elnap29

I share your frustration with the private beaches at Tahoe. All the beaches should allow public access. This is also a sore point in Southern California where there were years of politcal arguments, and concessions of public beach access were made. One of the things I appreciated in Australia last Fall (my rellies live in North Queensland) was the abundant public access to the beaches. It was so easy and lovely!

Barbara

Oh no! Major League Baseball should have consulted you before making the schedule! If they'd known about the fantastic job you'd do with the Odyssey Report, they might have considered it!

crefloors

When I first started going to the lake about 50 years ago...well, even longer than that, but I'm scaring myself LOL, you could see straight down over 100 feet. Now it's a little over 60 feet. Some of those new McMansions helped with that loss of clarity.

RobertaK

Glad that our four darlings are having such a wonderful holiday. We are all looking forward to see all the photos. Hope the the rest of the trip will also be fantastic. Love you all heaps. Mum, Dad & Roger.

RobertaK

It was enthralling reading about all your incredible journeys across the USA. Mum & I were very proud & thrilled to follow your tracts along the way.It sounds that you all have had a terrific time to date & may you continue towards a fabulous next weeks ahead. We love you all so dearly & we know this holiday was richly deserved after all the hard work. Love to Kerry, Joel & Caleb.
Mum, Dad & Roger.

MBnancy

Shanek, are you still in Tahoe? We stay at the Hyatt in Incline Village at our timeshare for the July 4th week. Did you see the Fireworks in Kings Beach on July 3rd?

So sorry you rented your kayaks at Kings Beach and didn't make it to Sand Harbor. You probably only got as far as the CalNeva point. The homes you saw might have been at the exclusive Brockway community. By the way, the golf course there is the home of the first Bing Crosby Golf Tournament in 1934, it's that old. And the CalNeva Casino was once owned by Frank Sinatra.

Action Watersports rents Kayaks, pedal boats, etc. in front of the Hyatt in Incline Village. From there you can paddle to Sand Harbor, the most beautiful spot in Tahoe. It's less than two miles and you paddle along coves and boulders as the mansions don't go all the way to SH. About a half mile north of SH is the uncrowded Hidden Beach, which is a public beach where you can stop your kayak and sunbathe. My adult sons and 6 year old granddaughter went kayaking a few days ago from the Hyatt. (she wore her life vest) They started out in the morning, because the wind can come up, as you found out in the afternoon.

http://www.actionwatersportsinclinev...i_rentals.html

We had dinner at Jason's last Wednesday . It's a great spot, and they have live entertainment on the grassy area of the outdoor area in the evenings, and we had our meal on the glassed in deck.

Sure am enjoying your reports. Hope to hear more about Tahoe. I also have been going over 50 years to vacation at the Lake.

shanek

Hi MBnancy,

We are in Santa Cruz now. Could have spent the entire month in Tahoe but we have a lot to see. I think that we will return and if so, I will kayak to Sand Harbor one way or another. I realise now why people keep going back to Tahoe. 50 years!!! Its about time they named a street after you.

Thanks Mum and Dad for the kind works.I will try and post more when I get some breathing space.

onemoneygirl

oooh! Santa Cruz! If you have time you might seek out the train that goes throught the redwoods... your boys will love it! It only takes a few hours and it is magical. Susnset Beach is a favorite there as is New Brighton State beach. Have a wonderful time! I am trying to remember the name of the train...I will post back.

onemoneygirl

Roaring Camp Railroad!

MichelleY

shanek: There was a piece on the local Sacramento news tonight regarding the "private" beaches just east of King's Beach. A battle has been going on with the property owners and people wanting access. Most of those interviewed say they ignore the postings and enjoy the beaches.

shanek

FRIDAY JULY 2nd

Today was another moving day. We were leaving Tahoe and driving the 4 hours to Santa Cruz, but we were not in a hurry. A flaw in my otherwise impeccably planned itinerary had us departing a day earlier than we had originally planned. I had booked us in from Monday to Thursday, rather than from Tuesday to Friday, and when I went to alter our dates, it was too late as they were completely booked out for Friday night. As I didn’t want to lose time from our San Francisco leg, we cut back a night in Kings Beach and added one to Santa Cruz. I was frustrated to see a “Vacancy” sign up at the front of our hotel this morning, I guess they had a cancellation, but I felt we should stick with our current plan regardless.

