In the past I’ve told you that my sister Gail and I take a trip together, just the two of us, every five or six years. Well we decided to include our younger brother Mark and go last year to visit her in Oakland, California at the end of June. We had meant to take him on a trip three years ago when he turned 60 but schedules did not work out. Mark lives in Irvington too and has delivered our newspapers. This is Day 5 of a 8 day trip.
We enjoyed ourselves at the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose the day before and arrived late in Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula to stay at Asilomar.
Paula Nicewanger/Weekly View
The Merrill Hall. Check out those rafters!
When we arrived at Asilomar we stopped at the Social Hall to check in. It looked like a lodge with heavy exposed rafters. We checked into our large room with huge sliding doors that opened to a deck facing the ocean side which we could only hear but not see. Out front, a large fire pit welcomed us and my brother took refuge there to enjoy a smoke. We had 4 beds in this large rustic space with a very high ceiling. There are no TVs or phones to intrude on the feeling of being in the old west.
Next morning we headed out for the breakfast buffet in their dining hall which was a short walk away. There are 16 buildings, all built in the teens and twenties (11 of which were build by architect Julia Morgan) and connected by winding walkways through pine trees. The ocean breezes keep the grounds at a very comfortable temperature. Breakfast had all the welcome favorites — eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, gravy, fruit – you name it we had it. The dining hall was very rustic, with huge stone fireplaces and those massive beams above — very relaxing!
I had heard my sister talk of Asilomar many times because her Diamond Heart group have their summer retreats there every year. She got to know the lady who booked the rooms so well, we stopped to visit her which was her last day before retiring. She was a lovely English woman who sat and talked with us while her retirement party was going on in the next room.
We took a self-guided tour through most of the buildings — my sister knew the place well. Merrill Hall at the top of a hill was very impressive, and the church was being studied by a group of restoration people and we were able to hear the plans to maintain this lovely space. My sister is an architect and knew people who knew people and understood all the work going into this restoration. Her Richard found a lovely piano and serenaded us all. We also went down the boardwalk to the beach and walked in the sand.
In one of the long houses (lodges) we found photos in the hallways which told of a time when Asilomar was a YMCA (1913) and young college women were hired mostly as maids and waitresses. Some of the women felt the menial tasks they were required to do like sweeping, laundry and dishwashing were beneath them so they got nick-named “stuck-ups,” which they embraced and which lasted for the next 22 years. Similarly, college boys were hired and called the “Pirates” (originally called the “pie rats” for stealing pies from the kitchen). You can just imagine all the shenanigans that went on those summers.
Asilomar hosts all kinds of conferences and retreats — and even family reunions. It is the most serene, peaceful place you can imagine.
After we checked out later that day we stopped in town for dinner and to watch the sunset along the ocean. We were headed to San Simeon to stay in a motel for the night down the road from the Hearst Castle.
Next time: Day 6 our adventure at Hearst Castle — another architect Julia Morgan creation.
