Visit Monterey, CA
Aquarium Adventure & Breathtaking Coast - Exploring Monterey, California
by Celeste Lipford and Terry Lipford - last updated on 12/4/2024
We selected this city as the "next way point" for our coastal route drive north. This decision was based upon Monterey's beauty, it's beautiful bay, the fascinating history of the area, the extraordinary chardonnay and the proximity to other areas we wanted to explore (for example, see our Carmel By The Sea and 17 mile drive page).
We splurged and stayed directly on the waterfront in the Cannery Row area. This allowed us to walk to everything there was to see and do including the Monterey Aquarium, Old Fisherman's Wharf and a number of Restaurants,shopping and coffee shops, in addition to bike rentals, grocery stores, etc. If you can swing it, we highly recommend staying on or near the waterfront in that area to take in the views of the bay.
Fun and/or Interesting facts about Monterey
- In the Monterey American Viticultural Area over 50% of the grapes grown are chardonnay. Monterey also creates Riesling and Pinot noir in the northern areas, and Bordeaux varietals in the south.
- One of the secrets to Montereys wine growing success is the cold, deep waters in the bay that bring fog and moderate temperatures which provide a growing environment unique to the Monterey region.
- Monterey was home to famous authors; John Steinbeck and Robert Heinlien are two of the most popular.
- Debuting in 1958, the Monterey Jazz festival occurs on the third full weekend in September every year. 2020-21 marked the first time the festival did not occur (due to COVID) since the festival debuted breaking it’s continuous running streak. Some of the most famous jazz artists have performed there including Louie Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, and Billie Holiday.
- Many California firsts occurred in Monterey including the first publicly funded school, public library and printing press.
- Spanish merchant Sebastian Vizcaino was the first European to set foot on the Monterey Peninsula in 1602 and Monterey celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2002.
- On July 7, 1846 California was claimed for the United States after the Battle of Monterey was fought on this day during the Mexican-American War.
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Where to stay in Monterey
As of 9/11/2024 Google says there are 116 hotels in Monterey, CA of all sizes, types, prices and ratings. If you would prefer to do your own accommodations research, click here to view the Google Search Results list of all Monterey hotels.
Below is a list of top five most popular hotels in Monterey;
- Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa: Overlooking Monterey Bay, this luxurious waterfront hotel is a favorite among visitors. It features a European-style spa, rooftop hot tubs, and exquisite dining options.
- InterContinental The Clement Monterey: Situated in the heart of Cannery Row, this upscale hotel provides luxurious rooms with bay views, a waterfront restaurant, and a heated outdoor pool.
- Portola Hotel & Spa at Monterey Bay: Located near Fisherman's Wharf, the Portola Hotel is a blend of luxury and eco-conscious design. It features spacious rooms, a full-service spa, and an on-site brewery.
- The Sanctuary Beach Resort: Located in nearby Marina, just a short drive from Monterey, this beachfront resort offers secluded bungalows with private patios, and easy beach access.
- Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa: This resort-style hotel is located on 22 acres of land, offering a golf course, tennis courts, an outdoor pool, and a full-service spa.
We decided to stay at the Monterey Bay Inn which was directly on the water next to Cannery Row and close to the Old Fisherman’s Wharf. The room was large and extremely comfortable and included refrigerators. The views of the bays from the hotel were incredible from the hotel and ample secure parking provided onsite. The service was wonderful and friendly and they even offered a continental breakfast served to your room at your chosen time each morning. It was a nice touch and we looked forward to our breakfasts each day. Check them out if you are in the area.
More Info for the Monterey Bay Inn
Image Credits:
- All the above images (unless otherwise noted) are the property of Just Traveling Thru, LLC.
Where to eat in Monterey
Monterey is home to a diverse and vibrant food scene, offering fresh seafood, farm-to-table fare, and a variety of international cuisines. Here are five of the most popular restaurants in Monterey:
- The Sardine Factory: An iconic fine dining restaurant on Cannery Row, The Sardine Factory has been a local favorite for over 50 years. It’s renowned for its fresh seafood, extensive wine list, and elegant dining atmosphere.
