California Dream!

My guys and I are in San Luis Obisbo, an amazingly beautiful part of central California. We came a little early to enjoy the Cali weather and tourist attractions before heading to Hunter and Allee Gawnes’ wedding yesterday, August 30, 2025.

In the days before, I wrote in my daily online writing community about this trip that I will share now in descending order because tomorrow is the start of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!

August 31 - San Luis Obisbo & Pismo Beach

We three slept in this beautiful Sunday morning, and it felt terrific. Bill and I don’t usually sleep in, but the cooler California weather presented the perfect conditions to snooze a good part of the morning away. Maybe we all needed the extra rest since we’ve been on the go since we arrived on the West Coast last week.

The most exciting thing we did today was hang out on Pismo Beach - on super busy holiday weekend! We needed to walk off a bit after eating an early dinner at the Vista Steak & Seafood restaurant, a favorite local place that has spectacular views of a large part of downtown Pismo Beach, and parking! There was none close to the large pier and traffic was at a snails pace.

The temperature was perfect, the sun still did its shiny dance on the water much to my delight, and the warm sand felt cushiony under our bare feet. Dipping my feet into the Pacific Ocean was cold at first, but then I got used to it for a minute. Heaven.

August 30 - Wedding Day for Hunter & Allee

Wedding day for Hunter & Allee Gawne! The whole thing was spectacular!

We were magically transported to an amazing venue between two mountains in central California, a perfect barn-raiser for a back drop to party the night away.

The nuptials ceremony was located under a 410 year old white oak tree. I couldn’t keep my eyes off this incredible specimen of a still growing tree, along with its neighbor, an almost equally impressive eucalyptus (not native to California according to the owner of this former cattle ranch, Cathy).

Hunter is the son of our good friends, Bill and Colleen Gawne. He’s a freelance photographer in Southern California (Orange County) with a goofy and kind personality who wows his impressive clients all over California and the West. We are thrilled for our friends and their new daughter-in-law, and the newlyweds who are the perfect match.

August 29 - Hearst Castle- Tour 2 (Upstairs and Library)

The sun is super bright once the slight fog burns off by 9:30 a.m. in these parts of central California. I love how everything comes alive against that crisp, clear light. From the shimmer of the Pacific Ocean, to the black Angus cows dotting the hillsides, to the golden layers of dried grasses waving in the breeze, it all seems to sparkle under this brilliant dome of blue.

And that’s every day since our arrival.

I did notice that the mountains wear a soft haze in the distance (like in Virginia or North Carolina), while the many vineyards and farm fields feel almost too vivid to be real. Fake backdrops like the “real” fake backdrops two hours south (Hollywood).

It’s the kind of light that makes you squint even behind sunglasses, and wanting to put on another pair! I’m using the drivers side visor all day long. All these thoughts were brought out as we drove back to the Hearst Castle for another tour (Ryan decided to stay back), leaving at 8:00 am!!

Bill and I practically had a private tour of the upstairs bedrooms and Hearst’s Library, until another couple joined us on the bus at the last second! I think I like this second tour best of the two. There are four or five, and you can do two on one day provided you leave two hours between tours.

August 28 - Post Written on Pismo Beach

Water is calming. It’s the crash of the waves, distinctive as they are, plus the light dancing on the water that enriches the soul and feel the calmness down deep into my bones.

The weather is picture perfect. I can’t get over this fact!!

As I sit on the Pismo Beach Pier, I figured what better surrounding could I have to pound out my daily?

I’m also watching a poor surfer dude trying to hang 10 and catch a smallish wave or two. I don’t think he’s having any luck. Don’t surfers surf in the mornings? I over heard three male friends at lunchtime revealing to a lady at another table, that they meet to surf every morning at 7:30 am. I think this is where the surfer dude I’m watching needs to heed.

Our first full day here in Cali was started with the The Grand Tour of the Hearst Castle in San Simeon this morning. Bill and I were here on our honeymoon in 1987. I only remembered two things, the indoor and outdoor pools, which remain the same 38 years later. But it was our son Ryan’s first trip to the Enchanted Castle on the Hill. He liked it. It didn’t disappoint. We plan to go back on this trip to see other tour(s), since where we are staying is about an hour away. With stunning topography and the Pacific Ocean so close to the highway in many places, it’s a truly spectacular drive.

Oh, I cannot forget the elephant seals about 4 miles north of the Hearst Castle! They are amazing and fun to watch sleeping, and frolicking in the sand.

One other thing I got so much enjoyment out of the tour was the gardens, most all in full bloom, especially the roses. I think they have over 90 species planted and I took a lot of photos of them!

Well, the surfer dude has now been joined by two others, even a young teenager. He’s got up on his board already and back out always to catch another wave.

My guys are back at the Airbnb. We plan on going to the San Luis Obisbo Farmer’s Market to round up our stellar day. I’ll swing by soon to pick them up!

Neptune Pool

SLO Farmer’s Market

August 27 - California Dreaming….💭 ☀️♥️ And we Are Off!

To get to Santa Barbara from Baltimore, it’s going to take 3 legs! Southwest Airlines “pulled a fast one on me.” About a week or less ago, I noticed on our itinerary that SW added an additional stop in Buffalo.

What? Another stop and in Buffalo? It didn’t make sense to me then, but what could I do late in the game of ever changing stateside travel?

Interesting, Bill, Ryan and I were the last three passengers staying on the plane to Vegas. Hmmm. One funny flight attendant said that this must have been a big computer glitch. All 85+ passengers matched off in fairly quick fashion. Except for a quick bathroom break on the plane, we remained seated in our original seats and saw the behind the scene of how quickly the attendants turn the plane around for the next flight. We became part of the SW family for 20 minutes! We could have run up and down the aisle with not a care in the world singing California Dreaming in our heads if we had the desire.

We knew we’d get to our final destination eventually.

Oh, and up at 4:00 am to get the three flights party started. No nap yet, though getting a lot of reading done!

I’d love to share more photos and stories, especially the beautiful roses I captured at the Casa Grande (Hearst Castle) gardens, after the month of September. It may be cool enough to reminisce about those warmer days and blooming flowers when the weather may be a bit cooler, and mums are in fashion.

bSoleille!

Terri