Brisbane, QLD


Wednesday, August 19, 2015

CALIFORNIAN COAST AND COUSINS IN 1970

Continued from last post "Belated Honeymoon in 1970"

After meeting Aunty Velma and cousin Lynne for the first time in twenty odd years, we soon became friends as they drove us down the beautiful coast road from San Fracisco to San Luis O'Bispo.

 The scenery was magic and in the afternoon we pulled into yet another aunt's house in Monterey. We stayed at her house for the night. Aunt Marion was so friendly and generous even though we had never met her before. Monterey and Carmel were lovely towns with very nice houses and shops. I remember seeing a tree dripping with thousands of butterflies. We visited an early Spanish Mission built in 1770.  Silly me took no photos as Bill was filming it all. I did collect post cards on the way around the world so I am using them to add to the few photos I have.

Bill, Uncle Ted, Bonnie, Aunty Velma, Me, and Pam. 1970.
 The next day we arrived in San Luis Obispo, where Aunty Velma and Uncle Ted (my mother's brother) lived with their two youngest daughters Pam and Vicky. Their eldest children, Bonnie, Chuck and Lynne were married. That evening more of the family arrived to meet us.

The next day Bonnie took us to watch her son, Jeff, play baseball which was new to us and fun to watch. That night we were taken to dinner at Madonna Inn a fascinating place built from natural stone and decorated with antique furniture. Each room was decorated in a different theme. The strangest of all were the toilets.

Hearst Castle
The next day Bonnie and her sister in law, Lois, took us to Hearst Castle. Built in 1947 by Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan. Hearst was influenced by Spanish buildings and he imported most of the materials from there. It was his lavish home with 165 rooms and 127 acres of garden and pools as well as three guest houses. 

In the afternoon we visited Chuck at work. He was a teacher at a prison and it was graduation day. That was a different experience, entering a prison and mixing with the crims at a graduation ceremony.

Early the next morning we caught a Greyhound Bus to Santa Monica and LA. We said our goodbyes to my wonderful aunt, uncle and cousins. I never saw my aunt and uncle again. I didn't see my cousins again until 2011 except for Bonnie who visited us in Australia in the late 90's.


We booked into the motel and then went on a tour of Universal Studios and Hollywood. Little did we know that our daughter would be living there in the future.

The next day we visited Disneyland. It was so much fun but we wished we had our friend's kids with us to enjoy it too.

We obviously visited China town as this card was in my scrap book but I can't remember much about it.

We left for the airport early the next morning looking forward to New York.



16 comments:

  1. love the horse pulling the trolley and would love to see Universal... of course you liked Carmel, that is the home of Clint Eastwood, he is even the mayor.... just know he breathed there would make me want to see it.

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  2. Isn't that so funny about your daughter now living there. Who would have thought so many years ago.

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  3. Hello Diane, it must have fun to meet up with your aunt and cousins in California. You did get to see a lot of the state and it's hotspot tourist areas. I like the shot of you, Bill and your family together! Wonderful trip memories for you!

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  4. So how was the loo decorated?
    Wonderful to meet your family in the US. Sounds as if you all had a great time..

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  5. How very nice to be able to meet up with your American family. You have had many adventures in traveling the world.

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  6. Yes your pictures would have been more fun but the postcards are also great! A sign of the times and so enjoying the stories.

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  7. Your memories are wonderful and nobody knows what future will bring

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  8. The last photo at LAX brings back plenty of memories for me.
    That is the revolving restaurant isn't it??
    A good place to eat when in transit.
    Colin

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  9. Eating some box juicy Qld strawberries this week I was reminded of a road trip we took in this part of the world and bought a box of strawberries which we ate on the way. Your story also stirred memories.

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  10. You saw quite a lot while there! Great memories!

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  11. Your post brings back so many memories ! We have been in all this places too. I remember in Chinatown we went to a restaurant where you only got chop sticks. Mr. G. asked for a fork and finally got an old, twisted thing. We laughed so much about that !

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  12. Wonderful memories Diane and now your your daughter lives right there in Hollywood.

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  13. What great memories. Family reunions are always so special!

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  14. What a wonderful time with family, and a great California trip! Isn't it awful when there are few photos of a special time. We have so few photos of early years at times, and I have hated that so much.

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  15. Looks like a great trip of the town especially travelling from the coast of San Francisco to other visiting town of the State. Thanks!
    short stay parking gatwick

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