Day 1: Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Point Lobos State Reserve

Alli: Having spent the better part of Friday flying to San Francisco and driving to our hotel, we officially started our vacation early Saturday morning by visiting Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park. The park resembled a smaller Sequoia - an enchanted forrest whose trees and plants had grown to ten times their normal size. The canopies of these giants could challenge the height of city buildings, and the clovers that covered the ground were the size of my hand. We were greeted at the trailhead by Edgar, the parks exuberant docent. After chatting with him for a little bit, we began our venture out into the woods. Along the way we took lots of pictures, enjoying the tranquil, secluded spirit of the woods. The highlight of the trail was definitely Fremont Tree - a hollowed out Redwood that, according to Edgar, could hold "30 adults…or 36 Koreans." Before all three of us ducked into the opening, I was first instructed by Jessie, aka Lt. Dan,  to "Check out that hole!" I think it's worth mentioning that the Gump impersonations lasted a good while after that.

The hike was rather short, and before we knew it we found ourselves heading over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, taking Edgar's parting advice and trying to make it in time to see the 11 o'clock Deep Sea feeding. Thanks to Dad's determined driving we made it with just enough time to find ourselves some good, front row seats. I think I speak for all of us when I say that this feeding was one of the coolest things we've ever seen on vacation. The tuna were enormous - it was almost unnatural how big they were. The sharks patrolling the perimeter of the tank swam with an eerie, unchallenged manner. The school of sardines were like a shimmering, ever-changing cloud of blue and silver. The tank seemed so peaceful, so ordered until the food was dropped in. As soon as the food hit the surface mayhem broke out: the tuna shot through the water like torpedoes, the sharks thrashed their way to the center, the group of mackerels began to split up in all the excitement. The whole thing was absolutely amazing, and in itself worth the price of admittance. After experiencing the Deep Sea feeding, we were prompted to see the Kelp Forest feeding. Though the giant seaweed columns and color array of fish were neat to see, it was clear that the Deep Sea feeding would be a hard act to follow. Still, we had a great time meandering around the aquarium, seeing creatures big and small: exotic seahorses, playful otters, robust crustaceans. 

After leaving the aquarium, we decided to kill some time by meandering through some local shops and going back to the hotel room for a power nap. After a few hours of relaxing we ended the day with a visit to Point Lobos State Reserve. Unfortunately by the time we got there, we only had an hour to explore before closing. Deciding to make the most of our time there, we drove down to the Cypress Grove Trail and hiked atop the rocky shoreline. As we made our way around the peninsula, we saw beautiful mossy trees, waves crashing against the rocky coast, and even a couple bathing sea lions. In addition to the fading sunlight, the cool ocean breezes and the distant calls of seagulls, it made for a perfect end of the day adventure.

While these events primarily constituted our whole day, I think it's worth mentioning that after Point Lobos we had dinner at a Round Table Pizza. When asked what kind of pizza she wanted, Jessie said she wanted a "man-meat pizza." Not realizing what she said, I decided I better order for the both of us, and told Dad chicken and sausage would do just fine. Over the next couple days Jessie would try defending herself saying that her innocent mind was something that Dad should be proud of. However, I think this proves that ignorance is not always bliss, a notion Jessie has come to learn the hard way, as the teasing has still not stopped.