Monterey

We got in to Monterey after dark, and checked in to our mid-20th-century drive-up single-story motel, the Blue Lagoon. At $65/night, it isn't fancy. But it was clean and functional. We just needed a place to sleep, shower and change. It was that, without doubt.

Monday morning, after rousting the kids, packing the car once again, and loading up, we were off to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This facility was orginally funded by the Hewlett family (as in Hewlett-Packard), and opened about 25 years ago or so. I first saw it in 1986, and it was mighty impressive then. Now? It's over twice the size and truly spectacular.

The Aquarium sits on the ocean side of historic Cannery Row. The aquarium building itself once was a cannery. In fact, the cannery's original boiler system is preserved in-situ in the lobby of the aquarium.

We spent all day. In fact, we had to hurry through the second half of the facility, because the original building took up six of our scheduled eight hours! There was so much to see. Sharks. Sheephead fish. Touch pools with bat rays. Species upon species of beautiful jellyfish. Diver shows. The works. The one exhibit voted MOST COOL by the entire Johnson family? The lone Cuttlefish, off in the corner of the kids exhibit. R is fascinated with the color-changing capabilities of Cuttlefish. After spending some time with this guy, we all came to share R's enthusiasm for them.

Finally, at 5PM, we started off on the six-hour mostly non-interstate drive to Anaheim. We got there uneventfully. The car, steadfast as it continues to prove, got us there with nary a clunk or clatter.

On the drive to Anaheim, C called for a family consultation. She floated the idea that we change our schedule and spend Father's Day back in Monterey. As she suggested this, she held up a brochure for whale watching in Monterey Bay. Apparently, there were three simultaneous whale populations working through the Monterey area: blues, greys and humpbacks. The vote was to see if the schedule change was do-able. After a few quick phone calls, it turned out it was. We canceled one day in Anaheim at $160/night, booked one day at the Blue Lagoon again at the weekend rate of $100/night, and reserved our space on the 9am whale watching trip.

I guess that pretty much tells us all what the family thought of Monterey and Santa Cruz, eh?