Tag Archives: Elks Lodge

Still Beach Bumming at Pismo (Elks Lodge 2504 – Oceano / 5 Cities, CA)

We spent the day (Thursday) bumming around the Pismo Beach area while we’re still parked at the Oceano / 5 Cities Elks Lodge.

Screen Shot 2015-11-19 at 10.13.14 PM

IMG_3827

Here’s a little history about the lodge from their website:

Many years ago, probably in the 1940’s, there was a real estate office located on the corner of Highway 1 and what is now Pier Ave., just up from the Lodge. It’s unique design included a three story tower that Harold Guiton, the developer, used to enjoy relaxing in.  When it was no longer needed, the office was torn down, however, the tower was moved to a vacant lot across the street from the Lodge where it laid for several years.  In the early 1950’s the tower was incorporated into a new drive-in built across the street.  The drive-in was called Skipper’s.  Built separately up the street was a bar, called The Sands. Eventually Skipper’s closed until a local cook leased the building. He added a dining room and opened a Mexican restaurant called Spanish Seas.  He eventually built his own restaurant on the corner of Highway 1 and Pier.  This popular restaurant is still going strong, now called Juan’s Cantina.  After the Spanish Seas moved, the building and the bar next door sat vacant until a few men looked into opening an Elks Lodge in the Five Cities area.  They eventually got the charter and leased this property on a lease-buy agreement.  The 564 charter members were initiated on March 23,1974 at the Arroyo Grande High School.

Our Lodge, located within easy walking distance of the beach, and with a large RV area, is a popular place to visit. We currently have just over 1200 members. We have many activities on the calendar and many ways to volunteer.

IMG_3826

After breakfast we walked the beach again and enjoyed the day.  Later on we drove around the area to check things out and stocked up on some groceries.  Then we walked around the beach some more:

IMG_6099

IMG_3803

IMG_3805

IMG_3806

IMG_3811

IMG_3813

IMG_3814

IMG_3816

Stilla stayed on the beach walking ‘Coach’ while I did a little wading.

IMG_3819

IMG_3822

 

IMG_6138

We closed out the day at the Pismo Beach Pier.

IMG_3830

IMG_3839

IMG_3840

Out on the wharf.

IMG_3842

IMG_3844

We’ll probably head on south today (Friday).  Check back to see where we end up…

IMG_6131

 

 

Beach Bumming (Elks Lodge 2504 – Oceano / 5 Cities)

We left the Camp Roberts FamCamp around 10:30 and headed south on Hwy 101.  About 60 miles later, we pulled off into the Pismo Beach area and got onto Hwy 1.

Screen Shot 2015-11-18 at 9.07.12 PM

Just south of Pismo Beach, the GPS routed us to Elks Lodge 2504 (←link) Oceano / 5 Cities.

IMG_3723

We checked in and paid $25 per night for two nights.

IMG_3721

We’re only two blocks from the beach.

IMG_3725

IMG_3726

We spent the rest of the afternoon just driving around at the beach and dune area.  Then we parked and enjoyed the sun.  It was a little brisk with a light wind but otherwise warm.

IMG_3727

IMG_3744

IMG_3742

IMG_3747

IMG_3750

‘Coach’ really enjoyed the beach and couldn’t understand why the birds didn’t want to play 🙂

IMG_3758

IMG_3759

IMG_3762

We watched the sun go down before we went back to the Elks Lodge for a Salisbury Steak dinner.

IMG_3771

IMG_3783

IMG_3789

IMG_3793

We’ll hang out here until Friday, then southwards again…

Alpine Friends; Family Reunions; & Sad Goodbyes (Elks Lodge 522 – San Jose, CA)

Sunday was another great day of get-togethers and reunions.  It was also our last day here.  First of all, we drove over to visit with fellow Alpine Coach owner’s and friends John & Marlena Schierholtz.  They live in the San Jose area.

IMG_5648
Older photo of John & Marlena Schierholtz in front of their Alpine Coach.

We navigated our way over to their wonderful home from the San Jose Elks Lodge RV Park where we’re still parked.

IMG_5601

IMG_5651
John Schierholtz.
IMG_5652
Marlena Schierholtz.

We greeted John and Marlena with hugs and spent a short time catching up before we went out for breakfast together.

Check out the cool 21-window bus that John has in the garage.  Nice…  I think John should set this up to tow behind the Alpine. 🙂

IMG_5603

John & Marlena took us to breakfast at Alice’s Restaurant located on a hilltop in scenic Woodside, CA “where you can get anything you want” according to their website.  Sometime during the 1960’s the restaurant was bought by Alice Taylor who renamed the restaurant after herself and the now famous Arlo Guthrie song of the same name.

IMG_5614

It was a cool day with gusty winds – especially on the hilltop where the restaurant is located, but that didn’t deter a few bikers from getting out.

IMG_5612

This popular restaurant was busy and we had to wait for seating.

IMG_5615

None of the customers wanted to sit at any of the outside or open porch tables because it was too cold and windy.

IMG_5616

Notice the huge redwood tree growing through the deck.

IMG_5617

We found seating at the bar and enjoyed a good breakfast with good company.

IMG_3693

IMG_3694

Afterwards. we visited the gas station / gift shop next to the restaurant.

IMG_5629

IMG_5624

IMG_5620

IMG_5621

IMG_5623

This time, I found a cool t-shirt to add to my inventory.

IMG_5622

We took the scenic route back to their house and stopped at a nice viewpoint along the way.

IMG_5636

View of the San Francisco Bay.

IMG_5631

IMG_5639
Marlena, John, and Stilla.

We spent some more time visiting with John & Marlena at their house before we said our ‘see-ya-laters’ with hugs and handshakes.  It was great getting to spend some time with them during our stay here… we hope to see them again at the next Alpine Coach “Desert Rat Rally” in Quartzsite, AZ in January.  Thanks for everything John & Marlena… see you soon!


