Travel Log: San Luis Obispo-San Simeon Area June 24-27, 2016

Friday

This trip was blessed with the best start of my three Springtime California rail pass trips. I rode my bike to the Orange Metrolink to board the Los Angeles bound train.

I took two backpacks instead of one. This time I was spending a significantly longer time in the area, so that meant more gear. I was excited to have found decent bowling and swimming in the area, so I brought my bowling shoes and my swimwear. Of course, it’s the bowling shoes that necessitated the other backpack.

So, after arriving in Los Angeles, I had ample time to make a Thruway bus connection. Better yet, I did my typical pre-departure Starbucks visit, this time I went with a Venti Soy Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino. 

I didn’t bother checking my folding bike since I figured I’d be doing most of the handling, and I didn’t want to pay extra.

It worked like a charm, I put it by the side of the bus and the driver loaded it. 

The Amtrak Thruway bus had solid general purpose WI-FI and power adapters (as expected/hoped). It was, however, a bit cramped.  Nonetheless, it was a smooth ride with me battling some fatigue from a restless night. 

The bus took us to the Bakersfield Amtrak where I would board the San Joaquin to Hanford, which has a nice long platform, but is otherwise nothing special. Fortunately, the train had plenty of room for over-sized carry-ons on the bottom level. 

In many ways, I prefer the Pacific Surfliner to the San Joaquin.  The Surfliner seems sleeker and newer, perhaps cleaner.

However, I was intrigued by the different layout of the dining car, which had service on the top level (the first train I’ve been on like it). The differences don’t stop there: some of the tables on the San Joaquin are often partially enclosed by glass, giving a vague sense of privacy and stylishness. And the dining car as a whole is longer and more spacious. One drawback is that the hot water costs 25 cents (it’s free on every other Amtrak train I’ve been on). 

The San Joaquin route is lined with groves of agriculture in many spots. When I was in high school I was a roadie for our drum line and we passed through the same region by bus when it was foggy. I love these San Joaquin groves, they are so much better than the central valley’s flat, desolate agriculture.

This was also a very popular and crowded train; I wonder if this is due to summer (probably is).  In Southern California you have to take the Coast Starlight, a superliner, to get to the Bay Area, whereas, San Juaquin Valley area people get passage via a regular train. This unique and relaxing train ride was over far too soon.  

The Amtrak Thruway bus to San Luis Obispo was scheduled to depart 25 minutes later than my ticket said, so I decided to check out if there was anywhere to shop and get some goodies to help pass the wait, and the eventual ride.

I was surprised to see a Grocery Outlet, which took over the Fresh ‘n Easy space in our city, but was yet to open back home.  I’ve been curious to find out what Grocery Outlet chain was like, so the added wait worked out. I bought a Fuji apple, a bag of navel oranges, and an acai-based juice blend for under five dollars. Overall, the store was kind of gross and basic compared to Fresh ‘n Easy (but I was hoping this was more reflective of Hanford than the chain).

Upon finally boarding the Central Coast bound bus, I was pleased to find more leg-room and an overall cleaner feel. Unlike the Bakersfield bound bus, it also had plenty of unoccupied seats.  Rolling through the valley like this was quite serene.

Cal Poly was worth it. I did a game of bowling soon after arrival followed by an impulsive Starbucks visit. I tried to visit the arboretum but failed to make it in time.

After so many photos, I went to the hostel. Check-in was pleasant and the desk attendant was surprised with how prepared I was, in terms of itinerary and supplies. I got settled, then I seem to remember cycling to the pool for a quick swim. Finding the pool was tricky and my swim ended up being very brief. After showering, I decided to do Petra’s Mediterranean Restaurant and Grill.  I had the Gyro pizza minus the gyro, plus artichoke and mushrooms and a side of rice. The rice was pretty flavorless, but the pizza hit the spot. Afterwards, I biked through town to get a sense of it.

Before returning to the hostel for the night, I went to Smart ‘n Final to get some treats, mainly I got watermelon and some bulk Jamaican Blue coffee (my coffee of choice), but I also got bulk flour for a possible homemade pizza.

I snacked on watermelon and coffee while making notes about my trip before heading to bed.  

Saturday

I slept in a little longer than intended. I made some of my own Jamaican Blue Blend coffee and drank some. Another guest with a cool brown ponytail came in and automatically took some. I saw him relaxing in the front lawn at a table with a smile on his face, and the coffee, he must have liked it (I thought to myself).

I made it in time to the public pool for a decent swim.

After the swim, I wanted to try the famed sourdough pancakes.  I saw nothing and got concerned and disappointed. I asked the hostel-keeper what the pancake situation was. He then showed me the batter and the grill, which I hadn’t noticed. I thought breakfast would be a bigger deal like in some other hostels, but it wasn’t. 

