May 20-22: Chaduation trip to Monterey Bay
May 20
Chad had an eye exam at 9 a.m. so we weren't able to leave til 2 p.m. but we lucked out and didn't hit traffic anyway. We didn't stop 80,000 times like we usually do and got to the Carmel River Inn when it was still light out. We had the Ohlone Cottage, which has a kitchenette and is right next to the big garden with the fountain.
All the cabins have their own lawn area and patio furniture, which is pretty sweet.
Chad wanted to go to dinner at La Boheme, which he'd read good things about and has a prix fixe menu, which is something he is fascinated with for some reason, but it closed a decade ago. We got the early bird special at Em Le's instead. It was $12.95 and by far the cheapest thing in Carmel. I had prime rib, which was all right -- I never have prime rib because I don't really like it but every couple years I just forget.
Carmel is a weird little rich people's town, there are many blocks in the downtown of shopping, and 95% of it is galleries and restaurants. The only store I'm really into is the candy shoppe where they have the World of Licorice wall and Crunchie bars, which are hard to come by here [even though you can find the inferior Violet Crumbles all over]. That little arch thing behind us is on all the postcards that aren't of the white beach.
This is the white beach and some ripped young surfers. Yum.
The cabin was also awesome at night, with the wind rustling through th cypress trees and the fountain burbling.
May 21
Our kitchenette, with the Scrabble game from the night before. I was whipping Chad's ass and he didn't want to put it away because he wanted to continue playing in some misguided idea that he would eventually pull ahead. He always does this, like we start a game at the café or beach and it's time to go and we're not done? He wants me to take a picture so he can recreate it at some later point. He has never beaten me.
I recently told him that I was going to let him win one day so that if he ever does, he will always wonder if he really did.
Seriously. I wish we'd stayed here longer.
Especially when Chad was checking us out and I dipped my toes in the pool.
Most of the rest of the day was spent at Point Lobos, which is a breathtaking nature reserve [on that day] buffeted by gale-force winds, but I got sea spray all over my lens and everything's spotty. Also, there are a lot of photos from there and I haven't gone through them yet.
After Point Lobos, we headed back north and stopped at the Ol' Factory Café in Sand City where we'd sheltered during that huge storm in January, drove past the giant dunes that were blowing across the road, and spent several hours window shopping in downtown Santa Cruz. Eventually, we reached our evening's lodging, at the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel, which was my first hostel stay ever and which Chad has been dying to stay at forever but it's always booked up.
You don't actually stay in the lighthouse. FYI! But you do need to watch out for waves.
May 22
We got up super early for the super-low tide because there are tidepools all over around there. We saw hiding anemones and those same little crabs we always see, and lots of slippery sea weed.
There's a little overlook at the end of the hostel property on the bluff that's fabulous for whale watching.
Chad saw a couple last time we came by here but it was too windy to stand out there long.
So we went back inside for awhile.
Then we drove back into Santa Cruz and had the most OMG THOSE POTATOES breakfast at Zachary's, which the know-it-all hostel attendant had recommended.
Chad made me take this shot ten times and kept asking if I'd got it so it looked like he's checking out my ass.
How much do cover band shows cost in your town? They're $10-20 here in San Francisco, though I'm not really sure why. So I am very tempted to drive all the way back down to Santa Cruz Friday for the $6/4-band show. Mainly because young Morrrissey gets me all hot.
We almost bought some lamps at Om Gallery but then we didn't because we could not agree on colors.
Last stop of our trip was the boardwalk. Weirdly enough, I did not instigate this -- it was Chad's trip and he always whines about the rides and generally doesn't seem too interested in it but he wanted to stop there.
All the rides were closed because it was mid-week and school's not out yet.
So we bought taffy and hung out in the arcade.
This was the last photo I took before we got back in the car and drove home.
But this is my favorite from the boardwalk.
