Do you ever have a day that starts out so good it’s almost too good to be true, & then something happens to make you realize it is, in fact, too good to be true? Today was like that.
Joseph & I decided to sleep in a little to take advantage of our one morning that we didn’t have anywhere to be early in the day. It was a misty, cloudy morning in Monterey, which meant there was no point in getting to the 17-mile-drive early to see the sunrise. Instead, we left our Airbnb around 8:30 & drove 20 minutes to the start of the drive.
The 17-mile-drive is a scenic drive that features forest views & the coastline in Pebble Beach, California. It was created in 1881 & was first traversed in horse & buggy.
I am always struck when I go to national parks & other places how interesting it is that someone found this land, claimed it, & said they wanted to share it with everyone, but then charged them to get in. But, nevertheless, I always hand over the money. I just cannot resist the chance to see any part of this beautiful world.
The trail wound through neighborhoods & trees before finally following along the restless coastline. The ocean was feisty the morning of our drive, splashing up against the rocks with such force that the resulting wind smacked our faces & blew back our hair & clothes as soon as we stepped out of the truck. A dense smoke hung low in the air, most likely from the wildfires raging not too far away, & all you could hear for miles was the sound of crashing waves.
Our next stop was the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the spots I was most looking forward to. I am happy to report it did not disappoint. The aquarium, which was located right on the edge of the bay, was filled with exhibits that stretched from the floor to the ceiling, brimming with colorful sea creatures & tall stalks of seaweed that swayed in invisible currents. The aquarium had done an excellent job of recreating the sea creatures’ natural environment. The exhibit rooms were dark, leaving an eery blue light from the water that drifted into the space. Standing in front of the enormous tanks, realizing how large the animals in the depths of the ocean actually are, was a truly humbling experience. We are so small in this world, & there is so much more to this life & creation than we are even aware.
As much as we enjoyed watching the fish swim around, Joseph & I also appreciated how friendly the staff was. As soon as we walked in, the woman who greeted us noticed our face masks (white & black that say bride & groom, respectively) & asked if we were on our honeymoon. When we confirmed that we are, she immediately announced that we needed celebration buttons & asked us which sea creature from a selection that we liked best. We chose the octopus & sea turtle, on which she wrote “Just Married” on the corresponding pins & drew little party hats on the animals. It was such a simple gesture, but being given those pins to wear as we walked around the aquarium made us feel like appreciated guests & customers. And she was not the only staff member who made our experience better. From the friendly man at the front door who gave us our instructions for the day, to the conversational cashier who asked us about our honeymoon & talked to us about her dream to visit the East Coast, to the worker who was hurrying in his work day but still stopped to congratulate us. As amazing as the aquarium was, the staff truly made it an unforgettable experience that I would recommend to anyone.
I could have happily spent the day watching the otters play & jellyfish drift, we had to leave to drive to San Francisco for our evening’s activities. We ate lunch at the truck & then drove to our Airbnb, where we dropped off our belongings before heading into the city.
With all of the wedding & honeymoon excitement, we had forgotten is was Labor Day weekend. San Francisco is normally packed with people already, but thanks to a Giants baseball game & the holiday weekend, it was easily double the normal amount of crowds. This meant parking was even more difficult than it usually is, & we easily spent 30 minutes just looking for a space. We finally found an open spot where someone had left a full drink cup sitting – I suppose no one wanted to touch it or knock it over. When we checked the price, we were dismayed to see that the hourly rate was no longer available. Instead, for special holiday parking, there was a flat rate of $50 no matter how long your stay was. Unwilling to look for parking again & running out of time, we forked over the money & rushed into the busy San Francisco streets.
We had reservations to tour Alcatraz, but before the sky grew too dark, I wanted to see the sea lions. At Pier 39, sea lions famously gather on the pier, much to the delight of onlookers at the nearby restaurant. We ran to the pier & spent a few minutes watching & laughing as the sea lions barked at one another & flopped around the deck before resting their heads on one to rest. Then, we ran back up the street to the boat ramp for Alcatraz.
The wait was a little long, but we passed the time chatting & people watching. When the time for boarding came, we excitedly found seats on the top of the ferry so we could watch the island grow closer.
Alcatraz, I learned, was not just the prison for infamous criminals, but also for pacifists who tried to avoid the draft Civil War. Because they were supposed to be in the military, they were tried & punished as military members in defiance of the United States government, which means the punishments were stricter & resulted in stints spent in Alcatraz. And after the prison closed, Native Americans attempted to claim the land because they were allowed to reside on any surplus land. To avoid this, the United States turned it into a national park, which it still remains to this day.
The Native American & imprisoned pacifists situation wasn’t the only one that struck an uncomfortable cord. Alcatraz was operating until the 1960s, when many social movements gained traction, one of them being the movement to reform inmates rather than give lifetime punishments for all crimes. This means that, until that time, many things happened in Alcatraz that social justice leaders today would be infuriated by.
