Larry, Joe and I took a short trip to Monterey Bay this past Monday and had a great time. We took the scenic route on the way down, about 6 hours in all, and stopped to have a picnic at Moss Landing Beach. Joe had a ball destroying all of daddy's sand castles and digging in the sand. Larry and I had a ball watching Joe get so much enjoyment out of such a simple thing.
Then we headed over to the Visitor Center to try and find accommodations on the "cheap". Cheap we found, but it didn't come with any amenities other than HBO and pretty comfortable beds. I don't think we'd recommend it to anyone but we made the most of it.
Tuesday morning we got up at the crack of dawn thanks to Joey and headed out after breakfast to play at the Dennis the Menace Park (established by the creator of Dennis the Menace). Unfortunately we were about an hour and a half too early as the park didn't open to the public until 10:00 so we decided we'd have to put that on the agenda for another trip and on to plan B... We drove on over to the Fisherman's Wharf and decided to get some cocoa and coffee and just stroll around. Joe fell in love with the sea lions playing and lounging in the bay, and got a real kick out of their barking and rough-housing with each other. We meandered around there for a little over an hour, chatting with the locals and letting Joe play on the big anchors and small wooden boat in the area and then decided to move on the the second part of our planned trip - The Monterey Bay Aquarium.
It was perhaps a 5-minute drive from one location to the next and wouldn't you know it Joe fell asleep just as we got parked in the public garage. So we bundled him up in his stroller and decided to stop and share a fresh baked cinnamon roll with apples in it and more cocoa and coffee while Joe continued on, oblivious, with his nap. Between our snack stop and waiting in line for tickets he managed to get in about an hours nap.
We toured the aquarium, delighting in the otters and colorful fish. Taking in the feeding show of the big predators - sharks, ahi tuna, blue tuna's, etc. And watching in amazement the different varieties of jelly fish (my personal favorite). After a couple of hours and a couple of meltdowns we decided to take a break and get some lunch.
We checked out several restaurants on Cannery Row and decided on Bullwhackers - a British pub and eatery. Again... can't say we'd give a good recommendation for this place either as the food turned out to be mediocre at best, with the exception of their artichoke small plate. Now that was yummy.
After eating we headed back over to the aquarium stopping to check out several stores en route. Joe picked out a stuffed otter that he didn't want to let loose of for the rest of the day. It's his new best friend. When we got to the aquarium we checked out a couple of exhibits we hadn't seen in the morning and then headed back to the Splash Zone - an area especially for kids where they got a hands on experience. Joe got to play with other kids, explore different exhibits on his own level and by himself, and basically just have a ball. We ended the day touching live starfishes, sea slugs, sponges and the like. It was really cool for Joe, Larry and I all to experience.
We can't wait to make another trip to Monterey when Joe's a little older so that he can experience the next level up in the Splash Zone and learn about how waves affect boats, how different movement of the sand creates different currents, and all about sea life in general. Plus we want to have an opportunity to play at the Dennis the Menace park as well as experiencing the MY Museum which is an interactive museum especially created for kids.
I also want to give special thinks to my in-laws, Bonnie and Larry, as they gave us a nice cash gift at Easter that allowed us to take this trip during Larry's "Staycation". We love you and appreciate you're helping us to give Joe this experience of a lifetime.
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