Pacific Coastal Highway, California

From San Francisco we headed south along coastal Highway 1 for a very scenic drive down the Californian coast.

John on the rocks around the town of Monterey.
We stayed the night here in Monterey.
Craggy coastline and Pacific ocean views from the highway around Big Sur.
John suggested we take a 'scenic detour' he found on a map. Unfortunately this nice view of a bridge on the main highway was the best we got. After that it took us an hour to drive 12 miles through a bumpy, winding forest track. We even had to get out and clear fallen tree branches off the road. Thanks John.
More scenic vistas and a robot.

Elephant seal colony at Point Piedras Blancas, just outside San Simeon where we bunked down for the night.
Sun setting on the seals.
Scroll past the next several photos if you don't think seals are cute!!






Whimbrel on the beach at Morro Bay.
Morro Rock, a volcanic peak jutting up from the ocean floor.
Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve.
John on the dunes.
Silliness on the deserted dunes.
We stopped for another night in pretty Santa Barbara.
Pelican at the wharf in Santa Barbara.
Pelicans roosting on the restaurant roof.
Spanish-Moorish style county courthouse in Santa Barbara.
Pretty bougainvillea-covered buildings in Santa Barbara.
The beach at Santa Barbara.

From Santa Barbara we continue on down the coast towards Los Angeles, where we will spend three nights before finally flying home to New Zealand!