Angels have played an important part in our journey. We feel their guidance every day. When learning to listen to our unseen friends, Doreen Virtue's book, Divine Guidance, was particularly helpful. On November 20th, we headed over to Anaheim to participate in a workshop given by Doreen. It was a wonderful and powerful experience. We learned even more about the angels' power to assist us when we ask--they are eager to help in any way that aligns with our highest good. It was a wonderfully vibrating, light-filled experience.
Earlier that morning we had put the APPLE in storage in preparation for a trip up California's scenic Highway 1. We wanted to do some exploring on our way to meet up with some of Tom's relatives for Thanksgiving just east of San Francisco. Sunday morning we attended an inspiring worship service at Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral. His message was that we all have a choice about being peaceable people and that we can choose to live that way every day. It's a message we hope all people will learn to heed.
Our first stop along Hwy 1 was at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine in Pacific Palisades. This beautiful oasis was created by the followers of Paramahansa Yogananda. It honors the many paths to God throughout the meditation gardens and paths that surround the small lake. The Temple Without Walls is also known as the Gandhi World Peace Memorial where some of his ashes are interred. This natural shrine was created to be a place where visitors can "refresh mind and spirit in the peace that pervades this beautiful sanctuary." And indeed, we left there refreshed.
The next day our eyes were greeted with many delightful sights. We drove through rolling hills, fields of vineyards, miles of cattle ranches and strawberry farms. We even found some fresh strawberries to buy for snacking. We took a brief side trip to the Danish village of Solvang where windmills and Danish architecture abound. Along the way we saw huge patches of iceplant and hundreds of blackbirds in the fields. When we got to Pismo Beach, we walked the vast stretches of sand. Humans and horses frolicked in the surf and sun. Just a few miles away, 30,000 monarch butterflies had established their winter home in a grove of eucalyptus and pine trees. As many as 200,000 will congregate here later in the season. We walked through the grove in hushed silence, enjoying this remarkable spectacle.
The Hearst Castle and estate is now a California State Park. In its heyday many famous people came here for rest and recreation. The estate covered 250,000 acres and included 50 miles of Pacific Coastline. The castle has 165 rooms, 127 acres of landscaped gardens, and two fantastic swimming pools--one outdoor and one indoor. The tour took us through some of the 'common rooms' and guest quarters. I sure wish I would have been one of their friends! There were extensive riding trails, a huge stable and even a zoo right on the grounds. The view from the castle was magnificent.
After leaving the Hearst Castle the coastal terrain changed significantly. It transformed from rolling ranch land to high cliffs and twisting, steep grades. (This is the part of the road we were really glad we didn't have the APPLE following behind us!) We paused at Point Gorda and saw a herd of sea lions hauled up on a secluded sand beach at the base of the cliffs. We continued along this dramatic coastline until we got to Big Sur State Park where we found a room with a fireplace to enjoy for the night.
The next morning we hiked through the tall coastal redwoods. We even found a stump from one of the old giants that we both could fit in! Farther down the trail we came to 60-foot Pfeiffer Falls. Even though there wasn't a lot of water flowing, the song of the waterfall was still mesmerizing.
As we continued north we again traveled along massive coastal cliffs. Beautiful green, orange and red iceplant brightened the roadsides. Our next stop was at Point Lobos State Reserve just south of the Monterey Peninsula. There at Whaler's Cove we watched a sea otter playing and eating clams. Then he brought up a bright red crab and proceeded to devour it. Next we hiked out to Sea Lion Point where we saw hundreds of sea lions, seals and otters on the rocks and in the water. Their loud barking was audible for quite a distance. We definitely would recommend this stop to anyone who travels through this area.
After Point Lobos we headed inland and made our way through rush hour traffic to Greg and Jacki Orton's house in Oakley, CA just east of San Francisco. Greg & Jacki (Tom's cousin) had volunteered to host Thanksgiving the next day at their beautiful home. Tom's Uncle Jack Seliskar, Aunt Marie, Cousin Mike & girlfriend Linda, Cousin Alicia and boyfriend Mark all gathered together for quite a feast. Aunt Marie cooked up a storm with assistance mostly from Jacki. It was a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration! Thanks for including us!!
At Thanksgiving and every day we give thanks to the Creator of this magnificent universe for all the wonders of this earth that we are so privileged to share. Among the things we are most grateful for are the people in our lives--and those of you we'll meet down the road. Until then...
