We took a little family getaway to Monterey for a night. We drove down US-101 through Gilroy and Salinas to get to Monterey. It took us right through the heart of artichoke farms (and strawberries, brussels sprouts, lettuce, etc.). We stopped in Castroville for a diaper change and some nursing. It was a fortuitous stop because we walked across the street to try to advertised french fried artichokes. They were amazing and I loved the fruit stand, deli, coffee shop, liquor store combination. It was so classic entrepreneurial California Mexican. I highly recommend getting some french fried artichokes if you are in Castroville.
It was such a nice day, we had to go to the beach. We just saw a sign for Ft. Ord Dunes State Park and pulled off the highway. I had never heard of Ft. Ord State Park because it became a state park in 2009. Ft. Ord was built during WWII and the park is where the rifle ranges used to be along with the old dock. It was a beautiful stretch of beach. Inga had her first experience with sand and the ocean. She LOVED the sand! We will have to take her to the beach again.
Sand dunes covered in ice plant
The beach and some great surf
Playing in the Pacific Ocean
SAND!
An amazing December day
All three of us took a nice afternoon nap at the hotel, then headed down to Fisherman's Wharf for dinner. It was the first "nice" dinner we had taken since Inga was born. She did very well, but we helped her out by doing a very early dinner (5pm). We ate at Abalonetti and had fresh Monterey sardines and calamari.
Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey
The next morning we headed down to Cannery Row and the aquarium. We got up nice and early and beat the long line to get into the aquarium (one of the benefits of traveling with a little one). We parked at the southern end of Cannery Row and walked the length of the street down to the aquarium. We saw some divers at San Carlos beach and I saw a whale (probably a gray).
San Carlos beach
Cannery Row from San Carlos beach
My two beach bums
We got to the aquarium not long after they opened and I am really glad we did. When we left around lunch time the ticket line was over one block long! There was so much to see, but we had to take an abbreviated tour because it was too noisy for Inga to nap in the ergo and she got really fussy by lunch. We were impressed by the kelp forest and all the schools of sardines and mackerels. They also had a really great open ocean tank with mahi mahi, turtles, and sardines (no GWS, though).
Coal boilers of the old Hovden cannery
School of sardines in the kelp forest tank
Inga loved the kelp touch pool
The circular sardine tank on the ceiling. So cool!
Humpback (for JNW)
Kelp forest
After lunch we drove to Pacific Grove to see some of the coast line. There is a great walking path along the coast here, but it was too foggy and cold (and Inga was napping in the car). We stopped at a couple pull outs to take some pictures.
Mama and baby otter
We took highway 1 to get back home driving up to Half Moon Bay before cutting across the hills. It was a very nice drive once we left the fog behind in Watsonville. We stopped at Scott Creek Beach (apparently a nude beach although there were no nudists when we were there) to see the kite boarders and wind surfers.
A touch windy
Pristine coastline
We had a lot of fun in Monterey and there is so much more to do in the area. I would love to come back and see one of the nearby missions as well as drive down to Big Sur.
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