Last week my fiancé’s law firm had it’s firm retreat in Monterey, California. I have dreamed of going my entire life (I’m a huge Steinbeck and Kerouac fan and clearly have the time) so I tagged along.
Day 1: Flew from SEA to SFO. We were supposed to change planes in SFO and take a small commuter flight down to Monterey but instead got off of the plane and rented a car in San Francisco. We had plans to head up there for one night at the end of the trip so decided the drive was worth it. Turns out it was. Wow, Cali, why do you have In and Out and we don’t? What’s that? To keep me from gaining a million pounds?
Anyway, the weather was nice but chilly when we arrived in Monterey. We stayed at the Monterey Plaza and it was amazing. We had a fantastic view and the rooms were clean, large and the service at the hotel was superb. After we arrived we weren’t sure what to do. Let’s be honest, I basically didn’t want to start drinking wine at 2:00 p.m., so we headed to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is (from what I have heard) one of the best on the West Coast. I’m always game to check out some animals so we walked the short walk from the hotel. (terrible pun….)
Apparently I was in quite a mood that day because not only did I physically restrain a crowd of people from getting off the plane before me (you know the rule, the rows before you get off before you, don’t be a dick) but I also managed to tell some idiot with a gigantic camera to stop using her flash on the octopus. I’m generally pretty calm about not following rules EXCEPT when it comes to animals and lines. Bitch please. And don’t give me that look when I tell you what everyone in the crowd has been whispering. Maybe I just miss the adversary part of lawyering? I digress, the aquarium was really amazing and I highly recommend it on any trip to Monterey.
That night we met LB’s co-workers for drinks and aps. We were both pretty tired so we headed back to the room early. I watched Breaking Dawn Part 2 on my iPad while LB snored. Pretty much my life.
Day 2: LB had to get up to attend his firm meeting so I decided to sleep in a bit. After showering and eating I headed out to explore. I only wore lulu capris and a rain jacket. What was I thinking? It was freezing! Didn’t detour me and I felt like I needed to get some exercise. I’m apparently too lazy to go to the gym so I went on a three mile walk. The coolest part? Harbor seals! They look like little sausages! OMG, so cute! That afternoon we headed back to the aquarium. Turns out LB’s firm had arranged for us to go on a behind the scenes tour that we didn’t know about the day before! It was informative but if I hadn’t been at the aquarium the day before I would have been bored. Too few animals.
That night we headed to dinner at the Fish Hopper with the entire firm. Because it was a large group we had a pre-set menu. We started off with an appetizer (either a crab wonton or spring roll.) I asked if the wonton was fried. It was so I ordered the spring roll. Turns out the spring roll was really more of an egg roll so it was fried also. Fail. We then had a salad and I ordered the steak. Too much sauce for my taste but a decent cut of meat. We headed back to the hotel, had a couple glasses of wine and then called it a night.
Day 3: LB once again got up early while I slept in. I ordered a bagel from room service and made coffee from the Keurig (cheap-o but I’m on a budget!) The weather was amazing so while LB was in meetings I decided to go shopping, have lunch and sit in the sun. I ate at Bubba Gumps. Um, NOT the healthiest choice but it was sure yummy. After LB got out of his meetings we drove up to San Francisco. Ahhh, SF, how I love you. I pretty much love everything about SF. Except the crackheads. Not a fan of crackheads. We went to walk around and I decided I needed new jeans so we went to the BEST jeans store ever…. Bloomingdales in Union Square! So. Many. Jeans. I ended up getting two pair but I wanted about five.
That night we headed to dinner at La Folie. We didn’t really know what we were getting into so I, of course, had a snack ahead of time. Well, four courses later that snack was a big mistake. Food coma. But, well worth it. I didn’t document what we ate but I wish I had.
Day 4: Got up and headed home. Flew Virgin, the best airline ever, and the flight was a breeze. I’m not a huge fan of flying so being entertained the entire flight helps.
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