Labor Day in Monterey

(Actually it was the Sunday before Labor Day to be exact.)

Mom, Dad and I left the valley and entered the foothills while driving to Monterey for the day.

Mom and Dad were looking forward to eating seafood while overlooking the ocean in this popular restaurant off of Cannery Row.

While eating, they watched some seals sunbathe on the rocks. This seal must have been a baby because it was smaller than the others. Also, it's skin was darker and had black and white polka-dots. This little fella knew he was adorable, posing for the camera. He even has the bird's attention!

While I patiently waited in the car, Mom and Dad enjoyed watching the kayaks glide by

and the sail boats sailing on this windy day. It was about 65 -70 degrees outside.

It was a little ironic because you had the view of the ocean on one side of the street and then popular tourist shops and restaurants on the other side.

On "America's most famous street", Cannery row was once known for canning sardines. Now, it is popular for John Steinbeck's 1945 novel "Cannery Row". Needless to say, it was a busy, crowded place, especially on a holiday weekend.

Leaving the hustle and bustle of the city, we drove along the 17 Mile Drive. We enjoyed seeing Pebble Beach golf course and its views of the ocean.

Who cares about golf when we have this to look at?

The whole area was covered by these wild flowers. We also saw a deer run across one of the greens but the golfers did not even seem to notice it.

We also enjoyed gawking at these luxurious mansions in this exclusive neighborhood. Wouldn't you love to attend a Parade of Homes to tour the inside of these houses?

I bet these gorgeous views factor into the prices of these homes and to say you overlook Pebble Beach probably increases the value too.

Mom loved this red wildflower that covered the coastline.

These pictures do not do the ocean justice. The water was the prettiest turquoise and oh so clear!

Along this scenic drive are the largest and oldest Monterey cypress trees in existence.

Here's the famous Lone Cypress, perched on a rock surrounded by a wall and supported by cables to keep it from falling.

Initially, I felt sorry for the tree, being by itself all of the time. Then I realized that it does have other trees fairly close by.

Before making the drive back home, Mom wanted to stop by this park, referred to as Lover's Point. It is a grassy park with beautiful views of the coastline where people can just hang out and relax.

There is also a small, cove-like beach. Can you believe that people were actually getting in this frigid water?

After a long day of sightseeing, this sight hound was ready to go back home.