Never a Wrong Turn (Ever): Pismo Beach

Because we have not had any internet access, I am posting this almost 3 weeks after visiting Pismo Beach.

This mountain will dsiappear soon!

Dirt bike trails everywhere.

We left Saddleback Butte and headed towards Bakersfield, CA to spend one night. We drove through lots more hilly desert with sagebrush, a few Joshua trees and many dirt bike trails. Every unoccupied hill has tracks from dirt bikes. As we left the Antelope Valley, the hills were covered with thousands of wind mills spinning in the wind. As soon as we started our decent into the central valley thick smog engulfed us. I think that the folks in Bakersfield are so used to the haze that; they don’t realize that the sky is actually blue. The next morning we took care of some warranty work on the trailer and headed for Pismo Beach.

We drove through green hills and valleys until we saw the ocean. We stayed at a resort with a mineral hot springs and enjoyed many long soaks in the hot water. We were told that people come from all over the world to soak in the healing waters. But I am not healed! I still have a sick sense of humor and distressing mental illness!Maybe because I didn’t put my head under water for long enough. Spring is springing here and the pollen is everywhere.

Pollen in puddles

We had to go see the overwintering Monarch butterflies. I just couldn’t miss them! When I was a child my English teacher great aunt sent me a book about Monarchs and then wanted to test me on it. How could I let her down and miss the butterflies! The butterflies cluster around eucalyptus trees. Before I even got to where the butterflies were, I became fascinated with the colors of the eucalyptus bark. (I told you I have mental illness!) I love the blue-grays and browns paired together. If I ever again decorate a house, I think I want to paint the walls in bark colors. The butterflies were also beautiful.

Beautiful bark!

Monarch butterflies

And of course we had to walk on the beach. The temperature was in the 60s, but the wind was whipping through the sand and our clothes. I think I need bird feathers.