Birthday Trip Day 2 Continued: The Road to Monterey Bay

For Joey and Phi's birthday the plan was to drive up to Monterey Bay, Ca. And not the quickest way possible, but the most picturesque route. We hopped on Highway 1 and settled in for a long but gorgeous trip. Since it was a 4 hour trip we made a stop at Piedras Blancas in San Simeon. Just one of those vista points which also happens to be where the California Elephant seals come to raise their young. 

I grew up going to the beach all the time. Ventura county beaches, where ocean water is more brown than blue. The waters off the central coast are the most gorgeous shades of blue imaginable. I wanted to color sample them all and paint my entire house in these shades of blue and turquoise. 

Now when you think of seals most people imagine little brown guys, sleek and cute. Well elephant seals are a bit different. They are much bigger and the males are not so cute. Imagine a huge seal with a huge honking Squidward from Sponge Bob nose. At the end of May the only males we saw where the juvenile ones. They almost look prehistoric.

But the amazing part of the elephant seal rookery is the beaches. They were covered with female elephant seals. Like as far as the eye could see. Just sunning themselves and living that Cali life to the fullest.

After a few more hours in the car we made it to our destination. Monterey Bay, California. We checked into our hotel and we headed to Cannery Row.

My cousins Cassie and Martin gave us a heads up about this store simply called "Sea Otter Shirts". This place sounded right up Louie's alley. We found it and were excited to see it was still open.

This place has anything and everything otter. Backpacks, key chains, jewelry, clothes, Christmas ornaments, and of course plush dolls.

After a stroll down Cannery Row and getting a look at the bay we headed to birthday dinner at a Hula's Island Grill. A cute tiki place with good food. The girls had the brown sugar lemonade and I don't think I have ever tasted anything sweeter. Neither of them could finish theirs but the paper bamboo straws were super cute.

We ended the day by heading back to the hotel to rest up for the next day. The main event if you will. Of course I had a photo booth picture to remember it by.