OCD Planner's ~ Jewel ~ 8 Night Pacific NW Vancouver to LA w/San Francisco Overnight

I think that I remember being told that Bob Marley once lived in this brown building at Haight & Asbury:

The Painted Ladies:

Our last stop on this side of the Golden Gate Bridge was at Fort Point National Historic site where we were able to take pictures with the bridge in the background. It was pretty impressive to this Texas girl to be right there under the bridge!

After the picture stop we crossed the bridge in to Sausalito where we were given about 1 1/4 hours to have lunch and take a look around.

Brendan gave us suggestions, based on his experience, on places to eat at for lunch. There was a take out burger joint, an eat-in burger place, a seafood place, a mexican place, a couple of delis and an Italian place. We chose to do the take out burgers from this tiny place called Hamburgers Sausalito. It was just before the lunch rush started and I think we were number 6 in line. The burgers were fresh, hand pressed patties that were grilled and served as ordered. There is nothing here but a rotating grill, a counter to place your order and maybe seating for 6.

We took ours down to the harbor area and set on a concrete amphi-theater seating type place. The burgers were delicious and huge! Neither of us could finish the whole thing.

Once we were done with lunch we spent about 30-40 minutes walking the streets checking out some of the stores and taking pictures before meeting back up at the shuttle. Sausalito was a cute little town with lots of people riding bikes and tourists snapping memories on their cellphones and cameras.

Muir Woods was up next. It was a short drive, maybe 20 minutes or so up a winding road until we arrived. The cost of entrance wasn't included in our tour price because the fee varies dependent on age and whether or not you have a National Park Pass (free entrance with the pass). We didn't have a pass and weren't quite old enough to qualify for the senior price, so we shelled out our $7 per person.

We were allotted 1 1/4 hours to tour on our own at our own pace to see as much or as little as we wanted. Brendan suggested that everyone should have time to go to at least the third bridge and warned everyone not to take the Ocean View trail or they would be walking back. We took his suggestion and went across Bridge 1 through the Bohemian Grove and continued on the left side of the creek to Bridge 3.

These ancient Coastal Redwood trees are so majestic, some of them up to 1000 years old, 200 tall and 14 foot wide.

We crossed the creek and headed a little farther past Bridge 3 so see the Cathedral Grove. Signs were posted asking people to enter quietly as it was a serene place in nature to think and contemplate, however the folks who were already in the area apparently either didn't read the sign or didn't think it applied to them. Cathedral Grove was amazing!

On our way back out of the park we came through the Founders Grove. Our short visit was just the tip of the iceberg, we could have spent an entire day here taking in all of the nature around us. The park is 560 acres and has 6 miles of trails.

We learned that the land was originally purchased in 1905 by local businessman William Kent to protect it from being cut. To make certain that it was never cut they donated the property to the federal government where President Roosevelt used the 1906 Antiquities Act to name the woods as a national monument. Kent requested that the area be named after conservationist John Muir. In 1916 Mr. Kent, serving in the US House of Representatives, introduced legislation creating the National Park Service.

Everyone on the tour was in awe of Muir Woods!

Before returning to SF we stopped on the west side of the bridge to get some more pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge and the city of SF. Brendan took great care of us and dropped us right at the ship by 3:30 as promised. We had a wonderful day seeing the sights and hearing all the information that Brendan shared about his beautiful city.

Sail away was scheduled for 5:30 and we were invited to an upper-tier party being held on the Helipad beginning at 5:00. When we boarded the ship we were told the second formal night would be on the Monterey port day so we headed up in our normal clothes. When we got to the Helipad there were people dressed in anything from shorts to tuxes and formal long dresses!

We felt very secure with the U. S. Coast Guard providing security for the ship. After running other boats away from us we set sail.

It was pretty impressive to sail out of the San Francisco harbor with drink in hand, passed hors'duerves and having the captain wave down to all of us from at the navigation bridge.

