From Cannery Row to Bird Rock: A Monterey Day Trip Worth Remembering 🐚💫
Otters & Olive Oil
We started with sea otters in the slough, skipped the aquarium, and found joy in a bottle of strawberry balsamic.
Views for Miles
Every stop along 17 Mile Drive gave us something new - crashing waves, tide pools, and turquoise water at Spanish Bay.
Nature’s Headliner
Sea lions. Cormorants. Otters. A windy day at Bird Rock turned into the wildest moment of the trip.
Olive Oil & Otters
Before Monterey, we started the day in Moss Landing - banana date smoothies in hand, sea otters floating in the slough. Then came the big surprise: the aquarium was too packed to enjoy. But walking Cannery Row turned it all around.
At the Monterey Olive Bar, we dipped fresh bread into aged balsamics and left with bags full of strawberry, herb, and olive treasures.
Views for Miles
17 Mile Drive was magic from the start. We entered at Carmel Gate and stopped at every lookout: Shepherd’s Knoll, Huckleberry Hill, Point Joe. But Spanish Bay stole the show.
Turquoise water. Pristine sand with zero footprints. I waded right in - the water was frigid. Later we wandered China Rock, watching tiny tidepool crabs spinning on kelp like gymnasts.
Nature’s Headliner
Bird Rock was a sight to see. Hundreds of barking sea lions, crashing waves, and the flurry of coastal birds. Pelicans and otters floated in the current.
I stood with my 200–600mm lens for what felt like hours as California ground squirrels scurried around us.
Crocker Grove and the Lone Cypress came after, but Bird Rock stole the spotlight.This trip reminded us that the best moments aren’t always the ones you plan. Sometimes all it takes is skipping the crowd, chasing a breeze, and letting the coast surprise you.Thanks for wandering with us. Read more on saltnoelle.com