We visited a vineyard… which isn’t a particularly unusual thing for us to do, but this was an interesting one: the New Clairvaux Vineyard is part of a Cistercian abbey; yes, wine made by Trappist monks.

Tasting room:

Cork cross:

Picture and model of the abbey:

Info:

We enjoyed a tasting, and bought some bottles.

We visited Bidwell Mansion in Chico, CA, and had a guided tour inside.

The exterior of Bidwell Mansion:

Portraits:

Drawing room:

Dining room:

Kitchen:

Laundry:

Library:

Office:

Stairs:

Hall light; both electric and gas:

Main bedroom:

Bathroom:

Closet:

More bedrooms:

Bathroom:

Servants bedrooms:

Servants bathroom:

On the third floor, a ballroom:

Skylight:

More bedrooms:

Storage:

Stairs to the tower:

Back door:

Architect’s house:

Carriage house:

Plaque:

House exterior:

Info signs:

While staying near San Jose, we toured the famous Winchester Mystery House.

A rather bizarre house, with low-riser stairs, windows in floors, a door to nowhere, and other strange things.

Here’s a model of the house:

Info plaque:

Winchester goods:

Green screen tour photos:

Low riser stairs:

Bedroom:

Desk:

Low riser stairs:

Bedroom:

Pictures:

Floor window:

Arboretum:

Hair wreath:

Desk:

Sink:

Basin:

Bedroom:

Floor window:

Arboretum:

Stained glass:

Display:

Door:

Roof:

Dresser:

Bathroom:

Laundry:

Stores:

Kitchen:

Unfinished room:

Dining room:

Front door:

Dining rooms:

Fireplace:

Parlor:

Pantry:

Dining room:

Parlor:

Ceiling:

Foreman’s house:

Fruit drying shed:

Water tower:

Carriage:

Greenhouse:

Back of the house:

Gardens:

Windows:

Fountain:

House exterior:

Door to nowhere:

Front door:

Gardens:

We visited the California’s Great America amusement park in San Jose. We’re not really into amusement or theme parks, but Jenn wanted to do the Mass Effect ride, so we went basically just for that.

A selfie:

We wandered around and looked at the other rides, though nothing really appealed:

Jenn with Snoopy:

Gondola:

We decided to ride the gondola back to the entrance:

Then it was time for the Mass Effect ride:

Jenn really enjoyed the ride, so mission accomplished.

Posing with Wrex:

Jenn with Garrus:

Since we were at an amusement park, we had to have some park food to round out the experience; we shared a tasty funnel cake:

We visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The aquarium had timed entry tickets, with a very long line to get in, and having to show ID and vaccination card (the first time we’ve encountered that):

We enjoyed exploring the various exhibits, starting with a feeding of the sea otters:

Lots of fish exhibits:

Fascinating jellyfish:

An impressive 90-foot window on the open sea exhibit:

Sea birds:

Octopus:

More fish:

Interactive exhibit:

Sea birds:

Having seen how narrow and windy the most direct route was from the Thousand Trails San Benito Preserve campground to our next stop in Bakersfield, we decided to explore an alternative route that involved a little bit of backtracking up to Hollister, but made up for that via the speed of the I-5 freeway, and an easier drive. We enjoy twisty roads in our truck, but not so much with 60 feet of coach and toad.

So we took a drive in our truck along the first part of that route, past the San Luis Reservoir. Which was looking distressingly empty; according to the map, all of the flat plain in these pictures was supposed to be covered with several feet of water:

After reaching I-5, and satisfying ourselves that it was a much easier route, we stopped for gas, and visited a nearby roadside stand selling dried fruit and nuts and such; now we’re well stocked for snacks:

Then we headed back home via Little Panoche Road, Firebaugh, CA:

The route:

We took a drive down the California coast, via Carmel down to Big Sur, just for fun.

Monastery Beach, Carmel:

Ocean:

Bixby Creek Bridge:

Point Sur Lighthouse:

On the way back, we noticed a Giant Artichoke in Castroville, CA:

A map of our route; we went there and back basically the same way: