TRAVELOGUE NO. 3
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
MONDAY, 10, 2010 – Sausalito and Muir Woods out of San Francisco
As we sailed north out of Santa Barbara, the Captain told us the winds were in excess of 40-50 knots. Believe me, it was a rocky night for sure. We were told that Sapphire Princess would slow down and pick up our pilot to go into San Francisco Bay around 7:00 in the morning. We were up early and did not want to miss the beautiful sight of sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge.
The weather could not have been more perfect, other than it being a bit cool up on deck with the winds blowing against us, it was a perfect morning. The clouds above us stayed away, so we had a bit of sunshine shining down on us. As we approached the harbor, we passed by The Cliff House Restaurant and Seal Rock which are perched out on a bluff south of Golden Gate Park. I was lucky enough to go to The Cliff House when I was a teenager back in the 1960’s, and I remember the view as being spectacular. On the left side of the ship as we entered the bay we passed by a lighthouse which greeted us with its shining beacon every ten seconds or so. The Golden Gate Bridge was in complete view to us and most of the passengers (I think) were either standing out on their balconies or up on deck with the rest of us to enjoy the magnificent structure we were gliding under her at about 7:45 a.m. We had a mere 38 feet clearance above the funnel of the ship when we passed under her about a mile south of Alcatraz Island. The ship’s horn blew as we passed under and couples kissed each other in true tradition of sailing under the bridge. The Captain very delicately brought us in to Pier 27 just slightly east of Pier 39 without even touching the wooden dock on either side of the Sapphire Princess.
Our tour today was of Sausalito and the Muir Woods. We chose this because neither of us could ever remember being there before. We were gathered in a group down in the Princess Theater and then walked out to the gangway where we walked through a barren metal terminal building and over to our motor coaches. Ours was a 44 passenger coach with a tour conductor, Dave and our driver, Vince. Once everyone was on board and comfortable, we headed through the Embarcadero and past Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square and the Presidio on to the Golden Gate Bridge. Just after we came to the far edge of the bridge, we pulled into one of the viewing parking lots to get some pictures. By this time, the clouds had come in and were threatening rain above us. Just as we got off the coach, the rain began to sprinkle and those of us with umbrellas promptly opened them. Jim and I first walked to an oval granite area where a bronze figure of The Lone Sailor was proudly standing facing the Bridge with the American and California flags proudly flying behind him on a white flag pole. As we turned around to see the view the Lone Sailor had, we immediately saw the magnificent red/orange painted Golden Gate Bridge. Though it was raining and the clouds were lowering closer to the ground as if in a fog, we were still able to take a few nice pictures of the Bridge and see the full expansion of it. Both sides of the Bridge were full of commuters on their way to work to start their day. The Golden Gate Bridge is a toll bridge, but you only pay a toll as you return back into San Francisco.
Our tour then continued north and then took off on the very winding road to the Muir Woods. It was pouring rain at this point. We climbed up a hill and then very carefully, Vince drove down the other side being careful to pull over in the turn outs so the cars backed up behind us could pass by safely. As we drove further and further down into the canyon, the trees became denser and the undercover foliage became thick with gorgeous ferns and wild flowers. We saw a few redwood trees but not many before we got to the National Park. The Muir Woods were purchased by William and Elizabeth Kent, who bought the land to preserve and protect one of the last stands of uncut redwoods in this area. To ensure the permanent protection of the area, they donated 295 acres to the federal government; and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the area a national monument. At Mr. Kent’s request, the area was named for the conservationist John Muir. John Muir wrote Mr. Kent a letter thanking him for the gift to the government and for naming it after him and said “This is the best tree-lover’s monument that could possibly be found in all of the forests in the world.” What is ironic about that statement is that at the front entrance to The Muir Woods, there is a plaque designating a specific area for demonstrations under the First Amendment. Who would protest such a thing?
