Beautiful Santa Barbara

Bike Path along Oceanfront

State Street - Santa Barbara

Church Nave - Mission Santa Barbara

Stone Carvings by Chumash Indians

The Lavanderia made by Chumash Indians

We left San Miguel Island on July 26th and crossed the Santa Barbara Channel, reaching the town of Santa Barbara in the early evening with plans to spend several days at this location.  The town of Santa Barbara is absolutely beautiful with its white adobe style buildings and red roofs that contrast with the green of eucalyptus, sycamore, and shapely palm trees lining the city streets and waterfront walkways.  State Street, the main thoroughfare through town, is a haven for boutiques, coffee shops, and cafes.  Expensive homes tucked in the hillsides have wonderful views of the coastline, and higher still are the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains.  This setting plus the warm climate, miles of sandy beach, and a lovely ocean-side promenade bordered by majestic palms has earned Santa Barbara its nickname, “the American Riviera.”  We bicycled along the oceanfront bike path, visited the wharf, and did a little window shopping on State Street.  Within relatively easy biking distance from downtown is the Santa Barbara Mission, a treasure we didn’t want to miss.  This Spanish mission was founded in 1786 by the Franciscan order as the tenth mission for the religious conversion of the local Chumash people and is the only mission that has remained under the leadership of the Franciscan Friars since its founding.  The Mission fathers began the slow work of converting the native Chumash to Christianity and built a village for them on the Mission grounds.  The most dramatic event of the Spanish period was the powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 1812 which destroyed most of the Mission as well as the rest of the town.  Following the earthquake, the Mission fathers chose to rebuild in a grander manner, this rebuilt mission was completed and dedicated in 1820 - it is this construction that survives to the present day, the best preserved of the California Missions.  The Lavanderia (washing basin), still seen on the Mission grounds, was built by the Indians in 1818 and served as the original Mission laundry – the Indians would soap the clothes on the sloping sides of the pool and then rinse them in the center basin.  The Indians also created many stone carvings that decorated the exterior spaces of the Mission; these carvings were done be Chumash artisans who were experienced in fine stone work.  Today, the Mission is open to the public for self-guided tours, including the beautiful nave and church altar, the historic living quarter’s museum, and the sacred gardens and cemetery.  After our tour, we rode our bikes back down State Street and back to the boat, this time it was downhill!  The remainder of our stay in Santa Barbara would be spent on boat maintenance and other business, but that's another story to be told – stay tuned for more details.

Living Quarters

Mission Santa Barbara

Courtyard Gardens

North American Galapagos

Approaching Cuyler Harbor on San Miguel Island

Sand Dunes on San Miguel Island

Rugged Landscape on San Miguel Island

Elephant Seals Barking

Pinnipeds on the Beach

After a night’s anchorage in the Bay of San Luis Obispo, we left at 7am the next morning to round Point Conception, referred to as the Cape Horn of the Pacific.  The Point serves as a natural division between central and southern California and heavy northwest gales often occur off the Point, however many boaters have found flat calm seas rounding Conception.  As forecasted, we too experienced calm seas; and after passing Point Conception, decided to head west toward the Channel Islands.  Turning west by southwest, we passed four oil rigs before arriving at beautiful Cuyler Harbor on San Miguel Island, the northern most island of the archipelago.  This uninhabited island is one of five islands that make up the “Channel Islands National Park,” home to over 2,000 species of animals and plants - 145 are found nowhere else on earth.  We were the only boat anchored in the harbor that day  but we weren't alone.  San Miguel Island has one of the largest congregations of Pinnipeds in the world.  Visitors may go ashore on San Miguel only at Cuyler Harbor so we approached the beach by dinghy, choosing a clear landing spot so as not to disturb a group of Pinnipeds.  The wild flowers growing in the sand dunes added to the beauty of the diverse landscape and we saw evidence of erosion on the sandstone cliffs above us.  It is reported that more than 500 relatively undisturbed archaeological sites, some dating back as far as 11,000 years, exist on San Miguel Island.  This region was the ancestral home of the Chumash or “Island People,” known for their fast, seaworthy canoes, called tomols, that impressed Juan Cabrillo when he first encountered them in October 1542 west of Santa Barbara.  Cabrillo, European explorer of California, is believed to have died at Cuyler Harbor in 1543, reportedly from an accidental fall.  A monument commemorating his exploration stands on one of the mountain tops.  We decided not to hike to the monument as the trail looked to be in poor condition and we could see that part of the trail had broken away, crashing to the valley below; we didn’t want to repeat Cabrillo’s fate.  The fate of the animals however seem to be in good hands; the National Park Service monitors and protects threatened and endangered species, restores ecosystems, and preserves the natural resources.  One might wonder how such unique species came to be on the Channel Islands.  Lower ocean levels during the ice ages narrowed the distance across the Santa Barbara Channel, exposing some of the seafloor, which allowed some species to venture into this new territory.  Later, water from melting glaciers raised the sea level, which widened the channel again and increased the isolation of animals and plants from the mainland.  Many species evolved over time and adapted to their isolated environment.  The mammoth evolved to become a new species of pygmy mammoths, and gray foxes shrank to the size of house cats, becoming today's island fox.  Species of mice, scrub jays, and many plants grew larger.  Because of the unique species found today on these islands, it's not surprising that the Channel Islands are often called the “North American Galapagos.”

