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From Wikipedia – Named for the eroded leftovers of a portion of an extinct volcano, the park’s massive black and gold monoliths of andesite and rhyolite are a popular destination for rock climbers. Hikers have access to trails crossing the Coast Range wilderness. The park is home to the endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) and one of the few locations in the world where these extremely rare birds can be seen in the wild. Pinnacles also supports a dense population of prairie falcons, and more than 13 species of bat which populate its talus caves.
- Established: 1/10/2013
- Annual Visitors: 222,152
- Size: 26,686 acres
Pinnacle National Park Part 1 – 4/7/21
We stayed at a Candlewood Suites last night in Santa Maria, CA so we could shop and prepare Rangeley’s food….he’s raw fed. I know, while traveling you ask? Yup, he’s been on a raw diet that we’ve prepared since he was 8 weeks old. We did laundry, which is free at this chain hotel and had a bit more room to enjoy pancakes with our favorite, real maple syrup. We have points with IHG from our travel stays last fall and as a Platinum member the pet fee is usually waived so we really like Candlewoods.
We are taking our time driving to Pinnacles. We drove through San Simeon, CA where the Hearst Castle is, but unfortunately it is closed. But one of the previous Hearst Zoo inhabitants from the 1930’s are still thriving and visible from the road, Zebras! We enjoyed viewing some of the 126 in the herd, graze with the Hearst Ranch cattle. The zoo, formally called the Hearst Garden of Comparative Zoology, was the largest personal collection of animals in the world during its time. See pics.
After the above impromptu stop, we were off to view another amazing creature, the Elephant Seal. Thousands of them come to the shores in the spring just north of San Simeon. I so enjoyed watching them dance in the ocean, cuddle on the shores and bathe in the sand. Rangeley was a bit perplexed by the large animals with no legs.
Ironically, when we got back into the car, our road trip play list was playing a song by the musical artist Seal! Enjoy the pictures!
We are staying in Paso Robles tonight. A city of 29,000 people and over 200 wineries! The majority of the vineyards are family owned and operated. This area is becoming increasingly more popular as an alternative to Napa Valley with its horseback riding or ziplining through vineyards! Gary and I are more beer folks so we opted for lunch at The Taproom, operated at the Firestone Brewery. The restaurant had a great, large, dog friendly patio and the food was very good. We ordered two different local craft beers and enjoyed both. Not sure if it’s California thing, but twice now we have eaten at places where you order on a QR code or order at the bar but no wait staff takes your order. And you pay when you order. Once we ordered first, then had to wait to grab any open table and this afternoon there was a hostess and we were seated but needed to use the QR code at the table to order or order at the bar. It works, just different for us.
We took a walk by Allegretto Wines’ vineyard right next door to the hotel and enjoyed two new born lambs and their mom playing in a field down the road. Great way to end the day!
The brewery in Paso Robles where we had lunch. The patio is on the left. Our silver van is right behind the white pickup truck. 
Gary and Rangeley’s reflection. The keg bottling process is going on behind them. 
A vineyard right behind our hotel in Paso Robles. 
A sheep family just down the road from our hotel. Rangeley grew up with sheep in Ohio and has visited Cooper’s farm twice, so sheep are no big deal to him.
Pinnacles National Park 4/8/21
We started our adventure to Pinnacles National Park today driving, by many more vineyards and a large field filled with hundreds of pumpjacks, oil pumps. We saw large nut tree groves, plenty of green houses and fields of various vegetables.
We have been driving on US101 and a section of it is called El Camino Real (Kings Road). The 600-mile route began in 1906 connecting 21 missions from San Diego to Sonoma, CA.
A Camino Real bell on a post (looks like a lamp post) commemorates the route by marking the way. Read more about this Historic route…suggestions:
http://www.laalmanac.com/transport/tr32.php
Gary and I were reminded of the historic route we walked in 2015 – the Camino de Santiago. A 500-mile trek beginning in France’s Pyrenees Mountains by the northeast border of Spain, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain in the northwest. We went back to do two more Caminos since then, in 2016 and 2019. We look forward to a fourth sometime soon!
A walnut farm 
Lots and lots of vineyards 
Hundreds of oil wells. We were surprised how many new pump jacks there were. 
It gives you an appreciation of what it takes when you buy vegetables at the grocery store. 
The bell shown in the sign is found all along the route on the side of the road. 
Wild mustard flowers
Pinnacle NM became a national monument in 1908 and a national Park in 2013. We drove to Pinnacles Visitor Center at the east entrance in Bear Valley as the west visitor center is currently closed as are all the caves, no bat tours due to COVID. There is a campground, a camp store and a visitor center at 1000 ft of elevation. We initially thought, and had read on other’s blogs, that Pinnacles was not very dog friendly but we found it to be as dog friendly as most other parks…”Paws on Pavement” as the Rangers say. No dogs on hiking trails but they can be in the campgrounds, picnic areas and on black top/roads. I bought our traditional commemorative post card, pin and stamped our passport book at the bookstore. After we visit each park I also add a commemorative sticker on the page dedicated to each park. Our stickers came with our passport book.
Near the visitor center you can walk the ¼ mile to the Bacon Family Homestead originally built in 1894. They had built a suspended (think swinging!) bridge over the Sand Creek to get to the home and barn. But there is a new (2013) bridge there now. I like 1800-early 1900’s buildings and this one is interesting as it is an early example of dry farming. No irrigation used. They counted on winter rains for their hay and other crops. In 1900 the Bacon’s used a steam engine, on a wagon pulled by horses, as a thrashing machine.
We drove Pinnacles Parkway to Old Pinnacles parking area then up to 1,200 ft at Bear Gulch. It is a very small parking lot but after a few minutes of patience someone opened up a spot for us. Rangeley loved the stream in a very wooded picnic area. If you do not have a dog you can hike to the cave entrance from here and Bear Gulch Reservoir. I really enjoyed the bird’s choruses and watched the chipmunks scampering up and down the trees while Rangeley picked up large branches and dragged them to the stream to play…whether Gary on the other end of the leash wished to join in or not!
We then exited the park via 25 north towards our stop for the night in Monterey. After checking into our hotel, we walked to Fisherman’s Warf, a bit over a mile away. Rangeley felt tortured as we walked along a path paralleling a stream teeming with geese, mallards and coots! But we soon arrived at the beach which allowed dogs on leashes and let him swim in the ocean waves. Gary has a difficult time holding on to the retractable leash but it’s perfect to tire the pup out before a nice sit down meal.
We ate on a patio at Fisherman’s Warf overlooking the marina and enjoyed a good meal. I had grilled fish with a couple of shrimp covered with a creamy caper sauce and Gary downed a great looking ribeye with a twice baked potato. The restaurant and staff were very dog friendly as are most places on the Warf, the weather was a perfect 60 degrees at 5pm and it was a fabulous way to end yet another incredible adventure!
We will stay in Monterey two nights and then head north, making our way towards Redwood National Park.
Roosevelt said that national parks are: “…for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.”
We love experiencing the beauty that lies in the out of doors, in our own back yard, in America!
Not all those who wander are lost.
J. R. R. TOLKIEN
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