As we walked along the heavy wooden planks that marked the trail, the rain began to gently mist above us. We were somewhat protected by the canopy of the trees above; but we did pull out the umbrella as the rain began to fall harder. Both Jim and I commented to ourselves that this was the first time in years that we were consciously “walking in the rain”…and a beautiful walk it was. The wooden planked walkway is lined with redwood railings so as to keep you on the path. You are not allowed to venture off on your own. We crossed over a gently babbling brook on Bridge No. 1 and then continued through the forest. The rays of sun would gently come through the trees every once in awhile; but most of the time, it was dark because of the clouds and the rain. The forest floor was thick with luscious ferns and a small ground cover called redwood sorrel that has leaves that almost look like clover and delicate pink flowers about the size of a quarter. If you stopped and just took a deep breath, you could not help smell the freshness of the rain on the redwoods. It was completely relaxing for both of us. There was no agenda for us and no group to keep up with – which enabled me to stop and take pictures whenever I wanted. The groves of redwoods were magnificent as they seemed to reach to the sky.
The shade loving undergrowth thrives under the redwood canopy above. Besides the ground cover, there were a couple of other wild flowers growing on the forest floor.
The redwoods love the rain and soak up every bit they can then release it when it is necessary for the environment. The tallest of the redwoods stands 252 feet in the air and is over 14 feet wide. Many of these trees were 1,000 years old or more; but the majority of them are about 500 to 800 years old. As we walked along the path to Bridge No. 2, the rain began falling harder and we quickened our pace so we didn’t get totally soaked. But, I still had to stop and take pictures all along the way. There was a nice gift shop near the entrance of the park along with a coffee counter where the majority of our other passengers were crowded around getting a bite to eat and something warm to drink.
As we left the Muir Woods, we headed southwest and through a valley here a very famous Zen farm is located. You can go there and “work” in exchange for your lodging or a reduced rate. The brand name of their natural vegetables and bakery goods is Green Gulch. Dave told us these items are sold all over the state – and one of the most famous supporters of the Zen Center is former California Governor, Jerry Brown.
We continued out the windy road; but the clouds seemed to be stalling, and the rain subsided. I cannot even begin to imagine driving either of these roads in the thick, San Francisco fog! In fact, Dave said there are several cars at the bottom of the gulch that didn’t make it.
Our afternoon continued by arriving in the quaint seaside town of Sausalito. With its many sidewalk cafés and homes built on the side of the hill, the view of San Francisco was spectacular. We walked down the street about two blocks to the Yee Chee Park, where there were hanging baskets full of blooming flowers above us on the lamp posts. We walked out to the edge of the concrete sea wall where we were joined by several birds looking for scraps of food. After that, we headed back along the other side of the street where we passed a park with a monument of elephants on either side of the steps going up to a large oval fountain. This was given to the City of Sausalito by its sister city in Chile. We’re not quite sure what the significance of the elephants is – but – whatever…The rain began to fall once again just before we were supposed to get back on the coach and head back to the ship. By the time we reached San Francisco and the pier, it was raining again. Several people got off the coach and went on to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf to enjoy a little more shopping and some yummy clam chowder. We opted to head back to the ship to get out of our wet clothes.
Late in the afternoon before we left port, Jim noticed a double rainbow gracing us outside off of our balcony on the port (left) side of the ship. This rainbow literally started from right beside the ship and made a full circle above us over towards The Bay Bridge. Then, magically, another rainbow appeared almost shadowing the first all around. We could hear many passengers telling their friends and family to go out and see the rainbow. It was a perfect end to a perfect day.
We left San Francisco and sailed out past Alcatraz Island and lighthouse and again under The Golden Gate Bridge and headed north into very rough seas. The Captain said the swells “might” be a little rough during the night. And so it was! We passed the lighthouse at Point Reyes and continued on our way.
We enjoyed dinner at Table 55 in the International Dining Room with our six other table companions. I had some delicious pasta with a red lobster sauce for my appetizer while Jim enjoyed French Onion Soup. We both had veal scaloppini cordon bleu as our main course.
Tomorrow we have a “day at sea” and will be enjoying “The Ultimate Ship Tour” – something special I purchased for Jim and me to do. We will actually get to go onto “the bridge”!!
Safe travels!
