Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Fifth and Last Morning...

12/16/2009

It is 5:57 on the fifth and final morning of our short California excursion.  Our flight leaves at 10:37 so we have a while to get ready for the five hour flight back to civilization and West Virginia, and our beloved eastern-time zone. This has been great, but we are ready for our own bed and the serenity of being home.

Yesterday we went south of San Francisco and drove down the Pacific Coast Highway (Rt. 1) to Monterey.  We did the 17 Mile scenic route through Carmel and Pebble Beach.  We stopped at the Pebble Beach Lodge and looked out over the 18th green of this storied golf course, and could not help but think of Tiger Woods and all he has done to bring himself down of late, but also the glory years of Palmer, Nicholas and so many others.

A Coldwell Banker office was located among the shops at the lodge.  Just outside its entry door was a display case with photographs of some of the properties for sale in the area.  I had to chuckle at the prices.  Of about twenty photos the least expensive house was a “fixer upper” for $4,650,000.  Many were more the $20,000,000, or about the cost of all the properties currently listed in and around Beautiful Downtown Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, population 711, though in our little town we don’t get a view of the Pacific. 

After having hobnobbed with the elite for a bit, we decided it was time to step down to a more comfortable socio-economic level and find us a micro-brewery and some real people, so we did.  We located “English Ales” in Marina, California just a few miles north of Monterey where we chatted for a hour or so with some really nice people over a couple of beers and some pub food.  If you happen to be in the neighborhood, check it out at http://www.englishalesbrewery.com.  I think you will enjoy the simplicity of a really good neighborhood bar with real down-to-earth patrons and a very friendly staff.

So here I am, a little tired and very ready to go home to The Farm.  Tomorrow it is back to the old grind – work.  I am looking forward to it.  These vacations can be exhausting and can really drag you down.  It will be nice to get back to work so I can relax.

While we have met some really nice people, and had some great food and beverages, done things we have never done before and have seen things we have never seen before and been places we have never been before, it is time to go home.  Adios, California!

And that is all I have to say about that…