First stop the Monterey Aquarium, just as the doors were opening. What a place and well worth delaying our trip to San Francisco. This one time capital of the sardine canning world now draws the visitors with its world-class aquarium.
We spent an absorbing morning ogling the sea otters, meditating over the ethereal jelly fish and touching up the sea cucumbers. The building is set right on the bay, now a national marine sanctuary, so when you’ve seen everything outside, simply step outside and enjoy the creatures in their natural environment. We had lunch in the mega-healthy restaurant watching the sea otters enjoying their lunch in the bay’s kelp forest.
Two hours later, we arrived in an equally cold and overcast San Francisco. This was the city I have been longing to see; the antithesis of all things Virginian and described by the Lonely Planet as the place where the envelope goes when it’s pushed. First impressions? I really couldn’t see it. In fact, we couldn’t see a great deal thanks to the weather. By the time we left the hotel, the fog had well and truly rolled in and we couldn’t even make out the Golden Gate Bridge from the dockside where we decided to eat. We decided to cut our losses, grab a taxi and head back to the hotel. Maybe tomorrow would dawn clear and blue.
Today’s Tune: Do You Know the Way to San Jose by Dionne Warwick (we passed it en route to San Francisco)
Wildlife Watch: Yet more sea lions, this time in the San Francisco Bay
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