Showing posts with label Princess cruises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Princess cruises. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Travelogue No. 2 Santa Barbara - Wine Country Coastal Cruise Sapphire Princess
TRAVELOGUE NO. 2
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SUNDAY, May 9, 2010 – “Mother’s Day” – Santa Barbara, CA
We arrived in Santa Barbara early in the morning after a pleasant evening sailing up the coast from Los Angeles. Santa Barbara is a tender port, so the Sapphire Princess anchored out in the harbor and began to launch the tender boats to transport the passengers to and from the pier.
The weather could not have been more beautiful. It was about 65° with a slight breeze. The sky was blue with only a few fluffy clouds here and there in the sky. As you looked from the ship towards the city of Santa Barbara, you could not help but notice the mountains behind the city that were still green from the winter rains. With the shadows from the few clouds, the mountains almost appeared to be covered with a dark, forest green velvet cloth.
As we entered the harbor on our tender, and came around the breakwater we were greeted by hundreds of pelicans that were lining the shore. Many more were flying above and then diving straight down into the water “going fishing”. As we arrived at the pier, it seemed that the entire staff of the visitor’s bureau was out to greet us along with the harbor patrol and the police department. Everyone wished all of the ladies Happy Mother’s Day as we walked up the ramp. There were tables near the street where we could find maps of the downtown area. This is also where we were directed to our Trolley Tour.
We chose the Trolley Tour because we have only ever driven through Santa Barbara before and have not had the good fortune to explore it much – so we thought this would be a great way to introduce ourselves to this beautiful city.
Santa Barbara is called the America Riviera and is a place where food, art, history, fashion, sunshine and WINE mix to create a delightful and unique experience. The architecture is mostly Spanish and with the warm Mediterranean climate, you can take full advantage of the charming sidewalk-cafés and beautiful seaside setting.
Our Trolley driver, Mark, was quite enjoyable and explained about the history of Santa Barbara as well as pointing out popular current attractions. As he drove us through the streets of Santa Barbara, you could almost picture yourself in the Mediterranean. The Spanish and Moorish style buildings are graced with beautiful bougainvillea which was in full bloom. The streets are lined with 900 different species of trees (all of them imported). The ficus trees give a beautiful shade cover to some streets, where others are lined with tall palm trees that have their trunks full of huge bougainvillea bushes that are climbing up. Yet other streets are lined with jacaranda trees which are in full bloom with their delicate purple flowers.
You could definitely tell that Spring was here, because the rose bushes were in full bloom. There is a rose garden up at the Santa Barbara Mission across the long lawn. As you arrive at the Mission, you pass a large wooden cross in the middle of the lawn and at its’ base are a wide array of colorful flowers. The Mission is set back in a valley and up on a hill. If you turn around, you will have a beautiful panoramic view of the valley and out to the ocean. The hills that surround the Mission are gentle rolling hills that graduate up to the top of the range of only about 1,000 feet.
Though we were not able to get inside the Mission, we were able to walk around the grounds and take in the beauty. The architecture is definitely Spanish. There are two bell towers on the main part of the church; and to the left was a row of rooms that were all lined with covered archways. There was a bronze statue out front of Father Junipero Serra and a beautiful tiled fountain.
Once we left the Mission, Mark drove us down through the town and explained that the area known as Montecito is very popular with the “rich and famous”. Brad Pitt¸ Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Douglas, just to name a few, have all purchased multi-million dollar homes here. One of the most famous residents of the area is Fess Parker, best known for his role of Davy Crocket on the Disney Show many years ago. After his show business career, he bought up quite a bit of land here in Santa Barbara and started a vineyard. Fess Parker wines are among some of the best from this region.
After our tour was over, we opted to be dropped in town and walked down State Street past the refurbished train station and across the railroad tracks. At the entrance to the station, there are curved planters with four, 12 inch ceramic tiles that form the picture of a train. It was quite interesting. We were told that once a week the red-brick lined sidewalks of State Street are steam cleaned, so they remain pristine and beautiful for everyone. The streets are lined with tile fountains and beautiful planters full of colorful flowers from bougainvillea to birds of paradise to morning glorys. Most of the stores have archway entrances which are lined with vines. We walked under the freeway and continued on down to Cabrillo Street which is directly across from the beach.
