About a three hour leisurely drive south from San Francisco is the Monterey Peninsula. First you pass a long stretch of sand dunes and a long beach, then the coast becomes rugged with numerous little bays, crashing waves and several wild animals. In the town of Pacific Grove you should definitely park the car and take a walk or ride a bike along the shore. Bring a camera.

You will see cormorants and harbor seals on little islands, perhaps a lizard along your path and shore birds, such as this American Oyster Catcher, in the sand.

Lover's Point is a favorite spot for a picnic or some beach time. It has a sheltered cove that used to be a fishing-boat harbor many years ago. Now it is a park with a place to launch kayaks, learn to surf, or take scuba diving lessons.

As you round the point, the path leads through a massive field of purple ice plants. You are now closer to the open sea and the waves may be larger and the view more spectacular. To-day this is not a good place for surfers or divers.

Carmel is quite a tourist attraction. It has numerous shops, good restaurants and various types of accommodations. We stayed at the Pine Inn for two nights. The hotel was originally built more than a hundred years ago. As you enter through the ornate glass doors, the stairway (lined with old tapestries) leads into the lobby which is decorated with antique furniture. The atmosphere says "Old".

Our room was on the third floor with a partial view of the ocean four blocks away. After we settled in, we took a walk along Ocean Avenue with its variety of shops, alleys and side streets. It is a nice place to browse and window shop.

We had dinner at Il Fornaio, then settled in for the night with plans to see more tomorrow. We wanted to go to Point Lobos and also take in the Carmel mission.