We made excellent time heading up the coast. Hitting the road at 7:30am, we traveled the 370 miles to Carmel and were checked into our room by 1:00pm -- just in time to head over to Jack London's and catch the opening kickoff of the Dallas-Denver football game.

As we arrived in the room, we were again greeted by Leon, the seagull who preened for us last year.

After a sumptious Thanksgiving meal Thursday evening at a local restaurant called Casanova's, Friday morning dawned cloudy and threatening rain. I caught this striking view as the rising sun briefly broke through and illuminated a swath of Carmel.

As the rain settled in, we headed North to Monterey, by way of the 17-mile drive through Pebble Beach. This shot is of the famous Lone Cypress, shrouded in a light rain.

Another shot at the Lone Cypress.

More Lone Cypress.

Dana doing her best to stay dry at the Lone Cypress. She and I were both unsuccessful in this effort -- we were soaked!

Further along the 17-mile drive, at a location called "The Restless Sea," we got another visit from Leon.

Wind-swept, rainy surf.

Leon strikes a pose.

Leon's wings furled -- I liked the color balance on this shot better, even if Leon was just sitting there.

Water on the rocks -- always a good choice!

Back in Carmel, as the rainstorms began to clear.

Interesting contrast of passing rain with a strip of blue sky.

From this point on, these images are all actually larger than they are shown here...if you right-click and save these pictures, you'll actually have a 1024x769 image instead of a 600x450.

Friday's sunset was spectacular!

...in fact, so spectacular that I was compelled to take a series of pictures, most of which made the cut and are posted here. I've posted a group of thumbnails here, but each of the pictures at right is linked to a 1024x768 version of the same image...check them out, there's some amazing detail going on!

Saturday morning dawned clear and newly scrubbed as it only can after a rainstorm. We started the day with a wonderful breakfast at Carmel Highlands Inn. To use my grandmother's expression, they blew powdered sugar up our ass...truly exceptional service!

I've posted pictures before from this same vantage point -- the view *is* incredible.

Dana undergoing powdered sugar therapy.

From there, we headed back north about a mile to Point Lobos, a state reserve that is consistently breathtaking.

(From here on out, all the images are actually 1024x768, even they're displayed here at 600x450...right-click and save it locally for an extra-large view!)

You may roll your eyes at the fact that I've posted two shots of essentially the same crashing waves, but you're not seeing the three other shots that I didn't post.

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Looking south along the coast, with the hulking form of Point Sur visible in the distance.

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Crashing spray on weathered rocks.

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South-facing shots get the benefit of sun reflecting off the water and illuminating the mist and spray.

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Never the same two days in a row.

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No words.

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More reflected sunlight, with just a little bit of tasteful lens flare.

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Can you hear it?

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Rush and crash of surf on rocks.

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Inlet framed in brush.

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During most of this morning, Dana would be walking ahead while I stopped and took pictures of various scenes that caught my eye. It's for this reason that there are so many pictures of Dana in the distance with her back to me...

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I liked this pocket of birds on their own private outcropping.

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Another case of me dawdling with pictures, Dana ahead of me.

Southward-facing shots can tend to be overcome by the sun. This can often be used to dramatic advantage.

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I reassert the notion that one has to work to take bad pictures of this coastline.

Here we've moved on from Point Lobos and stopped at Bixby Bridge. I was looking for new vistas here, having gotten some outstanding pictures here last year.

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Fortunately, the Big Sur coastline was cooperative.

Bixby Bridge with weeds.

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I feel like I'm in a car commercial.

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Another shot southward from Bixby Bridge.

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This was taken from a turnoff about a quarter mile south of Bixby Bridge. Note the stripe of sedimentary rock that extends up from the rock sticking out into the water into the rocks just offshore.

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Bixby as seen from that same south turnoff.

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The view north from that same location. Again, sun glare makes for high drama.

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A little further south still, we stopped at a turnoff with a view of the beaches just noth of Point Sur, the dome of rock featured here.

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Of particular interest is the rock with the gap eroded in it.

I took a lot more pictures here than I am actually posting.

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Another view of Point Sur.

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This is the last one, I promise.

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Sunday morning: Dana got up early and captured some stunning images of a spectacular sunrise.

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Salmon sky as we packed up to head back home.

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