Journeys›Photograph

A Post-Christmas Day in Monterey and Santa Cruz

·Pacific Grove, California·#winter#travel#california#holiday#santa-cruz#monterey
A street decorated with festive Christmas lights and wreaths at night, with illuminated buildings and people walking.

We arrived the night before and walked around Fisherman's Wharf, which was still fully decorated for the holidays. Lights and wreaths were strung up over the market stalls, and it felt festive even a couple of days after Christmas.

The next morning, I woke up to a clear sunrise over the city. A layer of mist was settled over the distant hills and the bay, catching the golden light before it burned off.

We spent the daytime exploring Monterey on foot. We went back to the wharf to see the holiday decorations in the daylight, including some big inflatable figures and a tall Christmas tree. The best detail was the monument on Cannery Row, where all the statues had been given Santa hats. The whole waterfront was busy with people walking around in the sun.

Later in the afternoon, we ended up at the beach in Santa Cruz. The amusement park was colorful, with its castle-like facade and the gondolas moving overhead against the blue sky. It was a simple, pleasant day spent wandering around the coast.

Four people smile at night under red "SEASONS GREETINGS" lights, with a Christmas tree and Grinch character visible.A warm sunrise over a town nestled in misty hills, with white buildings and red-tiled roofs in the foreground.Sunrise over a coastal town with buildings, streets, flags, and a bay and misty hills in the distance.Christmas decorations, including a snowman, tree, and Grinch, with a "SEASONS GREETINGS" banner overlooking a marina.A decorated Christmas tree by a red and white fence, with an ocean, rock sculpture, and palm tree under a blue sky.Bronze statues of people wearing Santa hats are arranged on rocks by the ocean under a blue sky.Waterfront view showing people on a promenade, buildings, and choppy ocean water under a bright, cloudy sky.An amusement park with a medieval-style building, numerous rides, and colorful gondolas stretching across a blue sky above a beach.

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