A week ago, we left Santa Cruz on a windless day and motored four hours across Monterey Bay then around Pacific Grove and Cypress Point to Stillwater Cove Yacht Club, which is associated with the Pebble Beach Golf and Tennis Club. Our plan was to secure the boat at the club, then have my (Meredith’s) Uncle Dan and Aunt Judie pick us up for a visit at their home in Corral DeTierra (close to Salinas).

Because we spent a couple extra days up north with the sail repair, the Stillwater Cove Yacht Club was closed for the season. Not only had the welcome mat been rolled up and stowed deep on dry land, but they’d made it impossible to get on the pier or secure our dinghy P’bo anywhere. We were still able to stay in the cove and see golfers and guests on the course. As our trip progresses, I’ll need to pay closer attention to day numbers and names so we avoid these mishaps in the future 🤦‍♀️

The next day we backtracked to Monterey, where Uncle Dan picked us and took us to their house (Crosscreek Farm) for a few delightful days. We figured that it may have been since my father’s celebration of life in 1996 since we last saw each other in person. Fortunately, we had a surprise visit with their daughter, Marianne, and her family in August.

Monterey was initially the state capital of California, and it was here that the constitution was signed. My Great…Great Uncle Bennett Riley was California’s last military governor, and upon the signing of the constitution, yielded authority to the newly elected governor. Fort Riley in Kansas was named for General Riley. Maybe I learned that when I was younger… now I should remember it, especially since there is a bit of family resemblance.

We were pleased to met some of my aunt and uncle’s neighbors and friends. Particularly fun to watch was Herman interacting with Len as he reminisced about their many summers sailing in the Puget and Desolation Sounds. At 90, Len reminded Herman of the names of places that both had visited.

We wrapped up our visit by helping Uncle Dan de-stem grapes that he’d harvested from their vineyards to make wine. It was a very poignant visit, and we were all so appreciative of the time together.

We were planning to depart for San Simeon today, which likely be a twelve hour trip to an anchorage. We awoke at 5 AM today and when Herman checked the engine oil, he decided to change it. Next step.. wait for the auto stores to open, get out the folding bikes and backpacks, go to the auto store and grocery store, then come back and change the oil. We had a beautiful ride along the coast near the Naval Postgraduate Institute, although we do miss our road bikes we left in Washington.

I also hoisted Herman up the mast so that he could measure some of the rigging and lubricate the groove in the mast.

Now that the fun and games are over in Monterey, we plan to head to San Simeon tomorrow. It should be a lively and quicker trip because we’re anticipating 15-20 knot winds.