{A smack of jellies at the aquarium}
That about sums up our awesome trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium and Santa Cruz this weekend. We had a great time in perfect 70 degree weather without a cloud in the sky.
On Friday morning, we stopped at Dynamo Donuts as promised. Their flavors are ever-changing, so we got to try Meyer Lemon Huckleberry and a sticky bun, along with the Apricot Cardamom donut we'd had before. They did not disappoint!
{Me with an apricot cardamom donut...mmmm}
Our drive down the coast was so beautiful in the morning sun. We got to Monterey just in time for the aquarium to open. I was really impressed by the entire place. It kind of made me feel like a kid again! We saw sea otters, penguins, a giant octopus, the kelp forest, seahorses, tons of jellyfish, and much more.
{Cole as a baby penguin at the aquarium}
Two exhibits in particular were really amazing. One was The Secret Lives of Seahorses. The other was one that centered around pink flamingos but had a lot to do with climate change.
{Looking towards the Santa Cruz boardwalk on our bike ride}
After lunch at a beachfront restaurant and finishing up at the aquarium, we headed back up the coast to Santa Cruz. The Dream Inn was just totally perfect--a 1960s beachfront hotel that's been updated with a modern design twist. From our sixth floor balcony, we had a great view of the ocean, the boardwalk, and the cliffs to the north. We could hear the waves even with our balcony doors closed! It was lovely.
On Saturday morning after a delicious breakfast in downtown Santa Cruz, we rented bikes and headed up the bike trail on West Cliff Drive. Aside from constantly having to dodge twin strollers and errant joggers, we loved riding along the trail, which runs right along the beach cliffs.
We rode up to the state beach, where there just happened to be a huge number of monarch butterflies resting in the eucalyptus groves there on their fall migration to Mexico. It was such a peaceful scene, with tons of orange butterflies flittering between trees.
After checking out the butterflies, we headed back down the bike trail towards the boardwalk. We saw lots of surfers out in the rowdy waves. After a late lunch and some lounging on the beach, we headed back to the car and left Santa Cruz to meander back up the coast.
Stay tuned for part 2 of our trip--the places we stopped on the way back to SF!
To see the rest of our pictures from the trip, go here.
We rode up to the state beach, where there just happened to be a huge number of monarch butterflies resting in the eucalyptus groves there on their fall migration to Mexico. It was such a peaceful scene, with tons of orange butterflies flittering between trees.
{Cole in the eucalyptus grove}
After checking out the butterflies, we headed back down the bike trail towards the boardwalk. We saw lots of surfers out in the rowdy waves. After a late lunch and some lounging on the beach, we headed back to the car and left Santa Cruz to meander back up the coast.
Stay tuned for part 2 of our trip--the places we stopped on the way back to SF!
To see the rest of our pictures from the trip, go here.
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