know what the El Camino Real is, here's a little education...

*She said she liked it! I told her that Paulette's is better, though.