Yesterday, Sunday, we took a drive down to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in Monterey, CA. The drive is around 120 miles and takes about 2 hours. The aquarium is very kid-oriented, which makes the scene a bit boisterous and loud, but the exhibits are quite remarkable. Its a terrible venue for taking pictures; dark, crowded and everything is behind glass. These obstacles aren't insurmountable, but you also have lots of occasional photographers taking flash pictures which will frequently blow out your frame.

I was particularly intrigued by the jellyfish exhibits, and the manner in which they were displayed. The creatures themselves, while no fun when encountered in the wild, are eerily beautiful and the aquarium uses stylized lighting and backdrops to further accentuate their unusual appearance. I've included a few of those photos here.

After the aquarium, we did the famous "17 Mile Drive" through Pebble Beach and stopped by Carmel. Nice place.