Okay, so this is our jumping off point for Santa Cruz, Monterrey, San Franscisco, etc.

First night at our campsite, we had an uninvited guest: a narrow fellow in the grass which looked suspiciously like a rattlesnake. He was very close to our feet where we were sitting, and we didn't even notice he was there, so who knows how long he was sitting with us! We called a ranger, because that's what they say to do, because snake sightings are very serious business here. They came out right away, but by that time, the snake had slithered its way across the road into some grass. They went over to it and it was hissing at them, but alas, it was just a gopher snake, not venomous, but still has a nasty bite. We're not the only ones fooled by gopher snakes. They actually look a lot like rattlers, and can even mimic the sound they make. So I think we made a good call.

Following day was a trip to the Mystery Spot for some gravitational anomalies. James and Anna were highly skeptical, but still thought the place was pretty cool. :)

California is one expensive place to live, but oh the beaches!