I had a conference in Monterey at the end of October, so we packed up Calvin and roughly half of our wordly possessions and hit the road. We spent the first night in Santa Barbara, and Calvin got to explore a new beach:

Then we headed up to Monterey – we tacked on a couple extra days to my conference to make a little vacation out of it. We scored guest passes to the Aquarium (thanks so much, Kim!) and Calvin really enjoyed it.

The weather was very nice most of the time, and we went on lots of walks:

And of course we introduced Calvin to our favorite pub, the Crown & Anchor:

It was a good trip. Calvin traveled well – no major problems. But traveling with a baby is a lot of work and requires a lot of stuff! We had a good time but were all glad to get back home again.

We ate at several good places while we were gone – a couple of old favorites, and some places that were new to us. In Monterey, we spent a lot of time at the Crown and Anchor. Eric was impressed with the selection of beers, and they have pretty good pub food and a nice, neighborhood feel.

Whenever we’re in Big Sur, we always try to have a meal at Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn. The menu changes, but I’ve never had a bad meal there. We’ve never stayed at the Inn, but the restaurant is rustic and charming. Eric had bouillabaisse and I had bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with mushrooms and apples and polenta – delicious!

In Cambria, one of our favorites is Robin’s Restaurant.  They have an international menu that changes with the seasons – the last couple of times we’ve been there the selection skewed Asian, but everything is yummy. I had the kobe flank steak with ginger green beans and wasabi mashed potatoes, and it was fabulous. We also tried the Sow’s Ear for the first time – it’s basically upscale comfort food, in a warm and intimate setting. Very good. I tried the chicken fried steak, which was pretty good (still not as good as grandma’s) and Eric had shepherd’s pie with yams.  The food was good and they have a nice wine list. I’d definitely go back.

And although it’s not a restaurant, I’ll throw in a quick plug for the Cambria Pines Lodge. We’ve stayed there a couple of times now, and like it a lot. It’s a bit quirky, but nice and homey, and much better than an Econolodge or Motel 6 for not much more money (look for Internet specials).

Jellyfish

Originally uploaded by genesister

Want to go for a walk on the beach in Monterey? Watch out for jellyfish – the beach was covered with them, most about 8-12 inches in diameter. I’ve lived near the beach all my life and have never seen anything like it!