Monterey in the Rain

It had been stormy all day, and finally around sunset there seemed to be a break in the weather. Mid-walk, the weather blew back in and I got caught in the rain. Fortunately I didn't get soaked for nothing; I was treated to a beautiful twilight display.

Del Monte Beach in the Rain at Sunset, Monterey, California

Cats Fish

Getting Snuggles

This is Little Shit. Yes, that's her name. She is the resident cat on board the Capt John, a commercial fishing trawler based out of Moss Landing, California. She lives on board the boat in an effort to ward of mice, a centuries old tradition which apparently doesn't work too well if your cat gorges herself on fish.

Watching The Catch Being Unloaded

Moss Landing is surviving piece of Monterey Bays rich history of commercial fishing. You can still walk down to the dock and buy fish wholesale, sometimes straight from the boat.

A Piece of Castroville

I pass these trees on my way to work in Moss Landing. I've nicknamed them the 'Dr. Seuss Trees.' You can see them along Highway 1 in Castroville, California, a town famous for growing artichokes.

Stand Up Paddle Boarding and Ano Nuevo State Reserve

Yesterday I tried stand up paddle boarding for the first time. I've been wanting to try it since I moved to Monterey - and almost exactly a year later I finally get on one.

The weather had been so nice here this last week (in the 80s!) that my boyfriend and I decided we should try SUP this weekend. He had a Groupon for the SUP Shack in Santa Cruz, so he made the reservations and off we went.

The weather turned out to be suboptimal, with the coastal fog making a timely reappearance, but it didn't matter much. We took a quick lesson, and then were given the freedom to cruise the harbor on our paddle boards. I was surprised at how easily I picked it up. The first 15 minuets of being on the water were shaky, at best. But within those first 15 minutes I got the feel for the board, the knack for paddling, and even figured out how to steer (unless you ask my boyfriend).

After an hour paddling around the harbor, I was cold and hungry so we decided to go get lunch at the Samba Rock Acai Cafe (Yelp), then head on to Año Nuevo State Reserve near Pescadero.

Two Male Elephant Seals Having a Tiff

Island with the Old Lighthouse Keepers House

The hike out to see the elephant seals is about 3-4 miles around trip, and there are plenty of volunteers along the way to answer questions and provide interesting information about history and wildlife of the area. The weather made the place a little eerie, especially with the big old lighthouse keeper's dilapidated house staring at us from the island, and the hoards of sea gulls screaming in the air above us.

In stark contrast to the surrounding environment, the elephant seals provide almost comical entertainment. Their big dopey eyes and protruding noses giving their faces a uniquely silly expression. The guttural sounds the males make to communicate with each other reminded me of old men in a snoring contest, while the females would occasionally charm in with noises I could best equate to the happy chirruping sounds my cat makes when it's dinner time.

We stayed out at the end of the trail just watching the elephant seals for quite sometime, occasionally laughing and aww-ing when they would do something silly or cute. Children and grandparents alike would find the endearing animals fascinating and entertaining.

East Molera Trail

The East Molera Trail is, you guessed it, on the Eastern side of highway 1 in Andrew Molera State Park. It's much less used than the more popular Beach and Creamery Meadow Trails, but the view is one of the best in Big Sur.

The hike is only about 1 mile up to the top of the ridge, through coastal sage, and oak groves, with a light spattering of redwoods. Once you get to the top there is an unofficial ridge top trail that I've heard goes for miles (although I only traveled maybe half a mile more once at the ridge line).

This trail is short, but it's steep. It'll definitely give you a work out, in the short distance you travel. It's great too, because if you get to the top and feel like going further - you can! Just turn back whenever you feel satisfied.

The trail climbs to the ridge top, overlooking Point Sur, Creamery Meadow, and the rest of Andrew Molera State Park with nothing short of spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean on one side, and Ventana Wilderness on the other.

Looking East into Ventana Wilderness From the Ridge Top

Wild Irises Blooming in Early Spring

Gnarled Dead Oak on the Ridge

Oak Grove

View Out to Point Sur

California Poppies

View Southwest of the Trail, Overlooking Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park

The Beach Trail

Andrew Molera State Park is only 26 miles south of Monterey, California. The drive is beautiful, and takes about 35 to 45 minutes depending on weather and traffic (and how much you enjoy the scenery).

You can pay to park in the gravel lot where the trail heads are located - or you can park along Highway 1 and walk in which is what I usually do. The beach trail is about 1 mile long, and follows a stream out to the beach. The walk is easy and flat so that kids or people not used to hiking shouldn't have any trouble.

View looking South down the coast. There were hundreds of birds on the beach and skimming the waves.

This is probably my favorite thing about this beach. There are pockets of purple sand, most likely eroded from the purple colored rocks that are part of the cliffs.

Asilomar

Asilomar State Beach at Sunset - by Kevin Meyer

Yesterday afternoon I came home from work with a hankering for a sandwich and some sunshine. So Kevin and I went over to whole foods and got ourselves some sandwiches from their deli section, and headed over to Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove, CA.

We stayed for a few hours, enjoying the sunshine, watching whale spouts in the distance - we must have seen at least 40. Around sunset we decided to walk along the beach one more time before heading back to the car.

It was not only absolutely beautiful but fun too - everyone's dogs and children were running around together so every once in a while you'd feel a bump on your leg, and look down to see either a confused child or a very excited dog. There was on dog in particular that got the attention of everyone on the beach because he (or she) was trying to dig a hole below the tide line. When the surf would come in and fill in the dogs whole, it would bark hysterically at the hole. After a while a crowd gathered to watch the dog, everyone confused and amused at the same time.

It was another perfect day at the beach.