Monterey Peninsula, Pacific Grove
Monday Nov. 7, 2005
We woke up Monday to find weather better than had been promised. I think that the term "rainy day" means something different in California. I was able to connect solidly to a wireless access point so communication has been very good. We had breakfast at the house and then set out exploring. The ocean is a few blocks north of us and there is a recreation trail that runs along it. As you will see in the pictures the coastline is very rocky and there are small beaches located in little coves that are every 100-200 yards or so. Many of these have steps from the trail down to the beach. I took my shoes off and stepped into the water. It is very cool - I'd say somewhere in the 50s. We walked a couple of miles west along the peninsula almost to the point where the golf course is. We think that is the start of the "17 mile drive" which is a toll road that runs along the coast including Pebble Beach golf club.
We walked back to the house for lunch then walked into the village of Pacific Grove (1 Block Away) shopping for a restaurant. We walked all around the village and it consists mostly of restaurants and boutiques. There were Mexican, Italian, and seafood. We decided upon a seafood place since we are, after all, at the ocean. We had had enough walking so we took the car into the next town over (Monterey) and drove along ocean drive. We parked and walked through the Fisherman's Wharf, actually we mistakenly went to the real fishing wharf rather than the boutique area. We drove around the village of Monterey then walked around at Cannery Row . That held more boutiques and restaurants and also houses the Monterey Bay Aquarium . We are planning to go back and see that.
Sunset was at 5:05 and we had planned to go for cocktails at the oceanfront bar at the Latitude which was at the beach near our house. We came home and for dressed for dinner and went a block up the street to Passionfish . This was the seafood restaurant that we had decided upon earlier. Susan had a brussel sprout appetizer and Alaskan halibut and I had Dungeness crab cake appetizer and California sturgeon.