Wild Flowers growing in the Dunes

An Isolated Island Paradise

Plant Life on Sandstone Cliffs

Eroded Pathway to Cabrillo Monument 

Looking northeast from Cuyler Harbor

Intriguing Morro Bay

Morro Rock and Dynegy Power Plant

Morro Rock at Sunset

Morro Harbor Behind Morro Rock

Community of Morro Bay

Avalon

Morro Bay Beach next to Morro Rock

We departed Monterey July 23rd at 6:30am with 10 foot swells spaced 10 seconds apart giving us a comfortable roller-coaster ride; the swells later subsided, relatively speaking, to 6-9 feet.  As we approached Point Sur, things got a little more exciting with 12 foot swells; but again they were spaced far enough apart that they didn’t present a problem.  Once south of Point Sur, it was easy cruising.  We passed lovely San Simeon and Hearst Castle, and after nearly 14 hours of motoring, we finally arrived at Morro Bay.  We approached the bay just in time to see Morro Rock bathed in red by the setting sun.  This 581-foot rock is a volcanic plug that was first charted in 1542 by Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who explored the Pacific Coast for Spain.  Morro rock is one in a series of volcanic plugs that stretch in a line inland called the Nine Sisters; it is thought that the landscape formed over a volcanic hot spot.  Volcanic plugs are created when magma hardens within a vent.  As we entered the bay, we could see the three tall stacks of the Dynegy Power Plant which provides electricity to the Central Coast and Central Valley of California.  The plant’s future is uncertain due to aging technology, complicated economic issues, and environmental issues plus the plant isn't currently running at full capacity.  If the plant closes, the City of Morro Bay will lose a big source of revenue.  On the bright side, Morro Bay has become a popular tourist stop for its waterfront shops, restaurants, city parks, and sandy beaches.  Just before dark, we made our way up the narrow channel behind Morro Rock and into the boat harbor, protected by low-lying sand dunes.  It’s a cute town with picturesque scenery and is well worth the stop and provides a secure harbor for boaters.  The following day, we rode our bicycles through town, stopping at some of the waterfront shops and then followed the bike path out to the beach.  On our way to the beach, we came across an unexpected treasure - the Avalon sitting in a parking lot!  The Avalon, launched in 1972, is a Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV).  It is the second of two identical submersibles built as a result of the tragic USS Thresher accident in 1963.  The loss of the nuclear submarine Thresher and all crew highlighted the need for the Navy to develop a dependable, rapid deployment rescue system for downed submarines.  A new generation rescue system based in California, the Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System (SRDRS) has recently replaced the deactivated DSRV system.  The time came to head back to our own ship; and after stopping for ice cream cones and a few groceries, we made ready to get under way for San Luis Obispo Bay for the night’s anchorage.  The seas were glassy calm as we departed Morro Bay encircled with beaches, backed by impressive mountains.  A short distance down the coast at Avila Beach, we passed the Diablo Canyon Power Plant.  This nuclear power plant produces 18,000 GWh (Gigawatt equal to 1 billion watt hours) of electricity supplying the electrical needs of more than 2.2 million people.  It was built directly over a geological fault line but is reported to have a safety system designed to shut it down promptly in the event of significant ground motion.  We could see that the plant did  not have a cooling tower, but instead draws cooling water from the Pacific Ocean.  Upon further research, we learned that the cooling water is used once and is not re-circulated, but rather returned to the Pacific Ocean at a minutely higher temperature.  We also saw crab pots in the area and Leonard jokingly commented that those must be the “glow in the dark crabs” ha!