We followed on with the now well ingrained ritual of Joel and I going down to the Crown Hotel’s breakfast room for some cereal, coffee and toast, whilst Kerry and Caleb had a further lay in. We found a seat by the window again and I caught some final glimpses of the picture-postcard scene that had been such a bit part of our last 3 days. We checked out at 11, but the kids begged me for some extra time on the table tennis table, so I went for a drive to fill up with gas and it was close to midday by the time we eventually departed.

Due to the only other blemish in my near foolproof scheduling, we were backtracking on our journey today and a vast majority of this drive was a reverse of the route that had brought us to Tahoe from San Francisco. This, coupled with the nagging feeling that we had left too early, made this drive less fulfilling than all that had come before it. It was not until the last hour, when we traversed through the Santa Clara range and descended through the Redwood forests of Scotts Valley that things started to get interesting. I was now a hardened right hand side driver and had more than acclimatized to the US road conditions, but I still found the narrow, winding, 2 lane road to be a challenge. Threading my way between fast moving trucks and even swifter moving sports cars, through the seemingly endless array of chicanes and banking turns, in a fully loaded Chevrolet HRR, was demanding, even for someone with my advanced automotive skills.

Eventually, we approached the Santa Cruz city limits, and caught our first glimpses of the Monterey Bay region. The immediate feeling was of being transported back in time. Very few of the structures appeared to have been built post 1950, there is not a sign of a “high-rise” and you can almost sense that they are proud of who, and where they are, and don’t feel the need to go anywhere else. Karen, our trusty English GPS damsel, is calling out directions like an auctioneer who is closing on her reserve price. I feel like a rally driver as she constantly redirects me through a maze of bends and curves. No streets in Santa Cruz seem to go straight. I have a vision of the original town planning meeting of this city held over a session involving some mind altering substances. Nothing else seems to logically explain the labyrinth that has been created here.

The initial thought as we turn into the Coast view Inn, our base for the next 3 nights, is “what have I done?”. It is conveniently located, across the road from the beach and a short walk from the famous boardwalk, but has the external appearance of a seedy, short stay Motel. The initial contact that I have from the reception staff does nothing to alleviate my fears. The two men that I encounter at check in seem to “process” me rather than welcome me. They swipe my credit card, hand me a list of instructions and keys, then move on to the next arriving patron. When we open the door to the room, we are met by 2 double beds in a space so compact that they almost seem joined, but it seems freshly painted and it is all very clean. What is mildly disturbing is that we can clearly hear all the traffic noise and hoopla from the main strip running along the beach. I predict that sleep will not come too easily in the upcoming nights.

After a quick freshen up, we decide to jump back in the car to search for some shops. Caleb’s beloved Nintendo DS has unfortunately gone to God and we have promised him that we will search for a replacement. We set the GPS for Downtown Santa Cruz, and Karen’s voice barks out instructions like an Army drill sergeant….LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT…… We stumble upon a Radio Shack and strike gold, for Caleb at least. The next stop is a Safeway store to stock up on supplies for the next few days. Kerry is astounded with some of the 4th of July weekend specials, in particular a deal that they are doing on cans of Diet Coke and other assorted varieties. You buy 2 x 12 packs of Coke or Sprite for $6.99 each and you receive 4 packs FREE. That’s 72 cans for under 14 bucks!! We don’t need that many cans of drink, but this deal is too good to let go, so we fill up a trolley ,throw in some beer and snacks, and head for the checkout. This is where we find out the catch. I knew this was too good to be true. Apparently, we are informed by the polite check out assistant, you need to be a Safeway Club member to take advantage of these deals. Amazingly, this is not the problem that it initially appears . The clerk hands us a membership card, processes the sale and off we go. Somehow, we find space in the car for all of our shopping and we return to the hotel.

We haven’t eaten since our light breakfast, so we head out again to find somewhere for dinner. The boys are starving and don’t want to go too far from home so they drag us into the first place that we pass. We walk into the Ideal Bar and Grill, which initially seems like a bit of a tourist trap, and this is confirmed by the prices, but the food is quite good and it offers stunning views of the bay and boardwalk. We end the day with a stroll through the boardwalk shops and then return to our room.

shanek

Thats interesting Michelle. We saw people on these beaches but just presumed they were the owners or tenants. I was tempted to just go ahead and do some "squatting", but I was aware about sending the wrong message to the boys.

emalloy

Keep up the very interesting post. I'm enjoying your trip, and I'm sure the boys will have stories for years.

