“California Road Trip” #2
(San Fran to Carmel) Continued
I had begun in San Francisco and was heading south towards the Monterey Peninsula. The Pacific Highway is one of the best if not the best drive in United States. It winds all along the coast of California.
As I drove, I began recalling my time in San Francisco and found myself smiling. I had been there several times in the past, but I had never before experienced it the way I did this time. My son had taken me to a quaint little restaurant called Delancy located in the Embarcadero area. The special thing about this restaurant was that it employed only ex convicts. It was the owners way of helping rehabilitate these souls that I’m sure didn’t have the same luck I’ve had in my life. I thought it a great and necessary idea.
I also got to know Chinatown like never before.
I had joined a walking food tour and the guide turned out to be a treasure trove of information. He had grown up in Chinatown but he was of Irish descent. I experienced Tea Houses that I would have overlooked before. Markets I didn’t know existed…live frogs, shark stomachs, strange fruits and veggies, weird smells… it was all amazing! He also took me to the original “fortune cookie” factory, and I got to create my own fortune cookie.
It said “You will meet the love of your life”…or something along those lines. I still haven’t opened it. Huh? Haha..Maybe I should!
I visited a Buddhist temple and got to be part of a ceremony to find out about my personal spiritual journey. Then I went to a “paper store” where one could buy anything you could think of …but made of paper!
I mean anything! Gucci shoes, Fendi purses, iPhones, Apple computers, Disney toys, designer clothes or anything else you can imagine. It was explained to me, that when a person passes away, it is traditional to burn whatever you wish for them to take with them into the next life. Apparently, it is too expensive to actually burn these items, so they came up with substitutes made out of paper. I can’t help but laugh when I think of the disappointment that the ”one on the other side” will experience when he or she gets all that paper stuff instead! People are funny.
I arrived at Monterey. I have always liked it there. I found a little French bistro, walked along the Fisherman’s Wharf and ended up dancing to a live band with a couple I had been talking to at the bar. They were great and fun people; however, I had the impression that maybe they were into the swinging lifestyle, and that maybe they wanted a “me sandwich”; so since that is not my thing, I eventually said my goodbyes and left.
The drive to Carmel By The Sea along the the 17-Mile drive never gets tiresome. It really is breathtaking.
Carmel was pretty like a postcard and I decided to stay a few days and rent a little house that had woods for a backyard and the ocean a few steps away.
I had never before explored the Carmel Wine Valley. I tasted several wines, olive oils, explored quaint country stores, and just soaked up the atmosphere. A funny thing happened when I was sitting at the Cowgirl Winery. I was just soaking the sun when suddenly I was surrounded by the most beautiful, fat, shiny, red feathered chickens. Why they were surrounding me? I don’t know. Then, out of nowhere, a gorgeous silvery gray cat jumped on my lap.
What was it that attracted all these animals? Yes, I felt a little like SnowWhite!
There happened to be two women observing it all. They were yogis and longtime friends. They said to me that they could see the positive energy I was giving out, and were kind to invite me to join them at their table.
We drank a bottle of red Cowgirl wine and I enjoyed myself tremendously. One of them lived near the area and was quick to tell me a list of must-go places in Carmel.
Upon my return to town, I made it a point to follow her advice and hit all those places. One of them was a rooftop bar where I could see the ocean and enjoy the sunset during happy hour. I had not been there five minutes, when a tall good looking guy walks in and sits next to me at the bar. We ended up talking up a storm. He had lost his wife to cancer a couple of years before, and had sold his company in order to move to Carmel and be a full-time dad to his two young boys.
He invited me to dinner at his favorite Italian restaurant… a cute little gem of a place that is frequented by locals not tourists. It was delicious. Afterwards he suggested going to his house and getting into his jacuzzi. It happened to overlook the ocean…okay… it sounded wonderful to me… but I did not have a bathing suit. He looked at me and said “Listen. We are adults. You have underwear on, right?” I nodded. “Nothing is going to happen, my two kids are home, you are safe. It’s a beautiful night, it’s up to you”. Well, I did. It was a crazy, and totally innocent night.
My angels do take care of me…they keep putting very special people in my way. The fact that I know and trust this, is the reason why I feel unafraid to travel solo. I just know it. I have a very strong connection with my guiding angel. When my energy is aligned, everything goes my way and happens in perfect synchronization.
I eventually left Carmel By The Sea and continued to head south towards Big Sur…to my next destination whatever that may be.
