16 March

Last night was the first real disturbed sleep I have had since arriving. About midnight there was an altercation between some people and the staff of the Days Inn in the corridor outside my room. It quietened a few minutes later, but then became loud at about 12:10 from outside (as I was on the third floor, it must have been loud). That was of course topped off by the alarm going off with the radio on, full volume, at 4. Fortunately both times I was able to get back to sleep quickly.
After waking for real, I prepared and started breakfast about 7:10. It was in the restaurant, with the “continental makings” to the side. I had my toast with Vegemite, but again no-one commented. I wonder why? Just an eccentric tourist?
After packing and checking out, I left just after 8. As it was Sunday morning, I expected it would be quiet, but the roads were fairly busy. I decided to head south and then aim for the coast, so that I could travel up the most scenic areas and get a good look. It took a fair time to get south and about 1 I ended up in a little town called Cambria. A few motels said the offered a good deal for this evening, so I enquired at one, The Bluebird, and decided on it. While completing the formalities, the manager recommended Hearst Castle and noted it was only a few minutes down the road.
I went down the road and decided, as I was there, I would take the tour. $20 lighter I went through the obligatory picture-taking (so it can be offered for sale later) and went onto an earlier bus (so really had hardly slowed down from walking in). On the ride up, I was sitting next to a Californian from just down the road, only there because he and his wife were taking a friend form Texas there. We chatted about Australia and visiting, on and off because of the narration, as he had been but his wife hadn’t.
Once up we did a fairly good tour. Not using flash cramped my style a little, so the interior photos may appear blurred (I haven’t seen them yet). Here I ran into a family from Castlemaine, over for a fortnight. The tour kelpie (at the back, rounding us up) had visited Australia and has friends in the Ulladulla-Mollymoke area (which I had visited last year with David Lowrey). There was a lot of incidental chatter as we went around the mansion. In the end I decided it was worth it, and watched the movie in the Imax theatre as well. Once finished, I headed back to the motel, parked and walked along the town. There was a fish-and-chip shop advertised, but it was only in name, not in practice, and was closed anyway. I got some fruit to have then, from the market (mini rather than super), then walked back to the motel and had that while doing this blog and the photos. I also checked emails (note – don’t feel you have to write something, but if you do I will try to respond. Most nights it takes between one and two hours to complete the computer work, so “extra” emails come after that.
Hopefully tonight will have no dramas and I will set out about 8 to drive up the coast to Seattle (but NOT in one day – as well as the coast, there are still some parks to visit). It will be slow because I will be stopping to get coastal shots very so often.