Frank's Christian Thoughts: Travel Biography Photo Extravaganza

Saturday, 20 September 2025

Travel Biography Photo Extravaganza - Part 40.

The Hike Up Los Padres Forest Mountains.

This week's album contains photos of three venues I visited while I was staying in California in 1997. The first are of the second half of my stay in Santa Barbara, consisting mainly of the hike up Rattlesnake Canyon to near the summit of the mountain ridge. After that, I travelled further north to San Lous Obispo, roughly midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Then, I returned to the Los Angeles administration area and spent a couple of nights at the Banana Bungalow in Hollywood.

As for Hollywood, only two introductory photos will feature here; the rest will appear next week.

After arriving at Santa Barbara from San Diego, I stayed mostly in town and on the beach. However, one afternoon, I was browsing in a bookshop when I came across a book on hiking in California, and a section of the Los Padres Mountains was included. This gave me an idea, despite warnings of bug bites that could put me in hospital. Even if I held a health insurance policy, the dread of hospitalisation in the USA was a source of worry. I could still face a bill of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

Therefore, despite my desire for adventure, I baulked at the thought of hiking. I spent some time tossing the idea from one opinion to the other. I knew about the consequences of taking risks. Yet, I also knew that if I didn't take on the challenge, I would be flying home with a bitter feeling of regret. Furthermore, I wasn't a neophyte when it came to long-distance walks. I had the experience of the West Country Coastal Path, the Grand Canyon, and the Blue Mountains National Park hikes already under my belt. To miss out on this one would have been a sacrilege!

So the next morning, I hired a bicycle from the hostel and cycled through the town until the urban area gave way to the countryside. There was a metal gate on the quiet roadside, and I thought that this would be a good spot to lock up the bicycle and continue on foot.

A trail led up Rattlesnake Canyon, with Rattlesnake Creek flowing through it as it made its way to the ocean. At certain points, the creek would pond up behind a natural dam before continuing on, and in one of these pools, I enjoyed a cooling swim. At the summit, I watched a paraglider near me take a leap into the sky, then glide gently towards the coast.

The photo below shows the location of Rattlesnake Canyon as seen from the pier. It lies directly north of where I was standing, as the Santa Barbara coastline faced southeast, despite being on the west coast of America.

Arrowed location of Rattlesnake Canyon at Los Padres.

On to San Luis Obispo and Avila Beach.

It took around two hours for the Greyhound Americruiser to cover the 95 miles from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo. Like Santa Barbara, this was the first time I visited this missionary town. But unlike Santa Barbara or San Diego, San Luis Obispo lacked the touristic verve. It was another way of saying there wasn't much to see there. It was hardly more than a provincial American town. However, its central attraction was Mission Square, founded by Catholic missionary St Junipero Sierra. Like Santa Barbara, this town also had a Spanish-style shopping precinct, which gave a feel of being in a foreign country.

I only spent three days there, and two nights, the shortest stop in California outside Los Angeles, and possibly of the whole Round-the-World trip. I spent the two nights at a HI-AYH hostel, which was a private home with a few more bunk beds installed upstairs; therefore, it could only accommodate a few guests at a time. The member's kitchen was roomy enough to be adequate.

Yet, despite the small size of the hostel, a bicycle was available for hire. I took advantage of the offer and rented it to cover the ten miles from the town to Avila Beach. Unfortunately, the bike didn't come with a chain lock, as all the others had, which meant that throughout the day, I had to keep a close eye on it when not riding. I only wish that I had pointed that out to the owner at the time, rather than discovering its absence after arriving at the coast.

If my knowledge of this part of the world were more complete, I probably would have stayed an extra night, maybe two extra nights, before leaving for Hollywood. There was a hiking trail along the coast leading to a lighthouse, and also, in the opposite direction, Dinosaur Caves Park would have been worth a visit, especially if it was a fossil dig. All this depended on how high the demand the bicycle rentals was.

At the eastern end of the beach was a stub of a headland known as Fossil Point. Viewed from the beach, it had a startling resemblance to a giant domestic cat resting as it faces the sea. I then compared this stretch of beach with its counterpart, Seven Mile Beach in New South Wales, just south of Byron Bay. The north end of Seven Mile Beach also terminated with a stubby headland, Broken Head. Yet, despite their similarities, the two environments couldn't be more different. The Australian beach, reputed for its golden sunshine, was deserted of all people, and it rained heavily, and I was drenched to the skin. In turn, Avila Beach was under warm sunshine and crowded with daytrippers. There was even a live band playing at a nearby garden.

In this week's album, I have included a photo of Seven Mile Beach in Australia. This will enable you to compare the two beaches at a glance. In NSW, I'm looking north towards Broken Head. In California, I'm looking east along Avila Beach towards Fossil Point headland. Like this, I could relate the nostalgia I felt for Australia, even while I was still in California.

For the cycle ride back to town, I had a tailwind. Thus, I was able to ride very fast along the freeway, returning to the hostel in quick time.

During the third day after my arrival, I prepared for the 184-mile bus journey to Hollywood, a stop before the bus terminated at the Los Angeles Bus Station. While I was still in San Luis Obispo, I booked a bed at the AYH Santa Monica, but that night, it was fully booked. Although not originally my intention, it opened a door of opportunity to spend a day at the Hollywood Studios. Indeed, I ended up with a thorough soaking, but I was still impressed by how Hollywood had developed since my first visit to the studios back in 1977.

Click here for the Index to my main Biography, covering Weeks 101-104.

Photos of the Los Padres Mountain Hike.

The trail leading up Rattlesnake Canyon.