We checked out of Bandon Dunes on October 21st and headed down the coast highway. It was frustrating for me as I wanted to stop every 5 minutes to take pictures of the beautiful coastline and redwood forests but we had to cover over 700km to our next hotel in Santa Rosa so stops were very limited. Monty promised we would do this drive, slower, another time.

Battle Rock Wayside Park, Port Orford, Oregon
Port Orford (Pano with my iPhone)

I shoved my iPhone out the window to take a few on the fly.

More sea stacks in southern Oregon
Our lunch stop in Eureka included a short drive through town. This is Carson Mansion.

We left the coast highway 101 and drove inland to Santa Rosa for the night. Then on through Oakland and LA to San Clemente.

Wind farms stretched for miles in California (iPhone)
Our Best Western in San Clemente. Gotta love the name but not much else. It was basic but within walking distance of a craft brewery and a Mexican restaurant.
Our room filled with our gear.

We checked out San Clemente Pier the next morning. I would have loved to stayed all day to shoot it from different angles with different exposures in the changing light.

Surfers heading out
A surfer catches the wave by the pier.
A long exposure take on the pier

That day, we had just a 4 1/2 drive to Encenada, Mexico. We were amazed by the traffic in San Diego on the Sunday morning. Where is everyone going? At least it was moving.

Sunday morning traffic in San Diego

The Tijuana border, reputedly the busiest in the world, was a non-event. No one stopped us or checked our passports. We drove along the western edge of Tijuana and down the coast to Encenada. The “walls” were striking reminder of how fortunate we are.

Another iPhone capture from the car window along the Pacific Coast.

We checked into the Hotel Coral & Marina which our friend, Neil, had booked for us. It was well located next to the marina where he moored his 37 foot power boat.

Hotel Coral & Marina, Encenada
Neil’s boat, Sunny I has a conveniently located slip close to the hotel.

We spent next day driving to the Valle de Guadalupe for a lunch and one wine tasting.

Monty relaxing at Finca Altozano Winery
Wine tasting at Hilo Negro Winery

Neil and his friends met us for a dinner at a beautiful restaurant hanging over the edge of the water. The waves crashed below. It was expensive. Everything was beautifully presented and delicious. We were treated to some fine wines the guys had brought along and one of Neil’s friends picked up the tab for the dinner!

The view from our table taken through the window. The island reminded us of the Sleeping Giant in Thunder Bay!

The next day, Neil took us fishing.

Chilli instructed Neil to head south-west 35 or 40 miles to colder waters. That is where he said we would find tuna. We motored passed many pods of dolphins, a good sign. Chilli said the tuna follow the dolphins.

Pod of dolphins
Neil with a 40lb yellowfin tuna, his very first yellowfin in four years of fishing in this region!
Our catch, one mahi mahi and four yellowfin, before Monty caught the last tuna (below).
Monty with a 25lb yellowfin!

Neil arranged for a hotel restaurant to cook our tunas and mahimahi five different ways! Neil’s friends also brought along sensational fine wines for us to enjoy. It was quite the feast!

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