Later he gave his two thumbs up as we went under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was also freezing cold with the wind! As soon as we were under the bridge everyone headed back inside.

Backing out of the port area we left San Francisco with these great views:

We were able to get some great pictures going under the bridge!

Here the captain is showing us how much room we have to clear the ship under the Golden Gate Bridge!

Captain Thore is smiling at his ease of guiding us under the bridge:

Since we weren't dressed for formal dinner we did something that we have never done before in all of our cruises... we had dinner in the Windjammer! It was actually pretty good. The lights were lowered and there were servers walking around with hors'duerves and refilling glasses. We decided that it wouldn't be so bad to eat in the WJ a time or two on future cruises.

Our next port stop is Monterrey where we have rented a car for the day.

We were told that the winds were measured at 40 knots as we sped thru the harbor. To safely pass under the bridge we moved up to top speed to ride lower in the water which increased wind speed to almost 60 knots apparent. It was COLD.

I'm still finishing up tax season with four (4!) last minute clients and will start my own review after. I think I have you in a couple of pictures. Maybe.

Thank you for taking the time to share your vacation with us. We sail on the Jewel at the end of the year, and I was keen to see as much as I could of the ship.

But your photos and informative narrative got me hooked. I haven't been to Butchart's Gardens in years, and you definitely did it at the right time of day before all the bus tours arrive. I used to eat my lunch on the beach at Fort Rodd Hill, and took my piano lessons at Craigdarroch Castle. I hadn't seen pictures of it now that it is being restored.

I was also especially interested to see the photos of Astoria -- have always wanted to go there!

Some of our travelling party were out on the water to see the Jewel from the ocean in Victoria -- she does look beautiful and we can't wait to sail on her!

Again, my thanks.

Really enjoying your review. We live in San Jose (an hour south of San Francisco) and it is really fun to hear about SF from the eyes of someone seeing it as a tourist, not as a local! I'm a bit jealous - I've lived here 50+ years and I've never been to Alcatraz!

I have spoken to some guys who, as Boy Scouts, had the opportunity to do an overnight stay at Alcatraz. They had the option to sleep inside the cells...but apparently most of them found that to be too spooky and they all ended up pulling their sleeping bags into a common area. :)

Thank you for taking the time to share your vacation with us. We sail on the Jewel at the end of the year, and I was keen to see as much as I could of the ship.

 

But your photos and informative narrative got me hooked. I haven't been to Butchart's Gardens in years, and you definitely did it at the right time of day before all the bus tours arrive. I used to eat my lunch on the beach at Fort Rodd Hill, and took my piano lessons at Craigdarroch Castle. I hadn't seen pictures of it now that it is being restored.

 

I was also especially interested to see the photos of Astoria -- have always wanted to go there!

 

Some of our travelling party were out on the water to see the Jewel from the ocean in Victoria -- she does look beautiful and we can't wait to sail on her!

 

Again, my thanks.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my review! It's really cool that so many of the places we visited were a part of your everyday life.

Having never been to the west coast, we really enjoyed each and every port stop on this cruise. We were very lucky to have gotten this 8 night itinerary with such wonderful cities to visit!

Enjoy your trip on Jewel!

Cindy

Really enjoying your review. We live in San Jose (an hour south of San Francisco) and it is really fun to hear about SF from the eyes of someone seeing it as a tourist, not as a local! I'm a bit jealous - I've lived here 50+ years and I've never been to Alcatraz!

 

I have spoken to some guys who, as Boy Scouts, had the opportunity to do an overnight stay at Alcatraz. They had the option to sleep inside the cells...but apparently most of them found that to be too spooky and they all ended up pulling their sleeping bags into a common area. :)

Thank you for taking time to post. I know what you mean about living near something famous and never taking time to actually experience it.

We live near Dallas and have never been to Dealy Plaza, the 6th floor museum (JFK assassination sites) the "Ewing" Ranch from the tv series Dallas, etc.

