Probably
best known for its connection to Cannery Row, made famous by John Steinbeck’s
novel of the same name, Monterey is a delightful blend of funky, sublime, and
an ode to the working class. Funkiness
abounds on Cannery Row with its quaint, stuck-in-time business facades
simmering in a cannery atmosphere.
There’s no escaping it nor would anyone wish to. It’s just downright fun.
Of
course, there’s much more to Monterey than that one street with the cannery
influence and that is why we chose this area of Monterey, and more
specifically, Pacific Grove. We chose
Pacific Grove for its quiet and focus on nature,
which excelled excellently. As for this
small portion of Monterey, well...
Recently
while watching Obama’s new docuseries, Our Great
National Parks, we learned that the Monterey
Bay National Marine Sanctuary is the largest in the continental U.S. It’s a mind-blowing 6,094 square miles with
276 miles of shoreline. As a native
Californian, I was surprised I didn’t know about this great conservational feat
and was eager to see my beloved ocean again.
And soon!
Sand, Sea & Magic
While
we only had one day to walk along Ocean View Ave, which is exactly what the
street name implies, the walk was special.
I quickly felt one with the swiftly moving waves. Everything in, above, and around the ocean is
alive. In just a tad over one mile, we
saw otters and seals with their pups, dolphins, and a variety of sea-fowl. That moment is instilled in my brain
forever.
Note
Please
read about
Monterey’s history.
The Pride of the Central CA Coast: The Monterey Bay
Aquarium
What
more can I say that hasn’t been said millions of times before except,
“Wow!” We stood mesmerized, along with
others, directly in front of gigantic tanks filled with a variety of sea life. Some of the creatures I had never seen before,
even as a scuba diver. Different types
of sharks, octopuses, stingrays, anemones, and fish, like the large rockfish.
Please
see the Digital
Visitor Guide.
This
place is huge. There are two stories to
explore with closed tanks and open tanks for petting stingrays—a huge draw for
all ages. Even the outdoors is part of
the attraction. Guests can see dolphins,
otters, whales...just about anything that moves in and above the ocean.
There’s
even a café which
is advantageous since it takes hours to see everything. We stopped in and shared the best pastry of
our trip and hot beverages.
One
piece of advice to all visitors, please read your map thoroughly. There’s a massive amount of ground to cover
and such a wealth of life to discover and much to learn when you know where to
go.
Note
I
cobbled together a slideshow video to share our experience, but some pictures
just present the majesty we witnessed firsthand. Obviously, fish move quickly in their tanks
and I’m an amateur photographer.
Picturesque, Quiet, Deer Loving Pacific Grove
Famous
as the home of migrating Monarch Butterflies, Pacific Grove is like a small-town
bonded to the much larger city of Monterey.
It’s also like a sleepy cousin of
the larger city inhabited by intriguing small businesses, friendly people, and
roaming deer. Yep, deer roaming through
a city in California. I don’t see this
often, so it was a real treat for me.
Since
we had a mere three days in this dreamy location, we decided to relax, roam the
streets, and mingle. And we enjoyed
every minute. Our only misstep was our
choice of lodging. Please read
my review before booking.
Note
Please
read some
incredibly interesting history of this area.
Point Pinos Lighthouse & The Grill
Known
as the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the
West Coast, Point Pinos Lighthouse was worth the short walk from our motel for
a visit. Unfortunately, it is only open
on the weekend for a few hours, but we were able to peek into the grounds. It’s a lovely setting.
Plus,
it’s directly across the street from The
Grill at Point Pinos where we sat at a tastefully decorated table
and enjoyed one of the best apricot danish pastries I’ve ever had. It’s a lovely setting overlooking the public
golf course on one side and the ocean on the other.
Will We Return?
Absolutely! As a native Californian, I’ve always loved
the ocean and Monterey is a classic oceanside city. Still, I fell in love with Pacific Grove
within minutes of stepping out of our vehicle.
Of course, we will find different lodging but will revisit our new
favorite restaurants, especially The Grill at Point Pinos. I wish we had discovered it earlier.
More
by The Polite Traveler
Experience a London Pub in Pacific Grove, CA: The Monarch Pub &
Restaurant
Don’t Miss Aliotti’s
Victorian Corner Restaurant in Pacific Grove, CA
No Humdrum, All Yum
at The Red House Café
Pacific Grove, CA
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