Monterey

Driving into Monterey, we thought we'd drive past Pebble Beach Golf Course for a little look-see. We were surprised by an entry fee ($9.75) and a brochure detailing a self-guided tour of the course and surrounds. So, having paid to do the 17-mile drive (as it's known) we thought we'd give it its due and check out all the sights.

We walked the boys down to the 17th hole of Pebble Beach and watched a couple of groups hit through.

Then we followed the coastline around looking at beautiful houses and cypress trees and rolling surf along with windswept grasses in the more exposed areas.

A harbour seal breeding area was closed off to give the mums and pups some breathing space, but further on there were more golf courses and fields of pink wildflowers so thick that they looked like someone had taken a neon marker to them.

We continued on through Monterey, in search of a campground or RV park and couldn't find a single one! Doh! It was getting late and so we pulled in to a Walmart just north of Monterey in Marina and enjoyed a free night's accommodation with convenient grocery shopping and birthday present hunting thrown in - score!!

The next morning, we headed straight to the Dennis the Menace Park in Monterey (which we'd spied the previous afternoon) and the boys had a field day in what is one of the most awesome playgrounds we've ever been to - so much fun!

Then we went and parked on the waterfront north of the Cannery/Aquarium tourist area and Nath and I took turns taking jogs back around the coastline to the start of the golf courses. We were both rewarded with seal sightings.

The kids had a play down on the beach below where we had parked and after showering off the sand, we set sail for an RV park in Watsonville to do some washing and charge some devices after four days straight of dry camping.