We made it back to the Elks Lodge with just enough time to pick up our little dog Coach so we could continue over to my cousin Philip and Tina’s house for our previously scheduled 5 PM dinner date.  We made it just in time for the arrival of the pizza, pasta, and salad dinner.  Here’s cousin Beth (below) performing delivery duty.

IMG_5654

We enjoyed the rest of the evening with family at Phil & Tina’s wonderful home.

IMG_5656
(L to R) Keith, Faith, Nathaniel, and Philip.
IMG_5653
Daria and Anya.
IMG_5657
Nathaniel.
IMG_5665
(L to R) Tina, Aunt Donna, and Beth.

The girls (Daria, Faith, and Anya) had to finish up some homework before they could play. 🙁

IMG_5666
(L to R) Daria, Faith, and Anya.

IMG_5668

IMG_5669

We closed out the evening with some board and dice games…

IMG_5670

while the girls talked in the living room.

IMG_5672

It was another great family get-together that we were privileged to be a part of!  Thanks again to Keith & Beth, Phil & Tina, and Aunt Donna for putting up with us and showing us around 🙂  We hope to get back this way again soon.

We’re finally going to continue our drive south today (Monday) with the goal of getting to Casa Grande, AZ before thanksgiving.  Check back to see where we end up next…

IMG_5148

Natural Bridges; Butterflies; & The Mystery Spot (Elks Lodge 522 – San Jose, CA)

This morning (Saturday) we got picked up at the San Jose Elks Lodge by my cousin Beth and her husband Keith.  They offered to act as our tour-guides for the day and take us to see the Monarch butterflies in Santa Cruz Natural Bridges State Beach.  We also planned to check out the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz while we were there.

IMG_5392
Cousin Beth & Keith.

We left little dog ‘Coach’ in the Coach since we planned to be back before suppertime.

IMG_5393

We made good time getting to Santa Cruz on CA-17 and parked on the street opposite the Natural Bridges State Park (←link) parking lot, therefore saving ourselves the parking fee.  It sure is great to have local tour-guides! 🙂

I took a picture of Stilla, Cousin Beth, and her husband Keith in front of the entrance sign…

IMG_5394

then Keith returned the favor and took a rare photograph of Stilla and I.

IMG_5395

Informational placard at the entrance to the State Beach.

IMG_5396

The park website says that the Monarch Grove in the state beach park provides a temporary home for up to 100,000 Monarch butterflies.  From late fall into winter, the Monarchs form a “city in the trees.”  The area’s mild seaside climate and eucalyptus grove provide a safe place for monarchs to roost until spring.

We took the Monarch Trail in search of butterflies.

IMG_5405

IMG_5397

We came across the strangest tree while walking the trail.  The tree had grown onto itself… don’t recall seeing that before.

IMG_5398

IMG_5399

We continued down the trail in search of butterflies… if anyone told me years ago that I’d be doing that  – I’d call ’em crazy 🙂

IMG_5400

IMG_5404

We reached the boardwalk area of the trail:

IMG_5456

IMG_5457

And we soon found the butterflies… they were hiding behind all the people:

IMG_5454

A lot of folks take their butterfly watching seriously; there were people with telescopes, binoculars, and cameras with telephoto lenses…

IMG_5414

IMG_5415

This guy really got down with the butterflies (literally) 🙂

IMG_5417

IMG_5418

Informational placards:

IMG_5458

IMG_5453

We sat down with Beth & Keith to enjoy the show.

IMG_5431

More informational placards:

IMG_5428

IMG_5429

IMG_5432

And some pictures of Monarch butterflies:

IMG_5419

IMG_5421

IMG_5422

IMG_5425

IMG_5439

IMG_5434

IMG_5435

IMG_5441

IMG_5446

IMG_5452

After getting our fill of butterfly watching, we walked over to the visitor center.

IMG_5459

IMG_5460

There were a few neat “live” displays in the visitors center:

IMG_5468

IMG_5467

OK, this one (below) wasn’t “live” but the caterpillars (above) were.

IMG_5466

Beth aced the ‘Monarch Madness Quiz’ on the wall of the visitors center.  I missed a few of the questions 🙁  But in my defense, Beth is a teacher by profession.

IMG_5464

And as we have all come to know; all visitor centers have their exits through the gift shop:

IMG_5461

IMG_5462

IMG_5463

IMG_5465

We walked down to the beach from the visitor center:

IMG_5469

IMG_5526

IMG_5497

It was a really nice beach.  We hung out for a while.

IMG_5473

IMG_5508

Here’s the only remaining natural bridge (below) that the beach was named after.  There were originally three of these.

Wikipedia® (←link) says that wave erosion carved the arches and then cut away the cliffs leaving only islands. Of the three original arches only the middle one remains. The outermost arch fell during the early 20th century and the inner arch collapsed during a storm in 1980.

IMG_5471

Here’s a few ‘action’ pics of the waves breaking on the arch:

IMG_5477

IMG_5479

IMG_5480

I even got a chance to get my feet wet while we checked out the beach.

IMG_5474

IMG_5481

IMG_5525

IMG_5505

IMG_5506

We watched some younger folks that seemed to be going through some sort of initiation ritual, possibly a college fraternity.

IMG_5498

IMG_5500

IMG_5501

IMG_5509

IMG_5511

 

IMG_5512

IMG_5513

We headed over to the Santa Cruz Wharf for lunch.  You may recall that Stilla and I met an old Army buddy of mine here last Tuesday, I wrote about that in this post.

We had a great seafood dinner at Gilda’s:

IMG_5528

IMG_5529

IMG_3689
Lunch at Gilda’s on the Santa Cruz Wharf with Keith & Beth.

After an awesome lunch we drove on over to the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot.

IMG_5530

IMG_5537

IMG_3690

The Mystery Spot is a ‘gravitational anomaly’ located in the redwoods outside Santa Cruz according to their website.  Check out what Wikipedia® says about this place by clicking HERE.

