Perfect Weekend!

You could not ask for better weather out here this weekend. It was close to 70, no wind... lots and lots of sun.

It was a lot of fun.

I took a drive....


Well it wasn't in the 70's the whole time. It was down right cold in the morning. We went to the Porsche parts place called Part's Heaven in Hayward. I had been meaning to get down and get a few exterior pieces for the car that I had either lost or they fell off the car over the years. I got new plastic lug nut caps and finally replaced the jack hole cover on the passenger sign. That is the dirtiest window you will ever see on one of my cars. I don't like washing this car because of the rust factor. It was awesome. We went down to Hayward then back up through Livermore than into Lodi for a party. Mostly in a T-Shirt the whole time.

Stevenot Winery

This morning we said, "Ah... what the heck... Let's go for a ride again...." So we went up to Starbucks then over to Twisted Oak for some wine. Then we took off up to Sheep Ranch from Murphys. It was warm so we popped the top off and did some hard riding through the hills. The car ran great all the way. Very, very fast... smooth handling... no issues. I have past up the car in age...:)

Heading into Sheep Ranch, which I think has like 45 people there... I expected to encounter, well some sheep...
Unfortunately all I could find was this field full of liberals. Well... we sped through Sheep Ranch down over to Railroad Flat near where Charles Ng and Leonard Lake killed all of those people and buried them in the 80's. It's one of the few things people know Calaveras County for.

Another unfortunate thing... I didn't stop and take more pictures. We jetted down from Railroad Flat through Glencoe and over to Mokolumne Hill. The locals are nice. All the roads have pretty much a rural speed limit of 55 mph and that is cool but a lot of these roads you would be an idiot if you went that fast. However, I can get on it and get down those hills quickly... never really leaving from 2nd and 3rd gear. The old folks actually got out of the way.

After getting through Moke Hill, I got on Paloma Rd and headed down through Campo Seco back over to my house. I actually need to get some pictures of Campo Seco so I can actually truly show my readers there actually is a Chinese Ghost Town up here.

What a fun ride... Perfect weather, not cold and not warm... Just perfect. Smoked a lot of turns and had perfect control. And my little car ran great. I could have sat in bed all weekend. I could have sat at home on the couch or finished hanging shelves in my garage but why? Nothing was more relaxing before a big travel week.

Saw Gran Torino too... Racing cars and Eastwood movies... Now that is living.

How To Wear Yourself Out...

Above is a slide show of my current trip to Carmel so far.

I got down here yesterday. Almost all of the pictures except for the Spy Glass Clock are from yesterday.

Carmel, to me, is probably what heaven is going to look like if I get there. Pleasant weather. A candy store with 40 types or so of Licorice and a German restaurant that serves sauerbraten. I ate in excess last night at that place... let me tell you.

The beach is full of kids having fun, adults being laid back and a lot of dogs running around. I think I spotted a couple of dudes tucked away in a cove having their "first kiss". It seemed to me that they were hiding for a reason.

I walked all the way up and down the Carmel Beach sneaking as close to Pebble Beach Golf Course's 9th fairway as I could. I got way up near the out of bounce line and took photos. Probably the closest I will ever get with cost running up around $500 to play there. I am amazed at how blue the water is.

When walking back, I had some mild entertainment watching some kids. This girl, probably on a dare since the water is probably in the 50's, ran in to it with her bikini. It was kind of interesting.

I met a lady practicing yoga. She was meditating a bit and was alert enough to shout hi and wave at me. I thought about how peaceful it was for her.

I am thinking about heading down the beach again this afternoon. It seemed so peaceful and I briefly experienced no pain for that two hour walk. Something amazing to me and that blue water seemed so serene lapping back and forth on the coast.

Today, I went through 17 mile drive. I am not in pain as much today but I cannot get moving easily. My legs are dead. I am not sore, just very fatigued. Like I have walked 10 miles or so when I haven't.

My first stop was at Pebble Beach Golf Course. I like to live vicariously through those that can actually afford to play there. Pebble Beach is located within 17 Mile Drive. 17 Mile Drive is a public road that costs $9.25 to drive through. Pebble Beach is like a mini city. It has clothing shops and food for the tourists in a small area in the Lodge and around it. You also can walk out and take pics of the 18th hole which I did. There is a couple of banks, a grocery store... a gas station... There is a 9-hole which only costs $20 bucks which I may play tomorrow to say I played Pebble Beach.

I drove a little further to the Ghost Tree and the end of Carmel Bay. There were these rocks passed the "Do not cross this fence or you will die" markers. This two kids were out there. And this boy climbed passed me... he is like 11 or something. His sister is like, "Don't go out there! It's not safe" in this lovely British accent. He is all, that man is out here. She is all... "But he's a grown up!" I finally go... Yes, I am a very stupid grown up. Do not do as I do. I ask the little girl where she is from. She is from Nottingham England, like Robinhood. I reminded her that Robinhood was make believe and that she was real. She didn't get it. Asked if I had ever been to England. I told her where I had been, finishing with Liverpool. She asked if I was for Liverpool or another team. I was kind of shocked that she asked. I told her Americans followed Soccer like the Brits followed Baseball.

Anyhow... I drove along the beach stopping at various places and had lunch at the Spyglass Golf Course Grill. This is another course, after playing it on Xbox I would love to play. Looks so challenging and hard. I stared down the 9th fairway. It is amazing how steep it is. I took a few more shots and headed out around back to Carmel.

Such a fun place. I had a drink in a bar formerly owned by Clint Eastwood. He was mayor here in the 80's. What a job! This town is full of old people who have probably been retired here for 20 years. What an amazing place to retire. The young people working the coffee shops have the life. It is totally laid back without pressure. A bit more traffic than I like but I like it a lot down here.