Vacation pics

[Fiziksgeek]

Hey Everyone. Recently took a weeks vacation in California and had the opportunity to visit both the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Steinhart Aquarium which is housed in the California Academy of Sciences. Here are some pics.

Monterey Bay Aquarium--Most of the aquarium is cold water/pacific coast stuff, and doesnt impress me much. The best tank was a large reef that looked to be about 12' x 4' x 4'. They also have a great jelly fish display. Their biggest tank is the kelp tank.

 

[Fiziksgeek]

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Steinhart Aquarium/Ca Academy of Sciences

Steinhart Aquarium/Ca Academy of Sciences

I really enjoyed this new aquarium. When you walk in, there are 2 "domes", one housing a planetarium, the other a rainforest, and each is literally above an aquarium! The planetarium is above the reef, the rain forest is above the coldwater/pacific tank. Here are pics of the planetarium/reef side. From the top, they have a shallow area with HUGE clams all over, mangraoves on the other side. I was a bit disappointed by the Georgia Aquarium reef tank, but this one looks to be coming along nicely...real corals only! Give it a few years and it might rival Atlantis Marine World!

 

[mtc1966]

great jelly and sea dragon pics. I can never get good pics of the jellyfish when i am at a aquarium.

 

[IDrawFish]

I actually just watched a documentary on the MBA, it focused a lot on the big kelp tank... that must've been something to see in person. Great looking pics.

 

[fishieness]

I loved the academy of the sciences. The tank was still kinda new when I went there though.

 

[rickcSMF]

Nice pics... It makes me miss home
I'f you're still there, I'd recommended taking a drive through pebble beach... sooo nice

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Thanks guys, we were out there for about 8 days. Flew in to SFO, rented a corvette convertible, drove down to San Simeon/Cambria area. Went to Hearst Castle. Unfortunately in late March there was a collapse of the road about 20 miles south of Monterey, so we drove up HWY 1 from Cambria to the collapse, then drove back down and across the Nacimiento-Fergusson road and up 101 to get to Carmel, spent a couple days there, then on to San Francisco for 3 days. Here are some pics of non-fish stuff.

Rental

Hearst Castle

 

[Fiziksgeek]

Along the Coast

Muir woods

 

[Fiziksgeek]

San Francisco and GGB from various locations:

 

[Pallobi]

i lived on the cali coast for 8 years until 2 years ago before moving back home, not far from the hearst castle... these pics jus made my day... thank you soooo much for sharing... i miss it sooo much

 

[mylifeismyown66]

Wow, I think I need to take a vacation to Cali now!

 

[epstein]

Gorgeous Pics thanks for sharing...... Guess I know where an upcoming trip is going to be.....