I just saw that the History Channel had a new Alcatraz: Unsolved Mystery dealing with the 3 escaped prisoners who were never found. I'm going to have to watch that now that we've been there.

It's always fun after we've visited somewhere to say "hey we were there" when you see it in a movie or something.

Happy Sails!

Cindy

Monterey was a tender port. First off was ship's excursions and we were in group 2. We had reserved a car thru Hertz to do the 17 mile drive on our own. The rental office is located in the Gunter Madsen Auto Repair shop. We called when we arrived and someone picked us up and dropped us at the rental facility. We are gold members with Hertz so all we did was walk in, get the keys and we were on our way.

We headed first to do the 17 mile drive thru the Del Monte Forest, taking time to stop at each point of interest and reading the information plaques. Of course the first stop was at the gate to pay our $10 fee to enter the neighborhood. If you choose to eat at one of the golf courses the $10 is applied to your bill.

Next we stopped at the beach and picnic area where I walked around for a few minutes in the sand. The first point of interest according to the brochure you receive is the Shepherd's Knoll vista point which gives a grand view of the Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Here's my picture:

I can sort of make out the bay in the background but not seeing the mountains.

The second stop was Huckleberry Hill named for all the Huckleberry bushes that are here. There were a couple of trails that you could wander around on, which I did. This is one of the highest points in the forest.

We skipped the Poppy Hills Golf Course and the Inn & Links at Spanish Bay. We did stop at Spanish Bay where there is a picnic stop and shoreline.

The Restless Sea offers a view of offshore turbulence caused by the submerged terrain off of Point Joe.

Point Joe was often times mistaken for the entrance to Monterey Bay by early mariners and many crashed upon the rocks.

China Rock is the location where Chinese fisherman built lean-tos against the rocks for the homes back in the late 1800's and early 1900's.

Bird Rock is home to many shorebirds and groups of harbor seals and sea lions.

The Seal Rock Picnic area is a great beach location.

Fanshell Overlook offers views of a beautiful white sand beach below. Each year this is where the harbor seals return to have their young.

One of the golf courses we saw along the way:

And another being built:

Crocker Grove is a 13 acre nature preserve with many species of native pine and cypress. The area was named for Charles Crocker who established 17 Mile Drive back in 1881.

Cypress Point Outlook has been the favorite view point of the Pacific Coastline for more than 100 years.

The Lone Cypress has been perched on its rocky outcrop for more than 250 years. It is one of the most enduring California landmarks.

The Ghost Tree, with its sinister silhouette was bleached white from wind.

We took the Carmel exit and headed to the Carmel Mission first. We walked around the outside for pictures but didn't pay to take a tour of the inside.

Next we drove down the Carmel Scenic Road next to the shoreline. There were lots of beautiful sights along the way. Here are a few:

We drove thru the "downtown" area of Carmel, parked and then had lunch at the Tree House Cafe. It was a cute place with outdoor seating on a raised deck area overlooking the street covered with trees and umbrellas.

I had the Gyros Plate featuring grill lamb & beef over saffron rice with a greek salad. It was SOOO good. Hubby had chicken quesadillas.

Once we returned to Monterey we returned of our rental car and asked them to drop us off at Cannery Row. We strolled around the area for an hour or so looking in some of the shops and then slowly walked back towards Fisherman's Wharf.

Here's those flowers again!

Jewel of the Seas:

The harbor area:

The big "boat" with the little boats:

We had a great time in Monterey and felt like we were able to see quite a lot in a short time. We spent $28 on a rental for the day and less than $7 in gas. Again we were in control of our day, how long we stayed at each place, stopping for lunch, etc.

Ships tour for 4.5 hours seeing the 17 mile drive and Carmel city tour was $65.75 per person so we saved about $100 by doing it on our own, plus we got to enjoy lunch and stop at each and every site along the way.

I think that's about it for tonight. I'm hoping to get this trip wrapped up in the next couple of days. Up next is a DIY day in Santa Barbara with a side trip to Solvang.

