September 25th was our 16th wedding anniversary. We took a day trip to Carmel, which is south of Monterey, and drove along 17-Mile Drive, which is nestled between the two. Finally we took a drive to the coast on a sunny day! It was a gorgeous weekend with blue skies and warm breezes. I got a dozen red roses and Kevin got his wish to not be in any of the pictures.
One of the things we wanted to do was go to the Carmel Mission. There are 21 missions from San Diego to Sonoma. They were established in an attempt to convert the Native Americans to Christianity. Carmel Mission was established in 1770 and was the second of the missions. In 1880 the roof collapsed and the mission was restored in 1924. It became a parish in 1933 and still celebrates mass to this day. The grounds were beautiful and the chapel was open to visitors.
A section of the grounds was designated as a cemetary. It was very simple in design. The graves were each outlined by large shells and rocks. The man who renovated the mission to its present condition was buried there. His burial site was in a separate row of graves that had engraved headstones. The others that you see above, were only marked with wooden crosses.
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We headed back north by way of 17-Mile Drive. This loop of road is home to a number of Golf Courses, most notably Pebble Beach, tremendously expensive homes, cypress trees and beautiful vistas of the Pacific. Behind me is the waypoint called the "Restless Sea". It was mesmerizing to watch the water hit the rocks. A number of surfers rode the waves to shore just to the north of us.
The Lone Cypress is about 250 years old and the official trademark of Pebble Beach. It is one of the more popular stops along 17-Mile Drive. What a beautiful day for an anniversary celebration!
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