The scenic train ride continues... These pictures are totally raw and unedited. The Coast Starlight runs along the Pacific Ocean for about 178 miles, all the way to San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, giving a beautiful view of the beach. We were told to look out for baleen whales, which have two blowholes, so when they blow the water spouts out heart-shaped. We didn't see any, but I did see a lot of birds and fish.

I was amazed by the variety of textures in the landscape...the shore ending in cliffs and mountains, climbing up onto variegated flora. Blues and greens and yellows and I finally understand the watercolor of seaside paintings.

Nearing beach cities, we passed by surfers and their vans on the shore, or trailers parked higher up the cliffs. Safe in my steel tube, I could feel the bohemian comfort of beach life.



Gradually, the beaches gave way to greater greenery, with more residential artifacts: pickup trucks, houses, telephone lines. Roads, rivers, valleys -- everything led to the ocean. It was amazing, how colorful the landscape could be so near the sea.


The last leg of my journey had my window displaying "America's Salad Bowl." As this is long enough as it is, I will save that for a later post.