Carmel Mission,17 Mile Drive, Monterrey

On Thursday we started our day by driving to the Carmel Mission and learning about the history of the area.  A nice woman from Texas gave us some history of the complex which is still used as an Elementary school and still holds a daily mass.  Pope John Paul II visited the mission on his 1987 US visit.  The first picture above is of the window at the entrance of the church.  On the summer solstice, the rising sun shines directly onto the altar through the light, however, rarely is the morning with clear skies, so this is a rare occurence.

The second picture shows some of the local plants that we saw at the mission while the third picture is Kyle and I in front of the Elementary School near where Father Serra said the first mass in 1771.

After our time at the mission was complete we took a spin around the 17 mile drive.  The homes were testaments to over indulgence, the golf courses breath taking in their natural beauty, and the ocean almost surreal with the subtle changes in the shades of blue and diversity of wildlife.

We stopped at several places along the way and the final five pictures are from this adventure.  The first picture shows what I believe is Spanish Bay golf course.  Note the way the trees bend against the constant west wind off the ocean!  The next picture shows the 3 Hayes men out on the rock outcropping overlooking the ocean.  While Kyle and Colin ran up and down it like a mountain goat, I had to take my time getting on and off it!  A bit further on we had another tourist click the picture of the four of us against the back drop of the Pacific.  Nearing the end of the trip, we stopped at the vista where the "Lone Cypress" the 250 year old tree that is the symbol of Pebble Beach stands alone.  The picture of Colin and Kyle shows a Cyress tree in the background, but this is not the "Lone Cypress".

Finishing our drive at Pebble Beach we browsed the shops, including the $189,000 diamond ring, on sale from $260,000, and ambled down to the 18th green which is a must for any golf fan with an apreciation for the history of the game.

Heading back to Monterrey we stopped for lunch at a recommended deli for gigantic sandwiches and wonderful peanut butter chocolate fudge cake!  We somehow managed to eat most of it before heading for Cannery Row and doing some window shopping.

Dinner was at Bahama Island restaurant tucked into a quaint little shopping mall.

Tomorrow we plan on hitting the Aquarium and Fishermans Wharf!