Monterey

How to Get There

Overview

Monterey is a historic seaside city of about 30,000 people on California's Central Coast, at the southern end of Monterey Bay, about 120 miles south of San Francisco. It is known for the Monterey Bay Aquarium, John Steinbeck's Cannery Row, and a rich marine environment of sea otters, sea lions, whales and kelp forests.

Visitors come to Monterey for the aquarium, the waterfront and Fisherman's Wharf, whale watching and diving, and the historic adobe buildings of the old capital. Monterey is also the gateway to 17-Mile Drive and Pebble Beach, to Carmel-by-the-Sea and to Big Sur, and it hosts the long-running Monterey Jazz Festival each September.

History

Spanish explorers Sebastian Vizcaino in 1602 and Gaspar de Portola in 1770 reached the bay, and Father Junipero Serra founded the Presidio and Mission San Carlos Borromeo here in 1770. Monterey became the capital of Alta California under Spain and then Mexico, and the Custom House, built in 1827, was where the U.S. flag was raised in 1846. California's first constitutional convention met at Colton Hall in 1849, and the sardine canneries made the city rich until the fishery collapsed in the 1950s.

Sightseeing and Popular Landmarks

Monterey State Historic Park includes the Custom House, Colton Hall, the Stevenson House and the Path of History walking tour, and Cannery Row has restaurants and shops in the former sardine canneries. The Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo (the Royal Presidio Chapel), Point Pinos Lighthouse and the 17-Mile Drive are other key sights.

Culture and Museums

The Monterey Bay Aquarium, opened in 1984, is one of the largest in the country and is known for its kelp forest, jellyfish and sea otter exhibits. The Monterey Museum of Art, the Maritime Museum of Monterey and the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas add to the offerings, while the Monterey Jazz Festival, held since 1958, is among the oldest jazz festivals in the world.

Parks

The Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail runs for about 18 miles along the shore, with views of the bay, and Lovers Point and Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove are popular for tide pools and sunsets. Jacks Peak County Park and Veterans Memorial Park provide hiking in the Monterey pine forest, and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is among the best places in the country to see marine life.

Seasons and Weather

Monterey has a cool, mild coastal climate, with highs in the low 60s to low 70s°F year-round. Summers are often foggy, especially in the mornings, fall is the sunniest and warmest season, and winter brings most of the 20 inches of rain. Whale watching is good all year, with gray whales from December to April and humpbacks in summer.

This article uses material from Wikipedia as well as information from official tourism and institutional sources. Key references include Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau, City of Monterey, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey State Historic Park, and National Weather Service Bay Area. Wikipedia material is from the article "Monterey, California", released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.