About ten years (and a few months ago), I got married. It was a fairy princess affair, and yes, yes I did wear a gigantic bow on my bottom.
I'd wear it tomorrow if I could.
There were tiny bows on my wrists too.
When asked, I'd tell you it wasn't a big dress. I may have been delusional.
My new husband looked pretty good in a uniform.
And we celebrated the right way: lots of bubbly.
In ten years, I've learned a lot about marriage. I've learned to make a killer lasagna and a pretty tasty tortilla soup. I've developed a taste for wine, and I've learned how to best fold laundry (hence the developed taste in wine--a glass along with a good TV show goes a long way toward making laundry night one of my favorites).
We finally got around to celebrating last week and traveled to Carmel Valley, Monterey, and Pebble Beach. It was amazing. Simply beautiful. And, along the way, I had time to think.
One evening, we enjoyed dinner on the harbor in Monterey. You can't see them in the picture, but a couple was touring the harbor by rowboat. He was rowing, and if you paid careful attention, you'd see that she was bailing the boat. A rower and a bailer. One moved the vessel forward; the other simply kept it from sinking. It reminded me of marriage. In our relationship, we joke that we're in the weeds most days. Our kids are young; soccer games, swim lessons, and school obligations take up much of our days. Some days, I spend more time in the Swagger Wagon than I do on solid ground. Those days, I'm simply bailing--keeping us afloat for one more day. All the while, my husband is doing the work, keeping this family on a forward trajectory, making sure we have food, a roof, and a few cash dollars for fun. Other days, I'm the one rowing; he's dropping the kids off from school and getting supper started. And, while most days I'm the bailer, it's nice to know that the ship won't sink on my rowing days. It takes two to pilot this marriage vessel. And so far, we're doing a pretty darn good job.
We ate well. This was the Old Fisherman's Grotto on the wharf in Monterey. It claims to be the best seafood restaurant in the region, and I'm inclined to believe it. The shrimp was amazing, and oh my goodness, have you ever tried a fried artichoke? You should. The wine was delightful too:
A half bottle--cute and tasty!
We stayed at the Carmel Valley Ranch, self proclaimed as the world's largest playground.
From the furnishings….
To my little pal just off the balcony (which the deer wandered under each night to feed)….
…the resort was simply amazing.
Have you seen that old Chevy Chase movie, Funny Farm? Remember the scene where the couple was desperately trying to sell the house by creating the perfect picturesque scene calling, "Release the deer!" as they opened kennel doors in perfectly timed sequence? The resort was like that. The deer wandered about, and turkeys too--and always just as we were driving by.
Really, quite unbelievable for this Oklahoma girl.
Each night, the resort provided a trolley filled with marshmallows, graham crackers, and Hershey bars along side a roaring bonfire. What you did next was entirely up to you. (Spoiler alert: I gained about three pounds in five days.). The guests gathered with their dogs (it's pet friendly); children got along; and parents relished the silence that siblings chewing can bring. Our little darlings were home with the grandmas (hurray for grandmas!).
Each morning, more wildlife gathered. The Gators convened early in the day to take notes on what glorious trail they'd be running.
Bambi's Path was our trail. It led to the Bluff Sweets.
No really. The Bluff Sweets. I just love a good play on words.
Of course, I'm a child, so I found many, many signs that amused me on this trip:
These Californians are serious about conservation (except when watering the golf course). They have special flushers: up for pee and down for poo. Tee Hee.
And they're pretty cautious about the weather conditions too. "Bridge Ices Before Road." Not here. It gets "frosty." It was 95 when we were there; the only thing frosty was the iced tea served each afternoon at the resort.
And the champagne they gifted to us since were celebrating 10 years. We celebrated right at the wedding, and we did it up just right this time too. There's a Whole Foods just 15 minutes up the road with a well-stocked hot food bar. We ate like kings for half the price of a restaurant and got to enjoy the views while we were at it:
Our first day out, we visited the harbor sea lions. Just look at this guy. Talk about living the dream: warm sun, lots of fish, and hoards of adoring fans.