On the other hand, there was an older man who worked there who reminded me of Sam Elliot. He had longer grey hair and a somewhat raspy voice. We got to talking about classic movies, and especially compared notes on our appreciation of screen beauties such as Natalie Wood and Katharine Ross.

Anyhow, I liked their pancakes better than my sourdough attempts back home, and I received some good pointers. 

Then I went straight to the San Luis Obispo Farmers Market on the outskirts of town.  Unfortunately, I found it underwhelming in that it lacked the exotic varieties of produce, which is mostly why I go to these.  However, I did get an organic onion with the stem (the way I like them).

Next, I checked out the Madonna Inn, which was close to the Farmers Market. Then I stopped by an electronics store to buy a new memory card to ensure I had plenty of storage for tons of pictures, before heading back downtown and getting an Almond Dream from Bliss Café. Finally, I went to the bus stop.

The San Luis Obispo buses had bike racks in front and back, with room for three in each, as opposed to only one rack up front with room for two, which I am used to. Getting to Morro Bay by the bus is surprisingly painless, due to the lack of stops. 

However, my first stop was actually Montana de Oro via Baywood/Los Osos Valley. Once more, there was some tough biking and hiking to get through. 

Spooner’s Cove was the main point of interest. Conditions were nice but I didn’t experience any moments of scenic nirvana. Incidentally, there was a very cute and sexy blonde I was eyeing for about five minutes [Written May 4, 2018: Actually, looking at my photos, I question my original judgment.]

Eventually, I hurried back to the bus stop so that I could quickly and comfortably get to Morro Bay itself.

I first went to Dorn’s, my parents’ Morro Bay favorite, which just happened to be at the beginning of dinner. I got the Ahi starter with a side of rice. The rice was like the Petra’s rice, disappointing. However, the sesame-crusted Ahi served with soy-ginger and wasabi was better. I actually added the wasabi, some of the tuna (in pieces), and some of the soy-ginger to the rice to kick it up a notch. 

Then I went down to Morro Bay’s main commercial district: Market Street. I got many pictures, and I got asked by an Indian daughter and mother to take pictures of them with their phone.  Eventually, the time came for going back to the bus stop so I could catch the bus en route back to San Luis Obispo. 

My first thing back in San Luis Obispo was to shower and change.  Then I went to Cioppinot Restaurant, where I got the cioppino stock, which came with warmed sourdough bread. Dorn’s supplied bread too, but not warmed. When I first got to Cioppinot, one of the owners told me that his brother caught some salmon down south and that they were featuring it as a special, which was tempting but out of my budget. What I got was good but I wanted more. Overall, it was a fine experience; it just lacked that extra thing to make it magical.

Next, I tried Goshi, a Japanese restaurant next door to Cioppinot. Even though I was only going to get the miso, originally, I decided to have the duck soup since I’ve never had duck before. The duck soup was finally a moment of bliss in a bowl.

From Japanese culinary nirvana I decided to take a series of night shots around downtown since that’s a style I admire but struggle with. However, San Luis Obispo has the right combinations of unthreatening people and beautifully lit shop displays.

Then I went back to the hostel and had some more of my watermelon while journaling, then went to bed. 

Sunday

Sunday morning I woke up early and continued eating my watermelon. I stuck my sweater in the dryer after rinsing it in the sink so that I wouldn’t have to be cold without it.

I headed over to Smart ‘n Final to get cash back for the bus, since I had unwillingly spent the original bus money elsewhere. 

I returned to the hostel and partook in the sourdough pancake breakfast, of which I was now a veteran. I also donated my leftover oranges from the Friday Grocery Outlet visit.

One of the employees offered me a cacao bean, which I took.  He was the same guy who had some of my coffee the morning before, which I explained to him. He enjoyed hearing about it and confirmed that he enjoyed the coffee.

I gathered my things and departed the hostel. I went to Chase bank to make a transfer and then I went to the bus stop. 

The bus transfer in Morro Bay was a smooth, well-choreographed affair. The ride up to San Simeon surpassed my expectations in its beauty and tranquility. 

Upon arrival, I inquired about bike racks, which I learned were to the side of the building. Since I had not checked into the new hostel for time considerations, I had all my extra bags, which I didn’t want to be bogged down with throughout the experience. Fortunately, the racks were mostly out of view and most visitors were too well off to want to steal unattended bags. Yet, I played it safe by putting my most valued stuff in the bag I took and left the rest with the bike.

When I went to pick up my tickets, the attendant offered to move my tours closer together. I permitted this. Then at the gift shop I got my mom a keychain, and one for myself.   

