As requested there are a lot of pictures on this post and a video to sum it all up...
Henry Cowell Redwoods state park...
Redwoods grow from suckers and seeds so this is one tree.
A tree and a melon. Melons don't grow on trees.
China Grove...
Named after some imported Asian workers they burnt out when the locals wanted better access to the beach.
Then Eric Burden ...
Down in Monterey.
The Hippies have sold out and accommodation here is worse than San Francisco, This guy has a cheap hole at the beach...
Look! Livin' the dream in his commune rock pile.
It's very picturesque but not a good place to die...
...so I camped in a car park in Los Padres National Forest...
...at the beach. The neighbours out on the rock to the right of the car kept me awake till late. Seals are noisy buggers.
Lots of this suggestively shaped seaweed on the beach....
How big are seaweed eggs?
A couple of guys hiked down and set up their portable sluices looking for gold...
It beats fishing they reckon.
This guy was keeping an eye on proceedings...
He's taken on the role of ...
Seal Lifeguard.
He looks a bit like a sober Hoff.
For the last 100 miles I've been seeing signs for the Hearst Castle. It was built by the media tycoon in the 1920's and is now owned by the Parks Department. The family probably had to sell it to pay for Patti's boyfriend's(Charlie Manson) lawyers. It costs $25 to tour each section in the mansion so I skipped it and went to Nitt Witt Ridge instead...
This bit of capping is part of the Hearst Mansion that the builder appropriated for his own castle...
You have to ring and arrange a tour with the current owner. This is him. He bought the place when the local county was trying to knock it down. The neighbours hate it and the builder Arthur Beale spent his latter years tormenting them from his creation...
Decorative work includes toilet seat picture frames. To say that Arthur was a bit of character is an understatement. Apparently he would use his favourite (toilet) seat, on the roof of his house, to keep an eye on his neighbours in his dressing gown...
...so I suppose this is the money shot. Pity I left the dressing gown in the car.
A great tour with a very passionate owner.
The county has stopped him doing anything with the house so he does the $10 tours to keep up the maintenance until he gets elected to the county chair...
He even learned to get his BOF on.
Bit further south in Morro Bay they've invented...
Yoga for blokes.
While this restaurant has no problem advertising what it can deliver...
After my night of roughing it I'm going to treat myself to another night on the beach...
The view from my room at Piso Beach. Apparently it's the 'world famous Piso Beach'. Haven't you heard of it? I can't think of it being used in the title on any 70's rock songs...
Unlike Ventura Highway. Which is actually called the Pacific Coastal Highway but it still goes to Ventura... A few degrees of separation(Last 70's song reference...promise) ... but on the way is the La Pairsima historical park...
The whole mission was preserved in the 1930's as a Roosevelt depression initiative...
During April over 100 Volunteers turn up and live there. All the mills and other preserved machinery is worked and repaired...
All wood loom. Check out the wooden cogs.
Ahh.. at last a verahnda. They knew how to keep cool in the 1700's
Check out the horns and the lumps to his right are squirrels cleaning up his left overs.
Confessional...Spanish Inquisition style.... I know. Don't mention it.
This room was for visiting dignitaries.
Look!
They use it at this living museum to keep the visitors on the paths. A successful strategy I would say.
La Parisima is just outside the town of Lomboc. This is its main street which is the only other thing to stop here for. Can you spot it?
The trees that line the street are Stone Pines - where pine nuts come from. These ones are insured for four million.
Just north of Ventura the sky finally cleared while I was cooking lunch at La Capitana State beach,
Out on the horizon I could see an Island. A quick google and I saw that I was opposite the Channel Islands National Park. A couple of phone calls and the next day...
On the way to Anacapa Island.
When you get there...
There are a few steps to get up to the island.
No one is allowed to stay here but apart from the lighthouse there is another building that looks like a church...
It's actually a facade to hide the islands two water tanks.
Apparently The National Park got sick of fixing the tanks when passing fisherman would take pot shots at them. And this is California not Texas. So they put this fake church around them and the problem was solved.
You can't go everywhere.
Looking back at the lighthouse.
See the seals fishing in the bay below? No you probably can't as the camera zoom is not that good.
...And the money shot at Inspiration point...
I'd be disappointed if you weren't inspired so...
I'll double the inspiration...
Triple inspiration!!!
I feel like Tony Robbins. Have I been here too long?
The skipper buries the nose on the way home. Any day on the water is a good day.
Time to head inland to get around the LA traffic and head out to the desert. On the way I stopped at the Nethercutt Museum. Whilst it is mainly cars.... and just check out this 1933 Cadillac...
...there's lots of other stuff.
He defines his collection as "Functional Fine Art". Not only are his cars in better condition than when they came off the production floor but he also has collect other automata like music machines...
