Trip to the Coast*/-+

Driving down from Tahoe went well although there was a ton of traffic. It seemed real busy for a Saturday. When we arrived at Fisherman's Warf it was full of hustle and bustle. The street vendors were out in full force. We ate oysters on the half shell as we walked to Joe's Crabshack. The Crabshack is a wild place where the waiters all get wild and dance. We finished off the night with a quick look at the barking seals.

The weather was nice when we woke up on Sunday. We walked down to our favorite crepes restaurant but it was closed since we forgot about daylights savings time, which we forgot about. So off we went to the local ihop on the corner. Gavin chowed down on some flapjacks. He is definitely in an eating phase right now. I think he wants to catch up to his big friend Gunner.

After breakfast we took our mountain bikes for a ride along Fisherman's Wharf. We saw a large schooner on our bike ride. There was also a fleet of tug boats. Gavin was in all his glory. We ended up riding under the bay bridge. There you could see many large ships off in the distance. About one mile past the bridge we came to SBC Park where the Giants play baseball. We saw a big statue of Wille Mays and the cove were Bonds splashes all his homeruns. It was definitely a gorgeous day for a bike ride, which was surprising considering it was the end of October on the ocean.

After a short trip down the coast we arrived at Monterey. It is at the southern point of a large bay. In the middle there is a large canyon that points out to see. It is as big as the Grand Canyon but submerged under water. When we arrived at our motel we were super excited because of the amazing view of the jagged coastline. Our room consisted of two levels. The bottom floor had a nice living room with a full kitchen. The upstairs had a nice king with a view, a whirlpool hot tub and bath. Gavin had a blast splashing around in it. We celebrated with some smoked clams and sardines. Followed by a quick view of the Pats game. Thank god teddy Bruschi is back, they looked like a different team with him.

On Monday we were off to the Monterey Aquarium. They have many large exhibits. My favorite is the giant tuna tank. There were also sea otters, sharks, and many other species of fish. Gavin got to touch a bat ray at the petting area. All around the aquarium there is giant kelp beds. The sea otters can be seen bobbing there heads up out of the water and swimming on their backs. There is also many seals and sea birds. The aquarium is a must see if you make it to Monterey.

Tuesday’s excursion brought us to 17 mile drive. This drive takes us to some of America’s greatest golf courses, including Pebble Beach. We drove alongside the coastline and saw some interesting Cyprus trees. This was an important spot for fishing during the turn of the century. Chinese fisherman established lean toos alongside some of the jagged rocks. When we came to Pebble Beach it was pretty inspiring. I wonder how they play that close to the ocean. The onshore breeze must make it tough.

Our trip to the seashore was fun. It was great to take some time off from work. In another month we will be heading into busy time again. Our goal is to stay in our house this winter and not rent it out. The last two Christmases have been real cold and snowy. Although renting during this time of year is really profitable we don't want to put ourselves through it. Noel has finished her new website and we hope it will bring in some good business. It is looking like the painting business will have work into December. Please wish us luck on our new ventures. I hope you liked my blog. Dave