This continues the letter dated 20 August 1965, which began:
Dear family,
Thursday 26th August
Monterey.
Arrived here today after having driven from a place called Big Sur where we stayed the night. We collected the van yesterday and were relieved to find that the bill was surprisingly light – $75.64. So it won’t take us too long to recoup that amount.
We drove up the coast road (US 1) and the scenery was fantastic. The road is carved out of the cliff and on one side there is a sheer drop of about 300ft. Below is the Pacific, very calm and very blue.
Tony’s postcard, captioned: BIG SUR COAST and California Highway 1 seen from Partlington Ridge.
Tony’s postcard, captioned: Along the coast of California on Highway 1 (the Cabrillo Highway) from Carmel to San Simeon and beyond, scenes like this are common after a passing storm has enraged the sea. This view, near Big Sur, illustrates the always-dramatic conflict of land and ocean that prevails in this region.
Tony’s postcard, captioned: MIDWAY POINT, 17 MILE DRIVE MONTEREY PENINSULA, CALIFORNIA. This beautiful scenic point is the most famous, the most photographed spot along the California coast.
We were able to see quite a bit of scenery before the infamous Californian fog took over, and blotted everything out!! This fog is terrible. A few yards inland and it is bright and sunny, but down on the beach and it’s thick cold fog. It’s really amazing. It just seems to stay there all day. It’s something to do with the hot valley behind the mountains and the cool sea breeze.
Luckily, the town of Montereywas in sunshine when we arrived and has stayed that way ever since. It’s a fabulous place. It’s very Mexican and has a beautiful harbour which is quaint and old-fashioned and unlike anything else I have seen on the coast in the US. It is by far the nicest seaside resort town yet.
Tony’s postcard, captioned: FISHERMAN’S WHARF – MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA. This interesting and colorful wharf is a center of both the tourist business and the commercial fishing industry in picturesque Monterey. Lined with fabulous seafood restaurants, fresh fish stalls and quaint shops filled with interesting curios it is one of the beautiful Monterey Peninsula’s outstanding attractions.Tony’s postcard, captioned: MONTEREY BAY CALIFORNIA’S “CIRCLE OF ENCHANTMENT” A part of the colourful fishing fleet riding in “snug-harbor” behind the breakwater on the sparkling blue waters of the Pacific. The end of the popular Fisherman’s Wharf is seen on right.
The weather is very pleasant, a cool 69 degrees, and apparently it stays like that all the year round. The only fault with the weather is the fog which is worse in the summer than the winter. The winters here are far more pleasant than in summer.
There are hundreds of seals or sea lions barking away on a breakwater out in the harbour, and many people catching many big fish.
Tony is 81 and lives with his wife in South West England.
Aged 26-29, he travelled the world with his friend Colin, cataloguing their adventures in his letters home - and he's now revisiting those memories, 53 years later.
Jackie is Tony's wife, who's dictating the letters using voice recognition software. Jackie has now been nicknamed 'The Dictator.' A very happy pair, in recent years they have enjoyed visits to the Arctic Circle, Australia, Vietnam and Cambodia, and they are now happily planning their next adventures abroad.
They have two daughters, Juliet and Tiffany.
A features journalist who loves tales of true life adventure, Tiffany has set up this blog to share her father's letters and photos.
Tiffany, Juliet, Tony and The Dictator welcome you to Tone's 1960s Travels!
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2 thoughts on “26 Aug 65 : Scenery and thick fog : Monterey, California”
2 thoughts on “26 Aug 65 : Scenery and thick fog : Monterey, California”