Travel Log: Monterey June 11-13, 2016

I took these notes during and shortly after my trip.

COAST STARLIGHT

A middle-aged man on the Metro 460 bus (from Anaheim to Los Angeles) was friendly.  He asked me about the quality of my headphones.  I told them that they were very good for the price.  He also asked me about Santa Monica, Malibu, the recent extension of the Expo line, and other things. In downtown LA, he offered me a free chocolate mint cookie, and I reluctantly accepted after he persisted several times. 

I discovered the Amtrak Lounge and a special checked baggage zone.  Union Station just gets bigger and bigger.  The wife of a couple bound for Eugene, Oregon asked me if I was riding the Coast Starlight.  She remarked that I’d be at my destination the same day, not so for them. 

After checking my folding bicycle, I tried the green tea Frappuccino.  An Amtrak employee (maybe a conductor) was having a spirited conversation with a woman in the line.  She asked about where he lived among other things, this was a fun conversation to overhear.

I was seated next to another bound for Salinas, an older woman who was a true, enthusiastic veteran passenger of Amtrak.  She told me of how she once rode the entire route from LA to Seattle (or the other way around, I forget) with a sleeper car just for the experience.  She also rode the Empire Builder train (Chicago to Seattle), a very beautiful route that is on my to-ride list.   

My first impression of the whole experience was that it was very friendly overall: like being part of the club.  She recommended that I visit the sightseeing car relatively early on.    

Coast Starlight aisle  while passing through tunnel.

Unfortunately, there were a couple of loud, somewhat irritating girls that made the sightseeing car a bit less pleasant for a period of time before I changed seats.  However, it was pretty chill once they had left.

Later on, when I decided to retreat to the café car there was another couple of loud girls.  They were giggling and were not as bad as the first.

The café car attendant asked me, by name, if I wanted free refills of my coffee.  He gave me two free refills by the end of my ride.  He showed interest in my photography. 

Coast Starlight aisle in full daylight.

I watched and listened to many people in the café car toward the end of the trip.  A few asked the attendant about his hours, and how his job worked.  He was also asked where he lived.  Many people needed his help with understanding how the dining car works.

The bus to Salinas had space for thee bikes (two being typical) upfront, with even more allowed on-board. 

The Hostel

I immediately made way to Trader Joe’s for a few groceries.  I bought mostly pizza ingredients. 

The street the hostel was on was unmarked at the intersection of the street I was taking, so I went many blocks uphill out of my way.   

When I finally arrived, the desk attendant quickly informed me that no bikes are allowed inside, and showed me to special bike lockers, although low grade. 

This hostel was also very eco-friendly; you get two shower tokens per night, at least I did.  Each token is good for three minutes.

The night desk man was a cool character.  He had a beanie cap, stringy ponytail, and listened to mellow acoustic guitar music including Pierre Bensusan.  I talked to him a few times at length. 

For instance, I asked him how he got his job there and I remarked about the surprising amount of senior citizens staying there.  He said that he got the job by playing his guitar in public, attracting the attention of the individual who hired him. 

I made a pizza for myself.  It was my first time using a pizza stone, it was really cool that they had one.  Perhaps the best thing about this hostel was the well-stocked kitchen, which had an abundance of gourmet and average quality goods. 

I actually did win some approval from some of the other guests who witnessed my pizza proficiency. 

I experienced restlessness late at night due to anticipation for the day ahead.

Asilomar

Reprinted from my original post.

I started at around 5:20am.  I revisited Pacific Grove’s coast.  Got some nice, moody, crack of dawn shots.  Asilomar was quite nice.  I bought a large coffee from the Asilomar State Conference Grounds workshop, which was on my itinerary.  Took cell phone pictures of the lobby and DSLR pictures outside.

The Asilomar grounds reminded me of the mountains.

Riding back to the hostel through Pacific Grove, I saw a deer on somebody’s lawn.

Big Sur

I rode the bus Down to Nepenthe restaurant, the final stop.  I noticed brake issues, but I made a crude adjustment and managed.

