Our oldest son is on his honeymoon get-away this weekend. We gifted Matt and Gina a few nights at Big Sur Lodge which is one of the places we stayed on our honeymoon almost forty-five years ago. We thought it would be really creepy for them staying where we stayed or they would think it was a cool idea. Luckily, they liked the idea and so that's where they are.
This got me to thinking about our own honeymoon. Bob and I had planned it for months. We were married in Palos Verdes Estates and wanted to honeymoon where we were the happiest, along the Pacific Coast Highway. Bob's sister Carol has a lovely home in Redondo Beach and she offered it to us for our first night as husband and wife. We were so happy to stay there and remember all the special things she did for us like packing an ice chest for our drive up north the next morning. Waking up that morning was so exciting. We both kept looking at our rings, laughing and calling each other Mr. and Mrs. Looking back, we were ridiculous but it was also one of the best times in our lives.
Our first stop was The Madonna Inn. My parents and cousins, Hank and Yvonne, were friends with the Madonna's so we went there fairly often to eat or celebrate big life events. It was the place to go in San Luis Obispo. We stayed there one night and thought we were pretty fancy. It was expensive for a young couple like us and although we had eaten there many times with family, we couldn't imagine actually getting to stay there. It was so much fun! Each room had it's own name and theme and ours was like a cave. It was really cool. In the morning, we went to have breakfast before we headed out and it was already paid for by Hank and Yvonne. There was a really nice note from them delivered to our table. What a great way to start a marriage with so much love and support from so many.
Our next stop was two nights in Cambria. We stayed at the Bluebird Motel. It was so much fun driving all over town talking about moving to the Central Coast some day. We went to Hearst Castle the next day and got in free because Uncle Norman Rotanzi worked there and had since Mr. Hearst lived there. We didn't have to take the tour bus to the top of the mountain where the castle sits. We were allowed to drive our little, bright, yellow Nissan truck up ourselves. It was such an amazing time in our lives. No worries, nothing but freedom and our families showering us with love each step of the way.
Next, we spent a few nights at Big Sur Lodge. The weather was perfect for hiking and exploring. Dinner was on the outside patio overlooking the river. Our room had a fireplace for the evenings. It was wonderful. Big Sur had been one of our favorite spots when we were dating and later, it would become one of Bob's favorite spots to take the kids backpacking.
We didn't travel far for our next stay, just a bit up Highway 1 to The Highland Inn in Carmel by the Sea. This was where we stayed for one night and blew the bank. It was $76 a night and that included a seven course dinner. It was amazing. We were the youngest people in the restaurant and had no idea what we were doing. I was only eighteen and Bob was barely twenty-three. We were absolute bumpkins having the time of our lives. I'm so glad we did this. One day, we need to go back and do the trip again. This time, we might even understand the menu.
After Carmel, we had planned on a few nights in San Francisco but changed our minds. We decided to head back to Morro Bay for a couple nights and then head to our new home. We stayed at The Golden Tee in Morro Bay State Park. It was right on the ocean and perfect in every way. We had dinner and then settled in for the night. Life was really good and we were so happy to have this time alone.
The next morning, as I was getting ready in the bathroom, I heard a knock on the door. I thought Bob must have ordered room service. As I listened to Bob open the door, I heard my father's voice. I panicked and closed myself in the bathroom, as if I had been caught in a hotel room with the guy I just married. I was eighteen and my father was protective of his girls. Was he here to drag me home? What in the world was happening? I was mortified.
Bob came to the bathroom to tell me my parents, sister Kelly and half my aunts, uncles and cousins along with some local family friends were down at the restaurant waiting for us. They wanted to buy us breakfast. To this day, we have no idea how they knew we were there other than I'm related to half of San Luis Obispo county so somebody saw us somewhere and reported to the family. Once one person knew something, they all knew something. My sister Kelly and I would laugh about this for years. She said my dad tried to talk her into going to our room to get us but she wasn't having any part of it.
My dad was a mess. Just wait until tomorrow night when I tell you about our ten year anniversary trip.
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