Monterey, CA

On June 20th, Travis and I celebrated our 4th anniversary!  We decided to take a little mini-vacation to Monterey, which is about 2.5 hours away from us.  Travis was able to get a 4 day weekend, we packed up the baby and the dog, and headed out!  Let me just start by saying that going anywhere with a baby is a whole new adventure.  I'm so glad that we decided to stay semi-close to home, because it took us FOREVER to pack everything and actually leave the house to get on the road.  We eventually made it, and Natalie was pretty good on the drive down!  Take a look:

Travis decided that this vacation was really a "hocation" (hotel+vacation), since we were spending a lot of time in the hotel.  It was so nice, though!  We splurged a bit and got a room with a balcony and a view of the bay.  Here are a couple of pictures of Natalie on the king size bed.

{Who can resist a naked baby??}

We didn't drive anywhere the entire time we were there, and it was awesome!  I really enjoy walking around beautiful places.  Our first stop was the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  I have to say, for the steep price tag and all the hype about this being a fantastic aquarium, we weren't that impressed.  Don't get me wrong, we had fun!  It was a nice aquarium.  We just didn't find it to be the best aquarium we've ever been to.

{Walking to the aquarium.}

{Natalie's first look at the fish!}

{Sea Life}

{They had a baby area, and Natalie really enjoyed splashing in the water!}

{My favorite part of the aquarium was their extensive jellyfish section.}

{Teeny Tiny Baby Seahorses}

The next day we walked the other direction to the beach.  We made the mistake of taking Ranger with us on this walk...  He is not the best dog to have on a leash.  He loves to run and pull, and he barks at almost everything.  For example, for the middle picture below, I was crouched down to get the shot I wanted.  I was holding Ranger by his leash.  A little kid started walking toward Ranger, so he lunged in the direction of the kid... yanking me back... causing me to fall flat on my butt... in white capris... on a cold, wet, sandy beach.  :(  Yes, it left a bruise...  *sigh*

{Natalie's first time at the beach.}

After the beach, we dropped Ranger off at the hotel and continued to explore the area.

{Sleepy Baby}

{Boats}

{Family Shot! -passed out baby-}

{Sea Lions}

{Flowers in a garden that we found.}

{I really liked this tree!}

{Travis and a Statue}

{Fisherman's Wharf}

{Crystal clear water and sunbathing sea lions.}

The next morning, we got out and walked around a bit more before packing up and heading home.

{This girl melts my heart.}

{Me and a Tree}

We had a lovely vacation, and didn't want to leave.  Natalie had a rough time on the drive home, but we survived.  Even if you've had fun, it's always nice to get back to your own place, isn't it?