Day Trip to Monterey and Carmel

Some of the nicest trips are close to home – particularly when you live someplace as beautiful as northern California. Last weekend, we drove down to Monterey and Carmel with Uzi and Hava.

The morning started out sunny in Palo Alto, but we knew there was no guarantee that it would be sunny along the coast. So we felt lucky that the sun remained with us all day.

Rather than visiting Cannery Row or the Aquarium in Monterey, we chose to spend our time in the less crowded area around Lover’s Point. We explored the tide pools, walked along the shoreline trail strewn with wildflowers, and ate lunch on patio of Latitudes. The best thing about the restaurant is the location, which is directly across from Lover’s Point and offers a spectacular view of Monterey Bay. Unfortunately, the view seems to be the only thing that this restaurant has in its favor. The service was incredibly slow despite the fact that the restaurant was not full at all and the waitress was not even apologetic. And the food wasn’t worth waiting for.

But it was a beautiful day and I enjoyed sitting around talking with our friends.

Still, we were relieved when we could finally pay the bill and continue on our way to Carmel via the 17 Mile Drive. I was looking forward to seeing the harbor seals on the beach at Cypress Point. So I was disappointed to find fences up blocking entry to that area. Turns out that the harbor seals need privacy during pupping season. Guess I’ll have to come back again in early June.

We stopped for another highlight along 17 Mile Drive at the Lodge at Pebble Beach. We visited the posh lobby and meandered out to the balcony overlooking the tantalizing—especially for my husband—golf green. As we were admiring the view and drinking in the classiness of the place, we could see them setting up for an outdoor wedding. Some of the female guests began to arrive. They were so well coifed, so elegantly dressed, and so stunning that they could have been starlets walking down the red carpet to the Oscar Award ceremony.

But I am sure that I was much more comfortable in my jeans, t-shirt, and flats than they were in their dazzling, skin-tight dresses and stiletto heels.