IMG_5597
Car covered in Mystery Spot bumper stickers seen in parking lot near entrance.

The entrance fees were pretty reasonable.

IMG_5540

IMG_5542

IMG_5554

Our tour-guide led us up the hill after entertaining us with a lot of ‘tongue-in-cheek’ humor.

He demonstrated that a couple boards laid out on the concrete slabs were level…

IMG_5544

then he asked for volunteers to stand opposite each other and take note of who is taller than the other…

IMG_5547

then he had the volunteers switch sides… and to everyone’s amazement; the person on the downhill side would ‘magically’ appear to be taller.

IMG_5548

A couple other volunteers tried it out as well:

IMG_5550

IMG_5552

Beth & Keith checked out the ‘anomaly’ after the crowd left… I’m unsure of the result!?!

IMG_5555

We marched up the steep concrete walkway.

IMG_5556

Our tour-guide demonstrated some more ‘anomalies’ outside the tilted shack that he said slid down the hill to it’s present position… not quite sure I believe that one, do you?

IMG_5557

Here (below) he demonstrates how a cue ball appears to roll uphill away from the shack.  He demonstrated the same thing by pouring some water onto the board as well.

IMG_5559

IMG_5560

IMG_5562

Then we got to play around in the tilted shack:

IMG_5563

IMG_5570

This heavy metal ball (below) was suspended from the ceiling.  It was harder to push away from the wall than it was to push towards the wall from its natural level position.  Weird, huh?

IMG_5573

IMG_6057

IMG_5576

IMG_5578

I was climbing the wall (literally).

IMG_5583

IMG_6059

We got one more demonstration regarding ‘perspective’ and some more bad jokes from our nice tour-guide, then he passed out bumper stickers.

IMG_5587

At the end of the tour, we made the trek back down to the bottom of the hill… much easier going down 🙂

IMG_5589

IMG_5590

And then we did a quick tour of the gift shop:

IMG_5591

IMG_5592

IMG_5593

IMG_5594

IMG_5595

IMG_5596

After that unique and interesting experience, Keith & Beth drove us back to the Coach.  We made pretty good time with not too much traffic.  What a great day… I have to give Beth & Keith an A+ tour-guide rating.  Maybe they should look into starting a side business as local tour-guides 🙂

We made plans to get together again for dinner at my cousin Phil’s house on Sunday evening.  Check back for more on that…

 

 

17-Mile Drive; Pebble Beach; Carmel Mission (Elks Lodge 522 – San Jose, CA)

Friday morning we drove over to my cousin Phil’s house in San Jose and transferred ourselves to his car for another fun-filled tourist day of sight-seeing.  But this time we have a local tour-guide (my cousin Phil)!

IMG_5122

We drove south on 101 towards Carmel.  But along the way, we stopped in Monterey for lunch at the Turn 12 Bar & Grill.

IMG_5128

This place had a cool motor-sports vibe and motorcycle motif going on.  Their website says it is designed to pay homage to Laguna Seca Raceways 11 turns.  I liked it.  And lunch was good too!

IMG_5124

IMG_5127

IMG_5126

IMG_5125

We did a short drive through Monterey and headed over to the north entrance to 17-Mile Drive.

IMG_5129

17-Mile Drive (←link) is a scenic road through Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula in California, much of which hugs the Pacific coastline and passes famous golf courses, mansions and scenic attractions, including the Lone Cypress, Bird Rock and the 5,300-acre Del Monte Forest of Monterey Cypress trees.

17-mile-map
Red arrow depicts north entrance where we paid our $10 for the privilege of going down 17-Mile Drive.

We drove south along the coastline and finished in Carmel.  We didn’t do the inner coastal road.  Maybe another time…

Here’s another good map that I found on a “Pin It” site courtesy of hotelcaliforniablog.com.  This map depicts most of the scenic viewpoints we stopped at.

17miledrivemap

Follow along for a picture tour…

IMG_5133

IMG_5134

IMG_5136
Stilla and Phil getting out of the car. We did this many times throughout the day as we stopped at numerous viewpoints along 17-Mile Drive.
IMG_5135
My cousin Phil poses on the beach with Stilla.

IMG_5138

IMG_5139

IMG_5140

IMG_5148
Another rare photograph of David & Stilla in a picture together.

IMG_5152

IMG_5153

IMG_5154

IMG_5161

IMG_5166

IMG_5168

IMG_5169

It appeared that seals or sea-lions took over one half of the island rock (below) and birds took over the other half.  So much for desegregation in California, eh? 🙂

IMG_5176

IMG_5177

IMG_5178

IMG_5180

IMG_5182

IMG_5188

IMG_5190

IMG_5193

IMG_5194

IMG_5196

IMG_5146

IMG_5147

IMG_5197

IMG_5200

IMG_5201

IMG_5202

Wonder how much these homes cost!?!

IMG_5205

IMG_5206

IMG_5208

IMG_5209

IMG_5215

IMG_5217

IMG_5224

IMG_5228

IMG_5229

IMG_5239

IMG_5235

IMG_5241

IMG_5244

IMG_5247

IMG_5250

IMG_5252

IMG_5253

IMG_5255

IMG_5257

IMG_5259

IMG_5261

IMG_5263

IMG_5262

IMG_5265

IMG_5266

IMG_5271

IMG_5273

IMG_5275

IMG_5276

IMG_5277

IMG_5279

The Ghost Tree.

IMG_5283

IMG_5282

IMG_5285

IMG_5288

IMG_5289

IMG_5291

IMG_5292

IMG_5293

IMG_5295

IMG_5296

IMG_5298

IMG_5300

IMG_5302

IMG_5303

IMG_5306

IMG_5308

17-mile-map1

We finally got to the south end of 17-Mile Drive (see arrow in pic above) and drove over to the Carmel Mission.

IMG_5310

Click HERE for more info on the mission from my good friend Wikipedia®.

