Carol writes: Our next “winter home” was in Moss Landing, a teeny town on the Salinas River north of Monterey along pristine Monterey Bay.
A check of the Weather Bug the day we arrived informed us that we would soon be in for a spell of rainy weather in this Mediterranean climate, so we figured it would be wise to get in any exploratory hikes on the outskirts of the campground as soon as we could. Off we went as soon as we had settled in… At the harbor we came across the Rachel Carson,
a research vessel for the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), a private oceanographic research center in Moss Landing. In her book “Silent Spring” Rachel Carson advocated for a global environmental movement as she alerted the world to the devastating impact of fertilizers and pesticides. The fact that MBARI’s newest research vessel was named in honor of Rachel Carson gave a clear indication where their policies lie. By means of remotely operated vehicles, MBARI has performed frequent dives deep into Monterey Canyon (11,800 feet deep), just offshore where they have often discovered new animal species.
A few days before the heavens opened up with some serious rain showers, we took two day trips into Monterey—the first to Fisherman’s Wharf, which turned out to be just an average tourist area comprised of restaurants and trinkety tourist shops. However, a stroll to the end of the wharf was worth it for a much needed cup of hot coffee to ward off the cold, damp drizzle that was starting.
For Al, the sight of the shallow pools beneath the piers of the wharf triggered memories of his days at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, where he received his Master’s Degree in oceanography. He recalled tramping around under this very pier with Professor Haderlie, who delighted in educating his students in the wonders of the tidal pools of Monterey Bay.
No visit to Monterey would be complete without a walk along Cannery Row, where local historians have worked hard to preserve what is left of the old sardine canning warehouses.
The street side of Cannery Row was quite ho-hum. We found it difficult to discern what was authentic from what was more modern structures or old cannery buildings that had been significantly altered in appearance, such as at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.
The backside of Cannery Row was far more evocative of the sardine warehouse days, even though some of the construction was clearly modern day.
Much of Cannery Row history has been inevitably intertwined with John Steinbeck, who memorialized the Cannery Row Depression-era lifestyle in his novel about Doc, Mack and the guys who lived on Cannery Row.
We reserved one of our few brilliantly sunny days for a hike along the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail in Pacific Grove.
During postgraduate school days, Al lived in Pacific Grove and frequently spent time at Asilomar Beach, a breathtaking stretch of rocky coastline edged with tidepool inlets.
How sparkling it was the day we visited! We snapped a pic of me on the rock-strewn beach
and were curious to compare it to the one we took 10 years ago.
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| 2008 photo on Asilomar Beach |
I’d like to think my style has improved…
Al, on the other hand, was stylin' in our rented Mustang convertible back in 2008!
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| Along Asilomar Beach in 2008 |
What struck us then, as it did this day, was the cleanliness and clarity of the water in the bay.
Monterey Bay has some of the cleanest ocean waters in the world thanks to the 1972 amendments to the Clean Water Act. The bay is an excellent example of what coastal conservation can accomplish. Clean water attracts thriving and abundant animal life, and we were delighted with what we found…
totally adorable harbor seals not doing much but laying around. After all, this was the pupping season, so the gals had an excuse…
Cormorants, who must spread their wings to dry since their feathers are not waterproof, were sunning themselves, perhaps amused at the kayakers who in turn found them amusing.
The section of the trail in the Perkins Park area has been recognized for its “magic carpet” of ice plant.
Ice plant from southern Africa was introduced to the Monterey region in the 1600s. This striking ground cover has been lauded by many for its beauty, but also cursed by biology purists as an invasive plant species. Showy purple spikes of Giant Pride of Madeira (native to Portugal’s Madeira Island),
along with giant ‘balls’ of Krantz aloe (to the right of the Monterey cypress tree),
further enhanced winter’s botanical show.
The 17-mile drive from Pacific Grove to Pebble Beach has been called one of the world’s most scenic drives. When we took this drive 10 years ago we remembered being a bit rushed, so we decided to repeat the experience, this time at a more leisurely pace. The beach area was lovely,
and the tee shots on this Scottish-style links course were insane!
The city of Carmel-by-the-Sea, with its naturally cozy beach and one-of-a-kind view of the 18th hole at Pebble Beach,
has long enjoyed a reputation as an upscale home for the famous and well-to-do. For two years, Clint Eastwood was the mayor of Carmel, and by all accounts he did a pretty good job.
Carmel is a city of multimillion-dollar homes, with many outstanding ones ringing the beach, including this design masterpiece by Frank Lloyd Wright,
who has skillfully blended this seven-decades-old home into its seaside environment. Other more modern architects on Scenic Road went for the more playful Carmel cottage look with a hobbit-like roof of wavy shingles…
The upscale backyard of the rich and famous created an irresistible photographic backdrop.
The noticeable care and restoration that had been done at Carmel Mission Basilica was an excellent indicator of the financial well-being of the residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Inside—
and out—
meticulous restoration had been completed at the mission since we had last visited 10 years ago.
At his own request, Saint Junipero Serra, who spent the last few years of his life at his much beloved Mission Carmel, was buried at the foot of the altar.
When the docent asked us if we would like a picture of the two of us in the garden, we jumped at the chance for a rare twosome.
We had a couple of hours of daylight left in the day, so we headed over to Point Lobos for a quick look at what we had heard was the “crown jewel” in the California state park system.
Indeed, the views along the shore hike were breathtaking… and, for me, enhanced by the periodic barking sounds of harbor seals in the pupping season. Another short hike through a grove of cypress trees provided a backdrop for personal pictures in the midst of nature at its best.
As a fitting conclusion to a very pleasurable day in Carmel-by-the-Sea, we finished up with dinner “at home” in Moss Landing at the fashionable and colorful Haute Enchilada.
On looking at the menu, we were surprised that this was not typical Tex-Mex fare of tacos and burritos; rather, we discovered a fancy gourmet menu with some cooking ingredients we had never tried before. And that turned out to be an ideal way to finish up our perfectly lovely day at Carmel-by-the-Sea.
In closing, it was during one of our walks along the shore in Monterey when we came across a touching memento of importance to the music world. We discovered a plaque commemorating the spot where John Denver’s plane plunged into Monterey Bay during a test flight in 2007. No doubt, for John Denver’s worldwide legion of fans, the words to “Windsong” seemed so achingly appropriate for this beautiful stretch of beach on the Monterey peninsula. And so, “Windsong” was the inspiration for my closing meme…
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