Maine Livin': A week in Santa Barbara

In early April we took off for sunny California to meet up with my parents and visit Laura & Matt during their last few months there. It was such a fun time, and while it would take way too long to tell the entire trip in this blog, I'll sum up a few highlights here.

The day after we arrived we packed up our rental Suburban and drove up Route 1 to Monterey. This coastal route has got to be the most beautiful, scenic highway in America. I would highly recommend that everyone do this drive at some point in their life! Along the way we saw elephant seals basking on the sand, blissfully uninterested in the tourists snapping photos of them at a closer range than any zoo would allow.

We drove along the beautiful cliffs and up and around Big Sur. This drive is not for the faint of heart....or the faint of stomach!

In the quaint town of Pacific Grove, we stayed at a great B&B right across from "Lover's Point"....a rocky outcropping on the ocean. We walked the next day to the famed Monterey Aquarium where we saw fascinating sealife, including a spectacular display of jellyfish.

The Seven Gables Inn

Lover's Point, Pacific Grove, CA

The Guys at the Aquarium

The other major highlight for us was an afternoon spent cycling in the wine country just over the mountains from Santa Barbara. Laura and Matt packed up their bikes, while Steve & I rented a couple of road bikes and we set off on a 25 mile route through some of the most gorgeous rolling hills and vineyards in America. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees and everything was incredibly green and beautiful. Laura and I spotted a miniature horse that we were convinced was "Thumbalina" a famous local mini horse that is supposedly the smallest horse in the world. Alas, it wasn't Thumbalina, but cute nonetheless!