IMG_5311

We had to pay a $6.50 entrance fee that helps support the Mission.

IMG_5354

IMG_5312

IMG_5313

IMG_5314

IMG_5315

IMG_5316

IMG_5318

IMG_5320

IMG_5321

IMG_5322

IMG_5323

IMG_5324

IMG_5325

IMG_5326

IMG_5327

IMG_5328

IMG_5329

IMG_5330

IMG_5331

IMG_5332

IMG_5333

IMG_5334

IMG_5335

IMG_5336

IMG_5337

IMG_5339

IMG_5340

IMG_5341

IMG_5342

IMG_5343

IMG_5344

IMG_5345

IMG_5346

IMG_5355

IMG_5347

IMG_5348

IMG_5349

IMG_5350

IMG_5352

IMG_5353

IMG_5356

IMG_5357

IMG_5360

IMG_5375

IMG_5377

We then drove through the Mission Ranch Hotel & Restaurant (←link) located next to the Mission Church.  It is reportedly owned by actor Clint Eastwood.

IMG_5363

IMG_5364

IMG_5368

Notice the tree growing through the porch roof on the Mission Ranch guest house (below).

IMG_5370

IMG_5373

After our tour of Carmel Mission and the Mission Ranch, we did a drive-by of the beach and scenic downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea:

IMG_5381

IMG_5382

IMG_5383

IMG_5385

When we got back to San Jose, Phil treated us to a great dinner at a favorite pizzeria he frequents often.  Willow Street Wood-Fired Pizza in Willow Glen.

IMG_5388

IMG_5389

IMG_5390

IMG_5391

Thanks for a great day Phil!

Stay tuned because on Saturday, Beth & Keith are coming over to the lodge to pick us up for another fun-filled day of sight-seeing…

 

 

Winchester Mystery House Tour (Elks Lodge 522 – San Jose, CA)

I don’t have much time to spend on today’s posting about our Thursday tour of the Winchester Mystery House.  Cousin Phil has taken Friday off from work and we plan to meet up early this morning so he can spend the day with us.  We’re looking forward to having our own personal tour-guide. 🙂

So follow along on a quick tour of the Winchester Mystery House (←link) located in San Jose, CA:

IMG_5120
Sign off Winchester Blvd in the parking lot of the Mystery House..
IMG_5010
Mystery House entrance kiosk on the side of the parking lot.

IMG_5013

IMG_5014
Informational placard on the Winchester House.
IMG_5011
More information on the Winchester Mystery House.

Be sure to at least read the placard (above).  Learn more about Sarah Winchester and the Mystery House from the Wikipedia™ link HERE.

We chose to take the “Best Value!” Grand Estate Tour and paid $84 after receiving a $4 military veteran discount.

IMG_5012

Here’s the entrance to the house tour (below), next to the green screen where they take your picture before going in.  There were basically two tours included in our admission price.  Both tours are docent-led and after we finished our tour of the house, aptly named the Grand Estate Tour, we met another guide in the garden for the second tour that was named the Behind-the-Scenes Tour.

IMG_5100

There were no pictures or recording devices allowed inside the house.  So all the pictures today are of the outside of the estate and in a few of the out-buildings where we were allowed to take pictures during the Behind-the-Scenes portion of the tour.

The website describes the Behind-the Scenes Tour as a 55-minute guided Tour which shows much of what made the estate run.  Tour stops included the Stables, Fruit Drying Shed, Garage, Greenhouse, and the unfinished Ballroom… the highlight of the Behind-the-Scenes Tour is a journey down into the basement which houses the oil burning furnace and an original hydraulic cargo elevator.  The basement is also the location of many ghost sightings.  We didn’t see any though 🙁

IMG_5098

Garden-side views of the mansion:

IMG_5024

IMG_5018

IMG_5031

IMG_5027

IMG_5020

IMG_5016

IMG_5029

IMG_5021
Hollywood style styrofoam “mock-up” of Sarah Winchester’s actual headstone located in New Haven, Connecticut.

Fruit Drying Shed:

IMG_5059
The fruit drying out building.
IMG_5060
Winchester Orchards fruit boxes.
IMG_5061
Fruit dryer.

Old picture (pre-earthquake) of the Mystery House.

IMG_5062

The garage and car wash building:

IMG_5065

IMG_5063

IMG_5066

IMG_5067
View of the Grand Estate through the garage window.

Our tour-guide points out a photo of the Winchester Estate carpenters.

IMG_5071

Our tour guide tells us about some reported ghost sightings.  The guy on the right in the picture (below) has been seen pushing a wheelbarrow in the basement by more than just a few folks.

IMG_5074IMG_5076

Front view of the Grand Estate:

IMG_5033

IMG_5035

 

IMG_5038

IMG_5042

IMG_5047

The christmas decorations are already going up throughout the estate.  Many of the rooms we toured had their trees up already.

IMG_5049

The front door.  Reportedly never used.

IMG_5051

Many areas of the house that were under construction at the time of Sarah Winchester’s death were abandoned and never completed:

IMG_5052

IMG_5053

More exterior photos:

IMG_5055

Look closely at the windows in the pics below for any ghosts that may be looking down on us:

IMG_5056

IMG_5057

IMG_5058

The door to nowhere.  It’s a long step downnn…

IMG_5077

IMG_5079

Notice the vines growing where the brick chimney used to be.  The brick chimney was destroyed during the 1906 earthquake.

IMG_5081

IMG_5085

Sarah Winchester’s bedroom where she passed away in her bed on September 5, 1922.  All construction stopped immediately after her death at the age of 83.

IMG_5086

IMG_5088

IMG_5089

IMG_5092

What a crazy house with stairs that go nowhere, skylights in the floors, and doors that open up to walls!  It was a really neat tour, I highly recommend it if you’re in the area.  I wish the tour fees were a little more reasonable though.

