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Today it got up to 109 F (42.8 C) in Morgan Hill, and we knew it would already be hot by lunchtime, so my group carpooled over to the Monterey peninsula, where it was still sunny, but stayed in the 70s. We took the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, a very nice rail-to-trail conversion of a former Southern Pacific line, starting in Marina, and rode about 15 miles to the tip of the Monterey peninsula in Pacific Grove and back, for a nice outing of about 3 hours including a lunch stop. We also stopped for some wildlife viewing. There were Sea lions aplenty (apparently they come into the bay to breed this time of year) as well as birds. A great day and a good way to escape the heat wave which greeted us to start off September.
Our first view of the Bay and Monterey peninsula as the trail came over a hill in Marina.
The Beach in Seaside, right before we rode onto the peninsula. The waves here are fairly calm compared to beaches along the open ocean.
Passing by Monterey Bay Kayaks, where I’ve rented and taken lessons in the past. This is a great place to launch from. To the left are the canoes of Ke Kai O’Uhane Outrigger Canoe Club.
Our ride leader Kris looking at Fisherman’s wharf on the left.
Monterey State Historic Park has some interesting historic buildings around this plaza, and a nice museum with a beautifully restored first-order Fresnel lens formerly in service in a lighthouse.
The park at Lover’s Point in Pacific Grove
On the way back we went out on the Coast Guard Pier. Some huge Sea Lions were sunning on the rocks (and occasionally barking). The Spanish name Lobos Del Mar make more sense to me because these remind me of wolves a lot more than lions.
Pelicans and Cormorants sharing a rock
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