Departing Morro Bay - Calm Seas, Beautiful Mountains

Diablo Nuclear Power Plant

The Magic of Monterey

Whales in Monterey Bay

Whale's Fluke - Monterey Bay

Beach in Monterey

Beach Access Near Bike Path

Monterey is a magical place filled with wonderful things to see and do.  The beaches are lovely, the history is fascinating, and the town has lots of good restaurants not to mention the seaside attractions of Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row with its world renowned Aquarium.  Monterey Bay is also a wonderful place to view marine life in their natural habitat, including whales and dolphins.  Monterey Bay is home to one of North America’s deepest and largest submarine canyons, larger than the Grand Canyon!  Off-shore currents that travel along the canyon walls create upwelling’s which send plankton and nutrient rich waters to the surface attracting many marine animals including seven different species of whales and seven different species of Dolphin & Porpoise.  When we crossed Monterey Bay from Santa Cruz we were intercepted by two large whales; we actually had to take the boat out of gear so as not to run over them!  With the boat in neutral, we watched in awe as the whales continued on their way.  Luckily I managed to snap a couple of pictures before they disappeared.  After our arrival in Monterey, we spent several days touring the historic sites and taking in the usual tourist stops.  In addition to Monterey’s early Spanish/Mexican history, colorful American stories also add to Monterey’s varied appeal.  John Steinbeck was a frequent visitor to Monterey and drew considerable inspiration from locals and area landmarks for his novels.  At 800 Ocean View Avenue (now 800 Cannery Row) stands the site of a biological supply house that was operated by Edward Ricketts, the inspiration for several characters in Steinbeck’s novels, Cannery Row (1945) and Sweet Thursday (1954).  Ocean View Avenue, now called Cannery Row, was indeed the site of several sardine canning factories, the last of which closed in 1973.  The first major cannery on Ocean View Avenue was the Pacific Fish Company begun in 1908.  Over the next decade fishing and canning technology improved which prepared Monterey for the huge spike in demand for canned sardines brought about by WWI and again in WWII.  Today, Cannery Row is filled with numerous shops and cafes drawing thousands of tourists every year.  We also enjoyed Fisherman’s Wharf, originally built by the Pacific Coast Steamship Company in 1870 for the loading and unloading of passengers and goods.  The City of Monterey took ownership in 1913, expanding the wharf over several years through 1920.  Fisherman’s Wharf is lined with seafood restaurants, fish sales, gift shops, and souvenir shops all within easy walking distance of the marina.  Not to be forgotten are the warm sandy beaches and Java seems to think playing at the beach is now part of the boating routine.

Leonard Shopping at Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf

Cannery Row

Cannery Row (Ocean View Avenue)