Our final port stop was in Santa Barbara. This was one of our favorite ports of the entire trip.

We also did a DIY driving tour here renting a car again with Hertz. The Hertz office was located inside the Fess Parker Doubletree Hotel a few miles from where we came ashore. We made a quick call as we arrived and they picked us up right across the road at the Sambo's restaurant.

After dropping the driver at the hotel we headed out on our way to Solvang, a really cute Danish community that was settled in 1911 by immigrants looking to get away from the cold Midwest winters. The town is full of shops, bakeries, restaurants, bed & breakfasts, etc.

We had breakfast at one of the little bakeries before continuing our sight-seeing adventure.

Every building in the town has the Dutch influence including shops like Subway, insurance stores, etc.

One of my favorite shops that we stopped in was a Christmas store. I was able to pick up a couple of handmade Danish ornaments to add to my Travel-Tree!

After spending some time in the shopping area we headed out for a drive around the town and then to the Mission Santa Ines.

We enjoyed a wonderful morning seeing Solvang. We took the trip going thru the mountains and returned along the coastline.

After returning to Santa Barbara we went by the Mission Santa Barbara, built in 1786, known as the Queen of Missions.

We continued to the downtown area of Santa Barbara and after driving around the block a couple of times we finally found a parking place a few blocks away from the courthouse. The Santa Barbara Courthouse is a beautiful Spanish Colonial Revival completed in 1929. Since it is a public building it is open to tour free of charge. We took the opportunity to climb the stairs to the lookout tower.

A view from the top:

The Mural Room depicts the history of Santa Barbara and is occasionally used as a court room.

The clock room is available for tours by appointment but is able to be viewed thru a glass wall.

After lunch and a driving tour of SB we returned our rental and had them drop us at Stearn's Wharf. We spent a little time there looking around and then walked back to the ship.

We loved Santa Barbara and would like to return here again someday. Our DIY day to Solvang and Santa Barbara cost us less than $30 for a rental and less than $10 in gas. We enjoyed our time here very much.

We arrived in Los Angeles early Saturday morning.

The port area:

According to our tour guide this is where George Lucas got his idea for some of the Star Wars characters in the movie.

We went to breakfast and then back to our room to pick up our bags to carry off. Our goodbye from the Jewel:

Initially I had planned to rent a car to DIY tour the area since our flight home wasn't until 3:35pm. However, after checking prices it was going to be almost $100 for a compact car plus gas and time to pick up and drop off.

Instead we finally decided to take the easy way out and do the ship's area tour with airport drop off for around $49 each. We all met in the theater where we were given a sticker to put on our shirts. After about 20-30 minutes we were lead off the ship as a group and then to luggage pick up. Since we were carrying-off we got to skip that portion.

Next we went outside and waited in line for around 30 minutes in the hot sun with no seats or shade for the charter buses to arrive. Next everyone turned in their luggage and they loaded it underneath by what airline you would be flying home.

I think there ended up being 5 different bus loads of us but each bus went a different direction so that we didn't all end up at the same stops at the same time. Luckily our bus only had around 30 folks on a 45 passenger bus so we could spread out some.

The tour said we would spend time seeing L.A., Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive with a shopping stop (which our group all voted to skip) and the Santa Monica Pier before being dropped at LAX.

As with all ship-sponsored tours we have been on, we wished we would have gone on our own instead. Our tour guide talked, a lot, and couldn't tell time for the life of her. We'd stop somewhere and she would say it's 10:00 we're going to stop for 20 minutes so be back by 10:30. Of course half heard 20 minutes and were back on time and the others heard 10:30 and she'd berate them for being late. This happened at every stop!

Most of my pictures are thru the bus windows driving down the road but it will give you some idea of what we saw.

Once we stopped in Santa Monica you could eat, go to the pier, shop the downtown market, etc. We had about 1 hour here before leaving for LAX