An overnight stop in Lake Elsinore indicates a "must come back" trip. This camping spot viewed a beautiful lake surrounded by rolling hills and mountains and vacation properties with lots of boating and water activities. I am sure that this would be a very busy summer retreat for those living in Los Angelos and San Diego as it is about 70 miles from either of these cities.
Near the USS Midway, is a sculptured memorial to Bob Hope who is seen here, entertaining the Marines as he so often did.
A visit to Old Town was a step back in time. An Historic State Park with restored heritage buildings tell the story of San Diego's very beginning. Small shops with souvenirs of Mexican design can be found along the streets of this quaint area. Fresh tortillas are made in the open courtyards of the cafes and the fresh brewed coffee and pastries were a real treat. San Diego, we shall return!
A visit to historic Arroyo Grande near Pismo Beach and Oceano revealed small town spirit with a very active Historical Society. This was the site of the original "swinging bridge" which over time has become much more substantial, yet swings just the same. A schoolhouse, Santa Manuela built in 1901, the house known as "Ruby's House" as Ruby was the last resident, houses the Historical Society's archives and offices (here, we were fortunate to meet the Society's first President, Kathy, who enthusiastically shared much information on the development of the historical square) and the Arroyo Grande Museum, another former home, make up the Historic Square. A gazebo has been added so that the latter two properties and their gardens are booked for many local weddings; in fact, Ruby's House has a bridal room incorporated into the dwelling. Chickens roam freely in the town streets. A quaint village of shops and cafes!
everywhere in California in much the same way as I would use impatiens in planters. Given the cost of a cyclamen at Christmas, I am wondering if they can be grown here in California as inexpensively as impatiens are at home.
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There was a two hour lineup for the famous cable car, a National Landmark, so we are saving this for another visit. The Cable runs from Fisherman's Wharf to Powell Street and was developed to navigate the steep streets of San Fran. Only part of San Fran is serviced by the cable as most were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The Muni, a streetcar service and the BART, the train or rapid transit service make it easy to travel in the city without a car. Parking for a day in the city is very expensive, if it is even available. 
To top off our San Francisco stay, Bill and I were treated to a fabulous, gourmet dinner/dance cruise of San Francisco Bay aboard the Hornblower. To see all the now- familiar sights from the Bay at night was fantastic. The Financial District, Alcatraz, the lights of Sausalito, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Ghirardelli Square were awesome from the water and in lights. What a fabulous memory of a favourite city...San Francisco!
Lombard St., known as "the crookedest street in the world", located in the Russian Hill district, is a favourite for many tourists. If you follow the continuous hedge, the street follows the eight sharp turns or switchbacks, the only way to navigate the 40 degree incline of this street from Hyde to Leavenworth streets! In our big truck...NOT! There is a set of stairs on either side without curves for pedestrians.
The Japanese Tea Garden was a wonderful and relaxing diversion from the hustle and bustle of downtown San Francisco and the Christmas shoppers. A delightful and very knowledgeable historian and biologist volunteer took us on a one hour tour of the gardens. The oldest tree, very dwarf, is 700 years old. Hard to believe! Most of the plantings originated from Japan around the beginning of the 1900's. This is what remains of the temple after most was destroyed after the Japanese internment in the 1940's. A very enjoyable afternoon! We passed on tea here, but visited the nearby DiYoung building for a tasty lunch.
