BIG SUR/ Monterey.

Sunday- Day 41

Today was the drive on the famous Big Sur – the road north that hugs the sides of the mountains and is touted to be not for the faint hearted. Usually in this part of the California the fog rolls in in the evenings and lifts mid morning but when really bad can stays all day and yes you guessed it we drove the Big Sur on one of those heavy fog days.

Somewhere down there is the water

Driving conditions on this very windy road.

Needless to say it was full of twists and turns and sharp dropoffs down to the water from some high elevations but this road is not all that’s its cracked up to be. We should have listened to our Sheriff in Beaux Bridge and taken the inland road to Monterey. All the literature says you have to drive the Big Sur so we did and were not that impressed, of course the weather would have had something to do with our perception of this road but once you have seen a cliff dropping off to the waters edge you don’t need to see it over and over again. It didn’t even seem that scary just annoying as it was so long and repetitious.

It wasn't completely all gloom and doom we did manage to get some spots that cleared a little for a happy snap.

At the beginning of the Big Sur is a place called San Simeon Beach. This is a place to visit and see the massive Elephant Seals.

Elephant seals frolicking like baby elephants in the sun

Please do not disturb

You could drive to San Simeon and then take the inland road and then when you get to Monterey drive a little way down the coast and see the Big Sur that way, in hindsight that is what we should have done.

Stayed at Cannery Row in Monterey. Hotel in good position to visit the sights of Cannery Row and also the sights of Monterey such as The Fisherman’s Wharf.

Monday – Day 42

Foggy again this morning decided to walk to Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf, passing lots of harbour seals sunning themselves in the fog.

All along the walk into Fisherman's Wharf you had to look carefully to see whether it was rocks you were seeing or harbour seals sunning themselves on submerged rocks

It is a smaller wharf than most full of restaurants and the usual tourist shops. Lots of free samples of Clam Chowder, the crowd pleaser of entrees. Too early for lunch so jumped on the free town shuttle and toured the area.

A local stopped in to say hi while we were having dinner

Cannery Row is home to the Monterey Aquarium and it’s buildings are updated,

shinier versions of turn-of-the-century canneries, that specialised in sardines. They house an eclectic blend of specialty shops, local artists' galleries, and more than 25 restaurants.

Most of the attraction of Monterey is of course these areas and their beaches, when the weather is warmer.

Back to the Fisherman’s Wharf for a fish lunch and to purchase some saltwater taffy for the small staffroom guys.

Fisherman's Wharf

As always when we are heading to the airport the next day we have to juggle the weight of the bags which can take some packing and repacking, so back to hotel for the dreaded job.

Packing compete – last stroll of Cannery Row and another fish dinner.

Tuesday – Day 43

Up early and yes we made the weigh in at the airport although one bag was .5 of a pound over and for a split second she was going to make us repack but we were early and she wasn’t busy so I think that saved us. We are carrying so much weight in backpacks and handbags am so glad they don’t weigh them.

Arrived at LAX airport – took 15 mins to get to dock then a walk from plane along tarmac then a bus ride along what resembled a highway in the middle of all the runways to get to another terminal and then a walk for ages and finally picked up bags.