Monterey

Yesterday Jess (as in my friend and not my dog) and I went on a mini road trip down to Monterey.

Most of the two hour drive there was on highway 101 and not very scenic, but on reaching Monterey we went on the 17 Mile Drive which as the name suggests is a 17 mile long drive. It took us through a very very expensive neighborhood called Pebble Beach. If you have a spare $18.5 million or $120k a month you could rent or buy this. The road took us past several golf courses one of which was where the 2010 US Open Golf championship was played. The ocean views were amazing.

We enjoyed a picnic on the beach, although lunch was cut short when a huge seagull came and stole my sandwich and salad!! The only downside to the drive, was you had to pay $9.50 to enter as the area is privately owned, but the views are definitely worth it.

We then drove to Monterey Bay Aquarium, the first thing to warn you about this place is that it is $30 to get in!! I did search online beforehand and the best discount I could find was  $2 off per ticket. Also parking nearby can be expensive too. The aquarium itself is the best I have ever been to and was really interesting, with attractions for all ages, we got there late in the day so had a rushed visit, but I would say you could easily spend 4 or 5 hours there.

 

Overall we had a very enjoyable day, we had also hoped to visit Carmel which is nearby but never had the time.