Today we ventured out South again … first making it to the other side of the bay, then into the hills until Santa Cruz, here we continued on California highway 1 all the way down to Monterey.

It was here, that we engaged into the 17-mile drive, a scenic drive around the Monterey Peninsula with superb views of the Pacific ocean, along with some limited options for walks.

We finished the drive at its Carmel-by-the-Sea exit; here we had a walk around town and down to the beach and also enjoyed a good seafood lunch – before continuing further South to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve for more great vistas of the ocean and some proper options for walking or even hiking – very welcome after the good and filling lunch.

We closed the day in Monterey – with a walk and a bit of sightseeing around Cannery Row, a quarter of defunct sardine canning factories that has been turned into a tourist attraction with hotels, restaurants, shops and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

After our stop in Monterey it was time to head back up to Oakland – and call it a day.