Hooray for adventuring and seeing new sites and new places. I had some comp time and decided to use it before my season ended in Yosemite. I started my journey in San Jose at the Winchester Mystery House. Mrs. Winchester was the definition of eccentric. She started with an unfinished eight room farm house and continued to build, 24 hours a day, until the day she died.
The house has doors that open to brick walls, stairs that go up to the ceiling, and a whole complicated maze of rooms and halls. She simply added on to what she had, then added on to that, then added on to that. Absolutely fascinating.
A door that leads to nowhere.
The gardens and grounds were immaculate and I especially enjoyed all the rose bushes.
I left San Jose and traveled south to Pinnacles National Park. It had been cloudy and rainy all day. I was able to get my tent set up and eat dinner before it started to really rain. Thankfully, the interior of my tent stayed dry all night and I was warm and cozy.
As usual, I did not have near enough time to hike and see everything I wanted to see. The park is beautiful and a place I will definitely return to.
My next stop was Heart Castle in San Simeon on the coast. It was so exciting, traveling west, to come to the top of a hill and see the Pacific Ocean shimmering below. Enough people who come to Scotty's Castle in Death Valley ask about Hearst Castle and I thought it high time I check it out.
What an opulent place. Over the top. To the point of being ridiculous.
The indoor swimming pool.
The whole complex is high on a hill over looking the Pacific.
Hearst had more money than he knew what to do with. One of his hobbies was collecting animals for his zoo. The picture below has a small herd of zebras, remnants of that zoo.
Ah, the beautiful Pacific coastline.
I stayed my second night in Fresno and early the next morning attended the Fresno Temple.
As most of my trips seem, it was fast and furious. I got back to Yosemite in time to pack up my room, work my last few days, and check out. I'll be spending my winter once more in Death Valley. Fellow adventurers always welcome.
