July 12 - Monterey, CA
We started off with a hearty breakfast at the funky Old Monterey Cafe - Toby had huevos rancheros, while Kris had a salad variety plate. Since it was wonderfully cool and sunny, we wandered along the shore and along Cannery Row to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Our hotel sold us advance tickets for the aquarium, so we got to bypass the lineups at admission. Though the place was rather crowded with tourists like us and with kids summer camps, we did manage to see just about everything.
Lots of interesting fishes and shellfish to see. There was a coastal land area, complete with rescued shorebirds like avocets and plovers. (One silly plover-like bird was running back and forth along the edge of the caged-in area; perhaps it was suffering from cabin fever?) The highlights were the sea otters (of course) and jellyfish (surprisingly). The aquarium has an entire section devoted to jelly-fish inspired artwork interspersed with jellyfish tanks. It turns out that jellyfish release polyps which then develop and end up releasing many baby jellyfish - an odd way to reproduce. Speaking of which, about 1/3 of sharks, rays and skates produce young within egg sacs (also known as mermaids' purses). The embryo takes about a year to develop before it leaves the protection of the sac.
One of the advantages of living in this temperate climate is the use of outdoor space, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium definitely does this well. We spent much of the time outdoors, observing the wildlife in the nearby waters. We were able to spot wild sea otters this way! (Kris' life is complete - she has seen sea otters in the wild!) There were also juvenile cormorants, young guillemots and seals galore to watch.
After leaving the aquarium, we wandered back along the seashore, stopping in at some of the silly touristy shops. Got some fried calamari along the Fisherman's Wharf, and spotted some more wild otters in the marina! One of these otters was caring for a pup. Although they were far enough to make viewing difficult, they were still incredibly cute.
We went through the weekly market in Monterey on our way back to the hotel this evening. It was wonderful to see so much fresh produce available, and made us miss having ready access to a kitchen. We did pick up some fruit for the next few days, and some snack foods for the evening.
Next up, we will head back inland, and spend a few nights at King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, then move towards the Mojave Desert. Hopefully Kris won't melt - the forecast has been for record-breaking heat!
Lots of interesting fishes and shellfish to see. There was a coastal land area, complete with rescued shorebirds like avocets and plovers. (One silly plover-like bird was running back and forth along the edge of the caged-in area; perhaps it was suffering from cabin fever?) The highlights were the sea otters (of course) and jellyfish (surprisingly). The aquarium has an entire section devoted to jelly-fish inspired artwork interspersed with jellyfish tanks. It turns out that jellyfish release polyps which then develop and end up releasing many baby jellyfish - an odd way to reproduce. Speaking of which, about 1/3 of sharks, rays and skates produce young within egg sacs (also known as mermaids' purses). The embryo takes about a year to develop before it leaves the protection of the sac.
One of the advantages of living in this temperate climate is the use of outdoor space, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium definitely does this well. We spent much of the time outdoors, observing the wildlife in the nearby waters. We were able to spot wild sea otters this way! (Kris' life is complete - she has seen sea otters in the wild!) There were also juvenile cormorants, young guillemots and seals galore to watch.
After leaving the aquarium, we wandered back along the seashore, stopping in at some of the silly touristy shops. Got some fried calamari along the Fisherman's Wharf, and spotted some more wild otters in the marina! One of these otters was caring for a pup. Although they were far enough to make viewing difficult, they were still incredibly cute.
We went through the weekly market in Monterey on our way back to the hotel this evening. It was wonderful to see so much fresh produce available, and made us miss having ready access to a kitchen. We did pick up some fruit for the next few days, and some snack foods for the evening.
Next up, we will head back inland, and spend a few nights at King's Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, then move towards the Mojave Desert. Hopefully Kris won't melt - the forecast has been for record-breaking heat!
posted by blumaroo at 11:55 PM
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