Today was the antidote for yesterday’s frustration. When booking my hotel for Saturday night I wanted somewhere south of San Francisco but I was a little too far south and had to backtrack a little today to get all the coast has to offer. It was worth the effort because I was able to see whales just off the coast from the first viewpoint I stopped at. I wish I had photographic evidence but I use a point-and-shoot camera and, without a viewfinder, it was impossible to zoom in and find the whales when they came above the surface so the only image I captured was a blurry fin.

The rest of the day was just as good as the Pacific coast in this area has dozens of extensive views with high cliffs, wide beaches, rugged outcrops and lighthouses. There are many points to pull over to take photographs and many of them have paths to take you closer to the water. Since my journey was short I was able to relax and enjoy myself.I angled the dash-cam to the right and managed to capture a taste of driving this coast but it is something you should experience if you have the chance. The video and map are here.

South of Santa Cruz route 1 becomes an ugly freeway until it nears Monterey but Monterey itself is charming and I spent a couple of hours exploring Cannery Row with its shops, amusements, and restaurants. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is also here and is a superb attraction but I have visited it before and it requires more than the two hours allowed on my parking meter. As a substitute I enjoyed a pint of cream ale at Coopers Pub.

The bay side of the Monterey Bay Aquarium as seen from the boardwalk.I then went to my hotel to prepare this post and watch Game 5 of the World Series. That’s what I call a great day.