Monterrey and Big Sur
Replenished our fruit and veggies at a roadside stand bursting with colour and fresh produce . . . avocados and kiwis 7 for a dollar . . . vibrant oranges, mandarins and tangelos . . . asparagus 1.99 a bunch (it would easily be 5.99 in BC).
The Monterey Aquarium doesn’t have its own parking space, so we scouted around several nearby lots – but they were all multistoried – and we didn’t feel comfortable dragging a trailer around in there. Opted instead for a parking meter on a side street – good for four hours. Plenty of time to visit the aquarium. A name caught my attention . . . Sly McFly’s Ocean View Grill – apparently Cannery Row’s number one refueling (food) station. Further along Cannery Row, what did we spy but a large, open lot with room galore for trailers, buses, RVs . . . you name it . . . just steps away from the aquarium . . . and virtually empty! Who Knew? Oh well.
Masks on . . . vaccines and ID checked . . . hands sanitized . . . in we go. You can see why it’s a why it’s a world-class facility with over 2 million visitors per year. Thoughtfully laid out exhibits . . . exquisitely presented tanks and displays . . . jaw-dropping variety of creatures. One ginormous tank held what appeared to be an entire ocean of fish . . . huge, lumbering groupers . . . tiger sharks, hammerheads, dog fish, perch, sturgeon, rock fish, and a mesmerizing ball of hundreds and hundreds of mackerel swirling, dividing, reforming . I could have sat watching all day.
Another vast tank was filled with a veritable forest of 30 foot kelp plants gently swaying in the sunlight. Rapidly becoming depleted in many areas thanks to an overpopulation of sea urchins, which graze on the roots. A re-introduction of Sea Otters has helped reduce urchin numbers, and interestingly, the Californian Sheephead wrasse also finds these spiny creatures a tasty delicacy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eme0Igx4rL0
Slow, pulsing Moon Jellies, miniscule ghostly jellyfish with iridescent outlines, firey orange sea wasps with frilly undersides and long, trailing tentacles. Octopus, squid and cuttle fish showing off their colour changing abilities. A veritable rainbow of crabs, urchins, seastars, corals and anemones . . . and even a diver or two cleaning the tank walls. One could stand under a crashing wave (protected by a glass bubble), or watch puffins and murres dive for fish . . . see shore birds up close or observe a colony of Jackass Penguins go about their daily routines. Four hours well spent.
A Baklava and Turkish Delight shop beckoned enticingly on our way back to the car . . . we bought two pistachio and honey pastries. Hope they are as good as the ones in Corfu. Disappointingly – they were not. Rather soggy and lacking in nuts, and like everything else in California – expensive at $6.00 apiece!
Coast road spectacular, but once again internet/cell phone coverage is non-existent. Stopped for gas . . . no prices shown . . . $7.00 a Gallons!!! Gasp. But not sure when the next gas station might materialize. Cute blue ‘bus’ shop.
It was beyond dusk as we pulled into the Big Sur State Park – the tall trees making it even darker. Counting off the sites . . . 45 … 46 … 47 … 48 – this is it. Oh my, its very small and NOT an easy access. Fortunately, the site directly opposite was vacant for manoeuvring use but the increasing dark, and inconvenient posts made the sharp angle a nightmare – even with a lantern and me calling out distances. With a hairsbreadth to spare we made it – although until we could unhook the truck, we’d got the road blocked. A couple patiently waiting in a van gave Glen a standing … well sitting … ovation on his skillful operation. Didn’t seem put out in the slightest . . . and thanked us as we guided them around our roadblock . . . before we unhooked and squeezed the truck in the tiny pocket remaining. Note to selves . . . arrive with plenty of daylight in future.
