My First Trip to California, Santa Cruz

Pieter did surprise me with a companion ticket to San Francisco, so I could tag along to Santa Cruz, California.
 For a couple of days, Pieter had to do training at the Pescadero farm for Campbell Soup.

And... my Mauzie girl, the little black & tan Dachshund went with us!

My very first PUMPKIN encounter too, this is near Santa Cruz on October 18, 1983
And of course viewing the famous Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz along the rugged San Mateo coast line...

It is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast!

PUMPKINS everywhere around...

BRUSSELS SPROUTS...

As the daughter of a market gardener, this was HEAVEN!

It is quite a windy road along the Pacific coast from San Francisco to Santa Cruz...

Santa Cruz, California's natural surroundings looked so different to me!

Our hotel room had the Pacific Ocean View...

Sunrise at 7:00 AM

On October 19, we had breakfast at the Santa Cruz Fisherman's Wharf

From the hotel I also could walk right onto the wharf...

In the distance, under the big seagull, you can see Hotel Dream Inn where we stayed.

Did enjoy my lunch with yummy scallops at the GREENHOUSE restaurant at the FARM together with the manager's wife, Donna Richards.

Bought some small cactus and seed bread... Would have loved to buy some gorgeous large cactus but how to take them back on the plane?

Did walk around at the wharf and viewed the seals...

Seals and brown pelican on the wharf...

Yes, those seals all sleep on those wooden beams!

After work we all gathered at the home of Don & Donna Richards, the farm manager and went out for dinner at Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola, CA with its very steep cable car! Click for short video of it.

It is one of the most unique restaurants in the West.
Later I would have dinner here with my Dad... that will be featured in another post!

Stay tuned for our next stay in San Francisco...
Thanks for visiting!

Katoomba & Jenolan Caves, Blue Mountains Australia

The Blue Mountains do have so much to offer...

Temperate Rainforests and spectacular waterfalls.

And in Katoomba you also ride the steepest railway in the world!

What a thrill it was to ride this all six of us together on July 3, 1988!
Click here for more info: Scenic World Blue Mountains that's where I got this photo too.
Length of incline is 415 m or 1360 ft at 52º
In the center you see Scenic Railway and this funicular railway line goes straight down beside Orphan Rock!
Through sandstone cliffs and a rock tunnel.
You emerge into a spectacular fern filled rain forest!

Also lots of mosses you will find. One of my favorites... hence we took this photo!
Wish we would have had many days for exploring it all in more detail!
Since we were there in 1988, so much has been added and greatly improved that you have a far better up close view of it all. Click here: Scenic World Explore our World Take a Look Videos.
Also this Blue Mountains N.S.W. video shows you beautifully what to expect.

Scenic World on the left, Katoomba Falls, Cliff View Lookout and Three Sisters to the right...
It gives you a pretty good impression about Australia's Grand Canyon!

Looking farther away now...
To the right you see Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains where we did start out with our lunch...

After a good hour drive through the mountains, from Katoomba, there is another spectacular thing to visit: Jenolan Caves.

This is JENOLAN CAVES Orient Cave Persian Chamber
Jenolan Caves Blue Mountains Australia belong to the finest and oldest cave systems in the world!

Jenolan Caves Imperial Cave Nellie's Grotto

Jenolan Caves Bishop and Three Sisters

Jenolan Caves Lucas Cave Bone Cavern

As it reads here on a perfect card that I received from cousin Liz: "THIS IS A BIG COUNTRY" AUSTRALIA...

So  grateful for having seen what we did in the time being there!

Australian Wildlife is so fascinating!

Koala Australia

Waratah Australian wild flowers

Bottle Brush Australia

We ended our Blue Mountains adventure with a lovely dinner at the home of mushroom friends John & Beryl Miller, in Windsor, N.S.W. together with Rob & Norah Tolson.
They were such generous tour guides and hosts!
Even did sell lots of my own design Lacquered Brass Window Decoration 'Mushrooms'.

We had a business Monday on the mushroom farms of Rob Tolson and had lunch at John Baker's with his daughter Patricia and his son.
Pieter also did review the Baker mushroom farm and I gave a harvest demonstration.
We enjoyed a dinner together with 58 mushroom farmers + spouses.
Organized by John Miller, see invitation in previous post...
Pieter gave a lecture and also answered questions.
Patricia Baker gave us a kiss + sweet gifts.
A set of 6 special placemats with Australian scenes, such as sheep shearing.
Each a sweatshirt with Koalo and a silver-plate spoon.
The placemats are worn out and gone...

But I still have my sweatshirt with sweet Koala + silver-plate spoon with Australian flag!

Not JUST a silver-plate spoon but the Bicentennial Australian teaspoon!
Fond memories forever inside our hearts...
On Tuesday, I did do an entire day of harvest training and Pieter in the afternoon had a meeting with 3 compost makers.
Norah Tolson, with a friend, took me to a jewelry store and gifted me with a beautiful freestone blue opal and two white opals for having set as earrings.
We went one last evening home with them and watched Snowy River...
On Wednesday at 6:30 o'clock we got an alarming wakeup 'knock' on our door: HURRY! WE MUST LEAVE NOW!!!
Look out of the window and you know WHY!!!
We heard and saw a roaring river, a MONSTER that was already 3 m above bridgelevel!
A large flood of the Hawkesbury River.
We packed in a hurry and grabbed a bite for breakfast and started the 2 hours to the north, through the mountains to reach the HIGHER bridge there, then back 2 hours to the south to arrive in Sydney.
What an adventure and I was so car-sick from the wild ride through the mountains but we arrived at noon in Sydney for our flight from 14:00.

With tailwind we went from Sydney to San Francisco in 13 hours and 25 minutes.

Not so much for me... my stomach came empty so I did not eat much.

Also Qantas carried the Bicentennial Year Logo for Australia; very special for my first visit to down under!
On July 6, we got to Atlanta by 19:00 and home around 22:00 = 14 hours time difference!
Our luggage arrived next day around 18:00 delivered at our home...

That was quite an adventurous 1st Australia trip!

On July 10, we drove to Atlanta for picking up our Dutch guests who stayed with us 4 nights.
Pieter had to leave for Campbell Soup on the 12th, for the Hillsboro farm in Texas... back by 21:00 on the 14th.

Thanks for your visit and comment!

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