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Published: April 24th 2010
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April 18th We packed out in the morning while the party people were waking up and cleaning up there mess. I fell asleep shortly after leaving Solvang, CA, which is just outside Lake Cachuma. Solvang is a pretty neat little village, and it claims to be the Danish capitol of the USA. It reminded me of Colonia Tovar, a Germanic village in the rainforests outside of Caracas. All the restaurants and cafes, book stores and inns are named things like Mortenson’s Bakery or The Copenghagen Inn. So it was nice to stop there and get a couple Danish pastries and croissants before heading for the coast.
We drove to Highway 1, which is probably one of the most beautifully scenic drives in the entire US of A. The coast of California (and a large portion of western USA) really is a sight to behold because it’s in such pristine condition, with much of it preserved with National Parks and/or Forests and State Parks and Forests. A lot of my photos don’t even do it justice, it really is must see nature and wildlife.
A great surprise after waking up was a sign that said “Elephant Seals: Next Left”.
Mortenson's Bakery
For my Danish buddy named Morten! That woke me right up! I couldn’t really believe we were going to see some elephant seals, I thought I might be having another one of my National Geographic dreams or something, so I had to ask my Dad if they were really there and if it was the season for them to be on shore. Sure enough they were there and it was spectacular. You could hear them “barking” or whatever sound it is that they make. Hundreds of them of all sizes and colors, it really was awesome. There was some other wildlife near the shore (as well as some old school MG vintage cars!) but the real show were the elephant seals. You can see a video that I recorded of the seal-scattered beach
here. Just down the road from the elephant seals was the Hearst Castle. I didn’t get to see it up close but we stopped in the visitor’s center and had a look around. William Randolph Hearst was quite a wealthy man (I forget how he got so rich), and with all his money he decided to build a castle. Not just any castle, but one that rivals any of Napoleon’s or Ceasar’s.
I’m talking about gold plated Roman swimming pools, huge gardens the size of a city block, and a view that would have made the god’s of ancient Greece jealous. (Only joking but seriously it is quite the complex!). Next time I will take the tour, hope you like the photo I got of it!
It was after leaving the castle visitor center that the scenery really became majestic, something from a movie. Actually, some of the coast line reminded me of the movie Goonies, the part at the end where the pirate ship comes out of the cove! I can explain it but I’ll let the photos do the talking. Like I said before, it really is a sight to behold and one I’d like to see a few more times before the end of my lifetime. Unfortunately the two hour drive up to Big Sur from Hearst Castle had to come to an end, but at least it was at a great camping spot my father had reserved for two nights! We setup the tent, took a look around and then headed down to the pub for a Guinness before returning to the campsite and getting some shut
eye. We needed some good rest for the next day, a day full of hiking and more amazing scenery…
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David Corral
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nice trip
Very nice trip Brendan! I enjoy following your steps!! que siga todo muy bien!