Day 2 June 12th

I knew this was going to be a big day.  There was a long trip down the Pacific Coastal Highway planned and also Dan wanted to see the Aquarium at Monterey. I had often wanted to visit Monterey but for a different reason.  Many years ago, while studying the logging industry, I found out that this is where New Zealand's first commercial pine trees had been imported from and because of the similar latitude to NZ, they had been very well adapted for life here in NZ.  I also had read a bit of Steinbeck in my day and knew that Monterey was the home of Cannery Row.

So we quickly were on the road and past Carmel on the Sea where Arnold S. is from and out to Monterey.  It was pretty brown in California and this due to the droughts they had been having.Monterey was a place like no other.  Really retained the history of the area in the environment and it made me want to read Cannery Row (and the Grapes of Wrath etc) all over again.  We walked past the Pacific Biological Laboratories bulding, which was a plain wooden block structure and I sneaked back down past the building where Doc was based, taking a few snaps.  Dan walked down behind the buildings with me and I felt very emotional again, connecting with places (even in fiction) from my past.  It was warm, I was on holiday and very relaxed suddenly.

 But time did not stand still and we were off in the car down the Pacific Coast  Highway.  Heaps of photo opportunities along here and so many people just wanting to drive and tune out of city living.  (Or thats what I imagined.)

It was late when we arrived for dinner at ......... and much later (after 12pm) when we checked into our Santa Barbara motel - home for the next three nights.  I was tired but happy.