This is the mountain range that runs into the Pacific. On the other side is broccoli, lettuce, artichokes, grapes, and strawberries as far as the eye can see.

The flowers in California are really neat. They're much nicer than the frumpy little things we have back home in Brooklyn.

I drove through 95 miles of rocky coastline. I wish I woulda caught a picture of the sign that said "winding road, next 74 miles."

The moutains sloping down into the Pacific were quite pretty.

I stopped at the "Henry Miller Memorial Library." This wierd guy in the middle of the woods had a crazy sculpture garden and bookstore. I could resist the computergeneratedjesus. And I bought a copy of Henry Miller's "The Air Conditioned Nightmare."

The Redwoods weren't logged much down here, but their bark contains tannin, which is used in the tanning process. Back home on the east coast, they used hemlock for tanning.

I went to the Big Sur state park and found the largest Redwood there. The base was 27 feet in diameter.

The weather wasn't great in the morning, but the sun broke through eventually.

Today I went down Route 1 to Big Sur and beyond. There's a reason they call it the most beautiful road in America.

There she is. The most famous Great White Shark in the world. She's the only one in captivity. She's just a baby now, but she'll grow to about 17'-20' feet and two tons. Last week she snapped two Soupfins in half.

These are smaller and they are back lit. Turn the lights off and you can't even see them. They drift invisibly. I like that idea.

Jellyfish are drifters, they just sorta...drift. These kinds will sting you pretty good too.

They were big on the jellyfish. Three whole jellyfish exhibits.

I got to see the Blackfooted Penguins being fed. They're cute, but they stink like fish. Check them out here. http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/efc_fo/fo_peng_cam.asp. Its better than television.

Today I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Its supposed to be the best in the world. But honestly, I liked Baltimore's better. They have a whole hallway of sea horses.

So then the boys and I went to play pool. Some idiot at the bar thought it would be funny to steal the 8 ball and the 10 ball off the table. The whole affair got taken outside, and we very nearly kicked his ass.

This is my buddy Joe. He's got the best job in the Union. He services the Saratoga Race Course. If there is a heaven, it looks exactly like Saratoga Race Course.

Yes, it was tacky...and right next to the working fish pier...but the fire pit and the bar were great. So was the view.

After walking the picket line, a bunch of these guys thought it would be fun to get dinner at this place called "Adventures by the Sea." Its like a theme restaraunt. They have tables, a fire pit, fake palm trees and a pool table.

I guess anyone who pays $45/night for a Travelodge is not just a scab, but a really stupid scab.

So if you go to Monterey, don't stay at Travelodge.

I'm not really in the hotel division at all, so as best I understand the situation, these Travelodge's are franchised...and this owner comes to negotiations, takes away all the health benefits, life insurance and pension and asks for a wage cut. As soon as the workers went on strike, he bought a multi-million dollar house on the pennisula.

So, I walked a picket line yesterday, with a bunch of people from the Union, friends of people from the Union and 13 workers who have been out on strike since August.

Heads I win, tails you lose

A real adobe house in Carmel

...and just like that, the sun is gone.

More lonely sea birds

The tide rises, the tide falls, the twilight darkens, the curlew calls;...The little waves, with their soft white hands, efface the footprints in the sands, and the tide rises, the tide falls.

Ever notice how sunsets make you want to throw your arms around your lover?

Allons voir un coucher de soleil

J'aime bien les couchers de soleil

I went to Carmel last night. It smells like money. But it has the best sunset ever.

Hmmmm...Union leaders

Mmmmm....Union boys

The Monterey Great White is the most infamous shark in the world.

The neatest thing about traveling is new and exciting flora.

More lonely birds.

A kayak

The wharf

What exactly are these crabs doing? I got $10 on the one on the left.

Monterey is of course famous for its canneries. A local just told me, no one liked Steinbeck when he wrote here. Now his face is on t-shirts.

A lonely Monterey seagull, waiting for the lunch time tourist rush.

Here's Alejandro. Nothing slips past him. Steal a quarter from the tip jar and he knows. I don't know how he knows, but he knows.

Here's Mike. He's the director of reserch and edumicashun.

Here's our boss, he's a VP of UNITE-HERE. He's taking us (his staff) to Monterey.

I object to the idea of more condos in New York City.

The Union, UNITE-HERE objects to the idea because 900 people will be laid off.

So Elad Property Group wants to turn the Plaza Hotel into condos.

But she's also quite lazy.

She loves a boat ride.