Monterey Peninsula Trip Wrap-Up

Day 3 dawned chilly and overcast. Not quite beach weather, and the beach had been on our itinerary that morning. We moved at a leisurely pace getting ready and finally left the hotel room at 11:00 with a new game plan.
Stop 1: Carmel Mission
Those of you who went to elementary school in California know all about the missions. This one was built in the late 1700s near the coast of Carmel. It is an architectural treat and even though our kids couldn't really conceive of something being 230 years old, it was a much older building than they had ever seen before. (The Mission asks for a donation--suggested $5 per , $1 per child.)
There was a wedding going on--I love being a wedding (we waited outside to ogle after the ceremony was over. Don't think that I plowed into the chapel with my noisy herd.) The flower s were darling, although one absolutely fell apart in a screaming tantrum halfway through the ceremony. Ah, children!
Once we had perused the gardens, the museum, and the chapel, (and visited the bathroom twice) we headed back to Monterey.
Stop #2: Fisherman's Wharf
This is a much like other Fisherman's Wharfs, with lots of touristy shops and cafes and restaurants serving fish and chips and clam chowder. There are also countless places offering whale watching, some even guarantee whale sightings. We decided to put off whale watching for another visit, especially since our warm clothes had all been worn by this point in the trip. I splurged calorie wise (not that I had eaten that righteously all weekend) and got a sourdough bowl of clam chowder at Old Fisherman's Grotto ($7 at the outside cafe). I highly recommend it--it was creamy, peppery, and not fishy tasting at all. I wanted to lick the bowl clean, but remembered how mortified my mother would be.The boys and Jared, not being seafood lovers, opted for bean burritos and a taco salad. Not quite traditional for Fisherman's Wharf, but it was just what they wanted, so who could complain? We also picked up some toffee cashews and almonds and some caramel corn here. YUM.
Stop #3 Dennis the Menace Park--again. It was definitely more crowded on Saturday and I was accosted by some ducks who thought I should share my caramel corn--other than that, it was just as fun as Friday. Nothing new to report.
Stop #4 Monterey Bay Aquarium--again. Why not, since we had purchased a membership? We revisited a few of our favorite exhibits in the early evening, when the crowds were starting to die down.
By the time we left the Aquarium, we decided to ditch our plans for another dinner in a restaurant. Jared dropped the kids and me back at our hotel and went over to Allegro Pizzaria and brought back yummy pizza. Meanwhile, I bathed everyone and got them ready for bed.
Sunday morning, we packed up, checked out, and attended an 12:00 Sacrament Meeting in Watsonville before heading home. We are already planning our next visit to the area. We loved it!