On a Mission

Continuing our sightseeing with my mother last weekend, we drove down to Monterey. We've been there several times before, but it really is an incredibly beautiful place. After hanging out on Cannery Row for a bit, we had lunch at one of the many beaches.

I could have stayed there all day. The sun is warm, and the breezes are pleasantly refreshing. True, the water is too cold to swim in, but the colors make a feast for the eyes. And with sea otters, comorants, brown pelicans, hermit crabs, etc., the wildlife is an endless source of delight.

But we didn't stay. We pushed on to see another of the CA missions, San Carlos de Borromeo de Carmelo. Carmel, actually named Carmel-by-the-sea, has a vibrant downtown and a great beach of its own, but we spent most of our afternoon at the mission. This one, one of the most attractive of the remaining missions, contains a minor basilica that is still a functioning Catholic church.

And a sizeable courtyard overflowing with brightly colored flowers.

I was glad we dropped by for awhile. But I still want to go back to the sea. Maybe Darling wife and I will have to hang out on the coast for a bit after we drop mother off at the airport in SF tomorrow morning.