Title: Point Lobos State Natural Reserve in Monterey, California

Preparation: Address: 62 California 1, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923 It is close to 17-Mile Drive in Monterey. Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is in Monterey, about a 100 miles away from Silicon Valley, the Bay area. Around 2 hours drive if the traffic is good. It could be more than 2.5 hours if traffic is very busy, or jammed. Prepare: 0. $10 /Car, Senior $9 1. Picnic food, snacks, drinking water; you can also bring fresh water for washing hands right after you or your kids play in the sea water. There are 3 restroom areas available and have sinks and water. There is no vending machines. It is a pure natural sea marine reserve place. 2. Towels, sandals, sun blocks if you plan go to the Gibson Beach that locates in the park. 3. There are 3 restrooms areas. One in the entrance, one in the middle and the 3rd one is near the entrance road of the bird island trail. There are a couple of picnic areas. 4. Parking spaces are limited. In the busy weekends, it might not be easy to find a parking space along the road. I suggest you look into the left side when you drive in, there is one sign showing the picnic, restroom, additional parking. Most probably you will find a space in that middle parking area. 5. Bring your Jacket. Evening time it might pretty cool.

Attractions and activities: 1. Sea life watching 2. Several miles trails for hiking 3. Bird Islands: a lot of birds on the rock mountains. Beautiful! There are trails around the island and you can watch it. 4. Gibson Beach: there is a small path way to go down to the beach when you gets near to the end of the Bird Island Trail.

Commute: 1. The entrance is quite small and you may need to wait in a line in busy days. Parking is not easy to find along the road but it's possible to find one in the Piney Woods middle parking area. 2. When you exit the park, be very careful to watch out the small exit sign. The first half way is a one way in and do not drive back there.