|
|
Whale Watching, Dining and a Great White in Monterey!Story by Sonia Laflamme. Photos by Naeem Randhawa
This shimmering seaside town was first discovered in 1542 by Rodriguez Cabrillo who named it La Bahia de los Pinos or Bay of Pines. In 1602, Sebastian Viscaino, a mariner and merchant exploring the western shore of California for the Viceroy of New Spain, the Conde de Monterey, discovered the harbor and named it in the viceroy’s honor. Spain controlled California until 1822 with Monterey as its capital, and then Mexico added California to its empire. After the war in 1846 between the United States and Mexico, Commodore Sloat, on landing in Monterey, claimed California for the Union. Chinese fishing families crossed the Pacific and settled at Point Ohlones or China Point and established Monterey's fishing industry in the 1850s. The fishing and canning industry inspired Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner John Steinbeck to write Cannery Row, and his novel inspired the city of Monterey to change Ocean View Avenue to Cannery Row. This street is now home to resorts, hotels, the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium and, at last count, almost 100 shops and restaurants.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium, rated as the nation's top aquarium (and number three among all family attractions in the U.S.) by Zagat Survey, is home to 550 different species. One of the stars of the aquarium is a young female white shark, inadvertently caught six months ago in a commercial halibut gillnet. She resides in the million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit along with tuna, barracudas, ocean sunfish, black sea turtles, stingrays, and other sharks. Another spectacular exhibit is the Jellies Living Art, which includes jellies never exhibited in North America, like graceful flower hat and blue jellies and numerous other colorless and colorful types of jellyfish. The commissioned innovative artwork designed to emphasize the elusive and dream-like drifting and swimming motions of the jellyfish, make it a must-see for anyone visiting the aquarium. You can even check out otters and penguins on the aquarium’s website via their live web cams.
Adventures by the Sea offers two- to three-hour guided kayak tours of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, home to a giant kelp forest. Giant kelp or Macrocystis grows along rocky coastal reefs. The kelp anchors itself to the reefs and can grow up to 100 feet or more in 1 to 2 years. A kelp forest supports an incredibly diverse community of marine life. We were fortunate to see two mother otters and their pups frolicking in the kelp. A seal also made an appearance right next to Naeem’s kayak!
Once an endangered species, there are now over 25,000 gray whales that migrate past Monterey’s coastline from December through May. In December they leave the warm lagoons of Baja, California where their calves are born and swim 12,000 miles to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea.
If you visit between May and Mid-December, you can see humpback whales and blue whales. They migrate from their winter calving and mating areas off Mexico to central California waters to feed on krill during summer and fall.
Four miles south of Monterey is Carmel Bay and the enchanted village of Carmel-by- the-Sea. This one-square-mile village nestled in a beautiful pine forest above a beautiful sandy white beach has retained its charm of the past— no high-rise buildings or McDonald’s can be found to spoil the quaint and picturesque European-style village.
In the early 1600s, Spanish settlers arrived at Carmel. They named the city for the Carmelite Friars who came with them on the journey. Since the 1900s, the artistic community has gravitated toward Carmel-by-the-Sea and beautiful art treasures wait to be discovered. The streets are lined with over 90 art studios, galleries, antique shops, trendy boutiques, and many fine dining restaurants.
We enjoyed lunch while listening to the background music of Edith Piaf. Inspired by the regional dishes of Italy, Southern France and Spain, Portabella Restaurant takes the best ingredients and offerings from all three Mediterranean countries and serves sensational meals with a dollop of sunshine and a full serving of exquisite delectable flavor. The restaurant is also famous for its mouthwatering Roasted Corn and Crab Bisque. I also tried Monterey Bay Sand Dabs, a moist fish with a sweet, nutlike flavor served with a lemon caper sauce. It was delicious! For dessert we split a heavenly delectable warm apple tart served with roasted almonds, ginger caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream.
Our visit ended in the Salinas Valley, 26 miles inland from Monterey. The drive to Salinas took us along beautiful green rolling pastures to Wild Things, home to over 100 wild and exotic animals that are trained to appear in movies, TV shows and commercials, private parties, and educational programs. Imagine having an elephant at your child’s birthday party!
