Pacific Coast – Day 2

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

You see it right, this crab is presenting us with a heart-shaped rock upon our return this morning to the aquarium. I guess Caroline and I are now married to this crustacean.

Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

It’s feeding time in the big tank, and everyone needs to make room for the psycho bluefin tuna.

Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

We couldn’t find Kyle and suspect the worst. How could this just so happen to coincide with our visit that he would go missing? We don’t even know what official agency might deal with such issues.

Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

It was just a mere couple of hours or so that we stayed at the aquarium this morning, and then it was time to fly the coop as we had quite a long drive home in front of us.

Pacific Grove, California

First, it was time to get distracted by a brief visit to Pacific Grove for some sightseeing and a bit of lunch.

Coastal Highway 1 in California

Sure, we love the blue skies, but we enjoy our visits to the ocean in all weathers.

Coastal Highway 1 in California

This is the Big Creek Bridge in the distance that plays second fiddle to its more famous brother, The Bixby Bridge.

San Simeon, California

This wasn’t uncommon for us. Nearly five hours to drive 150 miles south (243 km). The bummer is that we will drive more than four more hours to reach Riverside, California, to shorten our drive home on Sunday. These Elephant Seals spend their lazy fall days here in San Simeon, as they have been for a number of years now.

Pacific Coast – Day 1

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Caroline Wise and John Wise near Cambria, California

Left Thursday after work and took off Friday so we could have a decent amount of time out here on the coast of California. We drove 444 miles (713 km) from Phoenix, Arizona, to Ventura, California, though we would have gone further if we hadn’t been so tired after about eight hours of driving. This photo was taken just north of Cambria as we were driving north on Highway 1. There are faster ways to Monterey, but none so scenic.

On Coastal Highway 1 in California

Hints of the sun glisten off the water and we are thrilled to once again be along the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean.

On Coastal Highway 1 in California

That’s Point Sur out there under the low clouds. If you know the layout of the coast, then you know we are now north of Big Sur.

Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

We got into Monterey and wasted no time getting right to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

This is Kyle; we named him on a previous visit as we were trying to gauge how long each jelly lives here at the aquarium.

Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

This thing, on the other hand, is an alien and must have been teleported from another dimension.

Caroline Wise in Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

Caroline could have stayed here the rest of the night; hell, she could live in the aquarium if they’d let her.

Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

We have to go outside on the patios surrounding the back of the aquarium as the views from here can be as beautiful as those inside.

Monterey Bay Aquarium, California

We finished our visit tonight with the seahorses, but will return tomorrow morning for a bit more aquarium because it’s like that great songwriter once wrote, “You can never have enough of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.” I think that was Frank Sinatra, but then again, no.

Monterey Bay, California

Even at night, we’d prefer to be at the water’s edge.