- Montrio Bistro: Located in a former firehouse, Montrio Bistro offers a creative and contemporary menu featuring locally sourced ingredients. The dishes are inspired by American and European cuisine, with a focus on sustainable, seasonal ingredients.
- Passionfish: Located in nearby Pacific Grove, Passionfish is celebrated for its commitment to serving sustainable seafood. The restaurant’s menu changes frequently based on what’s fresh and available, offering dishes like seared scallops and roasted wild salmon.
- Paluca Trattoria: Located on Fisherman’s Wharf, Paluca Trattoria offers authentic Italian cuisine with a focus on fresh seafood. The restaurant offers stunning views of Monterey Bay, creating a picturesque dining experience.
- Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill: Located in downtown Monterey, this trendy brewpub offers craft beers brewed on-site alongside elevated pub fare. The menu includes everything from burgers and fries to creative dishes like duck fat fries and poke bowls.
There are approximately 250 to 300 restaurants in Monterey as of 10/21/2024, and if you would like to do your own research, here is a Google Search Results link for "restaurants in Monterey, CA".
When we told the hotel staff that we were looking for a good seafood dinner, they gave us a recommendation to have dinner at the Osteria Al Mare restaurant - which we did. The restaurant is right on the water a very short walk across San Carlos beach. There is a very large parking lot for that area, which is shared with the Coast Guard Pier.
I had the Fettuccine Al Pescatore - fettuccine clams, shrimp, mussels, calamari, spicy tomato sauce and everything was fresh and tasty. I started my dinner with their clam chowder which was as good as I have ever had elsewhere, ie; clams were fresh & plentiful, the soup was full of veggies and the broth was perfect. Celeste had the Il Salmone, and we both had chardonnay. We finished the meal by sharing several small cannolis, which were delicious. Did I mention the bread that came with our dinner was also just out of the oven and perfect for mopping up clam chowder or pescatore sauce!
More Info for the Osteria Al Mare Restaurant
Image Credits:
Cannery Row
Cannery Row in Monterey, California, has a rich history tied to the fishing and canning industries. Originally known as Ocean View Avenue, it was renamed Cannery Row in 1958 in honor of the famous novel by John Steinbeck, who immortalized the area’s unique character in his 1945 book "Cannery Row."
In the early 20th century, Monterey's sardine fishing industry boomed, and by the 1920s, Cannery Row was the center of a thriving sardine canning industry. Dozens of canneries lined the waterfront, employing thousands of workers and making Monterey the "Sardine Capital of the World." The canneries processed millions of pounds of sardines, which were shipped worldwide.
However, overfishing led to the collapse of the sardine population, and by the 1950s, the once-bustling industry had declined. The canneries closed, and the area fell into disrepair. Steinbeck's novel, set against this backdrop, captured the life and struggles of the workers and eccentric locals who lived there.
In the decades that followed, Cannery Row underwent revitalization, transforming into a popular tourist destination. Today, the historic cannery buildings house restaurants, shops, and attractions like the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium, which opened in 1984.
Our hotel was directly on Cannery Row which is the street directly next to the beach in Monterey. It was a short stroll from our hotel to the main area of Cannery Row, with a series of excellent views of the bay during the entire walk.
The Monterey Aquarium has a nice display with a few of the old machines used in canning and some educational information about what happened to the sardines. There are also signs located throughout the area that provide some information and history. Be sure to stop and take a look.
More Info for Cannery Row
Image Credits:
- All images (unless otherwise noted) are the property of Just Traveling Thru, LLC.
San Carlos Beach
San Carlos Beach in Monterey, California, is a fantastic destination for those seeking ocean adventures and natural beauty. Known for its excellent scuba diving and snorkeling, the beach offers easy access to dive sites like the Breakwater, where divers can explore vibrant kelp forests, rocky reefs, and encounter diverse marine life, including sea otters, seals, and colorful fish.
