This is definitely a spectacular place, but I would never come here ona Saturday again. Unfortunately they oversell the tickets and thecrowd is simply crushing. It will sure teach you a lot about humanbehavior in tight spaces. This was a very small crowd compared to theseahorse and jellyfish exhibits.

Our visit to the Monterey Aquarium has only just begun and I've seen some amazing jellyfish in a jar, passed around while waiting in the mile-long cue for tickets. If you plan a visit here, definitely buy tickets online in advance. This is way too popular a place!

Driving up the Pacific Coast Highway, south of Monterey is an awesome experience, but dangerous! The views are so breathtaking it is hard to keep one eye on the road. At 20 miles an hour, with frequent stops, it took us all day to make 120 miles. The reward was incredible sunset views around every…

The Pacific Ocean is teeming with wildlife near Pismo Beach, CA. We watched the Elephant Seals and Pelicans fight for space on the rocks and the very active fishing patrols of the cormorants. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a larger community of pelicans in one place. They seem to be nesting everywhere they can,…

Lompoc, California is America's flower garden. I have never seen such a display of color. It smells pretty nice too! How wonderful it must be to live amongst all these blooming colors!

What a great tool this gadget is! It brings out the creative spirit in everyone who has it. Way to go Apple!

Wandering up the coast we stop at every beach along the Pacific Coast. There are lots of them and each with it’s own collection of treasures to find. Marla has found her inner artist, making still lifes of her finds. I think they are incredible!

Santa Barbara is lined with awesome Palm trees everywhere. I guess the lack of hurricanes promotes growth! 🙂 These monoliths make for excellent silhouettes in the sunrise.

This was our hotel in Santa Barbara for the night, thanks to the generosity of a good friend with a spare yacht. It was a cool night and we were gently rocked by the incoming tide. The sunrise was a treat in the harbor. We'll be back when we have time to stop and paint!

What great guys! Any chance to meet up again will be highly anticipated. We stayed rather late, so not driving into the sunset tonight. The Pacific Coast Highway by the light of the full moon was pretty awesome though!