Day 5: The Show of a Lifetime

 Words Could Never Describe

Neither pictures nor word could ever describe the rolling mountains and the rocky beaches that Raeray followed up the California coast. Its a show that only the naked eye can conceive from the majestic beaches of Carmel to the pristine waters of Monterey Bay to the rugged crags of Shark Tooth Cove and beyond. Morgan Rae found the landscape of her dreams in the peaks streaking skyward across from roaring Pacific surf.

After a night in Castroville, Raeray backtracked a bit in the direction of Big Sur. That had been a destination for the adventure, but a washed-out portion of The One prevented access from the south. The natural preserve would be too far out of the way for Raeray to visit and still fulfill the day’s order. Morgan Rae will certainly catch it on her return to Southern California. The first stop was at Carmel-by-the-Sea, a mile-long residential beach community carved out from the larger city of Carmel. While secluded, the community does welcome tourists on its beach. A group of Chinese visitors there raved over Penny Lane and, again, our little dog felt like the target of paparazzi. Also on the beach there, we met a couple who lived full-time in Santa Barbara and used this as a second home. The husband, Bill, explained to me that their street had about 20 houses, and only about three were owned by full-time residents. Bill mentioned he had traveled in years past with The Band and Bob Dylan. As we discussed music, Bill stared at the sand and noticed a nickel heads up. He handed it to Ray and pointed out that the beaches here were paved with coins. The houses up there, he said pointing to the shoreline, cost one or two million dollars. It was time for Raeray to move on. We were traveling on a budget.

We wanted to see Pebble Beach and take the 17 Mile Drive along the coast, but this was the weekend of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament. Every entrance was blocked. Never mind, though, because Pacific Grove suited Raeray just fine. This is Butterfly Town, U.S.A. because this is the area to which Monarchs migrate. It is also a beautiful portion of Monterey Bay with rocky crags and crystal clear water. Raeray struck up a conversation with a solitary man gazing across the bay. His name was Paul, and he said he would soon be moving here. He had just closed on a house here after searching up and down the Pacific coast from San Diego to Seattle. He lives in Silicon Valley, called himself a “recovering Geek.” He was familiar with Huntsville, Alabama.

The drive from Pacific Grove took us up the coastline skirting Monterey and Seaside, and back past Castroville. The roadside markets there sell artichokes, avocados and various fruits for remarkable prices – as much as 10 for $1. Morgan Rae vowed to keep $20 aside to stop there on her next trip south and pick up a load of produce to sell on the streets of Ocean Beach. The Subaru continued on its journey to Santa Cruz and a quick drive past the Boardwalk with its century-old coasters and carousels. The beach area was old and dirty, so we headed downtown to find lunch. The Saturn Café beckoned as we drove through the city center, so we stopped for its vegan burrito and taquitas. We were able to eat in a quaint patio that welcomed Penny Lane.

The next three hours was more feasting for the eyes as we discovered Shark Fin Cove just below Davenport and Pigeon Point Lighthouse, barely 40 miles outside of San Francisco. We bypassed Half Moon Bay and Moss Beach to save time, and adobe buildings lining the water outside of Pacifica gave us the first glimpses of what San Francisco would bring. On this day, we zipped through the edge of the city and across the Golden Gate. More sights await us in the next two days. Day 5 will end with dinner at Terrapin Crossroads and a show by Phil Lesh and Friends. We found our home for the next three days – the Motel 6 San Rafael. It was several blocks away from Terrapin Crossroads. Emila Boxt had bought us tickets for the show. She arrived at the hotel about 6:30 p.m. after driving straight from Los Angeles.

Terrapin Crossroads takes its name from “Terrapin Station,” an album released in 1977 by The Grateful Dead. The restaurant and music hall are the vision of Lesh, one of the Grateful Dead’s founders and bass player throughout the life of the Dead. The music hall is about a 1,500-square-foot room with a capacity of about 420, and Lesh and friends played from 8 o’clock to about 12:30 p.m. Fans surrounded the stage swaying and shaking through the entire show, aside from a 45-minute intermission that gave Raeray a chance to pick the brains of local residents. One Deadhead was expecting Bob Weir to show up. Weir was another founder of the band who lives nearby. But that wasn’t to be. Lesh is amazing at 77 years old. He smiled as he played his six-string bass through the entire show. He was gracious to the band and crowd, and his voice was warm and crisp on such songs as “Unbroken Chain” and “Box of Rain,” two Dead favorites. Morgan Rae slipped away during the show and bought us and Emilia matching yellow souvenir shirts. Raeray had dined in another area of Terrapin Crossroads before the show. We had toured the dock patio out back and the surrounding yacht club. Now it was time for the short walk back to our temporary home. The night was late. Raeray would have another busy two days. It was time for a rest.”