When not very far is all you can afford

I started my day off with breakfast at the River Inn where I stayed. They gave me 10% off my breakfast so I had to order two meals so I could save enough to pay for it.

It had rained over night but by the time I was ready to load up the precipitation had stopped. Despite the daily routine of dreadful looking clouds all around I once again had my personal guardian angel providing dry, if not sunny, weather and I remained dry all day. At several of my stops there were bicyclist denouncing that they have been riding in the rain all day for several days. I feel sorry for them but I have no intention of changing places.

Since leaving San Francisco two days ago I have noticed that the price of everything has been climbing each and every mile. Today I paid $2.50 for a 12 ounce can of Pepsi, $19.21 for a 10" pizza, $22.09 for a cold cut sandwich, and $6.95 per gallon for premium fuel, all to add insult to injury for the $240 per night motel room with DSL!

I also stopped at a Śtate park that charged $10.00 for day use so you can take a 1/4 mile hike to take a picture, and $25.00 to see only three of the 100 plus rooms at William Randolph Hearst's San Simeon Castle. I only travelled 86 miles today, and it's probably good that I didn't go further or I may have shattered my budget!

Seriously though, despite the prices, the scenery has been spectacular since leaving Monterrey two days ago. Even with my 8 am breakfast and quick start I made so many stops to take pictures that I didn't get to San Simeon 86 miles down the coast) until 2:30 pm!

My first stop was the Julia Pfieffer Burns State park only a short distance down the coast from Big Sur. the AAA book said there was a wonderful waterfall at the end of a 1.4 mile hike that was well worth the time and energy, and recommended continuing just beyond that for a spectacular overlook view. 

It turned out that the walk was only 1/4 mile, and I suspect that was round trip. The admission was supposed to be $10.00 for day use but there was no one there and, when I pulled my wallet out, the smallest I had was a $50, a $5 and a $1. So I gave them the $6.00 and wrote a note on the envelope apologizing for paying the bill short.

I then walked down along the trail atop the cliff, took lots of pictures, even walked back in the other direction to a remote campsite that sat at the top of the cliff with a view to die for (literally if you are a sleep walker).

 On the way back to the parking lot I saw the ranger (apparently late for work), headed my way at a quick pace. I thought she was coming after me and thought about ditching the helmet and jacket I was carrying so she wouldn't start hounding me, saying "I want my four dollars!". She walked right by me, so maybe I imagined the whole thing. It was a beautiful hike and I took a number of pictures that I can't upload until I get a better connection once I'm back to civilization.

As I stated above I made numerous stops along the way, engaging others in brief conversations periodically. One couple flew to San Francisco, rented his and her BMW touring bikes (motorized), and we're headed to L.A. along the same path I'm on. 

I met a couple yesterday that were north bound on the same tandem cycle that Tom and Chris ride (Go-Motion?). They were headed for Seattle. I commented that it appeared they'd done a few miles before (they appeared well equipped and in top shape) and she said they had pedaled 16,000 miles on that bike.

The restaurant at which I ate lunch (Lucia Lodge) was where I got the $22.09 cold turkey and Swiss sandwich, but it may still have been worth it given the view (okay, it was still over priced, but the view was a partial offset).

By the time I finally reached the Hearst Castle I was able to buy a ticket only for the next to last tour of the day, which showcased the "assembly room, dining hall and chat room, or his version of it anyway where they retired to chat after eating.

 Willy's father made a fortune in mining and bought the original portion of the property for $.75/acre during the civil war. They visited often and used the land as a ranch, camping at the top of a hill. When his father passed away his mother inherited everything so he still had to get Mom's approval to buy or build. But when she passed he was free to do as he pleased. By this time he was 56 and hired one of his mothers architects (actually a structural engineer) to build "a little something" so he wouldn't have to sleep on the ground. 

The pool

He bought the surrounding land (200,000 acres) and Julia Morgan began working "part time and maybe a couple of weekends" for the next 28 years to build and design a place for Hearst to put all his "stuff". A remarkable feat of engineering and homage to the excesses we can can allow ourselves when price is no object.

The cynic in me said he probably owned everything out to the mountains in the backdrop. Found out he owned the next mountains behind that also.

Completed the tour and my bike was still there! Got a room for the night, it's supposed to rain again!

Surf's up Dude!