Today is our fourth full day out in California. We spent the day exploring Monterey’s waterfront.
Morning
It was another early morning, at least by the west coast’s time zone. We woke up at 06:30 and spent the morning at the house. I made a few cappuccinos to go around, we partook of some bagels, and then began to formulate a plan for the day. We had planned to all use the Pinkerton’s aquarium passes, but Anna had left her ID in William’s truck, and thus wasn’t sure if we’d still be granted admission without it. Finally, we worked out a plan to use her passport instead, and started to make our way down to the waterfront, arriving just after the aquarium opened at 10:00.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Rather than paying for parking in Monterey, we parked down the road within the city limits of Pacific Grove, where street parking was free. We walked the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail back to the aquarium, enjoying beautiful ocean views along the way.
Arriving at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we passed through security and bag check, and began to explore the exhibits. The Aquarium is very unique; most of the building was an old sardine cannery, and building is right on the water, providing space for “live” exhibits. This area of Monterey is known as Cannery Row, of John Steinbeck fame. The street was formerly named Ocean View Avenue, but was renamed after Steinbeck’s book popularized the name paying homage to the sardine packing plants that once lined the street.
The aquarium’s exhibits were spectacular; enjoy a few photos I took.
A small section on the lower level of the Aquarium is dedicated to the old canneries.
We walked around until 12:30, when we started to get pretty hungry and decided to take a lunch break.
Sea harvest // Cannery Row
The Pinkerton’s packed their lunches, while Faith and I decided we’d walk somewhere for lunch. Most of the restaurants on Cannery Row were extremely expensive, so we opted to walk several blocks away from the busiest area in an effort to find a better deal.
That turned out to be a good decision; we soon arrived at Sea Harvest Fish Market & Restaurant, a fresh fish market offering a small lunch menu served on paper plates.
We ordered a seafood combo plate (with cod, shrimp, and calamari) and a grilled rockfish sandwich with fries, complete with tartar and cocktail sauce. The food was outstanding, and extremely fresh. I’d never tried rockfish before, but I thought it was delicious. Faith and Walker had never had calamari, and they both loved it! It was the perfect amount of food, and was very well-prepared.
Sea Harvest Fish Market & Grill
Monterey, CA
Fresh-from-the-boat seafood, excellent lunch specials, and an old-school atmosphere make this the “total package” for a seafood joint.
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Aquarium
We walked the Monterey Coastal Path back to the aquarium, gained reentry by scanning our invisible ink hand stand stamps with their UV light, rendezvoused with the Pinkertons, and resumed our tour of the museum. We started with a tank full of sardines, followed by some bioluminescent deep sea creatures.
We visited the kids splash zone, where you could touch all varieties of sea creatures, and finished at the penguins, a favorite of all the kids.
Leaving Cannery Row, we walked along the shoreline back to the car, loaded up, and headed back to the house.
Afternoon
I decided to make a coffee run for Anna, Faith, and me while the kids had their quiet time and naps. I headed to Captain + Stoker (named after the two positions on a tandem bicycle), a cafe just a short drive from their neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown.
Anna got a Japanese flash brew (iced coffee), Faith got an iced Americano, and I got a pour over of an excellent Costa Rican coffee. While Faith worked and read some, I took Walker on a stroll around the neighborhood, stopping at multiple parks to try out all the swings.
Captain + Stoker
Monterey, CA
Excellent coffee, pastries, and atmosphere. My only complaint is the shortage of seating.
* – Would definitely visit again
** – Exceptional, must visit if you’re in the area
*** – Worth making a special trip to eat there
Dinner
Soon, it was time for dinner, so we all made our way from the park back to the house. Anna had made a delicious California-style Mexican feast, complete with homemade Rosa tortillas (from a local tortilleria), chicken marinated at the local Sante Fe Mexican grocery, cheese, refried beans, red rice, chips, sour cream, and elote. It was incredibly delicious, and a real treat to finally have great Mexican food, unlike most of what you get on the east coast. We cleaned up from supper, and then decided to go on a bit of a spontaneous outing.
Asilomar Beach
At the suggestion of William and Anna, Faith and I got Walker in bed, and then headed to Asilomar State Beach to watch the sunset. We arrived just in time, as the sun was just about to dip below the horizon. The beach sits next to the iconic Links at Spanish Bay, and you could see much of the golf course from the public beach.
It was incredibly beautiful, and especially nice because we didn’t really get to enjoy any Pacific sunsets on our trip to Washington earlier this year except for one on our belated ferry ride.
The sun finally dipped beneath below the crest of the Pacific, but its glow persisted for much longer.
We stayed on the beach for a while, even though the stiff ocean breeze had us shivering. It didn’t help matters that I stepped in a tidal pool. But, in my defense, the water was so clear it was difficult to see in the twilight!
Finally, we decided to head back to the car, since our hands and foot were starting to get numb.
We drove along the shoreline back toward Pacific Grove, enjoying the last of the gloaming over the Pacific. We drove past Pacific Grove Golf Links and Point Pinos Lighthouse, and then began to see the light’s of Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf.
No Ice Cream
On our way home, we decided to make a quick pit stop in old town Monterey to pick up some ice cream from Revival, a well-regarded local establishment. Unfortunately, we weren’t the only people with that idea, as the line was out the door and down the street. So, we headed back to the house for the night, deciding to postpone our ice cream tasting.
Wrapping Up
Back at the house, we visited with the Pinkertons some more, and started to make plans for tomorrow and the rest of the week. Finally, we headed off to bed, ready for another fun day.
Video
Here’s a short video from today’s adventures.
The Best Things we Saw Today
Isaac
The best thing I saw today was… “the sunset at Asilomar Beach”.
The best thing I ate today was… “Mexi-Cali for dinner and the rockfish sandwich”.
Faith
The best thing I saw today was… “the sun setting over the Pacific”.
The best thing I ate today was… “calamari and Mexican for dinner”.
Conclusion
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Tomorrow, we’re taking a special boat tour!
– Isaac, Faith, and Walker
2 Responses
You take the best pictures!!! My favorite was the sunset too. Somehow I missed the first three days? Loved the picture of you and Faith. Thanks for taking me with you. 🥰
I enjoyed seeing the pictures taken at the aquarium-my great nephew would “LOVE” the aquarium. Bet your “big boy” enjoyed the aquarium also.
Always like to see what your meals include.😋😋😋
Thanks for sharing!