Rewind: San Francisco - Day Two

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Wednesday morning, we woke up to the cool breezes at Casa Pacifica and prepared for a new day of adventure.  After I learned to use the orange tree picker (which may have an official name), showered and packed, we headed out for Monterey.  It was about an hour drive from Niles, and we were looking forward to enjoying the scenery on the way down.  Not far on our trip, signs were beckoning us and we had to stop quickly.  The Gods of all things burger & fries were calling our names.  Who were we to ignore them?

Since there is not an In-N-Out Burger to be found in Texas (coming soon though!), you know we just HAD to!  If you've had In-N-Out before, then you know exactly what I'm talking about.  If you haven't, then you're missing out!

After ordering some good burgers and fries, eating them outdoors without sweating to death (another thing not to be found in Texas in July), we were again on our way.  Notice Todd's arm in the background . . . nobody touches the food before a photo is snapped!  :)

We headed into Monterey and went directly to our first destination --- The Monterey Bay Aquarium.  While as teachers we prefer not to be surrounded by children during our summer vacations, we were really excited about seeing the aquarium.  Enthralled by all it has to offer, we saw amazing exhibits of sea life and enjoyed the fantastic views of the bay.  Because of the tons of pics we took at the Aquarium, I'm adding a slide show here.  :)

 After a few hours at the aquarium, we ventured out for some shopping.  Of course we had to buy some t-shirts and postcards, and I tried to convince Todd that this hat was awesome!  I don't think he quite agreed.

I still laugh my ass off every time I see this!

After our shopping expedition was over, we hopped in the car and headed towards Carmel.  We took the famous & beautiful 17 Mile Drive.  Although we only drove maybe half of 17 Mile Drive (that's the actual name of the road), it was so beautiful that it took us a long time because of all the stops and photos taken!

There were amazing views, sea life, beautiful beaches, deer, amazing homes, chilly water, and crisp, clean air.  We truly could have spent hours just cruising around and taking pics. As we headed in to Carmel-by-the-Sea, we stopped at Carmel Beach to admire more beauty, remember how freaking hot it was in Dallas, and relax. 

Walking around Carmel, we saw many shops and restaurants. After checking out menus and using our trusty tourist map, we decided on Flaherty's for dinner.  They had awesome seafood, so it was a great decision.  We were spent, but we had no hotel reservations.  Since we knew the area a bit better and there were more hotel options, we headed back to Monterey.  We landed at the Hotel Pacific.  Another score!

Since we arrived so late (after 9pm), the hotel upgraded us to a suite and we enjoyed all of the space and amenities.  As you'll see in the pics, the suite had an awesome king-sized feather bed, big tub and separate shower, open windows, fireplace, flat screen TV, breakfast nook, patio/balcony, and more.  It was so "California!"  We wanted to spend more time there - as in move in for a while.  :)

By the time we got settled, we hit the sack.  We slept for almost twelve hours (!!!) and took our own sweet time getting ready.  We literally left at noon the next day - check out time.

Tomorrow . . . Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf, dining, seals, lots of seals, even more seals, a drive to Los Gatos, views from my friend Penny's house, dinner, and back to Cafe Pacifica for beverages and bed.  I promise to try to finish blogging this trip before  . . . Christmas.  I really do.