Monterey, Capital of Alta California

The Custom House built 1822

San Carlos Cathedral

San Carlos Cathedral

Lovely Bride and Groom

Beautiful Bride's Dress

Monterey is rich in history having been transformed from a remote Spanish outpost to a Province of Mexico, and then becoming the thirty-first state of the U.S.  We visited the State Historic Park and Custom’s House in Monterey, the oldest government building in California.  The Custom House was built in 1827 when Alta (upper) California was the northernmost province of Mexico.  Monterey was both the capital city and primary port of entry for Alta California between 1822 through 1846.  The American occupation began at the beginning of the Mexican-American War when Commodore John Sloat and his landing party raised the American flag over the Custom House on July 7, 1846.  The earlier Spanish occupation of Alta California began with Spain’s typical three-part approach:  a military establishment known as a presidio (fort); religious outposts known as misiones (missions); and pueblos (towns) which provided opportunities for civilian settlement.  The presidio at Monterey was established in June 1770.  By 1773 adobe houses, a jail, and a chapel had been built.  Spanish settlement was late in coming considering Monterey Bay was discovered by the Spanish much earlier in 1602.  It was the presence of Russians who came for sea otters in the North Pacific around 1768 which caused Spain to take action after more than 160 years of delay.  Spanish ruler King Carlos III called for occupation of Alta California and established a colony at San Diego in 1769 and another at Monterey in 1770.  In 1821, Mexico declared its independence from Spain and the appointed Regent and later emperor of Mexico, General Agustin Iturbide legalized foreign trade in the California ports to foster a profitable trade in cowhides.  Mexico lacked the resources to support California financially so custom duties on foreign goods were collected.  All vessels were required to stop at Monterey and pay duties on their cargoes at The Custom House before going on to other coastal towns.  American traders resented the fees but still made a profit by importing inexpensive goods from New England and selling them at markups ranging from 200 to 300 percent.  The Mexican revenue laws required that whole cargoes be taken ashore, examined, and then put back aboard the ship.  Today, The Custom House Museum, part of Monterey State Historic Park, displays the type of cargo brought into Monterey by trading ships during the 1830’s.  We also visited the Royal Presidio Chapel (San Carlos Cathedral) founded in 1770 by Franciscan friar Junipero Serra.  When we arrived at the Chapel, a Spanish-style wedding was about to begin; the bride was wearing a gorgeous red dress, the maids wore light gold colored dresses, and the men had on black suits with gold vests, the groom was dressed in white.  After our stop at this historic Chapel, we bicycled to Colton Hall where in 1849 the California Constitutional Convention met to establish California’s first constitution.  Delegates from ten districts arrived in Monterey to debate and write California’s first constitution, which was sent to Congress in 1850.  We also visited many of the adobe houses of historic figures from the past, including the Cooper-Molera Adobe, the Larkin House, and the French Hotel where Robert Louis Stevenson had stayed.  The jail which we also visited was built in 1854 and was used for more than a 100 years, until 1956.  No one ever escaped from its thick granite walls.  We certainly aren’t going to make a quick escape from Monterey, there is so much here to see and do.

Colton Hall

Where California's First Constitution was Drafted - Colton Hall

Old Jail built 1854

One of several Jail Cell's

California’s Beach Party

Santa Cruz Boardwalk

A Fun Ride at The Boardwalk

Movies on the Beach

The Giant Dipper

We arrived at our next stop, Santa Cruz around 4:30pm, entering the narrow harbor entrance protected by two short jetties.  The Santa Cruz Small Craft Harbor is located inside the nearly one mile long Woods Lagoon and is filled with slips on both sides of the water way.  Negotiating the busy channel can be a little nerve racking with so many sailboats, power boats, stand-up paddle boards, rowing shells, and kayaks constantly coming and going.  We found guest moorage at the end of a pier; and after securing the boat, went to the Harbormasters Office to register.  Since we wanted to make use of the remainder of the day, we rode our bikes into town to see the famous “Boardwalk” - the only remaining major seaside amusement park on the West Coast.  The Park includes the 1924 Giant Dipper (5^th oldest coaster in the U.S.) and the 1911 Looff Carousel.  In addition to these historic rides, the park also includes new age rides, arcades, shops, and cafes; it’s a nice blend of vintage and modern attractions stretching a mile along a sandy beach.  Visitors can even enjoy outdoor movies - bring your own beach chair.  People of all ages were at the Boardwalk with the majority being young people from the local high schools and from nearby University of California, Santa Cruz.  The beginnings of the Boardwalk date back to 1865 when John Leibrandt opened a public bathhouse near the mouth of the San Lorenzo River.  Soon more bathhouses and concessions sprang up including restaurants and curio shops.  Toward the end of the century Fred Swanton, considered one of the greatest promoters and entrepreneurs of his time, laid plans for a Boardwalk or Coney Island of the West.  This family-operated Boardwalk has been thriving for more than a hundred years and its centennial was marked with a year-long celebration in 2007.  The next morning we walked to a beach located next to the marina so Java could play in the sand.  The sun umbrella’s, Life Guard huts, and the lovely Walton Lighthouse at the harbor entrance looked like something out of a movie.  But alas, it was time to head back to the boat as our noon departure was fast approaching.  We left Santa Cruz behind, tucked on the north side of Monterey Bay and headed out on our three-hour cruise across this large body of water for the town of Monterey, nestled at the south end of the Bay.

The Boardwalk at Night

Entrance to Santa Cruz Small Yacht Harbor

Lots of Slips in the Yacht Harbor

A Busy Yacht Harbor

Lovely Beach by the Marina and Walton Lighthouse