Once we arrived in Big Sur we didn't really have a particular destination, but Rachel was hoping taht we may be able to do a little bit of whale watching. I'm not sure if Rachel was thinking we'd actually see anything, but sure enough we actually did!
As you'll learn from the vlogs and blogs Rachel is much better at this travelling thing then I am, and does much more research and planning whilst I'm more of a go with the flow person (my excuse to do no planning) but whether Rachel knew this was a good whale spot or not we see a few whales off the coast which was amazing to see. I can honestly say I didn't know how much I'd enjoy seeing them until we did it, and this is a perfect example for me of how travel can really open you up to new experiences and interests. I've always loved animals and wildlife, so was great to see whales in the wild. Granted when you see a wild whale you're mostly seeing some fin and tail splashes, and we certainly didn't catch any Free Willy style jumps, but it was very cool regardless!

After our trip to Big Sur it was my turn to take over the driving and to my dread the take over point was whilst along a cliff. Fortunately within a couple of minutes I found how much I liked the wide US roads and automatic car, and our rental, which we named Chuck (as we wanted an American name you wouldn't get in the UK) was very good to us and was a dream to drive.

We arrived in Monterey, which up until this trip was only known to me as the place from which Monterey Jack cheese came from. Sure enough when we went to a Wallmart we got some of the local cheese (probably not produced locally but oh well) and we went on to our hotel.

We arrived at the hotel quite late and needed dinner, so as you'll see in the vlog we ended up at a Denny's Diner, and I know many of you will find it strange, but Denny's has become a favourite location for me to eat in the US. There wasn't tons in walking distance of our hotel and the nearest option was Denny's which I was excited about as I knew it from TV shows, and it was a big chain which I knew we didn't get in the UK. It may not be a top resturant, but with chains you know they'll all be basically the same and it'll be safe and familiar to go back to.
Whilst there I had some big burger and bacon cheddar tots and a peanut butter milkshake which I'd highly recommend if you're in the US and need some food late at night when not much is open.

The next day we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium which was loads of fun. I've been to lots of aquariums now and they're always a cool destination for spend a few hours. Fisherman's Wharf wasn't quite my cup of tea, not that it wasn't nice there, but was mainly little gift shops and places to get food. I was hoping for some more interactive things like amusement arcades or something, but this disappointment was just because I was expecting something else.

And so yeah - these are some bonus thoughts on our time in Monterey and the start of our Californian road trip. I'd love if you'd give the vlog a watch, like, share and all that. This world of blogging and vlogging is all new to me, and something I'm really starting to get into. But it's also something I know I have a lot to learn about too, and any thoughts, commments or feedback would be appreciated!

I will just end on the tiny plug to say please check out our facebook and youtube channels - just search Extreme Improv, as as well as the vlogs we have loads of content including comedy and improv stuff, podcasts on movies, gaming, pro wrestling and more. Until next week this is the Jet Lagged and Loving It blog, bye for now!

Jet Lagged and Loving It is here!

A brand new travel vlog accompanied by this brand new travel blog!