Monterey weekend 2024

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Lone Cypress

I have been to Monterey Bay with my family three times before. I visited Cannery Row's shopping district with Mommy and Daddy on my first visit. On my second visit, the whole family drove here on Christmas and had dinner at Carmel-by-the-Sea. On my third visit, we finally visited the aquarium (but Donan was asleep for most of our visit).

Since we've seen the Cannery Row area several times, we decided to explore Pebble Beach on my fourth trip back. This community on the Monterey Peninsula is famous for its world-class golf courses. We had a Hawaiian fusion lunch at Roy Yamaguchi's restaurant at the Inn at Spanish Bay while admiring the view of the Monterey coastline. Then, we followed the 17-Mile Drive along the Carmel Bay coast, enjoying the view of the rocky outcroppings and the birds that call this place home. We also saw several sea lions swimming off the coast (Anna mistook them as dolphins). We stopped briefly to view the Lone Cypress, a Monterey Cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa). It is one of the most photographed trees on the continent! The parking lot of the tree's viewing area was so crowded that we didn't spend much time there (also, Mommy kept complaining about the chilly wind). Our last stop was The Lodge, where we watched the sunset before returning to the Bay Area. 

On this trip, I learned the Monterey Peninsula has much more to offer than Cannery Row and Carmel-by-the-Sea. I look forward to exploring the Pacific coastline and trying the local cuisine. 

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