We made plans to leave Eric's and head south, down the coast to San Luis Obispo (SLO) so we could get our Covid boosters and check into a hotel for two nights, in case our side effects prevented us from being 100%.

Though we did have a glimpse of sun,  once we hit CA 17, we were fogged in again. We travelled the coastal route through Santa Cruz.

Driving through the Salinas Valley,
the "Salad Bowl of the World," we saw vast flatlands of rich dark soil for crops of lettuce, strawberries, artichokes, celery, brocolli, peppers and others. This is where much of the US's produce is grown.  It was impressive.

We took a detour through Monterey to see the bay, and thought of our close friend Glen who studied at the Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey.  Van then dropped me off at a charming quilt store in Pacific Grove, a cute seaside village with colorful California architecture. 

The drive down US 1 to Big Sur was breathtaking but tricky due to the numerous hairpin turns and narrow lanes.  It is amazing what people will do to have a home with an ocean view. Houses were perched on steep cliffs above the vast, rough ocean, with vertical driveways that looked like they fell into an abyss. The views were stunning but I cannot imagine what it took to build these places.  (Then again, people in glass houses... we are going through a few hoops to have an ocean view - my bad.)

As we came out of the mountains, the road straightened and widened, to reveal hundreds of rolling acres of seaside cattle ranches. 

We saw a beach with dozens of elephant seals warming themselves in the afternoon sun. The turnoff came up quickly, so a visual picture is all I would get on this trip.

I forgot to mention that my request to stop at the quilt store, coupled with the tricky driving on US1, caused our ETA to be 35 minutes past our booster appointment time at CVS. Let's just say this did not allow for a very relaxing trip down the coast.

I had a light-hearted moment and chuckled when I saw an  Adopt-a-Highway sign sponsored by "Tom the Volunteer." Tom must be a clever and generous guy.

We arrived at CVS in SLO, 35 minutes late, but the pharmacy tech did not mind at all. We both got our Pfizer boosters, waited 15 minutes and then headed to the Courtyard to check in. We were both very relieved and exhausted after the tense afternoon.

I loved all the street signs in Uncial lettering, a calligraphy style I learned during Covid.

Now we would wait to see if we would experience any side effects so many others have talked about.

For the remaining time in SLO, Van did alot of walking, exploring the desert valley surrounding the hotel while I slept and caught up on writing and knitting. (I did experience the aches and fatigue, so I was grateful to have a comfy bed.)

We enjoyed a good meal at the Taco Temple, only a minute walk from the Courtyard.  I enjoyed the intricately painted surfboards and murals everywhere. I would move here just for the bright colors everywhere! 

The decaf coffee at a local cafe was very good. (But I do ask why coffee
shops in CA do not advertise having decaf on their menu boards? And when I asked, the batista looked at me like I had five heads. Decaf is a sensitive subject for me ever since I gave up caffeine cold turkey four years ago.)

Our time in SLO was just what the doctor ordered.

Shirley Metcalf
Artist, Quilter, Traveler