Monterey Bay Aquarium

A picture of the Jelly Fish we saw when we were at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Lauren was too young to remember the Aquarium when we took her their the first time and Jackson had never been. For our spring break we decided to drive up the coast and show the kids the beautiful coastline and visit Monterey Bay and Carmel. We drove past Hearst Castle and they were interested in going to visit that grandiose stone building on the hill, but that will have to be for another trip. We had to be in Carmel before 5 pm as we had 6pm dinner reservations at Roy's Kahana Bar at the Spanish Bay Inn. As I look back on it, we probably should have stopped. It was not crowded, as I think most families are taking this week (April 7th thru April 11th) off for their spring break.

The Aquarium is always enjoyable. When we first arrived they had a "show" on feeding the fish (Tuna, Dorado and the Hammer Head Sharks). What a frenzy! The "food" was consumed in a matter of seconds. Tons of it! The sharks are soft skinned so they pretty much stay away from the frenzy and lay low, eating whatever may fall their way. Knowing this the Aquarium employees feed the sharks separately after the "frenzy." And then we walked around looking in all the tanks and enjoying the fish. The sea otters were the cutest. Swimming on their backs cleaning their "paws." The penguins were showing off how they can swim and flap their "wings." Too funny! And that was pretty much it. There was a documentary on deep sea diving. Then we walked around the town of Monterey. So much construction going on. It will be nice when they finish. Well, this is the last post of our trip. Thanks for letting me enjoy my vacation a little longer. It always goes by so fast!

Em Le's

This creation is the French Toast at Em Le's in Carmel. Yummy! And if you have never stopped by this wonderful place when you were in Carmel, you have not truly experienced all that Carmel has to offer. Because this decadent delight is truly amazing and the most wonderful goodie your mouth will enjoy! It comes with maple brown sugar creme syrup. Heaven. Whenever we up the coast we stop here for our FrenchToast fix! Plus everything else on the menu is also delicious. Such a find this place was, all those years ago.

Mission Ranch

This "ranch" has alot of history which encompassing with the great food add to the atmosphere. "In the 1850's the property became one of the first of the early California dairies. The creamery, which supplied the county with cheese and butter, now houses the restaurant. The barns were used for hay and milking. During the time, the Martin family, who owned the Ranch for sixty years, also farmed potatoes for the Sierra gold miners."

"The Ranch has had some seventeen owners. In 1937 it became a private club, then an officer's club for the Army and Navy during World War II. At that time the windows were occasionally blackened against a possible Japanese landing. The Dienelt family, who had the ranch for 39 years, owned it in those days. It had a rollicking reputation, with dance bands and a lively bar scene."

"Portions of the property were sold to the Carmel School District and the state. The Ranch now encompasses 22 acres. Clint Eastwood bought the Ranch in 1986, rescuing the property from an impending fate as a condominium development. He sought out the best craftsmen for renovation, who have replicated moldings, door frames and hardware to match the style of the original buildings. Each structure reflects a different architectural period: from the 1950's feel of the restaurant and dance barn, to the century old Martin farmhouse." Excerpt from the Mission Ranch brochure.

I just love learning all the history and visiting places where people have been 100 years ago. Thank you Mr. Eastwood for saving this property and allowing us to see and visit it in all of its glory. There are trees on this property that are over a century old. A pond with a bridge that crosses over it. (Great photo op here for a family portrait). An old wagon in the field (another great photo place for a black and white). And you can have your meal on the outside patio overlooking the field and watching the sunset (last photo). There is a piano bar inside that opens at 4:00pm Monday through Saturday. They do not take reservations. However, the wait was not long and it gives you a chance to walk around and enjoy the property. Truly a wonderful place. You can visit their site at http://www.missionranchcarmel.com/

My Friend, the Squirrel

This squirrel was such a crack up! He (she) was so friendly. He came out between a rock and a bush, and was standing on his hind two legs wanting a little treat from Lauren. As she gave him pieces from her croissant he started to climb her leg! He was adorables! I think we will see him in an upcoming Disney movie. He was so friendly.

Spring Break Along the Coast

For our week off during "spring break" we decided to take the kids up Highway One. We showed them how beautiful the California coast is. Last summer we took them to Hawaii and we wanted them to see that our coastline is just a beautiful, if not more so! We stopped along the way at Nepenth and had lunch. We stopped at a really cool art gallery that all kinds of unique statues out front. The kids took a pic with the "strong arm" statue.

We stayed at the Highlands Inn on Highway One in Carmel. That was nice. The rooms had fireplaces and a view that was breathtaking. For breakfast we went to Em Li's for their famous French toast. It is deep fried and some of the batter is fried and then put on top with sliced almonds. They have a special Maple Cream Syrup that is to die for! We walked around Carmel to work off our meal. Went into the Pine Inn (the photo in red). Very ornate. We drove around and looked at all the cute houses up there. David showed us which ones he had owned in the seventies when he lived in Carmel and fixed up homes and turn around and sold them for a profit. Fun to see. Some were no longer there. A new and "improved" home was sitting in it's place. We ate at the Mission Ranch Inn, a restaurant owned by Clint Eastwood. Very good. They had a great quesadilla appetizer. Plus my main course (the fish special) was so fresh. We had our dinner on the outside patio and watched the sun set. Very romantic.

The next day we took the kids to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Another fun day seeing all the fish. No great photos though as it never even occurred to us to charge the digital cameras the night before... That night we had dinner at Roy's Kahana Bar in the Spanish Bay Inn. So we drove the infamous Seventeen Mile Drive and look out onto Pebble Beach. The hotel was hosting a Chef Challenge sponsored by Lexus. Todd English was going to be there and Michel Richard. Two awesome chef's. I bet that was an awesome event!

We headed back down to Pismo Beach (actually Shell Beach) and spent the rest of the time with friends, shopping in downtown San Luis Obispo. Sad that another cute store closed. I loved Porch, Home and Garden. That store closed last year. Not the Country Cottage was no longer there. Sad. Beverly's Fabrics is still there. They have the best sales. All the scrapbooking merchandise was 30% off. And they have so many lines... great stuff. We ate great baked items from Avila Farms (yep they opened early this year, they had a great strudel loaf, cherry cobbler, cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, a new jam called Apple Pie Spread). We had dinner at my favorite restaurant Cafe Roma. I think we gained ten pounds! The picture of David and I is out of focus, but the sunset was so pretty that night. The building behind us was the old Hotel from the 1800's in San Luis Obispo. We are at the train stop. In the old days travelers would get off the train and stay at the hotel. Or stay at the hotel to wait for the train. It is interesting to see how it used to be. Anyway Cafe Roma is right next to this hotel across the parking lot. It is has been owned and operated by the same family for thirty years. Now we are back home... enjoy the photo's!