The fetching Mrs. Mikey and I took the scenic route back home to southern CA from Oregon after a quick visit with our daughter and son-in-law and grandson in waiting. Our first overnight stay on the way back was in Shasta, CA. Below is a view of the mountain as we approached. We had a nice rest but it was very cold..
As we got near central CA we shot over to the coast south of San Francisco and stayed overnight at a B&B in Pacific Grove which is next to Monterey. Below is the B&B. They served a great buffet breakfast.
And below is a panorama of the bay.
And of course we need a shot of some crashing waves.
Along a long section of the beach at Pacific Grove were aloes hanging on for dear life on the bluffs overlooking the water.
The fetching one spotted this sea otter playing around about 75 yards out. I wish we had a better zoom lens
And in the same area this Harbor Seal was precariously perched on his/her throne..
The water carved a hole through the rock..
The next morning we hit the road again heading south. In the Big Sur area we shot this photo. For the next 60 miles every two hundred yards was another scenic photo shoot.. You will just have to settle for this one. It was drizzling and not a real good day for photos.
In the San Simeon area is a stretch of protected beaches where the Elephant Seals gather. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of cows on the beaches with their pups. The noise was something else. The baby pups were whining to their moms and the cows were mostly ignoring them and grunting loudly. Occasionally one would roll over and allow the pup a meal. It was an amazing site. These Elephant Seals are MUCH larger than Harbor seals or Sea Lions. The cows were constantly tossing sand on their backs with their flippers.
We then toured the nearby Hearst's Castle and then safely made our way home after a nice trip from the cold, cold mountains to the sea..