Erica & Paul in new homeland

Our stay in Monterey

We drove down to Monterey from San Jose for an overnight stay. It is our chance to take Noah to Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is the best aquarium I have ever been to, and have missed dearly since our move to Vancouver. We do have season pass to the Vancouver aquarium which Noah enjoys, but honestly, it is not the same calibre as the one in Monterey.

It was amazing to watch the awe in Noah's face as we walked through various exhibits, and we took a lot of pictures to try and capture those moments. All of us had a great time in the aquarium.

Then we checked in at the Intercontinental hotel, which is just a couple of minutes' walk from the Aquarium. The hotel room blew us away! It is a very spacious room, with modern furniture and decor. Paul is especially impressed by the plasma TV. Noah had a blast wandering around in the room, while Paul and I got to relax because the room is virtually childproof. It is the first time on our trip where we didn't have to shadow Noah's every move, which was a welcome relief. The hotel also has a private courtyard that backs into the ocean, and Noah got to watch the powerful waves up close. It was a magical experience.

In front of the fantastic Kelp Forest.


















Noah and I were in awe of the display.


















Close encounter with a shark.


















Look closely and you'll see a big fish behind the glass.











Noah loved all the knobs and buttons in the interactive area.

















Noah looked a little concern in the splash zone when water flooded above his head.
















Noah was very anxious to touch the ducks. Too bad they weren't part of the touch and feel display.
















Enjoying the sunshine in Monterey.












What a spectacular view.













Noah has mastered the art of placing objects into other objects.









The sea otters were very playful, or maybe they were fighting. Couldn't really tell.







Noah liked the shiny fish that just kept swimming in circles.










An artistic photo by Paul in the Jellyfish zone.


















Noah wanted to be a dophin and picked up some dorsal fins.










Our spacious and lovely hotel room in Monterey.










Doesn't it look like Paul is at a spa?




















Noah spent the whole night walking his new ducky back and forth in the hotel room.








Paul and Noah enjoying their respective beverages during breakfast in C restaurant.








Noah loved walking in the courtyard along the ocean.


















He even did some running! Note that the wooden duck goes everywhere Noah goes...



















Noah and I showing off our brand new Monterey jackets. We had to purchase them the day before because we weren't prepared for the chilly wind.















Taking a stroll after breakfast to work off the calories.


















Noah saw a flower and said 'bower'. His current favourite letter is 'B'.


















It was pleasant to hear the crashing waves.


















Noah running off to chase the big doggie. Paul and I had to jog to keep up!

posted by Erica @ 7:36 PM