Hyatt Regency Monterey

Actually, That's not really true, its not true at all. It is a nasty day outside. its blowing about 30-40MPH and pouring down rain. Its not a typically great combination and leaving the boat does not seem like that appealing an idea. But then again spending all day on a 28 foot boat when I have the ability to walk around does not seem that appealing either. So I decided to brave the storm and head to ...

It was hard to pull ourselves away from Cafe Kevah, but we moved on eventually, heading to Pfeiffer Beach. It was not as difficult to find as expected (good directions from the Lonely Planet) but it was not a pleasant drive getting there, as it was a very bumpy one lane road for 2 miles. But it was well worth the bumpy ride and the $5 fee, as the beach was just outstanding ...

... to Nepenthe restaurant. They offer brunch on a fantastic patio overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Lucia Mountains. The atmosphere there was simply incredible. It felt just like being in a luxury spa..... pure relaxation.... coupled with eggs Benedict and scrambled eggs and bacon!

All that walking in Point Lobos meant that it was getting later than expected, so we had a quick sandwich and continued on our way south towards Big Sur. The coastline was incredibly dramatic... high towering cliffs, hugging the coastline, waves crashing into the rocks and us clinging on to the mountain.

The "main" photo-stop is at Bixby Bridge, which is the postcard picture of Big Sur. However, the turn-off at the main vista point was closed, cordoned off by emergency vehicles ...

... it would have been too difficult to see anything with the naked eye, and we didn’t have any binoculars.

I would have been interested in diving at Whaler’s Cove. I am sure there will be quite alot to see, and there have been hundreds of leopard sharks spotted there. And perhaps we would have been able to get further out to check out the sea otters, and perhaps even whales!

... the Aquarium, and I was surprised to learn that they actually went out and caught the shark themselves for the exhibit! We later attended a very interesting presentation about Project Great White Sharks, which informed us about the research they are undertaking to learn more about the sharks.

Apart from the Aquarium, there is not much else in Monterey, especially since it is still too cold to hang out at the beach. It is generally pretty warm ...

Counting down to departure with 15 Freakishly Fabulous Factoids about Fuel: #6: Any diesel engine can be run on biodiesel fuel- no modification necessary... Just find a pump like this one at Alliance on Fremont St in Monterey!

... zouden we er helemaal niets van zien door de mist. Daarom besluiten we in Monterey naar het aquarium te gaan. Dat staat in verschillende gidsen beschreven als één van de mooiste ter wereld. Het is inderdaad een heel groot complex en heel mooi opgevat. We zien hoe de otters en de vissen in het 'kelp forest' (in de oceaan is dit een gebied waar heel dicht zeewier groeit) gevoed worden. Je ziet er vissen uit de verschillende diepten in de oceaan ...

... many "Vista Points" where you could take photos of the sea fog. Our next port of call was San Simeon where William Randolph Hearst built his hill-top "Castle" [see separate entry] Morro Bay Morro Bay was the next town down the highway - its a little fishing village & popular weekend resort named after Morro Rock, a distinctive conical shaped rock sticking out of the harbor. Morro Bay has pelicans, seals & fishing ...

Today we spent the day at Monterey Bay Aquarium, about 20 minutes walk from our Hotel, we also took the optional behind the scenes tour and had the chance to feed the fish at the end of the ...