Of course, our tour wasn’t complete until we checked out the Winchester Historic Firearms Museum located in an out-building:

IMG_5099

IMG_5101

IMG_5102

IMG_5103

IMG_5104

IMG_5105

Some revolvers: (These are for you brother Steven)

IMG_5106

IMG_5107

IMG_5108

IMG_5109

IMG_5110

IMG_5111

IMG_5112

The WInchester rifle “Commemorative Series”:

IMG_5113

IMG_5114

IMG_5115

After our tour of the Firearms Museum, we wandered through the huge gift shop:

IMG_5119

IMG_5093

IMG_5094

IMG_5095

IMG_5096

IMG_5097

Great tour, great day!  We basically spent our entire Thursday here.


We returned to the Elks Lodge RV park with just enough time to walk our little dog ‘Coach’ before we met up again with my San Jose relatives for dinner.

We decided to take advantage of dinner inside the San Jose Elks Lodge.  We went into the lodge with my cousin Beth, her husband Keith, and their daughters Daria and Anja.  My cousin Phil joined us shortly thereafter on his way home from work.

IMG_6032
(L to R) Daria, Anja, and Beth.
IMG_6030
(L to R) Phil, Daria, and Anja.

The lodge had a veterans support event going on and was raffling off some quilts as we finished up our dinners:

IMG_6026

IMG_6027

IMG_6028

We had three great choices for dinner which included a full soup & salad bar.  The choices were Sirloin Steak, Fried Shrimp, or BBQ ribs.  By all reports, the meals were delicious and they were all reasonably priced as well 🙂

IMG_6024
My cousin Phil.
IMG_3688
(L to R) Daria, Anja, Keith, and Beth.

Another great finish to a great day 🙂  Check back tomorrow to see where and what we get into with my cousin Phil acting as our local tour-guide…

 

 

Monterey Aquarium (Elks Lodge 522 – San Jose, CA)

Happy Veterans Day!  Here’s a short YouTube® tribute that my Uncle Alan shared with me:

(Lexi, for Veterans Day)

Thanks Uncle!


We got a somewhat late start on Wednesday and headed down to Monterey to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium (←link).  This time we took our little dog Coach along.

Screen Shot 2015-11-11 at 10.29.24 PM

We took the route highlighted in blue (above) and after about an hour drive, we saw the Monterey Bay (below).

IMG_4787

IMG_4791

Soon after, we pulled into the town of Monterey and followed the road signs to the Aquarium.

IMG_4797

IMG_4798

IMG_4916

We found a parking lot just up the street from the aquarium.  We had to pay $15 to park.  Ouch!

IMG_4804
Entrance to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
IMG_4808
Entrance to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Since today was Veterans Day, we didn’t have to pay the $79.90 entrance fee!  That was a nice savings 🙂

IMG_4809

Now enjoy a select number of photos we took on our visit to the aquarium today:

IMG_4811

View of the tidal pool on the ocean-side of the aquarium:

IMG_4813

No seals or sea lions hanging around today 🙁

IMG_4812

We went to the upper level.

IMG_4984

The waterfall (below) is supposed to simulate a tide.  The water runs over a glass enclosure.  You can also watch from the inside.  Pretty cool.

IMG_4982

IMG_4983

IMG_4815

IMG_4912

View of the tidal pool from the upper level.

IMG_4981

IMG_4980

Back inside the aquarium.

IMG_4862

IMG_4820

IMG_4819

IMG_4814

IMG_4917

IMG_4923

IMG_4870

IMG_4873

IMG_4874

IMG_4877

This guy (below) seemed grumpy:

IMG_4878

IMG_4879

Flatfish (below):  Did you know that one of their eyes migrate around or through their head during development!?!  They can also camouflage themselves like a chameleon.

IMG_4884

IMG_4886

IMG_4887

IMG_4888

IMG_4889

IMG_4994

IMG_4890

IMG_4891

IMG_4892

IMG_4893

IMG_4988

IMG_4990

IMG_4991

IMG_4992

IMG_4993

IMG_4894

IMG_4923

IMG_4925

IMG_4928

IMG_4929

IMG_4934

IMG_4948

IMG_4951

IMG_4962

IMG_4972

In the bird sanctuary area, we were told that these were all ‘rescue’ birds:

IMG_4895

IMG_4896

IMG_4902

IMG_4906

IMG_4976

IMG_4977

After finishing up our pleasurable tour of the aquarium we walked down Cannery Row (←link).  Now don’t worry, we didn’t forget about ‘Coach’ who was waiting for us in the truck.  I checked on him once while we were at the aquarium and we left the windows down a bit.  We also had the sun shade in the windshield.  It was a cool 60° all day at the most and partly cloudy.  We also walked him before we wandered around Cannery Row.

IMG_5001

IMG_5000

IMG_4806

IMG_4805

IMG_4998

IMG_4997

IMG_4999

IMG_4995

IMG_5004

IMG_5002

IMG_5005

IMG_5006

IMG_5007

We browsed a few of the shops and stores before we  headed over to Fisherman’s Wharf (←link).

IMG_4795

IMG_5008

IMG_4801

There wasn’t much going on at the wharf, so we headed back towards home (the San Jose Elks Lodge), which by-the-way we paid for an additional 4 nights ($88).  That puts us out of here on Sunday unless we change our mind.  My cousin Phil is trying to get Friday off, so maybe we can do something more together then.

On the way back, we stopped in Gilroy, CA at Applebee’s to take advantage of their free entree for Veterans.  It sure is great that some of these major chains support our veterans by providing a service or benefit of some type. Kudos to them 🙂

Stay tuned…

 

Old Army Buddy Reunion & Dinner at Aunt Donna’s (Elks Lodge 522 – San Jose, CA)

We made plans today (Tuesday) to meet with an old Army buddy of mine that lives in the Santa Cruz area.  So we left the San Jose Elks Lodge in time to meet on the Santa Cruz Wharf (←link) by 11 AM for a lunchtime get-together.

IMG_3669
The Santa Cruz Pier.

