Big Sur

Ah, vacation! We had this ideal plan for relaxing in Monterey for a few days before heading to San Francisco to explore the Bay City: sit by the pool with a book or two, drive the Pacific Coast Highway down to Big Sur, and sit by the pool some more. Oh, except it's freezing here. I actually had to buy a fleece jacket that says "Monterey, California," just to keep my teeth from chattering on Friday. Oh well, we've never been opposed to lounging in hotels and watching the Olympics.

Highlights of our time in Monterey include: our visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium (loved the jellyfish);

A gorgeously sunny drive along Route 1 (complete with antipasto picnic and gi-normous vulture soaring right overhead)

...and, of course, eating strawberries while reading by the pool, once it finally warmed up a bit (I was reading this, but I should have been reading this).

It wasn't a warm, lazy beach visit, but it was a cozy beach visit. We ended the day yesterday with a visit to Carmel Mission and a good Italian dinner in Carmel-by-the-Sea. On to San Fran!