On the bus I was pleasantly surprised, even giddy, at the sudden sounds of music (especially lots of era-appropriate Swing) and Alex Trebek’s voice. It reminded me of the animated DNA video from Jurassic Park, as well as Disneyland experiences. I knew it was going to be a special visit for sure at that moment, if I hadn’t known it already.

The drive up the hilly road was magnificent without being scary.  And I didn’t even realize it when we first arrived at the top because I was looking in the wrong direction. 

Our guide for The Grand Rooms tour was cool and he imparted some interesting information, at least while I was paying attention outside. I knew I would be able to roam the outer grounds freely after the tour. However, they don’t let you roam freely inside, so as soon as we went indoors I tuned out the guide so that I could try to plan and position myself for whatever shots I could get. Unfortunately, it was a huge group, and I imagine it is the most popular, which meant my photos on this tour were frustratingly limited. Another unfortunate factor was the ambient darkness of most of the rooms. Making matters more stressful was the fact that there was a tour on our heels, so that I had even less wiggle room to get pictures.

However, my ensuing Upstairs Suites tour was quite intimate, less than ten people including myself. This tour also featured brighter and smaller rooms, making them more conducive to my equipment and the time available. Finally, there was no other tour on our tails. In fact, the guide even had a nice chat with me before parting ways. She expressed mild interest in my photography and we discussed the heat wave and I told her this was like summers back home in Orange County.

I took most of my self-guided outdoor pictures after the second tour. Standing at the edge of the property, it was impressively and eerily quiet. I couldn’t hear the tours going on above or much of anything except for the faintest of traffic from the highway. It was a true taste of San Simeon Zen, which was exactly why I’ve wanted to take this trip for years. 

At the water lily pond, another guide inquired about my stereo lens system, which I talked with her about for a bit. She informed me that she had a View-Master as a child in response to me sharing that View-Master scenic reels are my inspiration for my trips and photos. In all, about five people commented on my stereo lens system while at the Hearst Monument. 

I soon made my way to the outgoing buses. Even though I was thinking I was done, I almost forgot that the Roman Pool was perhaps the one feature of the property that I wanted to see most. Indeed, it was a marvelous sight to behold, especially with part of the pool veering off into its own secluded, unreachable section. 

Once again, on the way down I enjoyed the sounds of Swing and Alex Trebek. At one point the bus stopped, and I noticed that there were elk, of all things, roaming the hills, many nestled in the shade of a tree. That took the whole experience to yet another level, like throwing in a wild animal safari.

I was eager to get to the theater so that I could view the large format Designing the Dream. I missed the time that I was aiming for, so I had to wait a half-hour or so.  I decided to start transferring my images from the SD card to my tablet so that I could then clear it and reuse it; I had already taken many photos and didn’t want to be out on the road when my card became full. 

It was during this down time that I discovered the Observation Deck, which reminded me of the observation deck scene from North by Northwest. At this point I thought I had seen it all, but then I saw a family walk into a door marked “Exhibit”, which I thought was closed to the public. However, there is a modest museum tucked away in plain sight, which serendipity allowed me to find, thanks to missing my intended show time for the movie.

The movie itself relied a little too heavily on reenactments for my taste, and didn’t feature enough archival material. I would love to see a Ken Burns (style) documentary on this subject.  However, it was still a treat, further enhancing the experience. 

After the movie, it was finally time to leave. Fortunately, my less valuable stuff was still there with my bike. I headed toward the elephant seals next, which had me pedaling against an intense headwind. However, I had to make it since I gave an old high school friend my word on Facebook. It was a neat experience.

I then turned back south with plans of exploring the rest of San Simeon and maybe Cambria. First, there was San Simeon village, which was a neat, somewhat hidden gem. I skipped the Hearst Memorial Beach. I made it to San Simeon State Park, but passed it rather quickly as well.

I then made it to Moonstone Beach, where I took some more time to take photos, after which I headed straight to The Bridge Street Inn. I expected an older couple to be running it, so I was surprised by the younger, European-accented woman. Once again, there were plenty of families and older people. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that I was upgraded to a private room at no additional charge. 

The town of Cambria is almost too idealistic, as there are no major grocers (or any major corporate business except for the Chevron gas station). However, I found Cambria to be incredibly peaceful and safe at night. I bought a string cheese at the late-night convenience market for use on a pizza. 

A few things stood out about the above market experience. First, I asked if they had candy corn. She said, “No,” and suggested that was a Halloween thing. I informed her I can get it year round where I come from. Then, there was the case of the loudly laughing middle-aged women who could be heard blocks away. At one point, a man with long dark hair came in to get some beer and he rolled his eyes and shook his head at the sound of these women, and he gave me a glance while doing this, as if I was on the same wavelength as him. Honestly, I found the women amusing, especially because they enabled his annoyed reaction. But we both had to wondering, “What the hell was so funny?”

