It's been a long time since I've watched the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Sitting on a bench above the beach at Asilomar State Park on Saturday at 6:24 PM, it was a chilly sub-40 degree sunset, but no less beautiful than the mid-summer variety.

The walk to the beach included a brief interlude with a California four-point buck, who appeared generally amused by my fumbling and inability to get my iPhone ready and several of his doe harem. Asilomar is a beautiful state park and conference center with accommodations varied enough to fit almost any budget. It's close enough to Monterey and Carmel to have really good restaurants nearby. I can highly recommend "Max's Grill" in Pacific Grove. The food is excellent and the prices reasonable.