A 19th century Juke box.
Fully automated violin, harp and keyboard.
He even has a restored train and private train carriage. Just one more look at that Cadillac...
They made 130 of them so there must be another one lying around for me!
Rubel Castle is another "nutter's" house that is now being encroached by suburbia. It was actually built by a collective in the 60's and 70's. It is only open for 4 hours on a Saturday but I dropped past anyway....
Cannon pointed at the approaching neighbours.
However it was also on the way past the San Dimas High School...
The student who took my photo for me said it was a "most excellent" school. He took the photo just a bit late through the air guitar strum.
I didn't really get away from LA traffic. At one stage there were seven lanes all going nowhere in the same direction. Finally out towards the desert the Calzan Dinosaur park is a must stop...
Cavemen and dinosaurs. Here we go again...
"What will we do with that knight on a horse dad?"
"Stick it in the corner son. No one will notice."
Guess where I am...
A bit large to scale...
but then it wouldn't have...
"The biggest dinosaurs in the world!"
On to Palm Springs for another private house...
This one is called Robolights.
although it doesn't get lit up of a night time anymore.
I spoke to the next door neighbour who definitely wasn't impressed so that could be the reason.
The surfing dog and Cupie doll were my favourite. Most suitable for the location.
Temperatures haven't been getting below 90 here of a night time so I walked the Skyline trail early in the morning. It's only a kilometre long but goes up a kilometre. You get a picture of the juxtaposition of Palm Springs here... Barren desert but...
That's one of the many golf courses here. Drought Schmout.
They do have a huge windmill farm...
Getting all BOF Quixote.
They also have a cable car that will take you the last 8000 feet up to the top of the Peninsular Ranges...
Not cheating. I already had my hike today. I actually though it was pretty good value at $25. However they charge you $5 to park your car. What is that all about?
Lot B8 #151
and had a short rest with...
The chairman of the board.
Date palms by the side of the road. Those sacks aren't testicular.
They're to keep the birds away. They do that apparently. Maybe it makes them laugh and they forget about the dates.
Now I had earmarked to see this back in Australia before I left four months ago...
Unfortunately it has seen better days...
Another kitsch roadside attraction gone. Oh the humanity...
Speaking of which I had always wanted to see Salton Lake. If you don't know anything about it you should google it. It's one of America's true environmental disasters. Basically caused by mucking around with the course of Colorado River's flow at the turn of the 20th century....
This is the State Park picnic area. The visitor centre is open three days a week but I was the only person there.
The smell probably doesn't help...
Dead Tilapia and the algal blooms make it pretty smelly.
"The largest man made lake in the world."
No problem finding a parking sport at Red Hill Marina at the South end of the lake.
They are trying to do something about it...
Good luck with that. Sonny Bono National Nature reserve is going to take a bit of rehab.
Away from the lake however there is actually a surviving spring with palms...
These have been here a while...
Right on the edge of the desert...
Which is where I'm heading now...
Hay !
I win!...
The land south of Lake Salton is devoted to growing feed for this lot...
About 4 miles long filled with potential hamburger.
A cactus grove...
...and the tumbleweeds are seriously big...
Had stop and push this one off the road...
BOF has found Salvation
Salvation Mountain that is.
This a work of folk art made from hay bales, paint and silicon out on the edge of Slab City.
Inside is lots of nooks and crannies that are both physically and metaphysically cool,
And anything that stayed long enough or could be scavenged became part of it.
This is the information booth on the edge of Slab City...
Inside someone has pinned up a notice that says "Don't be a dick"
That's all the information you need to live in this last bastion for people who want to live an alternative lifestyle. Whilst some of the people who are "occupying" a site have been rejected by the mainstream there is quite a collective of people who want to do their own thing. They call it "the last free range". There is a collective art gallery called East Jesus. It's easy to find. Just turn right at...
...the fork in the road.
Some occupants offer realistic services.
No licencing restrictions
Here's just a few of the installations at East Jesus...
Knife thrower made from knives.
Somebody else distrusts dolphins.
No title needed.
Of course there is a Kombi.
I think this titled the Love Bugs.
Most occupants have some signage happening but this guy had a bit going on...
I stopped the car and taped a dollar bill to the sign on the very right. The guy came out and the conversation went like this...
"Hey. What are you doin man?"
"I always pay my debts"
"Hey man, we're all paying a debt. Peace man"
Followed by an exchange of fist bumps.
Some never leave.
Slab City also has an outdoor stage...
Who else can say they've played Slab City?
Not much audience participation.
The "you are now leaving Slab City" sign.
It reads amongst other things. "Warning. Reality Ahead."
...and I can't think of a better way to finish the blog as I head back home.
SQUIRREL!!!
