12-8-13 - Sea Critters and Drugged Dogs

Morning broke clear and sunny today, with no lingering traces of rain. Tired of gorging on pizza and beer, Dave and I decided to get out of the hotel. Unfortunately, the city we're in is incredibly dog unfriendly. Jax the Dog has a bark like a foghorn, so we couldn't leave him unattended. We finally crafted a nefarious plot to drug him, using dramamine cleverly wrapped in pizza crust. He fell victim without a suspicious glance, and within 20 minutes he was snoring away on the bed.

We headed out to the Seymour Marine Discovery center, on the University of California Santa Cruz campus. We toured the small facility, which had some interesting local marine animal displays. One tank held a massive spiny lobster that looked like an alien invader with googly eyes. Another was a "petting tank" containing two beautiful swell sharks. They were roughly 3 feet long, light tan with mottled black markings, and piercing golden eyes. I lowered my hand into the 52 degree water and gingerly touched the sleeping female's back. Her skin felt like sandpaper, rough and cold.

We headed back to the hotel to check on the dog, who greeted us with sleepy, wobbly legged wiggles. Looking slightly cross eyed, he wandered back to the bed and slipped back into a deep sleep.

We left him to finish sleeping off the drugs and headed to Malabar, a semi-gourmet Indian food restaurant. We feasted on Lebanese naan bread, dosas, coconut roti, and a stunning chocolate strawberry mousse for dessert. Tomorrow, van repairs permitting, we finally get out of Santa Cruz!