Monterey and its surroundings offer many experiences to couples or families, it’s an easy sea-side resort town bustling with plenty to do, eat and see. Whether you want to get out and explore nature, or tour the aquarium, Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row, plan your trip by going online to the Monterey Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau’s website, or call them to coordinate your trip.
* Research by Denise J. Dubé
For more information: Potola Plaza Hotel Monterey Bay Aquarium Adventures by the Sea Montrio Bistro Monterey Bay Whale Watching Isabella's Italian Seafood PortaBella Wild Things
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
JustSayGO Travel Show
Between Los Angeles and San Francisco, tucked away in the Monterey Peninsula, is the seaside hideaway of Monterey. Its picturesque coastline and sandy beaches offer the visitor a natural playground, from kayaking with the seals and watching whales and porpoises passing through the bay to dining on fresh gourmet seafood and hiking.
Visitors soak in some of this rich history while enjoying a spectacular view of the bay and Fisherman's Wharf from the luxurious Portola Plaza Hotel. The downtown hotel’s proximity to nearby attractions along with its many amenities, including bay-view rooms, fitness center, full service day spa, pool and Jacuzzi, restaurants, art galleries, and kayak/bike rentals, make it a favorite stay for families visiting the city.
What better way to commune with nature than to rent a kayak from Adventures by the Sea. My husband, Naeem, and I headed out along with a resourceful guide into the open waters and spent a couple of hours listening to the sounds of the waves, watching otters frolic and play and hoping to glimpse a seal or two!
After a great day of fun we decided to unwind at downtown Monterey’s Montrio Bistro, Esquire magazine’s Restaurant of the Year for 1995. The restaurant’s unique décor and modern furnishings are set in a restored historic fire station, offering a great place to repose for dinner after a day visiting the city or on the water. I enjoyed the savory fettuccini seafood pasta with fresh Monterey Bay clams and mussels. Naeem went for a heartier fare and had the braised veal cheeks in a tangy smoked barbecue sauce with mustard-whipped potatoes and braised red cabbage. When it came time to pick a dessert, we couldn’t decide which fresh home made dessert to have. Luckily, chef Tony Baker had a solution: Small bites desserts! Each bite was a delight.
The next day we took the Monterey Bay Whale Watching company’s early morning breakfast tour and got to see a pod of gray whales and a variety of dolphins rushing along like torpedoes through the water. It’s both beautiful and inspiring to see these gentle giants of the sea up close, and kids and adults alike get a thrill from these close encounters.
After the cruise we had lunch at Isabella's Italian Seafood, an award-winning restaurant located on the historic Old Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. There are amazing views of the harbor from any table inside or out on the patio. Owner Tene Shake assured us that all the seafood on their menu is caught fresh daily, and that was apparent in the flavor and texture of our dishes. To whet our appetite, we started with their specialty— fried calamari served with garlic aioli and tartar sauce. Naeem, who likes spicy food, enjoyed the tilapia baked in a Caribbean jerk seasoning with fruit salsa. I savored the fresh halibut and Kauai prawns broiled and topped with fresh chopped tomatoes, basil and butter sauce.
A charming restaurant located in an historic Comstock–style building, Portabella Restaurant was awarded First Prize for Beautiful Flowerscaping from the Carmel Garden Club. We were warmly greeted by the owner, Hungarian born Csaba Ajan and his charming staff.
A guided tour with one of the trainers introduced us to Josef the lion who has performed in TV's Tarzan, The Lion King, Naked Gun 3, and George of the Jungle. We also met Kolar the photogenic tiger who has appeared in such publications as Big Cats Calendars, The Jungle Book CD ROM and National Geographic. There are also plenty of discoveries to be made. Have you ever seen a mara Patagonian cavy, kinkajou or coati? We had a wild time! For those who would like to experience the full effect of a safari, Wild Things offers overnight lodging accommodations in authentic African safari tents. You can brag that you’ve slept with the lions!
|
||||||||
|