Thanks!

shanek

SATURDAY JULY 3rd.

I wake early this morning to the sound of a drum going off inside my head. Was this caused by the Margarita’s last night? Or is this a residual echo left behind from the feral buskers that were performing on the sidewalk into the wee hours? As the haze of disorientation, caused by waking up in 9 different beds in 3 weeks, begins to lift, I realize that this banging is an actual noise and not just a trick that my mind is playing on me. I turn my head to try to isolate the direction from which this incessant noise is originating. Maybe a tap in the bathroom has been left on? I venture into the toilet and find that all the plumbing is shut tight but the thumping here is noticeably louder. I must be getting close to the source. Finally it dawns on me. The beating sound is coming from the small fridge inside our room. The puzzle starts to piece together. Last night, I had gone to the fridge to take out one of our many cans of Diet Coke, to find that our drinks were now warmer than when they had gone in. My investigation of this strange phenomena revealed that the fridge was in fact unplugged. Now it all made sense.

Kerry decides to go for a run and comes back gushing about how beautiful it is on the road that runs along the ocean to the north of the boardwalk. She tells to me how she had observed seals playing in the shallows and surfers paddling out to the depths and about all the magnificent coastal houses that line the cliffs along this thoroughfare. I had originally planned to stay at one of the hotels along that part of the coast, but as we had only planned this as a 2 night stop for the boys to experience the boardwalk amusement park, I went for the most central location that I could afford. Maybe this time I had made the wrong call.

For one of the first times on our trip, we all go down for breakfast together this morning, even Caleb has got up on his own accord. The sign in the reception area points us in the direction of what they proudly claim is their “New Breakfast Room”. It is new, but the spread that they supply can only barely pass for breakfast. Reasonable coffee, an array of herbal tea bags a plate of doughnut holes and danishes, and a bowl of bananas and apples. No cereal, no bagels no toast or muffins. It just seemed like an attempt to raise their star rating rather than supply a service for their guests. We grab some fruit, I have a coffee and we sit at one of the 2 tables provided. Just as we consider sampling one of the danishes, a door opens partially at the side of the room, an arm extends from this opening, grabs the platter of pastries and retracts back, closing the door once again. This seemed a little bizarre but the next scene really topped it off. The owner of the hand, who was the larger and possibly older of the 2 young men that checked us in last night, walks through the doorway, carrying the plate which appears to have been topped up, wearing a loose ragged t-shirt, sweatpants and bare feet. Kerry and I just look at each other and smile. Subsequent discussions between us have concluded that this man is the son of the owners of this family hotel who has very recently be put in charge, without being shown what to do. He is not offensive in any way, and I don’t want to appear too harsh, but he and what might possibly be his younger brother are a little strange and quite clearly out of their depth. I could only describe him as cross between Basil Fawlty and Norman Bates.

I take the boys over to the Amusement park and Kerry go’s back to the room, promising to meet up with later. This is where we find out what the boardwalk is all about. At 10.30 on a Saturday morning, this place is already well and truly alive with children and adults alike, all having a great time. You can buy an all day wrist band that gives you unlimited rides for $30, but the boys decide to play the electronic machines today and I go off in search of a token machine. $50 buys us 260 tokens and they come rushing out of the machine like an avalanche. I feel like I have just hit the jackpot that had evaded me in Vegas as I fill every pocket of my pants and shirt with these coins. This place has the most diverse array of games and amusements that I have ever seen. Everything that you can drive, shoot, punch or hit is here as well as a great line up of classic pinball machines. Where I find my utopia is in the “retro” section. They have all the classics from my days as a misguided youth, Space Invaders, Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Pac Man, Galaga and the very best of the best, Frogger. I quickly show the boys that my skills have not left me and set the days top scores on several of these machines. The best thing about it, is while I am reliving my glory days, and the kids are learning how to play some classics, these machines only require 1 token per game. That’s less than 20 cents!!
Time go’s far too quickly when one is in a state of euphoria, and before long, Kerry arrives to tell us it is almost midday. We have tickets for the 2 o’clock steam train at Roaring Camp Railroads in the nearby hills at Felton and even though this is only about a 15 minute drive, we want to leave plenty of time for lunch and a look around the grounds before the train trip. The boys convince Kerry to join in on one amusement with us, and we have a good laugh on the 4 player Mario Kart game.

