On a recent trip to the Pismo Beach/Morro Bay area, we encountered delight and dismay, as well!
Our hotel was right next to the beach
in Pismo and was not a perfect place to be. We had not counted on having neighbors that wanted to party all night, boy did they look
rough! We also had not counted on having the noise from the beach happening at all hours now that school was now back in session.
Another complication was where to eat with the pandemic still raging. For dinner the first night we went to a restaurant where we
could order food-to-go out of a side window. Folks down there do not believe in masks and only the older population could be seen
wearing them. They count it as their right, and I suppose it is! If anyone plans to go traveling, especially in California, get ready
to pay at least three times the amount for food and lodging that you would have paid before the pandemic. It seems as though all the
businesses are trying to make up for lost revenue forfeited during the pandemic.
Next morning, we would have liked to go out for breakfast
as the hotel did not include breakfast with the lodging. If they did, they would have had to hire extra help for that service. Instead,
they had a little bistro set up in the lobby that served very expensive entrees. We finally swallowed our pride and paid the price
for the small breakfast that we could have gotten at McDonalds for a tenth of the price. The only problem being that they had only
one lone employee trying to help out several people at once. She was working like a turnip thief trying to please everyone. She had
to do all the taking of orders, the cooking, the serving, and also run the cash register. To say the least, the anxiety we experienced
at Pismo Beach was almost too much for two senior citizens!
The redeeming quality was the beautiful sunsets, the crashing waves, and
the setting of the moon next morning as it was in the harvest stage. The bed there was very comfortable!
Our next night was to be spent
in Morro Bay. We left Pismo next morning with mixed emotions not knowing what to expect at our next destination. We were to check
in to the hotel there at 4pm so we had quite a few hours to kill. Our first stop was at Dern’s Restaurant where we had eaten on a
couple of trips. Our meal there was not a disappointment as the food was delicious as usual. Sharon had broiled Salmon and I had the
blackened snapper. Both entrées were delicious and to add to the ambience, our table overlooked the famous Morro Rock in the also
famous Morro Bay. As we ate, we could see boats coming and going in the panorama. This helped to settle our anxiety from the night
before, somewhat!
After lunch we decided to go to the local Rite Aid to get some bottles of water as we did not know what to expect
at the hotel. We made our purchases, including some little Snicker tidbits, and proceeded to the parking lot. The weather was unusually
warm for Morro Bay as it is usually cool and a little windy there. We walked up confidently to our Altima and hit the key fob thinking
all was in order. The locks were pretty slow in opening and my next thought was that we needed a new battery in the fob. As Sharon
sat in the hot car, I went back in to the Rite Aid and bought batteries for the fob and commenced trying to replace them. I was successful,
with the help of the car manual, in getting the fob opened. As I tried extracting the battery, a little spring popped out and when
I tried to replace the battery, I could not, even with the help of the manual, replace the little spring. Of course, the fob
was inoperative without the spring being put in properly!
We did what many travelers do when having auto problems, we called triple
A. They told us that they could not help us with this matter and that we would have to call a Nissan dealer to help with the problem.
The nearest dealer was in Santa Maria, quite a few miles away and this was getting later in the afternoon and would have hindered
us from staying in Morro Bay that night. We prayed! Sharon was able to find a garage only a couple of blocks away from the Rite Aid.
I wrapped all the pieces in a napkin and proceeded to the garage. Upon entry, I was greeted by a very pleasant young lady and a man
named Joe that appeared to be a mechanic there. Upon asking if there was anyone who was familiar with the key fobs and the replacement
of the batteries, Joe stepped up and offered to take a look at the fob. He replaced the little spring, as I was too nervous, and soon
had the whole thing back together. I went back to the Altima and a very warm Sharon, and tried the fob. No such thing!! I then went
back to the garage, after giving a homeless couple with two children, a little offering. When I arrived at the office, I was met by
Joe who took a look at the fob and realized he had put the battery in upside down. He even accompanied me to the Rite Aid parking
lot to make sure the fob would work. Thank God, all was well!
The bed at the ‘Inn at the Bay’ felt mighty nice that night. After a
nice hot shower, a little reading, and a thank you to God, we were off to dreamland. There was not partying that night, no local noise,
so we were able to take advantage of a worry-free night. The sunset that night was especially beautiful, as was the moon set next
morning with the reflection on Morro Bay. After breakfast that morning we were off to the next adventure, the trip back to San Jose.