With plans to spend most of Wednesday in in San Simeon and Cambria, we leave Monterey without our morning coffee!
Fortunately, gorgeous vistas and winding roads are enough to keep us awake
Along the way, we cross several bridges
Though many complain how twisty Highway 1 gets approaching Big Sur, anyone driving a high performance sports car will surely be praising its many virtues (as long as there's good weather, no traffic, and no construction) (Photostitched)
A coworker strongly recommended that we grab lunch or dinner at Big Sur Bakery, but, at this hour, they only serve coffee and breakfast pastries
The bakery's patio overlooks the local gas station
While making a last minute pit stop, Valerie hears the familiar sound of a cat's meow...when she emerges, Marmalade (the bakery's resident feline) greets her
Valerie quickly checks out the neighboring garden and nursery before we depart
After filling up (Valerie and myself, not the car), we're ready to roll
Though the skies behind us look pretty clear...
...we see more fog ahead
At times, fog forms a tunnel that just clears the tops of cars driving along Highway 1 (I wish I had a picture of that)
For the most part, fog limits my photo opportunities
Valerie puts drops in her eyes before we contine south
Though we arrive at Cambria Pines Lodge well before check-in, we can still drop our luggage off at our room
SAN SIMEON - The only reason to stop here is Hearst Castle
We reserved Tour 1 (The Experience Tour), which includes an Imax film about the construction's history and a nearly two hour long guided tour of the property
After watching the informative film, we board a bus bound for the castle
Fortunately, the massive complex rests high above the clouds...I now look forward to getting great photos
After the bus drops our tour group at the top of the hill, our guide leads us up the steps to a fountain
The guide welcomes us, but warns against touching things or taking flash photos inside the well-preserved buildings
As we move along, we pass near the famous Neptune Pool
