Cannery Row

Did you wonder why there is an overwhelming interest on the Bay in Monterey? Well, it’s because our spectacular coastline is highly accessible.

People who have been to Monterey seem to naturally gravitate to the Recreation Trail, a walking and cycling path that takes one from Fisherman’s Wharf all the way to Asilomar State Beach, where the bay meets the Pacific Ocean. If you walk, or prefer to rent a bike, you can start on the Recreation Trail by visiting the many shops and restaurants at Fisherman’s Wharf, then stroll or bike for a few blocks along the trail to Cannery Row and more shops and outdoor restaurants.

After Cannery Row, it is about a mile along the untamed coastline to get to Lovers Point Cove and take in the view of the entire bay. A small hamburger stand at the Cove makes for a picnic lunch by the sand. Photo-ops abound along the trail plus many tide pools. From the Wharf to the Cove, sea otters frolic and sometimes whales can be seen, but if going to the Cove is far enough for one day, the free Monterey Trolley stops every 45-minutes at the Cove for the trip back to Cannery Row. At Cannery Row you can take the Trolley and travel back to Old Downtown Monterey. If you don’t want to walk the trail, there are several places along the Recreation Trail that rent bicycles or pedal-surreys for up to four people. Also, there are many places to stop and eat a picnic lunch purchased from one of the fine vendors along the trail. Enjoy our coastline, it’s one of the best features of the Monterey Peninsula and it’s free!

It has been awhile since I’ve checked into the Monterey Bay Aquarium and they have new exhibits galore, and a new shark in the million-gallon tank. The aquarium is known for changing exhibits every few months but it has been a year since I’ve visited the Aquarium and it was refreshing to see what they had done with the exhibits. The Jellies exhibit has been updated and now includes the “Jellies Experience” where you can draw a jellyfish on a computer screen and put it into the virtual ocean, even email a copy to yourself. There is a new shark in the Open Sea aquarium that has been on exhibit since April. The Sandbar shark is over four feet long and weighs in at 43 pounds. There are new otters at the Otter Exhibit and of course they are all cuddly. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is always a trip to visit and if you haven’t been there for a year or more, now is the time to take another visit. The aquarium staff freshens up the exhibits regularly and takes every opportunity to put new critters on display. Make a day start with your complimentary breakfast at the Comfort Inn, visit the Aquarium, have dinner in Cannery Row or on Fisherman’s Wharf, and then end the day at poolside.

There is nothing like getting a free ride, no parking hassles and stress free sightseeing. So, make a day of it, start in Old Downtown Monterey, lunch in Cannery Row and catch the Pacific Grove trolley for a view of the ocean and the bay, taking the FREE Monterey trolley back from the aquarium into Downtown Old Monterey. Spend an innovative day visiting the places the locals visit.

Catch the free trolley-buses between the hours of 10 AM and 6 PM daily. Visitors can enjoy Monterey Peninsula and have a chance to see things that they might miss when driving or don’t know the area. This year, there are two trolley lines running that will take you all over the Peninsula. Park at the downtown parking lot and catch the main trolley line that runs from Downtown Old Monterey to Old Fisherman’s wharf, through Cannery Row and stops at the Monterey Bay Aquarium before returning to Monterey. Second, for those that want to see more of the Pacific Ocean and visit Old Pacific Grove and take a drive along the bay, there is the trolley-bus for Pacific Grove. Both trolley-busses intersect at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, making it convenient to transfer from one bus to the other. Remember, these trolleys are FREE and you can get on and get off the stops at your leisure.

http://www.monterey.org/Portals/1/parking/pdfs/trolley_map_color.pdf

http://www.monterey.org/en-us/departments/parking/thewavefreeshuttle.aspx

Feeling Blue or Jazzy? Take your pick, Blues Festival in June or jazz Festival in September at Monterey Fairgrounds, Monterey CA.

I always know summer is approaching as Monterey attracts the best Music events starting with the Monterey Rock N’ Rod Festival in May followed by Blues Festival in May. Monterey Rock N’ Rod Festival is more than a mere collaboration of classic rock ‘n roll and cherry cars. The 6th presentation of this festival is a premiere local event benefitting hundreds of car enthusiasts’ and local rock groups by giving them a venue to show off their art and compete for awards of artistic recognition. Each auto is an artwork lovingly crafted by its owner, while the musical accompaniment underscores the 50’s and 60’s character of the exhibition. The Monterey Rock N’ Rod festival is hosted at the Monterey Fairgrounds May 18-20th, where there is plenty of room for cars to mingle with local classic rock groups, together in one place for you to enjoy. This three-day event hosts plenty of food stalls, art and clothing booths, memorabilia stands and the like. Spend a day browsing the display of cherry cars while listening to classic rock music combined to create a perfectly retro holiday experience.
Also look out for the Spirit West Music festival and Jazz festival this summer!

It’s nice to be able to get away from pressures and demands and simply go on a road-trip whenever we can make a little time. Value is the byword today in travel, how do you get the biggest bang for your buck? At the Comfort Inn Monterey by the Sea, there are real cost-saving values. There’s the substantial discount for booking early, a free hot breakfast with waffles, eggs and sausages pastries and much more. a free fitness room if you feel like a workout, free parking and wireless internet, restaurant coupons at the front desk and a free second day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium if you buy tickets at the front desk. The free second day is available only at hotels, not at the Monterey Aquarium. There is enough savings here to satisfy any need for solid value, enough so that you might even think about making another trip later in the year and book it now to lock in the discount!

People seem to think whales migrate South in the winter, but the truth is that whales migrate all year long, different types migrating at different times and, don’t forget, that they have to do a trip back up to the North also, which happens in late spring and summer. So, any time is a good time to go whale watching from Monterey. To celebrate whale and its impact on Old Monterey, every third Saturday in January ( this year Jan 21, 2012), is devoted to the Monterey WhaleFest, a celebration of the whale and its migration. As such, it is also a celebration of Old Monterey, with entertainment, food stalls, art and music all coming together to make for one nice afternoon and evening. For me, this is a nice break from the daily drudgery of winter. Definitely a top 10 things to do in Monterey. Whale watching packages available: http://www.stayatmonterey.com/special-pkg/monterey-whale-watching-pkg.aspx

The nation’s largest protected marine sanctuary exists just off Monterey Bay. Explore the more than 276 miles of waters of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

The area once known as the center for California’s sardine canning is today a two-mile stretch of renovated factories turned into shops, restaurants and more.