Highway 1 to Santa Barbara

Today's drive was on my predictions for the top 3 of our trip. We drove from Monterey to Santa Barbara along the coast started early as we were told to take all day to drive it as we'll want to stop everywhere.

We set off having had muffins for breakfast from the office and soon arrived on the coastal route. The scenery was beautiful but it wasn't long before we were both talking about how we think we've been ruined, after New Zealand scenery I don't think much will live up to that. I hate to say, I think you get a bit saturated, had we come on a two week holiday just to the states and driven along that road in sure it would have had a bigger impact! 

The other thing is because everyone says how amazing the route is you have very high expectations and it was a very nice coast line but there are some stunning coast in England and all over the world to compete with.

People say the first part of the drive is the best part but we found that as the day went on it got better and better, not the scenery but the drive and the interest. We stopped a lot to start with at view points along the way for photos but at about 11am we came to our first really cool stop. An elephant seal colony, we've seen a few this trip but this was ridiculous! 

Just on the edge of the road, by a car park were hundreds of seals. Edd was driving and I spotted them before he did so I gave him a heads up, 'you ready for this, it's silly amounts of seals' (see photos for what I mean!). We watched them for a while and enjoyed hearing them make a very weird noise through their nose as they fight, it's like they are blowing bubbles.

The whole of the trip we have had these huge birds flying over our heads, it's a real treat to be able to see under such stunning birds. I don't know what they are, I'm going to have to do some research but we don't get to see birds like these in England, at least not often anyway!

We had planned to stop off in a town for a wander and when we got their it was so small we had passed it before we realised, I can't believe people live in the middle of nowhere. We've been saying this all the way through our trip and we haven't even been anywhere that remote! We continued on an decided to try the next town.

The next place happened to be Cambria. A really cute little country town that looking like a wild western town. We wandered all the way up one side and back down stopping off at all the little shops and art galleries. I got a frozen yoghurt which was self service and I felt like a big kid, I had hundred and thousand sprinkles and toffee and chocolate bits on it and then felt sick as I finished it!! 

We sat out in the sun on a bench and let the world go by in the tiny town. We also went round a gallery where a woman followed me around telling me about each art piece, not in a helpful way but a very irritating way! We finally escaped and decided that was enough of friendly Americans.

Edd found a butterfly grove on the map and we decided we would have a look. I had only been telling Edd a few days ago about somewhere in the states, monarch butterflies migrate every year and apparently it's crazy, you get swarms of butterflies taking off together. Turns out we drove through the area! 

It's the wrong time of year for them to be taking off, they come to California to survive the winter as it stays above freezing. We arrived at this little eucalyptus wood on the side of the road and jumped out the car. As we walked up we found out that they do free tours daily and as we got closer we heard the guide introducing himself for a tour, good timing or what!

We learnt that the butterflies come down the coast, sometime from as far as Canada, they fly between 800-900 miles to get there to stay over winter. Apparently monarchs can't fly under 12 degrees centigrade, they use the eucalyptus trees for shelter and somewhere to rest to conserve energy as they don't eat over winter. 

In the spring (about January) they mate, the female is dragged to the ground by the male and then picked up and taken off to a tree over night! The female then has about 6 weeks to lay on average 200 eggs on milkweed. Milkweed is poisonous and makes the caterpillars that eat the leave poisonous to bird, it means that the butterflies are also poisonous too.

The most mind blowing thing about these butterflies is their life expectancy and the way they survive. When a generation of butterflies develop they last about 6 weeks, just long enough to fly up the coast a bit, mate and lay eggs before they die. Those eggs then develop and again only last about 6 weeks. In Autumn when the weather starts to change something incredible happens- the next generation of butterflies to develop, develop with immature sex organs. 

This means they don't mate, instead they eat lots, store energy and fly anything up to 2,800 miles to get warm enough for winter. They then spend winter focused on surviving before they mate in the spring. Once mated they only survive about 6 weeks but in total the generation born just before winter live 6 months rather than 6 weeks to make sure the species survive over winter. I just can't believe that works! Nature never ceases to amaze me!!!

We wandered through the eucalyptus trees and apart from the odd monarch floating around we didn't see many. That was until we focused on the leaves of the plant, you would not believe how many butterflies were just hanging!! They were very well camouflaged and not so obvious to the naked eye, from below but with the camera lens or through the binoculars you could see thousands everywhere!! I was buzzing, it was stunning.

We continued our drive and decided a late lunch/early dinner was needed. Edd had done all the driving and needed a break. We found a cheap grill called Eddie's Grill and had burgers which were very good. We were in our element playing with the fact that it was called Eddie for Edd's sake after being in Carmel for me yesterday. I got a pic of us and I titled it 'Eddie's in Carmel with Carmel in Eddie's'!!

We think we've got the hang of eating in the states. We only need one meal a day and a snack somewhere along the line. We also stick to what they are good at, burgers, tacos, chicken wings and chips. As we were enjoying our burger an old lady wobbled in wearing a black ragged dress with black lace and a netted hat covered in spiders. It's Halloween today and it's great to see everyone getting involved!

As we checked in to our last hotel of the trip (NYC is an Airbnb) they warned us not to worry if we heard anything tonight not to worry as the Americans celebrate Halloween properly!