Road trip

A few weekends ago we embarked on a day trip with our friend Tony. We headed north up a foggy Hwy 1 then took the Hunter leggett turn off just past Gorda. This is the ultimate long and windy road with wonderful views even on a foggy morning.

 

That really is the Big Sur coast line down there in the fog.

 

Half way up we found a beautiful redwood grove and creek

                                                           

 

 

 

After a picnic lunch beside the creek we emerged on the Eastern side of the mountain on the Hunter Legget Army base.(Quite bizarre really to be among the military vehicles) Mike and Tony were spotting the different type of tanks.

 

 

Then at the end of the road is the historic Mission San Antonio

 

 

 

Mike and I had visited this mission in July and had an interesting conversation with the woman running the gift shop. We asked her about the big house on the hill over looking the base. It was the Hearst hunting lodge until he gave it and the land to the military base. Now it is a hotel (The Hacienda) for the military and the public. The same person was there and elaborated on it being a Julia Morgan designed building and can be visited by the public. Off we went through a military ID check station, to the top of the hill only to find it locked. We were lucky as a soldier emerged from the kitchen and let us in for a look around, the highlight being a wall mural.