California Pacific Coast

Our trip up the California coastline on Thursday was pleasant, with only a little wind and one slowdown for construction. Both sides of US-101 are lined with vineyards and other agriculture.

I don’t know what this truck was carrying, and I don’t think I want to find out.

This was our traffic slowdown.

Vehicles were backed up for more than a mile, all because of this one tractor where the workers seemed to be just standing around taking a break.

We passed lots of artichoke fields, especially around Castroville.

The town has little claim to fame other than as the artichoke center of the world, as I discovered by Googling it – it’s hard to find anything about Castroville that doesn’t focus on artichokes and the Artichoke Festival.

The Giant Artichoke Restaurant is a popular tourist destination. They even built a giant artichoke as part of the building!

We also passed several fields of mustard that are so pretty in the sunshine.

Moss Landing has always been one of my favorite places to visit, with several excellent seafood restaurants and gorgeous ocean/beach views. The power plant’s tall twin smoke stacks are visible from miles around.

Colorful iceplant is blooming and flowers abound in this coastal region.

We reached Watsonville early afternoon and parked in front of Don’s sister-in-law Susan’s home.

Later, we enjoyed dinner at a nearby Chinese restaurant. It’s nice to be in an area with lots of restaurant and shopping choices, and just to relax and catch up with family. Read more about the family visit in the next blog post.