while our main destination of carmel, we included in our plans to enjoy the scenic journey along highway one, stopping along sight-seeing points (which there seemed to be a lot of stops, especially between carmel and big sur) and visiting a couple of state parks.
the rocky coastline, as seen above, was typical of northern california. it was breathtaking and i couldn't get enough of it. i think i spent most of my time taking photos of these coastal views.
one of the things i love about rocky shores is that during low tide you can explore the tidal pools that trap some interesting marine life. amongst some were tiny fish, snails, barnacles and as seen above from left to right… a sea anemone, a starfish and a hermit crab.
plant species were also abundant. and as it was doug's first time seeing some very large, red oak trees (left), it was my first time seeing poison oak (centre). not something anyone ever wants to collide with – they give a nasty, blistery rash, from what i understand (both leaf and stem). but i have to admit they are quite pretty just to look at. and of course, cypress trees were abundant along the coast (right).
rest of the flickr photo set found here – scenes from highway one.
.:shy:. 
great photos miss shy shy!