A Magical Day in Monterey

The Northern California coastline is stunning, full of nature, beaches, rocks, mountains and trees.  I could easily spend a week driving along the Pacific Ocean, stopping frequently to see all the sights.  One of my favorites is the Monterey area, about two hours South of San Francisco.  

On the drive down to the Monterey Peninsula we passed through fields of artichokes and other vegetables to approach sand dunes and, visible far off in the distance, the Pacific Ocean.  It was chilly and foggy when we arrived at our first destination, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, just as it opened.  The aquarium sits in an ideal location, right on the historic Cannery Row of Steinbeck novels running along Monterey bay, making it a natural setting for what’s inside. 

 Popular exhibits include rescued sea otters, who spin and dive and entertain visitors with their games, an enormous open ocean tank, a kelp forest, and a tropical reef area.  My favorite is the jellyfish exhibit; the way these sea creatures peacefully drift about is mesmerizing and I could have spent the entire day just watching them drift along.

After a quick lunch (where we were seated at a table with a view of a group of seals basking on a rock), we headed south again, this time through Pacific Grove to the famous 17 Mile Drive.  A private road, 17 Mile Drive has several rest stops and overlooks that afford views of pristine beaches, the ocean, and the iconic Lone Cypress tree.  

We exited the road where it meets the beach in Carmel-by-the-Sea, parked the car, and strolled downhill on Ocean Avenue to end up at the beautiful white sand of Carmel Beach.

After time well spent enjoying the beach, watching and listening to the waves as they crashed against the shore, we capped off our wonderful day with a delicious dinner at one of Carmel’s amazing restaurants.