Epic Road Trip 2017 - Day #12

We did not get up early but we did grab breakfast at our hotel and then set out for for Monterey Bay Aquarium at Cannery Row. Parking was in a garage for Cannery Row and was a little expensive ($15 for the day, no ins and outs) but was totally worth being able to walk to and from the Aquarium. As we walked toward the main event for the day we noticed a Starbucks so I grabbed a latte for the morning and then we strolled around the wharf while I finished it. We enjoyed reading the informative signs and took in the sea air and view.

The Aquarium was fantastic though crowded as it was a Saturday in the middle of summer. I loved seeing the large tank featuring life in the Kelp forests and the deep sea exhibits. We also enjoyed viewing the otters and octupi. There was an entire special exhibit on animals with tentacles that was wonderful and a section just with jellyfish which I find super interesting.

We did leave the aquarium for lunch and enjoyed Bubba Gump's  that was just a couple of blocks away. While eating we saw a couple of otters playing in the bay as well as a couple of seals. Lunch was pretty fantastic and we had great service there.

We continued to take in exhibits at the Aquarium after lunch and finally headed back to the car around 3. We stopped back in at Starbucks, but encountered a long line. While we waited I noticed a few of the shops around. Directly across from Starbucks was Steinbeck Jewelers. They had a sign out front for titanium rings with wood inlay. Since Dean has developed a nickel allergy over the past few years to our bands and I recently misplaced mine, I thought it might be nice to see what they had. When we walked in we also noticed they had these rings with a California Redwood inlay (this seems to be super specialty and can only be bought in California from the artist who normally only works with Hawaiian Koa wood). This was a pretty perfect option to match our love of adventure and need for new wedding bands.

New rings on our fingers we set off for the famed 17 mile Drive. It was a neat but crowded experience. You pay for a brochure and access to a road that follows the coast to Pebble Beach through some ritzy communities. The stops were interesting and explained well in the brochure.

After a short swim back at the hotel we headed back to Fisherman's Wharf for Benihana's. Dean and I love hibachi, but neither of us had ever been to an actual Benihana's. The food was good and we enjoyed the experience.

What We Learned: Today we learned about Ed Ricketts, an ecologist and marine biologist who spent much of his adult life in the Monterey area.  He was dedicated to the study of the marine life there and during his time in the city he became good friends with John Steinbeck.  Steinbeck actually used Ricketts as a model for the character "Doc" in the novel Cannery Row.

For the day we traveled 25 miles and saw license plates from 23 states and British Columbia.