Monterey Trip: Pt. 3

Time to visit some of the more well known tourist spots. We'll start with the Monterey Aquarium...super place to spend hours looking at amazing things!

Below...the Kelp Gardens. Mesmerizing...sways to the rhythm of the waves.

The penguin display...

"Um...yeah...that outfit DOES kinda make your butt look big."

A few more things you'll see...note that the sand dollars are alive...not bleached like you find them on the beach.

One of the huge tanks they have..."The Open Sea" display. The turtle was great! At the bottom of the tank was a huge school of fish...notice the open circle where the fish keep moving away from the hammerhead shark.

One of my favorite areas was where they have the jellyfish...could watch them for hours.

I started with fish bones...I'll end this part with fish bones...er...and mammal bones.

The Aquarium is part of "Cannery Row". Here are a couple of views from down the road. Kind of makes me want to read the famous novel by John Steinbeck.

Nearby is "Fisherman's Wharf"...great places to eat...especially if you like clam chowder. Free Samples everywhere!

Here's an angry giant pelican, moments before he wrecks havoc on an unsuspecting fishing vessel.

Didn't know they made these...an industrial gull-poop catcher.

A couple of shots of nap time..."Sea Lions in a Box" (that floating crate is literally loaded with loud barking sea lions...for $2 they'll let you get up close and see them)...and "Whale Dog".

Okay...we'll end this post with a few images from the well-traveled "17-Mile-Drive" which takes you through several golf courses, the best known being "Pebble Beach". Mid-way through, you end up at Carmel-by-The-Sea (which I only looked at briefly...another trip required to see everything). These photos were taken at the famous "Lone Cypress Tree".

By the time I was heading back to my hotel, it was nearly dark...and was definitely FOGGY! I was a bit tense on the very curvy, hilly road...especially since I don't see well driving at night. I pulled over to take a photo of the ridiculous driving conditions. But my camera senses light almost like night-vision goggles, and captured way more detail than you can see with your eyes. I seriously considered driving back looking through my camera display, so I could see better!

Okay...only one more set of photos left to post. I'm saving the best for last..."BIG SUR" on Highway 1!! See ya back here real soon!