Unsripted Monterey Bay




View from our balcony

The drive to Monterey was lovely but unappreciated, since we were weary and simply wanted to get to our destination for the night. The farms we passed on the way didn't seem water deprived but, as always, it was little shocking to see families working in the fields, bent and slow moving in the afternoon sun. I sometimes forget that the California strawberries and avocados are often (always?) hand picked, perhaps by the "undocumented workers" who put food on American tables.

Here we are, enjoying a drink in the lobby.

Our first family visit to California in 1994 included a stop at the (then) Monterey Beach Resort, the only hotel in Monterey directly on the beach. On most subsequent visits we have usually booked an oceanfront room, where the sound of the surf soothes the nerves and calms the soul. This old hotel was a Best Western for a number of years and only recently became Unscripted Monterey Bay.

Though the hotel is lovely and somewhat "faded", our room has been updated and the view is spectacular. Hotel employees are very friendly: our housekeeper even offered to take a picture of me yesterday when I was photographing flowers. In the evening, I searched in vain for the full moon but settled for a beautiful sunset, muted by clouds and the salt filled air.