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Monterey Harbor - Part
1
The extended weekend was a most
excellent adventure! Our first day was mostly travel, but what a
way to drive!
Thursday, 7 October 1999
I drove
up to Steve Montgomery's ('87) place in Los Angeles Thursday morning and
we started our northward trek in his big new Pontiac. We left around
1300 and only encountered light traffic (for L.A.) and made the decision
to take the very scenic route to Monterey via Highway 1. This decision
cost us a couple of extra hours of driving, but was well worth it.
After some
fast food in San Louis Obispo, we split for the coast and drove leisurely
north. Traffic built up occasionally around some of the more popular
tourist areas, but got heavy as we approached San Simeon and the Los Padres
National Forest. Construction was slowing everyone down, and a major
forest fire didn't help either.
We stopped
at one of hundreds of scenic lookouts and took some great photos just at
sunset. I hope they turn out okay since the lighting wasn't the best
for westward photos.
Steve managed
to pass the last slow tourist bus near Big Sur and we literally flew the
remaining miles into Monterey in the dark. We got hold of Val Smith
'72 on her cell phone and Neil Feist '84 gave us directions to the DoubleTree
Inn near Fisherman's Wharf.
We arrived
after 2000 and met Gaye Perkins Parnell '74 and hubby Bill '73, along with
Neil, son Josh, and Val. After exchanging Wagner hugs and greetings
we chatted in the lobby until Josh started nodding off. Neil, Josh
and Val left for home, so I checked Steve and I into the hotel before we
left for a late dinner in the wharf area. We had not planned on staying
in Monterey that night, but we were just too tired for the drive into San
Jose.
Gaye and
Bill joined us for a short stroll and we found a nice seafood restaurant
for dinner. Gaye filled us in on her week long vacation and our plans
for the weekend. Val and Gaye had done some tourist stuff before
our arrival, including Cannery Row, the Monterey Aquarium, and others.
With the exception of an exploding catsup bottle, dinner was great and
we decided to call it a night. Steve called Belden Granada '75, to
let him know we would not be driving to San Jose that night. We found
out that not only had we missed some great filipino foods prepared by his
mother, we had also missed Jo Kristol's ('77) arrival from Los Angeles.
Next: Carmel by the Sea
John Prunier '65 |