For non-divers, the beach provides great opportunities to observe marine wildlife from the shore, with frequent sightings of otters, seals, and seabirds. Families can enjoy the sandy beach, grassy picnic areas, and coastal walking trails, making it perfect for relaxation or a leisurely stroll.
San Carlos Beach was right next door to our hotel, so we would walk through it to get to the Osteria Al Mare Restaurant and the Old Fisherman's Wharf. It is a great area for people watching and looking for sealife in the bay. You should note that it can get pretty cool in Monterey in the evenings or when the wind blows so it’s a good idea to always bring a sweater.
Monterey Bay water temperature is brisk, reaching it's warmest levels in September but still at 58 degrees farenheit or lower. We saw a number of divers in boats or walking in from the beach, and they were always in wet suits.
Old Fisherman's Wharf
The city of Monterey took ownership of the wharf in 1913 and it was an active fish market in the 1960s. Fisherman’s Wharf was fun to visit on the evening that we arrived. It’s a typical pier with tourist shops and restaurants. We stopped into one of the shops and picked up a hat pin… we do this in every location we stay as the hat pins or lapel pins are what we collect as a memorial to our trips. It gives us a good reason to pop in and look around. Terry typically picks up the t-shirt to go with the destination.
The wharf was built by the Pacific Coast Steamship Company in 1870 for the loading and unloading of passengers and goods. The wharf was also used by other commercial operations, and the city of Monterey took ownership in 1913. The wharf was expanded through 1920.
Monterey Bay Sea Life
Monterey Bay, California, is home to a diverse array of marine life due to its unique location along the Pacific coast and the presence of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, one of the largest marine protected areas in the United States. The bay’s deep waters, underwater canyons, and rich upwelling of nutrients support a thriving ecosystem.
Marine Mammals
- Sea Otters: These playful mammals are often seen floating in kelp beds, using rocks to crack open shellfish. Monterey Bay is known for its healthy population of sea otters, which play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the kelp forest ecosystem.
- Seals and Sea Lions: Harbor seals and California sea lions are frequently spotted along the coast and on rocky shores, basking in the sun or playing in the waves.
- Whales: Monterey Bay is a prime spot for whale watching. Humpback whales, gray whales, and blue whales migrate through the area. Orcas (killer whales) and dolphins, including Risso’s and common dolphins, can also be seen.
- Over 30 species of marine mammals live in or pass through the bay.
Fish and Invertebrates
- Rockfish and Lingcod: Common in the bay’s rocky reefs, they provide shelter for other marine species.
- Jellyfish: Moon jellies and Pacific sea nettles are among the many species drifting in the waters.
- Crabs, Sea Stars, and Anemones: Tide pools along the coast are full of invertebrates like hermit crabs, purple sea urchins, and vibrant anemones.
- Monterey Bay is home to 345 species of fish, including bony fish and cartilaginous fish like sharks, skates, and rays.
Turtles
- Monterey Bay is home to four species of sea turtles, including the leatherback turtle. Just so it is clear, an ocean turtle is a reptile, not a mammal or a fish; they are classified as marine reptiles, meaning they live in the ocean but still need to breathe air like other reptiles do.
Sea Birds
- Monterey Bay is home to 94 species of seabirds, including the California brown pelican and the western snowy plover.
Monterey Bay hosts over 30 species of mammals including seals and otters, and even 100ft long blue whales. We saw seals and otters but didn’t get to see any whales even though they typically visit in summer and fall. The blue whale is the largest animal in the world. We will have to go again and stay until we see one!
Monterey Bay Aquarium
We’ve been to a few aquariums including the National Aquarium Baltimore Aquarium and the Oceanograpahic Museum in Monaco. Terry is a SCUBA diver and has even done a dive in the EPCOT aquarium (see footnote below) at Disney World one year. I guess you could say that aquariums are on our list of things we like to visit. The Monterey Bay aquarium was a highlight of our trip to Monterey. In fact, it made the top 10 list of aquariums in the United States by Travel and Leisure in 2021.
