A Monterey Weekend

The Lone Cypress..This is one of California's most enduring landmarks and it has been on this rocky perch for over 250 years!!!!

April 9th will mark my 15th year of living in California. While I do miss New Hampshire, I can't imagine living anywhere else! We are so very lucky to live here! The California coastline is truly stunning!

This weekend, we took the girls down to Monterey! We spent Sunday at the Aquarium, and today, driving the beaches, and sightseeing along the incredible, breathtaking and famous 17 Mile Drive, home to some of the finest golf courses and ocean viewing in California, and some of the most amazing homes I've ever laid my eyes on. Where do these people get their $$$$$????? We had a really great family weekend of fun, food and lots and lots of laughter and jumping on hotel beds! (scroll down for those photos)

Here are Catie and Meigan being eaten by a giant clam at the Aquarium...

This giant stuffed sea otter was outside a store right next to the Aquarium...the girls got nice and cozy with him..as it was a chilly, foggy breezy morning..

And when it really comes down to what a great family weekend getaway is all about, I think we can all agree that it is ALL ABOUT jumping on the beds in a hotel!!! This has been our ritual everytime we go to a hotel...the girls "have to" check out the beds first to be sure they're a-ok for jumping on! As you can see, Catie got some good air with her between the beds jump! She prefected this move in just a couple of minutes! I say a definite 10 for form and style!!

Now, you didn't think it was ALL about the kids did ya? heck no...Brian and I found this fabulous brewpub downtown Monterey in the Portola Plaza Hotel.....Peter B's was excellent! really really good beer they brew, and the food was great, and it was very kid friendly...we stumbled upon this place and were really happy with it! I had a fantastic caesar salad, and the kids got grilled panini jack cheese sandwiches and fries, and Brian and a great grilled skirt steak....

Then it was back to the hotel, the girls sharing one queen sized bed, and Brian and in another..

here's the Sunday night scenario..Meig passes out at 8:20pm (had to be first asleep in order to get the ONLY remaining cookie left in the room), Brian snoring by 8:35pm, Catie and I watched a great whale segment on Animal Planet and ate Tootsie Rolls, and then by 9:00pm I sipped wine and watched Desperate Housewives.

....then throughout the night, Meigan was restless and Catie was yelling at Meigan to get her feet out of her face...... nothing like all sharing a room for a peaceful night's sleep...needless to say, we were all up by 6:15am today...

These are from the beaches along 17 Mile Drive...the wind was howling, and whipping cold, and as you can see from these pictures, it wasn't a good hair day for any of us! but we saw a TON of seals in the water, on the shores, etc. and it was such fun! This coastline is just spectacular!

CAtie counted at least 25 seals around this spot...these guys on the shore and a bunch were right in the water.....now, the beach here, is infront of this huge house...I couldn't get a really good picture of it, but it was outrageous..HUGE... serious big bucks around this area....crazy!