Been a great day today - apart from discovering they have every cable EXCEPT the one that goes from the camera to the iPad for the photos! These big people just can't be trusted! So, it will be shopping tonight for a cable!
It was a long night last night! We were all up for around 20-22 hours and so going to bed at 9pm didn't seem strange! However, they woke early and seemed to turn back and ore for about the three hours begone the 7am alarm! In fact they were up BEFORE the alarm and that NEVER happens!
Breakfast in the hotel was nice and they had to have their bags outside the room by 8am. Departure was 9 am! We made it on to the bus and were left almost on time until the guide jokingly asked if everyone had remembered to check the safe in your room George we left! You would not want to leave Your money and passport would you! Cue on man sheepishly leaving the bus to go and get his passports and money from the safe!
Today's journey was an easy one! San Fran to Monterey and then the famous '17 mile drive' round the coast line to Carmel and back to Monterey!
However, first things first! It was like being on one of A's school trips - the rules of the trip!
1 Play nice with each other!
2 Be on TIME,
3 Dont leave things in the hotel safe! ( Think he should have done that one last night!)
4 have a great timeM
And 5.......NO ice cream on the bus! Apparently CfE cream makes a sticky mess and despite the fact there are only 2 or 3 teenagers non the bus it's a no no!
So...we set off and went through Cisco until we to to San Jose! We ALL know the way to San Jose! And if we didn't he played it for us via his iPod! However, it wasn't the 'Frankie Goes To Hollywood' version!
Then we carried on south to Morgan Hill and Gilroy which are apparently the GARLIC and ARTICHOKE capitlas of the world! I think both myself and A decided we would not need to check that one out any further!
So as we continued we discovered all about our optionals! These are the extra excursions we can add on as we go from place to place! (The brothels in Nevada sound interesting but as a bear I don't think it would be a suitable environment for me!) They need to check the optionals tonight and decide for tomorrow which ones they will look at!that ought to be fun - but I presume it will be tickets for two!
We made it to Monterey by lunchtime. A group of 15 or so decided they would go to the Aquarium - one of the best in the US and the best in California! They gave it a miss which I was quite happy about! I don't have my dookers and keeping out of the way of sharks and other marine nasties is not my cup of tea!
So they opted for exploring Monterey for the 2.5 hours they had there. First was a walk along the coastline to Lovers Point! This was a lovely walk but I did lose them for a while at the headland! It was foggy but luckily it was off the coast for much of the time and they could see nicely as we went up and back! They saw a lot of seals on the beaches and sunning themselves on the rocks! The cormorants and pelicans were out and about also as well as a myriad of other local wildlife!
After their walk it was time for lunch! They explored the sea front and in amongst the array of shops and other tourist attractions they decided to have a nice lunch in a square surrounded by flowers and looking out to the sea! L had a shrimp salad while A went for the fruit salad!
I got my photo taken at various points which will have to follow due to the fact you know who missed one cable! I enjoyed being taken outside Bubba Gumps on a bench with my suitcase, box of chocolates and rather large trainers à la Forrest Gump in the movie!
Then we were off to do the famous '17 mile drive' which curiously enough was 17 miles long! It took us from Monterey to Carmel via a winding road of multi million dollar houses and great golf courses - including Pebble Beach Golf Course!
We stopped at various points to see the wildlife and to see a 'lonesome pine'! Oh, sorry.....it was 'The Lone Cyprus' - which is again another well known landmark! So another photo opportunity before heading off to Carmel!
Carmel is lovely and they could have spent longer there than the hour they had! Again it is home to the mega rich and famous such as Clint Eastwood and Doris Day! They took a walk down Ocean Boulevard to the beach which was certainly worth a visit! The soft, white sand and the sparkling Pacific Ocean made it a sight to see. I had my picture taken on the beach and heard an American family, who A had just taken a photo for, say 'Aww, look at him take a photo of his teddy bear! Now I was pretty miffed at this as I am really a traveller! And A then felt it necessary to explain that I was a blogging bear (well, I think it was blogging!) and a roving reporter for a large fan base back home! He wishes!,
Anyway, they are now in a motel in Monterey and are heading out for a meal and a walk about Fisherman's Wharf. Will update later and hopefully get the photos on.
http://www.seemonterey.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17-Mile_Drive
http://www.carmelcalifornia.com/
http://www.montereydaysinn.com/
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