Unfortunately, while preparing my meal plan for the night, I realized that I left the Farmers Market onion at Hostel Obispo.

I mixed and covered my pizza dough and a waffle batter that night, but I fell asleep rather quickly, so I had to use it in the morning. 

Monday

I slept until after 6am. I hoped to get a pre-dawn start in order to get sunrise shots. Disappointment aside, I proceeded to make my pizza and waffles from my overnight dough and batter. I also made simple syrup in absence of maple being available.  The pizza was one of my worst, but the waffles were surprisingly solid given limited ingredients.

Toward the end of my cooking, one of the other residents stepped into the kitchen and greeted me.  He commented on my waffles, “That’s the way,” and he eventually acknowledged my unusual morning pizza.  He started the coffee machine and poured himself a cup. 

After he left, an older woman stepped in and started stretching.  I believe she got coffee too.  She was impressed by my homemade food.

I mentioned my plans to go home on the train to the man with the coffee, which prompted him to ask me whether I had the stops memorized.  I hadn’t but I mentioned Lompoc, which he liked the sound of.  It turned out that he was a hardcore, long-distance cyclist, and he was looking for a back-up plan should his planned ride from Cambria to Santa Barbara turn out to be too difficult.  He told me that running into me was serendipitous, which I can fully relate too. 

He eventually left, wearing his cycling gear.  Then it was me and the older woman.  The older woman eventually introduced me to her, presumably, grandchildren.  She boasted about my homemade pizza, and the boy asked if I was a chef.  I said, “No, but I do a lot of cooking.” 

The older woman wanted to make oatmeal for the kids with the custom blend provided by the hostel. She apparently was not well-practiced in the kitchen since she asked for my guidance.  I talked her through a rudimentary procedure and then left to prepare for my own (very different) bike ride. When I came down, the oatmeal was apparently finished, and she asked me if I wanted to try some. I said, “Not really,” but I took a spoon to taste it, and expressed that it turned out quite good. Another middle-aged woman gave me a look of approval as I started to leave.

I started the morning out by visiting Fiscalini Ranch Preserve.  It was a popular spot for dog-walking, especially little cute dogs. I walked the Bluff Trail for about a mile or so before deciding it was time to move on. Then I rode back to Moonstone Beach to get the shots I didn’t have the time or light to get the night before. 

After Moonstone it was already time to return to the hostel and check-out. I had more coffee before leaving.

After leaving, I took photos of buildings on nearby Main Street while passing time before the scheduled bus arrival. When I went to the bus stop, an older man already sitting there noticed my folding bike and initiated a vigorous conversation with me about bikes (incidentally, another older man in a cowboy hat asked me about my folding bike, too). Eventually, upon seeing my stereo lens system, he also talked with me about lenses, and told me that he used to be a gaffer/grip for corporate videos and commercials (and a few movies). When the bus came he insisted upon taking the bike space in the back of the bus, which I was already in the process of doing.

Upon returning to San Luis Obispo, I headed to the Veteran’s Memorial, which I had passed on Friday going from Cal Poly to the hostel. Afterwards, I headed to Jamba Juice to get a nice, big and refreshing drink to start off my Amtrak journey. On the way to the Amtrak I decided to stop by the hostel and ask about my onion. At first, I was told by a painter that they were closed. I said that I was there the day before and was there to ask if they found something. He said that I could ask the guy inside. I instantly recognized the guy inside as the guy who’d had some of my coffee and gave me the cacao bean. When I asked him about the onion, he first expressed no awareness of it. As I started to leave, he asked if it was a leek. I said it was indeed like a leek, so then he started searching the refrigerator. After a few seconds of searching he found it. 

He commented, “Now you have a nice snack for the train,” with a smile, which amused me. I assured him that I’d be cooking with it at home, and that I got Jamba Juice for the train. I thanked both of them and left. I was unreasonably happy to have the onion back, which was my San Luis Obispo trophy. It also worked out well since it received refrigeration that it otherwise would not have had if I’d taken it upon checking out.

At the station, I was surprised to realize that our train was an older model. I had to hand my bike to the conductor on an old-fashioned freight-styled car. Furthermore, the bathrooms were very different. None of the water dispensers had cups, and one didn’t dispense water. The biggest difference was that it was not a double-decker. At least the WI-FI was good.  The conductor was also rather standoffish. 

I wrote some more travel notes and I watched some documentary video about tycoons like William Randolph Hearst on the way back to Anaheim. Overall, it was a nice end to a successful trip.