We drove through the toll gate and took a ticket to park on the pier.

IMG_3670

IMG_3672

We found my old Army buddy Adam Breed near the end of the pier with his fiancé Shivan and daughter Teagan.

IMG_4589

We had a great lunch at Woodies Cafe on the Wharf while we caught up on old times.

IMG_4598

IMG_4599

IMG_4605

IMG_4604

After a fine lunch and lots of conversation, we did a little seal watching together from the end of the wharf:

IMG_4602
Birds fighting over a fish with a seal off the Santa Cruz Pier.

IMG_4603

Then we checked out all the seals that were hanging out below the pier:

IMG_4591

IMG_4585

IMG_4587

The Santa Cruz Wharf has some convenient open areas in the middle for seal watching:

IMG_4616

IMG_4619

IMG_4618

IMG_4614

IMG_4624

And of course, we had to check out some of the stores on the pier as well:

IMG_4608

IMG_4606

IMG_4607

IMG_4609
Little Teagan enjoyed shopping too.
IMG_4617
Sailing boat in Monterey Bay.
IMG_4592
Art-deco water fountain on the Santa Cruz Wharf.
IMG_4595
Shivan helped Teagan get a drink from the scary looking water fountain.

It was really great spending time with Adam and catching up on recent events.  It’s been over 10 years since we were stationed together in Katterbach, Germany where we deployed for a year-long tour in Iraq together.

Here’s a few pics I found of Adam, both before and during our Iraq tour together:

DSCF2559 copy
Adam Breed in Katterbach, Germany circa. 2003.

Adam is a first-class welder/fabricator.  Here he is making a protective .50 cal machine gun turret for the back of a 5 ton truck out of scrap parts.

DSCF2560 copy

DSCF2555 copy

DSCF2507 copy

And he fabricated these troop seats (below) to be mounted in the middle of a 5 ton truck bed, in order for the troops to be able to face out while being transported instead of towards each other with their backs exposed.

2004 05 06 DSCF4610

2004 05 06 DSCF4608

2004 05 06 DSCF4609

Adam in Tikrit, Iraq (2004).

2004 04 17 DSCF4480

He was my driver in the truck below during our convoy from Kuwait thru Baghdad to Tikrit in northern Iraq.

2004 02 23 DSCF4080

2004 03 01 DSCF4139

Here’s Adam catching some Zzzz’s on top of the truck during a rest halt.

2004 03 02 DSCF4145

2004 03 02 DSCF4152

2004 03 03 DSCF4243

2004 03 03 DSCF4182 BAGHDAD

2004 03 03 DSCF4241

Now this was going to be a project:

2004 03 23 DSCF4372

2004 03 23 DSCF4382

2004 03 16 DSCF4355

Adam and other members of the Service & Recovery (S&R) / Welding Section of the 601st Direct Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division putting another battle-damaged HMMWV together.

2004 03 18 DSCF4364

Too bad we don’t have an ‘after’ pic, eh Adam?

2004 04 17 DSCF4481

IMG_4621

We said our goodbyes and ‘see-ya-laters’… Adam had to get back home and start his night shift at work by 7 PM.  Take care Adam… stay in touch and we hope to see you guys again soon!

After we left Adam and Shivan, we drove around the corner to the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse and Surfing Museum:

IMG_4671

IMG_4629

IMG_4627

IMG_4630

The Lighthouse / Museum was closed so we just walked around the cliff edge and checked out the scenery and wildlife:

IMG_4631

IMG_4633

IMG_4681

IMG_4640

IMG_4679

IMG_4639

Then we were mesmerized by the crazy surfer antics in the Monterey Bay below us:

IMG_4672
Surfers Rules.
IMG_4676
Surfer Memorial.
IMG_4641
Surfers diving off the cliff.

IMG_4644

IMG_4645

IMG_4647

IMG_4648

IMG_4649

IMG_4652

It was hard to believe these guys didn’t run over each other while catching some of those waves:

IMG_4658

IMG_4660

IMG_4661

After watching the crazy, (or were they just skilled?), surfers for a while, we decided this wasn’t a sport we’d like to take up… so we headed north from Santa Cruz on Hwy-1 towards San Francisco.

IMG_4758

IMG_4690

IMG_4687

IMG_4694

It wasn’t long before we came upon the Pigeon Point Lighthouse:

IMG_4701

IMG_4702

IMG_4705

We pulled into the parking area off Pigeon Point Rd and walked out to the lighthouse.

IMG_4704

The website says this about the Pigeon Point Lighthouse: “Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, 50 miles south of San Francisco, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Its five-wick lard oil lamp, and first-order Fresnel lens, comprised of 1,008 prisms, was first lit at sunset, November 15, 1872. The lens stands 16 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 2,000 pounds. Now on display in the Fog Signal building, it sat in a lantern room constructed at the Lighthouse Service’s general depot in New York before being shipped around the Horn. Although the original Fresnel lens is no longer in use, the lighthouse is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation using a Vega Marine Rotating Beacon.”

IMG_4707

IMG_4708

Land-side view of the lighthouse.

IMG_4709

The lighthouse was closed for repairs so all we could do was walk around the grounds.
Per the CA State website: “In December 2001, a section of the iron belt course on the exterior of the lighthouse fell off. The lighthouse will remain closed until the structure can be restored. The lighthouse may still be viewed from the grounds. For more information go to Lighthouse Restoration

IMG_4714
Stilla on the whale-watching platform at Pigeon Point Lighthouse.

Sea-side view of the lighthouse and adjoining buildings.

IMG_4715

Notice the huge fog horns protruding from the outbuilding (below).

IMG_4719

IMG_4716

IMG_4717

Informational placards at Pigeon Point Lighthouse:

IMG_4721

IMG_4724

We walked down to the beach.

