Carmel, Pebble Beach, & Big Sur

Today is our last day in California, so we did some final exploring. We roamed around Old Town, and drove to Carmel and the famous 17-mile drive through Pebble Beach. Being a Saturday, Carmel was crowded with no place to park. The houses were charming, but the lines of cars on the narrow streets was not enticing, and we did not linger. The 17-mile drive was a winding, scenic road, lined with wealthy, gated mansions that went past a few scenic overlooks and the Pebble Beach golf course. We lamented driving in lines of cars and tour buses, while being restricted in where to stop for scenic views. (It is a rich folks' playground, so they have to keep the riff-raff [us] out).

The 17-mile drive did not impress us and Point Lobos (from yesterday) absolutely enchanted us, so we returned there at the end of the day. We strolled along the cliff sides again. We saw deer (again) and lots of rabbits, one pair quite amorous. Charlie spotted black-crowned herons in their nests on the rocky bluffs. As he watched in the binoculars, he saw one leave the nest, and the mate take its place. As they changed places, he saw 2 blue eggs. It was an impressive ending to the day.Read more