It was a little creepy walking around the old cells where inmates spent years of their lives, shut off from the world & spending most of their time alone in spaces small enough to be a closet today. The chill from the outdoors seeped in through the walls, making me wonder just how cold it got for inmates on the island.
Because of COVID-19, the audio tour was given entirely on individual devices that we carried with us for the tour. The devices gave us directions on where to stand & turn, & the story was told by voice actors, creating an immersive experience.
At the end of the tour, Joseph & I returned our audio devices & looked at the clock. To our delight, we had finished the tour in just one hour & could catch the earlier ferry. By now, we had not eaten in eight hours & we were growing hungrier by the minute.
We raced down the 13 stories from the top of Alcatraz to the bottom of the hill it was situated on. By now, the line for the ferry had already grown long, & we stood nervously hoping there would be room for us on board. San Francisco is almost always misty & chilly, but on Alcatraz Island, it was even colder, windier & wetter.
The line began to move as boarding began, & we waited with bated breath as we inched closer to the boat. 100 people away…80 people away…50 people away…the line began slowing down…35 people away…people began holding up their fingers in the air to signal how many people were in their party, & the crewman slowly selected the lucky ones who got to board…25 people away…people were becoming more earnest now, pushing their way forward…20 people away…the crewman apologized & closed the gate. We were stuck on the island for another hour, waiting in line.
Our stomachs fell with disappointment as the boat sailed away. Hungry, tired & now cold, we sat on the concrete, stuck where we were until the boat returned for us. As the minutes ticked by, our moods soured. We were not dressed appropriately for a night on Alcatraz, & as we sat, shivering, my fingers slowing grew numb. We watched TikTok videos to pass the time, our empty stomachs setting our teeth on edge as we waited.
When the boat returned, we stood quickly, the crowd pressing in on all sides. Everyone wanted to get on the ferry as quickly as possible. To our dismay, we spent another 20 minutes in the cold, teeth chattering & body’s shaking, as the crewmen completed their necessary chores on the boat & gathered everyone from the island – this was the last ferry of the evening.
When we were finally allowed back on the boat, all the charm of the day had left our minds. All we could think about was how hungry, tired & cold we were. We called the restaurant we planned on eating at, & to our dismay discovered we needed vaccination cards to dine inside, not just there, but at every restaurant in San Francisco. I had my card with me, but Joseph, unfortunately, had left his card in his backpack, which was currently in our bedroom at the Airbnb.
When we got to the island, we rushed back to our car. The last bit of my positive attitude left as, in my hurry to get in the truck, I knocked over the sticky, sweet-smelling drink that had been left sitting in our parking space & spilled it over my new boots.
With short & tense language, we tried to find a new restaurant, but anyone who would take us was already closed because of the late hour. We finally resolved to order takeout from the restaurant we had originally planned on & take it back to our Airbnb, but when we called, we discovered takeout could only be ordered by visiting the restaurant in-person & sitting at the bar. Left without any options, Joseph drove me as close to the restaurant as he could, & then returned to our original parking space to await my phone call.
I sat at the bar quickly & told the bartender I was ready to order, but he insisted I wait & look at the menu. So I sat, annoyingly drumming my fingers until he returned, & I gave him the order I had memorized in the truck.
The restaurant was busy, so I was surprised & grateful when our food arrived just 15 minutes later. I called Joseph & rushed back outside. He picked me up from the curb, & while driving, I fed us both bread to slowly fill our stomachs & hopefully boost our morale.
We arrived back at our Airbnb & quickly changed into warm clothes. Joseph grabbed us some wine from our bags, & I set up a spot to eat in our room. We sat together, hoping to salvage the evening, but conversation failed us, other than the occasional dumfounded question: “What just happened?”
The food was rich & hit our empty stomachs wrong. Neither of us finished. We laid back in bed, knees pulled up to our stomachs in pain, feeling dejected & exhausted from the long day.
Here’s the funny thing about this whole story: Up until the last few hours, our day had been bliss. We started it with lovely views of the coast, & then had some of the best hours on our honeymoon yet wandering around the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Our Airbnb host was lovely. We got to pet her dogs, & she promised us a complimentary breakfast with homemade muffins for the following morning. We had the chance to see the cute sea lions in San Francisco. We did the Alcatraz tour, which wasn’t our favorite experience, but we would have regretted not going, wondering if we missed something. And here we were, in a cozy room with food from the restaurant we wanted to visit. We had let this one experience completely cloud our vision from everything else that we enjoyed today.
It’s difficult to center yourself when something goes wrong & remember how much good there is in the world. Today, I was reminded of the importance to not let one unfortunate event ruin an entire day, & certainly not to let one bad day, month, year, or however long it is (I’m thinking about you, COVID-19) convince me that it’s a bad life. There is so much in this world & in every day to be grateful for, even on the days I have to look a little harder to find it.
