We discovered there are eleven lighthouses in Oregon and we decided we wanted to see them all. 

There are nine original lighthouses on the rugged Oregon coast, seven are open to the public and two are privately built, still certified by the US Coast Guard as lighthouses, however they are not open to the public. 

Leaving Henry at home for a rest day, Kim and I set off like a couple of intrepid explorers in search of lighthouses.

The first on our lighthouse list was Cape Blanco Lighthouse, a 19th century lighthouse perched on top of a tall peninsula with 200 foot cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean at the western most tippy tip of Oregon. It was named Cape Blanco, or white cape, by Spanish navigators in the early 17th century due to the appearance of the chalky white cliffs hugging the headland and the surrounding bay.

As we approached on a long and winding road, about five miles off the US101 Highway, we found ourselves driving through more and more mist and the hope of actually seeing the lighthouse began to fade.

We parked on the headland and fortunately we caught glimpses of the lighthouse through the dense sea mist that was swirling around us, shapeshifting, offering hazy views one moment then shrouding the lighthouse in clouds of mist the next. It was eerie!

We wrapped up warm and then took the short 1/4 mile hike out to the lighthouse.

The closer we got to the lighthouse, the clearer we could see it and by the time we approached the base, the mist had dissipated and the sun was deciding on whether to make an appearance.

On the headland, as well as the lighthouse, we could now see the foundational remnants of other buildings as well as a large white farmhouse style building, still standing, that had been converted in to a gallery, gift shop and museum. Tours were not available that day, but the gentleman in the museum answered all our questions and gave us some valuable information about the history of the lighthouse.

We learned that Cape Blanco Lighthouse is the oldest, continuously operating lighthouse on the Oregon coast. It was first lit on December 20th, 1870. We learned the bricks for the lighthouse were made in kilns on site rather than being transported from San Francisco due to the remoteness of the location and to make the construction of the lighthouse more cost efficient. The rest of the materials needed for the construction were brought in by boat. The location was selected to warn passing vessels of the reefs off shore and to provide a position fix for navigators. The circular brick tower was built 59 feet high and housed a Fresnal lens that cast a white light out to sea for approximately 22 nautical miles, to the curvature of the earth. The lighthouse suffered many storms and gales over the years. Roofs of the surrounding outbuildings were lost many times due to its exposed position and extreme buffeting by the wind, but the lighthouse always stood sturdy and strong. 

We walked around the plain, whitewashed lighthouse and could walk almost to the edge of the grassy cliff tops where the gulls were screaming at us to stay back, stay safe. The sun finally came out to say hello as the last of the mist disappeared and we finally got to see the full impact of the elevation, magnificent 360 degree views from the vantage point of the 245 foot cliff top over the sandy beached bay to the north and the rugged rocky sea stack strewn coastline to the south. We could even see the gentle curve of the earth on the horizon. Wow!

Leaning in to the wind, we took a moment to breathe in the history of the incredible feat of engineering standing before us.

It reminded me of an Indian proverb...

​In this case, it is not the shade that lasts for future generations, but light. Still shining and casting a protective, life-preserving light over the ocean before it, the lighthouse continues to save souls of whom the original architects and builders could never have dreamed.

​A blessing indeed.

Our visit to Santa Cruz serendipitously coincided with the Monterey Car Show, about 40 minutes south of our campsite. 

Henry googled the hotspots for the show, honed in on the Porsche exhibit, and off we went excitedly spotting Ferraris, Lambos and McClarens screaming past us on the pacific Coast Highway. I am not a huge car fan like Henry, but I do appreciate beautiful things. Those Porsches were timeless beauties; chic, classy, perfectly formed and meticulously maintained. 

We stopped at Moss Landing on the way home for yet more clam chowder in yet another sourdough bread bowl after getting stuck in some crazy traffic and nearly reversing into a Ferrari!

What a fantastic day out!

Everything about The Broad in Los Angeles is contemporary, edgy and disruptive. On purpose.

First of all, the name of the museum caused me immediate confusion. It is pronounced BRODE to rhyme with rode, and not as I expected which was BROAD to rhyme with Ford, as in something wide. Opened in 2015, the museum was named after philanthropist Eli Broad, who definitively pronounced his name BRODE. And so it is.

In a white honeycomb-style building, the museum houses the very best in contemporary, post 1970 art. 

​The touring exhibition at the museum was Keith Haring; Art is For Everybody and we delighted in his colorful, dynamic, NYC graffiti style of painting that reminded me of dancing Rowntrees Jelly Babies. I personally enjoyed the pieces with bold hearts symbolizing inclusion, acceptance, love and compassion, but I also enjoyed watching the discomfiture of some visitors who were not expecting the vivacious and explicit images of penises, homosexuality, AIDS awareness and a clear opinion that was relentlessly anti-patriarchy. 

I was thrilled to see "Stare," a piece by Jenny Saville, a British artist I have admired for years and follow avidly on Instagram. It was exceptional. Her provocative work has found the perfect home at The Broad. At auction, her groundbreaking fleshy and voluptuous self portrait in rich oils called "Propped" sold at Sotheby's for $12.4 million making her the world's most expensive female living artist at auction. Check it out here. Ahhhhhmazing!

Henry and Kim enjoyed the Jeff Koons' balloon exhibits, especially the "Balloon Dog (Blue)." The "Tulips" in bright Jolly Rancher colors was spectacular. Playing with color, size and scale, the bright and shiny sculptures in mirror-polished stainless steel with a transparent color coating are so much fun and deservingly Insta-popular.

We saw plenty of Warhol, Lichtenstein, Wool, an oversized table and chairs installation by Robert Therrien called "Under the Table,"  a deceptively brilliant Jasper Johns American Flag and the creative wizardry of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a fave of Jay-Z.

The hype for this museum is deserved. I loved all the exhibiting artist's "disgruntled pelicans" defiance, creativity and disruptive vibe.  

Today I saw a flux capacitor in a DeLorean, an original Ford Model-T, Lightning McQueen, a Tesla truck, a Popemobile, a variety of high performance race cars including McClarens, Lamborghinis and Ferraris, the Little Miss Sunshine VW Camper, the Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo and a shiny green Supercharged Jaguar XKR with a mounted machine gun and other Q gadgetry last seen in the James Bond movie "Die Another Day" screeching flat out across the ice to save Jinx (Halle Berry) from drowning inside a sinking ice palace. Phew!

Oh, the drama!

Every time we are in LA, we always visit the Petersen Automotive Museum and it never disappoints.

We also got to tour inside The Vault and see the latest Petersen exhibit, "We Are Porsche."

​Being from the UK, I am used to being fascinated by cars, almost against my will, as an avid watcher of Top Gear. My love for cars is inexplicable. I still have an unaccountable affection for the 1963 Opel Kadett that Richard Hammond christened "Oliver" in the Botswana Special. Oh, and by the way, that is the best Top Gear episode ever! Like, EVER! Jezza, the Hamster and Captain Slow rate the Petersen as “the world’s greatest automotive museum.” Praise indeed!

​And on that bombshell...

I have to say, this museum is pure joy for anyone who loves beautiful things, exquisite design, luxurious detailing, mind-blowing engineering, futuristic, sleek, space agey vibes and Willy-Wonka-esque creativity. It is luxuriously, gobstoppingly brilliant!

Henry has a passion for cars and is a true Petrolhead. As we're driving along on our Grand Adventure, he will randomly yell out things like, "R8, E30 M3, L33," as colorful cars whizz by. So the Petersen was naturally top of his list of "Things To Do in LA." 

​The future is electric!