Lucky Number Seven

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Day 7. One week down, fifty-one to go. On this lucky-numbered day, we finished up the Big Sur coastline. The sun was coming through the clouds, and the water sparkled. We passed a beautiful cove: waves crashing against worn rocks, a little stream coming out the hills, a sandbar covered in shorebirds, the hillsides glistening with dew. In another cove, we saw two sea otters resting amongst the kelp and at least 25 harbor seals relaxing on the rocks. Passing over several historic bridges built in the early 1930's, we came to Monterey, a city set like a gem on the oceanfront. Following signs for the famous aquarium, we came down alongside the beach, where we found some surprisingly decently-priced parking. ($2 an hour! Downtown!) Before heading to the aquarium, we took Rascal for a walk. Out in the bay, kayaking classes went past, and closer to shore, scuba divers bobbed in the waves like refugees from Atlantis. A few, heading back up from the beach, surprised Rascal, who wasn't sure what to make of these strange amphibious beings.

Back at the RV, we had our very first misadventure. I had locked the deadbolt before exiting the camper, and neither of us had the key. We were locked out of our home. Fear not, gentle readers, we have Triple A, who sent us a locksmith as soon as we notified them of our plight. While waiting for him to arrive, Jessica set up our bicycles, and I took Rascal on a walk down one of Monterey's beautiful bike paths. Out on a pier, we could see sea lions gambolling, and their barks carried across the water to us. Once the locksmith arrived and our home had been restored to us, we put Rascal in the motorhome, where he curled up comfortably on my bed, and took off on our bikes to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The aquarium is one of the finest in the world, filled with beauteous, wonderous, and bizarre creatures. A few selected photos are included with this post, but visit our flickr account to see the rest. http://www.flickr.com/photos/calantian/

After the Aquarium, we went looking for a campsite. We found one at Seacliff State Beach, where the campsites are more like exceptionally large parking spaces next to a boardwalk. The beach was right in front of us, and we went down on a walk to the very end of it. Marbled godwits dotted the shore, and Rascal dashed and pounced after sandflies. Down at the far end of the beach, we came across the remains of a grand sandcastle. At the other end of the camp beach, was the cement ship, the Palo Alto, more about which I will tell you... next time.

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Photos

Monterey Bay
Rascal was not sure what to make of the scuba divers.

Clear as Air
It looks as though this little fellow is floating, doesn't it?

Dancers
Jessie took a bunch of fantastic jellyfish photos.

Comments

[Jenny]

Wow
Went to flicker to see more photos. Wow.

[aunt janet]

the aquarium
we took our kids to the M aquarium many years ago before that big sun fish arrived. I just read about it. wow. big, huh? Our favorite were the exhibits of jelly fish. Truly this Aq must be the best in the world. Couldn't imagine a better one. I am enjoying each entry: photos and writing. My laptop seems extra sensitive lately and jumps all over. sometimes I am typing and I can't find where the letters are appearing; sometimes they appear in the text above, but other times. . . who knows! so beware. hope this all comes across. I do try to catch the errors. I feel uneasy that you have shown a photo of your vehicle. Stay anonymous as much as possible and stay safe. so proud of you adventurous girls! I am assuming that the doggie was neutered prior to the trip. . . or some surgery! He seems to be doing well though.