Captivated Me

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have an odd fascination with the idea of visiting Monterey.  (I have the movie Sahara to thank for this.)  So when I was planning an itinerary for the weekend of my parents’ CA visit, you can imagine the locale that I wanted to explore with them!  The weekend was literally picture-perfect, including:

• a short morning visit to a wharf at Monterey Bay,
• an excursion through the trails and coves of stunning Point Lobos State Reserve (where we spotted harbor seals and adorable sea otters!),
• lunch at the Mediterranean-inspired Cafe Stravaganza (best chicken pesto sandwich on the planet),
• a chai frappe from the quaint Carmel Valley Coffee Roasting Co.,
• a painted sunset in Carmel, followed by window shopping and then dinner at Cantinetta Luca (best margherita pizza, tiramisu, and coffee on the planet),
• breathtaking views of the ocean along the route to Big Sur (and when I say “breathtaking”, I mean it in the truest sense of the word),
• a relaxing afternoon with the locals at a remote beach south of the Carmel Highlands (where I added learning to surf and scuba dive during my time in CA to my bucket list).

But despite all the beauty of the weekend – the climactic perfection, the “dream come true” of visiting the Monterey area, the colorful, powerful, unfathomable views that leave you questioning if what you are seeing is real – the most beautiful thing of all was having my parents there to experience it all with me.

Here is the weekend in pictures…

A sailboat ready to be launched on the Bay.

Our weekend destination.

The simply stunning Carmel River State Beach.

Sea Lion Cove at Point Lobos State Reserve.

Cliffs and coves – Point Lobos State Reserve.

Orange color on the trees is from carotene, a pigment involved in the photosynthetic process of green algae.

Another captivating view at Point Lobos State Reserve.

A colorful Carmel sunset.

Coffee, tiramisu, and chocolate torte with hazelnut ice cream – our dessert from Cantinetta Luca!

Rocky archways dot the shores of Pfeiffer Beach.

Purple sand, from manganese garnet particles, washes down to the ocean from the hillside.

A gorgeous day at Pfeiffer Beach.

Colorful shells blanket some rocky surfaces along the shore.

Sunshine, seagulls, and surfers were our Sunday entertainment.

The clear waters of Pfeiffer Beach.