A Silly Grin In Carmel - #17

Friday 20 April

During breakfast we watched TV. This morning there had been a car-jacking on the freeway and police had shut the I-80 down east bound towards Sacramento. Three Swat units were called out. We were OK going westwards. Lucky we didn't stay in Sacramento last night or we wouldn't be going anywhere.

Later that night we heard the the guy had holed himself up in some apartments and set fire to the place. The Swat team had to shoot him to get the Fire dept. guys in. A bit grim.

Nev & I needed our A-game this morning. We were going to go through San Francisco along an interstate and 3 arterial freeways to get to the Golden Gate Bridge! Mr GPS primed and ready, check. Full tank of fuel, check. Bluetooth units fully primed and working, check. OK, let's do this! We are not going to get lost today.

It all went like clockwork, we passed over another toll bridge that was pretty impressive in it's own right. Got $5 to one of the surliest woman in the bridge toll booth I have ever come across. No please, no thank you she just snarled and waved her hand in front of her nose suggesting it was the fumes from my bike? I think it was the truck along side. I just wished her a good day and rode off leaving her to her own bitterness. Nev encounter the same experience.

We came in from the north, (despite me setting Mr GPS to north bound approach?), but who cares. What a sight! As we rolled onto the bridge we saw the famous San Francisco sea mist roll across the bridge. When you ride through it the temperature just drops. We pulled into the other side to pay the $6 toll. What a difference in personal, this smiled wished us a good day and folded the change up into a roll knowing a biker is just going to stuff it in his pocket. Nev & I turned around and went back under the building and went back over again. This way we could go across again and pull into the overlook to take some photos. The bridge looking fantastic, tall and in the sun with fog sort of pouring over the hill and onto the bridge. Plenty of police around and lots of tourists. One lovely young lady who fancied me wanted her picture with us. Happy to oblige. I didn't realise you could could walk it or even push bike it! Quite a structure.

Golden Gate bridge - San Francisco

Biker fan!

A lone Air Force jet patrolled the skies over the bridge and the city. I had heard that this has been the case ever since 9/11.

Thought I might be able to buy a pin but no.

Back across the bridge again heading southbound for Monterey, taking it all in. We were wanting to follow the 1 Pacific H/way all the way to LA and we did to the large part. We headed to San Jose and then hooked across towards Monterey. The road through here was pretty but not in too good a shape. Quite lumpy and bumpy with patch strips of tar the the tyres caught on. We stopped at a spot called Capitola for fuel and the usual WIFI at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf which we discovered to our delight was a chain, not just down from the Custom Hotel. We decided to go a small distance to Carmel to say hello to Clint.

Carmel is almost like a designer town. Very upmarket with expensive shops selling everything from high cost art, designer fashion and expensive restaurants. Nev and I should fit right in here!

I didn't dare run the bikes down through town in case the noise police busted us. We parked the bikes and I walked to an inn to see what the story was. Basically I was out negotiated. Done in fact. Mind you we knew it was going to be more expensive to stay here but thought what the heck! This as our most expensive accommodation to date. It was nice though.

We freshened up and went for a walk among the rich and well to do set.

Boy, there were no old dungers on these streets, all Audi's, (much to Nev's delight), Jaguars, Lexis's, stretch limos and on, and on. Designer doggies with designer accessories. There are pet shops here that I can't afford!

Nev & I had a couple of beers in a pretentious little bar along with some calamari and bread. This would do for tea, we weren't super hungry. Fascinating people watching.

We went for a walk down to the beach. You could see Peeble Beach golf course where they play the US Masters I think? Looked nice.

Carmel-by-the-sea - Peeble Beach in the distance

My first squirrel

AND, I saw my first squirrel! Two actually. Got it on video on the iPhone! Yay, cute little critters! Lots of people out taking in the evening sun on the sand. I can see why this spot is so popular. Clint Eastwood hasn't been the mayor for some time, since 1988 in fact. But he owns a very up market restaurant and hotel called the Mission Range. And a local golf course that you can join for $500,000, they only have 300 members. He also owns a golf course in Las Vegas. He still is very supportive of fundraisers and charities and often holds them at his golf course. I don't think we're going to see him this time around. He is 81 years old now.

We went to the local bottle store and bought one large bottle of Heineken and took it back to our balcony to sip in the dieing light of the day.  A very pleasant end to a good day. We enjoyed our expensive lodgings for the night.  At least we get another free breakfast.