California Dreamin': Where Didn't I Go Today? (Part Deux)

Last night, I rather abruptly cut off my blog post because I was having a hard time uploading pictures and I was completely exhausted. I figured I'd finish it off today, so here I am.

After stopping--quite briefly--in Monterey, I merged onto Highway 1 North and took a detour from my normal route back towards Stockton. Instead of taking Highway 156, I stayed on 1 and then veered off onto 152 through Gilroy before meeting I-5 and heading north back to Stockton.

I stopped in Moss Landing, a tiny, blink-and-you-miss-it town on the coast, to get some ocean pictures with Cali Swimmy.

 

Rosie Pro, my trusty steed.

A California Girl and her California Duck.

To get here, I had to drive on an access road that was covered in sand.
A couple of times, I feared Rosie would get stuck.

Ahh, my beloved Pacific.

While here, a guy came up while I was getting a picture of Cali Swimmy.
I just smiled and said, "It's a long story." He smiled, so I said, "He's got
friends in Detroit, New York, England and Holland." The guy loved it.

After my beach fix, I started heading back inland. I found myself in the small city of Watsonville. There were some great signs, but I wasn't planning on stopping...until I saw the wonderful little town park. I had to stop. Parking was plentiful, so I got out and enjoyed a sunny inland day (the central coast is always cloudy, it seems, while the inland is gorgeous).

"God's Free Gift." Heh.

George Washington

A sign of the times...

A second swim in one day! Cali was beside himself.

A FABULOUS old sign.

On the way out of town, I slowed to a stop and quickly snapped this.

I continued on Highway 152, which took me up a small mountain and through some woods. At the top, I stopped for a picture of the view and a sign.

Driving through the woods (there was no one behind me, so I stopped).

In Gilroy

I stopped at a farm stand store that I've stopped at before. They had some gorgeous produce.

I bought that gorgeous artichoke that is in the middle of this picture and
plan to steam it an eat it tomorrow.

Gilroy is home to the annual Garlic Festival.

*giggle*

I bought all of this--one artichoke, a basket of strawberries, two russet
potatoes, five Roma tomatoes, and a cup of chocolate garlic ice cream--
for a whopping five bucks.

 Yes, that was "chocolate garlic ice cream." A few years ago I had the vanilla. This time, I had to try the chocolate.

After this stop I was ready to get home. I stopped at a vista point (not the same one from the morning, but a different one) along I-5 and learned a little something I didn't know about the California Aqueduct.

...And there it is.

The San Joaquin Valley

One last picture--my messy passenger side after a day's adventure.