Instead of taking my birthday day-off on Wednesday, I decided to take it this past Friday for the sake of a long weekend. Steve and I decided to go down to Monterey overnight -- we stayed at a holiday inn for free thanks to all the points I racked up through their priority club during my audit/travel job. It was right smack dab next to cannery row and the aquarium, so it was perfectly located.

Cannery Row was deserted when we got in on Friday, so after lunch at a diner (where I tried deep fried artichoke hearts with ranch dipping sauce -- delish) we wandered around. We hit up some free wine tastings (including one at the hotel, which we enjoyed over a crossword puzzle...ah, the good life) and later that night had a delicious lobster dinner on the wharf. It was advertised as Maine lobster, which gave us pause for a moment, until we realized that lobster is kept alive until cooked, so it would still be fresh. It's been quite some time since I've had a whole lobster and it was divine. I remembered the time that Mom, (her) Steve, Chad and I tackled some enormous lobsters Steve had brought home -- except they hadn't molted any time recently, so their shell was as thick as steel, and a slippery, aggravated wrestling match ensued in the heavy July heat -- we were all exhausted by the time we got through them!

Saturday a.m. we hit up the aquarium -- and not a moment too soon, when we had just about seen everything people were starting to pour in. They really did such a fabulous job with so many things, the otters and jelly fish especially were SO awesome. I also *loved* the open air aviary with all the sea birds, and the leopard sharks within it who were obsessed with the wave machine (they hung out by it and popped their heads up at it every now and then -- really cute). I can see why the aquarium is so reknowned, and all while maintaining the cannery facade. It's so rare to see an aquarium that isn't all angular glass and blue, so we were impressed.

One overnight was plenty, and on the way back up we detoured by the Santa Cruz boardwalk so I could see it -- a little less crowded it would be a LOT of fun. Seeing it was enough for me.

We stopped just outside of Santa Cruz in Davenport for a late lunch/early dinner -- and paid out the nose for it. It's a one horse town and the restaurant there charges $9 for a plain old burger!! But they had us pegged because we were starving, and the $11.95 Bacon Cheese Burger did come piled with bacon, cheese, and mushrooms -- and it was a big burger too.

See if we ever go back, though...

Yesterday was a lazy (and much warranted) day. This Wednesday is my birthday, and I'm having a fondue potluck -- I'm supplying the fondues and my guests will hopefully bring the dippers. Should be fun. Then Thursday marks Steve & my 1 year anniversary. Since we're living together, it seems like sooooo much longer than that -- a year hardly seems a big enough marker for all the ground we've covered. :)

Some jellyfish pictures to follow shortly. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend too, and thanks to all of you who've been shipping me birthday presents. I'm spoiled rotten and it's your fault!!