We arrived at the Monterey Bay Aquarium as it opened, proceeding directly to the Outer Bay exhibit for the only yellowfin tuna feeding of the day. It was quite a show. Yellowfin are incredibly fast...and, of course, quite tasty. You may know them as Ahi.

The tuna did not have this massive million-gallon exhibit to themselves. I was most fascinated by an ocean sunfish that was easily the largest -- and slowest -- thing in the tank.

Lewis was most interested in the shark. "What would happen if I touched a shark, Daddy?"

It's not for nothing that Monterey Bay Aquarium enjoys a reputation as the best aquarium in the country. It featured many amazing exhibits, none more so than their jellyfish. Lewis was immediately captivated by them.

When I put together the itinerary for this trip, the Monterey Bay Aquarium was on the bubble until the very last minute. Yes, it had a great reputation and came highly recommended. The problem was that it was out of the way; we'd have to spend a full day and two nights in the area to make it work. Could any aquarium, no matter how good, be worth it? In a word, yes!

The blackfooted penquin exhibit was not overly impressive but Lewis didn't seem to notice. He'd been collecting toy penguins out of Happy Meals for the duration of our trip. This was his opportunity to watch the real ones in action.

This exhibit was closed for renovation in the fall of 2007. It is scheduled to re-open in spring 2008.

"There's a shark, Daddy! What would happen if I touched that shark?"

This large cylindrical tank was filled with anchovies. They all swam in unison, forming a giant column of flashing metallic fish in perpetual motion. The anchovy exhibit well illustrates that it's not just about what you display, it's about how you display it. Very cool.

The kelp lab features one of several touch tanks found throughout the aquarium. It took Lewis a little while to warm up to the whole idea of the touch tank.

The giant kelp forest, one of several multi-story exhibits at the aquarium, as seen from a second level walkway

My guidebook said that visitors should plan on a good three hours to really take in the entire aquarium. I seriously doubted Lewis would make it three hours.

After four hours we decided to break for lunch at Louis Linguini's on Cannery Row. Our topics of conversation over lunch? Sharks and jellyfish, of course!

Despite my initial skepticism over how long the aquarium would hold Lewis' interest, I had decided to play it safe when I parked. I put five hours worth of quarters into the meter. Time was running out as we finished lunch so I ran back and put another two and a half hours worth of quarters into the meter. Certainly seven and a half hours was more time than we would need....

My favorite touch tank was the bat ray tank. These creatures are smooth and rubbery like you would expect -- but also unexpectedly soft. They seemed to enjoy being touched. The Boy thought about touching the bat rays but, in the end, decided to watch The Mom and The Dad touch them instead.

The Boy finally relented to the touch tank concept when he spotted a dark red sea star. Being an aficionado of all things red, he realized that this demanded further investigation. Unfortunately for the sea star, this investigation took place above the surface of the water.

Unfortunately for The Boy, he was spotted conducting his investigation above the surface of the water. "Please leave the sea stars in the water," he was gently told. I wonder how often the volunteers have to repeat that phrase every day.

These bad boys look like they're straight from a science fiction film, don't they? They don't actually lumenesce. Rows of tiny cilia-like elements refract light as they beat in rhythmic waves. This is the mechanism by which the creature gets from place to place.

An entire wing of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is devoted to jellyfish. The exhibit, titled "Jellies: Living Art", features jellyfish from all over the world in every size, shape, and color. Many of the tanks are framed in keeping with the concept of the exhibit.

"What if I touched a jellyfish, Daddy?"

"It would depend on where you touched it, Lewis."

"What if I touched the top of it?"

"Probably nothing."

"What if I touched a tentacle?"

"It would sting you. It would hurt."

"What if I touched a tentacle that was broken off the jellyfish?"

"It would still sting you, even if it wasn't attached."

"I don't think so, Daddy."

"Yes, it would."

"No, Daddy. I don't think so."

We reached the seven and a half hour mark in front of this wall of jellies. The time on our parking meter had run out. We decided to be on our way, leaving a small part of the aquarium unexplored for next time.

If you are a photographer or a golf fan you are probably familiar with "The Lone Cypress" tree. Golf fans may not know it by name but photographers often do because the Pebble Beach Company, operators of the famous golf tournament, have trademarked the tree. This means that no one can take a photograph of the tree and use it for commercial purposes. Seriously.

Even if you desire a photograph for personal use it's still going to cost you because The Lone Cypress is located along the 17 Mile Drive, a private road that runs through Pebble Beach Resort. For a mere $9 the Pebble Beach Company will allow you to drive on their road and take in the sights: the Pacific coastline along the Monterey Peninsula; the many multi-million dollar estates located along the road; and, of course, the famous tree.

Understand that access to the tree is restricted; there are only a few viewpoints from which to see it. Anyone setting out to get a different take on The Lone Cypress had better hope for some unique weather conditions, the one circumstance that might differentiate your shot from the thousand others that are floating around on the internet. I knew all this before I handed over my $9. I just wanted to see the tree that has become somewhat of a photographic icon.

When I finally reached the tree, it was a little disappointing. I'd always pictured it as part of a rugged coastline, which it is. What I'd never pictured is that it is located in a neighborhood -- a very nice neighborhood -- but a neighborhood nonetheless. The tree remains standing not so much by the grace of God but by the force of three cables anchored in the rocks to keep it upright; and a rock wall surrounding its base.

My photograph is hardly unique but I am relatively pleased with it. The custom black and white conversion relies on the blue channel to separate the tree from its background and create a watercolor effect on the water and distant hills. At the same time, the tree and its perch retain a pleasing sharpness and clarity.

Previous stop: Yosemite National Park
Next stop: San Francisco, CA