The Magic of Monterey

Whales in Monterey Bay

Whale's Fluke - Monterey Bay

Beach in Monterey

Beach Access Near Bike Path

Monterey is a magical place filled with wonderful things to see and do.  The beaches are lovely, the history is fascinating, and the town has lots of good restaurants not to mention the seaside attractions of Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row with its world renowned Aquarium.  Monterey Bay is also a wonderful place to view marine life in their natural habitat, including whales and dolphins.  Monterey Bay is home to one of North America’s deepest and largest submarine canyons, larger than the Grand Canyon!  Off-shore currents that travel along the canyon walls create upwelling’s which send plankton and nutrient rich waters to the surface attracting many marine animals including seven different species of whales and seven different species of Dolphin & Porpoise.  When we crossed Monterey Bay from Santa Cruz we were intercepted by two large whales; we actually had to take the boat out of gear so as not to run over them!  With the boat in neutral, we watched in awe as the whales continued on their way.  Luckily I managed to snap a couple of pictures before they disappeared.  After our arrival in Monterey, we spent several days touring the historic sites and taking in the usual tourist stops.  In addition to Monterey’s early Spanish/Mexican history, colorful American stories also add to Monterey’s varied appeal.  John Steinbeck was a frequent visitor to Monterey and drew considerable inspiration from locals and area landmarks for his novels.  At 800 Ocean View Avenue (now 800 Cannery Row) stands the site of a biological supply house that was operated by Edward Ricketts, the inspiration for several characters in Steinbeck’s novels, Cannery Row (1945) and Sweet Thursday (1954).  Ocean View Avenue, now called Cannery Row, was indeed the site of several sardine canning factories, the last of which closed in 1973.  The first major cannery on Ocean View Avenue was the Pacific Fish Company begun in 1908.  Over the next decade fishing and canning technology improved which prepared Monterey for the huge spike in demand for canned sardines brought about by WWI and again in WWII.  Today, Cannery Row is filled with numerous shops and cafes drawing thousands of tourists every year.  We also enjoyed Fisherman’s Wharf, originally built by the Pacific Coast Steamship Company in 1870 for the loading and unloading of passengers and goods.  The City of Monterey took ownership in 1913, expanding the wharf over several years through 1920.  Fisherman’s Wharf is lined with seafood restaurants, fish sales, gift shops, and souvenir shops all within easy walking distance of the marina.  Not to be forgotten are the warm sandy beaches and Java seems to think playing at the beach is now part of the boating routine.

Leonard Shopping at Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf

Cannery Row

Cannery Row (Ocean View Avenue)