25 Nov San Francisco to LA, Taking Carissa to Pepperdine University… the long way Part 2 of 5

Trading in our scooter for a rental car, we departed San Francisco and headed south. The 1 1/2 hour ride from San Francisco allows ample time to settle into a different rhythm. This change of pace from San Francisco is what brings me back to this area time and again. I know of no other locale that offers such diversity in scenery and topography within such close proximity. Making our way down highway 1 to Pigeon Point hostel is always a magical journey, the hypnotic effect of the waves rolling in off the Pacific along with a carefully selected music playlist can create a mood that is unique only to this place, calling up rich memories from the past. 

Situated on a Pacific coast bluff, Pigeon Point Hostel is a place worthy of returning to. Regardless of how many times I have returned, it’s beauty and wildness always surprises and overwhelms the senses. Carissa and I excitedly unpacked and settled into our little cottage by the sea. One of the delights of staying here is meeting fellow travelers to share stories with and this time was no exception. We made some awesome grill cheese sandwiches that we savored with Martinelli’s sparkling cider and dark chocolate and enjoyed the company of the other guests. We met Fike who is a computer engineer, developing software at his San Francisco internship. Fike is on a bike tour from San Francisco to Santa Cruz. We also met De Angelo who played the guitar and sang so beautifully and Ben who has biked from Florida to San Diego and has walked the Appalachian trail twice. On this trip he is walking from San Francisco to Georgia, amazing. He is 63 years old and has a non profit that rebuilds homes that have been destroyed by storms. As we settled into our bunks it did not take long to drift off to sleep with the lighthouse outside our window providing soft illumination. 

Waking up at Pigeon Point is even more thrilling than settling in. With the cold morning salt air just steps from our bunk-bed it is an exhilarating way to wake up. Sitting in the wood adirondack chairs with a box of carefully selected Dynamo Donuts on one chair arm and a hot cup of coffee on the other you are ready to watch one of natures most amazing shows. Seagulls, Seals and the rising sun vie for ones attention. A stroll down the beach stimulated a desire for breakfast, which was later fully satisfied from yesterdays grocery purchase from our  favorite market in San Francisco. Carefully selected farm fresh eggs that were the result of a interesting and memorable conversation with the manager, we tried a new flavor of locally made Blue Chair preserves– Elephant heart plum – meyer lemon jam with lavender accompanied with thick slices of sourdough toast made by Firebrand Artisan Bread in Oakland California. 

Next on the list of important decisions for the day was getting on the popular hot tub sign up. We chose the sunset time of day for this popular activity which offers a view of the ocean and sunset along with the invigorating bubbling hot water. After being assured of our place on the list we ventured into nearby Costanoa Resort and Spa and the onto Pescadero and explored the new coffee shop and farmers market. Duarte’s Tavern serves up some of the best Artichoke soup and fresh baked bread, Carissa and I took it to go and picnicked by the beach before heading back to Pigeon Point for the evening. 

Tomorrow we head on down Highway One to Big Sur, so don’t wander off to far 🙂