2014 Trip to Monterey, California

I spent the last week of October in Monterey, California, on a business trip and absolutely loved it! But I'm getting ahead of myself...

My Air Canada flight to Calgary for the first leg of the trip was a prop job which was a bit disconcerting as the propeller was in line with the seat in front of me so it was right there every time I looked out my window. I noticed the guy in front of me covered his window after several minutes of flight. What I found fascinating was that the propeller blades seemed to curve and separate in the photos when I couldn't even see them moving in the air.

I took this photo with my iPhone shortly after take-off. At the time, I didn't know what was below until I spent some time on Google Earth later at home, and matched it up with their version:

Buffalo Pound Lake from the air, Oct 2014

Google Earth view of Buffalo Pound Lake, captured 5/6/2014

After changing flights in Calgary, I continued on to San Francisco. The clouds cleared and the day brightened, yet I was unprepared to see other aircraft in the skies above Nevada. The first one shot behind us and I noticed it in the 4 o'clock position heading northwest. And although the next one was at 3 o'clock by the time we passed over its vapor trail, it had me looking out for more of them. It must have been a regular occurrence for no one else seemed to notice, but it sure got me excited.

Aircraft and vapor trail over Nevada passing too close for my comfort,
taken Oct 26, 2014 with an iPhone

We landed at San Franciscso Airport (SFO) where my author friend, Sarah Sundin, picked me up and then along with another friend, we headed out for the 2 hr drive to Monterey. I was there for the Books & Such Literary Management Retreat which was being hosted at the Monterey Plaza Hotel, right on the infamous Cannery Row.

Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa spanning Cannery Row, Monterey, CA, Oct 2014

As you can see in the above photo, the hotel spans both sides of Cannery Row and the rooms are cheaper here facing inland, but I didn't travel all that way to look at an urban setting, and had paid a bit more for a room with an ocean view, and am so glad I did because it was worth it!

My Monterey Plaza Hotel room facing Northeast, Oct 2014

The most incredible thing I found while in Monterey is that they leave their doors open all day and into the night, and their windows have no screens, and they don't have any flies! I was blessed to have a room 2 floors above the small hotel beach where the kayaks were kept and my roomie and I left the window open all night so we could hear the sound of the surf pounding the sand as well as the sea otters, sea lions, and bird. And not a single insect entered the room.

And this is where my room was located - so close to the bird population roosting on the old cannery, and where I was staring down at the surf and kayakers and not the plaza where all the people were sitting...

Monterey Plaza Hotel facing east, Oct 2014

Monterey Plaza Hotel w/my room marked

Sunrise, Monterey, CA, Oct 27, 2014

Monterey Plaza Hotel Coffee Shop's outdoor seating, Oct 28, 2014

Sunset, Monterey, CA, Oct 29, 2014

Sea Lions sunning on Coast Guard Pier, Monterey, CA

Surfer practicing near Kayak Launch with big wave coming

Sunrise as I packed for home, Oct 30, 2014

Sunset at Denver Airport, Oct 30, 2014

On takeoff somewhere over the Denver area.

Nelson was waiting for me in Regina where the temperature was just a few degrees above freezing. It was nice to be home, but I can't wait to visit Monterey once more.

Thanks for coming along on this virtual trip. Did any of these pics strike a chord with you?