There’s much more than meets the eye in California’s Cannery Row in Monterey. Famed author, John Steinbeck tried to capture its very essence in his infamous novel Cannery Row long before anyone knew of its magic and intense history. In the 1950’s – 1960’s the sardines that were once plentiful and kept the canneries in business closed due to over fishing. The long gone canneries were now turning into high-end restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops.
Monterey Bay Aquarium was built at the site of a defunct sardine cannery in 1984 and has been recognized for its architectural achievements. Along with its architecture, the aquarium has won numerous awards for its exhibition of marine ocean conservation efforts, and educational programs. The aquarium is home to playful sea otters, fast-swimming sharks, pulsating jellies and waddling penguins. The exhibits are world-class and the scenery is breathtaking with over 200 exhibits situated right on the ocean.
The City of Monterey has impressive coastal bike trails to make it easy to get around. When it’s necessary to travel on a busy street there are well marked bike lanes. I’m still getting use to riding my bike in traffic.
Our friend, Lorraine Silva, drove over from San Jose to visit us while we were here. It was so fun to see a familar face. We had a nice lunch at “A Taste of Montery Wine Bar & Bistro” with a great table next to the window where we could watch the sealife and catch up with Lorraine since we haven’t seen her for years.
We just topped off our diesel tank and now we are leaving Breakwater Cove Marina to head out into the ocean and sail towards San Simeon. This will be our first overnight passage with just the two of us. The winds look favorable so we’re hoping for an easy passage.
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