We left Monterey for day 2 on highway 1 along the west Californian coast. Soon after leaving, the road started to hug the coastline in what resembled the Great Ocean Road. The cliffs down to the sea were big and rugged with waves crashing in. Occasionally there would be a hole in the cliffside like London Bridge on G.O.R. The sun was shining and we stopped regularly to get out and take in the scenery. There was also interesting bridges to cross and even a tunnel that looked very fancy for a remote road along the coast.

About halfway we stopped in Julia Pfieffer Burns State Park and walked to McWay falls. This was a short stroll from the carpark under the highway to see the waterfall dropping straight onto the beach. It was a secluded cove with the waves crashing in. It was more impressive seeing the water fall onto the sand as it was low tide. Matilda was wearing her Junior Ranger badge so she was our personal guide for this short walk. She has been taking time reading all the information signs on the trip and has even turned her hand to photography. There have been times when she has wanted to stop and do some painting, but with no paint and limited time this has not been possible.

Just down the road Penny saw some whales off the coast. We pulled in and watched for a bit. They were a long way from shore so we couldn't see what type they were but great to stop and watch. Matilda pointed out some Sea Otters swimming in the kelp closer to shore. Just down the road a bit further we stopped for lunch at the Whale Watchers Cafe. It was a good feed and break.

Next stop was at the Elephant Seal Rookery. This beach is where they come to rest, have babies (pups) and enjoy the sun. As we got close we saw the coves with seals in them. There was a carpark with 2 beaches full of elephant seals. Mums, dads, babies and juveniles. They are massive. Males grow to 2.5 tonnes, females over 500kg and even the babies are big. They were grunting and snoring as they layed and took in the sun. Penny said there was one like me as you could see it's nose vibrate as it snored. I feel this is a bit unfair (even if it is true!! - P), but will move on! There were volunteers from the "friends of the Elephant Seals" there to answer questions and explain things. This was great and the kids found this very interesting.

We dropped past Hearst Castle on the way through to check out information for tours tomorrow, then onto San SImeon to check in and relax. The hotel had a spa which made Matilda's day, so after dropping the bags off we went down for a splash. The kids then relaxed in the room with mum and dad next door and Penny and I went to the next town to get some groceries. We found a cooked chook and some salad so took it back to the room and ate watching College Basketball and then hit the hay as we want to get an early start at Hearst Castle tomorrow.