The Pacific Coast Highway had narrow to no separation from motorized traffic.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime ride, as I fear heights and riding long distances without wide bike lanes, sidewalks, or separate paths.  I was riding to McWay Cove, which was probably the highlight of the whole trip, certainly of the day.  Along the way, some Europeans asked me a question about the horizon that I unfortunately could not answer.  The ride was 8 miles each way.  The return ride climbed over 1000 feet in elevation.  A guy from one car yelled out at me, acknowledging that my Big Sur ride was special (whether the good kind or the bad).

Reprinted from my original post.

The ensuing bus ride was one of the most satisfying that I have ever experienced.  The Big Sur bus is a small bus, but it still has bike racks.  They even have a mechanized seat that apparently doubles for the handicapped and bikes.

On the bus ride from Nepenthe to Point Lobos a group of cyclists boarded.  One of them needed the special bike space.  He was asked about his biking by a couple of voluble guys behind me.  Overhearing them, I learned that he was also from Orange County, though he initially resorted to the default LA generalization, which he dislikes.  He spoke about rampant bike theft in Los Angeles, anti-theft, and his hardcore dedication to tough rides.

The guys behind me also talked about how nice the University of California system was, and also how nice the city of Santa Barbara was.  I was secretly pleased on both accounts.

Point Lobos

Unfortunately, the area was gloomy by the time I reached it.  However, there were highlights.  I came across another deer in front of me on the path toward the end of my hike, and we had a moment staring at each other.  I also enjoyed the Whalers Museum.

Reprinted from my original post.

Sandbar

This was an incredible dining experience all around.  I was pretty exhausted from a long day of hiking and cycling with very little food.  Plus, I had to wait, in chilly weather, about an hour for the bus back to Monterey as I had gotten bored of Point Lobos with an ample amount of time to spare.  I went to the Sandbar & Grill because the location was featured in Play Misty for Me.  My one complaint: the two women who sat right outside the window where I was seated for about 10-15 minutes. 

The Hostel 

I got into talking with the night desk attendant and discussed coffee, alcoholic beverages, DMAE, and his musical preferences.  He’s not afraid to disagree.

I had many ingredients in the refrigerator I wanted to use later that night and the next morning.  I put together an overnight experimental cinnamon dough and an experimental overnight pancake batter.

My cinnamon rolls were good, the pancakes less so.  However, I rode through town and went to the Nob Hill grocery store and bought a half-dozen eggs. 

I used up all my mushrooms, the rest of the fresh mozzarella balls, some of the whole grain mustard, and some of the leftover tomato sauce for an omelet.  This one I knocked out of the park, I felt it was honestly worthy of the Sandbar. 

The morning attendant was a robust Mexican character from Salinas.  He made and pushed pancakes while being super accommodating.  He liked the looks of my omelet. 

I checked out, and started the return trip after a brief stop in Mackerel Jack’s gift shop. 

This was the most diverse bunch of people that I have ever encountered at a hostel: there was a Scottish woman, Swedish girls, at least one German, a Spanish or Portuguese family. 

Coast Starlight Return

The Coast Starlight had a couple from Australia.  I overheard them talking with a California native in the sightseeing car. 

Unfortunately, I got no free coffee refills, nor was the atmosphere as friendly.  Overall, I found the return journey to be quite slow.  There were some rambunctious, annoying Asian kids near my seat as well.  I was very happy to get back to LA, but I still had to get to Anaheim. 

From LA to Anaheim

I intended to catch the Metro 460 bus to Anaheim, which would have gotten me home after midnight.  Moreover, I had to take the subway to get to the bus, and I was in a hurry to make the next one. 

At one of the subway stops, a young man expressed curiosity about my folding bike, and some doubts.  I told him that it is easier to ride up hills with the bike, as it is lighter and the smaller wheels require less energy per revolution (he was impressed at how much I had thought this through).  I also shared that I had rode it along Big Sur the previous day, which also impressed him.  Another young man waiting nearby nodded with a smirk, apparently approving of the conversation. 

I ended up missing the bus and stranding myself in LA, unless I got help, after riding the subway to and fro.  I went back to Union Station and called my parents to explain the situation and hope for a ride home.  They came to the rescue.  I decided that I would take the more expensive Amtrak train to Anaheim for the following trip. 

Home was overdue.