My Monterey Guide

Welcome to Monterey.

Four months ago, V, Briscoe and I moved to this town on the central California coast. Located 115 miles south of San Francisco and 350 miles north of Los Angeles, Monterey offers an excellent quality of life and unparalleled beauty, or so says the City of Monterey web site. For the next 18 months, we are here to find out.

Monterey served as the first capital of California from 1777 to 1849. After the Mexican-American war broke out, it was here that Commodore John Sloat raised the American flag claiming California for the United States in 1846. Here too was where the first constitution of the state was drafted.

The Custom House, where Sloat first raised the American flag in July 1846. This is the oldest building in California, and the state's Historic Building No. 1.

Monterey is also known for Cannery Row, an area made famous by the John Steinbeck novel of the same name. Commercialized fishing in Monterey Bay started as early as 1853 when Chinese immigrants began exporting fresh and dried fish to nearby San Francisco. In 1895, the first cannery was opened, packing salmon at first, then sardines, which was plentiful at the time. Canneries opened, one after the other, and by 1945, the canneries of Monterey was a $22 million industry.

But the booming industry suddenly declined, blamed largely on overfishing. With the fish gone, production plummeted. The last sardines were canned in 1964.

Today, Cannery Row has been revitalized to house restaurants and shops. Others would say it's a tourist trap. But those who look closely will find the vestiges of old Ocean View Ave. underneath the souvenier shops.


Ocean View Avenue, where most of the canneries were located, officially became known as Cannery Row in 1958, 13 years after Steinbeck's book was published.

There's more to explore in Monterey. Join us in getting to know this other city (okay, town) by the bay.

Amen to that Mr. Miller

Last weekend, V & I took our dog on her first camping trip to Big Sur. We are lucky enough to live within an hour's drive of what is arguably the most striking stretch of coastline in California, wedge between the Santa Lucia mountains and the Pacific. The rugged beauty of this area--its majestic Redwoods, dramatic cliffs, and thunderous surf--have inspired many over the years, including writers like Richard Brautigan, Jack Kerouac and Henry Miller. 

"It was here in Big Sur that I first learned to say 'Amen,'" Miller once wrote. "Here I will find peace. Here I shall find the strength to do the work I was made to do."

Big Sur demands several more visits, and we will be happy to oblige.  

Along Hwy 1. Bad picture but it's all I took. It was overcast that entire weekend. 

We stayed at the Big Sur Riverside Campgrounds and Cabin. Having originally booked a tent campsite, we switched to this cabin when we heard of the rain forecast that night and the next day. We didn't think it was worth the hassle of having to clean and dry out all out camping equipment for an overnight stay. 

The cabin came with a picnic table and firepit. If you're wondering about those concrete blocks in the back, they're there to keep mud out. The campground was getting ready to close for the winter season. Because of the fires in Big Sur this past summer, there apparently is threat of a kind of mud flood over the winter, when the rain starts. Since so many trees are now gone, nothing will hold the water and mud at bay. Thus the massive concrete blocks barricading the campground buildings from the river, which is close by. 

Not very pretty but the campground owners have learned from experience. Apparently, a similar situation happened a few decades ago, leaving their cabins with about 3 feet of mud inside. They wrapped the concrete blocks with plastic for additional waterproofing, I suppose.

This is the Big Sur River, which looks more like a stream now. It's about 50 feet directly in front of our cabin. This is where our dog had her first swim though I don't think she meant to jump in. Not photos of that, but the look of shock on her face was priceless. 

Big Sur is dotted with state parks and beaches, including Pfeiffer Beach. We squeezed in a visit to the beach before day light ran out.

Something kinda creepy in the sand.

V & Briscoe

Beautiful, even on a cloudy day

We spent the rest of the night around a fire, making smores with Nutella. I know now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I'm not a smores kinda girl. It was fun to try though.

Briscoe did not like the fire. Here she is staying as far away from it as she could.