We did it! After 2 long years of Jess working on her beautiful van, Blu, it was time to go on our first adventure. Obviously, we've gone on other trips before this one but this was different. This was THE trip. The highly anticipated beginning of a new chapter in our lives. We had anxiously awaited this day for longer than we could remember, and it was finally here!

We left for Monterey after a regular day at work on a Friday afternoon with no plan except get to Monterey. Jess has travelled in a van before so she packed Blu with her brain fully on automatic (a mistake) then we hit the road! I'm told this trip was a "shakedown trip" ( a trial of sorts) so we could get a feel for what van travel would be like (and so Jess could make sure Blu didn't fall apart since she had no faith in her building capabilities). We had gone on a shopping spree to outfit Blu with everything we thought we needed, many of which was still in its packaging. We had watched a few youtube videos, so we were ready 😅

El Estero Lake

duck sleeping with bill tucked standing on one leg... how cute!

We initially hoped to get there in time to visit the aquarium, but we left a bit late. We would go on Saturday instead. As we came into Monterey, we saw El Estero Lake, so we decided to stretch our legs there. Since Jess loves birdwatching (even though she can only name three birds), we love to stop by lakes, nature preserves and parks when we see them. El Estero did not disappoint in this regard! It was absolutely stunning, and we spotted some red-winged blackbirds, great blue herons, and ducks, of course. We meandered around the lake following what we thought was the correct path, and before we knew it, we had wandered into a cemetery. Oops.

Usually I think of a cemetery as a creepy place where spirits lay in wait for souls to eat, but it was actually very peaceful. You could tell how loved everyone there had been, from the wholesome messages on the inscriptions to the upkept floral arrangements sitting by some of the graves. It was also incredible to read the birth and death dates of some of these people (the oldest we saw was born in 1823!). It made us wonder about what their lives must have been like to be born over two centuries ago. This was probably the most unexpected part of our trip, but it was definitely the most interesting.

17 Mile Drive

beautiful ocean view on the 17 mile drive

Afterwards as the sun was getting low in the sky, we were thinking of trying to find a beautiful place to watch the sunset. Enter: 17 Mile Drive. In some ways it definitely felt like an overhyped tourist trap. The ocean views were spectacular, and unlike other stretches of California coast, there was an obscene number of pullouts. Whether it was the day or time or great foresight on the part of the pull-out construction manager, it didn't feel crowded despite the sheer number of people we saw. Too many people some animal rights activists might say, as the squirrels were clearly VERY used to being fed by strangers.

At the Bird Rock pullout, we decided to sit a while and eat a snack while enjoying the view. As soon as we stepped out of the car, we were swarmed by squirrels. They knew we had food, and they were going to do whatever they could to get us to feed them. They tried looking cute. They tried rolling over and showing their bellies, like you would see a stray cat do. They even tried holding out their hands, like a Victorian street child begging for your scraps. We did not cave, like the good soldiers we are. The activists would be proud.

Dinner

We accidentally got lost on the last stretch of the 17 mile drive, so we did not get that nice coastal sunset we were looking for 😔, but it was time for dinner anyways, and we needed to find a flat spot to cook.

Dinner went...better than expected! It was my first time eating from a portable stove but chef Jess did not disappoint. She made a one pot meal of rice, veggies and impossible beef, sourced from the local Trader Joe's with the most unhappy Trader Joe's employees we have ever seen. Maybe we caught them on a bad day, maybe they are tired of tourists like us ruining their town. Food for thought (get it?). Either way we caught glimpses of the sunset through the curtain while we ate in the Fisherman's wharf parking lot. How romantic 💗

dinner! onions, peppers, carrots, and celery cooking in a pan

Sleep or lack thereof

After an absolutely wonderful day, it was time to find a spot to sleep, and discover the failures of a auto-pilot brain packing the car. Jess forgot the pillows. Not the biggest deal, as we had grabbed extra blankets, and we had extra jackets that could be used. Unfortunately, we would soon find out that no pillows were the least of our worries.

We'll spare you the details of the exact location we slept at because we aren't snitches, but needless to say, we picked very poorly. Jess has previously endured loud nights by the highway in a van with very little insulation, so even as a light sleeper, she was decently prepared for what the night would offer, especially because Blu was much better insulated. I, on the other hand, was not prepared. When we found a spot that was labeled "quiet" and "peaceful", I naively believed them. I thought, quiet = little noise, because that is literally the definition.

I was woefully unprepared for what sounded like a drag race on the neighboring street at 11 pm, and the commercial bus unloading a bunch of giggling, screaming, LOUD children at 3 am. Between the sound of the bus engine idling, and the children talking loud enough we could fully follow their conversation, we did not sleep for the 45 minutes they were parked next to us. Luckily, it quieted down after that, and we were able to catch a few more hours of sleep before it was time to get moving.

The BEST coffee shop - Captain + Stoker

jasmine tea with a absolutely DEVOURED blueberry muffin in the background

After a fitful night's sleep on mostly my part (Jess woke up chipper and ready to take on the day), we stopped by a cute little park to do breakfast, and on a whim, we decided to stop into a nearby coffee shop for a pick-me-up. It was recommended on iOverlander, as the owners were former RVLifers, and we are SO glad we went in.

I got their Jasmine tea, Jess got their ginger turmeric tea, and we got a gluten free blueberry muffin to share. Firstly, you could just tell they use high quality tea, which is more unusual than you would expect, even at independent coffee shops. Secondly, you couldn't even tell the muffin was gluten-free. The atmosphere was just *chef's kiss*. It felt like just what we needed.

If you're ever in the area, we highly recommend you pop in. Also, after reading the about us page on their website, they definitely seem like the type of business we should all be supporting.

The Main Attraction

uhhhh... so we didn't take a picture of the fish, so here is a plastic sculpture of a whale made of trash found in the ocean

Jess always wants to go to Monterey for the aquarium. She loves seeing the exhibits and learning from the various signs/feedings throughout the day. In all honesty, this trip was all about going to the aquarium. Our plan was: drive to Monterey, and go to the aquarium. All the rest could be figured out later. This was the whole reason we came, and yet, it was the most anticlimactic part of the whole trip.

This Saturday was exceptionally busy, and that made it difficult to really enjoy the experience. We tried to find some quiet spots, but after the Open Sea feeding at 11, we decided to call it after not even an hour and a half. We went to Jess's favorite spots, like the Kelp Forest and Deep Sea exhibits, but not much else. While it still had it's moments that felt like pure magic, we decided to come back another day when it's slower.

Last Thoughts

Jess placing a Monterey sticker on Blu's sticker wall

We headed back home after the aquarium. We had originally wanted to stay another night or even do a little road trip up to Santa Cruz, but we decided to call it. We got exactly what we needed out of the trip, and we wanted to dial in our kit a little more before we spent another night out (like remembering to bring pillows next time).

We have been dreaming of this trip for so long, and it finally became a reality. It felt absolutely surreal to remember when Blu was first purchased, when she just had tape labels on the floors instead of cabinets or anything else, and when she was made of dreams more than anything of substance. This trip meant so much more than words can describe because of everything it represented. This trip felt like the taste of the freedom we have both been craving, and now that we've had a taste, we know there is no going back.

More pics and vids here

Van Life

Spring 2026