The Monterey  Peninsula is in my opinion one of the most beautiful places in the country.  I made several trips there years ago when I lived in Southern California.  In 2010, my wife and I were fortunate enough to have been invited to stay at a friend’s cottage in Carmel at the end of December.  Since we were traveling with our dog we had to drive instead of fly.  Even though it was a long drive, it was well worth it.

Carmel-by-the-Sea is a quaint little town with numerous art galleries and shops.  There are many things to do other than poking around in town – exploring the beaches, wine tasting in Carmel Valley, hiking through Point Lobos State Park, checking out the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row in Monterey, eating at one of the many fine restaurants, just to name a few.

If you ever get a chance to go there, don’t pass it up.  I look forward to going back there sometime soon.

The flickr page with all of the pictures can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/captuslumen/sets/72157625607125025/

Some of the pictures are available for purchase:

http://captuslumen.exposuremanager.com/g/carmel_and_monterey#