Spiral Staircase to Nowhere - California Central Coast

Just another oddity! Only this time, it's not in the desert!

Embiggen the photos as you please...

I heard that there was something odd sitting next to this cliff side restaurant. So off we went! Do you see anything?

At first, I didn't either. Wait, what is that thing next to the cliff?  No Silly! I'm not talking about the arrow, but what the arrow is pointing at. To get a better view we walked to the cliff on the other side of the restaurant.

What the heck? It looks like a spiral staircase. When I took the first photo, we were standing by the middle palm tree on that cliff over yonder.

It is indeed a spiral staircase.

Okay, I'll tell you. Many years ago there was no method to get down to the beach here, so they built this staircase. At the top (fifth floor) there was a bridge like ramp that went over to the cliff.  Pretty easy access. Some time (also many years ago) it was decided that moisture and salt air had deteriorated the structure to the point of it being unsafe. They removed the bridge portion, but for some reason (probably for me), they left the rest of it sitting there.

While I was standing here taking photos through a fence, a lady walked up with her camera. She told me that she lived very close to this thing her entire life and not only had she never seen it, she had never even heard of it. I spoke to other people about it and the result was pretty much the same. Even the guy at the local tourist bureau knew nothing about it. I'll shut up now and let you look at the photos.

I took the rest of the photos from the balcony of the restaurant. I got there via the employee entrance, but instead of entering the kitchen, I went to the balcony. One guy did come out of a side door and we stared at each other for a short time. Then he went back inside without saying a word.

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In Addition:

My friend, the lovely and talented Alex J. Cavanaugh, has just released his latest Science Fiction thriller...

A Storm gathers across the galaxy...

Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he'd put the days of battle behind him.  As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron's ideal life is threatened and he's caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family.  the declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy's mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return.  As his world beings to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle...

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CassaStorm by Alex J. Cavanaugh

Science Fiction - Space Opera/Adventure

Print ISBN 9781939844002

E-book ISBN 9781939844019

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You can find CassaStorm and the other books in this series at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Amazon Kindle and Goodreads.

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Also available:

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Bridge to Nowhere (seriously)

Here are the bridge towers we saw from the small chapel in my last post. Apparently, this was a trend setting Suspension bridge and was designed by the same guy who later designed the Golden Gate bridge. It was named after Henry McPhaul, who was a former Yuma Territorial Prison Guard and gold miner. The bridge replaced the local ferry that crossed the Gila River. It was open for about 40 years.

It was completed in 1929 and wide enough for two lanes of traffic. (photo from YumaSun.com)

The Gila River flowing under the 800 foot long bridge  (photo from YumaSun.com)

The bridge today. It's been sitting like this since 1968. Several signs and barricades warn and block people from venturing out on the unsafe structure.

First sign ignored.

Second sign and first barricade ignored.

The all important legal warning. What to do?

Let's see here...  A locked gate covered with barbed wire and another fence topped with barbed wire. Sounds like they really don't want people on this thing.

Only had to climb around the gate and somebody had already cut the fence. I swear it wasn't me!

Okay now! A clear path.

This thing sure has a lot of holes in it and it actually moves when I take a step. Maybe I better stop...

About half way across and there is much less water than in the "before" photo at the beginning.

That is a long way down! I hope my shadow doesn't fall through the hole.

The structure looks a bit like the Golden Gate bridge.

Made it to the other end! Hey wait, there is no road at this end either!

A better view of how messed up this thing is. You can see the ground through all of these cracks. Tricky footing. Add to that they give when you take a step.

It really doesn't seem to come from anywhere and it certainly doesn't lead to anywhere.

There must be at least one B&W.

That may have been a road at one time, but it totally ends after about a hundred yards in the parking lot of a taco stand and little market.  Great tacos by the way.

After I crossed back I wanted to get a better view and did some climbing...

Up these rocks... My wife didn't follow me all the way across the bridge and wasn't very thrilled that I climbed these rocks. She thinks I'm too old and clumsy, but I still have some mountain goat left in me.  Kids, don't try either of these stunts at home! I'm old and not of sound mind, so I have an excuse.

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