Monterey, Big Sur and Even Some Knitting!

We had a great time in Monterey on Saturday, and we even checked out the touristy parts, which we usually skip. Fisherman's Wharf wasn't too crowded, and we saw lots of cute sea lions.


We also had a very friendly bluebird on our hotel deck.


Our hotel was a nice surprise. We weren't sure what to expect, but it was very relaxing. There was a fireplace, deck and lots more. Most importantly though, it was located within walking distance of dinner and the main event...


Joel is a huge Beach Boys fan, and Brian Wilson (along with "special guest" Al Jardine) was playing in Monterey. So we celebrated his birthday a little early. He even bought a Hawaiian shirt especially for the show. It was a really fun. Of course, drinking copious amounts of wine beforehand added to the fun, as well:)

On Sunday we took the 17-mile drive, picked up a picnic lunch in Carmel and then drove down through Big Sur. The day started out a little foggy, but it turned into a beautiful day.


It was very windy--California is one windy state, at least in my neck of the woods. Most attempts to get my picture turned out like this:


Big Sur was amazingly beautiful. It took us a really long time to get from Carmel to San Simeon, because we kept stopping. I don't think we drove a mile straight the whole time!



One of the last things we saw before heading away from the coast, were these crazy, huge Elephant Seals. I have never seen anything like them--they were a little scary and just absolutely enormous. It was a cool surprise.


I even got a little knitting done...


I'm just about ready to bind off my silk scarf, which I have been working on little by little. It will have fringe and will grow with blocking, so I think it's just about the perfect length.