For Melody, there is only one reason to visit Monterey. That reason is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. So when we received an invitation for a wedding in Monterey from her high school friend, we figured it would be a nice addition to our aquarium visit. We departed for the 3 hour drive at the break of dawn on Saturday morning, which gave us time to drop off our car at the hotel and enter the aquarium right when it opened. The “jellies” and “tentacles” exhibits immediately captured our attention, filling up half of my camera’s memory card within the first hour. Outside, we spotted an otter sunning itself on the bay amidst kayakers, then returned indoors to watch the big tank feeding. At noon, we broke away to feed ourselves with steamed clams and fried seafood at Sea Harvest. With bellies full, we returned to the aquarium to gaze at the mesmerizing swirls of schooling sardines, and per our tradition, left with a souvenir mug. We returned to the hotel with just enough time to change before the seaside wedding at The Clement. While the ceremony was short and sweet, the lengthy cocktail hour kept us hungry until dinner, where my wife reminisced with her high school classmates at our table. We burned our calories away to West coast rap on the dance floor, only to gain it back when the groom announced the 10pm taco delivery. Begrudgingly, we awoke early again on Sunday to make the drive back for me to volunteer at the Paul Hom clinic. We had expected a TV crew to cover the event, but were disappointed at the last minute. Despite having our trip cut short, our day in Monterey gave us a much needed break from work.