Cannery Row

I had the opportunity to visit Monterey, CA this week. This is a hot spot on the Pacific Coast, some even claim it as the most beautiful part of California. It is most famous for Cannery Row, a once thriving strip of fish canneries back in the early 1900s. John Steinbeck, who is from nearby Salinas, did a lot of writing and walking the street (then known as Ocean View Blvd.) and even wrote a book about it (called Cannery Row, oddly enough...). I am always a sucker for history and so I made the time to take a walk around town.
It is also home to the award-winning Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is built around, using some of, the Portola Sardines cannery, built in 1916 by Knut Hovden. There were a lot of sea life, from plants to shrimp, clams to sea otters, not to mention many fish and birds. You could even pet a bat ray if you wanted (I did not wait for them to swim up close, plus, there were, like 50 kids waiting around the pool. Of course, the views of the bay were absolutely incredible!
I grabbed a cup of coffee from Starbucks at the old Monterey Canning Company warehouse and hit the road back to Fresno. I wanted to make another side trip to Pebble Beach, just a few miles south on CA-101, but I did not make it. So I am going back there this next week. At Pebble Beach there is a beautiful drive, known as 17-Mile Drive, a picturesque drive around some of the most well-known golf courses in the world, not to mention the beautiful coastline. More pictures to come. I really cannot believe I am getting paid to travel and see such beautiful country, but I have been truly blessed!

no cal

well, i have made it back into northern (central, really) california. i am in the bay area (san jose/san francisco) for most of the next couple of weeks. i am thinking of finally going to see the Golden Gate Bridge this weekend, and maybe the Winchester Mystery House (www.winchestermysteryhouse.com). hopefully i will have some new pics to put on Flickr finally...
so, it has been almost a week since the Super Bowl (yeah Steelers!!!), and now there really is not much to watch on TV. baseball season comes soon...
i can't help but think that this time last year i was in the frozen tundra that is wisconsin. it was about 7 when i got there and it did not really warm up until may. so i am happy to be in 80 degree weather out here in california this year. as much as i love to look at snow, i do not wish to habitate in it. i am a South Texas boy who likes the mild winters.

in the desert

well, i am still in the phoenix area and have been enjoying the weather out here. they have not had rain here for over 100 days! i am readily anticipating the Super Bowl on Sunday, but it is not quite the same when you are traveling alone on the road, as opposed to being at home among friends that share your passion for the game of football (even better when they hate your team and your team wins!).
but my real reason for this post was to tell everyone of what i have been doing in my spare time...that would be myspace.com. it is a place where you can find new friends and, even better, find old friends, and i have done a lot of that! it is addictive (if you like your friends) trying to find them and catch up and keep up with them now. you can add pics and posts and music and colors, so it has a little more than just a blog, but i like this blog layout better, so i will continue to use this to post my whereabouts. there is a link to my myspace on my profile page here, on the left side. take a look, you won't regret it...unless you don't like your friends.