We also went whale watching. "Oh my gosh! It's a flipper! It's a flipper!" our on-board naturalist, Frank, couldn't control his excitement over this. It must be a big deal. He's been studying whales for 27 years.
You wouldn't believe how excited Frank got about this. It really was incredible. Four or five humpback whales fed for over an hour. Each time they surfaced, anchovies rose to the surface sparkling like a thousand silver dollars. It was something to see.
So was this. Dolphins raced our boat for about 15 minutes. They really played, skimming along so that they could make eye contact with the passengers.
Don't let the smile fool you; this was days after our whale watching adventure. You know what you need to whale watch? Dramamine. The big dose. Poor guy was sea sick for half of the three-our tour. A time-lapse video would reveal 31 passengers graciously racing from one side of the boat to the other in the hopes of getting the best picture of their lives. (They really were a polite, courteous bunch those whale watchers--very at peace with themselves and nature.) Meanwhile, one lone passenger sat stoic on a center bench, wishing death upon all those who dared to scuttle about and rock the ship.
Me? I was one of the 31 hoping for the picture of my life. I think I may have gotten it. Monterey Bay Whale Watch Center. Ask for Frank; you won't be disappointed.
We drove historic Highway 1 and the famous 17-mile drive along Pebble Beach.
Guess what we drove? Eeeeek!
Gah! How I've missed a convertible! The wind! The sunshine! That freedom!
This guy even enjoyed it; and he prefers climate control most of the time.
But with a view like this, who could complain?
We stopped on Huckleberry Hill.
And a few more points along the way.
It just doesn't get better than this.
(RJ saw this picture and said, "Damn!" I quickly turned and asked, "What did you say?!" He's quick on his feet, that one: "I said, 'Dam! Like a water dam!'"
Truly, truly an amazing ride. Sure, it's crowded with tourists, but clearly, there's room for everyone. The Grill at Pebble Beach serves food that matches its price tag--delightful, if expensive. It's a once in a lifetime experience that I hope to repeat again.
We spent quite a lot of time near the Monterey Harbor.
We ditched the jackets shortly thereafter. Really, there was a heatwave.
Jaws! They have Jaws in an aquarium in Monterey. Well, maybe not. But the aquarium is still pretty amazing once you get over the sticker shock. Set in an old sardine cannery, the aquarium boasts a unique collection of sea creatures and gigantic fish along with a real live sea turtle (who refused to show his face the whole time we were there). The otters are pretty cute too (so says naturalist Frank, who squealed like a school girl when we came across one in the harbor).
The setting for the aquarium? Yes, it's pretty amazing too.
We did the best we could with the self-timer feature on the camera.
We spent an awful lot of time walking the trails around the harbor.
It's charming.
And beautiful.
The landscaping is unique.
And at certain times, it doesn't even feel like you're in the same country.
We worked the self-timer.
And I fell a little bit in love with a tree. If that's wrong, I don't want to be right.
This rock was pretty nice too. I'm glad you can't see me trying to climb up there. It's a visual that no one needs.
The last day, we wandered the ranch just a few hours more. This is the view from the 11th tee.
Even I want to play golf here.
And this is the pat to the vineyard and the lavender fields.
Because, of course, the ranch grows its own lavender (complete with a complex bee eco-system) and makes its own wine. Try the spa lavender massage. You'll never think about lavender the same way again.
At night, the stars shone brightly, despite the ranch being just minutes away from real civilization.
Besides the scenery, my other most favorite thing about California? The cars. The cars! You should see the cars! There's a Tesla charging station at the ranch (because what ranch is complete without one?); and, our last morning, these beauties rolled in.
As they said hello to a new day at the ranch….
I took in my view…
…and we headed north to San Francisco once again.
This trip, we weren't rowing. We weren't bailing. We were, for once, simply sailing.
Ten years has been kind to us (as was the Ranch). Here's to 10 more!
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