Started the day with breakfast at the motel and it was actually pretty good. After loading the car, we had to stop at a Walmart to replace a worn phone charging cable. Then it was a Starbucks mocha to share and North on US 101.
Only a 2+ hour drive today, but what a nice short drive it was. For the first hour it was nothing but miles and miles of vineyards rolling over hill and dale. Later we moved on to cabbage, pimento, lettuce and a bunch of stuff we couldn’t identify. There was even one small field of corn.
A 10-minute stop at a grocery market in Salinas provided a quick walk about and a much need rest stop. California’s budget woes must be responsible for all the rest areas being closed. Bummer if you start the day with a coffee drink.
Salinas to Monterey is a short drive with a lot of traffic, especially on Sunday. With the short drive we were way too early to check in, like 5 hours too early. Our hotel is right on Cannery Row, so after pre-registration it was off to explore and find lunch.
In its heyday, Cannery Row was known for the canning of sardines and Monterey was made famous by several John Steinbeck novels, including Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. Alas, while having several fine hotels and restaurants, Cannery Row has become the land of trinkets and t-shirts.
We decided on a lunch of a cup of clam chowder and sharing fish and chips, which we both rated as very good. Plus, we had a great window table with a fine view of the bay. The rest of the walkabout was a bust, with us finally returning to the car and resting until our room was ready. Resting for me was an afternoon nap.
We have stayed at the Monterey Bay Inn before, but this time was a little different with a bottle of 2020 Merlot waiting to help celebrate our anniversary. Dinner was at Schooners Monterey and it was a great experience. Very good food and a very good dessert and champagne courtesy of the restaurant for our anniversary.
124 miles today
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