Viva El Monterey!

"The nature of parties has been imperfectly studied.  It is, however, generally understood that a party has a pathology, that it is a kind of an individual and that it is likely to be a perverse individual. And it is also generally understood that a party hardly ever goes the way it is planned or intended."

Cannery Row

John Steinbeck

Word, Steinbeck. Word. Monterey/Carmel, California. Wine country. Steinbeck country. Big Sur country. All sorts of gastronomic and topographic goodness. Before arriving in Monterey/Carmel, I had heard tons of stories about how beautiful it was, how chic and how quaint. What I hadn't heard was that one of my favourite authors, John Steinbeck, once called Monterey home. What kind of Lit major had I been?! Just shameful. Nevertheless, after landing and driving around, namely to Salinas and San Jose, I could completely see George and Lennie roaming around and trying to stay out of trouble. And not succeeding.

Day 1. BFFs Emily Barrick and Sophie Sanna take me on a drive up the coast on Highway 1. This is Big Sur country. We go through Pfeiffer National Park, past some of the most amazing, cliff-perching architectural phenomenons I have ever seen. And by the way, these are homes, not museums. When I ask who the hell lives here, Emily informs me that it's the newly wed and the nearly dead. I'm not ready to be married, and I still want to work, but after seeing some of these houses, I think I need to revise my sentiments about that.







Along this drive is the Bixby Bridge, a gorgeous arched bridge that I am sad to learn is suicide method of choice for too many local residents. This is no bueno. The Bixby Bridge is this gorgeous landmark that people come from miles away to see, and then the energy is all screwed up. Let's hope the beauty compensates somewhere in the infinite beyond after bridges are buried.

 Bad energy or not, the drive along Highway 1 is one of the things to see before you die. An absolutely decadent coastline, with crags and jagged edges, breaking waves and beautiful beaches. It's also spectacular camping territory, as evidenced by the countless RVs behind which you have to constantly struggle. Ah, the bain of the scenic route...the loaded up families in slow-moving vehicles. Once you look beyond the mobile boxes, though, it's all good.

 On the way back (doesn't this just look like a Steinbeck book cover?!), we made a detour into one of the national parks and I got a shot with me and some famous California redwoods. They are ridiculous, and I wasn't even standing next to one of the really big ones.

With a stop off at Nepenthe for a beverage, and a lazy drive back, it was a good day, a beautiful day. What a start to what I anticipate will be a relaxing, and very entertaining jaunt into Big Sur/Steinbeck country. Hasta Luego, more days to come.

Oh one more thing, I'm trying this feed thing and hoping to get subscriptions and such, so have a gander and subscribe if you likey...