IMG_4725

IMG_4726

IMG_4729

IMG_4730

IMG_4733

IMG_4738

IMG_4741

IMG_4742

IMG_4744

IMG_4745

IMG_4747

After we finished checking out the lighthouse and beach, we kept going north on Hwy-1 towards Half Moon Bay.

IMG_4754

IMG_4753

IMG_4755

IMG_4759

IMG_4760

IMG_4761

As soon as we pulled into the Half Moon Bay parking area, my cousin Phil texted us about dinner at my Aunt Donna’s house.  It was already past 4 PM and we were expected for dinner by 6… we had to hurry back!

Traffic was good heading back into San Jose until we got about 18 miles from the Elks Lodge…

IMG_4763

then it was stop-n-go traffic the rest of the way… I think our max speed at times was only 20 mph 🙁

IMG_4768

IMG_4765

I sure don’t miss commuting… what a mess!  We made it back to the lodge by 6 PM or so.  My cousin Phil met us there to transport us to Aunt Donna’s so we wouldn’t get lost.  Thanks again Phil!  We took our little dog ‘Coach’ who was happy to see us again after being alone in the Coach again for 8 to 9 hours 🙁 and jumped in Phil’s truck for a ride to Aunt Donna’s house.

IMG_4780
My wonderful Aunt Donna. (Donna Hobden)

We had a great chinese dinner waiting for us when we finally arrived.  The whole San Jose gang was in attendance!

IMG_4770
(L to R) Faith, Keith, Stilla, Donna, Phil, Tina, Nathaniel, and Anja at Aunt Donna’s house.
IMG_4771
(L to R) Donna, Phil, Tina, Nathaniel, Anja, Faith, Keith, and Stilla at Aunt Donna’s house.
IMG_4783
(L to R) Nathaniel, Faith, Keith, Anja, and Daria.
IMG_4781
My cousin Phil. (Philip Hobden).

After dinner, some of the gang played a card game while others looked at old family photos, talked, and reminisced.

IMG_4785

IMG_4786

Little Coach even got to play with Phil & Tina’s little dog Boone(sp?). They really got along good together.

IMG_4772

And then it was time for dessert!  Yumm… and we even got to take some home with us 🙂  Thanks Aunt Donna!

IMG_4778

IMG_4779

It was another great day and an even better evening with all the relatives… stay tuned to see what we get into next 🙂

We were thinking of checking out the Aquarium at Monterey Bay… they have free admission for veterans on Nov. 11th according to their website.

 

Hiding from the Rain on a Lazy Monday (Elks Lodge 522 – San Jose, CA)

We just hung around the Coach and hid out from the rain today (Monday) until my appointment time with the Veterans Supportive Services Agency (VSSA) representative.  I wrote about making this appointment in a previous post (HERE) when we went into the San Jose Elks Lodge to check out the Veterans Fair & Luncheon.  The meeting went well and I gave the rep all my paperwork and we filled out some forms.  The meeting was held at a combined VSSA and American Legion building.  After the appointment, we found a post office to mail the documents off to the VA with a return-receipt request.  Now all I can do is wait and see if my rating gets re-evaluated.

I was also contacted by an old Army buddy today that lives in the area.  He is a ‘friend’ on Facebook and saw that we were here.  We made plans to get together in Santa Cruz on Tuesday.  I haven’t seen Adam Breed since before I left Germany in 2005.  We were deployed to Iraq together a couple times.  He was in my welding section when I was the Chief Warrant Officer in charge of a Direct Support Battalion operation in Tikrit, Iraq.  Looking forward to catching up with him and his family on Tuesday… as I’ve said before – there’s no greater bond between men than having served in combat.

Around dinnertime, my cousin Beth texted about getting together again for dinner… Well SURE ! 🙂

Beth and her husband Keith (along with two of their three daughters) picked us up again at the Elks Lodge and drove us over to a local Mexican restaurant that they frequent often.  Great food, great company once again!  Man, what service… courtesy pick-up and drop-off… we’re getting spoiled 🙂

IMG_3666
My Cousin Beth and her husband Keith.
IMG_3668
(L to R) Self, Stilla, Daria, Anja, Beth, and Keith.

Unfortunately cousin Philip and his wife Tina couldn’t make dinner because he was working… he’s still trying for that first million I guess 🙂  We still have time here to get together… and if we don’t we’ll just have to stay longer, right?

Check back later to see how our day in Santa Cruz goes…  The rain stopped and it looks like we have good weather again for a while…

Sunday Post 2 of 2 – Tour of Fort Point, Golden Gate Bridge & Family Reunion Dinner (Elks Lodge 522 – San Jose, CA)

Authors Note: Warning – Another great “tourist day” with lots of pictures … as a matter-of-fact I had to split Sunday up into two separate posts to accommodate all the pics. This is post 2 of 2.  Remember to use your laptop or desktop computer instead of mobile device to get the most out of the pictures… and if any of the pics don’t load, just refresh your browser.


After leaving Pier 33 where we parked the Silverado for our Alcatraz Island tour, we headed towards the Golden Gate Bridge since we still had some time before we were scheduled to meet up with my cousins for dinner around 6 PM back in San Jose.

We stopped along the way at a beach and caught another shot of Alcatraz Island.

IMG_4457

And here’s the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.

IMG_4463

We drove towards the bridge and caught sight of the entrance to Fort Point.  I’d heard of this fort and figured we’d stop to check it out.

IMG_4467

We followed the entrance road to the Fort as the bridge came into view getting larger and larger:

IMG_4468

IMG_4469

IMG_4472

IMG_4474

Fort Point is located directly under the bridge on the south side.

IMG_4475

IMG_4477

We parked and watched the surfers trying to catch some waves just below the parking lot:

IMG_4478

IMG_4480

IMG_4481

IMG_4482

IMG_4485

IMG_4484

We entered the Fort and expected to have to pay for a tour, but found out it’s totally free 🙂

IMG_4486

IMG_4487

Here’s a National Park Service link for more information on Fort Point. (Click HERE).

