Activities Galore

The cities of Monterey and Carmel-by-the-Sea are musts, each offering tremendous dining and shopping options and enough history to satisfy the most enthusiastic buffs. For those who want to get outside, like myself, the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Point Lobos State Reserve offer endless hours of pleasure.

Quick Tips:

Flying to the Peninsula is costly, and the two-hour drive down Highway One from San Francisco International is worth doing regardless of the airfare savings.

During my visit, I stumbled on a Farmers Market in downtown Monterey that apparantly occurs every Tuesday. The fresh fruits and vegetables looked delicious and street musicians provided entertainment. I found it a pleasant way to spend an evening and made a tasty meal out of foods from the variety of booths run by local restaurants.

Best Way To Get Around:

I stayed in Monterey and found the free bus from downtown to the aquarium to be most convenient. The Monterey Coastal Trail is a popular recreation path and, since it ran right past my hotel room, I found walking it a nice way to get around town. Of course, I rented a car for my drive to Monterey from the airport, and it was necessary to get to other places along the Peninsula like Carmel and Point Lobos.

While I didn''t have a room with a view, this is the only bay-side hotel in town. The Plaza Hotel is situated at the edge of the Bay and is a short walk to the west to Cannery Row and to the east to Fishermans Wharf and downtown. I was in town for a conference, and found the facilities impressive. The hotel bar, Schooners, has one of the best views in town with a deck looking out over the bay to the north. My room was nice (though I was ground level and the recreational bike path ran past my window) and the service was what you would expect. The location and views make this a place I would stay again.

A remarkably preserved mission built in 1771, the Basilica is an active church to this day. The grounds and original buildings were restored in the 1920's and the museum paints a well-balanced story of the lives of missionaries and their effect on local peoples. The rainbow of colors in the gardens surrounding the mission are spectacular and I used a couple of rolls of film trying to capture the vibrant purples, reds and oranges contrasted against the beige stucco of the mission walls. The mission is a peak into the past of the Monterey peninsula and an important part of it's history. If you are interested in cultural and historical sites, this is one to see during your visit to the area.

The conference I was attending had a golf outing planned for the afternoon, and I opted to head out for some alone time at the beautiful and quiet Point Lobos state park. The park is located only a few miles south of Carmel, but spend any time on the miles of trails and you will feel a million miles from the modern world.

I decided to pay the small entry fee to park inside the reserve, but the number of cars parked along the highway indicate that many people take advantage of the park's beauty for free. Being a visitor to the area, I didn't mind paying and like to support places of beauty, although, if I lived in the area I am sure I would spend a great deal of time here and would probably opt to park outside as well.

I parked at Whalers Cove and watched as a group of divers entered the water. Having the afternoon to myself, I decided to set out for a long hike and see as much of the area on foot as I could. I followed the North Shore Trail along dramatic coves with views across the bay and then connected with Sea Lion Point Trail. I could hear the sea lions long before I could see them and decided to sit and watch for a while in the aptly-named Sea Lion Cove. The park was relatively quiet since I was there on a week day, but the call of the sea lions attracted a fair number of people from around the park so I decided to look for a little more solitude.

I headed back to the north along Cypress Grove Trail with its groves of orange algae-covered cypress trees. A family of quail hunted along a fallen tree to the side of the trail, and lizards darted across my path. I could still hear the sea lions barking in the distance and watched as hordes of gulls and black cormorants circled an off-shore rock cluster. The sites and sounds of nature were awe-inspiring and I had the trail to myself as I continued on to Whalers Knoll Trail. Only occasionally did I pass someone else along the way, and the relaxed smile on their faces must have mirrored my own.

Eventually, I found myself at the historic Whalers Cabin, built by Chinese fishermen in the 1850's. It is now an interesting cultural museum with on-site staff and well worth spending a few minutes in.

For the better part of the afternoon, I had explored much of the north end of the park, but over half of the park remains for my next visit. Point Lobos is a national treasure and well worth a visit--but give yourself time to really absorb the remarkable quiet and panoramic views of this scenic paradise.

My dive master looked through my log book and, since it was just the two of us, suggested we head to one of his favorite dive spots in the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. The site, called Butterfly Point, is named for a Frank Lloyd Wright designed house with a butterfly-shaped roof that sits on a bluff overlooking the bay just north of Carmel River State Beach.

We geared up at the car and then walked down a steep trail to the kelp-covered beach. The hike was tough in full gear, but the dive wasn't about to get any easier just because we were getting in the water. We had to swim out to the kelp forest, which meant backstroking against some strong surge and then crawling over kelp to avoid getting entangled. By the time we finished the 100 yard swim I was tired and needed to catch my breath before starting the dive. I was almost ready to descend when my DM, who was facing me, got wide-eyed and pointed over my shoulder. Not sure what to expect, I turned to see a whale only yards away and swimming toward us. I quickly pulled on my mask and went under. It was a female California Gray whale and she was accompanied by her calf! They came within 15 feet of us as they passed and then they were gone. A crew on a dive boat outside of the kelp started shouting and cheering for us and I joked that we could head back to shore since that was about as cool as it could get and there was no reason to actually dive.

We did dive, of course, and the kelp forest was magical. The water in the bay is cold, 55 degrees below the thermocline, but the unique life in this, the largest kelp beds in the country, made this a fascinating dive experience. The visibility was lower than that in tropical waters due to the nutrients and plankton in the water, which leads to the remarkable biodiversity in the area. Starfish of all shapes and colors, including a huge Sea Star, and abalone were abundant. My first cold-water ocean dive was probably the hardest I have had to work to get to a dive site. The whale alone was worth the effort, but the kelp beds and the amazing diversity of underwater life in our largest national environmental sanctuary made for a dive experience to remember.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a natures lover's 'must see', and I found a sea kayak to be a relaxing, quiet and effective method of transportation. As the second largest protected marine area in the world, over 25 rare and endangered species make the bay their home.

The rental shop recommended a morning tour of the bay since the winds tend to pick up in the afternoon and can make paddling a challenge when heading back to the beach. Taking their advice, I was up early and on the water before 8AM, which was easy since the outfitter was literally steps from my hotel. At that time of the day, I had the Bay to myself; actually, while I was the only person on the water, I was anything but alone. Sea lions basked on rocks all along the shore, gulls drifted lazily on the morning breezes and rested on the water, and sea otters hunted for abilone for breakfast.

I paddled along the bay toward the open water and past Cannery Row and the aquarium. The sea lions were waking up now and several slid into the water to hunt breakfast as well. Every now and then one would appear near my boat, curious, maybe to say good morning. Regardless of their intent, they made my morning.

Since the primary reason for a marine sanctuary is to protect the life in it, kayakers are prohibited from getting too close to the animals. But no rules prevent curious animals from coming up to kayaks for a closer look. As I paddled toward the breakwater that is home to hundreds of sea lions and harbor seals, a group of five or six decided they wanted to have a little fun. They swam towards me and then submerged, only to surface moments later all around me. I only counted four and was wondering where the others were just as they answered my question by leaping out of the water right off the bow of my kayak and startling me out of my wits.

After several hours on the water with my new friends, I decided to head back to shore tired, hungry and thrilled with my morning's adventure.