Views from the Presidential Suite: Monterey, Carmel, 17 mile drive, Big Sur, The Pinnacles National Park

I was really looking forward to see this area south of San Francisco. We spent one week camping in the Salinas Valley and driving to the coast to see these famous landmarks. They didn't disappoint.

The Salinas Valley is called the Salad Bowl of the US. Miles and miles of the valley are cultivated with vegetables and strawberries. We saw all types of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and among many others, artichokes. The artichokes are the most fascinating. From the road they look like thistles with large pods in the center. The pods become the artichokes. If they are not harvested they blossom into purple flowers. The fields surround homes, buildings and climb up the slopes of the nearby mountains. The town we stayed in was primarily Mexican. I was told that they are the farm workers who work these huge farms. When we went into town all the stores and restaurants signs were first in Spanish, and then English.

About an hours drive into the mountains we visited Pinnacles National Park. It is the newest National Park in the US. We climbed through some Talis Caves formed by volcanic rocks.

When you drive to the coast you are in another world. The climate drops about 20 degrees. Often the rocky coast is covered in fog. The 17 mile drive which connects Monterey with Carmel has magnificent mansions owned by the millionaires that Bernie Sanders refers to. We are the other 90% staring and gawking at these homes. Us and them. Of course, the amazing gulf courses, including Pebble Beach are right along the ocean along with the mansions and beautiful cypress trees.

The drive from Carmel to Big Sur is built right into the ocean cliffs. It can unnerve you when you look down at the rocks, beaches and ocean below. Big Sur is not a town, but a place. There is not much there except for a lighthouse and a few stores.

Carmel is also quite impressive. I loved the gorgeous, but small bungalows. Each one is different and beautifully landscaped. The little town has some nice restaurants and expensive tourist shops. I think that I could easily live there for a while if I had the money.

While visiting Monterey we saw Fisherman's Wharf, made famous by John Steinbeck. The canneries are gone and in their place are more tourist shops. We stopped at Ghirahdelli's for ice cream and then visited the Monterey Aquarium which is built into the wharf along the water's edge.