Monterey Bay Aquarium is a non-profit and relies on entry fees and donations so the tickets are not cheap but they do a fantastic job presenting the information and they do a lot of worthwhile marine research and participate in conservation efforts.
Reservations are required in addition to tickets to enter the aquarium (click here to make your reservations and get tickets).
The aquarium is directly on the water and there are patios that you can venture out on to view the bay in hopes of catching sight of some marine life. They have some very cool exhibits like the one in the middle picture above. Every so often the water comes blasting over the glass and it gives you an underwater view of what happens to marine life living underneath the strong waves. They also have a fascinating otter tank with training shows daily. I had no idea that otters could be trained like dolphins. One of our favorite areas was the jellyfish area. There were many tanks filled with various species. Images 4 & 6 were from the Aquarium Jellyfish Room and they are "brown stinging nettles" and image # 5 is a "purple-striped jelly". The displays in the jellyfish room are amazing, and the lighting in use there makes them look like psychedelic paintings!
Click here to view a live cam from the Jellyfish Room at the Monterey Aquarium.
NOTE: As a SCUBA diver, diving in the EPCOT aquarium may have been the most unique dive I ever took. It is a huge structure, 26 feet deep and 203 feet in diameter with 5.7 million gallons of water named "Caribbean Coral Reef Aquarium", one of the largest man-made ocean environments on the planet. It’s home to over 4,000 sea creatures from over 60 species.. But the most unusual thing about a dive there, is that there are 56 huge windows between you in the water and people inside the building looking at you! In fact, there is a restaurant ('Coral Reef Restaurant') where people are eating and pointing at the divers! The dive is named "DiveQuest" and it is currently unavailable during the Pandemic.
More Info for the Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Tickets: Here is the link to the Monterey Bay Aquarium tickets and entry times page.
- Restaurants: Here is a Google Map link displaying restaurants near the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Google Images Set
- Monterey Bay Aquarium Wikipedia Article
- Google Reviews for the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Image Credits:
- Image # 5 above is the property of Rhododendrites via Wikimedia Commons using the CC BY-SA 4.0 lixwnaw.
- All other images (unless otherwise noted) are the property of Just Traveling Thru, LLC.
Some Useful Links for Monterey
- Just Traveling Thru Travel Planning Tips
- History of Monterey on the Britannica Website
- Google search results list for "Accommodations in Monterey"
- Google search results list for "Restaurants in Monterey"
- Amazon Search Results list for "Books about Monterey"
- Visit our Youtube Channel
- Monterey Whale Watching Tour from "Get Your Guide"
- Google Search Results list for "shopping in monterey california"
- City of Monterey Website
- Our Image Gallery for Monterey
- Wikipedia Article for Monterey
- Google Image Gallery for Monterey
- Google Reviews for Monterey
Trip Itinerary & Overview Map
Click above Image to view larger Google MapAs you can see in this static map, we had a number of destinations (as well as a number of side trips) that would require a considerable amount of driving. Each of the itinerary stops is linked to our content (or page) to allow you to view our content.
Locations / Start & End points are both San Francisco International Airport
- San Francisco Hilton Financial District.
- Bonita Point Lighthouse and Fort Baker area.
- Sausalito, CA.
- Santa Rosa, CA in the heart of the Sonoma County Wine District.
- Salida, CA - overnight rest stop along the way to Yosemite.
- Yosemite National Park, CA where we stayed at the Rush Creek Lodge.
- Frontieres Underground Garden Fresno, CA - this was an entertainment side stop, as we had read about this place and also wanted to get lunch.
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Morro Bay, CA.
- Monterey Bay, CA to explore the Monterey Bay and Carmel by the Sea areas.
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Note: All images on this page are the property of Just Traveling Thru, LLC unless otherwise noted.
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