There was an art fair on the lawn adjacent to the beach where the lawn was literally lined with paintings and photographs and the artists selling their work. Across the street, we could not help but notice “Rusty’s Pizza” which was in a lighthouse building. So, in honor of our Golden Retriever, Rusty, we decided to have lunch out on the terrace. We chose to enjoy the lunch “special” which was a small salad from the salad bar, a personal size pizza with two toppings and a soft drink for $6.95 each. After lunch, we walked further down the street and out onto the pier at Stearns Wharf and then headed back to the dock where we caught our tender back to the ship.
The winds came up dramatically in the mid-afternoon and this became an “issue” for the crew as it was difficult to keep the tenders steady enough to unload the passengers coming back from town. The winds actually increased to 40 knots around 4:00 p.m. and this delayed our departure as the crew had a difficult time getting the tenders secured back on the ship.
Once we finally left Santa Barbara, we expected a “rough” night because of the high winds and white-capped seas. But, we were graced within an hour of a calm Pacific and I even saw breaching gray whales off the port side of the ship. Though they were far in the distance, I still was able to capture a picture or two.
For Mother’s Day, Jim treated me to a delicious dinner of steak and lobster in the Sterling Steakhouse. The Maitre’ d, Stefan, was quite gracious and sent us a complimentary appetizer of jalapeno poppers stuffed with a light cheddar cheese and marinara dipping sauce. We each enjoyed a glass of wine and a beautiful sunset out the window as we continued sailing north out of Santa Barbara. I enjoyed a brie cheese quesadilla with mango salsa appetizer while Jim had a jumbo shrimp cocktail. Then my main course was a rib eye steak and lobster tail with a baked potato and Jim had a filet mignon with lobster tail and baked potato. For dessert (which we did NOT need) I enjoyed a raspberry crème brulee and Jim had a chocolate pecan pie.
We hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day and enjoyed each other.
PACIFIC COASTAL CRUISE LOS ANGELES TO VANCOUVER
SUNDAY, May 9, 2010 – “Mother’s Day” – Santa Barbara, CA
We arrived in Santa Barbara early in the morning after a pleasant evening sailing up the coast from Los Angeles. Santa Barbara is a tender port, so the Sapphire Princess anchored out in the harbor and began to launch the tender boats to transport the passengers to and from the pier.
The weather could not have been more beautiful. It was about 65° with a slight breeze. The sky was blue with only a few fluffy clouds here and there in the sky. As you looked from the ship towards the city of Santa Barbara, you could not help but notice the mountains behind the city that were still green from the winter rains. With the shadows from the few clouds, the mountains almost appeared to be covered with a dark, forest green velvet cloth.
As we entered the harbor on our tender, and came around the breakwater we were greeted by hundreds of pelicans that were lining the shore. Many more were flying above and then diving straight down into the water “going fishing”. As we arrived at the pier, it seemed that the entire staff of the visitor’s bureau was out to greet us along with the harbor patrol and the police department. Everyone wished all of the ladies Happy Mother’s Day as we walked up the ramp. There were tables near the street where we could find maps of the downtown area. This is also where we were directed to our Trolley Tour.
We chose the Trolley Tour because we have only ever driven through Santa Barbara before and have not had the good fortune to explore it much – so we thought this would be a great way to introduce ourselves to this beautiful city.
Santa Barbara is called the America Riviera and is a place where food, art, history, fashion, sunshine and WINE mix to create a delightful and unique experience. The architecture is mostly Spanish and with the warm Mediterranean climate, you can take full advantage of the charming sidewalk-cafés and beautiful seaside setting.
Our Trolley driver, Mark, was quite enjoyable and explained about the history of Santa Barbara as well as pointing out popular current attractions. As he drove us through the streets of Santa Barbara, you could almost picture yourself in the Mediterranean. The Spanish and Moorish style buildings are graced with beautiful bougainvillea which was in full bloom. The streets are lined with 900 different species of trees (all of them imported). The ficus trees give a beautiful shade cover to some streets, where others are lined with tall palm trees that have their trunks full of huge bougainvillea bushes that are climbing up. Yet other streets are lined with jacaranda trees which are in full bloom with their delicate purple flowers.
