Monterey California Photos
and Information
Monterey is a
city of romantic charms with sweeping bay views of sandy dunes, the
bluest ocean waters and gently rolling hills, lush with Monterey
pines, colorful flowers and sometimes even Monarch butterflies.
Voted: Best
Place to Golf , Best Aquarium, Place to see Seals
Monterey, California
holds many distinctions that include the world's favorite golf
location, one of the most significant bays for ecological studies,
top aquarium and one of California's oldest cities. But what strikes
visitors most is the beauty that exists around every bend. The
Monterey
Bay and neighboring Carmel, Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach can hold
a magical spell on those who pass by. Some who visit pack up and
move there, if even for just a brief time.
When visiting Monterey, there are
many types of travelers on vacation and business in this Central
Coast city. (We actually think of it as a Northern California
destination not far from San Francisco, but some consider it Central
California). The most prominent travelers are
family vacationers on
weekend getaways, or Southern and Northern California weekend
getaway travelers. What type of vacation you experience depends on
your family make-up and activities you choose.
Recreational activities
include bicycling, fishing, sailing, kayaking, whale watching, scuba
diving, hiking and racing. Laguna Seca Raceway hosts major racing
events which attract thousands to the outskirts of town. It's wise
to check with hotels before planning a trip to
Monterey
- they are booked to capacity during the major racing events.
There's so much to do and see, take lots of film for your camera to
capture your vacation, framed by azure skies, turquoise waters and
towering
Monterey pine trees
which reportedly thrive only in this region.
Monterey
Movie Tours is a motorcoach that takes you on a 3-hour narrative to
see sites of over 200 movies filmed locally such as Play Misty for
Me, Star Trek IV and many more. Call
Monterey
Bay Scenic Tours: 800-343-6437.
You're guaranteed to see seals here, too. Just follow your ears to
the
Monterey Bay where seals
can be heard barking away. Seal Beach in Southern California is
named for the seal and would love to see them return. But don't hold
your breath. You are much more likely to see them in
Monterey,
especially near the wharf. There were so many seals at one time,
that when the founder of California Missions arrived in
Monterey
Bay in the 1700's, Father Junipero Serra was overwhelmed to see a
black, solid mass of seals on the beach.
Monterey
Bay Aquarium
How did
Monterey
get it's name? When explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno arrived in 1602, he
named it in honor of the Count de Monte Rey, viceroy of Mexico. In
1770 Gaspar de Portolá established a presidio (military post) at the
site and Junipero Serra founded the Mission San Carlos Borroméo,
which was moved to Carmel in 1771. Four years later,
Monterey
was named the capital of Alta California under Spanish rule and
included lands stretching throughout California and the American
Southwest.
In a momentous event,
Commodore John Drake Sloat raised the American flag over the town's
presidio during the Mexican War in 1846. Three years later in 1849,
a constitutional convention met at Colton Hall to form a state.
California did become one in 1850.
Standing in testimony to
earlier times is
Monterey
State Historic Park, home to the First California Theatre (1844) and
The Old Customhouse (1827). Also of historic interest is Cannery
Row, made famous by Pulitzer-Prize winning author John Steinbeck in
the novel, Cannery Row. If you are not familiar with this author and
his works, read one of his novels before visiting. Steinbeck Museum
in Salinas is not far from
Monterey
and is well worth a few hours of your time. It contains colorful
exhibits, photos and even film clips from movies based on his
novels.
Steinbeck captured the flavor of an era in which
Monterey
became "the sardine capitol of the world." Half a century later, its
prime attractions and industries include tourism and education with
hotels, restaurants, shops and research institutions occupying
historic and renovated cannery buildings. The top left photo shows
remnants of a cannery and the picture above shows today's Cannery
Row with upscale hotels, shops and restaurants.
You can easily get to
Monterey
by flying into major airports in California including San Jose, San
Francisco, Los Angeles and Orange County Airport which offer
connector and prop jet flights into
Monterey
Airport. From the San Francisco bay area, it takes less than two
hours to drive by car to
Monterey.
A variety of accommodations and price ranges are available and make
the trip affordable for most budgets. From a scenic room overlooking
the bay or wharf to a solitary resort on a sand beach,
Monterey
is a fantastic place to begin a romance, rekindle that flame or take
the family for some fun. Food, hotels and activities for all sizes
and tastes are offered.
