Jill's Journal: Wow, do I ever like Monterey. If it wasn’t so over-the-top expensive, it might even go on my “list” of possible future residences. Rob and I had both been here as kids and then we were once here together sometime in the 1990s, but those were all just quick trips to see the famous Aquarium and not much else. It’s only now that we’re taking the time to explore Monterey that it’s registering WHAT a lovely little city this is (everyone else seems to know that already, so apparently we’re late to the party!). And this doesn’t hurt: the weather here is simply spectacular, the most gorgeous sunshine and perfect temperatures we’ve seen since, oh, probably August on the other coast.
Today the girls and I walked a portion of the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, an 18-mile paved walking/biking path that hugs the shore. Much of it replaces the tracks where the Southern Pacific Railroad once ran. It’s an absolutely wonderful way to see Monterey. I have no snapshots of the trail itself, but here’s a sampling of some of the lovely sights that filled our eyes as we meandered along. It
would be rough to live here, wouldn’t it?
We slipped off the path a few times to visit the beach (Madelyn is so drawn to the water, more so than our other girls)…
…and to window shop on Old Fisherman’s Wharf. Much to the girls’ delight, we spotted a sea lion near the end of the pier and more gulls and water fowl than you could shake a stick at.
We also passed the Custom House, the first official government building in California. Monterey used to be the capital city of California when it was part of Spain and Mexico. This custom house, where ship cargo was assessed (Monterey was Alta California’s primary port of entry), was built in 1822 and was eventually used by the American government when California became part of the U.S. In fact, California’s first official American flag was raised at this spot in 1846 to claim the land for the U.S. It was named State Historic Landmark #1 in 1932.
Jill's Journal: Wow, do I ever like Monterey. If it wasn’t so over-the-top expensive, it might even go on my “list” of possible future residences. Rob and I had both been here as kids and then we were once here together sometime in the 1990s, but those were all just quick trips to see the famous Aquarium and not much else. It’s only now that we’re taking the time to explore Monterey that it’s registering WHAT a lovely little city this is (everyone else seems to know that already, so apparently we’re late to the party!). And this doesn’t hurt: the weather here is simply spectacular, the most gorgeous sunshine and perfect temperatures we’ve seen since, oh, probably August on the other coast. 
Today the girls and I walked a portion of the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, an 18-mile paved walking/biking path that hugs the shore. Much of it replaces the tracks where the Southern Pacific Railroad once ran. It’s an absolutely wonderful way to see Monterey. I have no snapshots of the trail itself, but here’s a sampling of some of the lovely sights that filled our eyes as we meandered along. It would be rough to live here, wouldn’t it? 
We slipped off the path a few times to visit the beach (Madelyn is so drawn to the water, more so than our other girls)…
…and to window shop on Old Fisherman’s Wharf. Much to the girls’ delight, we spotted a sea lion near the end of the pier and more gulls and water fowl than you could shake a stick at. 
We also passed the Custom House, the first official government building in California. Monterey used to be the capital city of California when it was part of Spain and Mexico. This custom house, where ship cargo was assessed (Monterey was Alta California’s primary port of entry), was built in 1822 and was eventually used by the American government when California became part of the U.S. In fact, California’s first official American flag was raised at this spot in 1846 to claim the land for the U.S. It was named State Historic Landmark #1 in 1932.
4 comments:
Make sure you have money in your
parking spot,they check all the
time,I paid and was not happy!
dad
Uh-oh, Dad! Sounds like some unpleasant memories. :(
I loved time in Monterey and nearby Carmel. They would both be on my list of favorite places to live. I remember gathering hermit crabs at the beach and leaving them in tap water in the sink in our hotel room while we went to basketball tournaments for the day. (Cloverdale took state that year.) Who knew a couple little crabs dying in your sink could cause a hotel room to stink in just a few hours.
Gary, I'm with you -- I absolutely love both Monterey and Carmel. LOVE them, although I'll take your word for it on the hermit crab stink. :) Your poor hotel cleaning lady!!
Post a Comment