You could definitely tell that Spring was here, because the rose bushes were in full bloom. There is a rose garden up at the Santa Barbara Mission across the long lawn. As you arrive at the Mission, you pass a large wooden cross in the middle of the lawn and at its’ base are a wide array of colorful flowers. The Mission is set back in a valley and up on a hill. If you turn around, you will have a beautiful panoramic view of the valley and out to the ocean. The hills that surround the Mission are gentle rolling hills that graduate up to the top of the range of only about 1,000 feet.
Though we were not able to get inside the Mission, we were able to walk around the grounds and take in the beauty. The architecture is definitely Spanish. There are two bell towers on the main part of the church; and to the left was a row of rooms that were all lined with covered archways. There was a bronze statue out front of Father Junipero Serra and a beautiful tiled fountain.
Once we left the Mission, Mark drove us down through the town and explained that the area known as Montecito is very popular with the “rich and famous”. Brad Pitt¸ Jennifer Aniston, Oprah Winfrey, Michael Douglas, just to name a few, have all purchased multi-million dollar homes here. One of the most famous residents of the area is Fess Parker, best known for his role of Davy Crocket on the Disney Show many years ago. After his show business career, he bought up quite a bit of land here in Santa Barbara and started a vineyard. Fess Parker wines are among some of the best from this region.
After our tour was over, we opted to be dropped in town and walked down State Street past the refurbished train station and across the railroad tracks. At the entrance to the station, there are curved planters with four, 12 inch ceramic tiles that form the picture of a train. It was quite interesting. We were told that once a week the red-brick lined sidewalks of State Street are steam cleaned, so they remain pristine and beautiful for everyone. The streets are lined with tile fountains and beautiful planters full of colorful flowers from bougainvillea to birds of paradise to morning glorys. Most of the stores have archway entrances which are lined with vines. We walked under the freeway and continued on down to Cabrillo Street which is directly across from the beach.
There was an art fair on the lawn adjacent to the beach where the lawn was literally lined with paintings and photographs and the artists selling their work. Across the street, we could not help but notice “Rusty’s Pizza” which was in a lighthouse building. So, in honor of our Golden Retriever, Rusty, we decided to have lunch out on the terrace. We chose to enjoy the lunch “special” which was a small salad from the salad bar, a personal size pizza with two toppings and a soft drink for $6.95 each. After lunch, we walked further down the street and out onto the pier at Stearns Wharf and then headed back to the dock where we caught our tender back to the ship.
The winds came up dramatically in the mid-afternoon and this became an “issue” for the crew as it was difficult to keep the tenders steady enough to unload the passengers coming back from town. The winds actually increased to 40 knots around 4:00 p.m. and this delayed our departure as the crew had a difficult time getting the tenders secured back on the ship.
Once we finally left Santa Barbara, we expected a “rough” night because of the high winds and white-capped seas. But, we were graced within an hour of a calm Pacific and I even saw breaching gray whales off the port side of the ship. Though they were far in the distance, I still was able to capture a picture or two.
For Mother’s Day, Jim treated me to a delicious dinner of steak and lobster in the Sterling Steakhouse. The Maitre’ d, Stefan, was quite gracious and sent us a complimentary appetizer of jalapeno poppers stuffed with a light cheddar cheese and marinara dipping sauce. We each enjoyed a glass of wine and a beautiful sunset out the window as we continued sailing north out of Santa Barbara. I enjoyed a brie cheese quesadilla with mango salsa appetizer while Jim had a jumbo shrimp cocktail. Then my main course was a rib eye steak and lobster tail with a baked potato and Jim had a filet mignon with lobster tail and baked potato. For dessert (which we did NOT need) I enjoyed a raspberry crème brulee and Jim had a chocolate pecan pie.
We hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day and enjoyed each other.
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