Kayaking Elkhorn Slough

I made a new friend in Monterey. His name is Hemingway, and he belongs to my friend Angie. Hemingway is actually a cat, except I couldn't help but call him Hercules because at 26 pounds, how could you not? We only discovered he was 26 pounds because Hemingway had a bit of a medical emergency and we ended up hauling him over to the vet. Angie swore up and down that Hemingway could not possibly weigh more than 18 pounds, but the vet proved us wrong.

Wouldn't you say he somewhat resembles this guy?

More on my animal encounters in a second.

Our second day in Monterey was first spent exploring Fisherman's Wharf. It was an early morning, as neither Angie or I are capable of sleeping past seven. We explored the empty pier as fishermen readied their boats for a day at sea.

The beach was sprawling and empty, except for a seal here and there. Word of advice: while California has many a beautiful sandy beach, the water is frigid - enter with caution!

We decided to head over to a local Farmer's Market to gather foodstuff for a picnic later. If you have never had fresh California strawberries I urge you to do so. The variety shipped to your supermarket simply won't do. Go directly to the source and eat them fresh off the vine. You'll never taste anything so delicious in all your life.

Post market we devised our game plan for the day: Kayaking. There is no better way to enjoy a farm fresh picnic than while floating on the briny blue in a kayak. We headed off to Elkhorn Slough where we geared up and hit the water.

It didn't take but several short minutes before we were surrounded with wildlife. Playful sea otters, awkward seals, and bantering birds accompanied us on our journey.

We even encountered a canine who was enjoying the seal show.

When it came time for lunch, we sidled up next to each other and broke out the goodies.

Of course our journey into the slough was only half as difficult as the journey back.

My arms were burning both from the physical exhaustion and from the sweltering sun. We had fun regardless and relished every moment on the water.

As the sun was getting lower on the horizon we finally made our way back to shore. Back home Hemingway greeted us with purrs of delight and the seal show continued.

Side note -- wear sunscreen on your feet!!! As you can see from my experience, lack of sunscreen + bare feet = blistering pain.

Oh and please refrain from commenting on my stubby toes. I can't help that I was born with miniature digits.