Several wrong turns later, on the maze of streets and highway ramps, we find ourselves in Felton at the Roaring Camp. This was the original site of a logging camp, that later turned into a tourist attraction when the Redwood forest became protected in the 1870’s. Trains operated to take patrons from the beach areas to the forests from 1875 and then 40 years ago, the area was turned into a re-creation of a late 19th century township. This place is great wholesome family fun. We arrive at about 12.30 and find an area where they are serving a BBQ lunch. Next to this section there is a paved courtyard where there are games and competitions going on. We get involved in a water balloon throwing contest and Kerry shows off her hula hooping skills to the sounds of some 1950’s classics tunes like “Splish Splash”. The train trip is also thoroughly absorbing with commentary from our kindly conductor and a mock train robbery sequence, complete with a noisy gun battle, when we reach our turning point at Bear Mountain. All up this proves to be another memorable experience.

We get back to the Hotel at about 5pm, after the last mile or so takes around half an hour, in the stream of traffic arriving at the beach. We cant find a park in the underground car park at the Hotel but they have an overflow lot on the roof and we get the second to last available space. I take the boys back to spend some more of our tokens and then we all walk the length of the wharf and settle on the Miramar Fish Grotto for dinner. We are seated by a window that offers expansive views of the bay and lighthouse to the north of the boardwalk. Kerry and Joel have an excellent Clam Chowder and I end up with the dish of the trip so far. A medley of seafood including crayfish, scallops and prawns, cooked in a mango, avocado and champagne sauce on a bed of perfectly cooked linguini. My taste buds are stimulated just writing about it.

We stroll back to the hotel, along the vibrant wharf that gives us some beautiful glimpses of the boardwalk rides at night. We are all starting to enjoy Santa Cruz. Joel and I are keen to listen to an internet broadcast of our beloved Tigers take on the Sydney Swans in the AFL. I am getting an excellent wi-fi connection at the Coast view Inn and the coverage is streaming seamlessly, but my attention is drawn to the television screen on which Kerry has been channel surfing. I cant believe my luck. ESPN is doing a live broadcast of the game. I can watch my team playing at the MCG, as it happens, from my hotel room in Santa Cruz. To top it all off, we win a gritty, hard fought game by less than a goal. At the time that we had left Australia, the Tigers were 1 from 11 but they have now won 3 straight, a rare occurrence over the past decade. To put the icing on an already very rich cake, fireworks start to go off from a nearby rooftop, minutes after the game finishes, to announce that the calendar has just turned over to the 4th of July. Everything is starting to look perfect now, even our once dubious location.

dbdurand

Probably too late for this, but you may wish to check for bedbugs in your belongings. See:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserR...ECK_RATES_CONT

Bedbugs are no respecters of hotel star ratings. Even 5 star hotels can have them.

azzure

Yup, you sort of got skunked on your hotel choice. It happens, but it happens less frequently to me because of TripAdvisor: a great resource.

I know the highway you took down to Santa Cruz and it is initimidating, even for an LA freeway veteran like me.

azzure

Intimidating. Aargh.

shanek

Why do I now feel a bit itchy?

The coastview is not as bad as they will have you believe. I pretty much got what I expected. The rooms were actually very clean and the beds comfortable. Sure we could have done much better, but not for under $200 a night in Santa Cruz over a holiday weekend in summer. I have certainly stayed in worse.

bellini

Thanks for excellent posting, Shanek. We're off to California from England in mid-Sept. We have 4 nights in SF so it has been most helpful to read about your experiences there and we are also staying 3 nights in Yosemite at Yosemite View Lodge so great to see that recommendation too. Thanks again

Jackie44

Shanek - really enjoying your trip report. We just got back from a week at Newport Beach; rented a beach house right between the piers. When you're ready for a quieter life, I highly recommend it.