March 5th, 2007

   With Nicole's tummy growing larger, and the clock ticking toward her due date, we set out on a 4-day escape up the winding, rugged California coast.

   Our destination was Big Sur, a relatively-unspoiled redwood forest wonderland hiding between the Pacific Range and the Blue Pacific.

   The drive was incredibly beautiful, and the weather cooperated as well. Knowing we could only enjoy her car for just a few more months, we relished every minute of top-down driving along the ocean cliffs...

-Rob and Nicole

Nicole contemplates the next corner, and Rob contemplates the g-forces... and the taco he ate an hour before.

Speaking of scenic lookouts, here's one at Plaskett Beach about 40 miles north of Hearst Castle.

At Pfeiffer State Beach, Rob is suddenly embarrassed to be wearing knickers, and steadies himself.

Rob captured this one of a jellyfish near the Outer Bay Exhibit area at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

There's a freshwater stream exhibit, where Nicole caught this turtle getting a little sunshine.

Rob took this shot of a California Sea Otter blowing it's nose.

Nicole took this picture of a Sea Otter resting on its back, outside.

Here's the pregnant girl getting a big, healthy, balanced meal for the baby.

And the poor husband only gets a little cup of barely-warm soup... sniff...sniff...

The sunset seascape in Carmel that evening, looking south-west.

The next night, Rob battled through a quarter-mile of poison oak bushes to get to this precarious spot, just in time to catch the sunset. (Got poison oak anyway, but it was worth it)

Another shot looking south-west along the coast near Bixby Creek.

We Visited Point Lobos State Preserve, and walked a bunch of the trails along the shoreline.

Here's another shot at Point Lobos.

On the way home, we stopped at Salmon Creek falls.

A bull elephant seal contemplating the busy day ahead. "Laying on the sand, swimming, laying on the sand, rolling over once..."

There's a "scenic lookout" every 1/2 mile or less.

The redwood forests of Big Sur are magical. Here's a magical hollowed out tree that made a good spot for us to hide from the cops while they looked for our car.

After steadying himself, he takes this panorama of a rock tunnel at Pfeiffer State Beach.

The next day we checked out the Monterey Bay Aquarium for a few hours.

Nicole grabbed this shot of an anemone cluster.

More jellyfish near the Outer Bay Exhibit.

We spent the afternoon in the little town of Carmel by the Sea. Here's Nicole outside the House of Sweets.

Inside the House of Sweets, Nicole orders dinner.

We bought our first piece of baby-clothing inside this store... it was a weird and fun experience.

Here's another shot from the same area looking north-west.

Hanging out at the beach in Carmel.

This shot is hardly modified. The reason the plants are so colorful is their translucent leaves in bloom picked up the abundant UV light after the sun had gone over the horizon. The long exposure made them look like "day glow" colors.

Another shot of the sunset just north of Bixby Bridge.

The waterfall at Julia Pfeiffer Park.

Julia Pfeiffer Park.

Just north of Morro Bay is an Elephant Seal beach, and Nicole got this bull seal just as he was applying sunscreen.

"Who stole my sunglasses!"