The website says; “The Fort has been called “the pride of the Pacific,” “the Gibraltar of the West Coast,” and “one of the most perfect models of masonry in America.” When construction began during the height of the California Gold Rush, Fort Point was planned as the most formidable deterrence America could offer to a naval attack on California. Although its guns never fired a shot in anger, the “Fort at Fort Point” as it was originally named has witnessed Civil War, obsolescence, earthquake, bridge construction, reuse for World War II, and preservation as a National Historic Site.”  Click link above for more information.

IMG_4490

IMG_4489

IMG_4491

We climbed up the circular staircase (whew!) to get to the top of the Fort:

IMG_4495

IMG_4497

View down into the courtyard from the top.

IMG_4496

Here’s some more scenic views from on top of the Fort’s massive walls near the gun emplacements:

IMG_4499

IMG_4492

View of San Francisco from the top of the wall.

IMG_4501

And another view of Alcatraz Island from the top of the wall.  The bird photo-bombed my pics 😉

IMG_4502

I zoomed in for a pic of the opposite side of the bridge.

IMG_4507

Another view on the top of Fort Point.

IMG_4509

IMG_4508

The (now) empty gun emplacements on the top of the walls.  Stilla in the background.

IMG_4510

IMG_4511

Lighthouse on top of the Fort:

IMG_4513

IMG_4515

We walked down to the upper level (third tier) and toured some of the rooms:

IMG_4518

IMG_4516

Old barracks setup.

IMG_4517

Building the Golden Gate Bridge info and displays:

IMG_4519

IMG_4520

IMG_4521

We continued our tour on the next floor (second tier):

IMG_4522

IMG_4523

IMG_4524

IMG_4525

IMG_4526

IMG_4527

IMG_4528

And once we were back down in the courtyard, we viewed some of the cannon and cannon related displays:

IMG_4529

IMG_4530

IMG_4533

IMG_4532

IMG_4531

IMG_4534

 

IMG_4535

IMG_4536

IMG_4537

IMG_4539

IMG_4538

 

IMG_4541

IMG_4542

IMG_4543

 

IMG_4545

The mini-theater had a film running on the big screen.  We only watched part of it since we had to get back to our little dog ‘Coach’ waiting in the Coach and our dinner date with relatives.

IMG_4544

IMG_4546

We left the Fort and drove back up to the entrance (south-side) of the Golden Gate Bridge.  We checked out the parking lot to the visitors center but they charge a fee to park, so we just drove thru and entered the onramp to the bridge:

IMG_4548

And then we drove across the bridge to the north side as Stilla snapped some pictures:

IMG_4549

IMG_4551

IMG_4552

IMG_4554

IMG_4555

When we got close to opposite side, we saw a sign for Vista Point.

IMG_4560

We pulled in, fought the other tourists for a parking spot, got out and took a couple pics:

IMG_4562

IMG_4564

View of Golden Gate Bridge from the north side looking back south from Vista Point.

IMG_4566

We did a u-turn under the north side of the bridge and headed back across.  We needed to be back in San Jose to meet my cousins for dinner by 6 PM.

We noticed signs that mentioned a toll (?!?) but the toll booths were empty.  I went online this morning and found the following information at gocalifornia.about.com:

If you’re northbound on U.S. Highway 101, it’s easy to cross the Golden Gate Bridge by automobile, but southbound, it’s more complicated.
In March, 2013, Golden Gate Bridge toll-takers stepped out of their booths for the last time, but that doesn’t mean they stopped collecting tolls. Instead, they’ve just changed the system and everyone who crosses the bridge by automobile pays using an electronic system.

The website goes on to say: “Oops! I Already Crossed Without Paying –  Don’t fret yet. You have at least 48 hours to pay your toll without a fine. You can pay using a credit card online or pay by telephone at 877-229-8655 (toll free) or 415-486-8655 from outside California.”
“If you cross and don’t pay, don’t think you’ll get away with it. The vehicle’s license tag will be photographed and an invoice will be automatically mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle. If that’s a rental company, you can expect a bill for the fine, along with a hefty fee from the company, too.”

So, I guess I’d better pay our bill, eh?  Gotta love California 🙂

We made it back to the Elks Lodge by 5:30 PM and little “Coach” was happy to get out and take care of “business” after being left alone for almost 10 hours.  He did great (once again) and didn’t leave us any ‘surprises’ in the Coach.  🙂


My cousin Beth had been in contact with us throughout the day, and we arranged for her (along with her family) to meet us at the lodge to pick us up for dinner.

Beth and her husband Keith picked us up by 6 PM and drove us over to Harry’s Hofbrau.

IMG_4584

This is a nice German-themed restaurant with a neat atmosphere and pretty good food.  The best part of course, was getting to see my relatives 🙂

IMG_4570

IMG_4568

The restaurant has a buffet-style serving line.  The place must be popular because we had a pretty long line to wait in for our food.

IMG_4572

IMG_4573

IMG_4576

While we were waiting in the serving line, my cousin Phil joined us with his wife Tina and son Nathaniel.

IMG_4580
My cousin Philip Hobden (all he needs is a Bavarian Hat) 🙂
IMG_4578
(L to R) Cousin Phil, his wife Tina, cousin Beth and then her daughters’ Anja, Faith, and Daria. Then my Aunt Donna, Beth’s husband Keith, and on the front right is Phil & Tina’s son Nathaniel.
IMG_4579
(L to R) Daria, Aunt Donna, Keith, Nathaniel, Stilla, Phil, Tina, Beth, Anja, and Faith.
IMG_4583
(L to R) Cousin Beth, Stilla, Tina (Phil’s wife) and my cousin Philip.

The restaurant was rather loud so it was hard to have any large degree of conversation, but it was sure nice to see my Aunt and cousins (from my Dad’s side of the family).  We made tentative plans to get together again while we are still in San Jose.  Looking forward to that! 🙂  And thanks again Keith, for picking up the bill.  See you guys again soon.