Small Town Boy

This groom is proud to be a small town boy from Monterey, California. My parents settled the family there after a long migration from Vietnam—with stops in Japan; Binghampton, NY; and San Mateo, CA— before the lure of fishing drew my dad to California's first capitol. The fishing part didn't work out, but living near America's most picturesque coastline made perfect sense for a family originating from Nha Trang, home to Vietnam's most popular beachfront.




















Monterey is a place where you literally feel close to nature.


















And there's no shortage of ocean-formed jewelry.

















or signs of Sea Lions, hence the name of Point Lobos for this beach

























Besides ocean views, Monterey has plenty of historic buildings befitting its Spanish heritage. One such landmark is the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmel located just off Highway 1 in Carmel-by-the-Sea. When I gave Betty the tour of Carmel Mission (built in 1770), a tidal wave of nostalgia overwhelmed my future wife to the point she initially wanted to get married here. Of all the California missions, this was the personal favorite of Father Junipero Serra. When he wasn't trying to convert Native Americans into cheap labor (we learned that in 4th grade social studies), he oversaw the construction of one of the most charming places of worship I've ever seen. Maybe it's just my bias for Southwestern architecture.

































































Just a preview of Monterey. To be continued...